my grandmother

The next day, Li Wenru went to the tooth shop to buy the three people he had chosen, carefully signed the deed and the attached deed, and then explained to the three people carefully and word by word in front of the deed. Clearly, everything was arranged, Li Wenru returned to the inn, and the group immediately set off for Jiaxing County.

The three little girls who were selected to buy came from Ruifufang, Xiangyunfang and a small local weaving workshop.

Each of the three held a contract and a bunch of copper coins, and stood at the door of the tooth shop, watching Li Wenru walk away without looking back, you look at me, I look at you.

"He's gone." Dongmei from Xiangyunfang held her breath and said cautiously.

"Let's really go back?" Qiaozhi from Ruifufang held the deed and the string of copper tins, folded his hands on his chest, and looked at Dongmei and Mingzhi.

"Second Master said that we can go back and live if we can." Ming Zhi's eyes sparkled.

"Go back first." Dongmei, the oldest, decided.

"Then when will you come over tomorrow morning?" Qiao Zhi hurriedly asked.

"Chenzheng?" Dongmei looked at the two of them.

Qiaozhi and Mingzhi nodded together.

The three looked at each other again, turned around and went home.

Qiaozhi ran into the alley in one breath and rushed into the courtyard.

Qiaozhi's father was not the son of Zhifang's family, but bought into Zhifang when he was six or seven years old. He was a taciturn, well-known honest head of Zhifang, and even his nickname was called Wang Quexi.

Wang Quexi is clever and dexterous. He learned carpentry from his master since he was a child. He is very good at adjusting looms and repairing looms. He can make all kinds of things that can be used in the weaving workshop. Stronger than his master.

But Wang Quexi's fate is really bad. The master he met was thick-hearted and black-hearted. First, he took Wang Quexi's work and put it under the name of the eldest son who was studying at the same time as Wang Quexi. After becoming a carpenter, the master's second son was old enough to enter the weaving workshop. Wang Quexi then acted as a substitute for the second son. The second son left the teacher. A year later, the third son entered the weaving workshop again.

Fortunately, the master has only three sons, and all three sons have left the teacher. Wang Quexi's master held Wang Quexi to work for him for two or three years, until Wang Quexi's mother-in-law rushed to his master's house and quarreled. After a big commotion, Wang Quexi finally figured out the teacher.

The carpentry apprentices in the weaving workshop were five years too fast, and they would be able to graduate in only six or seven years if they were too slow, but Wang Quexi had been an apprentice for a full 15 years.

Wang Quexi earned the least wages among the carpenters when he became a teacher. Now, more than ten years have passed, and his wages have not increased.

There is a wage increase every year, but it's not his turn to Wang Quexi.

The weaving workshop stopped working, and those looms were repaired, tuned, and oiled. The carpenters were all working in the weaving workshop, but Wang Quexi was idle at home.

The carpentry work in the weaving workshop can be done in only ten days or eight days, and then he has to go home and idle. The extra ten days and eight days' wages are not in Wang Quexi's turn.

A Niang Qiaozhi was selected to learn how to tie flowers when she was young. With her outstanding ingenuity among her peers, she was favored by the second steward of Zhifang, and betrothed to the second son of the second steward's family.

Coincidentally, Miss Zhi was also unlucky. Once when she tied the cloth, she was crushed by the heavy warp beam and broke her right thumb and index finger.

After confirming that Aniang Qiaozhi's hands must be useless, the second steward quickly asked Aniang Qiaozhi to marry her, and pointed Aniang Qiaozhi to Wang Quexi.

Aunt Qiaozhi married Wang Quexi for less than a year, and she is not sad or regretful at all. For slaves like them, to marry is to find a companion to endure hardships, and to be able to accompany Wang Quexi, She felt that it was God's compensation for her two fingers, and it was her blessing.

When Qiaozhi rushed into the courtyard, Wang Quexi was sitting on the threshold, with his head down, chipping willow pieces.

Qiaozhi wants a balm box, he should have made it overnight yesterday!
A Niang Qiaozhi sat on the pony tie in the threshold with her eyes glazed over, leaning her head against the door frame, motionless.

"...It's not like being pulled out and beheaded. If you can live, there is hope, and you can look forward to being alive. We have a good life!" Qiao Zhi's grandma pounded the rice at once, and kept chanting.

Qiaozhi rushed across the courtyard like a gust of wind, and rushed to the door of the house, her eyes sparkled, "I'm back!"

The knife and willow pieces in Wang Quexi's hand fell to the ground with a clatter.Aunt Qiaozhi jumped up, rushed forward and hugged Qiaozhi, "They don't want you anymore? Have you escaped?"

The neighbors in the courtyard hula la surrounded him.

"No, let's go into the room to talk." Qiaozhi hugged the contract and the string of copper tines tightly, and pushed her mother into the room.

"Let Qiaozhi talk to her aunt first, let Qiaozhi take a breather." Grandma Qiaozhi came out, waving her hands and drove out the neighbors who had surrounded her several times.

The neighbors took a long time to retreat, looking at Qiaozhi's house one by one from afar or near.

"Just sit here and watch." Grandma Qiaozhi grabbed Wang Quexi who was about to follow into the house.

Wang Quexi immediately sat back on the threshold, picked up the knife and willow wood, but didn't even bother to sharpen a knife, his eyes were looking outside, and his ears were listening to the movement in the room.

"Ni'er, what's going on?" Grandma Qiaozhi pulled Qiaozhi over and looked up and down, tears streaming down her face.

"They bought a total of three people, one for me, one from Xiangyunfang, named Dongmei, and one from Jinxiafang, named Mingzhi, just the three of us!" There was tension and excitement in the low voice.

Grandma Qiaozhi sat next to Qiaozhi on the other side.

"Aniang, look at this! Look! It's sealed by the government." Qiaozhi stuffed the deed into her Aniang's hand.

"Second Master Li didn't know that I could read, so he pointed to the deed and read it to the three of us word by word. I could read, and he didn't lie to anyone!

"Li Erye said that he bought us not to let us weave, but to let us teach others to weave, as long as he can teach others how to weave four heddles. He said that they have several weavers outside Pingjiang City It’s over, the school in Guoxiang Town accepts ten students, and there are many people who go to learn weaving!”

Qiaozhi was incoherent in excitement.

"What's written on it?" Grandma Qiaozhi asked, pointing to the deed.

"There are still more! There are 64 ways to weave silk silk. I can only do eleven now. Li Erye said, let me find a place to learn by myself. If I can't find a place, he will send me to Pingjiang City School. Learn, if I go to the school to learn, I have to deduct my wages, mother, teach me!" Qiao Zhi hugged her mother.

"The higher-ups say that there are 64 ways to work in plain silk. If you know how to do one job, you will get ten copper coins. If you teach a person to do one job, you will be given another ten copper coins."

"That's right, you can redeem yourself! Redeem at the original price. They bought me for five taels of silver. If I have learned all 64 Taos, mother..."

"Keep your voice down!" Grandma Qiaozhi slapped Qiaozhi lightly.

"There are more! I heard the second master tell the tooth shop that there are too few people, so let them find some more useful weavers. The second master said that they will come back the day after tomorrow, and see if they can do it again. Pick some people and say that when we come back, see if we stay here to learn the craft, or bring us to Pingjiang City."

Qiao Zhi's eyes are shining.

"Aniang, can the workshop sell our family?"

"Where is the master's family from? Did they say anything?" Aunt Qiaozhi frowned and asked.

"Say it, they are surnamed Li, they are from Lijiaji, Kunshan County. The second master said that he is in charge, and the master is their fourth lady. Dongmei asked, the fourth lady is the little lady who gave us the exam yesterday. Is it? The second master said no, the little lady who was talking to us was the fourth lady.

"The little lady who spoke to us yesterday is wonderful, very, very nice!"

Qiaozhi didn't know how to describe the little lady, she felt that the host lady was like their little sister, the kind who talked about everything.

"What is this?" Grandma Qiaozhi touched the string of copper tins that Qiaozhi had been pressing on her chest.

"Almost forgot! This is the food money given by the second master. It is for today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. There are three days of food money in total. The second master said that they will be back the day after tomorrow at the latest.

"The second master also said that if Zhifang doesn't let me come back to live, let me live in the Tongfu Inn next to the dental shop, saying that he has made an agreement with the shopkeeper.

"Aniang, grandma, the second master is very good! The fourth lady is very good! The new master's house is very good!" Qiaozhi bit hard the three words.

"You didn't sleep well last night, go to sleep for a while, I'll discuss it with your grandma." Aunt Qiaozhi patted Qiaozhi.

"Okay." Knowing that her mother-in-law wanted to discuss something serious with her grandmother, Qiaozhi reluctantly stood up, handed the string of copper tins to her grandmother, lay down on the bed, opened her eyes, and tried hard to hear the discussion between her mother-in-law and grandmother. .

"One job costs ten copper tines, which is quite a lot." Grandma Qiaozhi looked at the contract.

"Well, there is a seal from the government." Aunt Qiaozhi clicked on the square red stamp in the middle of the document.

"If you teach others, your hand won't get in the way." Grandma Qiaozhi gently stroked her daughter's crippled hand.

"I'm afraid people will look down on me." Qiaozhi Aniang's expression was gloomy.

"I'm not afraid that they will look down on them, but I'm worried about whether we can let you out here, and Father Qiaozhi." Grandma Qiaozhi said in a low voice.

"Can we still pick and release people?" Qiaozhi Aniang looked at her Aniang.

"We can't wait. When we know we need to pick people, it will be too late. But whether this is a fire pit, we can't say for sure." Grandma Qiaozhi pointed at the contract.

"Qiaozhi is already in the pit." Aunt Qiaozhi said with downcast eyes.

"I'm confused." Grandma Qiaozhi sighed, "Let's follow Qiaozhi, we have to jump into the knife pit and fire pit, and we don't care what kind of pit it is! I'll go to the steward horse and talk to him now. "

"Does it make sense?" Aunt Qiaozhi looked at her who had already stood up.

"If it doesn't make sense, I will die in his room, and all three of our family will die in his room!" Grandma Qiaozhi patted her clothes vigorously.

Aunt Qiaozhi gave a low hum, stood up, leaned on the door frame, and watched her Aunt lean on crutches and leave the courtyard like an expedition.