novelSusiti Chapter 97 Braised Pork in a Can: A Preservative of Time
Chapter 97 Braised Pork in a Can: A Preservative of Time
In Xianyang in winter, the wind is as hard as a knife.
On the training ground of the Lantian camp, a unique "martial arts competition" was underway. However, this time it wasn't about swords, spears, or halberds, but rather—teeth.
"Snap!"
A sharp, teeth-grinding cracking sound rang out.
Xiang Yu held a long, black, iron-like object in his hand, clutching his cheek, his face contorted in pain. As the "God of Physics" of the Qin Dynasty, he could stop a locomotive with his bare hands and lift a barbell weighing hundreds of kilograms with one arm, but today, he was defeated by a piece of biscuit.
"This...this thing is for human consumption?" Xiang Yu slammed the saliva-covered "compressed rations" onto the ground, leaving a white mark. "This is clearly a brick for building a city wall!"
Han Xin, who was squatting on the ground, was using a knife to slowly shave off the same piece of dry rations, and then soaking the shavings in water.
"General Xiang, this is a specially made 'enhanced version' of the guokui (a type of flatbread) for easier marching," Han Xin explained slowly. "Once the moisture is removed, it naturally hardens. But it's filling; one piece can last a day."
"Satiating? I think it's bloating!" Xiang Yu roared angrily. "That greenhorn from yesterday swallowed a huge chunk because he was so hungry, and then he got bloated after drinking water and almost burst his stomach! And this jerky..."
Xiang Yu pointed to a pile of dried meat strips in a basket next to him, which looked like tree bark.
"This jerky has been sitting for three months, and the green mold on it is longer than the hair on my legs! This is supposed to be rations? This is poison! If I were to go to war with this pile of junk, I'd lose all my teeth before I even see the Huns!"
Xiang Yu's roar echoed in the cold wind, expressing the sentiments of all the elite soldiers of Qin.
As the Qin Dynasty expanded its territory, the army's supply lines became increasingly long. From Xianyang to the Western Regions, from land to sea, the traditional method of "cooking meals in a heated pot" became increasingly impractical. Dry rations were too hard, cured meat was too salty and spoiled easily, and fresh vegetables were out of the question.
Logistics became a spurt on the Qin army's neck.
The underfloor heating in Xianyang Palace was burning brightly.
Ying Zheng was troubled by a logistical loss report. The report showed that half of the military rations transported to Lingnan had become moldy and spoiled en route; and the meat transported to the Western Regions had turned into rotten meat by the time it arrived.
"Jianguo, does Xiao G have any ideas?" Ying Zheng rubbed his temples. "My army is going on a long expedition. We can't let them eat dirt the whole way, can we? That old liar Xu Fu said that life at sea is even worse. The fresh water is stinky, the food is infested with maggots, and the crew will end up eating the soles of their shoes."
Wang Jianguo pushed up his glasses, his expression solemn.
"Your Majesty, the essence of food spoilage is that microorganisms—that is, bacteria and fungi—are 'eating' our food. The residue they leave behind is toxins."
"Microorganisms..." Ying Zheng recalled the wriggling worms he had seen under the microscope last time, and his stomach churned. "How do we kill them? Poison them?"
"No, use heat." Wang Jianguo pointed to a pot of boiling water on the table. "Pasteur discovered that high temperatures can kill most bacteria. But the problem is, after killing them, if you don't seal it up, the bacteria from the outside will get back in."
"Therefore, we need an unbreakable, sealed 'armor' to keep cooked food inside, preventing time and bacteria from getting in."
"Armor?" Ying Zheng's eyes lit up. "Iron armor?"
"Yes, armor." Wang Jianguo nodded, "But ordinary iron rusts. We need a special kind of iron—tinplate."
"Little G," Ying Zheng asked in his mind, "what kind of magical iron is this tinplate? Do we have to bite it out with a horse's mouth?"
[Brother Zheng, your imagination is always so... vivid.]
There seemed to be a hint of helplessness in Xiao G's flat, electronic voice.
Tinplate is essentially sheet metal plated with tin. Tin is a non-toxic, ductile, and resistant to rust. It's used to coat sheet metal, forming a cylindrical container. Food is placed inside, heated to release air, and then sealed and welded. This creates a sterile, vacuum-like environment for the food. Theoretically, as long as the container doesn't break, the meat can be kept for eight to ten years and still be edible.
"Ten or eight years?" Ying Zheng exclaimed in surprise. "Wouldn't that turn into 'immortal flesh'?"
[You could think of it this way. This is a milestone in human food industry—canned food. With it, your army could take "braised pork" to any corner of the earth. If Napoleon had this, the Battle of Moscow might have had a very different outcome.]
Who was Napoleon?
[A short guy who, like you, enjoys coloring maps. We'll talk about that later. The key now is that you need to get the Imperial Household Department to evenly plate that paper-thin layer of tin onto the iron sheet. That's a rather difficult process.]
Daqin Royal Metal Processing Factory.
Zhao Gao was very depressed lately. He had just become the "Marquis of Jiao," and before he could enjoy his retirement for even a few days, he was dragged back to be the "Marquis of Canned Food."
"Thinner! Even thinner!"
Wang Jianguo held a micrometer in his hand and shook his head at a freshly baked sheet of iron.
"Prefect Zhao, this is for making canned goods, not shields! You've made it so thick; are the soldiers supposed to carry dozens of kilograms of iron cans into battle? The sheet metal should be as thin as a cicada's wing, and the tin layer should be as even as water!"
Zhao Gao's face was covered in soot, and he held pliers in his hand, looking at the scalding pool of molten tin, feeling like crying but having no tears.
"Your Excellency, if this sheet of iron is any thinner, it will be transparent! Moreover, this molten tin is too difficult to handle. If the temperature is too high, it flows too fast and cannot be retained; if the temperature is too low, it clumps together, like toad skin."
"Use your brain!" Wang Jianguo said, exasperated. "Use the hot-dip galvanizing method! Add some grease as flux! Also, pay attention to the lead content when soldering! Never use lead-tin alloy; lead is toxic, and eating too much will make you stupid! Prince Huhai wasn't smart to begin with; if he gets stupid too, will you take responsibility?"
Zhao Gao shuddered in fright. He recalled Hu Hai's clear yet foolish face and roared, "Change to pure tin! Anyone who dares to mix in lead, I'll throw them into a tin pot and fry them!"
After half a month of grueling work and the loss of several thousand kilograms of sheet metal, the first batch of "tinplate" from Daqin was finally produced.
They shimmered with a silvery-gray luster, and although their thickness did not yet meet the standards of later generations, they were already flexible enough. The craftsmen rolled them into cylinders, interlocked and welded the bottoms together, making them into shiny cylinders.
Next comes loading.
The chefs from the imperial kitchen were transferred to the factory, where dozens of large pots were simmering with fragrant braised pork. The marbled pork belly, glistening with fat and lean meat, trembled and quivered under the influence of soy sauce and rock sugar.
"Pack! Pack it while it's hot!"
Spoonfuls of piping hot meat were poured into the tin can.
"seal!"
The craftsmen quickly put the lid on and sealed the edges with solder.
"Sterilize!"
The sealed canned goods were sent into a huge high-pressure steam boiler (actually an improved version of the steam engine that Zhao Gao used to blow up the stove) for a final "sauna baptism".
With the hiss of steam, cans of "braised pork" embodying Daqin's cutting-edge technology officially rolled off the production line.
To test the shelf life, Wang Jianguo specifically had the first batch of canned goods placed in the harshest environments—next to the boiler room flue to simulate high-temperature conditions; and in an ice cellar to simulate extreme cold conditions.
Time flies, and a year has passed in the blink of an eye.
In that year, the railway from Daqin was extended to the Hexi Corridor, telephone lines were laid to Lingnan, and smallpox vaccination was popularized in every village.
And those canned goods that had been forgotten in the corner finally saw the light of day again.
In the Qilin Hall, there were ten iron cans covered in dust, some even rusted.
"This is... meat from a year ago?"
Li Si circled the jar several times, covering his nose, as if it contained a biological weapon.
"Imperial Preceptor, is this really edible? Meat these days goes rotten after three days; after a year... it'll probably have turned into corpse fluid by now!"
The ministers nodded in agreement. In their understanding, the decay of food was the way of nature, an irreversible law of the universe. To defy the will of Heaven was to invite calamity.
"Whether it's edible or not, you'll know once you open it."
Wang Jianguo took out a specially made "can opener" (which was actually a sharp, bladed screwdriver) and handed it to the guard next to him.
"open!"
The guard was a little nervous, his hands trembling slightly. He gripped the can and forcefully stabbed it into the edge of the tinplate.
"laugh--"
A soft hissing sound rang out. It was the sound of the vacuum inside the canister being broken.
Immediately afterward, as the sheet metal was pried open little by little, a rich, familiar aroma, carrying the scent of soy sauce and meat, instantly filled the hall.
"Hmm? It smells good?"
Li Si's nose twitched twice. This smell was almost exactly the same as the braised pork fresh from the imperial kitchen! In fact, because of the long simmering time, the aroma of the meat was even richer.
The lid was completely opened.
Inside the can, glistening, oily chunks of meat lay quietly in the solidified broth. There was no mold, no sour smell, only an enticing color.
"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"
Shao Fu Zhang Han exclaimed in surprise, "This meat...it looks like it just woke up after a nap!"
"Who dares to be the first to try it?" Ying Zheng sat on the dragon throne. Although the aroma had tempted him, as the emperor, he had to remain cautious.
The ministers exchanged bewildered glances. Although it smelled delicious, this was, after all, "antique meat from a year ago." Who knew if eating it would cause them to die on the spot?
Just then, a towering figure strode out from the ranks of military officers.
"This humble general is willing to give it a try!"
It was Xiang Yu.
Ever since he started studying physics, this guy has been filled with a thirst for exploring all sorts of "novel" things (mainly his appetite). He had long been fed up with the dry rations in the military camp, and now, smelling the aroma of braised pork, his stomach was already rumbling with cravings.
"Alright! Xiang Ji, come here!" Ying Zheng granted his request.
Xiang Yu didn't use chopsticks; he simply pulled out a silver spoon from his robes (he always carried it with him, a professional cook), scooped out a large spoonful of meat along with the soup jelly, and stuffed it into his mouth.
The entire arena fell silent. Everyone stared at Xiang Yu's face, waiting for him to foam at the mouth or bleed from his seven orifices.
Xiang Yu chewed twice.
His eyebrows twitched.
Then, his eyes widened suddenly, gleaming with a sharp light.
"Ugh! Ugh ugh ugh!"
Xiang Yu didn't say anything, but instead scooped up another large spoonful and stuffed it into his mouth with lightning speed.
"Gulp." He swallowed it.
"Your Majesty!" Xiang Yu wiped the grease from his mouth, his voice booming, "Delicious! Absolutely delicious! The meat is so tender it melts in your mouth, even the bones are soft! Although... although there's a slight rusty taste, that rusty taste only enhances the masculine power of the man!"
"A rusty smell?" Wang Jianguo took notes. "It seems the inner wall coating needs improvement."
Seeing Xiang Yu eating so heartily and still alive, Liu Bang, who was standing next to him, couldn't sit still any longer.
"Your Majesty! I am also willing to test the poison for Your Majesty!" Liu Bang rushed forward, snatched another can of food, and grabbed a piece with his bare hands, not caring whether there was a spoon or not.
"Oh! It smells so good!" Liu Bang exclaimed, his eyes darting around as he ate. "Your Majesty, this is excellent! This isn't just military rations; it's a business opportunity! Just think, if those merchant caravans and fishermen could take a few jars of this meat with them, wouldn't they empty their pockets to buy it?"
Liu Bang quickly switched to sales mode:
"We can name it 'Qin Dynasty Time Capsule.' I've even thought of the catchy phrase: 'Preserving the deliciousness of time, bringing you braised pork from a year ago!'"
Ying Zheng couldn't help but laugh when he saw these two gluttons.
"What a wonderful time capsule."
Ying Zheng stepped down from the dragon throne, went to the table, and personally picked up an opened jar of meat.
"Little G".
[Yes, Brother Zheng.]
"Can this small jar of meat really carry my army to the ends of the earth?"
[It's not just about meat, Brother Zheng. Canning technology can preserve vegetables and fruits. This means scurvy will no longer be a nightmare for ocean-going navies. Your fleet can sail for months without having to dock for resupply. For world conquest, this is more important than nuclear weapons—because nuclear weapons can only destroy, while canned food can sustain life.]
"Survival..." Ying Zheng picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth.
The meat did indeed have a faint metallic taste, but in Ying Zheng's mouth, it was the taste of power.
"Issue my decree!"
Ying Zheng swallowed the meat, his gaze sharpening.
"First, the Imperial Household Department will dedicate all its resources to producing tinplate. I intend for every piece of iron in the Qin Dynasty to become a prison of time!"
"Second, establish the 'Great Qin Food Factory.' Whether it's pork, mutton, lychees from Lingnan, or yellow peaches from the East China Sea, pack them all into cans for me!"
Third, Xu Fu!
Xu Fu, who was hiding in the corner, shuddered: "Your subject is here!"
"Didn't you say you were going to sail out to find that America? I've prepared ten thousand jars of braised pork and five thousand jars of yellow peaches for you. If you still can't find it this time, you can pack yourself into a can and send yourself back to me!"
Xu Fu was moved to tears: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty will not fail in your mission! With this divine flesh, I will crawl to the ends of the earth, let alone the Americas!"
The mass production of canned food rapidly changed the face of the Qin army.
In the Lantian camp, the soldiers no longer had to eat those tough, chewy rations.
"Hey! Old Zhang, what kind of canned food is that?"
"Braised beef! What about you?"
"Damn it! I'm like luncheon meat! It's all flour, no chewiness at all!"
In the trenches, soldiers held the canned food they were issued and traded it with each other. The empty cans weren't wasted either; the resourceful soldiers transformed them into drinking cups, shovels for digging, and even makeshift landmine casings.
However, new things always have side effects.
A month later, Wang Jianguo received a strange report from the front lines.
"Your Majesty, General Meng Tian is calling." Wang Jianguo's expression was strange.
"What? Did someone die from eating canned food?" Ying Zheng asked anxiously.
"No... General Meng said that since the canned food was distributed, the soldiers' combat effectiveness has indeed improved, but..."
"But what?"
"But their weight has increased dramatically. Especially in the cavalry battalion, the warhorses can barely carry them. And... because the canned food is so delicious, many soldiers are reluctant to eat it, and some even trade it for wives with the local people."
Ying Zheng: "..."
"These brats!" Ying Zheng laughed and scolded. "Tell Meng Tian to intensify his training! Five kilometers of weighted running every day! Every bit of meat he eats will turn into muscle for me!"
Meanwhile, in the countryside, Liu Bang's "Great Qin Food Company" also opened for business.
But he wasn't selling ordinary canned goods; he was promoting the concept of "aged meat"... no, "aged meat".
On Zhuque Street, the most bustling street in Xianyang, a large sign hangs outside Liu Bang's shop:
[Royal Special Supply: The Ultimate Delicacy Sealed for Three Years]
"Take a look! This is braised pork sealed away in the thirty-third year of the First Emperor's reign! That was the most prosperous year for the Qin Dynasty! The pigs were raised listening to the 'Qin King's Battle Music'! The meat is firm and has a lingering aftertaste!"
"Freshly opened and served! Ten times the price back if fake!"
A wealthy businessman curiously approached: "Boss Liu, the meat from these past three years... hasn't gone bad?"
"Stinky?" Liu Bang's eyes widened. "This is called the sedimentation of time! This is called the mellow aroma of years! Like aged wine, the longer it's stored, the more valuable it becomes! This jar, I'll charge you five hundred coins, that's just to make friends!"
The wealthy merchant bought a jar with some skepticism, opened it and ate it. Sure enough, the meat was tender and had a unique flavor (actually, it was just more thoroughly mushy).
"Good! Good meat!"
Thus, under Liu Bang's influence, a craze for "collecting canned food" swept through the Qin Dynasty. Some nobles even included dozens of jars of "ten-year-aged braised pork" in their daughters' dowries, symbolizing a prosperous and thriving life.
On the East China Sea, the waves surged.
A massive fleet is assembling. It is Xu Fu's second ocean exploration expedition, and the first true "search for America" fleet.
On the flagship's deck, Xu Fu looked at the mountain of wooden crates, which were marked with the words "Great Qin Military Supplies - Braised Pork".
He picked up a can; the cold metal felt unusually heavy in his hand.
"Chief," Han Xin, the deputy beside him (sent by Ying Zheng to serve as a military supervisor and bodyguard), patted him on the shoulder, "with this thing, we don't have to be afraid even if we're at sea for a year or two."
Xu Fu nodded, his gaze fixed on the endless east.
"Yes. In the past, going to sea was a gamble with your life. Now..." Xu Fu smiled, opened a can of yellow peaches, forked a piece of golden fruit and put it in his mouth.
sweet.
It's cloyingly sweet.
But this sweetness masked the salty smell of the sea breeze and also suppressed the fear in my heart.
"Right now, this is just a hike with dry rations."
"Set off!"
With a command, the steam whistles blared. The fleet cut through the waves, carrying Qin's steel, gunpowder, and tens of thousands of "time capsules" sealed in tin cans, heading towards the unknown world.
Behind them, a seagull that had just finished eating a can of braised pork let out a satisfied burp and used the empty can as its new nest.
On this ancient sea, for the first time, humanity used the power of industry to overcome the decay of time.