In Qiao Xin's eyes, the mulberry tree is a treasure trove.
The leaves can be used as pig feed, but the stamens, which seem useless, can be picked, cleaned, coated with a few handfuls of flour, sprinkled with some salt, and steamed in a pot to become a delicious dish.
During the lean period of March and April, this is as famous as wild vegetables and a life-saving food.
The fruit of the mulberry tree is similar to bayberry. When it is ripe, it is picked and processed lightly to become the precious Chinese medicinal herb Chu Shizi.
The most precious part is its bark.
First of all, the bark of the mulberry tree is a magic weapon for men after processing. It is a diuretic. When you are in your seventies or eighties and have to use a cane, and have difficulty urinating and defecating, you can use it as a natural diuretic.
Qiao Xin values ​​the papermaking function of the mulberry bark the most. It is a good raw material for papermaking, with more fiber and less lignin, and can be easily made into straw paper.
Since the Qiao family is going to open an academy to enlighten the lower classes, that would disturb the roots of the family. It's impossible for others not to react. If they run into problems with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, they would have no choice but to restrict their actions.
So she had to be prepared to produce all her own raw materials, the first of which was paper.
Nowadays, a piece of ordinary paper costs ten taels of silver. Just this point has cut off the dream of studying for many people.
Not to mention the men in the world, even the children of many wealthy people are illiterate. Even in the Qing Dynasty, wasn't Feng Lazi, who came from a wealthy family in Jinling, illiterate?
Bamboo slips and books are like heirlooms. Even when the property is confiscated and the family is exterminated, people will find ways to preserve them.
If a woman today has one or two books in her dowry, she can walk all over her husband's house with ease.
Knowledge is far more valuable than Qiao Xin imagined. This is why when Qiao Xin announced that she would send the children of farmhands to school to learn to read and write, most of the noble families who had never come into contact with Qiao Xin sneered and refused to believe it.
They felt that the Qiao family was just making big promises to their servants in order to win their hearts, and that they would suffer the backlash in the future without them having to do anything.
Qiao Xin decided to come and take a look around Leiwo Village in person. It would be best if the thousand-year-old evil tree in the villagers' eyes could be turned into a real treasure. The villagers of Leiwo Village could also take this opportunity to earn some money for their families and live a better life.
If there are indeed a lot of paper mulberry trees around the village, then her papermaking plan can be put on the agenda immediately. She can also decide what to plant on the newly reclaimed land in Leiwo Village.
With water, materials, manpower, and a certain amount of paper medicine, she will spend some merit points to exchange for papermaking technology from the system. Then, everything is ready for the establishment of the Qiao family paper mill, except for the east wind.
After running back and forth and standing in the 10-meter-wide clear stream, Qiao Xin felt from the bottom of her heart that she should go out more often in the future. She had not discovered such a place that could be developed into a secret papermaking base for such a long time.
Take Leiwo Village for example. It is only fifty miles away from Laohu Town. However, because it is located deep in the mountains, far away from the official road, and in a remote place, it is inconspicuous.
The villagers here have no other way out. Although they are poor, they are simple, loyal and stubborn.
Apart from its small population and poverty, Wisconsin really has no other shortcomings. You can find tips for getting rich everywhere.
Xianshui Town produces salt, Linshui Town produces paper, and they can be developed into characteristic towns. Maybe one day Qiao Xin will be able to use Laohu Town as a starting point to drive the prosperity of the riverside towns from Qingshui River to the capital.
It may not be impossible to see another prosperous scene like the ten-mile Qinhuai River.
There are only three or five villages along the river section of a hundred miles, so it may not be impossible to achieve it if we plan it well.
When the time comes, we will start from Laohu Town, go to Xianshui Town first, then to Leiwo Village, and go all the way down to take over all these villages.
In the future, there will be a workshop in each village. Every time you go out, you can check the workshops in each village along the way. Isn't that right?
Of course, this is a later story. At this time, Qiao Xin and Butler Cao appeared again at the village chief's house in Leiwo Village.
When they heard that the young woman in front of them was the decision maker of the Qiao family, the Ninth Master and the clan leader who were called in temporarily were shocked!
I thought Mrs. Qiao was a sixty-year-old woman like them, with the earth almost buried up to her neck. But I didn't expect that she looked so young. She looked no more than thirty, even younger than many of the granddaughters-in-law in the village who were in their early twenties.
But no matter how much they thought about it, they didn't dare to show any disrespect, let alone any contempt for women showing up in public.
After some polite greetings, Qiao Xin directly stated the purpose of her visit.
The village chief was so shocked that he stood up from his stool and almost fell down.
"Make, make paper?"
"Yes, papermaking. We in the Qiao Mansion want to set up a papermaking workshop here. It depends on whether you are willing or not."
"My dear, we don't know how to do that. Paper is such a precious thing!"
Not to mention the paper used by scholars to write, even the paper burned for ancestors during the New Year was something that most people couldn't afford.
"If you don't know how, we at the Qiao Mansion will send someone to teach you. Doesn't Butler Cao have a list of substitutes? The village chief will select 10 to 20 strong young people without any problems. As long as you are willing to sign a lifelong agreement with the Qiao family, you can follow us and learn."
The clan leader, the ninth master and the village head now regretted that they had signed up all the good young men in their families to open up wasteland and move things.
You can learn a skill. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Giving your child a thousand gold coins is not as good as teaching him a skill.
Once you learn a skill, you will never have to worry about having food to eat no matter where you go, especially when it is papermaking technology.
"Madam Qiao, to be honest, most of the young men in our village who are honest, hardworking, and smart have been selected by Butler Cao in the first wave. I don't think the remaining ones can meet Madam's needs."
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It’s even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
No comments yet.