Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

Gu Mingyue noticed the subtle movement.

She didn't move forward.

"I'm not buying fabric."

Gu Mingyue took a step back, increasing the distance between the two.

"I'd like to ask you to do some business with me."

Su Wan frowned slightly.

"What kind of business?"

"Weave cloth for me."

Gu Mingyue's tone was similar to when she was talking about the duck farming industry in front of Chen Sandao.

It was unhurried and clear, without a single superfluous preamble.

"I want to build a textile workshop. To produce large quantities of cotton cloth to make one thing."

"The quantity is too large; one person can't handle it all. I need someone knowledgeable in textiles to help me train a group of female workers."

Su Wan remained silent.

The wind blew in from the alley entrance, causing the corners of the cloth on the bamboo frame to flutter slightly.

Gu Mingyue didn't urge her.

She stood against the opposite wall, arms crossed, waiting.

Su Wan remained silent for a long time.

"Miss," Su Wan finally spoke, her voice softer than before, "are you saying this because you pity me?"

Gu Mingyue glanced at her.

"Do you think I'm the kind of person who would give money out of pity for someone?"

Su Wan gave a wry smile.

But it was quickly taken back.

"Then why did you contact me?"

Her fingers unconsciously twirled the frayed edges of her sleeve.

"There are many cloth shops in Jiangzhou City, and many of them are bigger than mine."

"I just touched the cloth you wove," Gu Mingyue said. "You're an expert."

Su Wan's fingers stopped, and her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Gu Mingyue walked to the bamboo frame, turned up a corner of the dusty cotton cloth to reveal the warp and weft threads on the reverse side.

She had studied fabrics when she invested in the clothing industry before.

While I wouldn't say I'm an expert, I do have a basic understanding.

To attract talent, I should naturally say something that's relevant to my expertise.

"Look at this."

Her fingers traced the fabric.

"The yarn twist is at least twice as high as that of cotton yarn on the market, but there are no broken ends."

"This means you didn't simply increase the twist, but adjusted the spindle speed ratio. A faster spindle speed but slower cotton feeding ensures even tension on the yarn, preventing breakage."

Su Wan's eyes widened slightly.

"And this fabric."

Gu Mingyue turned it over again.

"The warp density is 30% higher than that of ordinary cotton cloth, but the weight of the whole piece of cloth has not increased significantly."

"You're using fine yarn, but fine yarn tends to loosen."

"To achieve this tightness, you either changed the spacing of the reed teeth or replaced the entire weft insertion structure of the loom."

She put down the corner of the cloth and turned to look at Su Wan.

"So which one was changed?"

Su Wan stared at her, her lips parted, and it took her a long time to speak.

"...They've all been changed."

Her voice was a few decibels lower than before, and when she looked up at Gu Mingyue, she seemed more interested in meeting a kindred spirit.

Gu Mingyue nodded.

She didn't show any surprise, nor did she continue to praise her.

He simply said calmly, "That's why I came to you. Not because you're pitiful. It's because in the entire Jiangzhou city, you're the only one who can produce cotton cloth to this standard."

The alley was quiet for a while.

A peddler carrying a load passed by in the distance; the carrying pole creaked a few times before disappearing into the distance.

Su Wan lowered her eyes, looking at the frayed cuff she was holding between her fingertips.

"I can't knit too much by myself."

"I don't need you to knit a lot yourself. I need you to manage a team. The master trains the apprentice, and the apprentice trains the apprentice."

Gu Mingyue held up one finger. "I'll give you a month. Lead a team of three or four hundred people."

"You don't need to teach them the whole process. You just need to break it down."

Gu Mingyue's tone naturally switched to the rhythm of discussing projects that she was most skilled at.

"The person who spins the yarn only spins the yarn. The person who lays the warp only lays the warp. The person who lays the weft only lays the weft."

"Each person learns only one process, practices it repeatedly until they can do it with their eyes closed."

Su Wan's eyebrows twitched slightly.

She lowered her head and thought for a while, her fingers repeatedly rubbing the frayed edge on her sleeve.

"I've thought of this method before."

"If spinning and weaving are done separately, it will definitely be faster. But there's a problem. Different people have different feel for spinning, so the yarn thickness will vary. When it gets to the weaver, it won't be able to be connected smoothly."

Gu Mingyue's lips curled up slightly.

"What if there was a spinning wheel that could control the thickness of cotton yarn within a fixed range?"

Su Wan was stunned.

"You mean the spinning wheel itself can control the yarn thickness? Without manual intervention?"

"Controlled by mechanical structure."

Gu Mingyue said.

"With a fixed transmission ratio and a fixed cotton feeding speed, the resulting yarn thickness is also fixed. It doesn't matter who steps on it."

Su Wan stared wide-eyed, somewhat shocked, at the young, yet incredibly talented and imposing young lady from a wealthy family in front of her.

Being recognized is a wonderful thing.

Especially for small shop owners like her who have no one to rely on and have to rely entirely on their own hard work.

Su Wan's resolve wavered.

Sunlight fell on her faded indigo dress.

She lowered her head, looking at the ground in front of the threshold.

A crack appeared in the floor tile, and a thin blade of grass sprouted from the crack.

"May I ask," Su Wan began, her voice low, "what is your master's name?"

"Pujitang, Gu Mingyue".

Su Wan's eyes lit up.

Pujitang?

The most prominent business in Jiangzhou City these days has rescued more than 30,000 disaster victims, providing them with money and food, and even leading the people to raise ducks.

Rumor has it that the owner is a living bodhisattva.

Su Wan originally thought he would be a kind-hearted, elderly country gentleman.

To my surprise, it was a girl several years younger than me!

Su Wan loosened her grip on her sleeve.

She took a half step to the side, turning her body aside to make room for half of the door frame.

"Please come in, sir. The shop is cramped, and we don't have any good tea."

Gu Mingyue did not refuse and stepped over the cracked threshold.

The shop was indeed cramped, and the air was filled with the smell of stale cotton and a faint scent of insect repellent herbs.

The light was dim, and against the wall stood two spinning wheels and a loom. This was all the belongings that remained of Su Wan's dowry that hadn't been taken away.

Gu Mingyue sat down at the only wooden table.

The tabletop was spotless, without a speck of dust. Everything in the room was arranged very neatly, showing that the owner was a meticulous person.

Su Wan poured a glass of warm water, held it with both hands, and placed it next to Gu Mingyue.

Then step back two steps and stand still.

Gu Mingyue didn't touch the glass of water and went straight to the point.

"Your husband just left, and his family is pressuring you. Although the shop is in your name, given the way they're making a scene today, you can't protect it on your own."

"Even if you survive today, if they bring thugs and ruffians to smash your loom tomorrow, you won't be able to weave your cloth."

Su Wan's back stiffened slightly, her eyelashes drooping as she stared at the faint white steam rising above the water glass.

"I know."

"So, you shouldn't keep this shop open."

Gu Mingyue leaned forward slightly, her gaze towards Su Wan sharp and firm, her tone devoid of any pity.

"This kind of small workshop hidden in the alley is not worthy of your skills, nor can it contain your abilities."

Gu Mingyue raised her hand and tapped the smooth wooden table twice with her fingertips.

"Su Wan, who says women can only be confined to the inner quarters, dependent on others?"

"Who says that widows and orphans are destined to be bullied and forced to eke out a miserable existence?"

Gu Mingyue withdrew her hand, her tone firm and resolute, each word ringing with conviction.

"I want to build a textile workshop outside Jiangzhou City, with two thousand workers, in a grand and orderly manner, using the finest materials."

"Anyone who dares to mess with my place? I'll make sure they don't leave alive!"

"If you work here, no one will dare to smash your loom or disturb your livelihood again."

"For the first phase, we'll recruit two hundred female workers, and you'll be in full charge. From material selection to skills training, from division of labor to management, everything will be under your control."

Seeing the shocked yet moved look in Su Wan's eyes, she softened her tone.

"From now on, your skills will no longer be used to guard this dilapidated shop."

"Your abilities should be seen by the entire Jiangzhou and the entire Dayong."

"I'll give you a workshop, I'll give you manpower, and I'll give you the confidence that no one will dare to bully you."

"You'll be the head of my textile division. Manage this textile business well, and we'll make it the number one textile workshop in the Great Yong Dynasty!"

"And for yourself, prove yourself!"