Xie Xiao Qi thought Xie Jinzhu had gone mad.
Xie Jinzhu felt that the way she looked at her was as if she were looking at a fool.
Under Xie Xiao Qi’s bewildered gaze, Xie Jinzhu poured the collected pine soot into a large basin filled with water, holding the edge of the basin as she explained, “Fine soot floats to the top, while impurities sink.”
“Washing the soot is crucial to ensure the smoothness of the ink. This step cannot be skipped.”
If the impurities that were difficult to remove with the naked eye weren’t eliminated, it would directly affect the smoothness of the ink when used.
In that case, it wouldn’t be worth selling.
Xie Xiao Qi seemed not to understand. Silently picking up a bucket, she went out to fetch water.
Xie Jinzhu shrugged with a smile, retrieved the sieve she had prepared earlier, and gently scooped out the pine soot floating on the water’s surface.
The process of washing the soot was repeated several times. The refined pine soot was then covered with a layer of gauze and left to air-dry in a cool, shaded spot.
By the time the cut gelatin sheets and the pine soot had dried to the degree Xie Jinzhu desired, two days had passed.
Old Mrs. Xie had mostly recovered from her illness. As she headed out with a vegetable basket, she glanced at Xie Jinzhu, who was placing bowls over a pot, muttering to herself, “Boiling, drying, then steaming again.”
“Tossing things back and forth so many times, messing with a pile of black, grimy stuff. Just wasting things out of sheer boredom.”
Pretending not to hear, Xie Jinzhu smiled and asked, “Grandma, are you heading out?”
“Would you like me to help you?”
“What do you know how to do?”
Old Mrs. Xie shot her an annoyed look. “Don’t go out and embarrass me. I can’t afford to lose face at my age!”
After venting her frustration, Old Mrs. Xie couldn’t help but sneak a cautious glance at Xie Jinzhu’s reaction, as if regretting her words.
Xie Jinzhu paid no mind, leisurely saying, “Then take care of yourself. Call me if you need anything.”
Old Mrs. Xie was momentarily speechless before stomping off angrily.
Even after stepping out of the gate, she heard no sounds of rage from the courtyard, nor any noise of things being thrown in a tantrum. Old Mrs. Xie clicked her tongue suspiciously. “Has she really changed her ways?”
In the past, no matter who in the family—young or old—said something that displeased her, Xie Jinzhu would inevitably throw a fit.
As long as she didn’t get the outcome she wanted, she would stir up trouble, making the entire household restless and uneasy.
But recently, Xie Jinzhu’s transformation had been too noticeable.
Second Aunt and Xie Wuni would find time to taunt her whenever they came and went, and even Third Master Xie said she was fooling around and not doing anything proper.
Yet Xie Jinzhu simply ignored them all, never getting angry.
Though her words occasionally came out sharp, she remained focused on tinkering with her pile of black, dusty junk.
This temperament was far more likable than before.
But still…
Old Mrs. Xie grumbled with a dark expression, “What’s the use of changing her ways?”
“A young girl who can’t uphold the family’s reputation is nothing but a waste of money to raise. It’d be better to marry her off early and get some dowry in return. Who cares about her anyway…”
Old Mrs. Xie went out to dig for wild vegetables, seething with frustration.
Meanwhile, Xie Jinzhu’s ink-making process smoothly progressed to the next step.
A portion of the dried deer gelatin was placed in a large bowl and steamed over high heat until melted.
The steamed deer gelatin was poured into the air-dried pine soot. Rolling up her sleeves, Xie Jinzhu began mixing the glue.
The process of mixing the glue was similar to kneading dough. She repeatedly kneaded the pine soot until it formed a cohesive mass with a rough texture on the surface. Then, she added the pre-measured cinnabar.
The final key ingredient was egg white.
Xie Xiao Qi returned from fetching water and saw the egg whites beaten into the wooden basin, his face darker than ink.
“Do you even know…”
“I know.”
Xie Jinzhu shoved the bowl containing the separated egg yolks into Xie Xiao Qi’s hands and said earnestly, “I know this is something even Grandma can’t bear to eat and would rather sell for money.”
“What I’m making with this will be worth more than selling the eggs alone.”
The chickens the Xie family had raised before had all been squandered by the original owner, and now there was no spare money to buy chicks or ducklings.
The only hen was one Xie Jinzhu had taken from Su Weisheng earlier.
Since arriving at the Xie household, this hen had worked hard, laying an egg every day, securing her place through her egg-laying achievements.
To be honest, that hen now held a higher status in the Xie family than Xie Jinzhu herself.
Because the hen laid eggs every day.
Xie Jinzhu only knew how to waste things.
Xie Xiao Qi stared at the egg yolks in the bowl without a word.
Xie Jinzhu lowered her head to knead the ink paste and, without looking up, said, “Since they’re already cracked, how about we make scrambled eggs for dinner?”
Xie Xiao Qi was long accustomed to such scenes. He gave Xie Jinzhu a deep, cold look and said, “I think your gluttony is acting up again.”
“If you want to eat, make it yourself. No one’s going to serve you now.”
Xie Jinzhu watched helplessly as Xie Xiao Qi set down the bowl and left, speechless. After a moment, she shook her head with a wry smile and continued kneading the ink.
Once the added ingredients were fully incorporated into the ink paste, Xie Jinzhu took out the prepared tree stump and stick and began pounding the ink.
The ink paste had to be pounded countless times with force to fully blend the soot and glue, achieving a smooth and silky consistency.
This process couldn’t be rushed or done with less effort.
Xie Jinzhu pounded with all her might while turning the ink paste over. When her arms grew sore and weak from exertion, she held the hard-earned ink paste and moved on to the next step.
Cutting and pressing the ink.
She pinched off a piece of the ink paste, rolled it into a long strip, and stuffed it into a small wooden box.
Above the box was a lever Xie Jinzhu had made herself, fixed at one end and pressing down on the massive stone millstone in the yard.
Using the weight of the millstone, Xie Jinzhu sat on the large wooden stick like a seesaw, repeatedly pressing down on the box.
The ink strip took shape inside the box, and when removed, it became a solid ink stick.
The finished ink sticks were placed on a sieve lined with gauze to air-dry, and Xie Jinzhu repeated the entire process.
By the time a small layer of ink sticks covered the sieve, the family members who had been out working began returning home.
Eldest Uncle Xie circled the sieve, recalling the ink block he had reluctantly bought before, and exclaimed in surprise, “Is this the ink you made?”
He wasn’t an expert and couldn’t tell good from bad.
But these dark, elongated strips certainly looked the part!
Xie Jinzhu replied weakly, “Yes.”
“Once all these ink strips are pressed and carved with a design, they’ll be just about done.”
Proper pine soot ink should also include fragrances like musk, or even gold dust, to ensure both color and scent are elegant—the kind of refined product scholars pursue.
But Xie Jinzhu’s earnings from selling books were very limited. After buying that tiny bit of cinnabar, she truly had nothing left.
Managing to make it to this stage had already taken all her effort.
Eldest Uncle Xie noticed Xie Jinzhu’s face was pale from exhaustion. His decades of doting on her uncontrollably flickered back to life for a moment. “Let me handle it.”
Xie Jinzhu had initially wanted to say she could manage it herself.
Witnessing Eldest Uncle Xie achieve a miraculous effect with his immense strength, pressing out results she couldn’t match even after ten attempts, she raised her thumb in admiration: “Uncle is really strong.”
Eldest Uncle Xie chuckled dismissively, “What’s this little bit of strength?”
“Your uncle can carry three-hundred-pound sacks at the dock, and he hauls quite a few in a day.”
While genuinely impressed, Xie Jinzhu let out a soft sigh.
If not for being drained so severely by the original host, Eldest Uncle Xie probably wouldn’t have developed such formidable strength.
Xie Jinzhu temporarily handed her task over to Eldest Uncle Xie. Instead of sitting down to rest, she picked up the inkstick that had been pressed into a long, rectangular shape, ready to carve.
Unable to afford specialized carving knives at the moment, she had simply sharpened a small piece of iron to make do.
Taking advantage of the inkstick’s moisture before it dried, Xie Jinzhu worked swiftly, soon leaving the desired marks on the inkstick.
Orchids and bamboo were the simplest—just a few casual strokes could bring them to life.
Xie Jinzhu focused intently on carving, completely unaware that Old Mrs. Xie had been pacing back and forth in front of and behind her several times.
Xie Wuni pushed her impatiently, “I’m talking to you, can’t you hear?”
Xie Jinzhu couldn’t dodge in time, and the iron piece slid harshly across the inkstick. Staring at the distorted lines, she lifted her head with a wooden expression, “Do you know what you just ruined?”
Xie Wuni looked baffled, “What are you talking about?”
“You destroyed the quality of this inkstick.”
Xie Jinzhu set down the inkstick and said calmly, “So when I sell it and earn money, I won’t buy you new clothes.”
“Hah.”
“You?”
Xie Wuni sneered, “Relying on you to earn money and buy me new clothes? I might as well strip tree bark to make shoe soles myself!”
Xie Jinzhu ignored her sarcasm and stood up to wash her hands.
When Xie Wuni boasted about using tree bark to make shoe soles, Xie Jinzhu remarked placidly, “Then remember to pair it with a grass skirt.”
“A vibrant green one would look stunning wherever you go.”
“Xie Jinzhu!”