Chapter 110 — Salt Production Scaling
S.C. 1511 — Early January
Foosha Village → Hidden Island — Shoreline
The tide was low.
Wind swept across the shallows, leaving ripples of seawater glistening over pale sand.
Ren stood barefoot at the edge of the shore, the cold sting of winter water numbing his toes.
Behind him, Zemo stretched lazily, but his ears stayed alert—he sensed Ren had a plan today.
A plan involving salt.
Ren stared at the sea and whispered:
"It's time to increase production."
Salt was profit.
Salt was stability.
Salt was the beginning of his merchant network.
And Ren needed more of it—quietly, without drawing attention.
Step 1 — Understanding the Problem
Ren crouched beside his old evaporation pans—simple clay trays lined with charcoal.
They had worked fine in the beginning…
…but Ren frowned.
"Too slow. Too small. Too obvious if someone comes looking."
To sell salt quietly, Ren needed:
faster evaporation
larger quantities
better fire control
no smoke visible from Foosha
and minimal daily workload
Zemo pawed at the dry salt crystals in the tray.
Ren laughed softly.
"That's the part we do want more of."
Step 2 — New Evaporation Design
Ren gathered the tools he'd brought from the village:
KEA-nails
KEA chisel
wooden planks
rolled tarp
a bundle of dried seaweed rope
two small clay tiles
He sketched a new structure in the sand.
Salt Evaporation System v2
• wide wooden frame
• charcoal-lined under-layer
• slanted tray design
• dual-layer evaporation
• smoke-shielding windbreak
• water-feed channel with bamboo pipe
Zemo tilted his head as Ren drew.
"This one evaporates twice as fast," Ren explained, proud.
Step 3 — Building the Windbreak
The biggest danger wasn't villagers finding his salt work.
It was smoke.
Salt needs heat.
Heat can make smoke.
Smoke travels far.
So Ren hammered wooden poles into the sand in a semicircle.
TOK—TOK—TOK.
Then he wrapped them with thick woven seaweed mats.
No smoke would escape this barrier.
Zemo sniffed the mat and sneezed.
Ren chuckled.
"Good. The smoke won't get out either."
Step 4 — Two-Layer Evaporation Pans
Ren carved grooves into the cliffside rock using the KEA chisel.
SCRRK—SCRRK.
He created two stone shelves:
Upper level → wide tray for first evaporation
Lower level → clay trays for finishing and crystallizing
He lined each shelf with smooth clay slabs he fired last week.
The new trays were:
bigger
flatter
with curved lips to prevent spilling
Perfect for large batches.
Ren whispered:
"This will increase production by at least three times."
Step 5 — Water Channel & Bamboo Pipe
Next, Ren dug a shallow trench from the shoreline to the upper tray.
Then he buried a bamboo pipe inside it.
At high tide, seawater would flow automatically into the upper tray.
No buckets.
No carrying.
No noise.
Passive harvesting.
Zemo watched the flowing water with fascination.
Ren patted his head.
"Yes, it fills itself. Saves time, right?"
Step 6 — Heating System Upgrade
Ren arranged a series of small fire pits underneath the lower trays.
Instead of one big pit, he created:
• 4 mini-pits
• low heat
• controlled burn
• minimal smoke
He lined each pit with charcoal dust, then placed small stones under the trays to distribute heat evenly.
Fire at the bottom.
Evaporation at the top.
Efficient.
Quiet.
Hidden.
Step 7 — First Test Run
Ren filled the upper tray.
The water spread across the wide surface, forming a thin shimmering layer.
The sun did the rest.
Hours later—
Ren checked the lower trays.
Tiny white crystals were forming.
He ran his finger through the salt.
"…Perfect."
Zemo sniffed the salt, then sneezed again.
Ren laughed.
"That means it's working."
Step 8 — Storage Upgrade
Ren opened his crate and pulled out small cloth bags he stitched last week.
He filled the first bag with fresh salt.
Tie.
Pack.
Store.
He placed it in a hidden rock compartment on the island's side cliff.
His storage capacity had doubled.
Production had tripled.
And it still looked like nothing from the outside.
Step 9 — A Quiet Win
As the sun dipped in the sky, Ren and Zemo stood by the new salt system.
A breeze rustled the seaweed mats.
The trays sparkled faintly.
The bamboo pipe gurgled softly with incoming water.
Peaceful.
Efficient.
Hidden.
Ren whispered:
"Salt will be our first real product.
Clean. Reliable. Cheap to make.
Villagers won't question it."
Salt had no politics.
No nobles would attack him for it.
No attention would come his way.
Zemo sat proudly beside him.
Ren reached down and scratched him behind the ears.
"We're one step closer, Zemo.
To our island base…
To our merchant group…
To a future where we stand on our own."
The waves rolled in gently, as if agreeing.
End of Chapter 110