TPWBI Chapter 51

Yang Yi had brought a vast number of books. What he took out now was only a very small portion.

Aside from the need for proper selection, it was also because they had a shelf life. If he could not find a suitable method of inheritance, the more he took out now, the greater the losses would be in the future.

Therefore, Yang Yi could only take out the necessary books, while most of them quietly rested within the space.

The inheritance and spread of civilization could not be separated from paper.

If one wanted to establish schools and let more people quickly gain knowledge, paper was absolutely indispensable.

Paper was one of the Four Great Inventions of ancient China, a great invention for all humankind on Earth, carrying extremely profound significance.

If Yang Yi wanted the civilization he brought with him to be passed down, then he had to begin papermaking.

Neither bamboo slips nor parchment could replace paper, as they would limit the popularization of knowledge among the people.

After completing the basic construction of material needs, Yang Yi then began to consider making paper to achieve a virtuous cycle.

Sharpening the axe does not delay the work of chopping wood. Although papermaking and learning knowledge were both time-consuming, for people who were still struggling on the line of subsistence, they did not seem so urgent.

In truth, that was not the case. Cultivating talent had always been the most important task.

Yang Yi decided to begin with the ancient method of papermaking. Though low in efficiency, it was easy to accomplish.

The ancient method of papermaking mainly used the bark of the paper mulberry tree. They grew extremely easily, and after the bark was scraped off, new bark would grow again the following year.

If it was an old tree, one only needed to cut the root and bury it with soil, and by the next year, new branches would grow again, with even better bark.

They could be seen in many places on Earth and were very suitable for making paper.

Yang Yi had previously instructed the members of the collecting team, hunting team, and logging team who went out to pay attention to whether there were such trees.

Fortunately, this world also had many paper mulberry trees, and there were not many differences between them and those on Earth.

The best season to strip paper mulberry bark was from late spring to early summer. Based on Jiao and Hei Lie’s descriptions, Yang Yi roughly guessed that he must have arrived here in early spring.

Now it was exactly late spring to early summer. The perfect season for papermaking.

While Yang Yi was flipping through books, studying how to make paper by hand, the gathering team members brought him a food that gave him a great surprise—bamboo shoots.

Yang Yi had always encouraged everyone to collect fresh plants, and even had Qing lead a dedicated research team to sense each plant, learning about their habits and nature.

They could not simply keep their eyes fixed only on the crops Yang Yi had brought; they also had to pay attention to the native plants.

He believed that many of the native plants would definitely not be inferior to the ones he had brought, though cultivating them would require some effort.

For example, the ground-fruit they had previously harvested was an excellent staple food, and the tribe was now planting it.

After a period of research, Qing concluded that the yield of this ground fruit would not be inferior to sweet potatoes or potatoes. Moreover, its taste was quite good. It gave a strong feeling of fullness.

Most importantly, it was also very easy to grow. Just like sweet potatoes, its branches could simply be stuck into the soil to take root, sprout, and bear fruit.

Since it was an indigenous crop of this world, it was even more reliable and stable than what Yang Yi had brought.

Thus, the collecting team’s task was no longer just to collect fruits to provide food for the tribe, but also to obtain more fresh plants for the tribe’s research.

Especially now that the tribe’s vegetables had begun to gradually mature, leafy greens were more than enough to meet the tribe’s consumption, which greatly lightened the collecting team’s burden.

Right now, the collecting team has fewer than half of its former members. But most of them were excellent talents who were more knowledgeable about plants.

As long as they discovered a new plant, they would bring it back to the tribe. If it was unfamiliar, they would give it a name and gradually complete its records.

They would also make it into a specimen, making it easier for everyone to recognize it in the wild later on.

In the temple, a very large room was specially cleared out, dedicated to exhibiting these specimens, allowing more people to efficiently learn about them instead of relying only on word of mouth.

Under these circumstances, as soon as bamboo shoots were discovered, they were brought back and handed to Qing, who was responsible for such matters.

The moment Qing saw the bamboo shoots, she immediately went to find Yang Yi, placing the large bamboo shoot in front of him.

“This is a bamboo shoot?! Where did you find it!”

Bamboo has an extremely wide range of uses in daily life, such as the common bamboo mats, bamboo baskets, and so on. Its shoots were edible as well, and their taste was quite good.

Moreover, bamboo grows much faster than ordinary trees, making it a very good type of raw material.

The gathering team’s leader, Yue, answered:

“Heading east, about two days’ journey from here, there’s a body of water. All around it are these plants.”

For the collecting team, obtaining food was just as difficult as it was for the hunting team.

Once nearby food sources were almost exhausted, they had to go farther away, which also meant facing greater danger.

The large population of the tribe also brought heavier pressure. A two-day journey actually wasn’t considered far; in the words of the people here, it was “just a walk away”.

“Qing, find the most outstanding person with a plant-type talent. I plan to have them go with the collecting team to dig up both the bamboo shoots and the bamboo, roots and all, and transplant them into the tribe!”

“Leave this matter to me. I’ll go and do the transplanting myself. It will be the most suitable that way.”

Qing’s talent was the strongest, and as a warrior, she understood better than those who had only just awakened their talents how such things should be handled.

Yang Yi nodded. Although bamboo was relatively easy to transplant, it was still safest to let the most professional person take care of it.

“These bamboo shoots really grew so big. Were all the bamboos over there that large?”

The bamboo shoots the gathering team had brought back were as thick as a water bucket. After peeling off the outer shell, the inside was very tender. Yang Yi broke off a piece and placed it in his mouth.

Very good. It wasn’t a bitter bamboo shoot.

Even if it had been bitter, it wouldn’t matter; once processed, it would still be delicious.

“There are small ones, too. I only brought back the biggest. Some of the bamboo is only as thick as a child’s wrist, but quite a few are about as thick as a bowl’s mouth. The thickest bamboo, like this one, is a deep purple color, but there aren’t many of them. Most are green. We tried chopping them down, but they’re extremely tough, and much heavier than ordinary bamboo.”

“You brought them back?”

“Yes, they’re placed outside.”

Yang Yi went to take a look at that purple bamboo. Calling it purple, it was already close to black.

The purple bamboo had been sawn into sections about two meters long, with only two joints. Each joint was nearly a meter.

Yang Yi tried lifting the bamboo. Fortunately, while it was much heavier than ordinary bamboo, it wasn’t exaggeratedly so.

“This kind of bamboo can even grow in water,” Yue said.

Yang Yi thought back and recalled that on Earth, bamboo only grew by the water’s edge, not actually in the water.

In any case, Yang Yi was very pleased that this enormous purple bamboo could grow in the water.

That meant it had excellent water resistance and was not easily corroded by moisture. And since it was so thick yet not overly heavy, it was perfect for making water buckets!

Yang Yi had always been considering how to make buckets. At present, making them out of metal was still far too extravagant, while wooden buckets absorbed too much water, and with their current craftsmanship, achieving a watertight seal without leakage was still somewhat difficult.

Right now, most of the buckets used in the tribe were the metal and plastic ones he had brought, which were practically all of his reserves. He had only left a few in his space as keepsakes.

Wooden buckets could also be made now, but for the sake of efficiency, they still mainly used the lighter, more convenient ones he had brought.

Now that they had this purple bamboo, the issue of wooden buckets absorbing too much water could be solved quite well. Compared to making metal buckets or wooden buckets, this was much easier.

All it took was cutting, boring holes, and tying ropes, and a bucket would be finished.

Moreover, they could even make just a small hole, plug it after filling with water, and one person could carry several buckets at a time. Very convenient for strongmen hauling water.

It could also be used to carry many other things in daily life, making it extremely practical.

Planting large bamboo groves in the tribe was a must. It would bring tremendous convenience to daily living.

What’s more, bamboo could also be used to make paper!

Unlike bamboo, paper mulberry did not grow in large groves, nor did it grow as quickly. Although it was also an excellent papermaking material with bark that was relatively easy to obtain, having bamboo for papermaking as well would ensure a stable supply of raw materials.

Of course, bamboo had its own shortcomings in papermaking. The first step was soaking, called “sha qing” in Tiangong Kaiwu, which required far too long a time, usually more than a hundred days.

After the bark of the paper mulberry was dried, it only needed to be soaked for seven or eight days.

Papermaking was an extremely complicated craft that required great skill, especially if one wanted to produce fine-quality paper. The standards would naturally be even higher.

Yang Yi summoned Jiao and told her to first arrange for ten people to begin learning.

“We’re finally starting to make paper?!”

Jiao was overjoyed, her interest in papermaking immense.

She had always been anxious about how to preserve and pass down the books brought by the divine envoy. The old method of drawing pictures inside caves clearly did not fit reality.

To say nothing of the fact that their tribe had no caves, even if they did, so many books would be impossible to record inside them.

She had indeed thought about papermaking before, but felt it was by no means a simple matter, so she had not pressured Yang Yi.

The tribe had far too many matters to deal with now. She firmly believed that the divine envoy surely kept all these things in mind. It was just that the time had not yet come.

Although Yang Yi sometimes made mistakes in the planning process, in terms of the overall direction, everything moved forward in a steady rhythm, step by step.

Thus, Jiao, as well as the rest of the tribe, all trusted Yang Yi greatly.

Now that papermaking had begun, the worry that had been weighing heavily on Jiao’s heart finally eased.

“Divine Envoy, rest assured. I will arrange for the most intelligent people in the tribe to come.”

Jiao knew very clearly the importance of paper: it preserved wisdom and was the key to ensuring the tribe’s long-term development.

To Jiao, there was also the same worry that this godlike envoy, who had come from who knew where, might one day suddenly leave.

If that day came, the things he had brought, just as he had said, would disappear one by one.

Especially now that the tribe’s items had begun to wear out and break, she became even more worried that such a thing might happen.

This kind of anxiety actually existed throughout the entire tribe. Everyone shared this awareness.

Thus, their feelings toward things they created themselves were different from those toward the items brought by the divine envoy. The former gave them a sense of security, while the latter gave them a sense of luck.

But luck was not everlasting. They kept this firmly in mind.

Such awareness was also the result of the combined efforts of Hei Lie and Jiao.

One guided with strength, while the other shaped minds with spirit.

“There’s no need to pick especially intelligent ones. Papermaking, while it can be called difficult, is not so hard. What matters is that they’re willing to use their brains.”

Truly gifted people were always the minority; most were ordinary.

Papermaking was indeed very important, but it didn’t require all the top talents to be devoted solely to this.

Following Yang Yi’s instructions, Jiao found ten individuals who were dexterous, careful, and eager to learn. She brought them before him.

These ten were all very young, with only one or two being relatively older. They were steady, meticulous, and loved to study and investigate things.

During the papermaking process, a solution made from plants such as fir roots and glutinous leaves had to be added. This made it easier for the paper to take shape and also to separate from other sheets.

The exact formula varied according to different seasons, environments, and other conditions. In some ancient papermaking villages, each household had its own unique, secret recipe that was never passed on to outsiders.

Although the books Yang Yi had purchased from the marketplace recorded the process in detail, when it came to actual operation, adjustments still had to be made according to the specific circumstances.

The books contained only the formulas, without explaining the underlying principles. Therefore, if they wanted to create formulas better suited to their needs, it could only be adjusted through practice by these people.

“What I’m teaching you is all the most basic knowledge. If you want to make better paper or improve efficiency, you will need to study and experiment on your own. There will be books here to guide you, but like any other skill, there is no single standard answer.”

“Divine Envoy, we will definitely not let you down!”

Yang Yi shook his head with a smile. “Your goal is not merely to avoid disappointing me. Your goal is to make the tribe, and your descendants, proud of you.”

Upon hearing this, the papermaking team became even more excited, their eyes blazing and spirits soaring.

Being chosen to be here, they fully understood the mission that rested on their shoulders.

Their work was to preserve and pass down the knowledge of the divine!

Now, everyone in the tribe clearly understood the great power that knowledge brought.

Every change in the tribe each day was born of knowledge. Everything recorded in those books was knowledge.

Hearing the divine envoy say this now made them even more inspired, proud to have been selected.

“Peel off the outer layer of the bark; we’ll be using the second layer.”

Yang Yi directed the ten members of the papermaking team to begin the first step in making paper from paper mulberry bark.

For this step, the logging team had specially sent a small squad to strip the bark. Except for old trees, paper mulberry will no longer be used as firewood in the future.

This was also to ensure a continuous supply of raw materials later on.

The members of the papermaking team were both careful and fast. Sheet by sheet, the second layer of bark was quickly and efficiently stripped away.

Yang Yi tried it himself as well, but right from the start, he was at least twice as slow as the others. By the time they became familiar with the process, Yang Yi was so discouraged that he gave up entirely, content to remain a teacher who only gave instructions.

After the second-layer bark had been dried in the sun, they threw it into channels already filled with water.

Papermaking required a massive amount of water. The soaking step had to be repeated several times.

For this reason, the papermaking workshop had been established near the channels of the tribe’s protective moat, making it convenient to use the water supply.

Currently, the papermaking workshop was still a simple thatched mud hut, though a rammed-earth and tiled building was already under construction.

Besides the bark being processed, large amounts of bamboo transported from afar were also thrown in daily for soaking.

The tribe used a tremendous amount of mud. Now, there were enough channels or ponds available for soaking.

Originally, the pit-digging team had been working so efficiently that some members were deliberately reassigned to prevent the construction speed from lagging behind the mud-digging pace. Now, they could fully showcase their skills.

Once the bark was soaked, it was mixed with a lime slurry prepared from slaked lime.

“Lime slurry is corrosive. Be very careful. You must not let it get into your eyes.”

At this point, Yang Yi brought out plastic gloves to protect their hands from corrosion. How to handle this long-term would still require another solution.

Perhaps they could consider using tung oil for waterproofing. Of course, if they could find rubber trees, that would be even better. It was another important economic crop that made life more convenient.

For now, they were temporarily using items purchased from the marketplace. These problems could always be solved. They just weren’t as convenient as rubber gloves.

During the pulping process, even though everyone was extremely careful, it was still difficult to avoid occasional accidents.

Several people ended up with red, irritated eyes, yet their faces still wore bright smiles. They didn’t seem to care.

“That’s nothing. Back in the jungle, when picking fruits, I’d accidentally get plant sap in my eyes. The sting was like having chili in your eyes.”

“My younger brother is in the collecting team. A few days ago, he was sent to pick chili peppers, but he forgot to wash his hands and rubbed his eyes. Hahaha, he suffered for several days. It was much worse than me.”

“Hahaha, so that was your brother! I’d heard there was a fool who almost got blinded by chili peppers.”

“Yes, yes, that’s my brother. He got scolded to death by the most beautiful Ting. He even said he wanted to have children with Ting before, but now he goes out of his way to avoid her.”

“Ting getting angry is truly terrifying! I’m not afraid of knives, but I’m afraid of Ting with a needle.”

“……”

Yang Yi didn’t quite know how to describe his feelings. Was this extreme optimism, or should he sympathize with that younger brother?

But thinking about it, these people used to go out and never return. The mortality and injury rates were extremely high. A little eye discomfort really wasn’t such a big deal.

As long as they were fine now, all past hardships could simply become stories to share.

The survivors from the Fang tribe had long since forgotten the dark days of the past.

At first, Yang Yi had worried they might carry psychological trauma, even asking Jiao and Ting to pay close attention. But after a few full meals, they were back to being completely carefree.

They had truly big hearts. Here, there were no such things as depression or other mental illnesses.

As long as everyone had something to eat, they could stay cheerful all day. No matter how frightening an event, they could still dance and sing without a care in the world.

After the soaked tree bark has been pulped, it is placed into the water pool below that can be used for fire, and boiled for about eight days until it is completely broken down.

Because of this, Yang Yi also considered whether to move the papermaking workshop to the pottery group’s area, which would make it easier to obtain firewood.

Hei Lie thought the purpose of papermaking was different. It required many water pools to soak tree bark, bamboo, and so on, so it was still more suitable to keep it in the tribe.

By now, the woodworking group had already built the first batch of wooden wheels. With them, more people could transport firewood, though the supply for a single papermaking workshop was still sufficient.

Once the tree bark had finished boiling, it needed to be taken to the pond for thorough washing, then soaked in wood ash water, placed into a pot for leveling, covered with a thick layer of plant ash, and boiled. After that, it could be transferred to another bucket and washed with plant ash water.

This process completely extracted the plant fibers, which were then placed into a stone trough and pounded into a pulp. The finer and more thoroughly broken down it was, the lighter and more delicate the paper that could be made.

Previously, Yang Yi had already had people prepare a treadle-style pestle, although it had originally been used for pounding rice.

Like a seesaw, it used the lever principle to pound rice, which was considerably less labor-intensive compared to using a wooden stick.

“Once you master these steps, when it comes to actual papermaking, stronger people will be assigned to this task,” Yang Yi explained.

This was also considered a physically demanding job. The people present were generally sharp-minded but comparatively weaker physically, so they were deliberately assigned here.

However, despite being relatively weaker, their speed in pounding the bark was still very fast.

“The next step is the most crucial in papermaking. I can only explain the theory; I haven’t actually done it myself, so you will need to figure it out on your own.”

After finding the bamboo, Yang Yi had the person best at making rattan crafts use the bamboo to make paper-laying screens similar to bamboo mats.

These paper-laying screens required very fine craftsmanship. The bamboo strands had to be scraped and polished extremely finely and woven together. When unfolded, the bottom was supported by a wooden frame.

At present, all the paper-laying screens are standardized in size, just right for an average adult to stretch out their arms and hold both ends.

They are the key tools used to shape the paper pulp dissolved in clean water into sheets. How lightly or heavily they are shaken affects the thickness of the paper.

This step is crucial for determining the quality of the paper.

Yang Yi also tried his hand at it and found that he could only make paper that was thick and rough. Cutting it with a knife was very difficult. He found it so unsatisfactory that he didn’t even know what it could be used for.

Still, it was his first time making paper by hand. Having participated in every step, he kept a sheet as a keepsake.

For the others, it was different. They were a bit clumsy at first, but by the time the first batch of pulp had all been made into sheets, the results were noticeably light, thin, and uniform.

Once the moisture in the paper was pressed out and the sheets were stuck onto specially built firewalls to dry, one could see sheet after sheet of fair, delicate, and thin paper.

“Divine Envoy, we did it!”

The people in the papermaking group were extremely excited. After so many days of hard work, they were finally seeing results.

Every step had taken a tremendous amount of effort. Although they had books as guidance, mistakes were still frequent during actual practice.

And because the materials differed slightly, some of the experiences recorded in the books weren’t fully applicable, so they still had to study and overcome the challenges themselves.

But no matter how difficult the process, they had finally produced paper, a symbol of civilized progress!

Although the quality of the paper was far inferior to that brought by the Divine Envoy, it had been made by their own hands!

The people in the papermaking group seemed to already see that, in the future, everyone in the tribe would use the paper they had made, and that these sheets would record the precious knowledge brought by the Divine Envoy.

Although the texture wasn’t as fine as the paper brought by the Divine Envoy, it was perfectly suitable for writing, and the ink didn’t easily bleed through.

Moreover, it was noticeably more resilient than the paper Yang Yi had brought, making it difficult to tear.

Even the thinnest sheet didn’t easily fall apart when soaked in water, unless deliberately torn.

“You all are amazing!” Yang Yi praised without reservation. “Soon, our tribe will have books that truly belong to us!”

“Divine Envoy, we will continue to work hard. Under your guidance, we have already mastered the craft. In the future, we will focus on improving both quality and speed.”

The papermaking group was thrilled, almost wanting to show off the paper they had made to everyone.

At the same time, however, they were very clear-headed. They knew that what they had made so far was far from enough.

“You will definitely be able to do it,” Yang Yi said with absolute confidence. “We will need a large quantity of paper. Specific requirements will be provided to you later. Your current task is not only to master papermaking, but also to teach more people.”

“We guarantee to complete the mission!”

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