People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 745: The Women's Workshop Opened in Hangzhou, But Was Harassed

The ship slowly docked.

The dock was crowded with people, and Xiao Tao immediately spotted Lord Zhao, the governor of Hangzhou, standing in the front.

He was wearing official uniform, followed by several officers, and was looking towards the ship.

Xiaotao's legs felt a little weak.

She had never dealt with such a high-ranking official in her life.

"Your humble servant respectfully welcomes the manager of the Women's Workshop." Prefect Zhao bowed and spoke in a loud voice.

Xiao Tao hurriedly returned the gift and almost stepped on the hem of her skirt.

She stole a glance at Prefect Zhao and found that he looked respectful, without any contempt at all.

"Master Zhao, you are too polite." Zhu Youwei replied, "Xiao Tao has just arrived, I hope you can take good care of her."

"Your Highness, you are too kind." Prefect Zhao said with a smile, "It is a blessing for the people of Hangzhou Prefecture to be able to obtain a branch of the Women's Workshop. I have prepared carriages and horses, please go to the government office and rest first."

The carriage slowly drove into Hangzhou. Xiaotao lifted the curtain and saw the bustling streets with people. Suddenly she saw a few women coming out of the cloth shop with baskets on their shoulders, holding brand new "Quanqing cloth" in their hands.

"That is……"

"Hangzhou already had caravans selling cloth from Nanjing." Zhu Youwei followed her gaze, "Now that there are workshops here, the price can be reduced by another 30%."

Xiao Tao's heart warmed up. She remembered what the sisters in the workshop said - they wanted to make sure all women in the world could afford good clothes.

A welcoming banquet had been prepared in the backyard of the government office. During the banquet, Prefect Zhao toasted repeatedly and spoke earnestly.

"To be honest, my lady, the weavers in Hangzhou have suffered from Xuji Cloth Shop for a long time." Prefect Zhao sighed, "They monopolized the silk price and squeezed the weavers, and the people complained bitterly. Now that the Women's Workshop has come, things have finally turned around."

Xiao Tao clenched her chopsticks tightly. She thought of the arrogant face of Shopkeeper Xu and the look on his face when he withheld the wages of the female workers.

"Don't worry, Lord Zhao." She heard her own voice was unusually firm. "The workshop will start operation in three days. I will let the people of Hangzhou see what good cloth is."

Zhu Youwei looked at her approvingly.

After the banquet, Xiaotao stood alone in the yard.

The moonlight sprinkled on the bluestone slabs, reflecting her slender shadow. She suddenly remembered the day she left home, when her mother chased her to the alley entrance, crying and saying that she had no shame.

"I'll make you understand." Xiao Tao whispered to herself, "Women can also live uprightly."

Three days later, the Hangzhou Women's Workshop officially started operation.

Before daybreak, a long line formed outside the workshop. Two hundred female workers, wearing the same blue shirts, looked at the young female manager with curiosity.

Xiao Tao stood on the steps, her palms full of sweat. She took a deep breath and opened the list Zhu Youwei gave her.

"Aunt Li, you will take thirty people to be responsible for fluffing the cotton."

“Sister Wang, the fifty of you will specialize in spinning.”

"The rest of you will learn the new loom from me."

The female workers looked at each other in bewilderment. They had never seen such an organized arrangement. In the past, the manager at Xuji Cloth Shop would just yell at them to work hard.

"Manager, can this loom really weave three pieces of cloth a day?" asked a brave girl.

Xiaotao smiled. She walked to a loom and adjusted the shuttle skillfully.

"Okay."

The shuttle flew through her hands, and the cloth grew at a speed visible to the naked eye. The women workers stared with wide eyes, and some could not help but exclaimed.

"This...this is too fast!"

"Not really." Xiao Tao wiped the sweat from her forehead. "In Jinling, the fastest sisters can weave five pieces a day."

There was a commotion at the gate. Magistrate Zhao came in with a few local gentry, followed by a fat man with a reluctant look on his face.

"Shopkeeper Xu?" Xiao Tao narrowed her eyes.

Fatty Xu snorted: "I want to see what's so special about your workshop!"

Xiaotao calmly picked up a piece of freshly woven cloth.

"Please have a look, Shopkeeper Xu." She unfolded the cloth. "This 'Quanqing cloth' has fine warp and weft, is wear-resistant and washable, and the price is only half of Xu's."

Fatty Xu's face turned pale.

He reached out and touched the cloth, furiously: "Impossible! This must be the finished product shipped from Jinling!"

Xiao Tao pointed to the corner of the courtyard and said, "There is freshly unwoven cloth over there. If Manager Xu doesn't believe me, you can go and have a look."

Fatty Xu rushed over to check, his face becoming increasingly uglier.

He turned around and grabbed a female worker by the collar: "Tell me! Are you guys cheating?"

The female worker was trembling with fear.

Xiao Tao took a step forward and put the silver scissors on Fatty Xu's wrist.

"Let her go."

Fatty Xu felt pain and let go.

He looked at this former little maid in astonishment, unable to believe that she dared to lay a hand on him.

"Master Zhao!" Fatty Xu turned to the prefect and asked, "What crime should this lowly servant be punished for?"

Prefect Zhao sneered, "Boss Xu, I saw it with my own eyes. You were the first to bully the female workers."

He turned to Xiao Tao and said, "Manager Xiao Tao, please continue working. I want to see who dares to cause trouble in the Jinguo Workshop."

Fatty Xu left in disgrace. The female workers cheered and looked at Xiao Tao with admiration.

In the evening, Xiaotao was checking the accounts when suddenly someone came to report that her mother had arrived at the workshop door.

The pen in Xiaotao's hand fell to the ground.

Outside the workshop gate, a middle-aged woman in plain clothes stood awkwardly.

She looked at the tall gate tower and twisted the corner of her clothes with her fingers.

"mother……"

The woman looked up and saw her daughter wearing a neat blue shirt with a wooden sign with the word "Manager" on her chest.

"You...you really became the manager?"

Xiao Tao's nose felt sore. She took her mother's hand and walked into the workshop, pointing at the busy female workers.

"Mom, look. These are women who earn their livings with their own hands. We don't steal or rob, and we live an upright life."

The woman looked at her daughter's straight back and suddenly burst into tears.

"Mother was wrong... Mother shouldn't have stopped you..."

……

In the early morning of Hangzhou, the mist has not yet dissipated.

Xiaotao stood in front of the newly built Women's Workshop, her fingers tightly grasping the corner of her clothes.

The six large gold-plated characters "Hangzhou Women's Workshop" on the workshop's gate sparkled in the morning sun, making her eyes sore.

"Manager, the cotton yarn has arrived." A female worker wearing a blue headscarf trotted over to report.

Xiao Tao took a deep breath and forced herself to loosen her knuckles. "Count the number and divide them according to the process."

The female worker took the order and left, her back as straight as a pine tree.

Xiao Tao looked at her and remembered that she was also full of energy in the Jinling workshop a month ago. But now that she has become a manager, the burden on her shoulders is so heavy that she can't breathe.

A burst of laughter came from the teahouse across the street. Several young men who looked like scholars were pointing and talking at the workshop.

"I heard that the manager of this workshop is a woman, and she was born a maid!" The scholar in green clothes slammed the table, "Women should stay at home to take care of their husbands and children. How can she show her face in public!"

"That's right." The companion echoed, "If my wife dares to come out to work, I will break her legs!"

Xiao Tao's ears burned red. She turned and walked quickly into the workshop, almost bumping into the female worker who was moving the loom.

"Be careful, manager!" The female worker supported her, "Don't take those sour scholars' words to heart. We earn a living based on our own abilities, how can we bother them?"

Xiao Tao forced a smile. She walked over to the loom and stroked the smooth wood with her fingers. This new loom was specially brought from Jinling by Zhu Youwei. It was three times more delicate than the one she used when she first learned the craft.

"The princess said that weaving does not rely on talking." Xiao Tao said softly, "We can weave good cloth, which is better than anything else." The female workers in the workshop gradually arrived. Most of them were from Hangzhou, some were widows, some were driven out by their husbands' families, and a few were young girls who ran away from home secretly after hearing that the workshop was recruiting workers.

"Today we will first learn how to use the new loom." Xiao Tao stood in front of everyone, her voice much more stable than before, "The sisters from Jinling will teach you step by step."

A girl with a red hairband raised her hand: "Manager, people say that we women can't weave good cloth. Is that true?"

The workshop suddenly fell silent. Everyone looked at Xiao Tao with anxiety and expectation in their eyes.

Xiao Tao walked to a loom and sat down, threading the thread expertly. "Watch this."

The shuttle flew back and forth in her hands, making crisp clicking sounds. In less than half an hour, a piece of cloth gradually took shape before everyone's eyes. The surface of the cloth was fine and smooth, and it glowed with a faint green light in the sun.

"This is called 'Quanqing cloth'." Xiao Tao smoothed the cloth. "Sisters in Jinling have been weaving it for two years. Even merchants from Southeast Asia are vying for it."

The female workers gathered around, carefully touching the cloth, their eyes full of amazement.

"This cloth is really strong!" "It's much finer than Xu's!" "Can we really weave cloth like this?"

Xiao Tao stood up and patted the cotton wool on her hands. "As long as you study hard, anyone can weave it. The princess said that women are not born to be inferior to others."

There was a commotion outside the workshop. The fat shopkeeper of Xuji Cloth Shop rushed in aggressively with a few of his employees.

"I heard you're hiring here?" Shopkeeper Xu squinted his eyes and looked at the female workers. "How much do you pay?"

Xiao Tao stepped forward and stood in front of the female worker. "Manager Xu, the wages are our workshop's business, so you don't have to worry about it."

Fatty Xu sneered and pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve. "Look what this is! It's the approval document from the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau! Without the permission of the Weaving Bureau, you can't open this workshop!"

Xiaotao took the approval document, her fingers trembling slightly.

The paper was indeed stamped with the seal of the Weaving Bureau, stating that no private workshop could be set up without permission.

"Our workshop was specially approved by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Xiao Tao forced herself to remain calm, "We don't need permission from the Weaving Bureau."

Fatty Xu's face darkened. "Don't use the prince's power to pressure others! In Hangzhou, we have to follow Hangzhou's rules!"

He waved his hand and said, "Someone, smash all these looms for me!"

Several guys rolled up their sleeves and were about to step forward. The female workers were so scared that they huddled together, and some of them were already crying.

"stop!"

A clear shout came from the door.

Zhu Youwei strode into the workshop with silver scissors in hand. Behind her followed a team of Jinyiwei, with embroidered spring swords on their waists shining coldly.

Fatty Xu suddenly became depressed, with cold sweat on his forehead. "My Lady, My Lady..."

"Manager Xu is so arrogant." Zhu Youwei sneered, "You even dare to disobey the Crown Prince's order?"

Fatty Xu fell to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly. "I dare not! I didn't know it was the Princess's property..."

Zhu Youwei ignored him and turned to look at Xiaotao. "Are you okay?"

Xiao Tao shook her head, her eyes reddened. "Princess, am I really useless?"

"Nonsense." Zhu Youwei patted her shoulder, "You did a great job."

After the Jinyiwei took Fatty Xu and his group away, peace returned to the workshop.

The female workers surrounded Xiaotao and Zhu Youwei, talking about the thrilling experience that had just occurred.

"Everyone be quiet." Zhu Youwei raised her hand to signal, "Listen to Manager Xiaotao's arrangements."

Xiao Tao took a deep breath and straightened her back. "Don't be afraid, everyone. Keep working. We must weave the first batch of cloth today and let the people of Hangzhou see our women's abilities!"

The women workers responded in unison and returned to their looms. Soon the sound of weaving could be heard in the workshop.

Zhu Youwei pulled Xiaotao aside and took out a letter from her sleeve. "News from Jinling: Prince Mu's Mansion has ordered another 5,000 pieces of cloth."

Xiao Tao took the letter and gently stroked the words on the paper. "Princess, I..."

"Don't think too much." Zhu Youwei interrupted her, "Your current task is to manage the workshop well. Remember, women are not limited to taking care of their husbands and children. We can also hold up half the sky."

As the sun rose higher, the sound of looms in the workshop became more frequent. Xiao Tao shuttled between the looms, patiently answering the workers' questions. The girl with a red hairband learned the fastest and was already able to operate the new loom independently.

"Manager, do you think I'm weaving correctly?" The girl excitedly held up the cloth she had just woven.

Xiao Tao checked it carefully and nodded with satisfaction. "Very good, continue."

At noon, many people gathered outside the workshop to watch the fun.

They heard that the women's workshop would open today, and they all wanted to see what these women could weave.

"I heard that cloth is better than Xuji's?"

"Boast, what good cloth can a woman weave?"

"But the workshop in Jinling is indeed..."

Amid the discussions, the door of the workshop slowly opened.

Xiaotao came out with a few female workers, holding freshly woven cloth in their hands.

"My fellow countrymen," Xiao Tao said in a clear voice, "This is the first batch of 'Quanqing cloth' produced by our Hangzhou Women's Workshop. Please take a look."

People gathered around and touched the cloth curiously.

Someone took out a copper coin and wanted to buy it on the spot.

"This cloth is really strong!" "It's 30% cheaper than Xu's!" "Give me two pieces!"

Xiao Tao looked at the lively scene in front of her, and the corners of her mouth rose unconsciously. She looked up at Zhu Youwei who was standing on the second floor of the workshop, and the latter gave her a thumbs up.

When the work was over in the evening, the female workers received their first wages. The girl with a red hairband held the copper coins and tears fell down her face.

"My mother has been ill for so long, and I finally have money to buy medicine..."

Xiao Tao patted her shoulder. "Work hard, and things will get better and better."

Outside the workshop, several scholars stood in the distance and watched.

They watched the female workers leave the workshop, talking and laughing, with complicated expressions on their faces.

"Brother Li, look at them..."

"Well, it's just some menial work."

"But I heard that the monthly salary for a workshop manager is five taels of silver..."

Li Xiucai did not respond.

He looked at Xiaotao's straight back and felt that the sage book in his hand was a little heavy.

As the night deepened, Xiao Tao stayed alone in the workshop to check the accounts.

Zhu Youwei pushed the door open and came in, holding a lunch box in her hand.

"Have something to eat."

Xiao Tao put down the account book and rubbed her sore neck. "Princess, thank you so much for today."

"Why are you thanking me?" Zhu Youwei opened the food box, and the aroma immediately filled the air. "You earned this yourself."

Xiao Tao picked up a piece of cake and asked, "Princess, why do you think those scholars look down on us?"

Zhu Youwei chuckled. "Because they are afraid."

"afraid?"

"They are afraid that women will be stronger than them, and that the world will change, and they will no longer be able to be high and mighty masters." Zhu Youwei's silver scissors gleamed coldly under the candlelight, "But times are changing, and no one can stop it."

Xiaotao nodded thoughtfully.

She opened the account book and wrote down the number neatly behind today's production.

"We must work harder tomorrow," she said softly, "to show everyone that women are not restricted to the backyard."

Zhu Youwei smiled approvingly.

Outside the window, the lights of Hangzhou city gradually light up, just like the stars reflecting the world.

The looms in the workshop are quietly arranged, waiting to play the music that belongs to women again tomorrow...

(End of this chapter)