The Princess of Northern Land
Chapter 344: Old Age(5)_1

Chapter 344: Chapter 344: Old Age(5)_1

Hearing this, Si Jinyu could no longer politely refuse. She glanced at the ten boxes of White Jade Cake, thinking they were indeed quite festive. Even judging by their packaging, many people would probably buy them. Besides, the symbolism of the cakes was also appealing.

Si Jinyu noticed earlier that these so-called White Jade Cakes were different from the usual steamed cakes sold elsewhere. They weren’t the typical moist variety. The taste should be exceptional!

Si Jinyu was never one to overstep her boundaries. When she arrived at the pastry house, Chu Suifeng had explicitly instructed Lin Ziyin that he would need her assistance later. Therefore, upon leaving the pastry house, she quickly bid her farewell to Lin Ziyin, "We must take our leave now, I’m afraid. We should take advantage of the warm midday sun. Thank you for your hospitality."

Tingwei had just made new friends and was somewhat reluctant to leave. Furthermore, the atmosphere in the Lin Family was very casual, unlike his own home where every interaction was defined by decorum and etiquettes. But with his aunt making the decision, he had to leave whether he wanted to or not.

"Next time your family comes to buy something, you should join them. I’ll take you to play in the schoolyard." Yanzhi was young and was not mindful of other’s social standing. He was genuinely sad to see his newly-made friend leave.

"Okay," Tingwei’s eyes lit up. Yes, he could accompany Si Si on her visits. "Next time I come, I’ll bring you a present."

"Thank you." The two young friends were a bit reluctant to part.

"Look at how well they get along," Lin Ziyin said with a smile.

Si Jinyu heard and nodded, smiling as she replied, "In the Residence, there aren’t many playmates. Coming here and finding someone to play with makes it harder for him to leave."

After watching them ride off in the carriage, Lin Ziyin hastily went to the study. She was curious to find out what Chu Suifeng had discovered for her to appraise.

Upon opening the door to the study, she found Chu Suifeng alone with a few bundles of paper in front of him. Chu Suifeng was frowning, lost in thought while looking at the bundles.

Lin Ziyin took a closer look, and a look of joy appeared on her face.

"We really have found it!" Among the bundles on the table, one contained charcoal, another potassium. As for the remaining few bundles of black stuff, she didn’t care about them at all.

"Is this the black powder you need?" Seeing her clutching one of the bundles and not letting go, Chu Suifeng suddenly felt his mood lift.

"Yes, it’s charcoal. Where did you find it?" Lin Ziyin asked eagerly.

"Floating City." Chu Suifeng replied, "There is an abundant quantity there. One simply needs to scrape lightly on the ground to unearth it."

"With charcoal, the possibilities of what can be made are much more varied. Prince, I will design some parts, please make these parts as quickly as possible." Lin Ziyin said excitedly.

Chu Suifeng looked at her flushed face due to her excitement, the corners of his mouth curling up ever so slightly and his mood involuntarily soared alongside hers.

However, seeing his expression, Lin Ziyin felt a bit displeased. She thought that Chu Suifeng was about to ask for some kind of favor from her.

"Once the machinery is assembled, the Prince will be able to use it on his lands, saving a lot of manpower and resources. It would be best if it could be completed during the cold weather so that it can be used as soon as spring arrives," Lin Ziyin said.

"Alright." Chu Suifeng responded, "What exactly are you planning to make?"

"With coal, numerous possibilities arise, including plows for farming, carts for transportation of goods, even small harvesting machines." Lin Ziyin was increasingly excited. The use of large machinery was not possible without electricity or diesel, but small machinery should be feasible. Although steam-powered mechanical energy was somewhat lacking, and it wasn’t suitable for long-distance work, it should suffice for land cultivation.

Machinery is undoubtedly more efficient than manual labor; there’s no questioning that.

"Farming? With machinery?" Chu Suifeng asked in surprise, "Not using oxen?"