Chapter 196: Paper and Sugar

The three Qi brothers firmly remembered their mother’s words and refused to stay, no matter what.

But who was Yan Lao’er? Was he someone who could be easily turned down?

In the end, each of them left only after finishing four large bowls of noodle soup.

The noodles were a mix of white and coarse flour, creating thick, chewy strands. Slices of fatty and lean pork were immersed in a rich soy sauce broth, giving them a mouthwatering reddish-brown hue. Fresh green vegetables added a splash of color, and four poached eggs were placed on top of the steaming noodles, their soft yolks slightly sticky, lingering on the lips and tongue with each bite…

Yan Yu let out a breath of relief.

Nanny Rong always had a way.

Thick noodles, meat, vegetables, eggs—filling and practical. Most importantly, there was soup. Once the noodles settled in the stomach and absorbed the broth, they left one feeling more than full.

Not long after, the sound of a shoe sole slapping echoed from the Qi household next door.

Yan Lao’er quickly handed over the charcoal accounts to Yan Yu.

Then, he and the three Qi brothers headed to their usual spot in the woods to continue making charcoal.

The three large earth mounds were clearly not enough; they needed to add more.

Aside from fulfilling existing orders, he also wanted to stockpile some extra charcoal.

Yan Yu wasn’t willing to write directly in her ledger. Instead, she used a stick to jot down calculations in the dirt while muttering to herself,

“The charcoal business is our family’s main source of profit, but back then, Father never agreed on a revenue split with the Qi brothers. Now it’s up to me to figure out a fair share? There’s no set standard—what a trap for a daughter.”

At her request, Li Xuemei tore apart the paper bags that had once held seeds and bound them into a makeshift notebook.

Surprisingly, the paper felt different—familiar and comforting to the touch.

“Start by calculating the costs,” Li Xuemei suddenly suggested. “Sooner or later, we’ll need to buy that woodland. There are also the costs of entering the city and travel expenses—everything needs to be factored in.”

Yan Yu thought for a moment and understood her mother’s point.

“You’re saying that just because we have Sanbao, we can’t ignore the cost of livestock wear and tear?”

“Exactly. If we don’t want people to find our business suspicious, we must be fair in our own accounting. We haven’t split from the family, so every transaction must be transparent and able to withstand scrutiny. All the money we earn must have a clear source.” Li Xuemei spoke calmly.

Yan Yu agreed. They had to live like ordinary people. As long as they remained composed, no one would suspect anything unusual.

The highest level of deception? Even fooling yourself until you believe it completely.

“We do need to buy that woodland. We’ll keep harvesting trees from there, and over time, people might take issue with it. If we own the land, it’s a different story—we can cut and replant, using fast-growing trees to ensure a continuous supply of charcoal.”

Speaking of fast-growing plants, bamboo immediately came to mind.

It grew year after year, providing edible shoots and versatile stalks. Even the charcoal made from it had a special name—bamboo charcoal.

Yan Yu made a mental note to consider bamboo cultivation if the conditions in Guanzhou allowed.

“Mother, do you think four people are enough for this charcoal business? If we do this long-term and expand, will we need more hands?” Yan Yu asked.

Li Xuemei replied, “Of course. Your father won’t just focus on charcoal—he’ll take any opportunity to make money.”

Yan Yu nodded, revealing a row of neat little teeth. “That’s what I thought. Father’s always been like that—selling whatever turns a profit. His little shop carries everything, but it ties up a lot of money in inventory…”

Li Xuemei shot her a glance. “Don’t say that in front of your father. He thinks his strategy is brilliant—no one can compete with his business.”

Yan Yu promised, “Don’t worry, Mother. I wouldn’t dampen Father’s enthusiasm.

“But given all this, I think 25% is a fair share.”

Li Xuemei did some quick mental calculations and slowly nodded.

“I think so too.”

With a few quick strokes, Yan Yu finalized the charcoal accounts. Then, unable to hold back her excitement, she leaned toward her mother and whispered,

“Mother, take out that bamboo slip about papermaking—let’s study it!”

Li Xuemei glanced at her still-awake eldest nephew and niece, then shook her head and whispered back, “Wait a little longer.”

Yan Yu sat back down, pretending to be calm while internally itching with anticipation.

At long last, her older brother and sister fell asleep.

Mother and daughter quietly moved a little farther away.

Huddled together, they studied the bamboo slip for a long while.

Yan Yu was the first to voice her confusion. “This doesn’t look like… papermaking… It looks more like… recycling old paper?”

Li Xuemei had the same thought. After carefully rereading it, she confirmed, “It’s a method for pulping and reprocessing used paper. It looks simple enough—shouldn’t be hard to do.”

The key steps were just scooping and drying the paper pulp.

The biggest expense would be a heated wall for drying, but their newly built house had six full walls—plenty of space to use.

After mentally running through the process, Yan Yu realized her mother was right—it was quite simple.

Compared to the lengthy fermentation process required for traditional papermaking, recycled paper was both quicker and easier.

The only question was whether used paper was readily available and affordable.

“This method will probably result in darker-colored paper,” Li Xuemei noted.

Yan Yu: …

“So… our paper won’t fetch a high price.”

She laughed helplessly.

By the time they finished, even toilet paper would be whiter than their product.

Just as Yan Lao’er returned, he was greeted with this bad news.

“Why is it recycled paper?!” he cried. “This won’t sell well! Sure, we’ll have plenty of paper for ourselves, but if we try to sell it… it’s worthless!”

“Let’s just make some first. Even if all we do is save money on practice paper, it’s worth it,” Li Xuemei reasoned.

Yan Yu agreed. “Exactly, Father. Saving is earning.

“And think about the county academy, Father!”

Yan Lao’er stood frozen.

He suddenly realized that this recycled paper was perfect for him. If he wanted to improve his calligraphy, he couldn’t just practice on stone or dirt—writing on paper was essential for developing proper brush control. Good paper was too expensive, but recycled paper? He could use as much as he wanted without guilt.

“What tools do we need?”

“A bamboo screen for scooping the paper pulp and a flat wooden board,” Yan Yu mused. “That’s about it.”

Yan Lao’er said, “Let’s test it first using our own waste paper. How do we wash it?”

“We’ll sew a cloth bag, tie it shut, and let the river current wash it. Way easier than scrubbing it ourselves.” Yan Yu patted herself on the back for her cleverness.

Yan Lao’er lost most of his enthusiasm for papermaking but quickly latched onto another idea.

“What about the bamboo slip on sugar-making? What does it say?” he asked eagerly.

Li Xuemei had just picked up that slip.

Hearing his question, she chuckled. “We used to eat this when we were kids. Never thought we’d get to make it ourselves…”

Yan Yu’s curiosity was piqued.

She looked at her mother with bright, expectant eyes.

Li Xuemei said, “Malt sugar.”

Paper is recycled paper, sugar is malt sugar~

Haha, the author is so cruel—none of these can make a fortune. Yan Lao’er is going to be so frustrated~