The Little Lucky Girl.

Su Qing's third brother was busy with the affairs of the movable type printing factory, and Su Qing started to study papermaking again!

She was trying hard to recall the process of the ancient papermaking technique of Cai Lun, the inventor of papermaking in her previous life!

First, select the materials, and then cut them into small pieces: cut the raw materials such as bark, hemp heads, rags, etc. into small pieces for better subsequent processing.

Steaming: Place the chopped ingredients in a large pot and add plenty of water to steam and soften the fibers. During the steaming process, use a large stone to hold the chopped ingredients down to help them cook thoroughly.

"Pulping": The raw materials after steaming are beaten to disperse the fibers into pulp.

Papermaking: Pour the pulp onto a flat bamboo screen, where the water is filtered out to form a paper film. This step requires skill to produce a film of just the right thickness and even distribution.

"Paper drying": Place the copied paper film in the sun to dry to form paper.

After filtering it in his mind, Su Qing took Ying San and Ying Si to the mountain to cut bamboo!

Once the bamboo is chopped, place it in the yard and wash it. Once the bamboo is washed, begin chopping it! Once all the bamboo is chopped, soak the chopped bamboo! This process is called "soaking the bamboo." During the soaking process, impurities and some lignin in the bamboo gradually break down and soften it, preparing it for further processing. This soaking process takes about two and a half hours!

Su Qing used this free time to do other things!

It's soaking time!

Su Qing removes the soaked bamboo from the water and then steams it. The bamboo is placed in a large pot and steamed with an alkaline substance, such as lime. The lime plays a crucial role, accelerating the decomposition of bamboo fibers, making them easier to handle. The heat and duration of the steaming process must be carefully controlled. The degree of steaming is determined by observing changes in the bamboo's color and texture. The steaming process is complete when the bamboo takes on a light yellow hue and the fibers begin to loosen.

After steaming, the bamboo needs to be rinsed. Removed from the pot, it is repeatedly rinsed in a clear stream to remove any remaining lime and impurities. At this point, the bamboo begins to take on the shape of a suitable papermaking material, but the fibers are still relatively coarse. Next comes the pounding process: the rinsed bamboo is placed in a stone mortar and repeatedly pounded with a pestle or other tool. This laborious process further refines and breaks down the bamboo fibers, ultimately forming a muddy or paste-like material for papermaking, known as "papermaking mud."

Once the papermaking mud is prepared, the key step in papermaking begins: papermaking. This process involves a specially crafted bamboo screen. Artisans gently scoop the screen into the papermaking mud, evenly coating it with a thin layer of the raw paper material. Water then filters through the screen's crevices, leaving the raw paper material on the screen, forming a wet sheet of paper. This process requires immense skill, as the uniformity of the paper's thickness depends entirely on experience and technique.

The wet pages are then placed one by one on a brick-built "paper oven" to dry. During the drying process, careful attention is paid to temperature and ventilation to ensure the paper dries evenly and does not crack. Once dried, the sheets are removed from the oven, cut, and arranged into ready-to-write paper.

After three days, Su Qing finally succeeded in her experiment. She made a whiter, more resilient paper! She showed it to Murong Ye!

"Brother Ye, what do you think of this paper?"

Murong Ye was lazily leaning against the window, his thoughts drifting somewhere. When Su Qing appeared in front of him with a piece of paper, he just raised his eyes nonchalantly. However, the next moment, his eyes were like being drawn by a magnet, tightly locked on the paper in Su Qing's hand.

His eyes widened instantly, filled with shock, as if he had seen the most incredible treasure in the world. He stood up involuntarily and walked quickly towards Su Qing, his lips trembling slightly, and he was speechless for a moment. He reached out and carefully touched the paper. The delicate touch from his fingertips made his heart beat faster.

"This... you made this?" Murong Ye's voice cracked with disbelief. His gaze flickered between the paper and Su Qing, the shock in his eyes undimmed, as if he couldn't believe this girl had created such a miraculous thing. The white of the paper, as pure as the first snow of winter, seemed to shimmer with a mysterious luster in the sunlight, and its delicate texture and toughness amazed him even more.

"Yes! I've been experimenting with making this paper these past few days! The Dafeng Dynasty's papermaking technology has made writing materials lighter and cheaper, greatly promoting the spread and development of culture. It also solves the various problems with writing materials across the country, such as being hard, heavy, and expensive, which are not conducive to the spread of culture! We can also sell paper to other countries! This will provide Dafeng with more economic sources!"

"The improvement of papermaking technology made the production of books more convenient, and the publication and popularization of book reading greatly promoted the dissemination of knowledge and the development of academia."

"The invention of papermaking changed people's writing and reading habits, enabling ordinary people to obtain information and knowledge and facilitating the preservation of text."

The spread of papermaking technology abroad promoted cultural exchanges and the popularization of education, and profoundly influenced the development of world civilization.

"The combination of papermaking and printing further facilitated the preservation and dissemination of text and expanded the scope of civilization's influence."

?The quality and output of paper were improved, making paper gradually become a common writing material.?

?For the first time, papermaking used bark, bamboo and other materials as raw materials, reducing costs!

"Okay! Qing'er, thank you! I thank you on behalf of the many students of Dafeng Dynasty!"

"You're welcome! Brother Ye! As citizens of Dafeng, it's our duty to contribute to the development of Dafeng's economy and the strengthening of its national strength!" As the two were talking, the housekeeper came to announce, "Miss, Eunuch Li is here!"

"Ah!" Su Qing quickly got up and walked out the door!

There were many villagers watching the fun gathered at the gate of the Su family!

"Grandpa Li!"

"Hey! Little aunt, please accept the imperial edict!"

Su Qing quickly knelt to receive the decree! "By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor decrees! Princess Ding'an, Su Qing, your movable type printing technology has benefited the country and its people for generations to come! I reward you with a thousand taels of gold! Ten thousand taels of silver! One hundred pieces of silk and satin, and a number of jewels and antiques! In recognition of your merits, you are hereby canonized as a princess effective immediately! The title is 'Ding'! You will enjoy a fiefdom and be granted a special Princess Palace in the capital! This is my decree!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace! Long live the emperor!" Su Qing thanked him and took the imperial edict!

"Grandpa Li, thank you for your hard work along the way! Please come in!"

"Good good!"

"Uncle Li, arrange accommodation and food for the guards! And move the horses to the stables and feed them hay!"

"Yes, girl!"

Su Qing gently took Eunuch Li's arm and led him through the winding corridor to a warmly decorated guest room. Inside, there were tables, chairs, and beds, and the air was filled with the faint fragrance of flowers.

"Grandpa Li, you must be exhausted after the long journey. We have all the toiletries here. Please wash up and relax first." Su Qing said with a smile, his voice as warm as a spring breeze.

Eunuch Li looked at Su Qing lovingly and nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, Qingbao, you are always so thoughtful."

Su Qing said again: "Grandpa Li, please take a rest. I will go to the kitchen to prepare some delicious food for you and come to invite you later." After that, she turned around and left briskly.

Eunuch Li watched Su Qing's departing figure, his face filled with relief and emotion. The corners of his wrinkled eyes slightly turned up, and his eyes sparkled with a warm light, as if Su Qing was his most precious treasure in this world.

He first walked slowly to the bedside and patted it gently, as if feeling its softness. Then, he turned and walked towards the shelf where the toiletries were placed, his movements a little slow but steady. He picked up the towel and gently rubbed it in his hand, his rough fingers sliding across the texture of the towel, with a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, and that smile was full of satisfaction with Su Qing's careful arrangements. As he walked towards the basin, he muttered softly: "This Qingbao, what a good child." His voice was full of love, and his expression was like a kind elder immersed in the happiness brought by his younger generation.

Su Qing arrived in the kitchen, where the air was thick with the aroma of cooking. She expertly donned her apron and began bustling around the stove. She pulled fresh ingredients from the shelves, carefully selecting them as if they were precious treasures. Her knife moved briskly across the chopping board, creating neat, beautifully sliced ​​pieces. She lit the fire, poured in the oil, and stir-fried the food, her movements flowing like flowing water. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of food and Su Qing's care.