Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Discussing Cotton

After Feng Ling came down the mountain, he made a living by working for some wealthy businessmen with his martial arts skills.

I have done both escort and debt collection.

He had also seen cotton in the yard of a wealthy businessman. The wealthy businessman had many flowers and plants in his yard. The cotton tree was different from the flowers Feng Ling had seen before, so he took a second look at it.

It is said that a wealthy businessman got it by chance from Xiguang Road. It is called white diehua. It looks so special that he planted it in the yard for novelty.

Feng Ling asked curiously, "Does the county lady also think this white floribunda is unique? Do you want to plant it in your yard?"

“Not planted in the yard, but planted in the ground.”

Feng Ling was puzzled. "But planting in the field doesn't feel like planting in the yard."

Lin Si was amused by her and asked, "What does it feel like?"

Feng Ling thought for a long time, and finally said, "The feeling of being rich."

The winter wheat that had been planted was about to be harvested, and Liang Nian became unusually busy. Lin Si took a picture of cotton flowers and went to the county magistrate's mansion.

There are physical education classes in the manor in the afternoon, and Zuo You is also in the county magistrate's mansion.

Just passing by the empty pond, I couldn't help but miss those fish.

Every time I came back, I could see them swimming around. I didn’t know what they looked like when they died, or whether they suffered too much before they died.

Zuo You guessed that Lin Si came at this time for important business.

Although he had just reported the children's recent situation through Qian Sui the day before yesterday, when he saw Lin Si, Zuo You couldn't help but talk about the manor.

"I heard that the picked-up lady Feng is going to be a physical education teacher?" Zuo You asked.

Zuo You had never met Madam Feng, so he didn't know what kind of person she was. Zuo You sometimes felt that Nan Shuang and Nan Qiao were too strict with the children. Children as young as Dou Ding had to run three laps around the manor before physical education class started every day.

I heard that this Madam Feng seems to be even more powerful than Nan Shuang and Nan Qiao. I wonder if she will be even stricter with the children.

Lin Si nodded, "Nan Shuang and Nan Qiao are naturally strong, so it's inevitable that they don't understand children of average strength. Madam Feng is highly skilled in martial arts, so she's just the right fit."

Zuo You said that this was just right, and then he didn't continue to ask about Feng Ling. Instead, he sighed softly, "I wonder if my fish were of any use to the county lady?"

Zuo You thought to himself, if it really helped Lin Si and was also beneficial to people's livelihood, it would be a great thing like using agricultural tools to fertilize the fields.

Fish, go with peace of mind.

Lin Si smiled, "It's a great help. Perhaps it will allow the people to wear warm clothes in the winter, and no longer need to wear linen clothes with reed fluff. In the summer, they won't have to wear such prickly clothes as linen."

The one who was shocked before Zuo You was Yao Niang who was standing beside him.

Before being sold as a slave, Yao Niang's most common duties were cutting, washing, and boiling hemp, followed by feeding chickens, collecting firewood, making fire, and cooking.

So Yao Niang knew very well the difference between linen and silk and gauze. Linen was exclusive to the common people. It was rough and would feel itchy when worn.

If the Lady of Anping County could really create cloth that ordinary people could wear, just like she improved agricultural tools and fertilizing methods.

The mother's heart was beating fast.

Zuo You's eyes widened. "Are you trying to improve the linen?"

The next second, she pondered in her mind again, but what does this have to do with those carps? Could it be that an important part of improving linen is to use fish?

But in this case, the price will not go down.

Lin Si shook his head, "No, it's a new plant called cotton."

Yao Niang finally couldn't help herself and blurted out, "Mian?" She quickly realized her own impoliteness and said, "It's my fault."

Zuo You's beautiful face was full of confusion. "Cotton?"

Lin Si propped up his chin with both hands and blinked innocently, "I'll tell you when County Magistrate Liang comes back, otherwise I'll have to repeat it all again later."

Then he raised his head and looked at Yao Niang, "Yao Niang, stay and listen too."

Ever since she taught Zuo You math for three consecutive days, Lin Si's throat was almost smoking. Since then, she has been very resistant to using her voice too much.

The more I talk about it, the more I think of those three days of hell.

Zuo You wondered in her heart if those fish had already turned into this so-called cotton. What if Lin Si wanted her to try it on alive so that Liang Nian could wear it? Wouldn't that mean she would have to wear those fish on her body?

Wouldn't this be too cruel?

Lin Si was leisurely drinking tea and eating fruits, while Zuo You's imagination was getting more and more intense.

After Lin Si finished a ringo, he seemed to have thought of something and said to Zuo You, "The fish in the county magistrate's mansion are still alive. They are in the small river in the suburban fields."

Zuo You stopped his messy imagination and didn't know what the fish had done.

It was Yao Niang who, for the first time, hoped that Liang Nian would come back soon. She couldn't wait to know what the so-called cotton was.

The county lady said that it can keep you warm in winter and won’t be itchy when worn in summer.

Even silk and satin cannot achieve this level.

When Liang Nian returned home and saw Lin Si and Zuo You, she realized that these two were going to say something she couldn't understand again.

So Liang Nian said considerately, "I understand. You guys aren't having dinner tonight, right? Go inside and talk. I won't disturb you."

Zuo You glared at Liang Nian and asked, "Is there a possibility that the county lady came here specifically to wait for you?"

Liang Nian was stunned for a moment, "But what's the important matter? Why don't you come to the county government office directly to find me?"

In the past, when Lin Si had urgent matters to discuss with Liang Nian, he would either ask his servants to pass on the message, or go directly to the county government office to find someone. It was rare for him to wait for someone in the county magistrate's office like this.

Liang Nian suddenly became nervous, without even having time to change his clothes, and hurriedly sat down: "But what's the big deal?"

Lin Si then asked Nan Shuang to take the cotton flower picture out of the box and unfold it for everyone to see.

Liang Nian: "Is this a flower? I know very little about flowers and plants."

Zuo You: "I've never seen flowers like this."

Yao Niang couldn't help but ask, "Could this be the cotton that the county lady mentioned?"

"Yao Niang's answer is correct." Lin Si smiled faintly at Yao Niang.

Yao Niang lowered her head shyly.

The county lady actually praised her.

Liang Nian had just arrived and didn't know what this cotton was, so he could only honestly express his thoughts.

"You're talking about something I don't understand again. What exactly is cotton?"

Lin Si pointed at Yao Niang and said, "Yao Niang, come and tell your eldest son what cotton is."

Yao Niang told Lin Si everything he had said before.

Liang Nian never closed his mouth.

"Can this really replace hemp? Can ordinary people really afford it?"

Lin Si replied calmly, "When have I ever lied to Magistrate Liang? This stuff can not only be woven into cotton cloth, but it can also be stuffed into clothes as a lining. It's much warmer than reed fluff, and it can even be stuffed into quilts as a cotton blanket."

Liang Nian stood up immediately, unable to conceal his excitement, "Shouldn't we protect the people from the cold in winter?"

Lin Si blew on the scalding tea. "But the process of picking, removing the seeds, and spinning it is quite complicated given the current textile conditions. We still need to get the tea back, plant it, and then do experiments."

Lin Si then told the three of them how Feng Ling saw the cotton flower picture and how he remembered it.

Zuo You suddenly felt that the fish really played an important role. She would go to the river to see them tomorrow and let them be fished for fun by Madam Feng in the river with peace of mind.

Liang Nian had a broad perspective: "This thing is unfamiliar to us. First, we need to grow it, then conduct experiments, and then adjust it based on the experiments. Since this thing is grown, obtaining the raw materials is much easier than silk and gauze, so the price will naturally not be too expensive."

Lin Si glanced at Yao Niang and said, "But I don't have any talent in textiles. I need someone who knows how to do the experiment."

Then he paused and said, "I think Yao Niang is good."

Yao Niang didn't expect Lin Si to call her name, and her brain was unable to react for a moment.

Liang Nian even wanted to laugh. Lin Si had the idea of ​​targeting his own maid, but then he changed his mind and thought that Yao Niang was indeed a good choice because she had to be trustworthy and understand weaving.

What's more, before Yao Niang was sold, she had been dealing with hemp all day long.

So Liang Nian could only sigh slightly, "You have to give Yao Niang a subsidy, you can't let her work for nothing."

Yao Niang immediately bowed to Lin Si, lowering her posture to a very low level, and said in a trembling voice, "I will definitely live up to the county lady's trust."

Lin Siyan smiled and said, "We will find some girls to assist you when the time comes, so don't be too stressed."

Yao Niang had never expected such an important matter to fall upon her. She had originally thought that Lin Si's arrival and the various changes he had made in Li County had little to do with her.

She would still do her own things in the mansion as before.

Only then did Yao Niang finally understand that the changes brought about by the county lord would be reflected in everyone.

very nice.