The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 43

"Is this a new line from Scholar Xu?" someone asked. Everyone else looked over as well.

“I don’t know either, but I’ll just listen for now,” Yu Zhi read uncertainly, “Spring outing, apricot blossoms blow all over my head, whose young man on the road is so dashing.”

Everyone listened carefully.

"Hmm, I haven't heard this song and lyrics before. I wonder if you have?"

"I've never heard of it either. If I had, I certainly wouldn't be completely unaware of it."

Others responded in the same way.

"Since I haven't heard of it before, it must be a new line from Scholar Xu. It's quite fitting for the occasion, so it seems the rumors about him are true."

“Thinking about this line carefully, it seems to imitate the behavior and mentality of a woman,” the woman explained at this moment. “On a spring outing, apricot blossoms fill my hair, and on the roadside, whose young man is so dashing?”

"Hmm, it captures the essence of a young woman's thoughts in a unique way."

"That's a question for Lady Hong. Do you really have such thoughts?" a maid teased.

The woman called Matchmaker was the same one who had spoken so eloquently before. She smiled and said, "This scholar is too flirtatious. Doesn't he know that a young woman shouldn't make wild guesses about her feelings?"

"Hehe, it's all because of this scholar Xu, who wrote such nonsensical verses, haha." A woman covered her face and laughed.

With no men present, the women were very unrestrained, saying whatever came to mind.

"Perhaps Scholar Xu wasn't just talking nonsense. Maybe this is exactly what Yu Zhi is thinking. Spring outing, willow catkins flying overhead, the scholar on the roadside is quite the romantic," Hong Niangzi teased.

Yu Zhi blushed slightly, stamped her foot, and reached out her hand. Hong Niangzi quickly dodged and said, "Oh, okay, I won't say anymore."

“Others can compose beautiful verses when they travel. Although we are women, we should also put all our effort into creating one or two fine lines to make the most of this beautiful spring.” A woman with a grand vision encouraged herself.

"That's right." Someone immediately echoed.

"Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to be too old. I wonder if he's married?" a woman asked Deng Yuzhi.

"I don't think so. My elder sister seems to have mentioned it." Yu Zhixin was a little flustered, but she still answered truthfully.

Chattering away, the women started talking about marriage again.

The third day of the third lunar month was the Shangsi Festival, also known as the Girls' Festival in some folk traditions. It just passed a few days ago. This time of year is traditionally a time for romance and affection.

In the prime of their youth, young girls are filled with longing and dream of their future partners.

After the Qingming Festival, the factory resumed its rush to meet deadlines.

On March 18th, the iron furnace was finally completed, and the actual smelting was about to begin.

Xu Tian had complete confidence in the workers' skills and was no longer worried that the iron furnace would not meet the expected goals.

The experiment used powdered raw iron ore. Iron smelting is a complex chemical change. Iron ore powder needs to be mixed evenly with materials such as lime powder in a certain proportion and then carried out a chemical reduction reaction at high temperature.

This is a summary of Xu Tian's recent learning experience with Mr. Yu and the workers. Some of the relevant knowledge that he learned in school but had forgotten is gradually becoming clearer in his memory.