Chapter 1 Becoming a Tailor Starts with Ironing
During the spring plowing season, Lin Xiushui waited at Guandu Ferry for the official boat bound for Sangqing Town.
She was pushed and shoved by the crowd, stretching out her arm to show the official her household registration certificate. Her bundle was torn open and thoroughly searched. Apart from a few tattered clothes, a quilt, and two chickens, there was nothing else.
The woman opposite Lin Xiushui, on the other hand, had a flock of chickens and ducks, and then three donkeys, making her seem particularly shabby.
“From Shanglintang,” the official muttered to the person next to him, “they used to be the head of the household, but now they’ve become migrants, going to Sangqing Town to seek refuge with their aunt.”
Lin Xiushui tightened her bundle, annoyed by the official's loud voice. After all, she was still a landlord with a house and land before spring. Although the house was a dilapidated shack and the land was only one mu, she could still make a living.
The heavy rain washed the fields into the lake, turned the houses into piles of broken planks, and destroyed all the belongings except for some clothes.
She wanted to continue living in Shanglintang, but she had no land and could not afford the taxes. Fortunately, she could rely on her aunt in Sangqing Town.
She paid the fifteen coins for the boat fare, put away her travel document, and carried her bundle in one hand and two chickens in the other. She had livestock, which the boatman called her to the stern, where she sat next to two donkeys.
Lin Xiushui tucked her hands in and asked the donkey to move aside. The woman next to her glanced at her and, seeing that she was a thin woman with her hair in two buns, said, "I paid for this donkey. How much did you pay?"
"Fifteen articles."
The woman immediately raised her voice, "I spent sixty coins on this, and I still think it takes up too much space. You're suggesting moving it to the side, but I'm afraid you'll crowd them."
You're entitled to pay more money, so you're justified.
Seeing that her legs were not even as thick as the woman's arms, Lin Xiushui stopped talking, but she wouldn't leave. She squeezed herself onto the donkey, pressed the chicken to her feet, and just listened to the boatman's calls to see where they were.
Shanglintang is located north of Lin'an Prefecture. It takes half a day to travel by boat to Sangqing Town, and the canal is crowded with boats, making travel slow.
Lin Xiushui couldn't stand the donkey's constant mooing any longer, so she found a corner and sat down on her blanket.
As she got closer to Sangqing Town, she became somewhat absent-minded. Since her mother passed away, she had only seen her aunt three times a year. Although they often kept in touch, it would be a bother to stay for an extended period.
Lin Xiushui was thin and weak. She was pushed and shoved off the boat and stood on the swaying planks, her clothes disheveled, in the boat pavilion of Qinghewu.
The dock here is called the boarding pavilion. There are pavilions of varying heights, one after another. Behind the pavilions is a high embankment with several bridges spanning it. The river is full of moored boats, stretching as far as the eye can see.
According to the people on the boat, private boats are not allowed to enter the inner city of Lin'an. They must all be transferred to official boats at Qinghewu. Therefore, merchant boats are as numerous as hairs on a cow.
She only glanced at them a few times before being jostled around by the crowd like a rattle-drum. Everyone here was in a hurry, carrying their bags and heading somewhere, but she just stood there dumbly.
A man from an inn came over to solicit customers, saying, "Young lady, would you like to stay overnight? It's only ten coins a night."
"Can't afford it."
After paying the boat fare, Lin Xiushui only had twenty-seven coins left, which was not enough to even afford a meal.
She wanted to ask someone for directions to Sangqiao Bay, but suddenly heard someone call out to her loudly, "Ah Qiao!"
Lin Xiushui responded first, then followed the sound and squeezed through the crowd. After walking for a while, she finally saw a thin woman with narrow eyes and a mole on her lip.
She called out, "Auntie!"
Wang Yuelan wanted to hit her, but seeing how thin she had become, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She wanted to scold her, but seeing her disheveled appearance, she turned around and hoisted the bundle onto her own shoulder.
But she couldn't hold back any longer and squeezed out of the crowd, scolding, "You brat, I told you to come earlier, but you wouldn't listen."
“You said you would observe three years of mourning for your mother, but the mourning period ended last winter. I sent you three or four messages, but you refused to come no matter what, and only came after this disaster struck. When you finally come home, if I don’t beat you, I’ll change my surname from Wang to your mother’s.”
These words were meaningless, Lin Xiushui thought to herself, her mother's surname was also Wang.
Wang Yuelan was still holding a grudge. She disliked her and disliked her chickens even more. She shouted, "Didn't I tell you to sell the chickens? Go to the poultry market and pick out a few chicks to raise."
Lin Xiushui avoided the porters carrying rice, picked up her things and jogged a few steps, saying, "It's not that I couldn't bear to sell them; I've raised them for several years."
Of course, that's not the case at all. Lin Xiushui raised these two chickens for two years, feeding them millet every day, catching insects for them, and keeping them in her house during the winter. She worked so hard to raise them, so they should die in her belly.
Wang Yuelan was both angry and amused. She didn't want to embarrass her in front of so many people, so she decided to talk about it when they got back.
In Sangqing Town, houses are either located by the river or by the street, but Wang Yuelan's house has its front door facing the street and its back door facing the river. It is located in a long alley, the first two houses next to an old mulberry tree.
This area where the river crosses the street is called Sangqiao Ferry. The front alley is where people grow mulberry trees and sell silk, while the back river is where people from all walks of life gather. You can see them early in the morning, and they usually set up stalls to buy and sell or go to work.
When Wang Yuelan opened the door, she said, "Ever since your uncle passed away two years ago, I pawned some things and brought Xiaohe to live here."
She was married twice and is now a widow in her early twenties. Her first husband was in Shanglintang, and her second husband was a shipbuilder. She followed him to Sangqing Town, but he died in a shipwreck. She was left alone with her daughter, and it wasn't suitable for her to live in the old dilapidated alley, so she mortgaged her belongings to buy a new house.
Lin Xiushui was well aware of this; her aunt had mentioned it two years earlier. She picked up her bundle, stepped sideways across the threshold, and looked up.
This courtyard is like living in a well.
The courtyard is narrow and long, and the whole yard relies on this courtyard for light.
The little lotus, squatting by the puddle and constantly looking up at the sky, looks just like a little frog.
Xiaohe is only six years old. She is short, but has a round face. She loves to jump around and will jump over to anyone she sees, calling Lin Xiushui affectionately, "Sister."
"Hey, Da Bao," Lin Xiushui called out to her with a grin.
The two of them had only met a few times, but they got along as well as if they had worn the same jacket before.
There was still some daylight in the courtyard, but inside the house it was narrow and dark. The windows weren't papered, just a few pieces of patched-up burlap. The furniture was a jumble of things, and without a candle, you'd stumble every few steps.
The cedar plank wall couldn't block out any noise; the family on the left was sawing wood, and children were making a racket on the right.
At this moment, Wang Yuelan brought out a tea bottle from the kitchen, poured a bowl of fragrant drink, and told Lin Xiushui to drink it.
The purest drink, like a decoction, is even more bitter than a bitter soup made from medicinal herbs.
Lin Xiushui burped after every sip, spitting out bubbles like a fish, unable to swallow a single drop. Wang Yuelan said she didn't know good stuff, drinking it while it was hot and even scraping the bottom of the bowl, saying this stuff was precious.
After having a drink and tidying up their belongings, they realized that although the house was small, there was a second floor with only two rooms. Xiao He and Wang Yuelan slept there, while Lin Xiushui occupied one room.
While in the small house, Wang Yuelan sent Xiaohe to fetch some things. She said to Lin Xiushui, "Once you're here, don't even think about going to Lintang. Tomorrow we'll go to the yamen. If you stay here for a year, you can become a town resident."
This house was purchased by Wang Yuelan after she pawned it at the pawnshop and borrowed money. The price was over sixty strings of cash, all because she didn't want to stay in the dilapidated house that the innkeeper was in, and it couldn't even be repaired.
With a house, she would be a resident of the town, making it easy for Lin Xiushui to be registered under her household registration.
“Your parents passed away early and were a burden on you, making you pay off a lot of debts. Otherwise, by the time you were fifteen, your dowry should have been complete,” Wang Yuelan was most concerned about this matter, after all, her older sister had entrusted Lin Xiushui to her before she died.
The child called her aunt, and since aunt is also considered a mother, she treated Lin Xiushui like her own child.
“These days, which young man doesn’t consider the dowry when he marries, and which young woman doesn’t ask about the land and wealth when she marries? Do you have a dowry and land? And you’re still happy? I think you’re really asking for a beating.”
Throughout the Song Dynasty, especially in Lin'an Prefecture, money was more important than appearance in marriage.
A poor woman like Lin Xiushui, who is penniless, can't find a good husband, and if she marries just anyone, she's likely to end up with a bad one.
Lin Xiushui laughed and said, "That's perfect. When I get old, I can go to a nursing home and still get a government job. They give me two liters of rice and twenty coins a day. If I'm full, my whole family won't have to worry."
Wang Yuelan glared at her, and Lin Xiushui immediately changed her tune: "Isn't there another way out? I'll find a job in a couple of days, preferably one that can earn a few coins a day. After a while, I can acquire land and wealth, and also find a good husband."
"You're talking nonsense. If you want to rob a gold and silver shop, go ahead and do it yourself."
Lin Xiushui didn't want to go to jail; she just wanted to earn some money so that her aunt wouldn't have to bear the burden of her.
Making a living in Sangqing Town is not easy; every trade has its own rules. Fortunately, Lin Xiushui also has the skill of tailoring.
It wasn't something I was born with, nor was it passed down from my mother; it came from a dream.
She started dreaming when she was twelve years old. Her mother had just passed away, and she had a fever. She dreamed all night, and her dreams always contained things she didn't understand.
Only a human frame, an iron inserted, light and fluffy clothes, and fabric that shimmered with color in the black...
Even if someone goes crazy, they still need treatment.
There were no proper doctors in Shanglintang, but there was a peddler who often had a sign hanging on his stretcher that read "Specializing in treating cattle, horses, and children."
But she is neither an ox nor a child, alas, what a pity.
Seeing that she was at least a person, the peddler said he had a cure for all diseases, and it would cost twenty coins per dose. Lin Xiushui gritted her teeth and paid him.
She felt unwell for half a day after drinking it, and she still had dreams that night. The peddler wouldn't give her a refund, but instead gave her two kinds of medicine. Ugh, they were completely useless.
On the tenth day, she suspected that a ghost was haunting her. There was a shaman in Shanglintang, and the villagers called this profession "spirit maiden." Lin Xiushui called her "ghostly shaman."
The exorcism was even more expensive, costing thirty coins. Upon hearing the price, Lin Xiushui immediately went out, then went back, repeating this six times before finally closing her eyes and paying.
Ling Gu sang and danced around her, shaking talismans wildly, then shoveled away the ashes, burned the paper, and turned it into black water, which she then told her to drink.
Lin Xiushui ran away immediately. Dreams are dreams, but she had to go down to see her mother after drinking this stuff. Her mother told her to at least stay alive.
She lost fifty coins and lived on meager rations for a long time before giving up. Between the ages of twelve and fourteen, she had three hundred and forty scattered dreams.
After she turned fourteen, she gradually realized that those were memories she had lost after transmigrating. These memories came too late; she already had her own ideas.
She was still surprised to learn that she had been a tailor in her past life.
This disappointed her greatly.
Why isn't she a cook, a doctor, or a businesswoman...?
It wasn't that she was disgusted; it was just that she needed to pay back the money her mother had incurred after her illness, and she was so poor that she was almost starving. The tailor's job was too slow to bring in money.
She painstakingly sews and mends a short jacket, or alters clothes to make them shorter, wider, or longer—all sorts of random requests—as if she could make a fortune. In reality, she counts eight hundred times a day and only earns five coins.
But once you get to Sangqing Town, it's definitely different from a small place like Shanglintang, where tailors have a lot of opportunities.
They are different.
They really gave us a strong show of force.
There are 414 trades in Lin'an Prefecture, half of which are located in Sangqing Town. With so many trades, there must be leaders, and these are called "trade elders".
To find work, you first had to go to a specialized teahouse and find a seasoned trader. These teahouses, where traders gathered, were called "markethouses." You'd need to give him a red cloth bag containing about a hundred coins, a pot of good tea, and let him assess your appearance before he'd help you find a job.
If they don't want it, fine, but nobody's going to buy a proper shop anyway.
On the day she arrived, Wang Yuelan styled her hair into tight double buns and pointed to her eyebrows, saying, "Take out the oil you saved from cutting lamp wicks and use it. Make your eyebrows a little darker and your lips look pale, so you need to put some red on them too."
With dark eyebrows and red lips, Lin Xiushui looked healthier than usual, despite her thin frame. She was also wearing a light-colored, well-fitting blue cotton jacket. While not exactly pretty, she was at least pleasing to the eye.
"Tailoring is a good profession. If you learn it well, you can work as a seamstress in a wealthy household. Never work in a dye shop, no matter what," Wang Yuelan said. She worked in a dye shop year-round, never having a moment's rest. If she did something wrong, they would deduct five coins from her salary. It was a terrible job.
On the way to the teahouse, Lin Xiushui stared at the small bag hanging on Wang Yuelan's back. It was heavy. She whispered, "Auntie, I'll return it to you."
“I’ll pay you back, I’ll wait for you to pay me back,” Wang Yuelan patted her on the shoulder, “You’d better speak properly then.”
When they arrived at the teahouse, they met with Master Xing, who was a shrewd businessman in the cloth and silk trade. He complained that Lin Xiushui was too thin and weak, and that her hands would tremble for two days after cutting cloth for one day.
They only accepted the tea, refunded the money, and told them to go find the matchmaker.
Sangqing Town has many skilled matchmakers, and each trade has its veterans, so there are countless matchmakers in the town.
The woman they found, Liu Ya Sao, was in charge of all the work in this industry. She had connections with all the cloth shops, including silk shops, clothing shops, yarn shops, and so on.
Liu Ya Sao only cares about money; if you give her money, she'll get things done.
"She's a little weak, but she's quick-witted, her sewing is steady, and her cutting is decent," Aunt Liu said, glancing at the fabric without much criticism. She then asked, "Do you know how to iron it?"
Wang Yuelan's hand on her waist trembled slightly, and she frowned, but Lin Xiushui said, "I will."
The first thing a tailor needs to know is how to iron cloth.
Since Liu Ya Sao didn't have an iron and needed to add charcoal to it, she wrote something on a piece of paper and told Lin Xiushui, "Go to Gu Niangzi's clothing shop to try it on first."
"She needs to iron more than a dozen bolts of cloth."
Liu Ya Sao explained, "These days, in the tailoring industry, tailors either work with experienced tailors or apprentices. The experienced tailors train you for three years before you graduate. People will be picky about you no matter where you go. You might as well start by ironing cloth and take a different path."
Lin Xiushui was already eager to get started; what were shortcuts? That was the right way to make money.
A note from the author:
The story is finally starting! Sorry everyone's been waiting! [laughing emoji]
Before the VIP chapter, I need to limit the word count, so updates won't be very consistent. After the VIP chapter, updates will be more stable.
This chapter includes red envelopes (cash gifts). May everyone who receives one be blessed with good fortune! [heart emojis]
[About the Song Dynasty]
1. Boarding Pavilion: In the Song Dynasty, docks, bridges, and other public facilities were referred to as boarding pavilions.
2. Fragrant Drink: Similar to a beverage, it is made by boiling medicinal herbs, flowers and fresh fruits.
3. Fangguo Households: Based on household registration, those living in cities are called Fangguo households, those living in towns are called Zhenfangguo households, and those living in villages are called Xiangcun households.
4. Home-based care facilities: nursing homes
5. The peddler and his sign advertising his services to cattle, horses, and children are from the illustration of "Peddler's Picture" by Li Song of the Southern Song Dynasty.
6. In the Song Dynasty, shamans were called "shiwu," female shamans were called "wu," and male shamans were called "xi." "Linggu" is a dialect term.
7. Mr. Xing: An industry leader and male real estate agent
8. **Matchmaker:** A female intermediary in the industry, also commonly referred to as a matchmaker.
9. Irons existed as early as the Han Dynasty, though their shapes and designs were different.
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