Lin Wanwan, with Hua Nong by her side, holding a piece of cotton cloth, entered the courtyard of the Lin Clan Leader’s house. As soon as she stepped in, she was warmly welcomed by Niu Shi: "Wan-niang, are you here to see your uncle? Sit down for a while, I’ll get you some dried shrimp. They’re just right after being sun-dried, perfect for snacking." After speaking, she called out in the direction of the simple study on the right: "An Lang, Wan-niang is here!" She then busily instructed her daughter-in-law to brew some brown sugar water and herself carried a bamboo basket filled with dried shrimp to the main hall. Lin Wanwan smiled at Niu Shi and said, "Thank you, Auntie, these dried shrimps are indeed well-dried! I won’t stand on ceremony then." With that, she settled comfortably on a mat and began peeling the dried shrimp, feeling right at home. Shortly after, the clan leader’s daughter-in-law, Qian Shi, placed a bowl of brown sugar water next to the bamboo basket, smiled shyly at Lin Wanwan, and at this moment, the Lin Clan Leader also walked over. As soon as he came over, the Lin Clan Leader glanced at Hua Nong and asked, "Wan-niang, what is Hua Nong doing with the cloth?" Lin Wanwan took the cloth from Hua Nong, placed it on the mat, and spread it out two meters wide before saying to the Lin Clan Leader: "Uncle Clan Leader, Auntie, Sister-in-law, how do you think this cloth compares to hemp and ramie cloth?" Niu Shi and Qian Shi moved forward, wiped their hands on their clothes, and felt the cotton cloth carefully. After a moment, Qian Shi glanced at Niu Shi, who nodded, and Qian Shi said: "Wan-niang, this cloth has a soft texture and fine pattern, much better than hemp and ramie. What is it made of? It doesn’t look like silk or paper." Lin Wanwan said, "This is called cotton cloth, made from Gaochang cotton. Uncle Clan Leader, you saw the Gaochang cotton when you helped me move the goods yesterday! It’s made from that." The Lin Clan Leader suddenly realized: "So that cloud-like thing is Gaochang cotton, it’s surely something noble people use, isn’t it?" Even though the Lin Clan Leader’s house was in a remote place and they seldom went to Xiaoxi Town, where the County Government was located, they were still good at distinguishing the quality of things, even if they had never seen it before. Lin Wanwan nodded and said, "The cloth made from cotton is lightweight and soft, warm and breathable, and absorbent. Pure cotton fabric is suitable even for babies to wear next to their skin. In big towns and cities, it’s a sought-after product, very popular among noble people, an absolute luxury item worth a considerable price. More importantly, Uncle Clan Leader, the yield and weaving of cotton are more advantageous than planting mulberries and raising silkworms. Low-priced items like ramie and hemp can’t compare at all. If our clan can plant cotton, within a year, the days of having enough to eat and wear are just around the corner." The Lin Clan Leader pondered and said, "But our clan members have never seen this thing, and no one knows how to weave it." Lin Wanwan smiled: "Uncle Clan Leader, that’s not a problem. This time, my senior brother sent me many cotton seeds, a spinning wheel specifically for spinning cotton, and diagrams for a seed-removing cart. We’ll plant cotton in the spring, and I will teach everyone, how about that?" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel{f}ire.net The Lin Clan Leader worriedly said, "I’m afraid our clan’s fields are not enough." Lin Wanwan had already thought about this issue: "Indeed, the fields are too few, only enough to plant some vegetables and rice for our families. What I mean is, why don’t we merge the lands of Lu Family Manor and Dafeng Village with our fields this year, having them not plant hemp but cotton instead, and then we of Lin Family Manor will buy it from them at a high price." The Lin Clan Leader stroked his short beard and sighed: "Fields are the lifeblood of the farmers, asking them to give up their fields is tough, tough, tough!" Lin Wanwan confidently said: "It’s not about giving them up, just changing to plant cotton. Uncle Clan Leader, just tell them that the purchase price of cotton will be three times that of hemp, or five times, even ten times, I think they will agree, no one will refuse Copper Coin." The Lin Clan Leader silently pondered, and Niu Shi looked at the cotton cloth with longing eyes and hesitantly said: "Wan-niang, is this thing easy to plant? Is the yield really more than hemp?" Lin Wanwan affirmed: "Don’t compare it to hemp; the value of hemp is too low. Cotton cloth is more rare and valuable than ordinary silk, satin, and damask! Yet, it’s much easier than raising silkworms and weaving silk, and the yield is much greater." "Hiss!" Niu Shi and Qian Shi both gasped. The Lin Clan Leader tapped the table with his fingers, stared at Lin Wanwan, and asked: "Wan-niang, are you sure this cloth is more valuable than silk fabrics?" Lin Wanwan decisively said: "I’m sure. My senior brother has traveled the seas and has extraordinary insight; he could never be mistaken. This time among the cotton cloth he sent me, I selected two pieces as tribute to the court." The Lin Clan Leader sighed: "I’m just afraid your enthusiasm will be wasted. The people around here are both poor and foolish." Lin Wanwan remained optimistic, stuffing a dried shrimp into her mouth and mumbling: "No worries, Uncle Clan Leader, no rush. At worst, we’ll plant it in my fields first next year. Hmm, maybe Xiao Chong will be interested too. Once everyone sees tangible results, they will come around." The Lin Clan Leader said: "After the New Year, I’ll go around persuading as many families as I can." Lin Wanwan nodded: "Alright, then I’ll trouble you, Uncle Clan Leader. I’ll draft the planting techniques and specific plan when I have time. Once we can plant the cotton, we won’t worry about selling it – the fortune of our clan is yet to come!" The Lin Clan Leader looked at Lin Wanwan with quite a bit of satisfaction, thinking that if Wan-niang were a man, the choice for the next Clan Leader would be settled. However, it doesn’t matter if she’s a woman; after all, she’s always one of our Houtao Lin family’s members. After finishing the topic, Lin Wanwan didn’t leave; she continued peeling dried shrimp in the main room. Seeing this, Qian Shi and Niu Shi smiled, said they had things to do, and withdrew. A moment later, Lin Wanwan suddenly said: "Uncle Clan Leader, why did it happen that way last night? Didn’t you leave someone alive to inquire about the people behind it?" The Lin Clan Leader replied matter-of-factly: "No need. The monsters and demons behind this, we don’t know, nor do we need to know. We fight whoever comes our way; they value their lives too much to come at us with all their might." "Just small-time thieves, seems they didn’t deserve to die." "If they hadn’t drawn their knives, a beating and being thrown out would have sufficed. But once they wield blades, it becomes a challenge to the bloodline of our Houtao Lin family, and there’s no reason to let them leave alive. Wan-niang, with enemies, you cannot be soft-hearted. In the past, when encountering pirates at sea, it was all about who was fiercer, and the fiercer one survived. It’s the same now." "But what if the people behind report to the government?" The Lin Clan Leader laughed lightly and patted the table, saying: "A few years ago, when we fought over the water with people upstream, nearly a thousand people brawled, with dozens killed or injured, and the government didn’t send Officials or even problem solvers into the village. It was just the two village chiefs dealing with it themselves. Wan-niang, forget about last night’s affair; it’s not something you should worry about. You have me!"