Twenty days passed and the weather grew colder, the clan's younger generation crowded together in front of Lin Qingyuan.

  Lin Qingwan waved her hand at the sixteen girls behind her, letting them step forward together. Only then did she say: "From today on, you will go to the paper mill to learn the method of making grass paper. The craftsmen will teach you with all their might, but how much you can learn depends on your individual abilities."

  "Eldest Aunt, what does it mean to 'learn from a master'?"

  "You alone can make a set of paper, with a success rate of over 80%, you will be able to leave then."

  "Well, auntie, how will we spend the New Year?"

  "If you can learn it before New Year's, then leave before New Year's."

  The young people looked worried, with only ten days left until Chinese New Year. How could they possibly learn in such a short time?

  It seems like I can only spend Chinese New Year in Paper Workshop.

  Lin Yuhbin had been with his clan sisters for a long time and had feelings, so he eagerly asked, "Auntie, do I also want to go learn with them?"

  Lin Qingwan glanced at her and said: "No, from today on we will settle accounts. You stay behind to help me."

  Lin Yuhbin let out a disappointed "oh" and gave his little friends a signal with his eyes, then reluctantly went down.

  A group of people were pulled to the other end of the village to start learning, starting from soaking straw, while the craftsmen had already prepared the materials.

  The main material for making grass paper is straw, which is abundant in Linjiazhuang, so everyone doesn't have to worry about it.

  The most expensive thing is probably the lime, which costs five cents per catty. The young masters from relatively well-off families just laughed when they heard this, thinking that five cents was still affordable for their families.

  The craftsmen said, "Although the lime is cheap, we can't waste it. Since the grass paper sells at a low price, we need to make more money by reducing costs as much as possible. Therefore, when washing the paper, it's best not to rinse it in running water or ponds, but rather in large wooden tubs or a water pit, so that the lime can be reused repeatedly."

  The craftsmen had already explored a method, if they dug a small water pit to wash the paper, they would put a layer of oilcloth at the bottom, and after the lime settled, they could scoop out the water and take it out.

  The students listened with their eyes wide open and hastily wrote down these methods in their notebooks.

  The children of the Lin family, regardless of wealth or poverty, all attend school at a certain age. Once they have learned to read and write, only those without talent will leave school, so they are all literate.

  The girls followed their fathers and brothers to learn, but they didn't systematically learn characters. Many of them couldn't write characters, but they were very clever and knew how to use other symbols as substitutes first, and then copy from their male cousins when they had time off.

  How can I not give you a copy?

  Then find your nephews' notes and copy them.

  This side is learning paper-making, and the other institute over there is also getting lively.

  Because the work in the fields was done, but the labor time of the refugees had not yet arrived.

  Lin Qingyuan had someone select a few people from the village who were skilled at making tofu to lead them in making tofu.

  Being a teacher comes with an extra allowance of thirty coins per day, so the villagers all rushed to sign up.

  Yu Zhu's tofu is very well made, and the tofu he ordered was tender and fragrant, it's the best in the village.

  So I went with great pride.

  Liu Daign and Qian Ruijia were also elected. Among the refugees selected by Lin Guan, six were women, who were then chosen by them.

  Because they haven't worked long enough, these six days they haven't started learning yet, but are first experiencing how to make tofu, with the crucial step of curdling still done by the farmers.

  Good tofu is piled up in baskets at the door, and small vendors from the city come to pick up goods with a pole, exchanging beans for tofu or money for tofu, taking it out to sell and earning some hard-earned money.

  Some restaurants and wine shops even sent car after car to fetch them, and even the wealthy families like Lu's and Shang's sent people to buy them.

  After all, what's bought outside can't compare with the authentic ones from Lin Family's Compound, right?

  Suzhou inside and outside has started to drift with a bean fragrance, near the Spring Festival, everyone is willing to eat, especially in this cold winter season, only radish and dried vegetables are stored, the dishes are inevitably monotonous, this tofu becomes delicious.

  It's not necessary to eat it every day, just eating it every other day will result in such sales.

  The tofu business, which was interrupted by the influx of refugees, began to flourish again. Apart from Lin's family compound, others who had learned the trade earlier also started making and selling tofu.

  Zhao Sheng thought that even if he couldn't see it, it was still unbearable. As soon as he saw the tofu, he thought of his Piaoyuelou and a surge of anger rose in his chest.

  "Send someone to Lin's house and ask Lin Qingwan if she still remembers what she promised me. She did say that the Lin family would no longer sell tofu."

  He is unhappy, and the other party should not think about being happy either.

  But Lin Qingwan was delighted and told Lin Guanjia, "You go and tell him what I said. What I said at the time was without my permission, but now I permit it. The Zhuang household and our clansmen will definitely not sell tofu."

  Lin Guan's mouth twitched slightly as he responded in a low voice.

  Lin Qingwan thought for a moment and laughed: "If he says again that I don't keep my promises, you can tell him that our family's bookshop has run out of Xuan paper, and ask him when he will supply us."

  Lin Guanjia smiled and agreed, Zhao Sheng estimated that he had gone mad, otherwise why would both families make such a fuss and then come to humiliate themselves again?

  Zhao Sheng's words reminded Lin Qingwan of something, "There are many ways to eat tofu, we need to let people know that we're not targeting the Zhao family, but indeed discovered many delicious things."

  Then she called the kitchen maid, tofu can be white and tender tofu, but also bean flower, tofu fruit and bean skin...

  The chef is a very talented person, almost one point and through, she doesn't need to say it too clearly, just give her an inspiration and she can figure it out herself.

  The kitchen girls studied and then taught the tenants and villagers, and the villagers learned and then taught the refugees.

  Because of Lin Qingwan's generosity, they also felt that these skills were nothing much, since they had already taught one or two, so they might as well teach three together.

  It depends on them how much they can learn.

  So Suzhou citizens had new food to eat. Because the storage time of twice-processed tofu products is relatively long, businessmen began to take these things to other cities for sale.

  On New Year's Day, Yu Zhu and Liu Danni gathered the refugees together to teach them the final step - dotting tofu.

  Making tofu isn't complicated, they followed and did it for a few days, even if Yu Zhu didn't formally teach them, just by watching they could do it.

  They just don't make things like Tofu and Tofu dots anymore.

  These two steps are neither easy nor difficult to say, but also not simple to say.

  The villagers took turns letting them come and try out the tofu. If it was good, they would take it out to sell; if not, they would keep it for their own family to eat.

  This was what Lin Qingwan had instructed early in the morning, and since it was Chinese New Year, all the servants, tenants, farm workers, and artisans from various workshops would have an extra meal.

  Tofu and meat are stewed together, with some cabbage added. I don't know how much more delicious it is than last year's bean rice. This year everyone had a very satisfying New Year.

  No one went far away from home in the first lunar month, so everyone stayed at home and exchanged experiences of making tofu besides chatting.

  In another courtyard, Lin Qingwan had just woken up.

  She leaned against the pillow, watching the sunlight shine through the window, and for once, she didn't rush to get up, but instead lazily stared at the sunlight in a daze.

  Bai Mei and Bai Qing entered quietly and saw that she looked distracted, so they asked cautiously: "Miss, are you getting up?"

  Lin Qingwan waved her hand and the two of them bowed and retreated.

  Lin Yuhbin just finished washing up and came over, seeing the two people waiting at the door, he asked in a low voice, "Is Auntie still not awake?"

  Yesterday evening, the aunt and niece kept watch with Mrs. Xie, and didn't sleep until after midnight, but now it's almost noon, so they should be awake by now.

  Bai Mei's face was filled with worry as she said, "She's awake, but her mood doesn't seem too good, so don't let us go near her for now."

  Lin Yuhong was taken aback and pushed open the door himself.

  Lin Qingwan sat on the bed, staring blankly at the sunlight, and didn't know how her grandfather was doing. Although Lin Jiang said she would return to the original time point when she went back, she still couldn't help but worry.

  If she doesn't come back, will anyone go to the hospital to take care of grandfather?

  Thinking of her father, Lin Qing's eyes deepened in color, and she pursed her lips slightly. Anyone who saw her would know that she was in a bad mood.

  Lin Yuhu looked at her worriedly, "Auntie, what's wrong?"

  Lin Qingwan came back to her senses, lifted her head and smiled at her, "Nothing's wrong, it's just that since it's the new year, my body feels a bit lazy, so I'm sleeping in."

  Lin Yuhuan smiled, "Let Aunt continue sleeping in, I'll take care of things around the house."

  "Great, then I'll indulge myself today."

  Lin Yuhu didn't rush to leave either, but instead climbed onto the bed and sat beside her, "Auntie, aren't we going back to the old mansion today?"

  "We can't go back, and we can't enter the ancestral hall either. What's the point of going back?" She had so many clansmen locked up in the paper workshop learning skills, and if they went back, they would definitely be surrounded by their clansmen.

  What's more, there were sixteen girls among them, and she knew it. Sixth Uncle and the others had a big opinion about this, and because of her strong attitude, they didn't dare to come to their door.

  But if she goes back, they will definitely nag and advise her. Anyway, the two girls don't need to go back to sweep the new tomb this year, so it's better to go back after a while.

  Zhibang is not saying that several apprentices have already learned it, and are now familiarizing themselves with it.

  When the time comes, bring them up and let them go share the firepower with her.

  Lin Yuhbin saw his aunt and said that her complexion had improved a lot, the smile on her face was even better, and she leaned quietly against her.

  Mrs. Xie stood by the window, looked at the two of them for a while, then turned back and whispered to Bai Mei: "They didn't sleep well last night, let the aunt and niece rest some more."

  Bai Mei responded in a low voice with "yes", and saw off Mrs. Xie as she left.

  Yang Ayi supported Mrs. Xie and asked in a low voice, "Ma'am, is the young lady thinking of Young Master?"

  "Madam Xie sighed, 'In six more months she'll be out of mourning. At that time we'll have to make a trip back to Yangzhou. Once the mourning period is over, we can return to Beijing.'"

  "Ma'am?"

  Mrs. Xie grasped Yang's hand tightly and said, "They've ruined two children in an instant; they must pay some price for it."

  Yang's mother heard this and didn't know whether she should be happy or sad.

  The lady thought of revenge, is this considered living?

  But she is now alone in her family with no children, isolated and helpless, and it's unknown what kind of fierce struggle the future holds. Most importantly, is living in hatred really okay?