People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 735 No matter how history books record it, this night will be immortal!
Chen Han nodded: "The treasure notes are in circulation, and the vouchers have gained a good reputation. More importantly -" he pointed to the women workers in the Women's Workshop who were packing up their stalls, "it has proved the value of new things."

Zhu Youwei came over, holding an account book in her hand: "Today, we sold 800 pieces of cloth and earned 1,600 strings of treasure notes. The Nanyang merchants also reserved 2,000 pieces."

Zhu Biao took the account book and flipped through it. He was surprised to find that the numbers on it were all written in a new style: "Is this... Arabic numerals?"

Zhu Youwei smiled proudly: "The female workers in the Women's Workshop now use this to keep accounts. It is fast and accurate."

Zhu Biao nodded thoughtfully, and suddenly asked: "Youwei, how many female workers are there in the workshop now?"

"One hundred and twenty regular female workers and eighty apprentices." Zhu Youwei answered without hesitation, "We plan to recruit another hundred people next month."

"Okay!" Zhu Biao slapped the railing, "Tomorrow morning, I will propose to my father to set up three more women's workshops in Yingtian Prefecture!"

The night wind blew by, bringing with it the unique smell of the river water. Chen Han looked at the twinkling fishing lights in the distance and suddenly smiled and said, "Your Highness, do you think this Longjiang Wharf looks like a giant dragon awakening?"

Zhu Biao followed his gaze and saw the dock was brightly lit and merchant ships were coming and going. It was indeed a lively scene. He took a deep breath, as if he had seen the future of Ming Dynasty's commercial prosperity.

"Let's go back to the palace." Zhu Biao straightened his clothes, "There will be more things to do tomorrow."

As the three of them left the dock, they heard the cheerful laughter of the female workers behind them. Xiao Tao was teaching a few Nanyang merchants to speak Mandarin in her clear voice: "'Quan Qing Bu' - read after me, 'Quan, Qing, Bu'!"

The Nanyang merchants imitated the story clumsily, making the female workers burst into laughter. The laughter floated on the night wind to the lights of Jinling City, as if announcing the arrival of a new era.

……

The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the blue brick wall of the Women's Workshop, making the newly posted recruitment notice glow golden.

Chen Han stood behind Zhu Youwei, watching her glue the last notice firmly in place. The handwriting was still clearly legible in the twilight:

"Urgently recruiting 100 weavers, daily wages and two meals."

"This notice is written very straightforwardly." Chen Han said with a smile, and took the wet towel handed to him by Xiao Tao and wiped the paste off Zhu Youwei's fingertips.

Zhu Youwei shook her hands, and the wooden hairpin in her hair drew a golden arc in the sunset: "The Nanyang merchant only waits for half a month, and two thousand pieces of cloth is not a small amount. If we don't speak frankly, how can we make it in time?"

As soon as she finished speaking, there were chaotic footsteps coming from the alley. Several women wearing headscarves came over, and the tall thin woman in the lead squinted her eyes and said, "Daily...daily wages?" She suddenly grabbed the sleeve of her companion and said, "Sister Liu, it's true! The Women's Workshop is hiring!"

The footsteps in the alley became more frequent, and in a blink of an eye, there were 20 to 30 people gathered in front of the workshop. Some were carrying vegetable baskets, some were carrying children, and even an old woman was leaning on a cane. Everyone was pushing and shoving, trying to see the words on the notice clearly.

"Don't be in a hurry!" Xiao Tao jumped onto the steps, her blue headscarf fluttering in the evening breeze. "Those who can read should stand on the left, and those who can weave should stand on the right!"

The crowd was in chaos. A young woman carrying a baby on her back asked timidly, "Girl, I can't read, but I can spin. Can I do it?"

Zhu Youwei was about to answer when a sneer suddenly came from the depths of the alley: "Women should stay at home to take care of their husbands and children. It's inappropriate for them to show their faces in public!"

The crowd automatically parted to make way for an old scholar in a long gown, leaning on a cane, followed by a few idlers looking around. The old scholar's cane hit the bluestone slab hard, startling the sparrows under the eaves.

"Master Zhou is here to scold us again..." someone in the crowd whispered.

Chen Han narrowed his eyes. He recognized this old scholar. He was the Doctor Zhou in the Imperial College who always talked about "Instructions for Women". Just as he was about to speak, he saw Zhu Youwei had already stepped forward, and the silver scissors on her fingertips made a beautiful arc.

"Master Zhou, you've arrived just in time." Zhu Youwei pointed at the job posting with a smile, "You are very knowledgeable, why don't you read it to us?"

The old scholar's face suddenly turned the color of liver. Of course he knew the words, but those words were like hot potatoes - daily wages for women? Free meals? This was simply a slap in the face of "Instructions for Women"!
"Ridiculous!" The old scholar's cane left deep scratches on the ground. "A woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent! You are like this..."

"Master Zhou!" A loud voice suddenly interrupted him. A sturdy woman squeezed in from the back of the crowd, holding a kitchen knife covered with fish scales in her hand, "My daughter has worked in the workshop for half a month and earned more than my husband! If you stop me, I will make your stupid son go hungry tonight!"

The old scholar's son was notoriously stupid, and in his thirties he still drooled as he wandered around the streets.

The old scholar was so angry that his beard was shaking. He pointed his cane at the woman and said, "You cunt! You cunt!"

"Master, calm down." Chen Han stepped forward at the right time and took out a brand new voucher from his sleeve. "Look, this is the payment for the goods in the Women's Workshop today. If your female relatives want to come, the wages will be calculated based on experienced workers."

The banknote with the words "One Guan" printed on it shone an attractive luster in the sunset. The old scholar's Adam's apple rolled noticeably - he came from a poor family and lived on that meager salary.

"Dad!" A timid voice suddenly came from outside the crowd. A fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl squeezed in with a copy of "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art" in her hand, "Let your daughter go. She can earn money to buy medicine for her brother..."

The old scholar's expression changed again and again, and finally he snorted heavily and turned away. But the girl stayed, looking at Zhu Youwei eagerly.

"What's your name?" Zhu Youwei asked.

"Zhou, Zhou Xiulan." The girl's voice was as thin as a mosquito.

Zhu Youwei opened the list and wrote down the first name with ink. Amid the rustling sound of the pen tip touching the paper, the women watching suddenly fell silent. They stared at the pen, as if they had seen some kind of turning point in fate.

"Next!" Xiao Tao's clear voice broke the silence.

The crowd suddenly became agitated again. One after another, women came forward to sign up, some with their real names, some with their husband's surnames. Zhu Youwei accepted everyone who came, and quickly filled up three pages of the list.

Chen Han leaned against the door frame, watching the scene. As dusk deepened, lanterns were lit in the workshop, and the warm yellow light shone through the window paper, stretching the shadows of the people in line. In the distance came the sound of the night watchman's clappers, intertwined with the clacking of the loom, creating a strange harmony.

"Duke!" Li Zhen suddenly ran over from the alley, holding a food box in her hand. Behind her, there were a dozen servants pushing carts filled with food boxes. "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince sent someone to deliver this, saying it's for the female workers."

The moment the food box was opened, the rich aroma of meat wafted out.

The people in the queue exclaimed in amazement - the box was filled with stewed pork, shiny and steaming.

"This..." Zhu Youwei looked up in surprise.

Li Zhen lowered her voice and said, "His Highness said that only when you are full can you have the energy to work quickly."

Zhu Youwei's eyes suddenly felt hot.

She turned around and shouted to the people in line, "Those who have registered, come in and eat first! We'll start work tonight!"

The crowd burst into cheers.

Several women carrying their children on their backs were so excited that they kept wiping away tears. How long had it been since they had eaten meat?

The last time was when my husband saved some meat from his teeth during Chinese New Year.

The workshop soon became lively.

The new female workers were arranged in front of the looms that had been prepared long ago, and Xiaotao took a few experienced workers to guide them one by one.

Nanny Liu walked around with the account book in her hand, correcting the newcomers' techniques from time to time.

Chen Han stood in the corner, watching Zhu Youwei busying around.

The wooden hairpin in her hair had loosened at some point, and a few strands of hair hung around her neck, stuck to her by sweat.

But her eyes were surprisingly bright, as if there was a fire burning in them.

"Chen Han." A familiar voice sounded behind him.

Chen Han turned around and saw Zhu Biao standing at the door in casual clothes.

"Why is Your Highness here?" Chen Han hurried over to greet him. Zhu Biao smiled and glanced at the busy female workers: "Come and see our heroines."

"What's in your hand?" Zhu Biao asked.

Chen Han unfolded the blueprint. "The six-spindle spinning wheel newly designed by the Institute of Physics can increase efficiency by 50%."

Zhu Biao took the drawing and saw that it was densely marked with Arabic numerals and various mechanical structures that he could not understand.

But the most eye-catching thing is the small "π" symbol in the lower right corner - this is the logo of the School of Physics.

"When can it be produced?" Zhu Biao asked.

"Three days." Chen Han said confidently, "The carpenters in the Ministry of Industry are working overnight to complete it."

As he was speaking, Zhu Youwei came over.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and said with a smile, "Dad, you're here too? That's great. Help me take a look at this."

She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from her sleeve. On it was a strange pattern that looked like a woven pattern or numbers.

Zhu Biao took it and looked at it, then suddenly laughed out loud: "Is this... an anti-counterfeiting pattern designed with Arabic numerals?"

"Yes!" Zhu Youwei said excitedly, "Don't Nanyang merchants like new things? If we weave numbers into the dark patterns of the cloth, they will definitely like it more!"

Chen Han leaned over to take a look and saw that the pattern was indeed ingenious - from a distance it looked like an ordinary cloud pattern, but up close one could make out the words "3.14". This was a creative idea that even the students in the School of Physics could not have thought of.

"What a great idea!" Chen Han clapped his hands in approval. "I'll ask the Physics Department to design a few new patterns right away."

As the three were talking, there was a sudden commotion outside the door.

I saw several women dressed in silk and satin standing at the door, looking inside curiously.

"This is..." Chen Han asked puzzledly.

Zhu Youwei sighed, "The women of the Xu family. Ever since our workshop became popular, these ladies from wealthy families have been coming to 'visit'."

Sure enough, when the women saw Zhu Biao, they immediately bowed and greeted him.

Madam Xu, who was in the lead, said with a smile, "Your Highness, I heard that the fabrics of the Women's Workshop are exquisite, so I came here to buy some."

Zhu Biao said nothing, and Zhu Youwei nodded calmly: "If Madam Xu wants to buy cloth, she can go to the dock tomorrow."

Madam Xu was not giving up, and glanced straight into the workshop: "I want to order something special... I heard that the workshop has a kind of 'digital pattern'?"

Chen Han and Zhu Biao exchanged glances. The news spread so fast!

Zhu Youwei took a step forward and spun the silver scissors around her fingertips. "Mrs. Xu is well-informed. But the 'digital pattern' is only for Southeast Asia, not for sale locally."

Mrs. Xu's expression suddenly changed.

The young woman behind her, who should be her daughter judging by her attire, suddenly muttered, "Why are you so proud? It's just some coarse cloth woven by a widow..."

"Ms. Xu!" Zhu Youwei's voice suddenly turned cold. "The jacket you are wearing is the 'Songjiang Blue' jacket that my workshop produced last month."

Miss Xu's face suddenly turned red.

This dress of hers was indeed newly bought because she heard that several princesses in the palace liked this color.

Upon seeing this, Madam Xu quickly tried to smooth things over: "My Lady Princess, you misunderstood. What I meant was..."

"The registration fee is ten cents!" Xiao Tao suddenly interrupted her loudly.

Everyone turned around and saw that the girl had moved a table to block the door at some point, waving a wooden sign in her hand, "To visit the workshop, ten cents per person!"

Madam Xu was stunned: "How shameless..."

"If Madam Xu thinks it's too expensive, you can go to Xu's Cloth Shop for a visit." Zhu Youwei said with a smile, "I heard that they are also imitating our looms recently. I think it will be a different sight."

Mrs. Xu's face turned red and white, and she finally left. Before leaving, her daughter looked back reluctantly, her eyes lingering on the running looms.

Zhu Biao looked at their departing backs and suddenly chuckled, "Youwei, your move is quite cruel."

Zhu Youwei shrugged: "Dad, you don't know how much time these rich ladies waste when they come to 'visit' every day. Collecting some money is just enough to subsidize their meals."

As the night deepened, the sounds of looms in the workshop became more and more frequent.

The new women workers gradually mastered the skills and wove cloth one after another. Zhu Youwei personally checked the quality of each piece of cloth and dismantled and re-wove those that did not meet the standards.

Chen Han and Zhu Biao stood in the yard, looking at the brightly lit scene in the window.

The moonlight shone on the two of them, stretching their shadows very long.

"Chen Han." Zhu Biao suddenly spoke up, "What do you think will be written about tonight in the history books a hundred years from now?"

Chen Han looked at Zhu Youwei's busy figure in the window and said softly, "Maybe they would write 'this year, women began to enter the market'. Or maybe..." He smiled, "They wouldn't record it specifically at all."

Zhu Biao nodded thoughtfully.

Yes, just like no one would specifically record the year when people started to cook with iron pots.

Real change often begins with these seemingly insignificant daily routines.

The sound of the night watchman's clapperboard came from afar, it was already the third watch.

The sound of looms in the workshop still continues, as if weaving a new era.

Suddenly, there was a sound of hurried footsteps at the entrance of the alley.

The guards of the East Palace came running over breathlessly: "Your Highness! Duke! The Nanyang envoys just arrived at the Huitong Hall and asked for a meeting!"

Zhu Biao frowned: "So late?"

The guard lowered his voice and said, "He said he was an envoy from Java, and brought urgent military information!"

Chen Han and Zhu Biao looked at each other, then turned and walked out at the same time.

Before leaving, Chen Han looked back at the workshop.

Through the window paper, he saw Zhu Youwei leaning over to instruct a new female worker, her profile looking particularly soft under the light.

At this moment, he was suddenly extremely certain that no matter how the history books recorded it, everything that happened tonight would be like those digital patterns woven into the fabric, deeply imprinted in the fabric of this era, and would never be erased...

(End of this chapter)