Craftsman: I continue to learn for the sake of the saints

Chapter 28 Incense Road
late at night.

Qin Luo locked the door and lay on the bed, his consciousness immersed in the system space.

Suddenly, it was discovered that the system space was ready.

But this time, there were actually two teachers.

One is Chen Jing, a well-known incense maker in the late Song Dynasty, who wrote "Chen's Fragrance Book".

The other is Zhou Jiaxuan, a native of the late Ming Dynasty, who lived from the Wanli Dynasty to the Shunzhi Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty. He was born in Yangzhou and wrote two classics handed down from generation to generation, "Xiangcheng" and "Xiangdian".

Qin Luo had checked some information about Xiangdao before, and indeed knew that these two belonged to the originator of Xiangdao.

Fragrance Taoism has flourished since the Yuan Dynasty, Chen Jing inherited it from the Tang and Song Dynasties, and Zhou Jiazhou carried it forward from the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.

This system space is really magical.

People who are not from the same era can actually "get together" together.

It feels a bit like Guan Gong fighting Qin Qiong.

Qin Luo didn't waste time and immediately immersed himself in his studies.

To learn incense...

It is based on the knowledge of fragrance and materials.

The ancient way of incense has always been inseparable from the way of medicine, because many spices are derived from medicinal materials.

The method of combining incense also basically follows the prescription ratio of "junchen, assistant and envoy", so that various fragrances can be perfectly blended.

Compound incense is the most magical place of incense.

Various base fragrances, according to different sequences, different proportions, and different processing methods, are combined to produce different fragrances.

Just like modern perfumes, there are top notes, middle notes, and base notes.

Spices for daily use can be roughly divided into several types: agarwood, sandalwood, jiangzhenxiang, cypress, Tibetan medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, etc., and there are about a thousand kinds of materials that can be used to make incense.

This step alone, Qin Luo has learned for three years.

In the system space, taste all kinds of spices that are perfectly simulated.

Feel……

His own nose seemed to have turned into a dog's nose, having obtained some kind of evolution.

To be honest, this subject is more difficult than sugar figurines and architecture.

Because there are too many elements involved.

The variety, year, place of origin, and processing method of the spices must be done well, and they can be identified by smelling them.

and……

It is also necessary to accurately identify each raw material and its proportion in the compound aroma, and even reverse the production process to restore it in reverse.

Three years is a long time.

It is still under the premise of being guided by a famous teacher and being influenced by the ears and eyes day and night.

Once you learn how to distinguish materials, the rest is very simple.

Thirteen steps to making incense.

First, choose materials.

Second, clean material.

Third, first broken.

Fourth, repair system.

This step is extremely important, and it is also a watershed to test the level of the perfume maker. It is necessary to eliminate the chaff and preserve the essence of the spices.

Fifth, baking materials.

Either air-dried, or shade-dried, or dried, the methods are different.

Sixth, alcohol materials.

Seal the fermentation, dissipate the fire, and make the spices mellow.

Seventh, intensive research.

Grind various spices that have been processed into powders suitable for use.

Eighth, compatibility.

According to the ancient method, the ingredients are reasonably matched with "monarch and minister assistants" to directly determine the fragrance type.

Ninth: making incense.

At this point, even if the production is complete.

But from beginning to end, strive for excellence.

The next four steps are: secret drying, picking incense, cellar incense, and testing incense. It is to dry the finished products, remove the bad ones, continue to seal and age, and finally experiment in small batches.

The whole process can be said to be extremely time-consuming and laborious.

Even under the premise of collecting complete materials, a batch of incense can be produced in half a month, which is considered a very fast speed.

Moreover, it is still handmade and the output is limited.

This thing, in ancient times, has always been considered a luxury.

It took Qin Luo another three years to study hundreds of incense recipes and master them thoroughly.

Then, it is considered to be a complete teacher and leave the system space.

……

"No wonder it will be lost, isn't it too difficult?"

"Moreover, the economic benefits and the cost of energy and time spent are completely out of proportion."

"Unless it is really sold as a luxury."

Back on his bed, Qin Luo couldn't complain.

But that's what handmade incense is.

Of course, it can be simplified, but after the simplification, the quality cannot be guaranteed, the price cannot be sold, and the output is definitely not as good as the machine.

However, strictly following the ancient law to make incense, except for the court, and wealthy families, or celebrities, ordinary people really can't afford it.

Upper decision decided by the economic background.

The gentlemen in the feudal society can enjoy it regardless of the cost, but in the modern society, it is no wonder that it will be replaced by perfume and machines.

During the period of the Republic of China, the domestic handmade incense family completely lost its inheritance.

but……

Now that the economic conditions are good again, they are qualified to play again in a small circle.

Luxury……

Qin Luo thought about this route silently, glanced at the system tasks again, and then fell asleep peacefully.

Let's do it first.

……

Early the next morning.

As soon as Qin Luo got up, he couldn't wait to go out to buy all kinds of spices he needed.

First go to the wood processing factory that I have been to before, and customize a medicine cabinet, two hundred grids, as a spare.

Then I went to pharmacies and supermarkets to buy all kinds of spices I needed.

After everything was prepared, when I got home, I couldn't wait to start experimenting.

Most of the spices bought by myself are not as good as those provided in the system space. However, the conditions are limited, and this is the only way for the time being.

The quality is almost almost, but it is always the same thing.

Even so, it costs a lot.

The cumulative cost of this batch of materials is nearly 2000 yuan, which is quite expensive.

And the finished product that can be made is at most a thousand pills.

In total, one pill is two yuan.

Just the material cost.

"Old irons, I have a new job today, making incense. These are the spices I just bought, and I am going to start making them now."

"This prescription is called Cardamom Fragrance Body Pill. Wear a pill every day, put it on your belly button, or stick it on your armpits. Within three months, you will naturally develop a body fragrance."

"For body odor, it has a miraculous effect."

This recipe is a high-quality fragrance recipe from the Yuan Dynasty, a secret recipe of the palace, which cannot be passed on to the outside world.

The nomads of that era had a lot of body odor, and they all relied on this kind of incense pills to cover up.

After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, the court incense masters returned to their hometowns with their secret recipes. Within a generation, they established a prosperous family of incense makers. Their products sold well all over the country, earning tens of thousands of taels of silver a year.

Later, it was passed on for hundreds of years, and it was not lost until the Qing soldiers entered the pass.

The reason why Qin Luo chose this incense as his first product was because he valued its market value.

Chinese people pay attention to practicality.

Body odor is not a serious disease, but it is difficult to cure. It has a certain market size. Even if the number of people is not large, but the fame spreads, it must be enough to support oneself.

Besides...

Girls nowadays have a kind of obsession with body fragrance.

This kind of incense pill that can directly "improve the taste of the body" should also be sold.

I don't have much fame now, and I almost don't want to go the luxury route. I can only take my time and take the civilian route first.

For two yuan, you can't buy it at a loss, and you can't buy it at a loss.

"Come on, let's show you all the various herbs..."

"Clove, Greenwood, Huoxiang, Gansong, Angelica, Cyperus, Angelica, Osmanthus, Betel Nut, Cardamom..."

"And this... the most expensive, musk, just a little bit, it's worth a few hundred yuan more."

Qin Luo showed them one by one to the camera.

Not afraid of being stolen.

Just knowing the ingredients is useless.

The important thing is the ratio of raw materials, as well as the process.

The steps of Hexiang are the real untold secret.

……

……

(End of this chapter)