Chapter 223 The Lazy Man's Method of Weaving Silk: You Have to Find a Way to Be Lazy! ...

The embroidery production team of Feiyan Textile Factory is located in a spacious bungalow. Sunlight shines through the wooden lattice windows, cut into thin threads, and quietly falls throughout the entire production workshop.

Dozens of traditional kesi (silk tapestry) machines were neatly arranged, with Qin Xiangxiang sitting reluctantly in front of one of them.

Xue Xiaolin, who was standing next to her, had long forgotten about her own machine and was watching the factory manager's actions intently.

The kesi (silk tapestry) craft is like an artist creating a painting; watching the lifelike and artistic scroll unfold before your eyes is mesmerizing and captivating.

After Xue Xiaolin joined the embroidery group, she fell in love with the kesi (silk tapestry) craft. She never expected that such a small island textile factory would have such amazing craftsmanship, and even have a master craftsman like Lu Suxin in charge.

Xue Xiaolin cupped her face in her hands: "...This kind of life is like a dream."

Qin Xiangxiang looked dejected, thinking: That must be a nightmare!

Qin Xiangxiang held a shuttle wrapped with colorful silk threads in her hand, and her expression was probably that of the pioneer of "lazy kesi" (silk tapestry).

When others are weaving silk, they are completely focused and concentrate, but Qin Xiangxiang's eyes are unfocused, as if she is about to doze off and fall asleep at any moment.

Others apply force with great care, evenness, and tightness, while Qin Xiangxiang applies it with a force that is neither too light nor too heavy, even appearing somewhat soft and slow...

When Lu Suxin saw her looking like this, she wanted to correct her, but Master Lu held back. At the time, Master Lu was thinking: I want to see what kind of weird look you can make.

She discovered that the fabrics Qin Xiangxiang wove were actually quite perfect and virtually flawless.

Lu Suxin: "..."

Is this the unique technique of a genius?

So Lu Suxin went with her.

In Master Lu's eyes, Qin Xiangxiang's kesi (silk tapestry) was "lazy and casual," while in Xue Xiaolin's eyes, Qin Xiangxiang's kesi technique was "ethereal and otherworldly."

Although her movements seemed slow, if you looked closely for a while, you could see that at certain moments, the shuttle moved so fast that you couldn't see it clearly, the silk thread landed precisely where it was needed, and the colors transitioned seamlessly!

"Factory manager, your technique is like dancing, full of beauty. You're fast when you need to be fast and slow when you need to be slow. It's incredible. After seeing your technique, I feel ashamed of my own clumsiness."

Qin Xiangxiang was speechless, thinking to himself: This is called a lazy and effortless way.

Lu Suxin: "Xue Xiaolin, you should observe the factory manager's craftsmanship carefully. Don't use brute force. Be gentle when you should be gentle and heavy when you should be heavy... You will be a very good kesi craftsman."

Xue Xiaolin has some talent for learning kesi (silk tapestry); her talent lies in "extreme neatness." She learns quickly and diligently, but the kesi products she produces tend to be stiff and lifeless.

It's clearly hand-woven, yet it looks like it was made by machine. In a sense, could that be considered a kind of genius?

Kesi (silk tapestry) is a more complex craft than embroidery. While some machines can perform simple embroidery, kesi is largely impossible to do by machine and can only be done by hand.

Kesi, also known as tapestry weaving, is a type of silk fabric with colored lines woven horizontally through vertical rows of silk threads. In ancient times, there was a saying that "an inch of kesi is worth an inch of gold," and it is also a unique weaving technique among Chinese silk fabrics.

Kesi (silk tapestry) is the most luxurious and exquisite of all silk fabrics, and it was also the weaving method used for the dragon robes of ancient emperors.

Xue Xiaolin: "This kind of kesi (silk tapestry) technique, the kind of thing emperors wore in ancient times? Factory director, if this were in an ancient weaving workshop, you would definitely be a kesi craftsman who wove dragon robes for the emperor!"

Qin Xiangxiang: "Pah, pah, pah! If this were really ancient times, why wouldn't I be the emperor, but instead have to weave dragon robes for the emperor?"

Xue Xiaolin leaned back tactically: "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

"If this were ancient times, I would want to be a female general and overthrow the emperor! Factory director, I support you to be the empress."

Qin Xiangxiang: "..."

She had no interest in becoming Wu Zetian, but rather in becoming Zhao Kuangyin, forced to don the imperial yellow robe.

Lu Suxin smiled slightly as she stood to the side, saying, "You two should be careful what you say."

It's 1975 now, and the atmosphere isn't as tense as it was a few years ago. Just kidding, talking about ancient emperors and generals isn't a big deal.

Xue Xiaolin: "This kesi (silk tapestry) technique is really beautiful, but it's a bit too flamboyant. Such a gorgeous thing could only be afforded by capitalists in China in the past."

Qin Xiangxiang: "There are still many kesi (silk tapestry) factories in China, and they all do foreign trade."

"Foreign trade? What do foreigners use it for? Is it for painting?"

Kesi (silk tapestry) is a technique often used for "painting." Many paintings and calligraphic works depicting flowers, birds, landscapes, and other natural elements are woven into silk scrolls using the kesi technique, which shows how valuable this craft is.

Qin Xiangxiang: "I know that Liren bought a large number of silk kimono belts and monks' robes."

Xue Xiaolin stared blankly: "So the monk's cassock is also made using the kesi (silk tapestry) technique? No wonder, no wonder, no wonder it's so colorful. No wonder the Black Bear Spirit and the Golden Pool Saint Monk in Journey to the West coveted Tang Sanzang's cassock; they must have used the best craftsmanship."

"Factory manager, it's probably craftsmen like you who can weave the brocade cassock worn by Tang Sanzang..."

Qin Xiangxiang's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot: "Xue Xiaolin, you and your cousin are really cut from the same cloth."

Not a single word he said was something I wanted to hear.

"Factory manager, you noticed too? Haha, my dad also said I look a lot like my cousin."

Qin Xiangxiang: "..."

Alright, this week Zhenbang is probably going to be a "tough nut to crack".

Qin Xiangxiang thought that the pattern on the kesi tapestry was a very intricate and detailed peony design. The whole work was about the size of a painting or calligraphy work, but it required a very long time to complete.

It is no joke that it took artisans a year to make a single dragon robe in ancient times; it was a true story.

Of course, now that there is no emperor and dragon robes are no longer made, there is no need to be so careful.

Like silk, this kesi (silk tapestry) technique is not a luxury item suitable for ordinary people.

Qin Xiangxiang: "Think about those ancient kesi (silk tapestry) works, and then look at what's in front of me... how long would it take to finish this?"

I need to find a way to be lazy!

Qin Xiangxiang was multitasking; while his hands continued working, his mind was scheming to find ways to "cut corners".

Pure kesi (silk tapestry) works are complex, but in ancient times there were also textiles that combined kesi with embroidery and painting, which made the expressive power more diverse and saved some work. Kesi is the most complex technique, requiring a total of sixteen steps and is very delicate. If embroidery can replace some of the steps, it can reduce a lot of work time, and painting can save even more work time.

How can we minimize the time spent on manufacturing while maintaining aesthetic appeal?

Qin Xiangxiang, this lazy bum, may not have much of an idea in other areas, but she has "unique experience" when it comes to being lazy. How to combine splicing, embroidery, tapestry, painting... in the most convenient way, and also make it "beautiful" enough. If it's too ugly, the fussy Xiangxiang will refuse.

Actually, Qin Xiangxiang doesn't particularly like ancient kesi (silk tapestry) works. They are suitable for making "magnificent and dazzling" things like kasaya (Buddhist robes). The craftsmanship is too "colorful," and modern people don't like the gaudiness of the past.

Furthermore, at this point, the color expression is diversified, and it is already able to produce a rich variety of colors.

During her break, Qin Xiangxiang stood by the window and suddenly saw the sunlight filtering through the leaves outside. A brilliant idea flashed through her mind—a clever way to slack off.

“Master Lu, I don’t think kesi weaving needs to be as full as before. It can be like a shadow, faintly visible, which can save some thread and some work!”

Qin Xiangxiang said, "Moreover... kesi (silk tapestry) is often used for painting, and ancient paintings have the principle of the interplay between reality and illusion, so they probably all like that sense of ambiguity."

"Many colors are the same; nowadays, many people no longer like highly saturated, vibrant colors, and prefer low-saturation Morandi colors or matte colors..."

"Yes, actually, silk thread can also be treated with acid and alkali, just like imitation silk, to reduce reflectivity and create a visual gradient of light and dark."

...

After Qin Xiang thought of this great idea to be lazy, she started to get to work. Master Lu watched her and "Professor Shen, the Pig Farmer" working together on the silk thread, and she couldn't help but gasp.

Professor Shen is very dedicated to research. He helped Qin Xiangxiang develop a kind of "matte silk thread". After testing, this silk thread was found to be harmless to human skin, and the matte silk thread adds a sense of layering compared to the glossy silk thread.

After figuring out this thing, Qin Xiangxiang began to research a new "lazy silk weaving method".

Qin Xiangxiang said, "This is what they mean by 'If you study math, physics, and chemistry well, you can go anywhere in the world without fear.' Math, physics, and chemistry can even be used in weaving and tapestry making!"

Ancient ink paintings emphasize the interplay of emptiness and fullness, as well as the hazy beauty of ink wash and the transition of light and shadow. Qin Xiangxiang's research on the "lazy silk weaving method" is perfectly suited for replicating ink paintings.

By using sparse weaving and alternating silk threads with different luster, a better ink wash effect can be achieved, with more layers. The effect looks realistic from a distance and is rich in detail up close. Of course, most importantly, it saves time and effort, reducing labor and material costs by nearly half!

Qin thought for a moment: "This is the lazy man's kesi method that I invented... Wait, no, I have to come up with a good name, it can't be so straightforward."

"The shading technique in silk tapestry, the ink wash technique in silk tapestry? Hmm, I'll call this the 'shadow tapestry technique'."

Qin Xiangxiang said, "My shadow tapestry technique is not as figurative and gorgeous as traditional kesi (silk tapestry). It is suitable for showcasing the artistic conception of ink painting. It is lazier than kesi and slightly more gorgeous than embroidery... This thing, when added to a shirt as the finishing touch, will definitely look great!"

"And it's actually quite artistic."

Qin Xiang wanted to make a shirt for herself by hand. The cut was more fitted and neat, and a small and delicate intertwined floral pattern was woven on the upper left chest using the "shadow tapestry" technique. It was dignified and elegant, with a touch of modern fashion.

Qin Xiang thought to herself: Such nice clothes, I'll just keep them for myself.

"Your clothes..." Lu Suxin was stunned when she saw the shirt that Qin Xiangxiang had made by hand.

Master Lu stroked the pattern: "This is really beautiful!"

Now that there are no more princes and nobles, and no emperors who need to wear dragon robes, the craft of kesi (silk tapestry) is not suitable for ordinary people. The improved version retains some of the intricate details of kesi while adding modern simplicity and a touch of the hazy beauty of ink paintings.

"The clothes you made are really beautiful."

Qin Xiang thought to herself: Of course, I'll put my heart into making it look nice when I make it for myself!

Isn't that what you get for being a factory manager?