NOVEL NEXT Chapter 183: No Public Urination or Defecation
What were the steps for papermaking again? Damn, she'd forgotten some of them.
She only remembered needing tree bark, fishing nets, and old hemp cloth, then repeatedly pounding and boiling them, adding wood ash to remove the plant fiber glue, and finally scooping up the pulp to dry.
But the exact process would need to be figured out through practice.
"My lady, my lady?" Bella called out carefully, "Is something wrong?"
Luo Wei snapped out of her thoughts: "It's nothing. Let's leave it at that for now. We can solve any problems as they come up."
The stench here was unbearable; she couldn't stay any longer.
"Let's head back."
"Yes!" Bella carefully put away the wooden slips and followed behind her.
They had only taken a few steps when a male servant came running from the ceramics workshop, clutching his bottom, with a worker carrying a manure bucket sprinting after him.
"Bandy, use the bucket! Use the bucket and I'll dump it all together!" the worker shouted.
"No, your bucket's already full - Jayce just sat in it! I need to go in the field!"
"Come on, wait till I empty this one and then you can use it! Steward Bella ordered me to collect twenty buckets of manure today, and I'm still one short!"
Hearing this, Luo Wei finally understood what was happening.
She stared at Bella expressionlessly: "My steward, you'd better explain this."
Bella looked like she was about to cry: "My lady, I was wrong. Please don't be angry. I'll have them collect cow manure instead."
"Go quickly," Luo Wei said, looking as if she'd swallowed a fly, her face turning green. "I wanted fertile fields, not a cesspool!"
Who makes compost by using the land as a toilet, defecating here and there? How could they farm this land in the future?
"I understand, my lady. I'll fix this right away!"
Bella anxiously turned around and shouted at the servant who was already squatting in the field: "You there, get out! No urinating or defecating in the fields!"
Bandy was startled by the sharp female voice. He looked up and realized both the steward and the lady were standing not far ahead.
But he was already halfway through - if he got up now, it would end up in his pants!
"Steward Bella, could you wait a moment, just until I finish?" Bandy pleaded.
"No, you need to—"
Before Bella could finish, another voice drifted over.
"Quick, quick! I can't hold it anymore! Make way, I need to go in the field!"
Another male servant rushed past them.
Luo Wei painfully covered her forehead: "Bella, you handle this. I'm leaving first."
She had no interest in watching people relieve themselves in the open.
Hearing that Luo Wei was leaving, Bella actually felt relieved: "Y-yes, my lady. Don't worry, I'll definitely take care of this. I'll make them change their ways!"
With the lady standing there, she felt too much pressure to even curse at the servants.
Probably only Luo Wei didn't know that throughout Star Luo Residence, Bella - who seemed gentle and timid to her - was actually fierce and harsh when scolding people, often making the male servants in the back courtyard cry.
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Moreover, Steward Bella was extremely stingy. She would investigate if the kitchen was short even one egg, and would dock wages if someone ate an extra meat pie at lunch or drank an extra bowl of noodle soup.
The servants below dared not voice their grievances. They had no choice - she even haggled over the most powerful swordsman under the lady eating an extra bread roll, reducing his one gold coin to just twenty silver coins.
If even the swordsman didn't dare complain to the lady, how could these lowly servants?
When Luo Wei returned to the front courtyard, the stench of excrement still lingered in her nose.
She lifted her sleeve to smell it - great, just standing there for a moment had been enough for the smell to permeate her clothes.
"Chris!"
"Coming, my lady." Chris came running in from outside.
Luo Wei threw her outer coat on the ground: "I need a bath."
Fortunately, the kitchen always kept hot water ready. As soon as she said she wanted to bathe, hot water was brought upstairs.
After soaking in the hot bath, the lingering smell of excrement finally disappeared. Luo Wei got dressed, and Chris brought cotton cloth to dry her hair.
Cotton was cultivated in this era, but it was scarce. The cotton fabric woven from it was expensive, and commoners couldn't afford such material.
This was mainly due to the geographical environment - the Western climate wasn't suitable for growing cotton, so yields were low and cultivation was troublesome.
Cotton originated in tropical and subtropical regions. The plant was drought and alkali resistant, preferring to grow in places with abundant sunlight that were warm and dry.
The geographical conditions of the southwestern Misty Plains were very suitable for growing this economic crop.
If that rainbow bird could fly back to the Western Continent, perhaps she could have it bring back a bag of cotton seeds.
After drying her hair, Luo Wei went downstairs wearing a shawl and sat by the fireplace to warm herself.
The heat from the flames gradually dried the remaining moisture in her hair, making the black strands become increasingly fluffy.
Luo Wei closed her eyes and lay back in the chair, letting her long hair cascade over the chair back like a waterfall, so glossy it dazzled the eyes.
"My lady, let me brush your hair." Chris took out a small comb.
Luo Wei made a sound of agreement and remained still.
Roman burst through the door just in time to see this scene. He quickly covered his mouth with both hands and tiptoed toward Luo Wei like a little mouse.
"Big Sister Chris, is the lady asleep?" he whispered.
"Not yet," Luo Wei opened her eyes, "Roman, done with school?"
"Mm-hmm!" Roman nodded vigorously. "Lady, you haven't been back for so many days!"
"There have been a lot of things at the academy lately," Luo Wei gestured for Chris to stop, sat up and looked at Roman. "Little knight, how's the mission going?"
Roman puffed out his chest and held up two fingers: "I've already found twenty-one people who are willing to work at our farm."
"Roman is so capable!" Luo Wei patted his head.
Roman immediately looked like a little mouse who had stolen lamp oil, pursing his upturned lips.
Luo Wei: "Bring them over tomorrow afternoon after school. Child workers need training before they can start work too."
"Okay!" Roman nodded. "Lady, once I bring them, will you teach me that game you mentioned last time?"
"Of course," Luo Wei raised an eyebrow, "I never lie to children."
Roman cheered: "Great! Lady, can I bring them over today?"
"No, when we said tomorrow, we meant tomorrow." Luo Wei wagged her index finger. "However, if you can help me with something else today, I can promise to play with you for an extra day."
"Really, lady?" Roman's eyes widened excitedly. "What help? I want to help!"
"Help me draw a map," Luo Wei asked somewhat worriedly, "Roman, are you afraid of heights?"
Roman blinked his large misty-colored eyes: "Afraid of heights - you mean being scared of high places? Lady, I'm not scared. I can do it."
He clenched his little fists, his chubby face full of courage and determination.
"Then let's try, but don't force yourself, okay?"
"Mm, I understand!"
"Good." Luo Wei walked to the door, looked at the trees outside but saw no one, then glanced at the roof. "Troy?"
A dark shadow jumped down from the eaves: "Here!"
"Why do you always stay on the roof?" Luo Wei muttered, looking at Troy's green eyes. "Call the griffin over. While the sun hasn't set yet, let's go for a ride in the sky."
# Translation Summary
Challenges and Solutions:
1. Cultural Elements:
- Adapted Chinese papermaking process terminology
- Converted implicit cultural references to explicit explanations
- Maintained period-appropriate technology levels
2. Character Names:
- Consistently used established name translations
- New names introduced:
* Bandy (班迪)
* Jayce (贾艾斯)
3. Technical Terms:
- Carefully translated agricultural and manufacturing terms
- Maintained consistency in measurements and materials
4. Tone and Style:
- Preserved the humorous elements while maintaining dignity
- Balanced formal and informal dialogue
- Maintained character voice distinctions
5. Cultural Adaptations:
- Adjusted descriptions of hygiene and sanitation practices for English readers
- Preserved historical context while making concepts accessible
The translation focused on maintaining the story's humor while handling delicate topics appropriately. Special attention was paid to preserving character relationships and personality traits while making the cultural context clear to English readers.
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