Chief Li waved his hand and said, "Just a few words. I forgot to ask you, but do you know how to select this charcoal?"

Li Yan thought for a moment and replied, "To choose good quality charcoal, first, you can check whether the charcoal is hard and solid, without obvious cracks or chips. Secondly, you can also weigh the charcoal in your hand. Generally, heavier charcoal is of better quality. Finally, you can also smell it. Good quality charcoal has no odor."

Looking at the thoughtful Clan Leader Li with a frown on his face, Li Yan continued, "Grandpa Clan Leader, you can also pick some charcoal according to the above method and burn it to see if it can withstand the burning! Good charcoal also produces very little smoke!"

After hearing what Li Yan said, Chief Li asked with emotion, "Is this all what is written in the book?"

Li Yan couldn't help but choke, and nodded guiltily: "Yes, Grandpa Clan Leader, I learned all this knowledge from books!"

Chief Li couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "This person still needs to study more, but now everyone is poor and can't even eat enough, how can we have the spare money to send our children to school!"

Chief Li collected his thoughts and said to Li Yan, "Good girl, come with me to the foot of the mountain tomorrow and teach the uncles in the village how to select charcoal, okay?"

"Don't worry, Grandpa Clan Leader, these are just trivial matters!"

Patriarch Li got a satisfactory answer and went home with his hands behind his back!

Li Yan returned to the main room, stretched out her frozen fingers, and warmed them on the charcoal brazier: "This damn weather is getting colder!"

Mrs. Lin brought a bowl of ginger tea to her daughter and said, "You've been outside in the cold wind for most of the day. Have a cup of ginger tea to ward off the cold!"

Li Yan took the ginger water from her mother, feeling the warmth of the warm bowl in her hands. She took a sip and sighed comfortably. The spicy ginger water slid down her throat, bringing a hint of warmth to her and relieving the discomfort caused by the cold.

She sniffed and rubbed her fingers vigorously a few times, gradually regaining some warmth.

Mrs. Lin sat down next to her daughter and asked, "Is charcoal selling well in the city?"

Li Yan nodded vigorously. "The weather is getting colder now. The few baskets of charcoal we brought today were immediately bought by a knowledgeable steward as soon as we entered the city! We will definitely have no trouble selling it in the future!"

Mrs. Lin looked at her confident daughter with amusement and smoothed her hair. "Mother knows what you're thinking, but it's very cold right now. Don't let yourself get cold while running around outside."

Li Yan felt her mother's concern and nodded vigorously.

The next day, after breakfast, Li Yan headed down the mountain. The village uncles had already impatiently cracked open the sealed clay sculptures and were busily digging out the black charcoal. Piles of charcoal were laid out in the open, waiting to be sorted.

The newly made charcoal pile is not big. As the villagers' charcoal-making skills have become more and more proficient in the past few days, they have gradually increased the amount of charcoal piled. Larger charcoal piles can produce more charcoal. When it cools down, there will definitely be more charcoal than now.

Right now the villagers are busy making charcoal, and in a few days some people will have to be selected to sell the charcoal. Thinking of this, Li Yan plans to bring up this matter with Clan Leader Li later.

When Chief Li saw Li Yan coming, he hurriedly called her over and said, "You've come just in time. I can teach everyone how to pick!"

There were obviously more people coming down the mountain today than the previous two days. Perhaps because Clan Leader Li had told them yesterday how profitable charcoal was, he had called all the women and young men from his family over today! Everyone stared intently at Clan Leader Li as he spoke to them.

Li Yan felt the villagers' expectant gazes and immediately said, "Grandpa Clan Leader, I see that the amount of charcoal produced every day is increasing. I thought we might as well arrange a division of labor among everyone today!"

"How should we divide it?" asked Patriarch Li.

Li Yan replied, "This charcoal-picking job is relatively simple. I can lead everyone through it once, and I'll select a few uncles who are meticulous in their work to do it. Is anyone willing?"

After hearing what Li Yan said, the aunties from the village who came to help echoed: "I can do this job, I'll do it!"

The women actively recommended themselves to Patriarch Li!

Chief Li looked at the performance of the village women and nodded with satisfaction: "If everyone is willing to do it, then listen carefully to Erya's instructions and do things carefully. These will be sold for real money!"

Madam Liu said seriously, "Don't worry, Patriarch. If anyone is not careful, I will be the first to disagree!"