People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 743: Letting women speak is the way to improve productivity
"Look, we'll set up a pilot site in Suzhou, Songjiang, and Hangzhou." He spread out a map and pointed to the marked locations. "They're all located next to official roads, which will be convenient for transporting raw materials."

Zhu Youwei took a closer look and suddenly pointed at the small words next to the Suzhou sign. "'Next to the official school'? What does this mean?"

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince specifically instructed me to do this." Chen Han lowered his voice, "Most of the poor students in the official school have women who are skilled in weaving. They can work during the day and learn to read and do math with the students at night. It's the best of both worlds."

Her eyes lit up. "This is a great idea! It can help with the family expenses and help me learn." Suddenly she frowned again, "But will those sour scholars agree to it?"

Chen Han smiled meaningfully. "They have no choice but to agree. The money for repairing the Suzhou government school last month was allocated from the tax money of your workshop."

Just as he was talking, footsteps came from outside the door.

Xiao Tao came in with a tea tray and smiled when she saw the two of them huddled together looking at a map.

"Princess, Duke, have some tea and take a break." She put down the tea tray and took out a letter. "Just received. The Mu Palace in Yunnan has placed an order for another 5,000 pieces."

Zhu Youwei took the letter, glanced at it, and handed it to Chen Han. "Look, this is the first batch. If we don't expand the scale, we will be too busy to handle it."

After reading the letter, Chen Han suddenly asked, "How many female workers in your workshop are capable of working independently?"

"At least twenty." She counted on her fingers, "Xiao Tao is one, Liu Ma's niece is not bad, and there is also the granddaughter of Minister Zheng..."

"That's enough." Chen Han interrupted her. "These people will be the future managers. Send two people to each pilot workshop, and the experienced ones will guide the new ones. They will be able to get started in three months."

Xiao Tao's eyes lit up as she listened. "Then, can I go?"

Zhu Youwei poked her forehead with a smile. "Why, do you think my temple is too small?"

"No, no!" Xiao Tao waved her hands repeatedly, "I was thinking that if I could go to Hangzhou, it would be a good opportunity to visit my mother. She always says that women should not show their faces in public, but I want her to see how successful her daughter is now!"

Chen Han and Zhu Youwei smiled at each other.

Under the candlelight, the marks on the map seemed to come alive, transforming into countless looms, clicking in the morning light of the Jiangnan water town.

"I will go to the palace to meet the prince tomorrow." Chen Han rolled up the map. "If everything goes well, we can start construction next month."

Zhu Youwei took a sip of tea and remembered something. "Oh, remember to tell my dad that every workshop must have a female doctor. Men are not good at handling women's affairs."

The candlelight flickered gently in the gauze, casting the shadows of the three people on the wall of the study. Xiao Tao pinched the corner of her clothes, her fingertips slightly white. She stole a glance at Zhu Youwei, then quickly lowered her head.

Zhu Youwei put down the teacup, and the porcelain made a crisp sound when it hit the wooden table. "Xiao Tao, what did you want to say just now?"

Xiao Tao's fingers twisted even tighter. "I...I just..."

Chen Han rolled up the map and tapped the table lightly. "In the mansion and in the workshop, you are all equal. Feel free to speak up if you have any ideas."

The long sound of the night watchman's clapper came from outside the window, it was the second watch. Xiao Tao took a deep breath and said in a voice as thin as a mosquito: "I think... most of the sisters in the workshop are illiterate."

Zhu Youwei frowned slightly. She remembered that when she was counting the inventory yesterday, a female worker didn't know the numbers and recorded three pieces of high-quality cloth as inferior goods.

"Go on." Chen Han leaned forward.

Xiao Tao was a little bolder: "If we can set up a literacy class in the workshop and invite students from the official school to teach..." Her voice gradually became lower, "I am overstepping my authority."

Zhu Youwei suddenly stood up, and the silver scissors drew a bright line in the candlelight. "That's a good idea!" She walked quickly to the bookshelf and pulled out a blue booklet. "The Thousand Characters, a new edition of the Institute of Physics, is perfect for enlightenment."

Chen Han took the book and flipped through it, a smile on his face. "The classes are held every ten days on holidays, so they don't interfere with work. If you learn well, you can get a 10% increase in your wages."

Xiao Tao's eyes lit up like stars in the night. "Is it really possible?"

"Of course." Zhu Youwei sat back next to her and held her hand. "What else do you think?"

Xiao Tao bit her lower lip and said, "The looms in the workshop are too noisy. The sisters have to shout when they talk. If...if we can put some cork under the machine..."

Chen Han slapped his thigh suddenly and said, "Great! There happens to be some clay rubber in the Physics Institute's warehouse, which has excellent sound insulation effect."

The discussion among the three became more and more heated. Zhu Youwei asked Xiaotao to fetch paper and pen to write down the suggestions one by one. The candle wick burst into a spark, and the ink on the paper sparkled.

"There is one last thing." Xiao Tao's voice was no longer timid, "There are too few toilets in the workshop, and the sisters always have to queue up..."

Zhu Youwei blushed, but soon recovered. "This is more important. Tomorrow we'll have someone build two more rooms in the backyard, laying blue bricks and installing screens."

Chen Han folded up the suggestions he had written down and put them into his sleeve. "I will present these to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince after the morning court tomorrow."

Xiao Tao suddenly knelt down and bowed deeply: "Thank you, Princess, and thank you, Duke."

Zhu Youwei quickly helped her up: "Silly girl, we should thank you. These suggestions can help so many sisters."

The night wind blew through the window, bringing with it the coolness of early autumn. Chen Han stood up to close the window, and suddenly saw that the old plum tree in the corner of the yard had already formed buds.

"It's getting late, let's all rest." He turned around and said, "We have a lot to do tomorrow."

Xiao Tao bowed and left, closing the door quietly. Zhu Youwei looked at her leaving figure and said softly, "I didn't expect a little girl to be so thoughtful."

Chen Han blew out several lamps, leaving only one on the desk. "All the female workers in the workshop have a lot of complaints. It's just that no one asked before."

Zhu Youwei stroked the silver scissors, thinking. "In the past, in the palace, the maids always said that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent. Now it seems that women who are literate and sensible are more likely to understand the rules."

"It's more than just a rule." Chen Han's voice was filled with laughter. "The guys in the Physics Department said that a literate female worker can learn a new loom three times faster than an illiterate one."

The clappers sounded again, this time at the third watch. Zhu Youwei yawned, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. "Go to sleep, you have to get up early tomorrow."

Chen Han nodded, but remained seated at his desk. "Take a rest first. I'll think about the rules of the Jiangnan Workshop."

Zhu Youwei stood up and walked towards the inner room, but suddenly stopped. "Chen Han."

"Ok?"

"Thank you."

Chen Han looked up and saw her standing at the junction of candlelight and darkness. "What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for letting them talk."

……

At dawn, Xiao Tao and the female workers were already busy in the workshop. The newly arrived cotton had piled up into a small mountain, and several young girls were using slingshots improved by the School of Physics to loosen the cotton.

"Sister Xiao Tao!" A round-faced girl ran over, "I heard you're going to Hangzhou to be a manager?"

Xiao Tao paused with the scale in her hand, and continued to weigh the cotton yarn. "Who said that?" "Everyone said so." The round-faced girl blinked, "They said that you gave advice to the princess last night and were given an important position."

Xiao Tao blushed. "What nonsense! I am just..."

"Xiao Tao." Zhu Youwei's voice came from the door. She was wearing an indigo cloth skirt today, and the silver scissors in her hair were particularly eye-catching. "Come and help me take a look at this."

The female workers in the workshop immediately stopped their work and saluted. Zhu Youwei waved her hand: "Just do your work, no need to be polite."

Xiao Tao followed Zhu Youwei to the backyard. The morning dew had not yet dispersed, soaking their embroidered shoes.

"This is the blueprint of the new loom designed by the School of Physics." Zhu Youwei unfolded a roll of parchment. "Can you see if there is anything you want to change?"

Xiao Tao opened her eyes wide in surprise: "For me to see?"

"From now on, you are no longer a slave." Zhu Youwei's voice was soft but firm, "You are Xiao Tao, the manager of the Jinguo Workshop, and you will be the head of the Hangzhou Workshop in the future."

Xiao Tao's tears suddenly welled up. She hurriedly wiped them with her sleeves, but the more she wiped, the more tears came.

"Silly girl, why are you crying?" Zhu Youwei took out a handkerchief and handed it to her. "Come and see if the shuttle is in the right position."

Xiao Tao took the handkerchief and blew her nose hard. She lowered her head to look at the blueprint and gradually stopped sobbing. "This shuttle is too narrow. If we weave double-sided patterns, the thread will easily get stuck."

Zhu Youwei's eyes lit up: "That's right! I'll have someone change it right away."

There was a sudden commotion in the front yard. The two rushed over and saw Chen Han and several officials from the Ministry of Industry standing next to the new loom.

"Princess." Chen Han bowed. "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince read the suggestions last night and agreed with them very much. He specially sent craftsmen from the Ministry of Works to conduct an on-site inspection."

The doctor from the Ministry of Industry was a lean middle-aged man, who was touching the new loom and marveling at it. "I have never seen such an exquisite machine before, could you please dismantle it and take a look?"

Zhu Youwei looked at Xiaotao: "This was designed by Xiaotao, you have to ask her."

Everyone's eyes were focused on Xiao Tao. Her legs felt a little weak, but she straightened her back again when she remembered what Chen Han said last night.

"You can dismantle it, but you need to pay attention to three points." Her voice became more and more stable. "First, the third connecting rod on the left side must be removed first. Second, there is a spring in the gear box, be careful not to get hurt. Third..."

The doctor of the Ministry of Industry nodded repeatedly and took out a small notebook to record it. Chen Han stood aside with a gratified smile on his face.

When the noon bell rang, the inspection was finally over. The doctor of the Ministry of Works bowed deeply to Xiao Tao and said, "Miss, you are very talented. I am grateful for your guidance."

Xiao Tao's gesture of returning the greeting was a little awkward, but it was already quite decent. Zhu Youwei watched, and the silver scissors turned a beautiful arc on her fingertips.

"Chen Han." She called in a low voice, "Should we open a school to teach women crafts?"

Chen Han was reading the documents left by the Ministry of Works. He looked up when he heard this and said, "That's exactly what I meant. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said that we can set up a girls' school next to each workshop and invite female teachers from the official school to teach."

"Female teacher?" Zhu Youwei raised her eyebrows, "Is the Imperial College willing to release her?"

"They can't let go." Chen Han shook the document, "This is the prince's handwritten order."

Xiao Tao brought the tea and her hands trembled when she heard this. A few drops of hot tea splashed on Chen Han's sleeves, and she hurriedly wiped them.

"It's okay." Chen Han took the teacup, "Xiao Tao, do you want to study?"

Xiao Tao was stunned. She recalled the days when she was a child, lying outside the window of the private school and eavesdropping, and remembered those words that sounded like a divine book.

"I want to." The word almost jumped out from the bottom of her heart.

Zhu Youwei put her arm around her shoulders and said, "Then you will be the first student of the girls' school."

As the sun sets, the sound of the looms in the workshop gradually dies down. The women workers come out in twos and threes, talking and laughing. Xiao Tao stands at the door and gives everyone their wages for the day.

"Come early tomorrow," she told a young daughter-in-law, "the female teacher from the government school will come to teach you how to read."

The young wife opened her mouth in surprise: "We can read too?"

"Of course." Xiao Tao's voice was full of pride. "The princess said that all the women in the Women's Workshop must be literate and sensible."

The last ray of sunlight shone on the plaque on the door lintel, and the four characters "Women's Workshop" shone brightly. Zhu Youwei and Chen Han stood in the corner of the yard, watching this scene.

"Did you see that?" Zhu Youwei said softly, "The way they walk is different."

Chen Han nodded. The female workers who used to be hunched over now straightened their backs. Their steps were brisk, as if they were stepping on the wind.

"This is just the beginning," he said.

Chapter 332 A New World in the Sound of Looms

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the courtyard of the Women's Workshop was already crowded with people. Xiao Tao came out of the wing room holding a stack of account books and almost bumped into Aunt Liu who was moving cotton yarn.

"Slow down!" Aunt Liu supported her, "Why is it so lively today?"

Xiao Tao stood on tiptoe and looked into the crowd: "I heard that the Duke wants to improve the new loom, and everyone is here to give their opinions."

In the middle of the yard, Chen Han was squatting beside a loom, sketching on a wooden board with a charcoal pencil in his hand. Zhu Youwei stood nearby with her sleeves rolled up, the silver scissors on her fingertips gleaming in the morning light. A dozen old weavers gathered around, talking in a flurry.

"This shuttle is too heavy. My wrists are sore after weaving for half an hour." A white-haired old woman gestured.

Chen Han nodded and wrote down the words "reducing the weight of the shuttle" on the wooden board. As soon as his pen stopped, another weaver with a wrinkled face squeezed forward.

“The spools are stuck too tight, and the machine always has to stop when the thread breaks.”

Zhu Youwei squatted down and fiddled with the thread spool with the tip of the silver scissors. "It's indeed too tight. Xiaotao, go to the Physics Institute and get some talcum powder."

The officials of the Ministry of Works standing outside looked at each other in bewilderment. Doctor Li Yan tugged at his colleague's sleeve and said, "How can this be allowed? How can a dignified Duke listen to these women servants telling him what to do?"

Before he finished speaking, Chen Han suddenly stood up and waved to the back of the crowd: "Aunt Zhang, please tell me."

An old woman with a hunched back was moved to the front. Her rough fingers stroked the beam of the loom, and her voice trembled a little: "The grain of this wood is wrong. It will crack when it's cold."

Zhu Youwei's eyes lit up: "You have a good eye! This is the material from last winter, and it has indeed cracked." She turned to Chen Han, "We need to replace it with black gold wood shipped from Southeast Asia."

Wang Zhen, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Works, could not help but interrupt: "Princess, these trivial matters can be left to the craftsmen. Why do you need to take care of them yourself?"

The yard suddenly became quiet. The weavers shrank their necks and stepped back. The excitement just now seemed to have been poured with a basin of cold water...

(End of this chapter)