Half a month passed slowly, and Yangzhou seemed to be gradually awakening from a long and terrifying nightmare. The raging floodwaters had finally receded. The bluestone pavements, once ravaged by the flood, were now filled with the unique aroma of straw sandals. It was the bitter scent of waterweed, dried in the sun, blending with the unique earthy flavor. It seemed as if countless pairs of sandal-weaving hands had skillfully kneaded it into the gentle morning light, adding a unique touch of vitality to this city that had survived the disaster.

Su Jinli crouched quietly on the threshold of a dilapidated temple, her gaze softly gazing at the scene within. Old women sat serenely on mats, their hands swift and graceful as butterflies, sewing with flying needles. The straw ropes slid effortlessly through their calloused fingers, a rustling sound so rhythmic it was even more regular than the rumbling printing presses at Jinyun Bookstore, as if playing a melody of hope for the city of Yangzhou.

"Miss Su!" A servant, hair covered in straw dust, rushed through the temple gates like a gust of wind, the banknotes tightly clutched in his hands already wrinkled from being squeezed. "The booksellers' alliance from Nanjing wants to order 5,000 pairs of straw sandals! They say...they say it's a thank-you gift for the disaster victims." Behind him, a shopkeeper dressed in silk and satin followed. He was working on an abacus, his fingers carelessly scraping against the mud on the threshold, his eyes shrewd and calculating.

Su Jinli, who was originally counting copper coins, paused slightly when she heard this. In the dilapidated temple, a copper basin was filled with copper coins. The sunlight poured down from the broken roof of the temple, dancing happily on the pile of copper coins, reflecting colorful light. Her thoughts could not help but drift back to half a month ago, when the old women took the first batch of straw sandal money with trembling hands, their eyes full of desire and gratitude for life. Thinking of this, Su Jinli suddenly poured the copper coins in her hand into the basin. The copper coins collided with each other, making a crisp sound, as if responding to those who only cared about interests. "Let them line up. First, exchange enough food for the people of Yangzhou for three months." Su Jinli's voice was firm and powerful, and there was no room for doubt.

When the silk shopkeeper heard this, the abacus beads in his hand almost fell out of shock. "Miss Su, these straw sandals..." He was about to open his mouth to argue, but was decisively interrupted by Su Jinli.

"These straw sandals can save lives." Su Jinli stared at the silk shopkeeper with a sharp gaze. Her fingertips lightly stroked the copper coins in the basin and she said word by word, "Go and ask, can their thank-you gifts allow the victims to have enough to eat?" Her words were like a heavy hammer, striking the heart of the silk shopkeeper and awakening everyone present to pay attention to the actual needs of the victims.

At this moment, the temple door creaked open slowly. Jiang Yan appeared at the door, carrying a bundle of freshly cut water grass. The stone-blue official robe he was wearing had holes on the elbows, and the patched undershirt inside was clearly visible. His face was still stained with mud splashed from the construction of the river bank, and he looked a little embarrassed. Only the lenses of his glasses were polished to a shine, reflecting the flickering candlelight in the temple, like twinkling stars in the night sky. "Madam, the main part of the river bank has been repaired, but..." Jiang Yan raised his right hand slightly. The blood blister on the palm of his hand had burst, and the burrs of the straw rope were deeply embedded in the flesh, which looked shocking. "There are not enough hoes. The people take turns using them, and their hands are worn out." Jiang Yan's voice was filled with fatigue and helplessness.

Su Jinli looked at the horrific wound on his palm, her heart suddenly gripped, and her nose suddenly felt sore. Memories of her past life in the Prime Minister's Mansion flooded back like a tide. Back then, even if she just wanted to apply some medicine to a servant, she would be scolded by Liu. Now, her heart was filled with heartache for Jiang Yan. She couldn't help but reach out to grab Jiang Yan's hand, but when her fingertips just touched the blood blister, Jiang Yan quickly pulled his hand away as if nothing had happened, a relieved smile on his face: "It's nothing, it's just that the hoe is too heavy."

The candlelight in the dilapidated temple flickered slightly, as if it was also feeling sad about this scene. Su Jinli bit her lip, suddenly bent down, picked up a branch on the ground, and began to draw carefully on the mud. The branch scratched the wet mud, leaving traces, through which a trace of moisture seeped. She first drew the curved hoe handle, then carefully outlined the flat hoe blade, and then carefully depicted a slipknot at the connection. "Change the hoe to this, the hoe handle is more curved, and the hoe blade is wider," Su Jinli said, while tapping the mud lightly with the branch, her expression focused and determined, "this way you can save half the effort when digging the soil."

Seeing this, Jiang Yan quickly squatted down, his eyes almost touching the dirt, carefully examining Su Jinli's drawing. As he studied, a glint suddenly flashed behind his glasses, as if he had discovered a rare treasure. "Madam, is this... a curved hoe?" He extended his fingertips, gently tracing the lines in the drawing, his tone filled with surprise and admiration. "It existed during the Zhenguan period, but it's rare in Jiangnan."

"I read it in a storybook," Su Jinli said vaguely, blushing slightly. Her mind couldn't help but flash back to the fragments of "The Exploitation of the Works of Nature" she'd secretly hidden in her dressing table in her previous life. They were her few remaining spiritual comforts in the Prime Minister's residence. "See if you can improve it. I'll have the carpenter at the bookstore do it." Su Jinli raised her head, her eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at Jiang Yan.

That night, the candlelight in the dilapidated temple was like a warm star, and it stayed on until the fifth watch. Su Jinli sat aside, skillfully weaving a wrist guard with straw ropes in her hands, her movements gentle and focused. Jiang Yan, holding a branch, carefully carved a model on a wooden board. Sawdust fell like snow, scattering in his hair, as if he was wearing a crown of sparkling stars. Every time he finished carving, he couldn't wait to hand it to Su Jinli to see, his eyes full of expectation and questioning, even if his fingertips were pricked by the splinters and bled, he didn't care at all. "Madam, is this arc right?" Jiang Yan asked softly, with a hint of fatigue in his voice, but full of desire for success.

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