Xi placed the blocks of ice he brought back by the window vents, and the room quickly grew cool and refreshing.
The ice was heavy and dense, almost like stone, and it melted very slowly even in the scorching dry season. A single block was enough to last her for several days.
Although the room was much cooler, An Jin didn't slow her progress on the bamboo mat. After soaking the bamboo strips for a few days to soften them, she carefully and meticulously pulled them apart into thin strands.
She removed the grassy outer layer from the edges and then coated the strips with an insect-repelling sap.
First, she started the bamboo mat by weaving a right-angled triangle, about five inches wide at the base. She wove in a herringbone pattern to the right for about a meter, then settled down to continue weaving the main part of the mat.
