I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

After the printing business of the manor flourished, bringing rich profits and wide reputation to the manor, Chen Jia and Chen Jue turned their attention to the field of paper making. They knew that high-quality paper was the basis of the quality of printed products, and Xuan paper, as a traditional precious paper in China, was highly respected for its unique texture and performance. Therefore, Chen Jia and Chen Jue decided to conduct in-depth research on the production process of Xuan paper, including the production process using qingtan bark, Shatian rice straw, kiwi vines, etc. as raw materials, as well as the production methods of Baihua paper, Bailu paper, Jiangdong paper, Maiguang paper, Bingyi paper, Ningshuang paper, Yaohuang paper, Yanteng paper, Chu paper, Liuhe hemp paper, Yangpi paper, etc., hoping to open up new economic growth points for the manor by expanding the paper making business.

On this day, the sun shone through the window into the study of Chen Jia and Chen Jue. They were sitting around a table covered with various books on paper making and samples of different types of paper. Chen Jia picked up a piece of rice paper, gently stroked its delicate texture, and said to Chen Jue: "My husband, look at this rice paper. It is soft and flexible, and has good ink absorption. It is really a fine paper. Our estate has rich natural resources and hardworking and intelligent craftsmen. If we can master the production process of rice paper and other special papers, we can not only provide high-quality paper for our printing business, but also promote these papers to the market and obtain considerable profits."

Chen Jue nodded slightly, put down the scroll in his hand, and said with a focused look: "Madam, your idea is very far-sighted. The production process of Xuan paper is complicated and has a long history. It uses celtis bark and sandalwood straw as the main raw materials and goes through many processes to be made. Others such as white slippery paper and white deer paper also have their own unique production methods. If we can conduct in-depth research and master these technologies, the development prospects of the manor will be broader. However, this requires us to invest a lot of time and energy, and we have to find professional masters to guide us."

Chen Jia bit her lip lightly and said thoughtfully, "Husband, we can ask around in the surrounding areas or even further afield to find masters who are proficient in making Xuan paper and all kinds of paper. At the same time, we need to prepare the raw materials needed to make paper in advance, such as euphorbia bark, paddy straw, kiwi vines, etc. During the research process, we must encourage craftsmen to keep trying and innovating, improve the production process, and improve the quality of paper."

Chen Jue shook Chen Jia's hand in agreement and said, "Madam, let's do this. I will go and find a suitable master, and you will be responsible for arranging the purchase of raw materials and the preparation of related sites. We must act as soon as possible to develop the papermaking process in the manor."

In the following days, Chen Jue worked tirelessly and asked around, and finally found a master who had profound attainments in the field of Xuan paper making, and also invited several craftsmen who were good at making other special papers. When the master and craftsmen arrived at the manor, Chen Jia and Chen Jue warmly welcomed them and took them to visit the site and raw material reserves prepared for paper making in the manor.

Chen Jia said to the masters and craftsmen: "Masters, we want the craftsmen in the manor to learn the production process of Xuan paper and other special papers. I hope you can pass on your experience and skills to them."

The Xuan paper making master smiled and nodded: "Mrs. Chen, Mr. Chen, don't worry. There are many processes in Xuan paper making, from the collection and processing of raw materials to steaming, bleaching, pulping, papermaking, drying, etc., each step has strict requirements. The fiber of the euphorbia bark is fine and dense, and the fiber of the paddy rice straw is thick and long. Only when the two are combined can they be made into high-quality Xuan paper. In the production process, factors such as the temperature and water quality will affect the quality of the paper."

A craftsman who is good at making white slippery paper went on to say: "The production of white slippery paper is different from that of Xuan paper in terms of raw materials and craftsmanship. The selection and processing of raw materials are more refined, and the surface of the paper produced is smooth, which is suitable for writing and painting."

Chen Jue listened carefully, nodded and said, "Masters, how long does it take for craftsmen to master the basic production methods after learning these techniques?"

The Xuan paper maker thought for a moment and said, "The production process of Xuan paper is complicated. It takes about half a year to a year for craftsmen to master the basic production methods. However, to reach a level of proficiency and mastery, long-term practice and experience accumulation are required. The production time of other special papers will vary depending on the difficulty of the process."

Under the guidance of the masters and craftsmen, the craftsmen in the manor began a difficult but expectant learning process. They first learned how to recognize and handle raw materials. Chen Jia and Chen Jue also often visited the site to check on the progress and encouraged the craftsmen to study hard and not be afraid of difficulties.

Chen Jia watched a craftsman processing the bark of the Chinese cedarwood tree, and walked up to him and said, "Brother, the processing of the bark of the Chinese cedarwood tree requires multiple processes such as peeling, soaking, and steaming. Each step must be carried out strictly in accordance with the requirements. The soaking time must be sufficient to remove impurities and facilitate subsequent processing."

Chen Jue was paying attention to the processing of Shatin rice straw and said to another craftsman: "Brother, Shatin rice straw must be screened before processing to remove weeds and moldy parts. When steaming, the heat must be controlled to ensure that the rice straw fibers are fully softened."

After a period of study and practice, the craftsmen gradually mastered the methods of processing raw materials and began to learn key links such as pulping and papermaking.

Chen Jia watched the craftsmen beating the pulp and said, "Everyone should pay attention to the degree of beating. Beating too fine or too coarse will affect the quality of the paper. We need to find the right beating state through continuous trial and adjustment."

One of the craftsmen asked doubtfully, "Mrs. Chen, how do you judge whether the degree of beating is appropriate?"

Chen Jia patiently explained: "Generally speaking, when the pulp can be evenly distributed on the papermaking screen to form a paper sheet of uniform thickness, and the paper has a certain strength and toughness, the degree of beating is more appropriate. This requires more observation and practice."

During the papermaking process, Chen Jue told the craftsmen: "When making paper, you must move quickly and steadily to allow the pulp to adhere evenly to the papermaking curtain. When lifting the papermaking curtain, pay attention to the angle and strength to avoid pulp loss or uneven paper sheets."

After months of hard work, the craftsmen finally produced the first batch of samples of Xuan paper and other special papers. Although these samples still have some imperfections, the basic characteristics of the paper can be seen.

Chen Jia looked at the samples and said to Chen Jue, "My husband, look at these samples. Although they still need to be improved, they have made great progress. We can first invite some scholars, calligraphers and painters to take a look, listen to their opinions, and then make improvements."

Chen Jue nodded and said, "Madam, let's do this. We can also start promoting our paper products to the market and understand the market's needs and feedback in advance."

They invited some scholars, calligraphers and painters to the manor and showed them the paper samples made by the craftsmen. Everyone expressed their opinions and put forward many valuable suggestions.

A calligrapher said: "Mrs. Chen, Mr. Chen, the ink absorption of these rice papers can be further improved, and the thickness of the paper can be more uniform. For white slippery paper, the smoothness of writing can still be improved."

One painter said: "I think the surface texture of these papers can be improved, especially the paper used for painting, which should be able to better carry the paint and show the details of the painting."

After getting everyone's opinions, Chen Jia and Chen Jue organized the craftsmen to improve the production process. They studied different raw material ratios, adjusted the parameters in the production process, and tried some new processing methods.

Chen Jia said to the craftsmen: "Everyone should be brave to innovate, learn from the experience of other paper making, and constantly improve our craftsmanship. In terms of the ratio of raw materials, we can do more experiments to find the most suitable ratio. In terms of processing methods, we must pay attention to details to improve the quality of paper."

Encouraged by Chen Jia and Chen Jue, the craftsmen actively explored and practiced. After many attempts, they finally produced better quality Xuan paper and other special papers.

Chen Jia looked at the new paper samples and said to Chen Jue with satisfaction: "Husband, these papers are much better than before. When we launch them to the market, they will definitely be popular."

Chen Jue nodded and said, "Madam, I believe our efforts will be rewarded. These papers demonstrate the wisdom and skills of our manor's craftsmen."

After they launched the new paper products on the market, they were widely praised. Literati, calligraphers, and painters all bought them, and some booksellers and stationery stores also came to discuss cooperation.

A scholar happily said to Chen Jia and Chen Jue: "Mr. Chen, Mrs. Chen, the paper produced by your manor is of excellent quality, especially the Xuan paper, which has excellent ink absorption properties and provides a very good writing and painting experience. I will definitely recommend it to my friends."

As paper products sold well, the estate's income increased significantly and the craftsmen's confidence was greatly boosted.

A craftsman said excitedly to Chen Jia and Chen Jue: "Mr. Chen and Mrs. Chen, thank you for providing us with such a good opportunity to learn and develop. We are very proud that the paper we make is now recognized by everyone. We will continue to work hard to produce more and better quality paper."

Chen Jia smiled and said, "This is the result of everyone's joint efforts. We will continue to support you, constantly improve our technology, launch more and better products, and let our manor's paper occupy a place in the market."

Chen Jue also said: "That's right, we must continue to innovate and explore new paper-making technologies and application areas to allow the manor's paper-making business to continue to grow and develop. In the future, our paper will definitely become another bright business card for the manor."