Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Suddenly, many things from the past came to mind.

The group had a deep impression of the fish, rice, and various dishes that Xiao Ran had made before.

Not only Zhang Erya and San Niang were amazed, but Li Shimin's family was also amazed.

It tastes much better than what the Imperial Kitchen makes.

For a long time, everyone thought Xiao Ran's cooking skills were extraordinary.

Later, Zhang Erya learned it, and Princess Yuzhang and Li Lizhi also figured it out.

It's not that Xiao Ran's cooking skills are bad, but they're not exactly phenomenal either.

Many of these techniques simply don't exist in this era, and that's a fact we have to acknowledge.

But the key to delicious food, besides stir-frying, is seasoning.

They brought the seasonings back to the palace, and the dishes they made were quite delicious.

Zhang Jinhe also thought of what had happened before.

They almost wanted Xiao Ran to leave Kaolao Village. Now, every time they think about it, Zhang Mingde and Zhang Jinhe feel a chill of fear.

Fortunately, they hadn't rejected or targeted Xiao Ran before.

If Xiao Ran doesn't stay in Kaolao Village and goes to another village, Zhang Mingde will regret it to death.

While the group was chatting, Xiao Ran's fish took the bait.

"Uncle, I caught a fish, and it's not small." Xiao Ran laughed.

Princess Yuzhang picked up the net next to her and said, "Hehe, I'll help out!"

"Wow~ Little Nangjun is so amazing~" The little princess clapped her hands.

Li Lizhi, Zhang Jinhe, and the others also gathered around.

"It's a big fish!" Third Sister also came over to join in.

"It looks like grass carp, we'll steam it later!" Xiao Ran smiled.

There are actually quite a few fish in this pond; Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin's fishing skills weren't very good before.

The bait and fishing rod are both a bit lacking.

Seeing Xiao Ran serving fish made Li Shimin feel uneasy.

"Why didn't I just tear it off for you!" Li Shimin said irritably.

"Grandpa~ I hate it~" the little princess said immediately.

"Hahaha!" Xiao Ran burst into laughter.

Xiao Ran gave the fishing rods to Li Lizhi, Princess Yuzhang, and the others, so they could try it too.

Li Yuan, Wang Ji, and the others weren't interested in fishing, so they didn't join in.

However, Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang found it very interesting.

Xiao Ran then went and got a few more fishing rods.

Xiao Ran had previously said not to enter his room unless he gave permission.

Zhang Erya wouldn't just casually do things like cleaning.

Li Shimin still doesn't know how many fishing rods Xiao Ran actually has.

It seems like you can take out as much as you want.

It's still quite rare, but my desire to buy a fishing rod isn't as strong as before.

Because now I can talk to Xiao Ran anytime I want.

We're so familiar with each other that we don't feel embarrassed at all.

Xiao Ran is not stingy in this kind of thing; he is very generous.

Princess Li Lizhi, Zhang Erya, Zhang Jinhe, and Xiao Yu all held fishing rods.

The three little girls were not to be outdone.

The fishing rod is a bit too heavy and not suitable.

Xiao Ran got some small bamboo poles and made fishing rods for the three little girls.

Fishing lines and hooks are also prepared.

"Hehe~" The little princess followed the others, baited the hook, and put it in.

"Aha~" Soon a fish took the bait.

"Sizi, pull it quickly, pull it quickly!" Zhang Jinhe shouted from the side.

Although the little princess is young, she already knows how to operate it.

Suddenly, a white stripe was pulled out.

It's about the size of a thumb and easy to pull out.

Although she was small, the little princess was very happy.

"Sizi, you're amazing!" Third Sister looked at her own, and she saw that some of her hooks had taken the bait.

The three little girls could only fish near the shore; they caught very small fish, not big ones.

It's too big; the three of them can't pull it out.

Xiao Ran took a small bucket and had the three little girls put it inside.

Although this is inedible, I'm still enjoying it.

Three small, emerald-green bamboo fishing rods were propped up at an angle, with thin fishing lines tied to the tips, dangling on the rippling water like three tender blades of grass covered in morning dew.

The little princess squatted on the far left, her little feet tiptoeing, her hands gripping the bamboo pole tightly, her eyes wide open, staring intently at the float on the water.

The float, made by Xiao Ran from reeds, swayed gently on the water, making her heart race.

"It moved! It moved!" Princess Chengyang exclaimed.

Suddenly, the float sank half an inch, and the little princess pulled the rod up sharply with her small hand. The bamboo tip bent with a "snap," and a silvery white fish was hooked on the hook, its tail slapping loudly.

She bounced around twice, holding the fishing rod, her little face flushed red: "Hehe~ It's fish again~"

"I caught one too!" At the same time, Third Sister also pulled one up.

Li Lizhi and the others were not idle either, and they brought out fish one after another.

They weren't very strong, and they didn't have any skills in playing fish.

It was easy to cut the line, and several people helped each other copy it, so many people got up.

Xiao Ran has become more relaxed. He used to enjoy driving around to go fishing, but after meeting Li Shimin and the others, his addiction to fishing seems to have diminished.

I have absolutely no desire to go fishing when I'm idle.

Compared to fishing, Xiao Ran would rather do something meaningful in the Tang Dynasty.

For someone like Xiao Ran, who lives alone, it doesn't really matter where he is.

Anyway, before I came to the Tang Dynasty, I was alone.

It's much more lively now compared to before.

Zhang Dalang and his siblings have very good personalities, and the princesses and princes are also quite nice.

We got along quite well.

I hadn't seen many children. Empress Zhangsun and Empress Xiao had also come out of the courtyard. The weather was nice today, so I thought I'd go for a walk.

Empress Zhangsun was wearing a mask, but fortunately the wind wasn't strong today.

"Oh my, the maids have gone fishing too!" Empress Xiao smiled. "And so have Third Sister Sizi Fanyin!"

This was something Empress Zhangsun hadn't expected. Previously, it was mostly Li Shimin and Xiao Ran who participated, while the princesses hadn't.

"Yes! That's great."

"Let's go and take a look!" Empress Xiao was much older, but in good health.

Upon seeing Empress Xiao and Empress Zhangsun arrive, the little princess put down her fishing rod and ran to them, exclaiming, "Grandma~ Mother~ Let's go fishing~"

"Yes, our Sizi is really amazing, Grandma, take a look."

"Hmmmm~"

Third Aunt and Princess Chengyang walked over carrying small buckets. "Grandmother, Mother, look."

Empress Zhangsun and Empress Xiao were delighted to see the little white stripes and carp inside.

"This might be a little small!" Empress Xiao said with a smile.

"Hey~ Little Panda, you can only grow up~" The little princess also knew that she couldn't eat this and would have to put it back later.

Princess Yuzhang and Xiao Yu put down their fishing rods and came over.

"Go have your fun, we'll just wander around," Empress Xiao said with a smile.

"Alright!" Princess Yuzhang and Xiao Yu went back to continue fishing.

The early spring sun hangs obliquely in the sky, warming you gently, unlike the biting cold of winter or the scorching heat of summer; it's just the right amount to warm your heart.

On the grassy slope by the pond, new green shoots have sprouted among last year's withered grass, as tender as freshly crushed jade fragments.

The willows on the bank droop their soft branches, the tips of which are adorned with pale yellow buds. They sway gently in the breeze, their shadows falling into the pool, causing the shimmering light to dance across the water.

The surface of the pool shimmered with light, and occasionally a small fish would leap out of the water and fall back into the pool with a "plop," splashing water onto the stones on the shore, which would soon be dried by the warm sun.

Li Lizhi sat on the bluestone by the pool, her fishing rod resting on her knees. A freshly picked wildflower was tucked into her hair. When she saw the fishing line move slightly, she held her breath and lifted the rod. The rod bent into a beautiful arc. Xiao Yu, who was next to her, immediately came over with a landing net. The two of them worked together to scoop up a grass carp that was about half a size. Both of them had smiles on their faces.

Princess Yuzhang and Zhang Jinhe sat side by side, their fishing rods twitching occasionally. Although they hadn't caught any big fish, they had managed to hook some small crucian carp. Zhang Jinhe put the fish into the bamboo basket beside him and smiled as he said to Princess Yuzhang:

"When we get back, I'll have my second aunt make some soup; it'll be delicious."

Princess Yuzhang nodded, but her gaze couldn't help but drift toward the three little maids—the little princess was squatting on the grassy slope, a small bamboo pole propped up in the water, a foxtail grass in her hand, teasing the little black girl next to her from time to time.

Princess Chengyang and Third Sister guarded the small bucket, counting the little white strips inside. Occasionally, they would look up and say a word to each other, their soft voices carrying the scent of grass in the wind, making them exceptionally pleasant to hear.

Empress Zhangsun and Empress Xiao walked slowly along the path by the pool, their shoes treading on the newly sprouted green grass, which was soft and comfortable under their feet.

Empress Zhangsun wore a light blue mask, the edges of which were slightly warm from the sunlight.

Empress Xiao held her hand, while her other hand occasionally brushed against the grass sprouts by the roadside. Her fingertips touched the new green shoots, and her eyes were full of smiles.

"Look at this grass, it's only been a few days and it's already sprouting. Spring has truly arrived."

Empress Xiao said with a smile, her voice carrying the gentle warmth characteristic of the elderly.

"That's right, last winter was cold for a long time, I thought it would be colder later."

Empress Zhangsun followed her gaze and saw the little princess running towards them, holding a small bamboo pole, her face full of excitement. "Mother~ Grandmother~ I caught another one~"

"Yes, very good, very good! Our Sizi is really amazing!"

"Hee hee~"

At some point, Li Lizhi put away her fishing rod and sat down next to Xiao Ran.

The two people were speaking softly, so others couldn't hear them, but it was clear they were having a very pleasant conversation.

It was almost noon when they finally prepared to pack up their lines.

Zhang Erya and Princess Yuzhang had to go prepare lunch.

Having caught most of the fish, Li Shimin stopped fishing.

The three little girls were very obedient and released all the fish they had caught back into the pond.

With nothing else to do, Li Shimin strolled over to see Li Kecheng and Chu Mo and the others making glass.

Then he took Li Tai to see the workshop.

There's no one at the workshop right now.

But this did not prevent Li Tai and Li Shimin from discussing printing technology.

"It's been so long, the techniques must be quite mature by now, right?" Li Shimin asked.

Following Li Shimin's gaze, Li Tai looked at the neatly stacked woodblocks in the workshop.

The pear wood tablets were polished smooth, the characters carved clearly and neatly, and the edges still exuded a faint scent of wood and ink. He reached out and touched a newly carved tablet of the Book of Songs, his tone full of certainty:
“Grandpa, the woodblock printing technique has matured a long time ago. Now the craftsmen in the village no longer need to make repeated revisions like they did at the beginning. Every stroke is very steady. It takes almost half as long to carve a block for the Analects as it did last month.”

"Printing is also smooth. You lay down a sheet of paper, dip it in ink, press it down, and peel it off. The whole process is done without ink sticking or shifting. We can print more than 200 copies a day, which is more than ten times faster than hand-copying."

He paused, then pointed to the stack of printed books beside him; the pages were flat and the print was clear.

"The Four Books and Five Classics that were sent to Chang'an before were printed using these woodblocks. The teachers at the Imperial Academy even praised them, saying they were more orderly than handwritten copies."

"Now everyone in the workshop, whether they're engraving or printing, is skilled. Even the craftsmen from the neighboring village who came to learn are quick to pick it up—with engraving, the more you practice, the more reliable you become."

Li Shimin nodded, his fingertip tracing the characters on the board, and asked again, "What about the movable type you mentioned before? Last time you said movable type could be reused, why haven't I seen you using it?"

When the topic turned to movable type, Li Tai's tone became more earnest and focused, but also tinged with a hint of helplessness:

"The advantages of movable type are numerous. Woodblock printing uses one block to print one book, but if you want to print another book, you have to carve a new one."

"The movable type is made up of individual characters. Once used up, it can be stored away. When printing other books, it can be taken out and reformatted. This saves a lot of wood and the effort of engraving the type."

“I tried carving some movable type from wood before and printed a booklet of agricultural proverbs. It was indeed fast and easy to correct characters—if a character was carved incorrectly, I didn’t have to recarve the entire block like with woodblock printing; I could just replace the movable type.”

"Then why don't you use it?" Li Shimin pressed, his interest growing even stronger.

"The difficulty lies in the material and layout of the movable type."

Li Tai sighed and gestured with his hands, "Wooden movable type is easy to deform. It swells when it gets ink on it, and it won't close properly the next time you use it."

“I tried firing it with clay, and it didn’t deform, but it was too brittle and would break at the slightest touch, and it was also difficult to carve words.”

"And then there's typesetting. With so many movable type characters, you have to arrange them one by one according to the characters in the book. If you make a mistake, you have to disassemble and rearrange everything. It takes even more effort than carving woodblocks."

"Last time we typed out a copy of the Thousand Character Classic, it took us most of the day, but in the end, because a few movable type pieces couldn't be joined, the printed characters were crooked and unusable."

He then added, "However, the advantage of movable type is that it can't be lost."

"If we want to print some medical books or agricultural books in the future, and the number of copies of each book is not large, it will be more cost-effective to use movable type."

“For books like the Four Books and Five Classics that need to be printed in large quantities, woodblock printing is faster and more reliable. Now that Mr. Sun is organizing medical books, I’m thinking of giving it another try.”

"This time I found some hardwood, soaked it in water and boiled it thoroughly before carving the words, to see if it can avoid warping."

"We also came up with a solution when typesetting: we made grids out of wooden boards and put a type in each grid. This should reduce the number of typesetting errors."

Li Shimin listened intently, walked to the center of the workshop, looked at the empty printing table, as if he could see movable type printing: "So, woodblock printing is stable and suitable for printing a large number of fixed books, while movable type is flexible and suitable for printing a small number of different books. Each has its own advantages?"

“Exactly!” Li Tai’s eyes lit up. “Now the workshop mainly uses woodblock printing to print the Four Books and Five Classics, since there is a lot of demand.”

"Once the problem of movable type is solved, we can print Mr. Sun's medical books, the village's agricultural proverb booklets, and even some short stories for children."

"At that time, whether you are a scholar or a farmer, you will have books to read."

Li Shimin patted Li Tai on the shoulder, his tone full of approval: "Good lad, keep a close eye on this matter, and let me know when there's any progress. Whether it's woodblock printing or movable type, it's a good thing if it can enable more people to read books."

"This matter is truly indispensable, a great achievement!" (End of Chapter)