Chapter 568: Reflections Inspired by the Silk Quilt [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

The row houses for raising silkworms were built neatly.

Shen Tang came over specifically to take a look.

A group of female silkworm farmers are methodically arranging the silkworm eggs.

As Shen Tang entered the house, a warm breeze greeted her. Rows of wooden shelves of varying heights were densely packed with silkworm eggs, a sight that would trigger trypophobia. In the corner of the row house, silkworm nets of various sizes, bamboo poles, silkworm trays, brooms, and other tools were neatly stacked.

The indoor temperature is significantly higher than the outdoor temperature to maintain the optimal incubation temperature. It is said that some effort was put into the initial construction of the row houses to achieve this effect, drawing inspiration from the construction of kang (heated brick beds) and using bamboo tubes and other materials to create an indoor insulation system.

The only problem is that there are no thermometers, so the indoor temperature needs to be controlled by experienced female silkworm workers, which is not very convenient.

"There are so many, I'll get a silk quilt later."

If there are enough of them, they can even be used as year-end bonuses for government offices.

Gu Chi asked, "Year-end bonus?"

Shen Tang teased, "What, you think it's shabby?"

Gu Chi shook his head: "Of course not."

Don't underestimate this small silk quilt.

This thing is really precious.

Although many families raised silkworms, the yield was low, and only high-ranking officials and nobles could afford to wear silk and use silk quilts. Those of slightly lower social standing usually filled their quilts with rabbit hair, cashmere, or other poultry feathers.

Ordinary people at the very bottom of society?

The quilts used for covering the children were mostly filled with poplar fluff, willow fluff, reed catkins, or even rice straw, so their warmth retention was questionable.

Getting a silk quilt as a year-end bonus is really generous!

Shen Tang joked, "Is it because you lack confidence in winning the award?"

Gu Chi rolled his eyes inwardly, not wanting to answer.

Shen Tang jogged to catch up: "You got angry after I teased you a bit? Don't worry, Wang Chao, the silk quilt can't do without you, no matter who else is missing."

"It's fine if anyone is missing?"

Gu Chi is up to no good.

"Including Chu Wuhui and Qi Yuanliang as well?"

Shen Tang: "..."

Why does that sound a little sarcastic?

At this moment, Lin Feng, the "little cotton-padded jacket" (a nickname for a young woman), appeared and saved her.

"Greetings, my lord; greetings, sir."

Shen Tang breathed a sigh of relief: "What are you doing here, Lingde?"

Lin Feng, unaware of Shen Tang's earlier predicament, smiled and said, "I just received a message from the government saying that the feed has been delivered. I was worried that there wouldn't be enough for the silkworms to eat after they hatched, so I thought it would be good to prepare as much as possible." Her scholarly ways came in handy.

The Essential Techniques for the Common People is a monumental work on agriculture.

The contents recorded inside are very comprehensive.

The silkworm spinning and weaving activities allowed Lin Feng to use his literary energy to stimulate the growth of mulberry trees. Mulberry leaves were already abundant, and with the added boost of literary energy, they grew wildly. Behind the silkworm-raising houses was a mulberry orchard reserved for planting mulberry trees. This time, Lin Feng didn't overdo it; he had the workers harvest several cartloads, and the remaining mulberry trees were only stimulated to grow to about half their original size, left to grow freely. Mulberry trees are inherently cold- and drought-resistant, with well-developed root systems and strong vitality; all of them survived the transplanting.

It seems there are enough houses to supply silkworm rearing.

“I’ve been so busy lately that I almost forgot about this.” Reminded by her, Shen Tang slapped her forehead. “Wen Zhu gave us twice as many silkworm eggs as before. I don’t know how much feed they will eat every day. I don’t know if we can keep up with the demand.”

"I can definitely supply them," Lin Feng said confidently. She could even supply the supplies for a thousand isolated soldiers, let alone tiny silkworm eggs?

She couldn't resist reaching out to pinch Lin Feng's cheek and said, "In that case, I'll leave this matter entirely to you."

As the little girl he had watched grow up became more and more capable, Shen Tang couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, like a daughter who had finally come of age.

"only!"

Lin Feng bowed and accepted the order.

"Okay, go do your own thing."

She watched Lin Feng leave with a smile, until he was out of sight, at which point the smile on her lips gradually faded, and her brows furrowed with worry.

Gu Chi asked, "Why is my lord troubled?"

The lord's inner thoughts didn't mention this at all; the emotional shift was completely unexpected. Gu Chi naturally had no idea why Shen Tang, who was smiling just a moment ago, was suddenly filled with worries. He was too lazy to guess; it was easier to just ask her directly.

"I'm thinking about silk quilts."

Gu Chi joked, "Worried about not having enough to go around at the end of the year?"

The lord's thoughts are always jumping around.

Shen Tang waved his hand: "...No, I just suddenly thought that we have the opportunity to cover ourselves with silk quilts and have heated kang beds for warmth, so we won't be afraid of the cold. But what about those ordinary people? 'The quilts have been cold as iron for many years, and the quilts are torn by the bad sleeping of children'...Can their quilts keep their families from freezing? Have they also been covered with 'cold as iron' for many years? Although heated kang beds are being promoted, not every household can use them."

The poor even have drafty houses.

The clothes were stuffed with willow catkins and reeds.

Every year when the cold winter comes, countless people freeze to death.

If we could widely cultivate warmer crops... I dare not say that no one in the world would freeze to death anymore, but fewer people would die.

Shen Tang sighed: "I do know that duck and goose down, after processing and selection, has good warmth retention, but how many ducks and geese's down feathers would it take to make enough for one quilt? Nowadays, even people are not enough to eat, so how can we squeeze out feed to raise these poultry?"

cotton!

If there were cotton...

A sudden inspiration struck Shen Tang, and she said, "Go back and write a letter to Wen Zhu to ask if he can find cotton..."

To her, Xu Jie is like Doraemon.

If we can find cotton...

Even if the terrain of Longwu County is not suitable for growing cotton, it doesn't matter, she can always find land suitable for growing cotton.

One day, everyone will be able to have blankets to cover themselves!

Gu Chi, being sensible, did not press the matter and accepted the offer with a cupped hand.

She visited the silkworm-raising houses and then went to the artisan workshop. As a layman, she could only offer ideas for improving textiles based on the "Tiangong Kaiwu" (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature); she couldn't offer any other assistance. A generous reward would surely attract brave men, and the artisans certainly wouldn't disappoint her.

It's okay if you're disappointed...

She can allocate more budget if she grits her teeth.

When Shen Tang returned to the government office, it was already dark. In the distance, she saw two familiar figures whispering in a corner. With her good eyesight, she recognized them immediately as Ning Yan and Shen Zhi. She frowned, strode forward, and called out.

Based on the estimated timeframe, she should have given birth within half a month.

The fact that Chen Zhi's meridians can contain the energy of heaven and earth indicates that she has a talent for cultivation. Although she is older and has wasted a lot of precious time, she started her education in her youth and avoided many detours compared to other female students in the academy, so her learning progress is not too slow.

only--

Why aren't you waiting patiently for the engine to start? What are you doing running out here? Aren't you afraid something might happen to you at the crucial moment?

"Greetings, my lord."

"I have met Mr. Shen."

What were you talking about just now?

Is he seeking advice on parenting?

Strictly speaking, Shen Zhi should address Ning Yan as "Teacher," but due to her heavy pregnancy, she had to return to the government office's backyard to await childbirth after studying at the academy for a while. She would often seek Ning Yan's advice on any difficult problems she encountered, and the two communicated quite frequently.

Shen Zhi was not very old and had no older female relatives to support her. As her due date approached, she inevitably felt worried and timid. After thinking it over, she realized that Ning Yan was the only one she could rely on.

It's normal to seek advice from Ning Yan to relieve stress.

To everyone's surprise, their answers were unexpected.

Shen Zhi sought out Ning Yan for beeswax and flower seeds.

Shen Tang: "???"

She is ignorant and ill-informed.

Can these two things be used in production?

(ノへ￣、)

I overestimated myself. I thought I could write non-stop this afternoon, but my short lunch break ended up lasting until dinner time... I've never been this sleepy before...

PS: The *Tiangong Kaiwu* also records things like the Divine Might Cannon, the Hundred-Spirit Chain Cannon, and the Meteor Cannon... but considering the unscientific martial arts setting of this world, I found it difficult to write about these things separately, as they are already part of the martial arts power system _(:з」∠)_

(End of this chapter)