Strictly speaking, the paper mill within the county town was only one part of the operation. Another part stood at the foot of Broad South Mountain, where a workshop compound handled the initial rough processing of the raw materials.
The old man spoke as they walked, giving an exceptionally thorough introduction.
"Broadly speaking, papermaking begins with cutting bamboo and soaking it in ponds, boiling it thoroughly over a strong fire, pounding it to pulp in a mortar, forming and pressing the sheets on screens, and finally drying them with heat.
"Break those stages down, though, and there are dozens of steps. Only then do we get the paper that sits on the desks of scholars and poets!"
By this point, the two had stopped before several large worktables, where a man was cutting paper with a large, curved paper knife.
"Once the cutting is finished, we have our Moon Province's Azure Origin Paper. It may not be as famous as Abundant Province's Xuan Paper, but its quality is certainly no worse!"
The old man's words brimmed with pride, while Yi Shuyuan felt as though he had been taken on a journey of both mind and sight. Even with the experiences of his previous life, he could not help being filled with wonder.
"The wisdom of our forebears is as vast and profound as the boundless seas!"
After giving Yi Shuyuan a general introduction to all the steps, the old man picked up a sheet of paper and handed it to him.
"Look, sir. This Azure Origin Paper is fine, tough, and clean-a first-rate treasure for any scholar's study!"
Yi Shuyuan nodded slightly, running his fingers over the sheet in his hands.
Azure Origin Paper did not refer exclusively to paper from the Azure Origin Paper Workshop near Moon City. The