I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

In the prosperous commercial streets of Beijing, the "Jinxiuxuan" paper mill run by Chen Jia and Chen Jue has become famous for its many novel and unique paper products, but their pace of innovation has never stopped. One day, the sun shone through the window lattice on the desk in the study. Chen Jue looked at the snow-white paper, and suddenly a ray of inspiration flashed in his eyes. He turned to Chen Jia who was sorting out the account book and said, "Sister, look at this paper. If it can be dyed with colorful colors and made into multi-colored stationery, it will definitely set off a wave of enthusiasm in this capital city where letters are frequently exchanged."

Chen Jia raised her head, gently put down the account book in her hand, and showed a thoughtful look in her eyes: "Xiao Jue, your idea is novel. Nowadays, people's correspondence is increasing day by day. If there is a colorful and high-quality stationery, it can not only add beauty to the letter, but also reflect the writer's intentions. However, the dyeing process needs to be carefully considered, to ensure that the color is bright and lasting, and the texture of the paper cannot be damaged."

Chen Jue stood up and walked to the bookshelf, took out several books that recorded ancient dyeing techniques, and said as he flipped through them, "Sister, I heard that the ancients used natural plants, minerals and other materials for dyeing, such as hematite for dyeing red, and indigo for making indigo. These dyes are taken from nature and may cause less damage to paper. We might as well start with these traditional dyeing methods and then improve and innovate them."

Chen Jia nodded slightly and said, "Well, although natural dyes are good, the process of extraction and mixing must be difficult. We need to find some masters who are proficient in pharmacology and dyeing techniques to help."

So Chen Jue immediately sent people to inquire around, and finally found an experienced old dyer and a master who was good at pharmacology.

In the backyard of the "Jinxiuxuan" workshop, Chen Jue, Chen Jia and two masters sat together, discussing the specific matters of dyeing.

The old dyer stroked his beard and said, "Sir, Miss, the first thing to do is to choose the right dye. For example, for red, in addition to Su Mu, you can also add some madder to make the color more vivid and steady. For blue, indigo is good, but if you add some lime, the color will be brighter and last longer."

The pharmacist also added: "When mixing dyes, you also need to pay attention to the proportion and water quality. Some dyes require well water, while others require river water, which will affect the dyeing effect. In addition, in order to make the paper absorb the color better, a little alum can be added to the dye as a mordant."

Chen Jia asked: "How exactly does the dyeing process work? Do you soak the paper directly in the dye?"

The old dyer shook his head and said, "You can't soak it directly. You need to boil the dye into juice first, filter out the residue, and then use a brush to evenly apply the dye on the paper. Pay attention to the strength and direction when applying, to ensure that every place can be dyed with an even color. In addition, each layer of color must be dried before applying the next layer. Repeat this process to make the color full and bright."

Chen Jue then asked: "What are the requirements for the drying process?"

The old dyer replied, "It needs to be dried in a ventilated and cool place, not in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will make the paper brittle and the color will fade. If it is a rainy day, you need to use charcoal fire to slowly dry it, but be careful about the temperature and don't get too close to the fire to avoid scorching the paper."

After deciding on the initial dyeing plan, everyone began to prepare. The craftsmen were busy collecting various dye materials. Su wood, madder, indigo, etc. filled a corner of the workshop. The pharmacist was carefully mixing the dyes, mixing and boiling various raw materials in different proportions, stirring the dye juice in the pot with a bamboo stick from time to time, and observing the color changes.

"It seems that the amount of sumac can be increased a little more. The color is not deep enough." The pharmacist said to himself.

The old dyer led several young craftsmen to cut the paper into uniform size and shape, and gently polish the edges of the paper with smooth stones to make it smoother.

"The edges of the letter paper need to be polished and made rounder so that it feels better when writing." The old dyer instructed the craftsmen.

After everything is ready, the key step of dyeing begins. The old dyer demonstrates it himself. He picks up a soft brush made of wool, dips it in the boiled red dye, and then brushes it gently and evenly along one end of the paper. His movements are slow and steady, and every stroke is full of ingenuity.

“You have to paint in one go without pausing, otherwise the color will be uneven.” The old dyer said to the craftsmen beside him as he painted.

The craftsmen watched intently, then picked up their brushes and carefully imitated the old dyer to paint the paper. Chen Jue and Chen Jia watched carefully from the side, and occasionally made some suggestions for improvement.

"The color here seems a little lighter, let's paint another layer." Chen Jue said, pointing to a piece of letter paper.

Chen Jia picked up a piece of dyed letter paper and examined it carefully in the sunlight: "The layering of this red is not rich enough. Does the concentration of the dye need to be adjusted?"

After many trials and adjustments, the red letter paper was finally dyed successfully. The bright and calm red color is like a peony in full bloom in spring, dazzling, and the texture of the paper is still soft and smooth, without the slightest damage.

Next, it was time to dye the blue letter paper. According to the method previously agreed upon, an appropriate amount of lime was added to the indigo dye, and the boiled dye showed a deep and bright blue. The craftsmen picked up the brush again and carefully painted the paper.

"This blue is so beautiful, as clear as the summer sky," a craftsman couldn't help but exclaimed.

While dyeing blue stationery, Chen Jue discovered that the color uniformity of the paper after absorbing the dye was slightly different. After careful observation, he said to the old dyer: "Master, you see, the texture of this paper seems to have an effect on the absorption of the dye. Some places with coarse texture have a darker color, while places with fine texture have a lighter color."

The old dyer thought for a moment and said, "Sir, before applying the dye, you might want to wipe the paper gently with a damp cloth to allow the paper's texture to absorb the water more evenly. This may help the dye absorb more evenly."

Everyone tried the old dyer's method and found that the color uniformity of the blue stationery was greatly improved.

With the successful dyeing of red and blue stationery, Chen Jia and Chen Jue began to try the blending and dyeing of other colors. Various bright and gorgeous colors such as yellow, green, and purple appeared on the stationery in their hands.

In order to make the multi-colored stationery more exquisite and unique, Chen Jue also thought of adding some gold or silver pattern decorations on the stationery. He found a craftsman who was good at carving and made some exquisite pattern templates.

"After the letter paper has dried, we can use these templates, dip them in gold or silver powder, and lightly print them on the letter paper. This will add a sense of magnificence to the letter paper while retaining its elegance." Chen Jue said to Chen Jia.

Chen Jia smiled and nodded: "That's great. This multi-colored letter paper is not only a medium for writing, but also a work of art."

When the first batch of multi-color stationery was completed, Chen Jia and Chen Jue displayed it in the "Jinxiu Xuan" shop, attracting the attention of many customers.

A young scholar walked into the shop and was immediately attracted by the colorful stationery. He picked up a piece of red stationery, stroked it gently, and exclaimed: "This stationery is really exquisite. I often write to my friends. If I use this stationery, it will definitely add a lot of color to my letters."

Chen Jue stepped forward and introduced with a smile: "Sir, this stationery is carefully developed by our Jinxiuxuan. It uses natural dyes, the colors are bright and long-lasting, the paper is soft and smooth, and writing is very smooth. In addition, we can also customize stationery with special patterns or marks for you to show your unique taste."

The scholar was delighted when he heard this: "That's great. I want to order a batch of stationery with plum blossom patterns. Is that possible?"

Chen Jia answered, "Of course. Sir, just tell us the pattern and color you want, and we will definitely meet your needs."

As more and more customers liked and praised the multi-color stationery, the multi-color stationery of "Jinxiuxuan" became famous. It was not only favored by scholars and dignitaries in the capital, but also spread to surrounding towns through business travelers.

On a sunny afternoon, a wealthy businessman from out of town came to Jinxiuxuan in a gorgeous carriage. He walked into the store, looked around, and finally his eyes fell on the shelf with multi-colored stationery.

"I heard that you have exquisite multi-colored stationery. I came here specially to see if it is really as magical as the rumors say." The rich businessman said with a foreign accent.

Chen Jue warmly received the wealthy businessman, showed him stationery of various colors and styles, and introduced the production process and characteristics in detail.

The rich businessman picked up a piece of purple letter paper with a golden peony pattern printed on it, examined it carefully, and praised it highly: "This letter paper is indeed the most exquisite letter paper I have ever seen. I will order a large batch and bring it back to my hometown. I believe it will be very popular there too."

Chen Jia smiled and said, "Thank you for your appreciation. We at Jinxiuxuan have always been committed to innovation and quality. This multi-colored stationery embodies our efforts and wisdom. It would be our honor if you could promote it to your hometown."

After signing the order with the wealthy businessman, the workshop of "Jinxiuxuan" became even busier. The craftsmen worked day and night to meet the growing demand for orders.

Chen Jue and Chen Jia looked at the lively and orderly scene in the workshop, their hearts filled with relief and joy.