kvmb Chapter 23 Preparatory Work for Papermaking
Chapter 23 Preparatory Work for Papermaking
That night, Ying Wuyou had a dream, a dream so real it felt uncanny. She felt as if she were back on the day of her college entrance exam, sitting in the exam hall, facing unfamiliar test papers. Every question was like a foreign language, completely incomprehensible to her, filling her with anxiety and helplessness. She frantically scratched her head, trying to understand the questions, but her mind was a jumbled mess. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the exam, and she walked out of the exam hall with a sigh of relief. However, the days leading up to the results were even more agonizing. Her family would ask her every day how she did, and Ying Wuyou had no idea how to answer. She could only quickly slip out of the house after meals to avoid their questions. As the date for the results drew closer, Ying Wuyou's anxiety grew. She began to worry about her future, afraid of letting her family down. This anxiety gradually spread throughout her body, making it impossible for her to find peace even in her dreams.
When Ying Wuyou woke up, she felt as if she had just gone through a long and exhausting battle. A heavy, listless feeling filled her body, as if she had been completely drained. This feeling made Ying Wuyou very uncomfortable, and she realized she needed to rest.
However, whenever she felt overwhelmed by pressure, she would always dream of the college entrance examination. Those anxieties and panics seemed to have taken deep root in her bones, impossible to shake off easily. Faced with this predicament, Ying Wuyou decided to take action.
After washing up, she continued to attend classes at the palace school in the morning. Ying Wuyou did not speed up the pace of her classes. Although learning five characters a day was too easy for her, her body was only that of an 8-year-old. If her talent was too extraordinary and people found out, it would cause unnecessary trouble. Ying Wuyou still had many things she wanted to do and did not have much time to waste on these struggles. Therefore, Ying Wuyou still got up early every day to go to the palace school, just like other young masters and princesses, and only had time for herself in the afternoon.
In the afternoon, after having Liuli simply dress up as a man, Ying Wuyou left the palace with her guards. She decided to go to the market to buy some servants first, since nothing was convenient in the palace. There were too few people on the estate, and Ying Wuyou had many things to do on the estate. Without enough manpower, it would definitely not work. So, buying some servants at the market was Ying Wuyou's first step for the day.
In the market, Ying Wuyou found a slave trader. Upon seeing her, the slave trader immediately flashed a fawning smile: "Young master, what kind of servants do you need?" Ying Wuyou calmly replied, "I need twenty obedient male and female servants, preferably a few who can read." The slave trader's eyes lit up immediately, and he quickly said, "No problem, leave it to me!" Then he added, "My lord, literate people are hard to find, so the price..." Ying Wuyou nodded and said, "Don't worry about that. If they really can read, price is not a problem." The slave trader smiled even more broadly and quickly began selecting suitable candidates.
After a while, the slave trader led a group of men and women to Ying Wuyou. They all looked healthy and were very respectful. Ying Wuyou nodded in satisfaction and said to the slave trader, "Very good. I wonder which of you can read?" A young man and a young girl stepped forward. The young man said, "Greetings, sir. My name is Zhao Ran, and this is my sister Zhao You. We can both read." Ying Wuyou nodded and looked at the crowd, asking, "Are there any others who can read?" At this moment, a man with a reserved expression stepped forward and said, "My name is Li Daniu. I also learned a few characters from my father, but I can only recognize the characters and cannot understand the articles. Would you consider me suitable, sir?" Ying Wuyou nodded and said, "Yes, you can." After asking around again and finding that no one else could read, Ying Wuyou and the slave trader began to discuss the price.
Before leaving the palace, Ying Wuyou borrowed two hundred taels of silver from Lady Wang. After a heated debate with the slave trader, he finally secured twenty servants for the two hundred taels. Ying Wuyou was very satisfied. Most of these men were strong and healthy. Although there were some children and elderly people, once these strong and healthy men started working, the two hundred taels of silver would be well spent. Moreover, the children could be properly trained and would be very useful in the future. The slave trader was also very happy, thinking to himself, "My goodness, I've finally met a very wealthy person! He wants both the elderly and children; he's truly a philanthropist." The formalities were completed quickly.
Holding the twenty contracts of indenture, Ying Wuyou felt a deep unease. She thought to herself, "System, when will this buying and selling of people as commodities end? I've already started buying and selling servants. Do you think I'm being assimilated?" The system replied, "Host, don't think like that. You're just a princess now. You have no say in court affairs. What will you do if you need manpower? Hire people? Hiring people would only disrupt the Qin market. Buying people is the best option for both Qin and you. Then, you can gradually change this era, and one day, contracts of indenture will disappear." Ying Wuyou nodded and let out a long breath, as if expelling the gloom from her heart.
After the transaction was completed, Ying Wuyou and her entourage headed towards the estate in a grand procession. Due to the limited space in the carriage, it could only accommodate her and a few guards, while the remaining newly purchased servants had to follow on foot. Along the way, they traveled along a rugged mountain path, sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows on the ground.
After an hour of arduous travel, they finally arrived at the manor. Ying Wuyou jumped off the carriage, stretched, and looked at the manor before her, her heart filled with anticipation. She turned to the guard beside her and said, "Go and fetch Old Man Liu and his wife."
A short while later, Old Man Liu and his wife rushed over. Ying Wuyou pointed to the newly arrived servants and said, "Arrange accommodations and prepare food for them quickly." Old Man Liu nodded in agreement and then began to direct the other servants to get busy.
Ying Wuyou then entered the estate and looked around. There were a few simple houses in the estate, surrounded by farmland and orchards. She nodded in satisfaction, thinking that although it was simple, it possessed a tranquil and rustic beauty.
After some time, Old Man Liu came to report that he had arranged accommodations and prepared meals for the newly purchased servants. Ying Wuyou nodded, indicating his satisfaction.
After the meal, Ying Wuyou had people collect tree bark, hay, and other materials. He then instructed several people to set up a large pot in the west courtyard. Once the hay and tree bark were collected, Ying Wuyou had them soaked in water. The bark and hay needed to soak for a whole day, so Ying Wuyou had to order them to soak first and wait until tomorrow to start cooking.
Seeing that it was getting late, Ying Wuyou could only return to the palace first and wait until the afternoon of the next day to come back.