Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Literature clarifies reason, martial arts ensure self-defense
After everyone dispersed, the village chief sought out Wang Sheng.
Wang Sheng knew the purpose of the village chief’s visit, “Light it with tung oil or pine branches… collect the soot…”
Whether it was tung oil or pine branches, the steps were actually quite similar, so Wang Sheng explained them both, leaving the village chief to make his own choice.
“The steps themselves aren’t difficult, but making good quality ink is not simple at all, it will require you, the village chief, to find someone to research it.”
“I don’t need good ink; as long as it can write, that’s enough. Thank you, Yun Sheng!”
Wang Sheng didn’t care much, it was just a matter of saying it; the real challenge was in the making.
…
Although he said it was simple, truly making it would take some thought, and with this in mind, he spoke of another thing he remembered.
“Village Chief, I also recall a bit about papermaking, but the information may not be complete. Do you need it?”
Paper existed in this world, but those who weren’t specialized papermakers didn’t know the process.
“I do need it!”
Village Chief Zhou Zhengwen was resolute; even if the process wasn’t complete, they had to try and figure it out.
Wang Sheng didn’t share this sentiment, but the village chief understood very well that even the lowest quality paper was a rare commodity.
If the village chief needed it, Wang Sheng naturally spoke directly, “To make paper, first you need tree bark, uh, I forgot which kind, it needs to be tried out. Dry the bark, then soak it, and after that, steam and pound it to a pulp… Oh yes, I remember you have to add a liquid at the end, something called wood cardamom…”
Wang Sheng remembered that liquid was quite important even though his memory was a bit hazy.
At this point, the village chief interjected, “Wood Cardamom Leaf Juice?”
“Yes, yes, that’s it, do you know it, village chief?”
“I have some impression of it because someone came to buy it before.”
“That’s it, after adding the juice, use a special bamboo mat…”
The village chief was somewhat pleased, “With this, we have the methods to make brushes, ink, and paper, and inkstones are simple too, so does this mean we have everything?”
Wang Sheng, seeing his reaction, couldn’t help but give a reminder, “Village Chief, I may have made it sound simple, but making it will be very difficult.”
He said it was simple, but there were many details to be handled in production, just like recipes that teach how to cook; even if you mark the amount of salt, it’s not guaranteed to be reproduced perfectly.
The same was true for papermaking; without proper control of the details, you basically can’t produce it, let alone that Wang Sheng’s memory of the process was incomplete.
“No worries, having some guidance is better than none at all. With these methods, we can start experimenting while we have this downtime.”
Having a method is better than having no clue at all.
The village chief had already made up his mind; even if it took a year or two to produce, it would be worth it.
“As long as you’re happy, village chief!”
Papermaking and ink making weren’t immediately useful to him, it would be better for the villagers to research it, and he preferred not to get involved.
After they finished discussing, the two parted ways. The village chief left with much bigger strides, clearly very happy.
Wang Sheng originally thought it would take a relentless period of time to succeed.
But a week later, the village chief found Wang Sheng with two black objects in his possession.
“Village Chief, is this ink?”
The village chief held two black rectangular solids, and given recent events, aside from ink, Wang Sheng couldn’t guess what else it might be.
“Yes!”
This efficiency was extraordinary.
“Although there are only these two blocks for now, that’s enough.”
Two blocks of ink was not a lot, but being able to make them signified a continuous future production.
Wang Sheng took the two blocks of ink in his hands and sniffed them.
“One pine branch, one tung oil?”
The two blocks of ink were clearly not made from the same raw materials.
“Yes, Yun Sheng, didn’t you say that both methods would work? It’s been a slack season for farming lately, so I tried both, and both were successful.”
The village head couldn’t hide his smile.
Since the steps for making ink were quite comprehensive, and some steps were easy to control, it didn’t take long to complete.
Although the quality wasn’t great, it was a success nonetheless.
Wang Sheng provided the methods, so after the successful attempt, he immediately brought them to show Wang Sheng.
Of course, there was another purpose.
“Yun Sheng, do you need these two pieces?”
“Doesn’t the village need them?”
Aren’t these for the children to use, although they can’t be used right now because they need time to air-dry.
“You provided the method, Yun Sheng, so I thought I should offer them to you first. Don’t worry, Scholar Jiang already figured out a solution for the calligraphy practice.”
Wang Sheng got curious, “What solution?”
The village head explained, “Using a sand tray for calligraphy practice. It’s said that when the current Prime Minister was young, he practiced with a sand tray.”
“Then I’ll accept!”
With the experience of making ink, crafting a piece of ink wasn’t too difficult. Although these two pieces weren’t made by famous artists, they did have some commemorative value as the first two pieces made in the village.
“Alright, they’re yours, Yun Sheng. I’ll also bring you paper and pens once we succeed in making them.”
Wang Sheng, still curious, asked, “How’s the paper coming along?”
“We’re still selecting the right tree bark. Scholar Jiang is quite enthusiastic, offering many suggestions. The progress is quite good.”
Scholar Jiang, having heard that the fortress was making ink and paper, was very excited, especially after the successful making of ink; he was even happier than the village head.
“That’s good to hear.”
It seemed that the village head’s endeavor to develop the village school was going quite well.
After their exchange, Wang Sheng thought the village head had no other business, but as the village head was leaving, taking a few steps away, he suddenly turned back, “There’s one more thing!”
Wang Sheng watched the village head, half-expecting him to suddenly blurt out, “Just drive, and leave the rest to your old man to figure out.”
“Village head, is there something else?”
The village head looked a bit sheepish, “That fist technique of yours, can you teach it to the children in the village? The ones attending school!”
“I can, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”
The Bajiquan is a striking martial art. It’s quite easy to sustain injuries during training, especially for children whose bodies are not yet fully developed. It’s not advisable to start practicing any martial arts too early.
“Village head, are you thinking of…”
“Ah, with the current situation, knowledge alone might not be very useful. So, I was thinking of letting those children practice some martial arts. I’ve also consulted Xu Qu before; he said it’s best to not start martial arts training after the age of twelve, but before that, we can work on improving their physique and accumulating a foundation.”
In these troubled times, it was uncertain how long they would last. Gaining knowledge and an understanding of propriety while training in martial arts for self-defense was the best approach.
“My technique would be more suitable when the kids are a bit older, starting around fifteen or sixteen.”
Although Wang Sheng knew this world was somewhat different, he couldn’t be sure there wouldn’t be mishaps during training, so he had to make it clear.
“Is that so…”
The village head looked somewhat disappointed.
“Village head, I don’t have an alternate option, but you could ask Brother Yongfeng’s Master.”
He might not have a suitable technique, but Li Yongfeng’s master, being a master in an escort agency, had extensive knowledge and experience, and he was also training his own apprentices, so he might have something suitable.
The village head had a moment of realization.
“I’ll go right now!”
An old man with a cane hurried off with more vigor than some young men, striding as if he were in the prime of his youth.
“Full of spirit, indeed!”