Chapter 57: Chapter 53: The Papermaking Workshop
The development of the iron mine will take some time, and the workload at the blacksmith shop is not much, so Luo De had planned it for the paper workshop long before the first waterwheel was built.
Lime water might be easy to obtain, by collecting some limestone from the riverside and foot of the mountain, crushing it, and then stacking it in layers with charcoal for calcination.
Not having time to build a permanent kiln, they directly used the simplest trench kiln, with slaves ensuring continuous calcination.
After thorough calcination, collect the quicklime, and once water is added, it becomes lime water.
Lime has many uses, not just bleaching pulp; it can be used for building, farming, and metallurgy.
Luo De designated an area specifically for the slaves to conduct large-scale calcination.
However, since lime water can pollute the water source, the paper workshop and blacksmith shop are not together.
The paper workshop is at the downstream end of the canal, where the river water flows back, so even if there’s pollution, it won’t affect the water source.
It is worth mentioning that the second phase of the irrigation channel project has also begun.
There were already some ditches around the farmland, and Luo De planned further based on the existing ditches, then arranged the slaves to connect all the ditches.
It felt like the snake game Luo De played in his past life; once the gaps were filled, the final irrigation channel would cover all the farmland, and the river water would flow back into the Blue River.
The equipment for the paper workshop not only requires a pulping machine and trough but also a drying room, all of which Luo De has already arranged for the townspeople to build.
The entire process must occur indoors; otherwise, frequent thunderstorms would affect normal papermaking operations.
The waterwheel is being assembled, and Luo De first selected eight shrewd slaves to teach them the basic papermaking process.
The papermaking process seems simple, but it still requires care and patience to produce good quality and thin paper.
"Sir, do you intend to make precious paper from this ragged linen?"
When the materials Luo De needed were transported to the workshop, Lawrence voiced the slaves’ doubts, "Perhaps we should use parchment or cowhide?"
Wearing that fabric even felt uncomfortable for Lawrence, so how could it be used to make expensive paper?
Straw, bark, and reeds can all make paper; it’s just that you don’t know it.
Luo De chuckled slightly, not explaining much to the slaves.
When it’s made, they’ll see it for themselves.
"Do as I say, first clean these rags, then rinse them with lime water."
At this point, Luo De specifically emphasized, "I’ll say it again: do not let any part of your body touch the lime water. Remember to stir it with a wooden stick."
Leather gloves are still being made, but regardless of having gloves or not, Luo De must explain the severity of the matter.
"Anyone who touches this lime water directly with their body, I’ll whip them."
"After bleaching in lime water, wash it clean again, then cut it into pieces, and pulp it..."
After sternly warning everyone, Luo De briefly explained the process to the slaves.
The waterwheel’s tuning took an entire day, and the hydropulping machine finally started operating.
The principle of the pulper is very simple: the water flow drives the waterwheel to rotate, which then drives the hammer through the drive shaft and gears, making it periodically hammer up and down.
In a repetitive cycle, the rags are crushed into pulp.
Actually, the slaves could do this work, but it would tire them, taking much longer.
After pulping, it’s followed by washing, filtering, paper forming, pressing, drying, and sizing.
The papermaking materials require ragged linen, and Luo De had Otto collect some within the territory, but the quantity is very low, only about ten pounds.
The townspeople are reluctant to discard worn clothes, thinking of tearing them into patches to mend clothes.
Whereas for papermaking, the more ragged the linen the better, so Luo De did not force Otto to collect them, just asking for some completely unusable scraps.
People in Border City are a bit wealthier; there should be plenty of ragged fabric, which is also on Luo De’s procurement list.
After spending more than a week, the first batch of paper was successfully made.
When Lawrence saw the sheets of paper hanging on the wooden frames, he was so shocked he knelt on the ground.
"This, this, this is really paper!"
This isn’t paper!
This is all silver coins, no, gold coins!
"From these ten pounds of rags, we’ve made over a hundred and fifty sheets of paper!"
Lawrence’s eyes widened: "Lord, we are going to become the wealthiest people in the Empire!"
As a businessman, Lawrence knows very well that a piece of goat parchment costs two hundred copper coins while a pound of ragged linen costs only five copper coins!
And a piece of parchment can only make three or four sheets of parchment paper, but here, ten pounds of rags have created more than a hundred and fifty sheets of paper!
The lord also said the more ragged the better, so the price of linen will drop even further!
"Lord, a large piece of parchment costs two hundred thirty copper coins!"
Lawrence’s eyes began to redden, almost deranged,
"There are more than a hundred and fifty pieces here! Lord!"
Luo De quickly pulled Lawrence up, deliberately putting on a cold face and commanded: "Calm down, it’s not that exaggerated."
Luo De was really afraid this guy would die from overexcitement, quickly throwing cold water on him, "Linen paper is not as strong and durable as parchment, and the price won’t be very high, only suitable for daily use."
Parchment is of high quality, water-resistant, and extremely durable.
Books made from parchment can generally last several hundred years, and high-quality ones can even reach a thousand years.
Linen paper doesn’t compare in water resistance or durability.
Beyond printing, it has no advantages to speak of.
"So, how much do you plan to sell it for?" Lawrence asked.
"We can temporarily price it at 60 copper coins a sheet."
This price is not low.
But Luo De believes that those who use paper are noble, and setting a price too low wouldn’t match their identity.
Early on, the production volume can’t keep up, so it’s better to use pricing to ensure sales and profits.
After all, even if Luo De sets the price at 30 copper coins, most commoners might still not buy it.
Once paper is in full production, the noble market gets saturated, and commoners start using paper frequently, Luo De can then lower the price to wholesale.
But before that, Luo De plans to introduce movable type printing, relying on selling books to make a fortune.
"At this price, we have over a hundredfold profit!" Lawrence’s eyes were wide open with excitement.
Without such high profit, why would I do all this?
Luo De chuckled, looking at Lawrence and said: "Then you just make sure to keep an eye on these slaves making paper, don’t let them interact with others to avoid any leak of the formula."
Paper can be sold, but just as Lawrence said, the manufacturing method must not be disclosed—not for now, at least.
Particularly the fact that linen scraps are the raw material, this too must remain secret.
That’s why Luo De chose workers from the slaves and taught them papermaking.
"Alright, alright, I’ll ask Durant to guard it, then build a yard around it, and set many traps nearby with Rein!"
Lawrence ordered the slaves to quickly store the paper safely and ran towards the manor himself.
Luo De also returned to the manor to start preparing the procurement list, while planning the territory’s upcoming affairs.
After receiving this batch of refugees, the population of Frost Leaf Town is nearing seven hundred. According to existing grain reserves, it should be enough to wait for the autumn harvest in September, but Luo De cannot just sit around.
Luo De had Otto gather all the idle women and children, letting them go in groups to collect mountain produce, and also arranged for the Hunting Team to protect them.
After summer rain, mushrooms are sprouting from the forest grounds, especially among the pine woods of Black Pine Ridge.
Carrying baskets in, by the morning it’s a bountiful harvest.
However, since fertilization from spring tilling stripped a layer of land from nearby forest, women need to rise early to go to farther forests to gather.
Additionally, Luo De planned out a new plot of land for the refugees, instructing them to cultivate it and plant more vegetables like turnips and rye.
Rye is frost-resistant, even if it matures a month late it doesn’t affect the harvest.
The salt delivery team was reorganized a week ago, with Doron mainly in charge, the rest of the members being five old soldier teammates and eight new recruits.
As for Gang Le, he stayed behind with Jess and two other old soldiers, responsible for the upcoming mining and transportation of iron ore.
But before that, they are to accompany Luo De to Border City for procurement, while also bringing over Jess and the other two old soldiers’ families.