Xiao Hanzheng was also happy that Mo Qingling praised his little wife.
"My wife often has fantastic ideas, which I think are quite good."
Mo Qingling nodded. "Indeed."
He added, "The formula for making ice has been sent over. Our county will receive the reward in a few days' time."
The imperial palace was making ice every day to cool down the heat.
Many families in the capital had also bought saltpetre to make ice.
Mo Qingling had also heard that many restaurants in the capital were using ice to make cold drinks.
The cold green bean soup and sour plum soup were very popular.
In addition, Shi Qingluo's sharing on making herbal tea and ice popsicles had also spread to the capital. There were often hawkers selling popsicles on the streets.
Then, he changed the topic. "The reward is gold."
Xiao Hanzheng was not surprised at all.
He smiled and said, "When we first revealed the formula for making ice, we didn't think much. If we are rewarded, receiving gold is still a surprise for us. We are very satisfied."
Mo Qingling looked at him and said, "Aren't you a little disappointed?"
Many people who offered formulas wished to be honoured by the emperor.
Xiao Hanzheng's expression didn't change. He said calmly, "Why should I be disappointed? I think receiving gold as the reward is just right."
He added bluntly, "Actually, the reward is much. Even an elementary scholar like me finds it difficult to accept."
Receiving a higher rank and generous salary? This was just a formula for making ice. How could it be possible?
They just wanted the emperor to know about their existence.
Even if he forgot, when they mentioned it to him one day, the emperor would still remember that it was Xiao Hanzheng who offered the ice-making method!
This was enough.
He was only an elementary scholar now, and he didn't have any excellent family background.
If the emperor rewarded him too much, it wouldn't be good in fact.
Mo Qingling looked at Xiao Hanzheng with admiration. "You're very smart."
It was rare for someone of his age to maintain a calm and rational mind.
Xiao Hanzheng smiled. "Thank you for your praise, Sir!"
Mo Qingling was very busy, so Xiao Hanzheng didn't disturb him any further. He went to the open space in front of the county yamen.
At this moment, his little wife, Xiao Baili, and Xiao Erlang had already given out a lot of mosquito incense.
After all, it was a free gift delivered to the county yamen. Everyone felt that there was no harm in getting one.
Some even especially came over to collect it when they heard about it.
As for whether they would use it after collecting it tonight, they would leave it for a discussion next time.
Xiao Hanzheng then went to teach people how to make ice.
As the formula for making ice was made known to the public and benefited many in the county, be it directly or through extra earnings, they were very polite to him and his wife.
When they returned home in the afternoon after shopping, they passed by the Bai family's residence.
Shi Qingluo even took a few bunches of mosquito incense and asked the servant boy to deliver them to Bai Xu.
That night, many people in the county lit up the mosquito incense that they received.
initially, they didn't think much about it. They were afraid that it wouldn't be that magical that mosquitoes would disappear when they lit the mosquito incense.
In the Bai family, after Bai Xu received mosquito incense, he didn't doubt much.
After all, he knew Shi Qingluo pretty well. She wouldn't do things that she wasn't confident of.
Hence, he sent the mosquito incense to his parents and grandparents.
His mother looked at the not-so-exquisite mosquito incense with some suspicion. "This thing can repel mosquitoes. Is it true?"
She sniffed it. "The smell isn't as good as the incense in my room."
Bai Xu smiled. "Mother, this is a mosquito repellent. How can the smell compare to the incense in your room?
"As long as it works it's good enough."
Lady Bai agreed after thinking for a while. "Alright, let's try it tonight."
She was happy that her son was filial.
Very quickly on the next day, those who doubted whether the mosquito incense would work had some findings.
"Did you light mosquito incense last night? It really worked."
"I didn't, I forgot. Does it really work?"
"Yes, it worked. I lit it last night and didn't hear any mosquitoes buzzing. I didn't have any mosquito bites when I woke up in the morning."
"Yes, my child always has a lot of mosquito bites. Previously, he always had a mosquito bite on his face and hands after every night. Last night, I lit the mosquito incense and he doesn't have any mosquito bites today."
"Where do they sell the mosquito incense? I'm going to buy some."
"I don't think it's available in the county. Only Xiaxi village has it."
"I'm going to buy some. Last night, I had a good sleep as there weren't any mosquitoes buzzing."
The effects of the mosquito incense spread like wildfire.
The brilliant merchants and hawkers also drove their carriages and ox-carts towards Xiaxi village.
At the Bai residence.
Bai Xu went to have dinner with her grandmother and mother.
Old Lady Bai smiled and said, "The mosquito incense you gave me yesterday was really effective. Please send more over."
In the past, whenever there were mosquitoes at night, they would fumigate the room with wormwood and get the maids to chase away the mosquitoes in the middle of the night, which would more or less affect her sleep.
However, after lighting the mosquito incense last night, she didn't need the maids around and had a good night's sleep.
Lady Bai also smiled and said, "Send some over to my side as well. This mosquito incense doesn't look that great, but it's really useful."
Bai Xu had also used it last night. It was indeed effective.
He smiled and said, "No problem. I'll go and buy more today."
He also saw the business opportunity and was prepared to look for Shi Qingluo for potential collaboration.
After dinner, he sat in a horse carriage and arrived at Xiaxi village leisurely.
Then, he realised that there were many horse carriages and ox carts parked at the entrance of the Xiao family's sugar mill.
After asking, he found out that these people were all queuing up to buy mosquito incense.
Bai Xu continued asking and heard about the free mosquito incense that Shi Qingluo had given out yesterday.
He was stunned at first, but he quickly figured out that it was a way to advertise it.
When he walked through the door, the people in front of him even told him not to cut the queue.
Bai Xu was speechless. "I'm not here to cut the queue. I'm here to visit a friend."
"Hanzheng, Hanzheng!" Then he saw Xiao Hanzheng standing not far away.
He deliberately shouted a few times and squeezed in.
When everyone saw him doing this, they also thought that he was there to visit a friend, so they did not stop him.
Bai Xu walked quickly to Xiao Hanzheng. "Where's Shi Qingluo?"
Xiao Hanzheng smiled and replied, "She was arranging the goods for delivery inside. Are you also here for the mosquito incense?"
Bai Xu whispered, "That's for sure. Bring me to your wife to discuss it then."
Xiao Hanzheng let someone handle the matters he was currently busy with and brought Bai Xu into a room.
Shi Qingluo was busy arranging for people to deliver the goods according to the number in the queue outside.
When Bai Xu entered, she spoke first. "You want to buy the mosquito incense? Then you don't need to speak anymore. There isn't."
Bai Xu was speechless. "You can just sell everything to me directly. Why go through so much trouble."
Shi Qingluo rolled her eyes at him. "If I want to sell it in bulk, why would I need to go to the county town to deliver free mosquito incense?
"Forget about being the wholesaler. You should leave some meat for others to eat too."
Bai Xu was puzzled. "Selling in bulk is more convenient. Why bother making yourself so busy?"
Shi Qingluo replied, "I'm a hardworking person who can't stay idle. I'm happy to do it."
Bai Xu uttered under his breath, I don't believe you.
"Come, tell me why." She usually looked out for time-savvy methods and was definitely not someone who would make herself busy when she had nothing to do.
Shi Qingluo finished arranging the orders in her hands.
Then, she sat down beside Xiao Hanzheng. "Alright then, I just want to bring more people to our village and transform it into a trading centre in the future."