MCUS Chapter 14

Wan Xiang returned with a wooden bucket filled with freshly harvested pine resin. Yan Ge carefully tested its stickiness with his fingers and found it satisfactory. However, the scent was unpleasant and would likely require some treatment.

Xiao Chuanzi returned just before lunchtime, carrying a large package. He knelt before Yan Ge and apologized, “Please forgive me, young master. I had the pig bristles thoroughly washed and dried, which caused the delay.”

Yan Ge nodded approvingly, “You are not at fault. You did well.”

Xiao Chuanzi opened the package, revealing clean and spotless pig bristles of both white and black colors. Not a trace of dirt could be seen.

After dinner, Yan Ge led the two of them to start their work. He instructed Wan Xiang to fetch a clean cloth and spread it on the table. The three of them sat by the table, meticulously removing the moldy and stray hairs from the pig bristles. Although Xiao Chuanzi and Wan Xiang hesitated to sit on equal footing with Yan Ge, he insisted they sit only after he gave the command.

As people in ancient times generally had good eyesight, the three of them concentrated on their work for nearly an hour, selecting a large handful of bright white bristles.

“Xiao Chuanzi, find some bamboo pieces about the same length as chopsticks, as many as possible. Wan Xiang, boil a pot of water and inform me when it boils,” Yan Ge instructed. He preferred not to be addressed as “young master” repeatedly, but stricter rules within the palace had their benefits, avoiding giving others an opportunity to exploit him.

“Yes.”

After Wan Xiang brought the boiling water, Yan Ge placed the bamboo steamer used for steaming buns on top of the pot and covered it with the cloth. Then, he spread the selected bristles on the cloth and finally covered the steamer with its lid. Wan Xiang continued to add firewood to the stove. Disinfection of the pig bristles was necessary, and the only option in their current circumstances was to steam them at high temperatures using intense heat.

He cautioned Wan Xiang, “Pay attention to the time. It should steam for half an hour before stopping.”

“Yes, young master. Wan Xiang will remember,” she respectfully replied. “The kitchen is messy. Please rest in your room, young master.”

Yan Ge returned to his room and pondered how to drill holes in the bamboo pieces. Despite its small size, crafting a toothbrush was not easy, and the most challenging part was drilling the holes.

Xiao Chuanzi, panting heavily, entered with a stack of bamboo pieces and noticed Yan Ge lost in thought. He quietly placed the items down.

When Yan Ge snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the bamboo pieces, he silently nodded in approval. Some of the pieces were too wide and needed to be split into thinner sections.

“Master, what troubles you? Perhaps if you share, I can think of a solution,” Xiao Chuanzi didn’t see Wan Xiang, so he guessed that she was still boiling water.

Yan Ge explained the problem to him.

Xiao Chuanzi pondered for a moment and suggested, “If you want to drill holes, you can use the sap of the fibergrass plant.”

“What is fibergrass?” Yan Ge became interested.

Xiao Chuanzi explained, “Fibergrass can dissolve many substances. If you dip a needle into the juice of fibergrass and use it to pierce the bamboo pieces, it should work without any issues.”

“It’s not toxic, is it?” Yan Ge asked, concerned.

Xiao Chuanzi hurriedly replied, “It’s not toxic, but it can burn your hands.”

Relieved, Yan Ge asked, “Can we obtain it?”

Xiao Chuanzi scratched his head awkwardly, “Um…. Although it’s not toxic, it can still harm people. It’s unlikely to be available in the palace.”

Yan Ge reluctantly gave up on the fibergrass juice. He picked up a bamboo piece, used a tea stem to make a few marks, and instructed, “Split the bamboo pieces as narrow and long as I mentioned, and then polish them until smooth. If you succeed in making this item, I will reward both you and Wan Xiang with one.”

Although Xiao Chuanzi didn’t know what the young master was making, he could tell it must be something good from his excitement. He quickly agreed with a smile, saying, “Yes.”

He went out for a while, borrowing a plane from somewhere, and first split the bamboo pieces as Yan Ge had instructed. Then, he meticulously polished them with the plane. He carefully wrapped the wood shavings produced by the plane with paper, so as not to dirty the floor.

Yan Ge used a knife to cut a small piece of bamboo, about half the length of his thumb, and took Wan Xiang’s embroidery needle. He stood the needle upright on the small piece of bamboo and hammered it in with a stone ink slab, one hit at a time.

Xiao Chuanzi stopped him when he heard the sound, saying, “Young master! Be careful with your hand. If you want something done, I can handle hammering.”

Doing so sounded easy, but it was difficult in practice. The bamboo was too hard, and the needle was too thin. Xiao Chuanzi accidentally broke one embroidery needle.

“Use less force,” Yan Ge reminded him.

Xiao Chuanzi nodded, lightly tapping the bamboo piece, leaving only an almost imperceptible mark.

Yan Ge squinted his eyes, contemplating whether there was a more efficient method.

At that moment, a childish voice unexpectedly echoed in his mind, “Master, don’t you plan to continue upgrading? Perhaps there will be better solutions after an upgrade?”

Yan Ge was startled. Was this the voice of the system? But wasn’t the system’s voice supposed to be a deep adult male voice?

The doll like voice sounded again, “It’s me. I was afraid you wouldn’t believe so I disguised my voice. This is my true voice.”

Yan Ge was taken aback, attempting to ask in his mind, “Can you sense my thoughts?” As he considered the possibility, his heart sank. The feeling of being controlled by someone else was not pleasant at all.

The doll like voice immediately responded, “Don’t worry, you are my master. If you die, I will die too.”

Yan Ge temporarily believed it and noticed Xiao Chuanzi looking at him strangely. He put down the bamboo pieces, returned to his seat, and pretended to drink tea as he asked in his mind, “What is this system? Can it be removed?”

The doll like voice said hesitantly, “It’s already bound and cannot be unloaded. Master, you should find a way to climb the ranks quickly. With a higher status, you can have anything you desire.” The words were full of temptation.

Yan Ge asked cautiously, “Why do you keep urging me to climb the ranks?”

The doll replied, “I won’t harm you. Just listen to me.”

Yan Ge neither agreed nor disagreed. He continued to carve bamboo pieces to show his persistence. If the doll didn’t respond, he wouldn’t climb the ranks.

The doll sighed helplessly, “Forget it, I won’t urge you anymore. But I guarantee you will change your mind soon.”

Yan Ge raised the corner of his mouth indifferently. He liked men, but he had no interest in becoming one of the numerous concubines in the emperor’s harem.