People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 771 The Amazing Living Water Patterns
As dawn broke, the sound of looms from the Hangzhou Women's Workshop already echoed through the sky.

Zhang Si Niang from Songjiang squatted in front of the dye vat, her fingers twisting the freshly soaked cotton thread, carefully examining its color in the morning light.

"The thread ends need to be twisted like this." Aunt Liu from the Hangzhou workshop squatted down beside her, her rough fingers deftly turning the cotton thread. "Songjiang cotton fibers are long, so it needs to be soaked for an extra fifteen minutes to fully absorb the dye."

Zhang Si Niang nodded and dipped the cotton thread back into the indigo dye vat. She had been in Hangzhou for half a month, getting up before dawn every day to practice and not returning to her dormitory until late at night. The Songjiang sisters who came with her all said she was obsessed, but she knew she had to seize every moment.

"Fourth Sister, take a break." Little Peach came over carrying a food box, lifted the lid to reveal two white steamed buns, "If you keep working like this, your eyes will be ruined."

Zhang Si Niang shook her head and pulled a small notebook from her bosom. She had bought it with the money she had saved from her work, and it was filled with dense notes on dye ratios and loom adjustment methods.

“Look at this.” She pointed to a line in the notebook, “Aunt Liu said that the looms in Hangzhou have added splitting wheels, which can make the Songjiang cotton weave more densely. I was thinking that if our Songjiang looms were modified like that, a bolt of cloth could sell for at least three more taels of silver.”

Little Peach sighed and stuffed the steamed bun into her hand: "But you still have to eat. Last night when I got up to use the bathroom, I saw you still hunched over under the oil lamp drawing patterns."

Zhang Si Niang took a bite of her steamed bun, her eyes still fixed on the dye vat. Morning light filtered through the indigo liquid, casting dappled shadows on her face. She suddenly remembered the day she left home, her old father squatting at the door, smoking his pipe. Cotton cloth from Songjiang was becoming increasingly difficult to sell; if they didn't find a way soon, the whole family would starve.

"I'm not tired." She wiped her face, leaving a blue mark on her cheek from the dye on her hand. "The workshop provides food and lodging and teaches skills. Where else can you find such a good deal?"

A distant bell rang, signaling the start of work. Zhang Si Niang quickly stuffed the notebook back into her bosom and ran towards the loom room. Little Peach chased after her, calling out, "Slow down! Be careful not to fall!"

Inside the loom room, three hundred improved looms were already humming. Zhang Si Niang strode to her loom, took a deep breath, and began adjusting the brass rivets. This was the jacquard technique she had just learned yesterday; although she wasn't yet proficient, she could already weave simple cloud patterns.

"Fourth Sister, come here for a moment." Chun Tao waved from the doorway.

Zhang Si Niang jogged over and saw a strange woman standing next to Chun Tao. The woman was about thirty years old, wearing indigo overalls, with a wooden "Supervisor" badge hanging from her waist.

"This is Zhang Siniang from Songjiang," Chuntao introduced. "She learns things the fastest; she mastered jacquard techniques in just half a month."

The supervisor nodded and took out a roll of cloth sample from his sleeve: "Take a look at this."

Zhang Si Niang took the fabric sample, and her fingers immediately felt its unusual delicacy. Looking at it against the light, she could see faint pine and crane patterns on the fabric, making it much more exquisite than ordinary jacquard fabric.

"This is……"

"Living water pattern," the supervisor said softly. "It can only be woven using your Songjiang cotton and Hangzhou looms. The princess wants you to try it."

Zhang Si Niang's hands trembled slightly. The "living water pattern" was a legendary technique, said to have been mastered by someone in Songjiang during the Yuan Dynasty, but later lost. She swallowed hard and nodded emphatically: "I'll try."

Back at the loom, Zhang Si Niang took a deep breath and began adjusting the positions of the copper nails. She meticulously adjusted them one by one, following the steps noted in her notebook. Sweat streamed down her forehead, but she didn't bother to wipe it away.

At noon, when Chun Tao came to deliver lunch, she found Zhang Si Niang still sitting in front of the loom, without even changing her posture.

"Eat first." Chun Tao placed the food box at her feet.

Zhang Si Niang shook her head, her eyes fixed on the loom: "Wait a little longer, it'll be adjusted soon."

Chun Tao squatted down and saw a dozen or so spools of discarded yarn piled up next to the loom. She sighed and said softly, "Living water pattern can't be learned in a day. In the Hangzhou workshop, the fastest one took three months to learn."

“But I can’t wait that long.” Zhang Si Niang’s voice was a little choked up. “They’re still waiting in Songjiang. My father wrote that the Zhou family dyehouse has been modified according to the Hangzhou method, but they are short of people who know the new technology.”

Chuntao was silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up: "You wait here."

A short while later, she returned with Aunt Liu. Aunt Liu was carrying a wooden box, which, when opened, revealed a row of tools gleaming with copper.

"This is a special tool for adjusting the water pattern." Aunt Liu squatted down and began to demonstrate, "The copper nails should be inserted at an angle like this, and the force should not be too great or too small."

Zhang Si Niang stared wide-eyed, afraid of missing a single detail. She watched as Aunt Liu's nimble fingers moved nimbly among the copper nails, and smooth patterns gradually appeared on the fabric of the loom.

"Did you understand?" Aunt Liu asked.

Zhang Si Niang nodded, took the tools, and began to try. The first time, the thread broke. The second time, the pattern was crooked. The third time…

As dusk fell, a ray of sunlight shone through the window lattice, illuminating the cloth on the loom. Zhang Si Niang held her breath and gently unfurled the freshly woven fabric. In the sunlight, the patterns on the cloth rippled like flowing water, and the outlines of pine trees and cranes were faintly visible.

"It's done!" Chun Tao exclaimed.

Aunt Liu touched the fabric and nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, although it's not refined enough, it's got the hang of it."

Zhang Si Niang's hands were still trembling. Looking at the patterns on the cloth, she suddenly remembered the legend her father had told her when she was a child. During the Hongwu era, there was a weaver in Songjiang who could weave cloth that could flow. Later, she was selected to enter the palace and become the head of the Imperial Wardrobe.

"I...I really finished knitting it?" Her voice trembled.

Chuntao patted her shoulder: "Starting tomorrow, you will follow Aunt Liu to learn how to make water patterns. Once you have mastered it, the workshop will send you back to Songjiang as a supervisor."

It was late at night, and Zhang Si Niang was still sitting under the oil lamp drawing patterns. Her roommate, Xiao Tao, turned over and asked sleepily, "Aren't you going to sleep yet?"

"Let me draw for a little longer," Zhang Si Niang said softly. "I'll write down today's steps so I don't forget them."

Little Peach propped herself up and saw the dense patterns and numbers on her notebook. She couldn't help but exclaim, "You really work hard!"

Zhang Si Niang smiled but didn't say anything. She remembered the night before she left home, her father squatting in the yard smoking his pipe. Cotton cloth from Songjiang was becoming increasingly difficult to sell; if they didn't find a way, the whole family would go hungry.

"I have to learn it," she said softly. "Once I learn it, I can take it back and teach everyone. Songjiang's cotton cloth cannot just decline like this."

Outside the window, the distant sound of the night watchman's clapper drifted in.

The lights of Hangzhou twinkled like stars, illuminating the notebook in front of Zhang Si Niang and her way home.

……

As dawn broke, the loom room of the Hangzhou Women's Workshop was already filled with the rhythmic clatter of shuttles. Zhang Siniang sat in front of her improved jacquard loom, her fingers gently manipulating the copper nails, her eyes fixed intently on the woven fabric.

She barely slept last night, tossing and turning, thinking about the weaving technique for the "living water pattern." The silk weavers of Hangzhou had a unique jacquard technique that allowed the patterns on silk to flow like water ripples. She wondered if this method could be applied to cotton fabric, perhaps making the "living water pattern" even more vibrant.

"Fourth Sister, how did the test go?" Aunt Liu came over, carrying a bowl of steaming soy milk. Zhang Fourth Sister took the soy milk, but her eyes didn't leave the loom: "It's still a little short. The silk weave is too fine, while the cotton is a bit coarser. We need to adjust the spacing of the copper nails."

Aunt Liu took a closer look at the woven fabric pattern and nodded slightly: "It is indeed better than yesterday's, but the pattern is not smooth enough."

Zhang Si Niang took a sip of soy milk and suddenly looked up: "Aunt Liu, when weaving silk, is an extra layer of fine yarn wrapped around the warp threads?"

Aunt Liu was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "You're quite clever, you even noticed that. Silk weaving does indeed involve adding a fine yarn as a guide thread to make the patterns more delicate."

Zhang Si Niang's eyes lit up, and she immediately took out a small notebook from her bosom and quickly jotted down a few words: "Then let's try adding a thin layer of yarn to the cotton cloth. It doesn't have to be too thin, just enough to guide the pattern."

Aunt Liu thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "We can give it a try, but cotton yarn is not as soft and resilient as silk thread, so we have to choose one with good toughness."

Without a word, Zhang Si Niang got up and went to the yarn rack to select a roll of fine Songjiang long-staple cotton yarn, and then chose a roll of fine yarn commonly used by Hangzhou weavers. She returned to the loom, her fingers deftly threading the fine yarn through the warp threads, and then adjusting the position of the copper pins.

The loom started turning again, the shuttle whirring more nimbly than before. Zhang Si Niang held her breath, her eyes fixed on the fabric. Gradually, the patterns on the fabric began to change; the previously stiff cloud patterns softened, as if they were truly flowing.

"It's done!" Aunt Liu clapped her hands in delight. "The lines are much more lifelike than before!"

Zhang Si Niang's fingers trembled slightly as she gently stroked the fabric. The texture undulated beneath her fingertips, like real flowing water. She took a deep breath and looked up at Aunt Liu: "It still needs adjustment. The tension of the yarn isn't even enough, and the texture isn't continuous in some places."

Aunt Liu nodded: "No rush, take your time. The live water pattern is a delicate craft, and it's already quite remarkable to be able to weave it to this extent."

Just then, Chun Tao led several Hangzhou weavers in. She immediately spotted the new cloth pattern Zhang Si Niang had woven, and quickly stepped forward, exclaiming in surprise, "This pattern... is even smoother than yesterday's!"

Zhang Si Niang smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "I tried adding a layer of fine yarn to imitate the weaving method of silk."

Chun Tao picked up the cloth sample and examined it against the light, her eyes flashing with admiration: "Fourth Sister, you have such a clever mind. You've actually used the silk weaving techniques of Hangzhou on cotton cloth."

Zhang Si Niang shook her head: "It's still far from good enough. The texture of silk is more delicate, while our cotton is coarser. We need to work on it some more."

Chuntao patted her shoulder: "No rush, try slowly. The princess said that the 'living water pattern' is our workshop's signature, and we must weave it to the best of our ability."

For the next few days, Zhang Si Niang practically lived by the loom. She adjusted the tension of the yarn again and again, tried different arrangements of copper nails, and even borrowed different concentrations of sizing from the dye house to test which one could make the patterns more distinct.

The weavers in Hangzhou were also inspired by her dedication and came to help. Some suggested applying a thin layer of rice paste to the warp threads to increase the toughness of the cotton yarn; others suggested gently patting the fabric surface while weaving to make the texture more three-dimensional.

Zhang Si Niang wrote them down one by one and tested them repeatedly.

On the evening of the fifth day, she finally wove a piece of fabric with a flowing water pattern that satisfied her. The cloud pattern on the fabric resembled real flowing water, shimmering with a delicate luster in the sunlight, and when she shook it gently, the lines seemed to flow slowly.

Aunt Liu held the fabric in her hands, marveling, "This isn't just fabric, it's practically a work of art!"

When Chun Tao heard the news, she rushed over and her eyes lit up when she saw the cloth: "Fourth Sister, if this cloth were sold, it would be worth at least thirty taels a bolt!"

Zhang Si Niang shook her head: "It can be even better."

She pointed to a few minor flaws on the fabric: "The weave here isn't continuous enough, and the tension of the yarn needs to be adjusted."

Chuntao couldn't help but laugh: "You really are a perfectionist."

That evening, the main hall of the Women's Workshop was brightly lit. Zhu Youwei and Chen Han sat behind a long table, with Zhang Siniang's handwoven fabric spread out in front of them.

"This fabric is much better than the previous one." Chen Han's fingers gently stroked the fabric, feeling the undulations of the texture.

Zhu Youwei nodded and looked at Zhang Siniang standing to the side: "Siniang, how did you come up with the idea of ​​improving the silk weaving method?"

Zhang Si Niang bowed respectfully: "Your Highness, I have observed that when the silk weavers of Hangzhou weave patterns, they add a fine yarn along the warp to guide the design. Although cotton is coarse, if the thickness and tension of the yarn are chosen correctly, the pattern can be made smoother."

Zhu Youwei's eyes flashed with admiration: "Brilliant. If this method is widely adopted, Songjiang's cotton cloth will reach a new level."

Chen Han pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Fourth Sister, if you were to take this weaving technique back to Songjiang, how many people could you teach it to?"

Zhang Si Niang was taken aback for a moment, then nodded firmly: "I will definitely teach with all my heart so that all the weavers in Songjiang can learn it."

Zhu Youwei smiled slightly: "Alright, when you finish your studies and return, the Women's Workshop will send two skilled workers to accompany you back to Songjiang to help you promote the Living Water Pattern."

Zhang Si Niang's eyes welled up with tears, and she bowed deeply: "This humble woman will certainly not fail the princess's trust."

As she left the main hall, a cool night breeze blew. Zhang Si Niang stood in the workshop courtyard, gazing up at the starry sky.

Little Peach ran over excitedly and grabbed her hand: "Fourth Sister, I heard you're going to bring the Living Water Pattern back to Songjiang?"

Zhang Si Niang nodded and said softly, "Yes, let's go back together after we've finished learning."

Little Peach's eyes sparkled: "Won't Songjiang's cotton cloth become famous all over the world?"

Zhang Si Niang smiled and squeezed her hand: "Yes, it will, it definitely will."

As night deepened, the grain transport boats moved slowly along the canal.

The lanterns hanging at the bow of the boat swayed gently in the wind, reflecting off the water and creating shimmering, golden reflections.

Chen Han and Zhu Youwei sat side by side on the deck, with soft cushions under them. The night breeze was slightly cool, but it couldn't dispel the weariness on their faces.

Zhu Youwei looked up at the starry sky and whispered, "Husband, what's the name of that particularly bright star?"

Chen Han followed her gaze and smiled slightly. "That's Vega." He raised his hand and traced a line in the night sky with his fingertips. "The four slightly dimmer stars next to it form a diamond shape, which is Vega's shuttle. Looking further east, across the Milky Way, that bright star is Altair, and the two smaller stars on the left and right are the children he's carrying."

Zhu Youwei leaned on his shoulder and laughed, "You know so much."

……

(End of this chapter)