Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Coming to Treat the Illness (Two in One)…
After the egg distribution incident, the people really remembered the rhyme firmly in their hearts.
Especially when you are just one or two words away from memorizing the words, but you have to watch your neighbor, whom you used to hate, memorize the words smoothly and take away the eggs. You will feel very angry.
The publicity is very effective, but there is still a very realistic problem.
If you want to drink boiled water on a daily basis, you will inevitably have to increase the consumption of firewood, and some people will definitely not be willing to do that.
However, since Lin Si chose to implement this policy, she naturally had a way to deal with it. After the people memorized the jingle, she quickly brought up another thing, honeycomb coal.
Honeycomb briquettes are very practical in cold weather areas. The holes in the honeycomb can increase the contact surface with air, and the time to boil a pot of water can be saved by one-third compared to charcoal.
Moreover, the method of making honeycomb coal is not difficult. You just need to go to Enzhou and other places to bring back coal, crush the coal, mix it with clay, add appropriate amount of water and stir until it becomes viscous, and finally use a wooden honeycomb coal mold to press it and dry it.
The excess coal slag can be used to pave the road.
Now that Dachen is still in a peaceful period, the price of coal is stable and not expensive, and Enzhou's coal production eliminates the expensive transportation costs.
After Lin Si and Liang Nian discussed, they decided to let Zhao An and Ding Pu experiment with honeycomb coal first, and demonstrate to the people how quickly it could boil water. If the people were willing, they would teach them the method, and the people would buy coal from the county government and make it themselves.
Ding Pu hadn't done such an experiment for a long time. He knew that since he said the word "fire pit" faster than his brain did that day, he had completely bid farewell to his lazy life.
Although other servants often envied him.
Ding Pu quietly asked Zhao An if he knew what experiment was being conducted this time.
Zhao An shook his head, "I hope this isn't an overly difficult experiment."
The two looked at each other in silence, both feeling a lot of pressure.
The process this time was the same as last time. The two of them learned first, and then led the rest of the servants to do it. Everyone who participated received a subsidy.
You don’t need to do too much, just understand the production method and the specific proportions of clay, coal, and water.
After listening to Lin Si's arrangements, Ding Pu nodded while holding the blueprint. This honeycomb coal making is much simpler than the last papermaking, and it does not require any sophisticated craftsmanship or delicate thoughts.
Ding Pu and Zhao An followed the instructions on the blueprint, crushing the coal and adding clay and water.
Ding Pu felt that it was a bit like playing mud house when we were children.
After the mixture becomes thick, it is pressed with the honeycomb coal mold made by craftsman Sun.
Ding Pu and Zhao An placed several honeycomb coals in the open air yard to dry and harden.
Honeycomb coal is not difficult to make, and success is inevitable.
The first batch of honeycomb coal was first tested in the county lord's mansion. After the trial, it was found that a single honeycomb coal could burn for 7-8 hours and was more durable than firewood.
The one who was most satisfied was Wang Ying. She found that honeycomb coal had a stable temperature, which was very suitable for slow cooking of porridge and soup. It also did not require someone to watch and add firewood like firewood.
I can also make more delicious food for the county lady!
Lin Si calculated the cost. With this investment, one honeycomb coal only costs four cents. Coal is not expensive, and clay is almost free. If the people really want to make it, they can even dig the clay themselves, which saves more money.
Lin Si was also very considerate and sent some to Liang Nian.
Zuo You was full of praise for the round honeycomb coal. "Now that people have memorized the rhyme, and the honeycomb coal reduces the cost of boiling water, the number of people drinking boiled water will increase significantly."
Liang Nian nodded and asked the kitchen to use honeycomb coal to make pork bone soup tonight.
*
Gong Jingxiu recited the rhyme that day and successfully got an egg. Then she saw her neighbor, who was jealous of her butcher shop, stumbling over the rhyme while reciting it, and she felt so happy.
She even walked over and showed off the egg in her hand, which made the other person so angry that his eyes widened.
Since then, Gong Jingxiu would boil a large pot of water when she got up early.
The young lady who came to advertise that day said that she was in the butcher business and was exposed to more bacteria than humans.
Gong Jingxiu didn't know what bacteria were, so the young lady explained to her concisely that bacteria are dirty things that are invisible to the naked eye and are especially abundant in raw meat.
The more Gong Jingxiu listened, the more shocked she became. It turned out that she was often exposed to these dirty things.
So the young lady said again, that’s why Gong Jingxiu has to drink boiled water!
Gong Jingxiu did not dare to be negligent. Not only herself, but also her young daughter, her husband who raised pigs, her parents, and the whole family had to obey her orders and drink boiled water.
Gong Jingxiu's family was the type in Li County that had no worries about food and drink. The pig-slaughtering business had been passed down from generation to generation, and they had quite a bit of savings. The butcher shop also had no shortage of meat. All the family members grew up tall and strong, and even their young daughter grew rapidly in height.
Gong Jingxiu didn't care about the money for firewood. She had a large family, and with so many people, boiling a small pot of water would definitely not be enough for them to drink, so she had to add firewood to the big pot.
Gong Jingxiu's daughter Buyi is only three years old now. She has a round face and a chubby body. At this moment, she is looking at the firewood curiously.
Gong Jingxiu and Bu Yuan got up early to boil water so that they could pour it out and let it cool down a bit so that it would be at the right temperature when the family got up.
Gong Jingxiu fed Buyi the cooled warm water and taught her, "You must never drink water that has not been boiled in the future, understand?"
Bu Yuan and Gong Jingxiu were not in a hurry to open their stall today. They had to go to the gate of the county government office to see what the honeycomb coal that was advertised yesterday was.
Gong Jingxiu knew about coal, which was produced in Enzhou. Li County was poor and no one was willing to transport it here to sell.
People in Li County chop and collect firewood themselves.
But this is the first time I've heard of honeycomb coal, and I don't know if it's some new type of coal. Since it's promoted by the county lord, it definitely won't be the expensive kind.
When Gong Jingxiu went out, she happened to meet a few neighbors, all of whom were there to see honeycomb coal.
"I heard that this time it depends mainly on everyone's opinion. If everyone thinks this honeycomb coal is good, then the county government will be responsible for bringing the coal back from Enzhou, and the county magistrate will send someone to teach us how to make it. The cost is very low."
Gong Jingxiu was curious: "I can make it myself. Is it really better than charcoal?"
At this time, another neighbor joined in, "Every time the county lord promotes something, which one is not useful?"
Gong Jingxiu nodded, "That's true."
A few people walked quickly to the open space in front of the county government office, and saw that there were already many people gathered there, all coming to see what the honeycomb coal looked like.
Gong Jingxiu knew many people, and they were chatting with each other. "Don't tell me, I've been drinking boiled water for two days, and I feel like my headache and leg pain are gone."
"Me too, I feel like I'm sleeping better now."
"It's absolutely right to listen to the county lady. I feel like I'll live many more years."
"I will never drink raw water again!"
"My family must have this honeycomb coal, so we came here today to join in the fun." Kang Zhuqing smiled brightly. Her whole family were die-hard fans of Lin Si, and they believed unconditionally in whatever Lin Si promoted.
"Then why are these honeycomb coals called honeycomb coals? Does it look like a honeycomb?"
"Very likely."
Everyone talked and laughed for a while, and finally someone came out from the county government office.
Zhao An and Ding Pu carried a small stove and placed it on the open space. Next to them was a yamen runner holding a backpack, which was covered by a straw curtain and no one could see what was inside.
Zhao An and Ding Pu looked so familiar that they were recognized by many women who came to the papermaking workshop to recruit workers.
"Aren't these the two gentlemen who were recruiting workers at the paper mill? Why are they here again?"
"I was wondering why he looked so familiar."
"Really? It's really them. These two are really capable."
Ding Pu listened to the onlookers' repeated comments about why it was him again, and responded silently in his heart.
I don’t want to either!
Zhao An glanced at Ding Pu and signaled him to do it as they had practiced yesterday. Ding Pu talked and explained while Zhao An burned the honeycomb coal.
Ding Pu spoke without hesitation. He first opened the bamboo curtain in the backpack and picked up the black, round honeycomb coal with honeycomb holes to show the people.
"Look, everyone, this is honeycomb coal."
People went to see it and said, "It really looks like a honeycomb."
"How long will a piece of coal like this burn? Is it really faster than charcoal?"
Ding Pu didn't explain much. He just lit the honeycomb coal, placed it on the stove with tongs, and then placed a pot of water on the stove.
The people all stared at the stove, waiting to see when the water would boil.
When the water boiled, Ding Pu lifted the lid of the kettle to show the people, saying, "It's not only good for boiling water, but also for making porridge or soup. And you don't have to have someone watching over you or adding firewood all the time."
"Oh, it's true. The water boiled in a short while."
"Then, we can cook the porridge without anyone watching or adding firewood. It's really convenient."
"The young lady and young man who came to promote it yesterday said that you can just spend ten coins to buy some coal, dig some clay and add water to make it, and it will last a long time."
"This is really convenient. It's not just for boiling water, it has many other uses."
"I want to make honeycomb briquettes!"
"I want one too!"
Ding Pu tried to keep his expression friendly. "Don't worry, everyone. The county government will go to Enzhou to collect coal in a few days. You can buy as much as you need. The county magistrate will send someone to teach you how to make it."
After looking at the honeycomb coal, the people left in groups of three or four.
Kang Zhuqing returned home and began to generously explain to his family how quickly honeycomb coal could boil water.
Shi Jin got the job of an assistant and had to report tomorrow, so he hurried to finish the sewing work he had taken on earlier today.
Kang Zhuqing looked at Shi Jin and said, "Mrs. Jin, you must do your assistant's job well. Mother has discovered that as long as you follow the county lady, you will never have to worry about food and clothing. Why are you hiring an assistant when things are going well? As long as you work hard, maybe our family can live a good life and eat meat."
*
Liang Nian arranged to plant the cotton seeds, and Yao Niang went to check on them every day, hoping in her heart that the cotton would grow quickly.
During the time the cotton tree is growing, the cotton tree needs to learn a lot.
Fortunately, Liang Nian and Zuo You taught her to read and write, so Yao Niang's cultural literacy is pretty good.
It's easy as long as you can read. Lin Si got a complete set of cotton gin and three-spindle treadle spinning wheel drawings from the system mall. He also spent a few days explaining the principles of the three-spindle treadle spinning wheel and cotton gin to Yao Niang.
Yao Niang still lives in the county magistrate's mansion. She gets up early every morning and goes out with Zuo Youliangnian.
Three people, one went to the county government office, one to the manor, and one to the county lord's residence. Each of them had their own way of working, but they were all working for Lin Si.
Lin Si told Yao Niang yesterday that the assistant she recruited would be waiting for her in front of the county lady's mansion early in the morning.
When Yao Niang arrived at the county lady's mansion, she saw two girls at the door, one about thirteen or fourteen years old, and the other a little older.
Shi Jin was completely excited.
She had never expected that after becoming an assistant, she would come to the gate of the County Lord's Mansion. This was the County Lord's Mansion! The County Lord was inside, and she and the County Lord were only separated by a wall.
Shi Jin was so happy that he almost fainted.
The three of them met and exchanged a brief greeting, and Shi Jin and another assistant Yu Anchun introduced themselves to Yao Niang.
Yao Niang nodded slightly with a smile on her face, comforting the two of them not to be nervous.
"Ladies, don't be nervous. Just follow me to the fields in the suburbs first." Yao Niang didn't say much and started her day's work directly.
Shi Jin and Yu Anchun followed Yao Niang obediently.
Shi Jin came here to work for Lin Si, while Yu Anchun came here for the monthly salary. Both of them were ordinary people, so naturally they didn't know anything about cotton.
Yao Niang led them to the fields in the suburbs and gave them some knowledge about cotton.
Shi Jin used to be a commoner, and he only knew that the county lord was very powerful. He knew that new things would appear every now and then, such as water wheels, honeycomb coal, and farm tools.
This was the first time I was exposed to more internal information.
Shi Jin sighed deeply. Nothing appears out of thin air. It is only because the county lord and the people who work for the county lord have done a lot of work behind the scenes that something appears in front of everyone.
And now she has to be the one who does a lot of things behind the scenes, which feels a bit strange.
Since Yu Anchun was chosen as an assistant, she must be familiar with textile mending. Her eyes were wide open and she was stunned for a long time.
The reason why fabrics other than linen are expensive is that the raw materials are all artificially cultivated, unlike linen, which can grow by simply planting.
And if this cotton is really comfortable to wear, and the raw material is grown like hemp, then the cost will not be high.
Yu Anchun thought that the county lady would not sell it to the common people at a high price.
Then, by waiting for the cotton trees to be planted, we can wear comfortable new clothes during the New Year.
A cloth as comfortable and priced as linen was something Yu Anchun would never dare to dream of.
The cotton had been planted for less than a month, but Yu Anchun and Shi Jin couldn't help but squat down like a mother to observe it carefully.
The small sapling has just broken through the soil, but it carries the hopes of three girls. Shi Jin and Yu Anchun cannot imagine what the sapling will look like when it grows up.
Yao Niang smiled faintly and said, "I come to see them every day, just hoping that they will grow up quickly."
Yu Anchun and Shi Jin could understand Yao Niang. Anyone would want to see such a good thing every day.
*
Feng Ling waited day and night, and finally received a letter from Mo Jinglian.
There were only two letters, one was for her, and the other was sealed very well, for Lin Si, and she was told not to peek.
Feng Ling believed that he was definitely not such a mean person, so he only read his own letter.
Mo Jinglian always reported good news to Feng Ling but not bad news. Despite this, Feng Ling could still see a hint of sadness in Mo Jinglian's letter.
It must be that other paper company that has done something weird again!
Feng Ling was so angry that his teeth itched, but he was helpless. Mo Jinglian had said that they had the support of the prefect just because An Jing came to purchase expensive paper.
The Mo family's gold-sprinkled paper has always sold well, and the other party wants to steal this business.
After Feng Ling finished reading the letter, he handed the other one intact to Lin Si, "County Lady, I didn't peek. Miaomiao told me not to read it!"
Lin Si unconsciously raised an eyebrow. Mo Jinglian actually wrote to him? Did she think it through, or did her condition worsen?
Feng Ling handed the letter to Lin Si, but looked at Lin Si eagerly and did not leave.
Lin Siyan smiled and said, "Madam Feng, you still have classes at the manor today, aren't you leaving yet?"
Feng Ling muttered softly, "It's still early." Then he looked at the letter in Lin Si's hand reluctantly for several times before leaving.
Feng Ling was unhappy. Miaomiao was hiding something from her. What was it that she couldn't see?
After Feng Ling left, Lin Si opened the letter and unfolded it.
Mo Jinglian used gold-sprinkled paper to write the letter, which was enough to show how much he valued Lin Si.
There were only a few lines in the letter.
I wonder what the county lady needs in exchange for my life?
Just two lines, concise and to the point, without any nonsense, not even a greeting.
Lin Si originally subconsciously took the low-quality paper produced by the Li County Paper Mill from the table, but then he thought that everyone used gold-sprinkled paper to send letters. Wouldn’t this be too shabby and would it be a disgrace to the Princess of Anping?
Lin Si asked Chunyi to take out a piece of patterned paper, which had lifelike patterns printed on it. Because of its elegance and uniqueness, it is the most expensive paper nowadays.
Since Mo Jinglian didn't want to waste time talking to him, Lin Si didn't plan to write anything nonsense.
She took out the pen and ink set that she had painfully exchanged for people's hearts, and wrote back to Mo Jinglian.
Come and get treated first, and when you are well, we can discuss what you want. It is not a bad thing, nor is it beyond your ability, so don't worry.
She, Lin Si, is not a devil.
It's just a matter of giving up everything in Shuozhou and moving the whole family to Li County. It's not something that can't be done. It's certainly worth it compared to saving one's life.
Lin Si wrote his reply very quickly, while Feng Ling wrote an entire page, including but not limited to secretly asking Mo Jinglian from various angles what exactly he had written to Lin Si.
When Mo Jinglian received the reply, she was in a state of panic.
The business of gold-sprinkled paper was indeed taken over by Jiang’s Paper Mill.
Mo Jinglian unfolded Feng Ling's letter. She wrote a lot, such as how hard the students in the manor studied and practiced, how there was a young lady who was very talented in shooting, and how she went to the working dinner at the County Lord's Mansion because she slept late, and the last bit was eaten up by Nan Shuang. For example, she said that Li County was very good and asked Mo Jinglian when she would go there for treatment.
Mo Jing opened Lin Si's reply letter one after another.
Just like her, concise and no nonsense.
However, it was the first time that Mo Jinglian had seen such handwriting. It didn't look like it was written with a brush, which was a bit strange.
"It's not a bad thing, nor is it something beyond my ability." Mo Jing read out these words.
She thought again of her sickly appearance in the dream, and of the grave that had been dug up...
And Tang Xing who died beside her grave.
He is still a little kid now.
Mo Jing took a deep breath. "Tell Mom and Dad that I'm going to Li County for treatment."
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