Chapter 13: Turns out I'm Not the First Transmigrator?!

More than three taels of silver.

At any time, it is not a small sum.

Besides, Du Shanü brought back quite a few things from her trip to town.

For example, clean bedding, straw mats, hemp cloth, grain, paper and ink, pestles and mortars, hoes, rakes, shovels...

From clothing and bedding to farming tools, they seem to have stocked up on everything.

Ouyang An gave him a set of slightly loose hemp autumn clothing; perhaps because he was young and couldn't restrain his temperament, he held it in his hands, unable to put it down:

"Du elder sister, you're truly good."

"Not only are you willing to take in us drifters who have nothing to do with you, but you also want to provide us with supplies.... I will surely help you make this cooling ointment for a lifetime!"

"Although I don't know how you remove the bitterness from acorns, nor how you turn water into ointment, but..."

"This cooling ointment truly makes money without any capital!"

They have been traveling from north to south, enduring any hardship; what they most want is long-term stability.

Any place where they can settle, they are willing to settle; let alone nowadays, the days look promising.

Just selling the cooling ointment for two days yields this much silver.

The mountains have countless acorns; if they work harder, how much silver could they earn!

Ouyang Yan, beside his son, didn't echo, just smiled, but his eyes like rippling water occasionally lingered on Du Shanü.

Leitie didn't speak, buried his head laying straw mats on the ground, obviously preparing to sleep well.

Du Shanü casually handed over the medicine and pestle she bought at the pharmacy, placing them beside him, then said offhandedly:

"Don't say such unlucky words..."

Leitie watched the items being handed to right before his eyes; his sturdy body stiffened instantly, somewhat incredulous.

But before he could react, he again heard Du Shanü laugh and say:

"I certainly won't make cooling ointment for a lifetime."

"I plan to gather several neighbors tomorrow, distribute the cooling ointment for them to resell; we only handle production. After another four or five days, once they know the ointment truly makes money, we will thoroughly teach them the technique."

Upon saying this, everyone around was startled, all raising their heads to look at Du Shanü.

Leitie was the first to speak, in a deep voice:

"I think you're foolish; after barely two days of being able to make money, teaching apprentices will starve the master—this is a principle I've known since age three. Why would you still teach others?"

Seeing someone speak, Ouyang Yan also softened his voice and said:

"Right, Miss Du."

"We've seen these two days' livelihood; this craft can make money, how could we abandon it?"

Although today's silver was earned by working all night yesterday, almost no one slept, exhausted to the point of...

But at least we can earn silver, right?

In the future, even if we don't have this much each day, as long as we have half, it's enough to sustain daily food and clothing, perhaps even saving considerable silver.

Ouyang An wore a bitter face, shaking his head quickly, almost as if he'd throw off wind.

Obviously, most people in the room disagreed with teaching the ointment-making technique to others.

Even Yu Hen, who was fondly touching his treasures, put down his money box and tilted his head toward Du Shanü.

Everyone was puzzled; only Liu Wenyuan covered his mouth, coughed lightly a few times, then suddenly said:

"Although this village has simple customs, there may not be silver to pay for tuition and fees."

"If you think autumn will soon pass and want to wait until the ointment sells well to spread the technique and collect apprenticeship fees, that probably won't work."

Clever.

Du Shanü truly didn't expect that among these drifters there would be someone who could see the ointment as a seasonal product and anticipate her next move.

Could it be that this is the kind of scholar always in demand?

Du Shanü secretly praised, but still smiled on her face, casually waving her finger:

"Being fellow villagers, teaching them how to earn money? Naturally it's free."

"I have something that earns more than selling this craft; as for the technique, it's merely a bonus attached to selling that thing."

This thing, naturally is......

Lime water!

Most people like to hoard privately, but Du Shanü is an exception.

What's the point of one person being rich?

Even if one person alone earns mountains of gold and silver jewels, wouldn't it easily lead to the tragedy of 'others hoard grain, I hoard arms, others become my granary'?

No amount of gold and silver mountains can withstand the envy of people.

Perhaps in just one night, everything will turn to nothing.

But if we let everyone become prosperous together, then everything changes!

After all, they are fellow villagers; if everyone learns the craft and earns money together, no one will envy another's affairs; at most, some families work harder, earn more silver, but that's enough to convince everyone.

With more than a month until winter, after learning the craft from her and earning silver, they can repair houses, add winter clothing, and have a good year.

And she, knowing how to proportion lime water, grasps the most important yet inconspicuous source; although it seems to earn little, small amounts accumulate, making it enduring.

One person's strength, no matter how great, still cannot do many things.

Du Shanü has always known that manpower is important, but not the most important.

The room fell silent; everyone stared at each other, dumbfounded, obviously hearing this for the first time.

Du Shanü didn't mind, merely waved her finger again, then pondered:

"You scholar, really strange."

"I waved my finger at you, telling you to take out paper and pen, yet you had no reaction at all? Did no teacher ever instruct you? Or were you previously some rich young master, so you rarely do such things?"

Liu Wenyuan had been lightly coughing; upon hearing the words, he lifted his gaze and only then noticed that everyone's eyes in the room were focused on him.

A rare crack appeared on his gaunt, thin face; he immediately took out paper and brush, spread them on the straw mat, and asked:

"What should I write?"

In such a house with drafts coming from all sides, it was naturally impossible to buy good paper, brush, and inkstone; at this moment the "brush" was nothing more than the extra charcoal sticks Du Shanü had shamelessly asked for when buying the cheapest hemp paper.

However, this actually suited her just fine.

After all, she couldn't use a brush!

Du Shanü immediately sat cross-legged, took the charcoal sticks and hemp paper, began to doodle, and muttered:

"After thinking it over carefully, I feel I should still do something else to look after the common folk!"

"Well, this thing is called a waterwheel; it can use flowing water to drive the nearby mill to turn continuously, saving a great deal of labor, so later grinding acorn flour won't be so troublesome!"

【Attached illustration, water mill linked rotation】

Du Shanü kept her head down, doodling, unaware that the atmosphere around her had quietly changed at some point.

When she finished drawing one picture and looked up again, she saw Yu Hen's thin lips drained of color, silently murmuring the four characters "water mill linked rotation".

And Liu Wenyuan, whose visage was clear and cold, suddenly gave her a deep look and asked:

"This 'water mill linked rotation' was created by the Taizong Emperor; it hasn't been promoted here yet—how could you draw it?"

"Taizong?"

"What Taizong?"

Du Shanü's everlasting smile froze for a moment, and she suddenly realized something horrifying——

"There couldn't have been any time travelers in this dynasty before, could there?!"

?? Coming soon, coming soon—I noticed everyone doesn't quite understand the silver mark below the lips, so I made a character card for Xiao Ai; those interested can check it out later~ And if there are suitable pictures later, I'll gradually add more character cards~