People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 772 I am so happy to be able to marry you!
"I learned this from my master when I was a child," Chen Han said in a low voice. "My master said that when people are confused, they should look at the stars and they will know where they should go."

Zhu Youwei was silent for a moment, then suddenly sighed softly, "If it weren't for your guidance, husband, I wouldn't have achieved what I have today." She reached out and grasped Chen Han's hand, her fingertips slightly cool, "I'm a little tired, but it's truly fulfilling."

Chen Han squeezed her fingers and chuckled, "You were never an ordinary woman. Even without me, you would have gone down this path sooner or later."

Zhu Youwei shook her head: "It's different. If it weren't for you, I might have opened an embroidery workshop and taught a few girls needlework, but I would never have thought of uniting the weavers of Songjiang and Hangzhou, let alone using order vouchers to deal with foreign merchants." She paused, her voice even softer, "You showed me a bigger world."

A night breeze swept by, carrying a cool, damp feeling. Chen Han took off his outer robe and draped it over her shoulders, then pulled her closer into his arms.

"What do you think about the water ripples?" he suddenly asked.

Zhu Youwei's eyes lit up: "Zhang Si Niang is indeed a genius. Her improved weaving method is even more refined than we expected. If it can be promoted, the reputation of Songjiang cloth can increase by at least 30%."

Chen Han nodded: "But promotion takes time. Right now, the most important thing is to stabilize the output of the franchised workshops. Although Old Master Zhou took the lead in signing the contract, the Shen family and the Li family may not be willing to accept it."

Zhu Youwei sneered: "So what if they're unwilling? The price of cloth in Songjiang has stabilized. As workers' wages are raised, production will increase accordingly. If they don't follow suit, they'll be squeezed out sooner or later."

Chen Han gazed at the distant river, lost in thought: "I'm afraid they'll sabotage me from behind."

"We'll meet them head-on," Zhu Youwei said firmly. "The women's army in Hangzhou is no pushover. You've seen Lin San Niang's methods."

Chen Han chuckled softly, "That's true."

The night deepened, and the Milky Way was reflected on the river's surface, making the boat appear to be sailing in the sky. Suddenly, Zhu Youwei pointed to the northern sky and asked, "Those stars that form a dipper shape, are they the Big Dipper?"

“Yes.” Chen Han held her finger and gently traced the outline of the Big Dipper. “The bright star that the handle points to is Polaris. If a lost person finds it, they will know the way.”

Zhu Youwei looked at the star and suddenly smiled: "Aren't we just like this boat now? If we go along the canal, we'll eventually get to where we want to go."

Chen Han turned his head to look at her; her features were exceptionally clear in the moonlight. He couldn't help but reach out and brush her temple, whispering, "Are you tired?"

Zhu Youwei shook her head, her eyes sparkling: "Not tired. Although I'm busy every day, seeing the women in the workshop getting better day by day, seeing the children able to read and write, seeing bolts of Songjiang cloth being transported out to exchange for real money..." She paused, her voice soft but firm, "It's worth it."

Chen Han didn't say anything, but simply hugged her even tighter.

The boat reached a bend in the river, where the current slowed. The faint sound of a watchman's clapper drifted from the bank, the long, drawn-out tune of the night watchman mingling with the chirping of insects, floating in the night.

"Oh, right." Zhu Youwei suddenly remembered something, "News from Hangzhou says that Shen Wansan's nephew has been frequently contacting foreign merchants these past few days, seemingly trying to bypass us and trade directly."

Chen Han scoffed, "He certainly knows how to exploit loopholes."

"Should we send Lin San Niang to give them a talking-to?"

"No need." Chen Han shook his head. "Foreign merchants aren't stupid. Order vouchers are more reliable than real money. They won't offend the workshop for a little bit of profit."

Zhu Youwei thought for a moment and nodded: "That's true. By the way, how's the cotton field improvement in Songjiang going?"

"The first batch of purple cotton plants is growing well, with fibers that are 20% longer than those of ordinary cotton," Chen Han said. "If all goes well, they can be widely planted next year."

Zhu Youwei's eyes lit up: "That would be perfect for matching Zhang Si Niang's 'living water pattern' weaving technique, and the price of Songjiang cloth would rise even further."

As the night breeze grew cooler, Chen Han stood up and said, "Let's go inside; the dew is heavy tonight."

Zhu Youwei shook her head and tugged at his sleeve: "Sit a little longer, it's rare to have some peace and quiet."

Helpless, Chen Han had no choice but to sit down again and pull her closer to him.

In the distance, a fishing light flickered on the river, sometimes bright, sometimes dim. Zhu Youwei gazed at the light and suddenly asked, "Husband, how far do you think we can go on this road?"

Chen Han was silent for a moment, then said in a low but firm voice, "How far you can go depends on how far you want to go."

Zhu Youwei turned to look at him.

“The workshop is just the beginning.” Chen Han gazed at the darkness in the distance. “With the alliance of Songjiang and Hangzhou, we can add Suzhou, Yangzhou, and even more distant places in the future. If we can use the order vouchers from foreign merchants, our cloth can be sold to Southeast Asia and the Western Regions.”

Zhu Youwei's eyes gleamed: "That would require a lot of manpower..."

“So you need to train more people like Zhang Si Niang and Wen Niang,” Chen Han said softly. “Let them take charge and bring the workshop’s rules to other places.”

Zhu Youwei took a deep breath and suddenly laughed: "Husband, are you just making empty promises to me?"

Chen Han laughed as well: "Whether it's a pie in the sky or not, we'll see."

The night deepened, and the Milky Way shone brightly. The boat moved slowly forward, the sound of the water gentle.

Zhu Youwei leaned on his shoulder and slowly closed her eyes.

Chen Han looked down at her; in the moonlight, her eyelashes cast fine shadows on her face. He gently brushed her hair and whispered, "Sleep, I'll wake you when we get there."

Zhu Youwei gave a muffled "hmm," and her breathing gradually became steady.

The cargo boat swayed gently on the canal, moonlight streaming through the window lattice into the cabin. Chen Han gazed at the sleeping Zhu Youwei, the dark circles under her eyes particularly noticeable in the moonlight. She had been exhausted these past few days, personally handling everything from Songjiang to Hangzhou, from the dye works to the looms.

He reached out and brushed her temple, his fingertips touching a damp spot. He couldn't tell if it was night dew or sweat. This stubborn woman, because of a single sentence from him, had propelled Songjiang cloth to unprecedented heights.

Chen Han gently picked her up. Zhu Youwei frowned in her sleep and subconsciously snuggled closer to him. She looked much lighter than when they first met; the hardships of the past few days had made her lose weight.

The wooden bed in the cabin was covered with soft mattresses, specially prepared for her. Chen Han carefully laid her down and pulled a thin blanket over her. Zhu Youwei's breathing was steady, and there was a slight smile on her lips, as if she was dreaming of something good.

He sat down by the bed, quietly watching her. As a time traveler, meeting such a woman in this era was his good fortune. She not only understood his thoughts but also had the ability to apply them to new situations, turning those advanced ideas into reality. The sound of the night watchman's clapper came from outside the window; it was the third watch. Chen Han got up and went to the window. The lights on the canal twinkled. This waterway carried so much hope, from the cotton cloth of Songjiang to the silk of Hangzhou, from the livelihoods of workers to the future of children.

"My husband..." Zhu Youwei whispered in her dream.

Chen Han turned around and saw that she had turned over, and a corner of the blanket had slipped off. He went over and tucked the blanket back in for her, his fingers accidentally touching her palm. There was a thin callus there, worn from years of holding a shuttle.

He remembered that when they first met, her hands, though not delicate, certainly didn't have so many calluses. These calluses were a testament to her hard work; from the dyeing workshop to the loom, from the abacus to the ledgers, she learned and practiced everything step by step.

The moonlight shifted to her face, and Chen Han saw her eyelashes tremble slightly. He suddenly remembered that day at the Songjiang dyehouse, the way she stood under the cloth drying rack. The indigo fabric swayed gently in the wind, and her gaze was more resolute than the cloud patterns on the cloth.

"Go to sleep," he said softly, as if afraid of disturbing her dreams.

Zhu Youwei's breathing became long and even again. Chen Han sat on the edge of the bed, listening to the sound of the river water lapping against the boat. This sound reminded him of the sound of raindrops on the roof when he was a child in the orphanage. Back then, he never imagined that one day he would travel back to the Ming Dynasty, let alone meet such a woman.

She not only accepted his unconventional ideas, but also turned them into reality. Order vouchers, new artisan rules, and the "living water" weaving technique—these were innovative even in modern times, and even more groundbreaking in this era. Yet she succeeded, and succeeded very well.

Chen Han gently took her hand in his. This hand, which could sign orders worth thousands of taels of silver during the day and adjust the most complex looms, now lay quietly in his palm.

Footsteps sounded outside the cabin; it was the sailors on night watch moving about on deck. Chen Han released her hand and walked to the desk. On the desk lay Zhu Youwei's drawing of a loom, the lines clean and crisp, with dense annotations written beside it.

He picked up his pen and added a few strokes to a corner of the drawing. It was the structure of a textile machine he had seen in modern times, which might save her some trouble. After finishing the drawing, he felt it was unnecessary; with her intelligence, she would think of these things sooner or later.

Putting down his pen, Chen Han returned to the bedside. Zhu Youwei was fast asleep, a strand of hair clinging to her cheek. He gently brushed it aside, his fingertips touching her soft, delicate skin.

A night breeze, carrying a cool, damp chill, slipped in through the window cracks. Chen Han took off his outer robe and draped it over her, sitting on the edge of the bed in only his undergarments. The moonlight gradually slanted westward, and the cabin grew darker.

He recalled that day in the Hangzhou workshop, seeing her standing before three hundred looms. Amidst the roar of the looms, her figure appeared so slender, yet so resolute. The workers looked at her as if she were a ray of light.

"Princess..." they addressed her behind her back, their tone full of respect.

Chen Han knew that this respect wasn't because of her status as a princess, but because she had brought hope to these people. From working four hours a day to having only one day off every ten days, from a monthly salary of three taels of silver to her children being able to go to school, she had changed the fate of too many people.

All of this stemmed from a casual remark he made: "Only when workers are doing well can they do their jobs well."

Zhu Youwei stirred in her sleep, and the blanket slipped down a little more. Chen Han sighed; this woman, so decisive and efficient during the day, was such a restless sleeper.

He covered her with the blanket again, his fingers accidentally brushing against her collarbone. There was a faint scar there, left from the dye shop fire last year. At that time, she had rushed into the burning dye shop to save a young apprentice.

Chen Han still remembers the sight of her rushing out of the thick smoke, carrying her child, when he arrived. Her face was blackened by smoke, only her eyes shone with a frightening brightness.

“It’s alright,” she said, her voice hoarse but firm. “The child is alright.”

The scar remained, like a medal, recording her courage.

The moonlight had completely disappeared, plunging the cabin into darkness. Chen Han groped his way to sit down on the edge of the bed, listening to Zhu Youwei's even breathing. He knew that after dawn, she would once again become that decisive and efficient princess, working tirelessly for Songjiang Cloth and for the workers.

But at this moment, she was just his wife, an exhausted little woman.

Chen Han leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.

"Sleep well, my princess," he whispered in the darkness. "There is still a long road ahead tomorrow."

The canal water murmured softly, as if in response. The boat continued forward, carrying their dreams, sailing towards farther places.

……

When the cargo boat docked, the Songjiang Wharf was already packed with people. As soon as Zhu Youwei stepped onto the gangplank, she saw Wen Niang and a dozen or so female workers waiting on the shore. They were wearing matching indigo overalls and wooden plaques for the Women's Workshop hanging from their waists, making them stand out in the crowd.

"Princess!" Wenniang hurried forward, "Please take a look at the new water-patterned fabric sample from the dye shop."

Zhu Youwei took the fabric sample and unfolded it in the sunlight. The cloud pattern on the fabric flowed like water, even more delicate than the one she had seen in Hangzhou. She gently stroked the fabric with her fingertips and nodded in satisfaction: "Zhang Si Niang's craftsmanship has improved again."

Wen Niang laughed and said, "That's right. She brought the techniques she learned in Hangzhou and taught all the weavers in Songjiang how to weave. Now she can produce thirty bolts of 'living water pattern' cloth every day, and foreign merchants are scrambling to buy them."

Chen Han disembarked at the back, followed by several officials from Songjiang Prefecture. They were discussing the expansion of the dock, their voices drifting over intermittently.

"Lord Duke, if this road is widened by another three zhang, I'm afraid we'll have to demolish half the street..."

"Demolish it." Chen Han's voice was crisp. "The foreign merchants' carriages are wider than ours, and they can't maneuver on narrow roads. The compensation will be double the market price, and an agreement must be reached within three days."

Zhu Youwei glanced back. Chen Han, dressed in his duke's everyday robes, was gesturing towards the open space on the west side of the dock. Sunlight shone on his profile, outlining his clear features. This man, who had accompanied her to watch the stars on the boat, had transformed into the decisive and efficient Duke Qian the moment he stepped ashore.

"Princess, shall we go to the dye house or the loom room first?" Wenniang asked.

"The dyehouse." Zhu Youwei withdrew her gaze. "I heard that the newly mixed indigo is even brighter than that from Hangzhou?"

As Wenniang walked, she explained, "It's a recipe that Zhao Si brought back from Hangzhou, with added Taihu pearl powder. When you hold the dyed fabric up to the light, it will have a faint pearly sheen."

The dye house was steaming hot, with more than a dozen large vats emitting white mist. The female workers were stirring the fabric with long poles, and they all bowed when they saw Zhu Youwei enter. Zhu Youwei waved her hand and walked straight to the large vat with gold rim in the corner.

Standing by the vat was Zhang Si Niang, adding a fluorescent powder to the dye. Seeing Zhu Youwei approach, she quickly wiped her hands and bowed, saying, "Princess, this is the luminous powder you asked for, which I bought from a merchant in Southeast Asia. The dyed fabric will glow slightly in the dark."

Zhu Youwei took the freshly dyed fabric sample and went into the adjacent dark room. The cloud pattern on the fabric shimmered faintly in the darkness, like a galaxy in the night sky. She gently stroked the pattern and nodded with satisfaction: "The price is fifty taels per bolt, to supply the palace's orders first."

……

(End of this chapter)