Song Yiqing leaned forward curiously. "How should we do it?"
"Maybe we could divide this wooden board into small pieces, with each character on a separate piece. In this way, if a character is engraved wrongly, it's just a problem with that single character. It won't be too much trouble to re - engrave it. Miss Bai, is this what you meant?"
Feng Linyuan asked politely, his voice calm and gentle.
Bai Zheng was shocked. This Marquis of Dingyuan was indeed extremely wise. Based on just one point she had made, he could immediately come up with a proper solution. And wasn't what he proposed movable - type printing?
Song Yiqing's eyes lit up. He slapped his palm with the handle of his fan and exclaimed, "Brilliant! Linyuan, your idea is truly brilliant!"
A faint smile flashed across Feng Linyuan's gentle eyes. There was no trace of self - complacency in his voice. "I'm afraid Miss Bai has an even better method."
Bai Zheng shook her head. Clay movable - type printing required special clay to be refined into clay paste. At present, it was not that easy to achieve. So they could only make do with wooden boards for the time being.
Seeing Bai Zheng shake her head, disappointment flashed across Song Yiqing's face. Then he smiled again.
"Then when Miss Bai comes up with a better method in the future, please tell me. For now, could Miss Bai please teach them papermaking first? I'll go and arrange the matters related to printing."
With that, he flicked his gorgeous robe and left gracefully.
This Song Yiqing was really straightforward. Bai Zheng watched him leave with a smile. Her gaze inadvertently fell on Feng Linyuan, who was sitting beside her.
The sky was overcast today. The sun was blocked by thick clouds. The ginkgo trees at the end of winter were left with only bare branches, looking desolate against the gloomy sky. Feng Linyuan in a blue robe was leisurely leaning under a tree. From afar, he looked like a beautiful painting.
"Miss Bai, we've already sorted out these reed stalks." A craftsman called out softly when he saw her in a daze.
Bai Zheng came back to her senses and smiled apologetically. Then she began to give step - by - step instructions.
Feng Linyuan leaned against the willow tree with his eyes closed, resting. In the quiet courtyard, only Bai Zheng's gentle voice could be heard, patiently guiding the craftsmen to cut the hemp, wash it, and soak it in lime water.
It was really amazing that such a young girl could come up with such a complicated process. As Feng Linyuan listened, the corners of his lips curled up.
"Miss Bai, is this the right way to beat the pulp?" a craftsman asked in a low voice.
"When beating the pulp, you must go in the same direction. The strength should neither be too strong nor too weak. Let me demonstrate it once. Watch carefully."
As Bai Zheng said this, she rolled up her sleeves. The big sleeves in this era were really inconvenient for doing things. Fortunately, she had asked Zhuling to make the cuffs much smaller a few days ago. She grabbed the wooden stick from the craftsman's hand. Just as she was about to demonstrate it herself, the weight of the stick almost made her rush forward into the pulp - beating pool.
Hearing the exclamations of the craftsmen, Feng Linyuan suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze pierced through the crowd and saw Bai Zheng, who had barely regained her balance by leaning on the stick. For some reason, he secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Bai Zheng looked at the unassuming wooden stick, which was actually so heavy that she could hardly lift it. For a moment, she didn't know what to do.
The things in this era were really solid and of good quality. Even this wooden stick was solid!
Bai Zheng scanned the craftsmen around her, who were looking at her blankly and waiting for her to continue the demonstration. Knowing that they didn't understand the pulp - beating method she had just mentioned, she had to try to lift the wooden stick again.
If it were her previous body, as someone who often exercised, Bai Zheng wouldn't have been so helpless. Unfortunately, the current body seldom went out, and she couldn't even lift a wooden stick.
As expected, in the craftsmen's exclamations again, the wooden stick that Bai Zheng was tremblingly holding fell again. The pulp splashed everywhere, covering everyone around.
Bai Zheng scanned the craftsmen apologetically. Her gaze suddenly met Feng Linyuan, who was sitting in the distance.
Even through the crowd, she could clearly see that there was a deep, gentle, and faintly smiling look in Feng Linyuan's eyes, as if he was watching a show.
Watching a show?
Watching a show usually costs money.
"My lord," Bai Zheng called out. "My lord is so intelligent that you must have understood the pulp - beating method I just mentioned. Could you please demonstrate it for these elder brothers?"
The smile on Feng Linyuan's face deepened, but his body didn't move. He replied in his usual gentle tone, "You can try again. If you still can't lift it, I'll help you."
Bai Zheng's eyes curved. "These are your words, my lord." Then she didn't exert any strength at all. She just pretended to lift the wooden stick.
The wooden stick was easily lifted by Bai Zheng.
This time, the crowd let out another exclamation.
But unlike the previous "ah" sounds, this time, the craftsmen let out an amazed "wow—".
Bai Zheng looked at the wooden stick in her hand, with the other end hanging in the air. She couldn't help but widen her eyes.
She didn't exert any strength, not at all. But the wooden stick seemed to be held up by a big hand. Bai Zheng was almost certain that even if she let go, the wooden stick wouldn't fall.
"Since Miss Bai has lifted the wooden stick, please demonstrate it yourself?" Feng Linyuan said. As he exerted force with his palm again, the wooden stick in Bai Zheng's hand gently stirred.
Seeing the craftsmen watching the way the wooden stick was stirred intently, Bai Zheng had no time to pay attention to Feng Linyuan. She had to demonstrate it seriously first.
At some point, the sun had broken through the clouds, shining warmly on Feng Linyuan. He stood up, hands behind his back, looking into the distance.
After Bai Zheng had finished teaching all the steps of papermaking, she was finally free. She walked gracefully towards Feng Linyuan.
Facing the direction of the sun, Bai Zheng was a bit dazzled for a moment.
She squinted her eyes and saw a man in a blue robe standing upright. A faint golden light shone on his body, with the aura that made people look up to him, just like when she first saw him.
If it weren't for the jealousy of fate, this Marquis of Dingyuan should have been a man who could gallop across the world, with the courage to swallow the mountains and rivers, like a sharp sword out of its scabbard.
How could he be like this now, dragging a weak and sickly body, gentle and reserved, like a smooth and moist jade?
Bai Zheng collected herself and bowed. "Thank you, my lord."
Feng Linyuan turned around. The aura around him disappeared instantly, as if it had just been Bai Zheng's illusion. He said gently, "I've heard Miss Bai's papermaking method. It's only right for me to help with such a small thing. Miss Bai is too polite."
Bai Zheng looked up. The hairpin on her bun swayed gently with her movement. Because Feng Linyuan had turned around, the unblocked sunlight shone on the yellow jade at the end of the hairpin, reflecting a dazzling light.
Liu Feng, who was standing not far away, was dazzled by the light. Suddenly, his hair stood on end, and his eyes turned into a terrifying scarlet.
Bai Zheng gave a faint smile. Just as she was about to say something, she heard a terrifying scream from a craftsman behind her.
"Ah—"