Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 69. White like snow

Hua Yunao also brought it close to his nose and sniffed it slightly, pretending to peel it under Xiaosi’s distressed gaze.

Don’t ask how he knew to peel it, just ask because he could see, Xiaosi was holding the peel in his other hand.

Xiaosi’s heart ached with each of his brother’s actions, staring pitifully, making Hua Yunao laugh directly.

"Here you go, little guy," he said, placing the orange in his younger brother’s hand.

Xiaosi’s eyes lit up, and he instantly changed his expression, grinning at his brothers. As he was about to put the orange into his satchel, he paused.

After hesitating, he quickly peeled the orange and divided it into four parts.

"Big brother, second brother, sister, let’s eat together."

As a foodie, he felt a bit pained peeling it because it was so little, but once peeled, Xiaosi wasn’t as reluctant.

Anything delicious the brothers and sister had, they saved for him. He also wanted to share with them, even though it really pained him.

Hua Yunao, Hua Yunxiang, and even Hua Jin looked at the orange divided into four and smiled, all couldn’t help but pat Xiaosi on the head, especially Hua Jin, who felt this little brother was growing more lovable.

Though he loved eating, Xiaosi was quite thrifty, but when it came to family, his brothers and sister, he was truly good.

"Hmm... So sweet," Hua Yunxiang said exaggeratedly, putting it in his mouth, his eyes lighting up.

Big brother Hua Yunao also nodded with a bright expression, indeed very sweet, never having tasted such delicious fruit before.

Only Hua Jin was the most calm since she ate it often.

After savoring the deliciousness of the orange, the brothers thought of Xiaosi’s words again and looked at their sister.

"Little sister, what’s the salt Xiaosi mentioned?"

Was it what they thought? frёewebnoѵēl.com

The only kind of salt they knew was the one used for cooking.

Hua Jin gave a mysterious smile and glanced at the main hall, "Big brother, second brother, why don’t you go see for yourselves."

As she spoke, she took out a few small oranges from her satchel, giving each brother a few, and then gave two to Xiaosi. Since the kid was generous, she, as the sister, also wanted to be generous.

She casually took the orange peel from Xiaosi’s hand. This thing needed to be returned to the space to regenerate, couldn’t waste it, or there would be a lot less joy in life from not eating small oranges.

"Mysterious, huh? I’ll go look," Hua Yunxiang removed the shelf from his shoulder and turned to the main hall.

Hua Yunao glanced at his sister, also removing the shelf from his back, but before he took a step, he heard his second brother’s surprised voice.

"Big brother, come look quickly!" His voice contained a hint of astonishment.

Unknowingly, Hua Yunao quickened his pace, feeling that his second brother’s shock was somehow related to their little sister.

Hua Jin understood and followed behind. Second brother’s reaction was already good; didn’t he see that grandparents and parents were still ecstatic, gathered around the table?

"This is..."

When Hua Yunao saw a large pile of snow-white granular substance on the table, his eyes widened, and he thought of Xiaosi’s words, unconsciously pinching a bit to put in his mouth to confirm.

Next to him, Hua Yunxiang was already clicking his tongue with the salty taste, sticking out his tongue, yet still pinching another bit to put in his mouth, as if wanting to confirm again.

"Big brother, do you feel it?" Hua Yunxiang looked at the slightly stunned Hua Yunao, his voice full of delight.

The salt on the table was not only clean, pure white in appearance, but also in taste, without any impurities or bitterness as before. Hua Yunxiang was shocked, not knowing where the family got this from, knowing even the best salt in the shops wasn’t like this.

Hua Yunxiang’s loud voice woke everyone else in the room.

"What are you shouting about, lower your voice." Granny Hua’s first action upon returning to her senses was to slap her second grandson, yet her eyes remained fixed on the salt on the table, her heart pounding.

The coarse salt on the market sold for at least thirty cents a pound, and that was the coarsest and worst kind. The refined salt consumed by the wealthy was said to be several hundred times more expensive.

Even the refined salt seen in shops couldn’t compare in the slightest to what was on the table, incomparable really.

"Grandma..." Hua Yunxiang shrugged his shoulders.

"Grandpa, grandma, what’s going on?" Hua Yunxiang asked, unable to hide his surprise, staring at the snow-white salt grains on the table.

"We’ll talk later, go get some clean jars from the kitchen," Granny Hua instructed her eldest grandson.

Earthen jars weren’t worth much, as the family liked to pickle vegetables, these items were always prepared, always kept some on hand.

Realizing, Hua Yunao quickly responded with an "Aye," swiftly fetching two clean jars from the kitchen.

The salt on the table looked like much, but it filled less than two jars, about five or six pounds.

These days, Hua Jin had bought nearly ten pounds of coarse salt back and forth, getting this amount wasn’t bad.

After filling the jars, leaving enough for a month’s use at home, Granny Hua took the two jars of salt into her own room as treasure, this stuff was too precious to be left in the kitchen.

The two brothers still waited for the family to explain; seeing grandma ready, Hua Yunao, typically steady, couldn’t hold back anymore, asking, "Grandpa, grandma, can you tell us now."

"Is the main door closed tight?" Grandpa Hua didn’t answer his grandson’s question; instead, he cautiously looked toward the main door.

"Don’t worry, grandpa, it’s closed," Hua Yunxiang quickly replied.

"The salt matter mustn’t be spoken outside; understand?" Nodding, Grandpa Hua looked at his two grandsons and the little grandson playing at the doorway.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the children; in fact, the kids at home always kept their lips sealed tightly regarding family matters, never speaking out.

Knowing was one thing, but a reminder was still needed.

"Don’t worry, grandpa," the brothers immediately straightened their expressions upon hearing this, and even Xiaosi, playing with a slingshot at the door, responded.

Though young, they understood the gravity of the situation. They knew from a young age that acquiring salt wasn’t easy, it was very precious, yet people couldn’t live without it. Importantly, salt had always been controlled by the imperial court; personal extraction and production were not allowed.

"It’s good you understand. Until your dad and I have a solid plan, the salt business must remain sealed; even your aunt can’t be told. Money moves people’s hearts; we cannot harbor lucky thoughts, especially when there are unscrupulous people in this world. Do you understand, Yun Ao, Yun Xiang?"

The brothers exchanged a glance; what was there not to understand at this point.

Initially, they thought grandpa and dad brought these things in from elsewhere, but clearly, that wasn’t the case from grandpa’s words. There was only one reason grandpa would be this serious: the salt on the table was homemade, realizing this, the brothers immediately became more serious.

Understanding grandpa’s meaning, if the fact that their family had something even better than refined salt ever got out, it would undoubtedly create a massive uproar. Handing it to the court was a small issue, but, afraid some might take desperate measures, by then, the whole family would...

Thinking of this, a shiver ran down the brothers’ spine almost simultaneously, their expressions increasingly grave.

"Grandpa, we understand." The brothers solemnly nodded. This was a matter of family safety, after all, and indeed needed care.