jdhmnovel Chapter 154 Selling Paper
Chapter 154 Selling Paper
In the cold winter, the earth is covered with white snow, a world of silver and white. But in a quiet dwelling, Shi Wanxia is busy as a bee.
She squatted in the room, struggling to improve the paper amidst a pile of materials. This paper wasn't made of bamboo fiber, and its toughness and absorbency were much worse, which greatly dissatisfied Shi Wanxia.
Since returning, Shi Wanxia has devoted herself to the research of papermaking. Based on the general papermaking process she had read about in books before, she tried to find a better papermaking method.
However, the gap between theory and practice was far greater than she had imagined. She and Qin Xin encountered many problems along the way, constantly trying, failing, and trying again. It took them a long time to solve these difficulties one by one.
When Shuyun came to call them for dinner, Shi Wanxia and Qin Xin were surprised to find that a day had already passed. Shi Wanxia rubbed her sore shoulders, thinking that she would continue working after dinner. After all, she had been working on it for so long, and now her back ached, her legs were cramping.
Upon entering the main hall, Lin Yu, with great tact, poured Shi Wanxia a cup of tea. "Miss Shi, have you had any success today?" Shi Wanxia took the teacup, drank it all in one gulp, and then poured herself another cup to quench her thirst.
"Alright, I've told you so many times, just call me Wanwan. It sounds too formal to keep calling me Miss Shi. We're all family here."
"I can't help it," Shi Wanxia said helplessly. Lin Yu, however, was oblivious to what was going on and ignored her. In his view, he was a gentleman, how could he be so rude as to address a young lady by her given name?
Shu Yun also couldn't quite change her ways. Although Shi Wanxia treated her and Qin Xin like sisters, Shi Wanxia looked younger than her and was also her benefactor, so she was really embarrassed to call her by her name directly.
Shi Wanxia sighed deeply, "Never mind, let's eat first!" Everyone sat down and began to eat. While eating, Shi Wanxia asked them about their day.
"Shuyun, have you found a shop to sell paper to?" Shi Wanxia looked at Shuyun expectantly.
Shuyun nodded, picked up some food for Shi Wanxia, and said, "Of the three bookstores, one is owned by the Lu family of Fanyang, one by the Cui family of Qinghe, and the third one is of unknown origin. However, it is the last one that has agreed to consign our paper. Tomorrow, Young Master Lin and I will send a batch over. As for the price, we will go with what you agreed on, Miss."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wanxia felt somewhat gratified. She knew that this was just the beginning, and there was still a long way to go before their improved paper could gain a reputation in the industry.
After dinner, Shi Wanxia returned to her room to continue her research on papermaking. She knew that only through continuous improvement and refinement could their paper stand out in the fiercely competitive market.
Lin Yu and Shu Yun were also preparing for tomorrow's paper delivery. They carefully inspected each sheet of paper to ensure its quality.
The next day, Lin Yu and Shu Yun brought a batch of paper to the shop that had agreed to consign it. The shopkeeper carefully examined the quality of the paper, and a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
"This paper is really good, much better than what's available on the market," the shopkeeper exclaimed.
Lin Yu and Shu Yun were overjoyed, knowing that their efforts had not been in vain.
As time went on, the paper improved by Shi Wanxia gradually spread throughout Xinyang Town. More and more people began to pay attention to this paper, and its toughness and absorbency were recognized by everyone.
However, this also aroused jealousy and covetousness among some. Some unscrupulous merchants began to imitate Shi Wanxia's papermaking methods, trying to get a share of the profits. Even some clandestine forces had their eyes on them, wanting to seize the papermaking technique.
Lin Yu and Shu Yun returned home in high spirits, their faces beaming with joy. They placed the silver coins they held on the table, making a crisp sound.
"Shi Wanxia, we're back!" Lin Yu shouted.
When Shi Wanxia came out of the house and saw their expressions, her heart was filled with joy.
"You all look so happy, you must have made a lot of money selling paper, right?" Shi Wanxia asked with a smile.
"That's right! We made more than sixty taels of silver selling paper these past two days!" Shuyun said excitedly.
"That's great! This is really good news." Shi Wanxia was also happy for them.
“We bought some meat and vegetables at the market; we can have a proper celebration tonight,” Lin Yu said.
"Okay! I'll help with the cooking." Shi Wanxia said, and went into the kitchen to get busy.
Before long, a sumptuous dinner was ready. Lin Yu, Shu Yun, and Shi Wanxia sat around the table, enjoying the food and sharing their happiness.
"This success in selling paper has given us hope. We can continue to work hard and earn more money in the future," Lin Yu said.
“That’s right! We need to work together to make life better,” Shuyun said confidently.
Looking at them, Shi Wanxia was filled with emotion. She knew that as long as they were united, they would definitely be able to overcome difficulties and realize their dreams.
These past few days of papermaking have been exhausting. After dinner, Shi Wanxia took Lin Yu to sit in that teahouse and listen to the other tea drinkers discussing some of the interesting things that had happened in the past few days.
Just then, a spoiled young master swaggered into the teahouse, followed by several servants. He immediately began shouting for the best tea and snacks, and started ordering the waiters around. Wanxia and Lin Yu frowned, displeased with his behavior.
After the spoiled young man sat down, he began to boast about his family background and wealth, attracting the attention of those around him. Seeing Shi Wanxia and Lin Yu, he walked over and said provocatively, "You two look quite ordinary. Have you never seen anything like this before?"
Wanxia smiled slightly and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "We're just here to drink tea and listen to stories; we don't want to cause trouble." The spoiled brat, however, persisted, continuing to mock them. Lin Yu couldn't help but stand up, wanting to teach him a lesson, but Wanxia stopped him.
Shi Wanxia said to the spoiled young master, "Your wealth and power don't mean you can do whatever you want. Respecting others is the most basic courtesy." Upon hearing this, the spoiled young master's face turned ugly, but he was too proud to retaliate.
At this moment, an old man in the teahouse stood up and said, "Young man, don't be too arrogant. There are always people more capable than you." The spoiled brat got angry when he saw someone speaking up for Shi Wanxia and Lin Yu.
"You old bastard, who do you think I am? Don't you even know? You're asking for death! Men, beat them up! Take this young lady and that singing girl back with you!"
The spoiled young master grinned lewdly and reached out to touch Shi Wanxia's face. Shi Wanxia dodged away in disgust, but Lin Yu immediately shielded her behind him. This guy is asking for trouble. Just because I don't cause trouble doesn't mean I'm afraid of it.