People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 770 One table of food consumed five large brick houses!
The woman smiled: "Of course you can. It's the workshop's rule that newcomers learn for three months before they can start working on the loom. If you already have some basic skills, you'll learn even faster."

Chuntao added, "Once you've mastered the skills, you can take the 'Expert' exam and get a certificate. With that certificate, your wages will double."

The weavers of Songjiang looked at each other, their eyes gleaming. Zhao Si's wife clutched the piece of cloth and asked softly, "Then... can we teach people too?"

The woman readily agreed: "Yes! As long as your skills are good enough and you pass the assessment, you can come to the school to teach. The workshop is short-handed and would love for you to learn and teach as much as possible."

After leaving the school, Chun Tao led them to a small house in the backyard. Inside the house were several small looms, and a few girls around ten years old were learning how to connect threads from an experienced craftsman.

“This is the workshop’s children’s school,” Chun Tao explained. “Children who are ten years old can come to learn the basics. Room and board are provided, and once they have completed the course, they can directly join the workshop.”

Looking at the children's nimble fingers, Little Peach couldn't help but ask, "Do they also learn arithmetic?"

“Learn.” Chun Tao nodded. “Duke Qian said that it’s not enough to just know how to weave; you also need to know how to do accounting and manage affairs. So the children learn to weave in the morning and do arithmetic in the afternoon, so they will all become managers in the future.”

Zhao Si's wife murmured, "This isn't a workshop, it's practically..."

“It’s about future prospects.” Chun Tao continued, her tone firm. “The workshop offers more than just a job; it provides a way to survive and a chance to turn your life around.”

After lunch, Chuntao took them to the workshop's library. The library contained dozens of books, including "Illustrations of Weaving Machines," "Secrets of Dyeing Techniques," and even a handwritten copy of "Mathematical Classics."

“These books were all brought from the capital by the Duke of Qian.” Chun Tao carefully took out one of them. “According to the workshop’s rules, the top five in the monthly assessment can borrow them.”

The weavers of Songjiang touched the book cover with reverence, as if it were some rare treasure. Little Peach whispered, "Sister Chuntao, have you read this?"

Chun Tao smiled: "I've read a little. The Duke of Qian said that if a woman is illiterate, she will be bullied her her whole life. The manager of the workshop must be able to read and write."

In the evening, Chun Tao led them to their dormitory. The room was spacious and bright, with eight people in one room, and each bed had a new mattress. There was also a small bookshelf in the corner, with the "Three Character Classic" and "Hundred Family Surnames" on it.

“When you’re not weaving at night, you can learn on your own,” Chun Tao said, pointing to the bookshelf. “If you don’t understand something, you can ask the instructor anytime.”

Chuntao patted her on the shoulder: "Once you've finished your training, write to them and ask them to come. The workshop will be hiring again next year, there will be plenty of opportunities."

On the morning of the fifth day, Chun Tao led the weavers from Songjiang through the courtyard shrouded in morning mist. Wisteria climbed all over the blue brick walls of the loom room, and the flowers were in full bloom, their sweet fragrance mixed with the scent of cotton yarn.

“This is the lifeblood of the workshop.” Chun Tao pushed open the heavy cypress door, and the roar of three hundred looms immediately filled the air. She had to raise her voice: “Every single machine was personally improved by the Duke of Qian!”

Zhao Si's wife stared wide-eyed. The loom in front of her was half a head taller than ordinary machines, with two more sets of pedals and three copper rings. The most peculiar thing was a wooden wheel with markings mounted on the side of the machine, which turned rhythmically as the weaver stepped on it.

"This is called a yarn separator." Chun Tao led them closer to the first row of machines. "Songjiang cotton fibers are long, and they are easy to get tangled on ordinary looms. With this, the warp tension is more even."

Little Peach curiously touched the wooden wheel, but was immediately stopped by the weaver: "Be careful! This wheel can break your fingers when it spins."

Chuntao pointed to the second row of looms. These machines were more complex, with an engraved bronze box on top and dozens of thin ropes hanging below the box, each rope connected to a different heddle.

“A jacquard loom.” Chun Tao tiptoed and opened the copper box, revealing neatly arranged copper nails inside. “Adjusting the position of the copper nails according to the pattern will allow you to weave subtle patterns. The cloud-patterned cloth you saw yesterday was woven by this machine.”

The copper nails gleamed in the morning light. Zhao Si's wife counted them; there were at least one hundred and twenty. "With so many copper nails, how long will it take to adjust them all at once?"

"A skilled craftsman can finish in half an hour." Chun Tao closed the box lid. "But a single bolt of cloth woven can sell for twenty taels of silver."

Seven or eight female workers were gathered around the third row of machines, threading gold thread into the shuttles. Chun Tao lowered her voice: "This is gold-threaded cloth ordered by foreign merchants. Each bolt costs three qian of gold. You have to be extra careful when weaving it; if a single thread breaks, the whole bolt of cloth is ruined."

The weavers from Songjiang watched with bated breath. The golden threads flowed like liquid in the sunlight, giving the woven fabric a luxurious sheen. Little Peach couldn't help but ask, "Who will buy this fabric?"

“Persian merchants love it.” Chun Tao pointed to the wooden crates piled up in the corner. “Those are finished products waiting to be loaded onto ships. I heard that when they are transported to the Western Regions, one horse can be exchanged for two camels.”

Passing through the main weaving area, three machines covered with blue cloth stood at the corner. Chun Tao gestured for everyone to stop: "These are secret-color looms that Instructor Lin brought from Fujian. Only five people in the entire workshop know how to operate them."

She lifted a corner of the blue cloth. The machine was entirely black, with a more complex structure than a jacquard loom. Most remarkably, the dye vat and the loom were integrated, with the yarn being woven directly into the fabric after passing through the dye vat.

"The secret method of weaving and dyeing simultaneously," Chun Tao said softly. "The dyed fabric will change color with the light, and the formula is the workshop's top secret."

Just then, an elderly woman in indigo overalls walked over. She held a freshly woven fabric pattern in her hands and gently turned it towards the window. The fabric gradually changed from dark green to deep purple, as if a corner of the sunset had been cut off.

“This…” Zhao Si’s wife was stunned.

The old woman put the cloth sample into her brocade pouch: "The Ryukyu merchant ship will come to pick up the goods in three days. The princess specifically instructed that ten bolts be produced."

After visiting the loom workshop, Chuntao led them to the adjacent dyeing workshop. Twenty large vats were steaming, and the female workers were stirring the fabric with long poles. In front of the innermost vat with gold trim, two foreign merchants were pouring some kind of fluorescent powder into it.

“That’s luminescent powder from Southeast Asia,” Chun Tao explained. “The fabric dyed with it will shimmer slightly in the dark. Last month, the King of Siam ordered twenty bolts, saying they were for making the Queen’s gown.”

After lunch, Chun Tao led everyone to the cotton fields behind the workshop. The ten-acre experimental field was planted with cotton of various colors, some short with large flowers, some tall with long fluff, and even some exotic varieties with purple flowers.

“This is Duke Qian’s experimental field.” Chun Tao bent down and picked a purple cotton flower. “It’s a variety introduced from the Western Regions, and its fibers are 30% longer than those of Songjiang cotton.”

Little Peach tried to open a cotton boll, and her fingertips immediately became sticky with the sap. "So sticky."

“It’s this layer of mucus that’s so precious.” Chun Tao pointed to the yarn drying in the distance. “Yarn spun from purple cotton has its own luster and can be woven into a silk-like effect without sizing.”

As the sun set, Chun Tao led them to the watchtower of the workshop. The entire city of Hangzhou was laid out before them, with cargo boats shuttling back and forth on the canal and the docks brightly lit.

"See that ship with the blue flag?" Chun Tao pointed to the largest cargo ship. "It's carrying gold-threaded cloth that was woven this morning. It will arrive in Songjiang by this time tomorrow."

Chuntao patted her on the shoulder: "Once you've finished your training, write to them and ask them to come. The workshop will be hiring again next year, there will be plenty of opportunities."

As the evening drum sounded, the lights in the workshops gradually came on. The sounds of looms, laughter, and the Hangzhou folk songs hummed by the female workers drifted away on the evening breeze.

On the evening of the fifth day, the wind along the Qiantang River carried a moist breeze, dispelling the daytime heat. Chun Tao led the weavers from Songjiang through a narrow alley paved with bluestone slabs. At the end of the alley stood a three-story vermilion pavilion, its eaves adorned with gilded bronze bells that jingled in the wind. "We've arrived," Chun Tao stopped, looking up at the three gilded characters "Zui Xian Lou" above the entrance. "This is the best restaurant in Hangzhou; only high-ranking officials and nobles can afford to come here."

Zhao Si's wife stood at the bottom of the steps, clutching the hem of her dress. She had never seen such a magnificent place in her life. The stone lions at the entrance alone were taller than a person, their eyes wide as copper bells, each holding a round stone bead in its mouth. Two shop assistants in silk shirts stood under the porch. Seeing them approach, they immediately bowed and greeted them, "Ladies, please come in."

Little Peach huddled behind Zhao Si's wife, muttering softly, "How much will this place cost...?"

Chun Tao smiled, took out a silver ingot from her purse, and handed it to the waiter: "The deposit for the top-tier private room was paid yesterday."

The shopkeeper took the money, his smile becoming even more solicitous: "Girls, come with me."

Passing through the carved doorway, a bright and spacious view unfolded before them. The hall was carpeted in scarlet, and the walls were adorned with calligraphy and paintings by renowned artists. In the center stood a rosewood screen embroidered with the Ten Scenes of West Lake. The weavers from Songjiang were dazzled by the sight, and dared not even take large steps, for fear of soiling the carpet.

Upon reaching the third floor, the moment the door to the top-tier private room opened, Zhao Si's wife's breath caught in her throat.

Inside the private room sat a round mahogany table that could seat twenty people. Its surface gleamed, reflecting the glass lamps hanging from the ceiling. The walls were covered in gold leaf, and a waist-tall coral tree stood by the window, its branches adorned with pearls the size of a thumb. Outside lay the Qiantang River, its waters shimmering with golden light in the twilight, dotted with distant fishing lights—a scene of otherworldly beauty.

"How much...how much will this cost?" Zhao Si's wife asked, her voice trembling.

Chuntao pulled her to a seat and said softly, "The deposit for the private room is three strings of cash, and the banquet is fifteen strings of cash per table."

The weavers from Songjiang all gasped in surprise. Fifteen strings of cash would have been enough for them to build five tiled houses back in their hometown.

"Don't worry about it," said A-Ping, a female worker from the Hangzhou workshop, with a smile. "The money we pooled together isn't even enough for each person to contribute more than a 'guan' (a unit of currency)."

Zhao Si's wife stared wide-eyed: "You...you pay such high wages?"

Chun Tao poured everyone a cup of osmanthus wine and said gently, "Experienced workers who have worked in the workshop for three years will earn at least five strings of cash a month. If they become managers, their salary will double."

The food and drinks were served quickly. Crystal pork knuckle, steamed shad, crab meat lion's head meatballs… each dish was a feast for the eyes and the palate, some with names I'd never even heard of. Little Peach stared at the bowl of bird's nest soup in front of her and whispered, "Is this really made from bird's nest?"

Aping chuckled: "Of course! This bowl is worth two strings of cash."

Zhao Si's wife's hand trembled as she held the bowl, almost spilling the soup.

After a few rounds of drinks, the female workers from Hangzhou gradually relaxed. A-Ping blushed and raised her glass, saying, "Sisters, don't be shy. We are all here thanks to the workshop. In the past, a poor girl like me wouldn't even have been able to get a foot in the door of Zui Xian Lou."

Chun Tao nodded, tears welling up in her eyes: "I was sold to an embroidery workshop when I was ten years old. I worked six hours a day, and the wages weren't even enough to eat. If it weren't for the princess opening the Women's Embroidery Workshop, I would never have been able to turn my life around."

Zhao Si's wife looked down at her rough hands and suddenly felt a lump in her throat. Back in Songjiang, she would get up before dawn every day to spin thread and work until midnight, barely managing to save a few copper coins a year. But after only five days in Hangzhou, she had witnessed a life she had never imagined in her life.

“Sister Chuntao…” her voice choked with emotion, “Is the workshop still hiring? I want to bring my daughter along.”

Chuntao patted her hand: "We're recruiting. We'll be recruiting another three hundred people next spring. How old is your daughter?"

"He's twelve now, and he's very quick with his hands and feet."

“That’s perfect,” Chun Tao said with a smile. “The workshop’s children’s school is for children over ten years old. It includes room and board, and once they’ve finished their studies, they can start working right away.”

Little Peach suddenly interjected, "The workshop... can really give us a good life?"

Before Chuntao could answer, Aping interrupted, "Of course it's true! Look at me." She tugged at her brand-new silk shirt, "Three years ago I was still wearing patched clothes, but now I can send three taels of silver home every month. My mother said she never thought she could enjoy the blessings of her daughter in her entire life."

Outside the window, the faint sound of the Qiantang River's tide could be heard. Zhao Si's wife gazed at the fishing lights on the river and suddenly felt something within her being ignited.

"Sister Chuntao, I'd like to offer you a toast." She raised her glass and drank it all in one gulp. "And a toast to the workshop, and to the princess."

Everyone raised their glasses, the clinking of the glasses producing a crisp and pleasant sound.

That night, the lights at Zuixianlou stayed on very late. The laughter of the female workers mingled with the sound of the Qiantang River tide, drifting into the distance.

As the night watchman's clapper struck past midnight, Chun Tao helped the slightly tipsy Zhao Si's wife walk back. A night breeze blew, and the willow branches by the river swayed gently.

"Sister Chuntao..." Zhao Si's wife suddenly stopped, her voice very soft, "The workshop... can it really help us live a decent life?"

Chuntao gazed at the distant lights and smiled slightly.

"can."

Chun Tao didn't answer immediately. She walked to the window and pushed open the carved wooden window. The night wind carried in the noise from the canal, and the lanterns on the distant dock stretched out like a glowing river.

"See that boat with the blue flag?" Chun Tao pointed to the largest cargo ship. "It's carrying gold-threaded cloth that was woven this morning. It will arrive in Songjiang by this time tomorrow. Each bolt of cloth is worth twenty taels of silver, and the ship is carrying a full three hundred bolts."

The weavers from Songjiang gasped in surprise.

“This cloth was woven by Aunt Zhang from the dye house and her daughter.” Chun Tao turned around, her eyes reflecting the lamplight. “At this time last year, Aunt Zhang was still begging for food in the south of the city with her child.”

Little Peach suddenly stood up, the chair scraping loudly on the floor. "Sister Chuntao, I want to learn! I want to learn how to weave gold thread, how to do accounting, and how to be a manager!"

Chuntao smiled. She walked back to the table and poured a cup of osmanthus wine for everyone.

“The workshop’s rule is that newcomers learn for three months first. Once they’ve mastered it, they take an exam to get a ‘skilled’ certificate, and their wages double. If their skills are good enough, they can even teach at the school and earn an extra half tael of silver per month.” She raised her wine glass. “Children can enter the children’s school when they turn ten. Room and board are provided, and once they’ve mastered it, they can start working right away.”

The clinking of wine glasses is a crisp and pleasant sound...

(End of this chapter)