"What book is this from?"
Li Zhiyuan asked, "Do you really want me to answer?"
"Forget it, no need to answer." Liu Yumei released her hand; the three slips of paper slowly fell. She picked up the teapot, disregarding the heat, and washed her hands with the hot tea.
Li Zhiyuan curiously asked, "Grandma, from which era are these three pieces of paper?"
"Heh, this isn't paper."
"Then it's..."
"Human skin."
Li Zhiyuan blinked, "Human skin?"
"The human skin papermaking skill, have you heard of it?"
"No."
"Well, that's right. There are many ways to preserve books for a long time if one is willing to pay the price. Using human skin as raw material is the most time-consuming and effortful, and least gratifying. Only some special practitioners would use human skin paper to write things."
"I see."
"Do you really understand? Then do you know, from which era are these three pieces of human skin paper?"
"Post-Eastern Han, pre-Sui and Tang?"
"I can give you a very specific era."
