Li Sanshun stamped his feet in anger, "...Longchuan Creek is icy cold, with very few undercurrents and dry water. It's even more suitable for making paper than Wuxi Creek in Jing County! What a waste!"
Qu Da Mao frowned and looked at Li Sanshun, "Master, I advise you not to speak nonsense! The paper we make in our workshop is mostly the cheapest rice paper. There are only two or three of us, and it's good enough if we can make it."
Qu Damao waved his sleeves and said, "People who paid for the paper didn't say anything, why are you lying here?"
Looking at Xianjin again, Chen Laowu had told him the whole story. This girl was in favor with the old lady and could not afford to offend her. However, she was only a newcomer and did not know how to make paper. She was probably only good at superficial work. He said respectfully, "Boss He, we really tried our best. If we really put in 100% of our strength to make 50-cent rice paper, we would be the ones who would be tired, right?"
Xianjin lowered his head, reached out to scoop up a handful of water used to soak the paper wool, turned his palm upwards, and handed it to Qu Damao's mouth.
"Eat it."
Qu Damao thought he was hallucinating, "Huh?"
In Xianjin's palm was a fly that had been dead for who knows how long. It was lying on its back with its legs spread out, so dead that maggots were almost born.
"Eat it." Xianjin said coldly.
Qu Da Mao looked at Manager Dong at a loss.
Manager Dong smiled and gestured "please", "Please have some."
Xianjin turned his eyes and saw Zhou Ergou and Zheng Da, the two strongest muscular men in the two camps were not there. Zheng Laoer from the second echelon took over, arching his back and glaring forward. He grabbed Qu Da Mao's neck and leaned back, pinching Qu Da Mao's jaw with one hand. Xianjin stood on tiptoe and stabbed the fly into Qu Da Mao's mouth with the smelly water.
Qu Da Mao's face turned red and his eyes were filled with tears. He held his neck and coughed.
Xianjin took out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve, wiped his hands, and said, "Excuse me." He then said, "In Jingxian, when making paper, the water in the pool must be of a quality that the masters personally drink before making paper. Master Li, have you ever tasted the water in the pool in the Jingxian workshop?"
Li Sanshun shouted, "Of course! How can you know if the water quality is suitable if you don't taste it!"
Xianjin nodded and said, "Manager Qu, do you know why among all the mountains and rivers on earth and the nine provinces, only the paper from Xuancheng can last for thousands of years, and remain smooth and tender?"
Qu Damao felt as if a moth was about to fly out of his throat!
"Because the Chinese sumac trees used to make Xuan paper only grow in Xuancheng, and because only the water from the Wuxi River can produce stable paper that can last for a long time." Xianjin's expression was very serious. "I don't ask you to make Yuban, Liansi, Bailu... these famous Xuan papers, but ask yourself, how long has this pool of water been there? Have you taken care of it? Have you cleaned it? Have you changed it? It's all smelly!"
Qu Damao looked at the three guys in panic.
How does he know!
This water is hard to change!
Such a big pool!
How many times would they have to fetch water back and forth to fill the tank?
Years ago? Or last summer? Or...last Chinese New Year?
No wonder many buyers say their paper has a "watery smell"... So this is the reason!
Qu Damao's face flushed. "There are not enough people in the workshop to take care of it..." As soon as he opened his mouth, his throat felt sticky, as if three hundred fat white maggots were jumping in his throat. "We will change it right away! Change it right away!"
Xianjin glanced over and saw everyone lowered their heads wherever his eyes fell.
"A piece of paper is not cheap." Xianjin said loudly, "Even if it is a medium-quality jade plate, it takes a clerk half a month's salary to buy one. Not to mention the poor scholars, they pay money and receive equivalent goods! The principle of payment and goods, you don't need me to teach you!"
Li Sanshun looked at the pool of slightly smelly paper waste, and the old man was so angry that he wanted to jump up and down and curse, "A bunch of rubbish!"
Li Sanshun couldn't hold it in any longer and slapped the side of the pool with his hands as big as a palm-leaf fan.
One of the guys lowered his head and muttered, "...I only make one hundred bucks a month...I feel worthy of my wages..."
Xianjin's ears were sharp, "Who said that?"
A young man in a gray coat visibly shrank back.
Xianjin glanced at Qu Damao and pointed at him, "Give him another month's salary, and he doesn't have to come tomorrow."
Qu Da Mao said hurriedly, "No, no! Shuiqiu is an old friend, he has worked at Chen's for eight years! Why don't you want him? What will the neighbors think of us? He has elderly parents and children at home, and he relies on this little money to survive. We... we are not evil people with a heart of stone!"
Damn it, kill the Virgin Mary first in the end times!
If you keep nagging me, I’ll feed you three flies!
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