The sun had already risen from the east when he woke up the next day.

It wasn’t very bright, and the pale yellow face looked like Han Cheng, always daydreaming.

However, the temperature was quite high; it had risen by at least seven or eight degrees compared to yesterday.

By noon, the outside was already warm and cozy.

Some cold-sensitive elderly had come out of their rooms, squatting by the walls, warming their shoe soles in the sun.

Some of the stronger people had even taken off their thick fur coats.

Some women in the tribe, taking advantage of the warmth, heated water to bathe the tribe’s minors.

Due to the higher temperature, they didn’t even need to go to the bathhouse.

The surrounding snow was rapidly melting at this temperature, and by noon, much of it had thinned out. In some places, dry grass covered by snow was already visible.

At this rate, the snow would almost entirely melt in just three days, and the tribe could begin their spring plowing.

In the tribe, Shi Tou, a little excited, picked up a stone pen, drew a line on the simple calendar he had made, and then carved some words below it.

He was, of course, excited. Over the winter, he had devised a method that might make tree bark softer and easier to break apart.

But because of the cold weather, he hasn’t been able to try it out yet.

Now that the weather was finally warming up, he could start testing his idea and making a better paper.

The excitement wasn’t limited to the Green Sparrow Tribe. All the surrounding tribes that felt the warmth were filled with joy.

Their stored food was running low, and some tribes were almost exhausted. The warming weather was undoubtedly great news for them.

Some tribes that were low on food had already started sending people out to search for food.

In the winter, some birds and small animals sometimes froze or starved to death.

When the snow melts, these animals, covered by snow, would be exposed and become food for hungry people.

Han Cheng furrowed his brows after basking in the sun for a while. He suddenly recalled something he had learned in high school geography about cold fronts and warm fronts.

Before a cold front passes, a warm air mass covers the earth, causing the temperature to rise.

Once the warm air mass passes, it is followed by a cold air mass that pushes the warm air forward.

Strong winds and snow or rain can occur when the two air masses meet. The sky clears after the cold air mass passes, but the temperature drops significantly, becoming extremely cold. In extreme cases, a cold wave can form.

He hoped it wasn’t a cold front passing through.

Han Cheng thought to himself after thinking about the knowledge that was now a bit unclear.

Delaying spring plowing for a few days wasn’t a big deal, but what worried him more was the trade caravans that were out.

If they encountered a cold front, they would likely suffer a lot.

Judging by how the temperature was rising today, this warm air mass was likely quite strong, and the cold air mass that could push it along would naturally not be small either.

If, after the warm weather, a sudden cold snap came, it would be troublesome.

After considering these things, Han Cheng checked the temperature when he woke up the next day.

The temperature didn’t change much compared to yesterday—it was still quite warm.

Could it be that he was wrong?

Han Cheng stood there for a while, quietly muttering to himself.

It would be better if he were wrong because they wouldn’t suffer so much.

After picking up the little pea that had just woken up and playing with it for a while, Han Cheng carried it out of the room.

The ground was soft, as it hadn’t frozen much last night.

Carrying the little one, he walked to the cave used as the dining hall, where the hardworking Fire Two was already stoking the fire.

Sitting by the stove to keep the fire going is quite comforting when the weather is cold.

If you can bury two sweet potatoes in the fire or use a stick to skewer, a piece of steamed bread cooled down from home, tending the fire becomes even more appealing.

But this morning was an exception. In addition to Fire Two stoking the fire, Shi Tou was crouching by another stove nearby, tending to the fire.

What was this guy doing, making fire here today?

What was he boiling in the pot?

With the little pea in his arms, Han Cheng approached with a puzzled look, tilting his body to one side to make room for the little one. He grabbed the pot lid with his other hand and lifted it with force.

As the white mist rose, the scene inside the pot came into view.

Tree bark?

Han Cheng’s eyes widened.

What Shi Tou was boiling in the stove wasn’t food but tree bark.

What was this guy doing, boiling tree bark? Was he trying to relive some hard times by drinking tree bark soup for breakfast?

Han Cheng looked utterly confused.

When he saw that the bark in the pot had its outer layer peeled off, his expression changed to one of realization.

So this guy was experimenting with papermaking.

But does papermaking require boiling the soaked tree bark with water like this?

Han Cheng wasn’t sure about that, but at least it was good that Shi Tou was willing to try new methods.

After all, many new things are discovered through repeated attempts.

Han Cheng knew little about papermaking himself. The process he had put together before was very rudimentary and needed improvement.

He put the lid back on and started talking to Shi Tou about papermaking.

Having studied this for several months, Shi Tou gained many insights into paper-making, which is much more challenging than flying.

He felt that the paper he had previously made was too thick and hard. One reason was that too much pulp was used during the papermaking process, and another was that it was too rigid and rough.

So, he started thinking about how to make the pulp softer.

After trying several methods, Shi Tou came up with the idea of boiling it.

Just like how tough raw meat and hard beans become soft after being boiled in a large pot of water, Shi Tou thought this method might also work for the bark.

After hearing Shi Tou’s explanation, Han Cheng couldn’t help but nod in agreement, feeling that it made a lot of sense. It seemed that leaving this task to Shi Tou was a wise decision.

Worried that the bark might not cook well, Shi Tou boiled it for a long time.

It wasn’t until after breakfast when everyone had eaten for a while, that Shi Tou finally stopped the fire.

After letting it sit for a while, he lifted the lid and removed the bark from the pot.

After being soaked in warm water for a while, the bark was placed on a chopping board and carefully sliced with a copper knife.

Once sliced, it was placed into a stone mortar, where Shi Tou began to pound it gently. Han Cheng stood by, watching eagerly, wanting to see if this attempt would work.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay