Knitting a Sweater?

Old Madam Zhou looked at her and said, "I don't understand what you're saying. Doesn't Black Wind Stronghold make a living by robbing people?"

Huihui shook her head and said:

"Black Wind Stronghold definitely robbed us, but have you ever heard of Black Wind Stronghold going down to buy grain or vegetables?"

With so many people up here, don't they need to eat?

Besides, look over there, all those sheds. What do you think is inside those sheds?

Old Madam Zhou clapped her hands and said, "Third son's wife, you're really smart. There must be something amazing hidden in there."

Zhou Fu'an said softly, "Wouldn't it be inconvenient for us to go to the back? What if they find out..."

Old Madam Zhou glared at him and said:

"What ifs? Let's go after they fall asleep."

I'm also very curious, what exactly is growing inside those greenhouses?

Huihui looked at them and said:

"You saw the fruit they were eating today, didn't you? In the dead of winter, they had apples, pears, strawberries, and even grapes!"

Even in the capital, you might not be able to see these things, right?

Old Madam Zhou nodded and said:

"Yeah! How can these things be grown?"

Even if we can't find anything else, if we can find these fruit trees, we'll have hit the jackpot.

The villagers of Zhou Family Village nodded in agreement, saying, "The sorceress is truly insightful. Let's go to sleep first and talk about it again later tonight!"

Liu Su'er looked at Zhou Wanwan and said:

"Do you think they might do something naughty tonight? I'm worried they won't sleep and will go steal vegetables."

What if they discover the medicinal herbs and grains we grow?

Zhou Wanwan smiled and said, "Mom, don't worry, everything will be alright."

Zhou Fusheng looked at them and said:

"I'm actually quite worried too, but these people don't care about all that."

What if they discover we have so many good things and take them all?

Zhou Wanwan looked at Zhou Fusheng with a half-smile and said, "Dad, I think you've improved a lot. You can actually talk back to them now? You could never have done that before."

Zhou Fusheng used to be blindly filial, doing whatever his parents told him to do.

Zhou Fusheng sighed, patted her head, and said:

"Wanwan, I've read a lot of books now and understood a lot of principles."

Just like my parents, they're unreasonable.

If I let people like that lead me by the nose, my life will be ruined.

You'll all be crippled. As your father, I have to protect you.

Besides, who do they think they are? They're always bossing our family around.

We shouldn't have let them come up the mountain. Today they said I'm not qualified to take the imperial examination.

I absolutely must take the imperial examination for the first degree next year.

Zhou Wanwan quickly nodded and said:

"Dad, your idea is excellent."

The preliminary examination for the imperial examinations is coming soon. When the time comes, more than 30 people from our village will have to participate.

"Will any talented people emerge from our mountain stronghold by then?"

Zhou Fusheng nodded and said:

"I can read really fast now, I'm even studying the Four Books and Five Classics!"

Yesterday, my husband praised my handwriting.

Zhou Fusheng took out a piece of calligraphy from the inner room and said, "Wanwan, take a look and see if it's well written?"

Zhou Wanwan looked at Zhou Fusheng's handwriting and saw that it had indeed improved a lot compared to before.

Zhou Fusheng works very hard every day, and he has an excellent memory.

Zhou Wanwan has now discovered that her three older brothers also have very strong memories, and she doesn't know if it's because they have particularly good genes.

Even though her three older brothers were already very outstanding, they were still nothing compared to Gu Sinian.

Gu Sinian is a true child prodigy, the kind who can remember everything he sees.

Zhou Wanwan thought she was pretty good, but compared to Gu Sinian, she was still far behind.

Zhou Wanwan looked at Zhou Fusheng's handwriting and nodded, saying:

"Okay, Dad wrote it exceptionally well. I think if you keep trying..."

"Let alone passing the preliminary examination, even becoming a scholar would be no problem at all."

Zhou Fusheng puffed out his chest and said, "They don't believe I can read, but I'll prove them wrong."

Zhou Wanwan nodded and said, "Indeed, we don't need to argue with them now. When we pass the exam, that will be the best way to prove them wrong."

Zhou Wanwan looked at her three older brothers and Gu Sinian. Her three older brothers were practicing calligraphy, Gu Sinian was... knitting a sweater?

She walked over to Gu Sinian and asked, "Gu Sinian, what are you doing?"

Gu Sinian said with a smile:

"Wanwan, I knitted you a scarf. Didn't you teach the people in the mountain village how to knit sweaters last time?"

I've learned a little bit too, what do you think of my knitting?

Zhou Wanwan was truly convinced. Many women in the village had nothing to do after finishing their housework and farm work.

Zhou Wanwan then decided to teach them a simple knitting skill.

Making yarn is actually quite easy. The wool from the village is first washed and then spread out on a stone slab to dry.

Then use a wooden board with fine teeth to comb back and forth, making the clumps of wool soft and fluffy, turning them into strands of wool.

Zhou Wanwan then taught everyone how to make fibers from plants.

Hemp and kudzu vines, which are commonly found in the mountains, are both valuable resources.

Cut down the hemp stalks and kudzu vines, peel off the outer bark, soak them in water for a few days until the outer skin softens, then scrape off the hard outer layer, leaving only the fine fibers inside.

After being dried and combed, they can also be made into fiber strips that can be spun into yarn.

The yarn spun from these plant fibers is strong and durable. When used in combination with wool yarn, the woven items are even more durable.

Skilled women can twist the fibers directly with their hands, pulling the fiber strip with one hand and twisting it tightly with the other to produce fine threads.

To achieve a beautiful color, use the previously prepared Amur cork tree bark dye solution. Boil the white thread in the solution, then rinse and dry it to get yellow yarn.

Other flowers, grasses, and tree bark can also be dyed in different colors.

Zhou Wanwan taught Gu Sinian how to knit scarves, hats, and various clothes, but she never expected that Gu Sinian would be interested in this.

Gu Sinian is a top student!

Zhou Wanwan unfolded the scarf that Gu Sinian had knitted and said:

"Gu Sinian, your hands are so skillful!"

Even the girls in our mountain village aren't as skillful as you. Didn't you only learn it once last time?

You didn't learn all the acupuncture techniques, did you?

Gu Sinian smiled faintly and said:

"Isn't this very simple? I've learned it all, and I've even created several of my own needling techniques."

When I have time later, I'll let you try this scarf on. Does it look good?

Zhou Wanwan wrapped it around herself and nodded, saying, "It's really beautiful and very warm. Did you make all of this yourself?"

Gu Sinian nodded and said, "Yes, I made them all myself."

He started by shearing sheep and worked step by step, taking half a month to make the yarn.

Zhou Wanwan looked at him and said, "Brother Sinian, you're amazing!"