Zhan Zhumen

Chapter 39

Huo Xi followed Yang to see the cloth woven by Zhao Qian.

The Zhao family has a dedicated weaving room, the size of a room.

There is a loom in the middle, with a small amount of half-woven cloth on it.There are shelves on the left and right sides of the room, on which twenty or thirty bolts of cloth are neatly stacked, wrapped in hemp paper to avoid dust.

As soon as Mrs. Yang came in, she couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

When she was a child, she also longed for a loom. Like countless Jiangnan women, she had a loom and would use it as a dowry in the future.I have a craft that I can make a living by myself, and I don't have to grind it when I get to my husband's house.

But at that time, she was the only one born in her family, and her parents couldn't bear her hard work, so they never bought her.

Huo Xi stood in front of the loom and looked at it curiously, and then went to look at the woven cloth.

Seeing that her mother and daughter were interested, Zhao Qian introduced them patiently.

"Auntie, you weave so much cloth, why don't you sell it? Do you keep it for your family?"

Mrs. Zhao Qian laughed: "The family doesn't need so much. The cloth merchants come once a fortnight, and everyone saves up and sells them together. It takes a lot of effort to go back and forth to the city for two or three bolts of cloth. Ordinary weavers A worker can weave one bolt of cloth in one day, one and a half bolts at a fast pace. A trip to the city will delay things.”

"Can you weave one a day?" That's amazing.That's pretty fast.

Mrs. Zhao Qian nodded: "Yes. If there is a young lady at home, she is not allowed to do other housework, so she weaves in the weaving room. After doing housework, the hands will become thicker, calloused, have burrs, and the hands will not be flexible. Said, it will also scratch the cloth. There are not many people in my family, only my mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are at home during the day, and my mother-in-law does all the housework, so I usually only concentrate on weaving."

Yang Shi glanced at her hand quietly, it was slender and delicate, much stronger than her thick black claws.He quietly hid his hands behind his back.

Huo Xi happened to see this scene, and felt a little distressed.

Afraid of Yang's embarrassment, he asked, "Auntie, how much does a piece of cloth cost?".

"It depends on the kind of cloth. Cotton cloth, cotton linen, fine linen, coarse linen, kudzu linen, the price is different. Cotton cloth is the most expensive, a piece of four yuan, cotton and linen three yuan, fine linen two cents and a half, coarse Ma two coins, Ge Ma one coin and five cents."

"Then why don't we all weave cotton cloth? It can also sell for more money."

Mrs. Zhao Qian laughed and touched her head: "Although the price of cotton cloth is high, the most important thing is that it must be fine. If the thread ends are not connected well, the price will be discounted. I can't weave half a piece in a day. I can weave one a day, and Ge Ma can weave two when he is fast."

"Weaving two horses a day? Doesn't that mean you can get three coins a day?" Yang's jaw dropped in shock.

Zhao Qian covered her mouth and laughed.Huo Xi also laughed.Yang looked left and right, but didn't understand why they were laughing.

"Mother, Auntie's balls of thread also cost money."

Only then did Yang come to her senses, her face flushed red, she was quite embarrassed.

Zhao Qian said with a smile: "The distance is like a mountain. It's normal for you to not know what's inside. But the diligent little lady still has some dowry money for herself every month."

"It's a lot of twos and fives!"

"It's quite a lot. But when you're married, you don't have so much effort to take care of your in-laws and take care of your children. And you won't be able to weave for a few years, and your eyes will get blurred."

Yang Shi sighed, yes, every line is not easy.

"Our little ladies in the south of the Yangtze River who know how to weave don't have to worry about getting married. With a craft, they can not only support themselves, but also support their husband's family after marriage. The looms used in the boudoir can be used by those who love their daughters. Dowry dowry in the past."

Yang nodded.After taking a look at Huo Xi, what will Xi'er marry in the future?Accompany a boat?No no, fishing is too hard.How about letting Xi'er learn weaving too?Dowry a loom in the future?
Huo Xi shivered cleverly when he caught her gaze.

Quickly walked towards the wrapped cloth: "Auntie, can I touch it?"

"Touch it, why don't people touch it when you buy cloth? Feel free to touch it."

Yang came back to her senses, and stood in front of the cloth with Huo Xi, rubbing and rubbing the clothes with both hands.Although my hands are clean, I am still afraid of getting dust on other people's clean cloth.

Seeing her mother and daughter like this, Zhao Qian felt even more overjoyed.He enthusiastically introduced them to her.

Huo Xi started to touch it.

Cotton is the most comfortable and soft to the touch.Cotton linen has small bumps one by one, and it feels rougher than cotton cloth.The fine linen is cool and cool, while the coarse linen is rough to the touch and a bit stiff.And kudzu vine is added on the basis of hemp material, which is rougher than pure hemp material.

Cotton is soft against the skin and absorbs sweat, but linen is stiff and breathable.Although Gema is the cheapest and cheapest, it is the most durable and the most popular among ordinary people.

Huo Xi looked at these cloths while thinking about the money at home.

The family has now bought a new boat, sold bald butter, plus what was left before, the usable silver is about twenty taels.

She suddenly had a bold idea in her heart.

"Auntie, what kind of cloth do you have here, and how much Gema?" Huo Xi pulled Yang's clothes while talking.

Yang looked down at her, seeing her blinking at her, her heart skipped a beat.The kid was holding back his mind again.He didn't speak, just listened to her.

Mrs. Zhao Qian looked around the shelf and said: "The most Gema, there are seventeen. There are three cotton, two cotton and two fine linen."

Huo Xi rolled his eyes: "Auntie, if I buy all the cloth from you, can you sell it to me at the same price as the cloth dealer?"

I was a little apprehensive after asking.

Weavers like them should have stable cloth merchants.If the next time the cloth merchant can't receive the goods at her house, and he doesn't come to collect them in the future, it will delay her family's business.

He squeezed out a smile again: "How about I pay a little more for each horse?"

Hey, did you buy all the cloth here?Yang was stunned at first, and then felt pain in the flesh.This child has an idea for a while, and holds back a big move from time to time, she is afraid.

Zhao Qian was also stunned: "All, all?"

Huo Xi looked up at her and nodded at her.

Zhao Qian looked at Yang again.

What can Yang do?This kid has big ideas.He smiled at her too, and nodded.

"There is no need to pay more. If you want it, I will sell it to you at the same price as the cloth dealer."

"Then will the cloth merchant see that you don't sell cloth to him, and won't come to collect it next time?" Huo Xi was a little worried.

When Yang heard this, she also looked at her worriedly.

Mrs. Zhao Qian laughed: "There is more than one cloth merchant in the village who came to collect the cloth. If I didn't receive the cloth, I just thought I sold it to someone else, and I will only beg for it next time. Don't worry."

Huo Xi heaved a sigh of relief.

Seeing that she really wanted to buy it, Mrs. Zhao Qian asked her mother and daughter to look at the cloth one by one. There was no dispute between the two parties, and they began to settle the price. The total was four taels and eight hundred and fifty cash.

Huo Xi gave her five taels, saying that he could use the rest of the money to bring her some vegetables.

Zhao Qian led them to the vegetable garden.

In the vegetable garden, Grandma Zhao was hugging Huo Nian, watching Yang Fu watering and weeding the vegetables, stopping and stopping, but still not stopping Yang Fu who was rushing to work.

I feel straight in my heart that children from poor families are sensible and considerate.

　The cloth in the picture is the homemade cloth I bought in Jiangnan Ancient Town, 57cm*9m.In ancient times, there was no standard for how long and wide a piece of cloth was.The width depends on the size of the loom, but it will never be too wide, because the weft thread is achieved by manual shuttles, and it must be within the operable distance of the two arms, and it is inconvenient to operate if it is too wide.As for the length, many literatures say that a skilled weaver can weave one bolt a day, and if the length reaches twenty or thirty meters, it is not a small difficulty.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)