Shen Tang noticed his movements and gave an awkward chuckle.
She said, "I was rude. I didn't know Literary Scholar would be back today. If I'd known you were coming, I wouldn't have gone to the workshop."
Xu Xie: "...No, it was I who disturbed Lord Shen..."
No matter how many times he heard it, Xu Xie still found Lord Shen's words incredibly strange. Wasn't that something only his own lord, Wu Xian, should say? But when he thought of the "Deep Affection Between Siblings" between Lord Wu Xian and Lord Shen, Shen Tang, Xu Xie could only force himself to ignore the urge to complain.
And swiftly changed the subject.
"What were you doing just now, Lord Shen?"
"Huh? Didn't Literary Scholar see? I was beating bamboo... It's really not easy to soften this stuff. Good thing I'm using young bamboo instead of mature stalks, or it'd be even harder..." Shen Tang couldn't help complaining. There were three hundred and sixty trades, and not one of them was easy.
The bamboo had already been soaked in limewater to remove its green skin. She had to beat it again and again, then wash it thoroughly once it seemed ready. And those were only the first few steps; she hadn't even reached the pulping stage yet. After that, she still had to soak it over and over, wash it again and again, then soak it some more... Sigh, why was starting a side business so hard?
It was like making bread by starting with planting wheat, or knitting a sweater by starting with growing cotton and raising sheep...
Xu Xie: "..."
He knew, of course, that Lord Shen was beating bamboo.
He was just curious why she was doing it.
Shen Tang made no secret of it and answered readily, "To