Under her gaze, Du Shaoxuan's heart began to beat wildly again, "What...what happened?"

Mu Wanqing's mind was in turmoil. She swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue and pointed at his mouth. "It's a bit dirty here."

Du Shaoxuan was stunned for a moment, then quickly wiped the corner of his mouth, a deep sense of loss flashing through his heart.

"I just want one set, isn't that okay?"

Mu Wanqing rubbed her brows. Maybe... she was overthinking. "It's not that I can't do it. It's that I don't have the time and energy. It will take a year to knit a set."

"I've been busy setting up a wool workshop recently. There are so many things to do, I'm very busy. I also have to develop related machines."

Her work schedule is packed, but she just doesn't have enough staff.

She had already made up her mind to brainwash the students in the academy, and when they were almost ready to graduate, she would bring them over for internships.

She definitely won't employ the older generation of the tribesmen, and will just let them run their own small shops and make money.

However, this group of college students were taught by her personally. They learned mathematics, physics, chemistry and accounting from her and admired her very much. She dared to say that most of the students were loyal to her.

She now starts with the children. Whenever she has time, she visits kindergartens and academies, brings gifts to everyone and builds relationships.

Busy, really busy.

"The next step is to get the glass out. Are there any craftsmen who can make mirrors? Please assign a few to me."

Mirror? Du Shaoxuan shook his head slightly, "There's none in Xiliang, but there must be some in the capital. I'll ask the emperor for a few."

He asked for whatever he wanted with confidence, and the emperor and his son liked it and thought he was generous and open-minded.

Mu Wanqing only knew the general formula, and the specific recipe required repeated experiments. If one had money and manpower, it would not be a difficult task.

"Okay, I'll leave this to you. We'll have to plant cotton in the spring next year. Cotton is a top priority and I won't allow any failure. During this period, we have to build a cotton mill so that we can start production as soon as the cotton is picked."

She had planned everything. "There are several factories under the cotton workshop, including a cotton cloth factory, a cotton batting factory, an oil pressing factory, a glycerin factory, a carton factory, as well as factories producing cotton swabs, cotton balls, cotton yarn, and an alcohol factory. The first few are used for people's livelihood, and the last two are medical supplies. They are used for disinfection and sterilization to avoid infection and are extremely effective for wounds..."

Cotton is known as the king of plants. It is a treasure from head to toe. Cotton fiber can be used to make cotton cloth, cotton seeds can be used to extract oil, and cotton seed shells can be used to grow mushrooms, and processed into alcohol and glycerin. Cotton stalks can be used to make fiberboard veneer, paper, fertilizer, fuel, etc. Note (1)

Du Shaoxuan reacted quickly, "Disinfection and sterilization? Are you sure?"

Many soldiers did not die directly on the battlefield, but died from wound infections.

If we had alcohol for disinfection and sterilization, countless soldiers' lives could be saved.

When he thought of this, he became extremely excited.

"Sure." Mu Wanqing had to admire his keen sense of touch. She just said one sentence and he thought of the most crucial point.

"But all these require overcoming technical difficulties. I need a large number of professionals. According to my plan, these factories will be built and put into production within five years."

Du Shaoxuan was shocked. "What kind of person do you want? Give me a list and I will help you find a solution."

If Xiliang doesn’t have it, just ask the emperor and the prince. They will always find a way.

Mu Wanqing was waiting for him to say this. She could still spend money to recruit people in the Xiliang area, but other places were out of reach.

"Thank you very much."

"You and I don't have to be so polite. We are..." Du Shaoxuan hesitated for a moment and suppressed the idea that was about to happen. She was too busy, and what she was doing was too meaningful. He... should wait a little longer. "Friends."

Ever since he discovered that he had different feelings for Mu Wanqing, he panicked and felt at a loss for the first time in his life.

But before he could figure it out, the spy case broke out, and he ran around pulling out the nails one by one with his own hands.

It's very busy and hard work, but whenever I have free time, I will think of her.

For the first time, I knew what it felt like to miss someone, a sour and astringent feeling with a hint of sweetness.

It turned out that he had fallen in love with Mu Wanqing without realizing it, and he really liked her, but he was too slow!

Mu Wanqing glanced at him for a moment longer, and seeing his expression changing from time to time, she couldn't guess what he was thinking. "We are friends."

Du Shaoxuan felt bitter in his mouth, a little aggrieved and unwilling, "Then can I ask for a reward, just a scarf?"

Before, he didn't know that knitting clothes was so troublesome and took a lot of time and effort. He thought it was as quick as making clothes.

This time, Mu Wanqing was very happy, "Okay, what color do you like?"

"Red, bright red." Du Shaoxuan immediately became happy. It is useless to think too much about some things. It is better to cherish the rare fate.

His good mood affected Mu Wanqing, and she couldn't help but smile, "Okay, I'll remember it and give it to you before the New Year."

Du Shaoxuan got what he wanted and smiled contentedly, "I heard that your eldest brother's marriage has been settled?"

The eldest Mu's marriage was settled, but the second Mu didn't have a suitable partner yet, so naturally it wasn't the turn of the youngest, Mu Wanqing.

Forget it, I'll make things clear to Mu Wanqing when Mu Er gets married.

Mu Wanqing hummed lightly, "The fifth day of the Lunar New Year is a good day, let's get married on that day."

Originally, Master Mu wanted to get married before the New Year so that he could celebrate the New Year with a wife.

However, the Ji family did not want to be so hasty and planned to delay it for another half a year.

After negotiation between the two parties, they finally decided on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.

Mr. Mu and his wife were busy preparing for their wedding, and since it was their first wedding, it had to be grand and festive.

Du Shaoxuan felt sorry for her. "That's good. A new year brings new things. When Miss Ji becomes your sister-in-law, you can ask her to help you share some of the burden."

Mu Wanqing pursed her lips and smiled, she meant the same thing.

Their family doesn't want a good wife and mother who puts her husband first. Women should also pursue their careers.

Du Shaoxuan couldn't help but look at her again, "You've lost weight, didn't you eat well?"

Mu Wanqing touched her face and said, "Three meals a day plus two snacks. If I don't eat enough, my brain won't work properly."

Mental work consumes a lot of energy. She eats a lot and the dishes and snacks change every day.

That means she is too tired. Du Shaoxuan reached out and touched her head. "Promise me, don't work so hard. Your health is the most important thing."

No matter how many achievements she has made, they are not as important as her being alive and healthy.

The tenderness in his eyes was about to overflow, and there was tenderness between his eyebrows. Mu Wanqing was stunned. Is this... really not an illusion?

The atmosphere in the room became more and more ambiguous. Suddenly, a figure rushed in like the wind. "Sister, the sweater machine is ready. Go and try it out to see if it works."

It was the second elder brother Mu Ziang. He took turns to do the job with his father, and it was his turn to live on the farm these days.

The moment he rushed in, Mu Wanqing turned her head slightly and avoided him calmly.

Mu Ziang was three beats slower when he saw another person. "Hey, the young general is here too. What happened to your hand?"

Du Shaoxuan, with his hand hanging in the air, glared at him unhappily, then silently withdrew his hand and sighed silently, "Can I watch it together?"

Mu Wanqing stood up and said, "Okay, let's go together."

Research Room

A group of people gathered around a machine and the atmosphere was extremely lively.

"Is it working?"

"You are here." Jiao Da and his men all stood up to greet him. "It looks good. Come and have a look."

Du Shaoxuan looked at the round object curiously. There was a hand crank on the top and many small hooks on it.

"This is a hand-cranked sweater machine." Mu Wanqing asked someone to deliver a bundle of twisted wool yarn, which happened to be bright red.

Mu Wanqing wrapped the wool around the small hooks, held the yarn in her left hand, turned the handle on it with her right hand, and started weaving skillfully.

Under everyone's gaze, a knitted sweater slowly came out. The whole audience exclaimed in joy and laughed loudly. They succeeded!

Du Shaoxuan stared at it, wow, it was so amazing, "Who invented this thing? It's amazing."

Mu Ziang raised his head proudly, "She's my sister."

Du Shaoxuan's eyes were full of stars. "Mu Wanqing, you are the most amazing girl I have ever met. How are you so smart? How did you come up with this idea?"

"I just thought about it and it came up with this." Mu Wanqing shook her head slightly, without any pride. She was not particularly satisfied. "There are even better ones. The automatic double needle bed knitting machine can knit effortlessly, and you can choose any pattern. But I can't figure it out for now. This one needs to be done manually, and it can only be a flat stitch."

That needs to be mechanized.

Du Shaoxuan's eyes were full of praise, "This is already super amazing, Wanqing, you can always bring me surprises, you are always a god."

Mu Wanqing couldn't help but burst out laughing. He had learned all this, yyds.

"So, can I knit a scarf now?"

"Okay, wait a moment." Mu Wanqing adjusted her position and continued to crank the knitting machine. Soon, a scarf more than one meter long was ready.

It’s not particularly smooth and not as pretty as hand-woven ones, but it’s pretty good.

She handed the scarf over and said, "Here, it's for you."

Du Shaoxuan happily turned the scarf over and over again. Mu Ziang on the side was unhappy, "Sister, you are biased. Shouldn't the first scarf be given to the second brother?"

"Huh?" Mu Wanqing was stunned. "You didn't mention it. Okay, what color do you want?"

Mu Ziang pursed his lips and said, "I want a dark blue one."

There are only four colors at the moment: black, gray, blue, and bright red.

Dirt resistance and warmth retention are the first requirements; appearance is secondary.

Du Shaoxuan's eyes flickered. "Your sister's hands are sore from shaking. Let her rest for a while. You can try it yourself. Things you make yourself will be more memorable."

When Mu Ziang heard this, he felt it made sense, "Sister, teach me how to do it."

Mu Wanqing looked at Du Shaoxuan meaningfully. This guy is a bit spooky.

Her second brother is a bit naive, he is a simple-minded person and always worried.

Under her guidance, Mu Ziang finally succeeded after failing several times. He excitedly grabbed Mu Wanqing's arm and shook it, "Sister, did you see that? I did it myself."

Mu Wanqing's arm was hurt by his grip, so she quickly comforted him, "I see, I see."

Du Shaoxuan walked forward calmly and separated them skillfully, "Second brother, you should also knit a scarf for your father and mother to show your filial piety."

"What you said makes sense. I'll do it right away..." Mu Ziang suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, why do you call me second brother?"

Mu Wanqing turned her head and looked over.

Du Shaoxuan: ...

He explained dryly, "…You are the second oldest, so is there anything wrong with calling me second brother? We are so familiar with each other, I feel more intimate with you, and you can also call me by my name."

Mu Ziang felt that there was nothing wrong with what he said, but he felt something was wrong. "I still prefer to call you Little General."

Mu Wanqing covered her face and sighed. She really didn't want to admit that this was her second brother, who was not as smart and sharp as her.

Du Shaoxuan's concerned voice sounded, "Wanqing, what's wrong with you?"

Mu Wanqing rubbed her face, as if nothing had happened, "It's okay, why don't you try the scarf on? If you don't like the color, you can change it."

"I don't know how to do it." Du Shaoxuan fiddled with the scarf over and over again. This was the first time he had seen such a scarf. Before, he had only seen fur scarves.

"It's very simple. I'll teach you." Mu Wanqing didn't think much about it. Some noble young masters were helped by maids when they even got dressed.

She reached out and took the scarf, "Head down."

Du Shaoxuan bent down obediently and lowered his head in front of her. Mu Wanqing folded the scarf in half and wrapped it around his neck, leaving one side long and the other short. She wrapped the long part around and put it on the other side, and that was it.

"This is a very simple one, do you know how to do it?"

They were too close, Du Shaoxuan could smell the faint fragrance on her body, he didn't dare to breathe, his heart was pounding in his chest, and all the blood in his body rushed to his forehead.

Without getting an answer, Mu Wanqing slightly raised her head and looked at the man. The man's face was flushed, and he looked at her infatuatedly, his eyes full of affection...

This person is like a rainbow, you only know it exists when you meet him. Note (1)

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Note (1) From Wikipedia.

Note (2) This sentence comes from the movie "The Fault in Our Stars".