Chapter 80 The 80th Inn: Cotton Fluffing

Lin Yun called out to Yun Yin, who was about to leave, "Don't rush, we'll get it from you when we leave."

Yunyin said, "Then you should rest for a while. If you feel bored, you can go for a walk outside. The weather has been cooler lately, and it's not so stuffy outside." Since they were already regular customers, she didn't stand on ceremony with them. "I have some things to do later, so I won't entertain you any longer."

Lin Yun waved her hand and said, "Miss Yun, go ahead and do your work. We'll just look around on our own."

Yunyin went back to her room, changed into the clothes she had worn that morning, and called Ma Hao's younger brother to go to the field to move the deseeded cotton. She then said to her sisters-in-law who were still removing the seeds, "Sisters-in-law, you've been busy all day, do you want to take a break?"

Before Qian Xing could speak, Sister Ma said, "We're not tired yet, we don't need to rest. Lady Yun, you don't need to worry about us, we'll rest when we're tired."

Seeing that she couldn't persuade them, Yunyin changed her tune, saying, "I'm planning to go fluff cotton later, would you like to come and take a look?"

Cotton carding was a rare skill, and these women had never even heard of it before. They quickly put down the cotton they were carrying and helped her carry the bamboo basket to keep up with her. "We really want to see how you handle this cotton. We want to learn from you."

Yunyin led them into the room next to Cheng Yong's. She had the tables and chairs moved out, leaving only a bed.

The cotton is not fluffy at all after the seeds are extracted, and it needs to be fluffed again before it can be used. The book also mentions this, although it is only a few sentences. However, Yunyin had seen cotton being fluffed and used to make quilts when she was a child in the village, so she roughly knew how to do it. She just had to try it a little and she learned how.

Yunyin asked the others to wait a moment while she went to the woodshed to retrieve a custom-made tool: a large bow. She returned to her room, tied a rope to the bow, attached the other end to a stick, and tucked it into her waistband. This way, one person could easily pluck the bowstring with a mallet, saving a lot of trouble.

It is said that this is a tool improved by Huang Daopo. She not only taught people textile techniques, but also improved textile tools, promoted cotton planting, and promoted the vigorous development of the textile industry. The tool that Yunyin is using now is the one she first improved, and it has been tested and adjusted by countless people.

Yunyin had someone pour the cotton onto the bed, then approached the cotton with a bow. As the cotton made a "boom boom boom" sound, it flew around and became fluffy. Yunyin then had Zheng Guilan clean the impurities out of the cotton.

Yunyin walked back and forth, tapping the cotton, and the cotton on the bed gradually swelled up, piling higher and higher on the bed.

Seeing this, Qian Xing stepped forward and touched the fluffy cotton, praising, "It's really fluffy. Using this to make winter clothes will be much warmer than our straw."

"Miss Yun, why don't we give it a try? We'd like to learn too."

Yunyin stopped what she was doing and handed the tools to Qian Xing. "You can try it. This is quite tiring to do. You can take turns."

When fluffing cotton, one hand holds a bow and the other a mallet to strike the bowstring. If you keep doing this, your hand will get sore in no time. Moreover, to fluff a quilt, you need a lot of cotton. It takes a skilled worker a whole day to make one quilt.

Qian Xing tied the sticks together and started tapping them, just like Yun Yin did. As she watched more and more cotton grow, a smile appeared on her face. Seeing this, the others also came forward to help pick out the impurities from the cotton. As the cotton became more and more fluffy, it also became whiter and cleaner.

As soon as Lin Yun entered the courtyard, she saw a lot of people crowded in the side room. Curious about what they were doing, she went over to take a look and was immediately attracted by the fluffy, snow-white cotton. She couldn't help but squeeze next to Yun Yin and say, "This is the cotton that has been picked. I think it can be used to spin thread."

Yunyin nodded and said, "It is indeed possible, but it still can't compare to the cotton I told you about." She pointed to the cotton that was still being fluffed and said, "And if you want to expand the scale, you will inevitably need to improve your tools. Do you know how much effort we have to put in to extract the cotton seeds?"

"With so many people here today, we've only managed to get this little bit of cotton. We don't need to worry about it since it's just for our own clothing. But if you want to do business, you need to find a way to save on labor costs, otherwise the cost will be too high, and most people won't be able to afford it."

Lin Yun nodded in agreement with Yun Yin’s words, saying, “You’re right. These problems do need to be addressed. I’ll consider it.”

Seeing that each of them had taken turns trying it out, Yunyin stepped forward and took the tools, saying, "Leave the rest to me. Come over tomorrow afternoon and I'll teach you how to make quilts. It will take some time to explain, but you've all made quilts before. Although there are differences, there are also similarities. You'll understand after watching it once."

Qian Xing and the others quickly agreed, "Thank you very much, Miss Yun. Why don't you let us do the cotton-fluffing work? We'll do it for you as a way of thanking you for teaching us the craft."

The other women chimed in, "Yes, Lady Yun, leave it to us. We don't have much to do for a while. Before dinner, we'll help you fluff more cotton so you can finish your cotton-padded clothes sooner."

Seeing this, Yunyin didn't say anything more. She handed the tools in her hand to Qianxing and told them to continue working. She went back to her room to change her clothes and prepare to start making dinner.

After Yunyin finished changing her clothes, Lin Yun pulled her aside and said, "You're going to teach them how to make quilts tomorrow, can I come and watch?"

“Since you say this cotton can’t be made into cloth for the time being, then making quilts is a good alternative. I’ll learn how to make it so I can sell cotton quilts in the future.”

Lin Yun pulled her aside and whispered, "Of course, I won't learn this for nothing. After all, I'm using it to do business. How about I give you some money?"

Yunyin knew that Lin Yun wouldn't give her much money. She had some money saved up and wasn't very interested in Lin Yun's offer of money, but she could ask for something else: "If you're planning to make quilts, how about you make a few for me?"

Without hesitation, Lin Yun readily agreed, saying, "Then I'll take advantage of you and make you ten thick quilts. But it depends on whether you have any cotton left. If you do, I'll buy some from you."

Yunyin: "I originally wanted to keep some to make quilts. If you help me make them, I'll leave the rest to you, and we should be able to make a few more quilts."

Lin Yun smiled broadly and said, "That's great! Once I've learned how, I'll have someone make it for you, and I promise I'll make it perfectly."

With her bedding sorted out, Yunyin breathed a sigh of relief. With so many people in the inn, if she had to make them all herself, she probably wouldn't finish before winter was over. She had originally planned to ask Aunt Qian and the others for help, but now that Lin Yun was making them for her, it was a good outcome.

After discussing the quilt, she didn't need to continue fluffing the cotton. She went back to the kitchen to continue her work. Feng Hai had already started preparing. Seeing the headscarf on Yun Yin's head, he couldn't help but say, "Why don't you leave all the dinner to me tonight? That way you won't have to bother with your hair."

Yunyin washed her hands and smiled, "It's alright, I've already taken care of it. The cotton won't fall off. I only wrapped my hair up in case of any unexpected problems. Huo Yu and Madam Lin are coming today, so I have to cook for them myself. They came all this way just to eat my cooking, so I can't let them down."

She worked quickly. Lin Yun had only sat down to rest for a short while when her dishes were already prepared and on the table. Except for the roast duck, which they had never tried before, the other dishes were ones they had eaten countless times before. Even now, the taste still made him linger.

Huo Yu put down his chopsticks, held his teacup, and after a long while sighed, "Alas, it will be a long time before I can eat Yun Niangzi's cooking. I really wish I could stay here with Yun Niangzi and eat here every day."

Lin Yun glared at Huo Yu and said, "The cook at home is quite good at cooking, is it really necessary for you to be so disgusted with her?"

Yunyin: "Young Master Huo will get tired of eating my cooking every day. If you really like it, you can come over often. Madam Lin is coming to learn how to make quilts, so she should be coming more often recently."

Huo Yu looked at Lin Yun with surprise, "Really? I thought you'd be busy for a long time when you go back this time, and I was just feeling a little regretful."

Lin Yun rolled her eyes at Huo Yu and said to Yun Yin, "Don't pay any attention to him. Yun Niangzi doesn't need to make special food for us. I'm here mainly to learn the skills. You can have Feng Hai make the food."

Yunyin smiled and said, "It's alright. Making delicious food is my pleasure. I love cooking, and I'd be even happier if you all liked it."

Huo Yu nodded repeatedly and said, "That's right, that's right, this is the mutual appreciation between the chef and the diner."

After Yunyin finished preparing dinner for the guests, she and Feng Hai cooked their meal together. Today was the first time that Sister Qian and her friends had come over, so she specially made sauerkraut fish and let them taste the flavor of her homemade sauerkraut.

Qian Xing ate the pickled cabbage in the pickled fish, her eyebrows raised, "Is this the pickled cabbage you bought from us? I didn't expect it to taste so good when used to cook fish. I'll have to try it next time."

Yunyin asked curiously, "If you don't use pickled cabbage to cook fish, how do you sisters-in-law usually eat it?"

"Just boil it in water, what else can you eat it? If you have money to buy meat, you can use it to cook meat, it's also delicious. As for fish, we mostly cook it with soy sauce, I've never eaten fish cooked with pickled cabbage."

Yunyin: "I heard that this dish was originally made by fishermen along the river. Later, it gradually spread. I added dogwood to make it spicy. If you have children at home, you can omit the dogwood. It still tastes just as good."

Qian Xing exclaimed, "Yun Niangzi is so thoughtful. I'm so glad you chose our village to settle down. Even though you don't live in the village, the people here are still very grateful to you."

The other women nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, since you came, Miss Yun, our lives have become much better. Things are getting better and better. Now we even have warm clothes for winter. Miss Yun, you must take good care of yourself. If you need anything, you can come to us. We will definitely help you if we can."

Yunyin was also moved by what these women said. She had been in Dazhao for almost a year, and everyone she had met was easy to get along with. So far, apart from the people at Yuelai Restaurant, she hadn't encountered any really bad people. Everyone was just trying to survive, and as long as she showed a little kindness, she would receive even more kindness in return.

She was also very grateful to these people, as they made her less fearful of the unfamiliar environment, and she was happy to have met them.

Yunyin went to the warehouse and brought out the mulberry wine. This wine had been ready to drink for a long time. She had already eaten all the mulberries inside and stored the rest of the wine separately. Today, she was in a good mood, so she took out the wine to share with everyone.

She poured a glass for each of her sisters-in-law, saying, "Without further ado, let's drink."

Several of Yunyin's sisters-in-law clinked glasses with her, and the group drank heartily.

When Yunyin woke up the next day, her head still ached a little. She rubbed her head, realizing she had drunk too much the day before. She wasn't a good drinker, and Zheng Guilan had to help her back to her room.

After Yunyin finished washing up, she went outside and saw Zheng Guilan already cleaning the yard. She asked, "Who delivered the money to Aunt Qian and the others yesterday?"

"It was Zhang Lin and the others who delivered them. They got them there safely, so Madam Yun doesn't need to worry."

Hearing that they had been safely delivered, Yunyin was relieved and shook her head, saying, "It's good that you guys were quick-witted and knew to take Sister Qian and the others back. I drank too much yesterday and forgot about it. It seems that I still can't drink too much. Drinking can lead to mistakes."

Zheng Guilan laughed and said, "Madam's alcohol tolerance is indeed too low, but you are too happy. The cotton has been harvested and the inn is doing well. You should be happy. Anyway, we are all here, so it's okay for you to drink more."

Yunyin: "That won't do, we can't let you get too tired. By the way, now that the cotton is ready, I should find someone to make cotton-padded clothes. I wonder if Xiufang, which Sister Aman recommended before, can make cotton-padded clothes."

Zheng Guilan stopped in her tracks. "Miss Yun, is there any difference in how cotton-padded clothes are made compared to regular clothes?"

"There's not much difference. It just requires spreading the cotton little by little on the garment pieces, which takes time and requires patience, but it's not too difficult to do." Yunyin smiled shyly. "Although I'm not very good at sewing, I've seen others do it, so I roughly know how it's done."

Zheng Guilan pursed her lips and said, "Then, Miss Yun, may I try making it?"

Yunyin asked curiously, "You're already so busy, how can you have time to make clothes? The clothes you made for me before are enough, you don't need to make any more for me."

Zheng Guilan mustered her courage and said, "It's like this, I just heard that Madam Lin wants to sell cotton quilts in the future, and may also make cotton clothes. If I learn how to make cotton clothes, can I also make cotton clothes for her?" She lowered her eyes, not daring to look at Yunyin. "I know it's not a good idea. Madam has already paid me a high wage, and I don't have to worry about food and lodging, but I still want to save more dowry for Ahe. If Madam doesn't think it's good, I don't have to make cotton clothes for Madam Lin."

Yunyin didn't have such thoughts. It was only natural for Zheng Guilan to want to save more money. After thinking for a moment, she said, "If it doesn't interfere with your daily work, I won't interfere with your private work. But if it interferes with your daytime work, I will remind you."

Zheng Guilan looked up at Yunyin and, seeing that she was indeed not angry, breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Miss Yun, don't worry, I won't neglect my duties. I'll take some time to do it at night, and I'll still work hard during the day."

Yunyin smiled and said, "Then I'll teach you how to make cotton-padded clothes in a couple of days. You can try it first. If you do it well, I'll buy cotton-padded clothes from you in the future."

“How can I accept your money? My wife has taught me how to make cotton-padded clothes and allowed me to do private work. How can I accept your money? Besides, I need to buy cotton from my wife.”

Yunyin: "How can I not pay you for making clothes? Here's how: I'll provide the materials, you make the clothes for me, and I'll pay you for your work. Is that okay? You can also save on material costs."

After a moment's thought, Zheng Guilan agreed.

Lin Yun and Huo Yu arrived exceptionally early today. They had just finished breakfast when the two of them arrived. Yun Yin looked at them and asked, "Why are you here so early today? Have you had breakfast yet?"

Huo Yu found a seat and shook his head, saying, "No, I came here specifically to eat your breakfast. Do you still have the rice noodle rolls from yesterday?"

Yunyin: Yes, why didn't you eat at the breakfast stall up ahead? They've started making this breakfast dish today.

Huo Yu: "We came by horse-drawn carriage and didn't notice the breakfast stall."

Yunyin called Zheng Guilan to go to the breakfast stall in front to get breakfast, and said to Huo Yu, "I'll have someone get it for you. We haven't started cooking here yet; we'll start cooking for lunch."

Lin Yun looked around and asked, "Does the restaurant not serve breakfast?"

Yunyin served them millet porridge and said with a smile, "Breakfast is usually made in the front. If guests want to eat, we will also make it in the front and bring it over, which can save some firewood."

Lin Yun asked incredulously, "You earn so much money, why do you need to save on firewood?"

Yunyin shook her head and said, "This winter is going to be a cold one, so I naturally need to store up more firewood. I also need to use money wisely and cut back on expenses."

Huo Yu paused slightly in his teacup, then asked in surprise, "Who told you this winter would be a harsh one?"

Yunyin: "It was an old man in the neighborhood who knows how to read the weather who told me this. Our village head also reminded me to prepare more things for winter, which is why I was in a hurry to exchange cotton for straw. I didn't know that before and even planted some winter wheat. Now I have to try to make up for the losses."

Huo Yu put down his teacup. "I didn't hear a thing in the county town. Many people didn't know this year would be such a harsh winter." He was somewhat incredulous. He asked Yun Yin, "Is the old man's word believable?"

Yunyin nodded and said, "According to what Sun Lizheng said, he is an old farmer who is very good at reading the weather. Every year, we have to ask him what to plant and when to plant it. He is basically right. So when he said that this winter would be a cold winter, everyone believed him."

Huo Yu frowned and said, "We haven't heard anything about this in the county. We don't know which village Sun Li is in, or whether he has informed the county magistrate of this news."

Yunyin frowned and said, "We should ask him about this. Sun Lizheng should tell the county that many people are not planting winter wheat this year, so it should be reported."

Yunyin didn't know much about these things, but she knew that Sun Lizheng was a very responsible village head, and he would definitely report such an important matter to his superiors. As for what was going on in the county government, she wasn't very clear.

Huo Yu frowned and said, "No, I have to go back and find out. How can the county government not take such an important matter seriously? If it really is the dead of winter and people don't take precautions against the cold, how many people will die?"

He was restless and even the food couldn't attract him. Seeing this, Lin Yun raised her head and said, "You go back first. You can send someone to pick me up later. I have to learn how to make quilts today, so I really don't have time to keep you company."

Huo Yu stood up and said to the two of them, "Okay, I'll go back to the county town first and come pick you up later."

Yunyin frowned as she watched Huo Yu's departing figure and said, "I heard that the county has recently been focusing on repairing the irrigation canal. Could it be that they're really neglecting this matter?"

Lin Yun shook her head, "I don't know either. Let Huo Yu go and take a look. I hope everything goes well."

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Where are you processing cotton today? I'd like to go and give it a try."

Looking at her attire today, Yunyin noticed that she was indeed more capable than yesterday, but the fabric was still very expensive. She shook her head and said, "If you wear these clothes to the fields, they will get dirty in no time. Why don't I get you a change of clothes?"

Lin Yun looked at her clothes and nodded, "Sure, I'll wear your clothes too. We're about the same height."

Yunyin told her to go to her room to change her clothes. Seeing her wearing her own linen clothes, she looked quite respectable. "I'll take you to the fields. They pick cotton in the morning and collect the cotton seeds in the afternoon."

She led Lin Yun to the field, where the women had already started picking. She handed Lin Yun a basket, gestured for her to get into the field, and instructed her, "Only cotton bolls that have burst open can be picked. Cotton bolls burst open every day, so it will take several days to pick all the cotton."

Yunyin explained the key points of picking cotton to her. After she understood everything, and seeing that Lin Yun had no problems, she returned to the inn to give instructions.

Yunyin's main task today was to fluff cotton and make quilts. She even left the cooking for lunch to Feng Hai. In the afternoon, she first worked with Sister Qian and the others to extract the cotton seeds. Lin Yun watched their steps and said, "This is indeed very labor-intensive. You don't use much here, so you can extract the seeds manually. If I want to do this business, I must find a way to reduce the burden."

When Qian Xing and the others heard that Lin Yun was going to do cotton business in the future, they asked cautiously, "Madam Lin, if your shop is going to sell cotton quilts, will you buy cotton? We will also grow cotton next year, and if you need it, we can sell you the cotton we don't need."

Lin Yun: "Of course we need to. I'll have someone come and collect your cotton once it's harvested."

Upon hearing this news, the women worked even harder. They knew they could not only make warm clothes, but also sell the remaining cotton to Lin Niangzi and save a lot of money. They had a lot of hope for the future.

Sister Ma looked at Qian Xing, then at Yun Yin, and made up her mind to work for Lady Yun. During a break, she secretly found Yun Yin and whispered, "Lady Yun, do you need any more people to do the work here?"

Yunyin raised an eyebrow at the person behind Sister Ma, coughed, and said, "Sister Zhu, what brings you here?"

Following behind Ma He was Zhu Yu, who was from the same village as her and was the first person to ask Qian Xing if she could work for Yun Yin.

Zhu Yu walked out from the corner, glared at Ma He, and pulled Yun Yin along, saying, "Miss Yun, I came here to ask you if you are still hiring? If you are, would you consider me?"

Seeing the two women arguing over the job, Yunyin quickly interrupted them, "We don't have that plan yet. When I need to hire people later, I'll contact you first. What do you think?"

Ma He and Zhu Yu exchanged glances, snorted, and then became friendly towards Yun Yin again, saying, "Then I'll wait for news from Lady Yun."

After the two left, Yunyin breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Being too enthusiastic can also be a burden."

Zheng Guilan happened to be passing by and overheard this. She laughed and said, "So they all like Lady Yun. Does Lady Yun want to hire more people?"

Yunyin shook her head and said, "I don't plan to hire anyone for the time being. Even if I were to hire someone, I would like to find someone who knows how to raise fish and crabs. My shrimp and crabs in the fields also need someone to take care of them."

"I hope the measures I took will be effective and the losses to the shrimp and crabs will be reduced. I'm looking forward to eating crabs next year." Yunyin sighed deeply. "This afternoon, I'll have Ma Hao and the others take people to the edge of the field to build windbreaks. After we change the straw, we'll put more straw in the field to minimize the losses."

Zheng Guilan couldn't hide her worry either. She knew how much Yun Niangzi valued these shrimp and crabs, feeding them three meals a day and cleaning the water source from time to time. The effort she put in was no less than that of a restaurant owner. If the shrimp and crabs all died, how sad she would be. Unfortunately, she didn't know any of these things and didn't know anyone who could help her.

She sighed and said, "I hope everything's alright."

Yunyin shook her head and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about this. Let's go make some quilts."