After a long pause, he raised his head and stammered, "I... I can give it a try."
"Okay, I'll have someone find you a piece of wood."
"No need, I have some in my toolbox."
As Liao Changyi spoke, he opened his toolbox and rummaged through a pile of tools to find a small, neatly polished piece of wood, which he usually used for carving wood.
Finding the tools he needed, he picked up the book and carefully examined the strokes of the characters. Then, he picked up the tools in his hand and slowly began to carve on the small block.
His younger brother, Liao Changtong, would occasionally hand him tools.
In less than half an hour, Liao Changyi began to finish up. He used a homemade pig bristle comb to carefully clean the carved wood before handing it to Lin Yinan.
"It's finished. Please take a look, City Lord."
Lin Yinan picked it up and looked at it. She saw that the writing on the wood was clearly visible, and there were no burrs on any of the strokes.
"The carving is truly excellent!" she praised without reservation.
Liao Changyi lowered his head somewhat embarrassed. Lin Yinan then asked, "You said you learned your craft from your uncle. I wonder how good his carving skills are?"
Liao Changyi spoke sincerely to his master who taught him the craft, saying, "My uncle-in-law is naturally faster and better at carving than I am!"
"Then, would it be possible to invite him to Longtan?"
Aunt Liang looked at her husband; she couldn't make decisions about her brother-in-law's family.
“No problem, I’ll go to Yangjiao County with Er’er right away, but it may take some time to travel there and back,” Liao Zongwei said.
My brother-in-law doesn't have a stable job; he usually just takes on temporary jobs to supplement the family income.
"It's alright, I can have the guards drive you in a carriage to pick up the person."
"That would be wonderful!" Liao Zongwei looked at Aunt Liang with delight in his eyes.
Since they had no objections, Lin Yinan explained the benefits of staying in the county town. Like Liang Wen and the others, they would sign a ten-year agreement, with two meals a day provided by the canteen and a monthly allowance.
They asked the family whether they preferred to stay in the county town or continue to live in the village.
“The county town! We’re willing to stay in the county town,” Aunt Liang said without hesitation.
Although they have their own land in the village, they may never be able to build a decent house in their entire lives.
The two sons are of marriageable age. As long as they work hard in the city, like the Liang brothers, they can be allocated a decent house.
The city lord provides a considerable monthly allowance, and importantly, you don't have to worry about your daily meals.
The father and his two sons nodded repeatedly, choosing to stay in Longtan County, just like Aunt Liang.
After they signed the agreement, Lin Yinan asked Lin Tiezhuang to take Aunt Liang to her house to settle in, so that they could rest for a day and start work again the next day.
Knowing that Lin Yinan was going to print a book, Liao Changyi insisted on not taking a break and suggested that he could prepare the necessary wood before his uncle arrived.
Lin Yinan called Lin Qingxiang over and told him to just tell Lin Qingxiang if he needed anything.
Lin Qingxiang had just left with Liao Changyi when her second uncle, Lin Shuo, came looking for her with a pile of documents and a worried expression, followed by Yun Ming.
"Anan, are you free right now?"
He was about to leave for Chian, and he still had many questions he didn't understand.
"Yes, Second Uncle, just say what you need to say." Lin Yinan said with a smile, glancing at Yun Ming beside him, wondering why he had come along.
Before she could ask, Yunming said, "Third Sister-in-law, I want to go to Chi'an with Second Uncle."
"Did you tell your third brother?"
"Third Brother asked me to ask you," Yun Ming said, pursing his lips.
Although the bandits in Chi'an County have all been dealt with, the mountains are now inhabited entirely by mountain people. Yunming leading his men there can serve two purposes: firstly, it can deter those with ulterior motives, and secondly, the mountain people are fierce and brave, so he can lend a hand if his second uncle encounters any problems.
Thinking of this, Lin Yinan smiled and said, "If you want to go, then go!"
"Thank you, Third Sister-in-law! I'll go and call the people right away."
After Yunming finished speaking, he walked out the door with light steps. He wanted to tell his third brother, who hadn't left yet, the news, and also ask him for some people.
Lin Shuo pushed the booklet in her hand in front of Lin Yinan. It contained information on the selection of terraced fields and planting methods. She had given it to him this morning.
Lin Yinan raised an eyebrow. "Second Uncle, you've read the whole thing?"
"I've finished looking at it, but why don't they grow corn in these mountains of Chi'an? Why do they have to turn them into terraced fields for rice?"
Lin Shuo frowned. Having farmed for half his life, he naturally knew that planting corn and beans was the best option for hillsides like this.
So, taking advantage of the knowledge Lin Yinan had acquired while organizing materials, Lin Yinan engaged in in-depth discussions with him on a range of topics, from how terraced planting can effectively prevent soil erosion and greatly improve soil conservation and yield, to how to build different terraced patterns and irrigation and drainage systems based on different slopes, and finally, how to improve soil fertility.
Finally, Lin Shuo said with admiration, "Anan, how come you know everything!"
"Second Uncle, I'm just talking theory. The specifics of how to implement it will depend on your adjustments based on the local conditions after you arrive in Chi'an."
"Yes, I know."
Finally, Lin Shuo left with a pile of documents, beaming with joy.
After having lunch in the cafeteria, Lin Yinan took Qianwu back to rest for a while.
The house was quiet and empty. Lin Yinan and Qianwu exchanged a glance, wondering where everyone had gone, when they heard a commotion coming from Lu Yashuang's courtyard.
As the two entered the courtyard, they saw Yunying playing with several children.
Lin Zhiyan immediately stood up and ran towards Lin Yinan.
"Mom, you're back!"
Lin Yinan picked her up and kissed her on the cheek. "What are you doing here?"
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