Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

Yu Shizhang vaguely remembered hearing someone mention the idea of ​​recycling used paper from scholars and remaking it into paper.

But why...has this law never been implemented?

Yu Shizhang thought for a long time before he came up with a question: "Waste paper that has been written on has a lot of ink on it. If we use this paper to recycle, how to remove the ink is a problem."

He looked at Shen Zheng and asked curiously, "Do you know how to remove ink?"

Shen Zheng smiled softly: "Of course I have a way. That's why I dare to mention this matter to the Fifth Chief Registrar."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shizhang and Diwu Tanwei simultaneously had an idea in their minds - if waste paper can be reused to make paper, the cost of papermaking will be greatly reduced, and paper will be more readily available to ordinary people!

"How?" Yu Shizhang was so curious that he stopped chewing the raisins and urged Shen Zheng with his head tilted: "Tell me quickly."

Seeing his impatient look, Shen Zheng smiled and said, "Soak the waste paper in water and add lime powder or wood ash to decompose and dilute the ink. But the amount has to be calculated. Too little will be useless, and too much will corrode the waste paper."

The principle is actually to use alkaline substances to saponify the ink, so as to achieve the effect of separating paper and ink.

Diwu Tanwei fell into deep thought. Yu Shizhang also thought for a while and asked, "Is this enough?"

Seeing that he was a little unconvinced, he took out a piece of waste paper from his pocket and pointed to the water tank in the yard and said, "Practice makes perfect."

Yu Shizhang did not move again, saying, "I trust you."

Diwu Tanwei raised his head and said, "I also believe in you, sir. Sir, this method is beneficial to both the workshop and the people. Please believe in me and the Diwu Papermaking Workshop."

Shen Zheng nodded, "In fact, it is not only beneficial to the workshop and the people, but also to nature."

"Of course?" They both looked over.

"Of course." Shen Zheng raised his hand and pointed to the trees in the yard, sighing slightly: "It's okay to use bamboo to make paper, bamboo changes every day. But Shangjing is in the north, there are not many bamboo forests in the north, and most people use bark and straw to make paper. And it takes years for bark to grow. When people's demand for paper becomes greater and greater, and there are not enough big trees to cut down, they will cut down small trees. If there are not enough small trees to cut down..."

Shen Zheng asked them: "Do you know how to cut down saplings?"

The fifth Tanwei was about to say that the saplings had to be kept to grow, but then he changed his mind and thought, to nature... humans have always been ruthless.

Shen Zheng added: "Not only papermaking requires cutting down trees, but also cooking and warming the room. We humans... sometimes need to be more restrained and think about nature."

Especially in winter, collecting dry firewood is indeed not enough to meet the heating needs of the people, so they have to cut down trees. Shen Zheng had discovered before that the trees near Xiahe Village had become a little thinner before the winter was over.

Now she cannot touch the coal mines and cannot increase revenue, so she can only cut costs.

Moreover, humans and nature should coexist.

Yu Shizhang was silent for a long time before he slowly spoke: "In the northwest of the Great Zhou, vegetation is scarce, but the winter is extremely cold. In the early years, the people in the northwest would cut down trees around the desert for survival and papermaking, but because of this, a great disaster was caused..."

But in an instant, Shen Zheng realized what the "big disaster" he was talking about was.

When sandstorms sweep in from next door, if there is no vegetation to block it, then it is the weak humans who will face the sandstorms directly.

In the face of nature, humans are truly inadequate.

The three of them were silent at the same time. After a while, Shen Zheng said, "We must have a fear of nature, so we must save when we should."

She took out the written method of plaster papermaking from her bosom, handed it to Diwu Tanwei, and then walked towards the study.

In the pavilion, Diwu Tanwei and Yu Shizhang were looking at the method together. In the study, Shen Zheng picked up a pen and began to write about the recycling papermaking method.

Fortunately it’s not difficult.

A moment later, she returned to the pavilion and placed the recycling papermaking method on the table. Yu Shizhang was the first to pick it up and look at it.

Shen Zheng looked at the Fifth Tanwei, "Fifth Chief Clerk, I have another idea for this matter, and I hope to implement it together with the papermaking workshop."

Diwu Tanwei put down the straw paper and nodded.

Shen Zheng said: "Since the workshop has a recycling papermaking method, it needs to recycle a large amount of waste paper. I want to implement a policy called 'exchange old for new, and buy recycled paper at a preferential price' in Tongan Bookstore."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shizhang put down the paper and wanted to see what Shen Zheng looked like.

The Fifth Tanwei's eyes lit up, "You mean, bookstores can recycle waste paper, and there are extra discounts for people who bring waste paper to buy paper?"

As a result, the price of new paper was pushed down again, but the workshop did not make any concessions, but instead got waste paper.

This is a mutually beneficial solution for both parties!

Shen Zheng nodded and stretched out her hand, "Are you willing to cooperate with the bookstore to recycle the paper?"

Diwu Tanwei put his hand into her palm, his eyes firm, "I am willing."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Yu Shizhang spoke at the right time, "What are you waiting for? Uncle Ben is here, let's sign the contract."

Finally, the contract, which took less than half an hour to write, stated:

1. The fifth paper mill will supply paper to Tongan Printing House at cost price, which is regarded as buying the "gypsum papermaking method" from Shen Zheng as the price.

2. The "gypsum paper" produced by the fifth paper mill can only be sold in Tongan Bookstore, and the net profit does not exceed half.

3. Tongan Bookstore is responsible for recycling waste paper and setting a preferential price for selling new paper, but the price must not be lower than the cost of re-making paper. The specific details will be discussed later when the recycling and papermaking are successful.

Finally, if there are any supplements that need to be made, Shen Zheng himself must come forward and sign the seal for it to take effect.

Yu Shizhang was the middleman. The deed was made in triplicate, one for Shen Zheng, one for Diwu Tanwei, and one for Yu Shizhang.

Diwu Tanwei put the contract in his arms and stood up to say goodbye: "I heard that you are busy recently, so I will not bother you anymore. I will write to your family when I get home, and there will be a result soon."

Shen Zheng stood up to see him off. When the two of them reached the door, she asked, "Fifth Chief Registrar, is there any way to get some more of the ore I asked you to find last time?"

The recent repeated failures made Shen Zheng start to doubt whether the printing house’s inventory was enough.

And after the glass is fired, she does more than just blow it, play it, and make utensils.

By the time lenses are made, a lot of glass is wasted.

Diwu Tanwei stopped and said with a smile, "Your Excellency can have as many as you want. I will go back and have someone send another ten stones each. How about that?"

"No need, no need." Shen Zheng shook her head, "Just more white sand will do, the other stones won't be used up."

After seeing off the Fifth Tanwei, Shen Zheng went back to his room, changed out of his official robe, put on his own "work clothes" again and went to the printing house.

Glass, glass.

It really makes her feel guilty to let her take a break for a while!

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