Chapter 54 The New Official Takes Office and Makes a Scene Everywhere
Being in charge has its advantages.
Firstly, her monthly salary would be increased by an extra 1 guan (a unit of currency), and Lin Xiushui wouldn't complain about having too much money.
Secondly, there is a special mending area, which, although vacated from an old house, is extremely spacious. She said it was specifically for storing all kinds of broken items.
Of course, she also had a steward's room, although it was old, but Steward Zhuang had it repainted with lacquer, so the floor looked shiny and the tables and chairs gleamed.
The room was empty, with a table and chairs, a cabinet, and nothing else. Lin Xiushui was pleased that the door on the right side of the room opened to reveal another small room with a window, a wooden canopy bed with four posts for hanging bed curtains.
It's made of mulberry wood, and the townspeople call it a sleeping bed, a stable and reliable old sleeping bed.
When Lin Xiushui saw the bed, she thanked heavens, for at least she had a place to rest.
The tailor's workshop had a lunch break and rest period of more than an hour. Every time she and Xiao Chun'e finished work, they were tired and sleepy. After eating, they had nowhere to rest, so they could only find a pavilion, lean against a pillar and doze off for a while. Sometimes they would lean against each other's backs and take a nap.
There were times when she was so tired that her eyes hurt and she couldn't even lift her arms, she would go and use Xiaochun'e's reclining chair. There were a few reclining chairs in the backyard where they cooked, but with people coming and going and pots and pans clattering together, she only went there twice.
Most of the time, she would lie down next to the table and sleep for half an hour. If she didn't sleep, she would have no energy at all in the afternoon, and she would poke her hand with the scissors when she was drawing silk.
She managed to get through it all, and managed to build a bed, a really big bed.
Once she lays out the mattress and mat, puts in the pillowcase and quilt, and hangs up the bed curtains, it will be a comfortable bed to sleep in.
She suppressed her excitement and didn't run to the back building to tell Xiao Chun'e that they finally had a place to rest.
In the morning, she had to hand over her work to the head embroidery department. It wasn't because her drawn thread embroidery was finished and she was no longer needed, but because it was so well-done and in high demand. Several ladies had been making a fuss with Madam Gu for days, and it wouldn't be appropriate to give it to anyone first, as it would offend people. Besides, only Lin Xiushui could do it, and if she worked herself to death, there would be no way to find another person, so she was told to rest first.
Madam Gu said that if you're not going to do it, then don't do it at all; it's better to offend a whole group than one person.
In the past few days, while she was away from the embroidery department, Madam Gu and Steward Yao wanted to see how well Li Jin and Xiao Qimei were learning drawn thread embroidery, and whether they could embroider a pattern within five days.
If possible, Lin Xiushui should specialize in embroidering complex patterns, while the other two should embroider simple patterns. If they can embroider well, they can take on jobs.
Anyway, Lin Xiushui really taught her step by step. Li Jin wasn't very quick-witted, but she could still perfectly replicate drawn thread work. So Lin Xiushui taught her all sorts of difficult things. Little Seven Sister was lively and had many ideas, so she was the most suitable to let her think for herself.
She absolutely did not hold anything back; both of them are capable of training apprentices in the future. As for whether they can carry on their skills, that's a long time coming.
Lin Xiushui had been away from the tailor shop for a few days. Besides giving instructions to the two people, she was especially reluctant to part with everyone, especially Li Jin. The old tailor said, "Don't worry, we'll take care of your business one by one."
Yes, everyone brought their broken things and came to visit her one by one. She said it was better not to come.
Others make a splash when they first take office, but Lin Xiushui just makes a mess of things.
Tear off everything that's moldy, cracked, or damaged.
Of course, it wasn't just pointless chatter; you had to wear the makeshift mask she made, a cloth towel, and gloves.
Instead, it was planned, organized, and orderly.
The tailor shop has a total of eighteen large rooms, distributed across five buildings. After a rainy season, so many places are moldy and damaged. Which room should be replaced first? What should be done with the items after the replacement? Where should the fabric be obtained? How much power does she have?
Before the change, she went to every place, recorded the locations, and drew a diagram. Finally, she decided to change the cloth-viewing room where she first came to the tailor's office. That was the courtyard that Gu Niangzi, Gu Er Niangzi, and the Gu family had to pass through every time they came in and out.
Lin Xiushui wanted to bring the steward over to take a look. Although the cloth room had been coated with tung oil many times and lacquered, and the cypress wood floor had been reinforced with two layers, the moldy areas, except for the cloth on the table, were still moldy.
Even the two silk lanterns in front of the door.
She asked the steward explicitly, "This isn't a cloth curtain, it's a bamboo curtain. Where do you put the old one? And have you given me a new one? Where can I get it or buy one?"
“This is a fabric curtain. Everyone says that gauze curtains are too bright in the summer and they want to replace them with thick silk. I said it would be better to replace them with coarse silk. First, coarse silk is thick and blocks out the light. Second, the price is the same as silk. This year, the silk shops have a lot of waste silk, so they have woven a lot of coarse silk. The question is whether we have the money to buy it?”
She listed more than a dozen problems in the room, including an unsuitable tablecloth, a shaky wooden frame for hanging cloth, and a lantern outside the door that was replaced with a different color because the red one was creepy at night, etc.
Although some problems were not under her jurisdiction and were too minor for anyone to care about, she simply wrote them all down. She wasn't just there to do mending and replace things; she was there to be in charge, so she was an official and had to solve everyone's problems.
When Manager Zhuang heard this, she thought it was indeed a very thoughtful consideration. Looking at Lin Xiushui's arguing, she remembered that she had come to the tailor shop a long time ago, sitting in the corner of this room, looking tall and thin, doing all kinds of sewing and mending work, with some childishness still on her face.
But now she looked calm and composed, without the slightest hint of unease. Her eyes were bright, and she was dressed in well-fitting and appropriate clothes. She looked pretty and dashing, and she stood there discussing the issue with her neither humble nor arrogant.
It's only been a few months.
When Madam Gu said she wanted to set up a separate sewing and mending department and appointed Lin Xiushui as the manager, and asked her to give more autonomy, she understood but didn't quite grasp it. Now she needed to understand many things.
Manager Zhuang came out with Lin Xiushui and slowly began to speak, considering the right words, "What I mean is that everything that was replaced is yours to handle."
Lin Xiushui couldn't keep a straight face at this moment and blurted out, "You gave me all those curtains, drapes, old lantern stands and stuff?"
She truly had the feeling of a poor person suddenly becoming rich, treating even junk as a treasure.
After all, not all of these things were moldy; many could still be used after washing.
“Yesterday I told you that I would be in charge, get a raise, and have three people to help you, and you weren’t surprised at all. Can you show the same attitude you had just now?”
Lin Xiushui muttered to herself, "It's not just the two of us now."
"You're really giving it to me?"
Manager Zhuang glanced at her, wondering why she had two faces.
“I’ll give it to you. Not only will I give it to you, but in this replacement of supplies, besides the cloth, you can get fifteen strings of cash. You have to keep track of it. Madam Gu and I will both be watching.”
"Do a good job," Manager Zhuang patted her shoulder one last time.
Lin Xiushui understood. It meant that she, as the manager of the mending department, would act as the logistics manager for the tailors. She would be responsible for finding people to repair anything that was broken. She wouldn't be involved in the repair of tables, chairs, windows, curtains, or draperies. She would only be responsible for the final result.
That's why Lin Xiushui was able to go ahead and do it.
In fact, this was the first time Lin Xiushui had been able to control so many things: fifteen strings of cash, three sewing women, three porters, and two cleaners, which greatly increased her pressure.
But the more difficult it is, the more I want to do it well and the more I want to convince the public.
She first replaced many of the bamboo blinds in the house, as bamboo blinds were the most obviously and severely moldy of all the items, and the mold would affect everyone.
Almost immediately after replacing a piece, a new one is hung up. Besides her excellent craftsmanship, Lin Xiushui's second greatest strength is that she knows many other craftspeople.
She met a woman who specialized in making bamboo curtains at Sangqiao Ferry. The bamboo curtains she made were fine and dense, made from old bamboo, smooth and not rough on the hands, and were the best among all bamboo curtain makers.
Moreover, they bring a whole family over, and they hang it up when the sun is at its strongest to see if it can block the light, and whether it leaks light when people sit in certain positions. The size is made to be just right. Out of respect for Lin Xiushui, they promised that if the bamboo blind is damaged, no matter how it is damaged, they will repair it without paying, and that it can be refurbished and replaced next year.
This way, we no longer need to leave the work to the old woman who does mending.
The new bamboo blinds are just right. At least they don't leak in one place here and there. They're dark in some places and bright in others. And they were changed very quickly, in just two days, unlike before when people had to take more than ten days to change their blinds one by one.
"Good heavens, this year we changed some things on the bird's head, and it was changed in no time."
“This bamboo curtain is so much better. I used to hate picking out curtains every day because they always had burrs on them.”
"Yes, there's a special sewing department manager now. The little girl who used to come to our room to sew things should now be called Manager Lin."
"She's still very young."
Everyone was talking at once, saying that Lin Xiushui was young and they didn't know if she could do a good job in the future.
It would be difficult for Lin Xiushui to do a bad job. She had worked in the Tent and Settlement Department before, and the curtains, table curtains, and canopies that were going to be replaced were all made by her. The managers there were much more picky than those here. If they were a little too long, they wouldn't do; if they were a little too crooked, they would do. They had to be just right and fit perfectly.
She taught the seamstress how to use a thread bag to pull the thread and cut the most suitable size. However, the coarse silk was thick and heavy, and the scissors were not easy to cut. She even went to ask for a few good scissors.
The seamstresses sewed steadily and straight, but because they sat on those low stools all year round, their backs weren't very good. She used old chairs that had been discarded to sew a few silk pads for them. Making curtains and drapes was hard work, and it took a long time to sew.
Of course, the tailor shop didn't provide them with meals or a place to rest. The three old women lived quite far away, so every morning they brought cold rice, borrowed a stove to make some hot water, and just ate a few bites.
Lin Xiushui discussed with Manager Zhuang, "I think we should at least provide them with a meal. How can they have the energy to replenish themselves if they don't eat their fill?"
"The sewing area is empty. Could we put a few tatami mats there so that everyone has a place to rest?"
Manager Zhuang invited her for tea. With Lin Xiushui around, things were much easier, and he could focus on various shipping and cargo replenishment matters. He agreed to her request without hesitation.
Since we weren't short of food for these few people, we said it was a place to rest. There were no beds, but there was a very simple wooden couch where people could lie down and rest for a while.
Actually, this kind of thing is easy to handle, but if no one fights for it, no one cares.
Lin Xiushui went back and told the good news. The sewing women were overjoyed. The food provided by the tailor was quite good. There were at least two vegetarian dishes, one meat dish, and a soup every day. The rice was plentiful, which was much better than the rice porridge and pickled vegetables they ate. There was also a special place to eat.
She led three anxious old women to get their meals, and Lin Xiushui generously said, "Manager Li, this is our sewing department. Granny Li, Granny Zhang, and Granny Chen, we'll be eating here from now on. The approval slip is here."
"Hey, eat here, we all know. Today we're having braised chicken, stir-fried summer cabbage, meat-filled steamed buns, and pickled ginger. Everyone, grab your bowls and eat."
Manager Li was very friendly and invited several old women to eat. Lin Xiushui had helped his daughter mend a gauze dress that cost five or six strings of cash.
The three sewing women, feeling awkward and hesitant, finally calmed down. Here, they could not only eat well but also eat their fill, something they had never dared to imagine before.
They also delivered a wooden couch in the afternoon. The couch is sturdy, and with some padding, they can lie down and feel much better.
Having suffered for most of my life, I came here intending to live a hunched life, but instead I straightened my back and didn't suffer.
The old women who came to work for her initially felt hopeless. If they went to different houses to take on jobs, they would always be met with disdain and bullying. After all, Lin Xiushui was really too young, and it was hard to feel any respect for such a young face.
But the truth is, she was incredibly capable.
Following such a person, even though these old women were several generations older than her, they had to sincerely call her "Manager Lin" and dare not presume to be arrogant.
Lin Xiushui was delighted with these curtains and drapes, and she took care of them all. Although they were moldy, most of them were on the edges of the fabric. She wore a mask and gloves and cut off a lot of them herself. As for the spots in other places, she could wash them. If they couldn't be washed off, she could cut them off. As long as there weren't too many mold spots, she could even dye them.
It's such a waste to throw it away; there are still many people in this town who can't afford cloth.
She packed some of the curtains into a bag and took it to the laundry shop. She hadn't been there in a long time; it was Song San Niang who brought the gloves.
When Xiao Jiu saw her arrive, she immediately jumped up from her stool and rushed to greet her. "Ah Qiao, it's been so long since I've seen you."
Lin Xiushui explained, "It's not like I haven't been here in a long time. I'm here to support your business. But this is all moldy cloth. I've already shaken it out, so you still have to be careful and not get too close to look."
He then asked, "Is the new apron any good?"
She had made money before and bought a lot of oilcloth from Xu San Niangzi, the oilcloth maker. In addition to gloves, she also made a batch of oilcloth aprons to pull over heads, which were made according to everyone's needs and sold very well.
Xiao Jiu quickly said, "It works great. At least we don't get our clothes wet anymore. We often talk about you. Leave this batch of stuff to us, and we'll make sure it gets clean."
“We’ve taken on a lot of work lately. Everyone says our laundry shops are fast and good at washing things, and we’ve made a lot of money, all thanks to the gloves you sold.”
Lin Xiushui quickly said, "That's all thanks to you yourselves. I didn't wash the clothes."
In fact, she had sold many things to make money, such as sachets, pouches, cat-head shoes, smocks, aprons, etc., in various shapes. She could sell them for a lot of money, but soon the same things would appear. Even if they were exquisitely made, there would be better ones. There was no shortage of strange and wonderful things on the market.
Only gloves continued to sell well, and they were sold in multiple industries. Sometimes she wondered why. Perhaps it was because other imitators didn't put in the effort, only made a copy of the appearance, chose inferior oilcloth, and didn't use enough tung oil on the seams, which would leak water quickly. To prevent leaks, the cost would be too high.
The main problem is that they can't sell their products as cheaply as hers, nor are they as good as hers. Many people have tried to imitate her products, but they all failed in the gloves market. No one is competing with her for business, and she has already sold her products to three laundry shops.
However, she didn't intend to make gloves from the fabric curtains she got from the tailor shop. She washed them at the laundry shop first, and then found that there were still some black spots on the fabric, so she took them to the dye shop to dye them.
She took back a brand new piece of cloth and put it on her stall to sell. It cost two hundred coins for a large piece, enough for a thinner person to make a short jacket or a pair of trousers, or at least a top and bottom for a child. She told everyone that it was mildewed cloth that had been washed and then dyed, and that there was a limit of two pieces per person.
"Just like new, give me two pieces, I'll make a new outfit for the child."
"Me too. I didn't bring any money. Please keep it for me. I don't care if it's been moldy or not. It's so cheap, it's a good piece of cloth."
The price is really cheap. Even people who are struggling financially and are planning to wear clothes from two or three years ago will find themselves tempted to spend money now, since they should at least have some new clothes for early summer.
Even if they don't wear it, they can save it for the cold autumn. They can use some silk floss to make a lining. These poor families are already planning for autumn and winter before summer has even really arrived. It should be said that all the money they earn in the summer is for buying grain, charcoal, and clothes in autumn and winter.
Lin Xiushui made a small profit from this batch of fabric. Even though the silk fabric used for curtains and drapes in the tailor's workshop wasn't the best, it was still much better than the dyed burlap sacks she sold.
Even if it was an old tablecloth made of coarse cloth, she told the other women that they could sew a piece of lining cloth to make a children's shirt, and that they could always make one by piecing it together.
Although she was dedicated to working with the discarded curtains, taking all sorts of measurements and cutting, after becoming the head of the sewing department, she finally had a relatively easy time to rest, no longer having to strain her eyes every day to pluck threads. She could rest for a while at noon, since she now had a bed, and she would definitely lie down for a while, laying out quilts and mats and hanging curtains.
When Xiao Chun'e came to sleep in her room, she said, "Does this mean that when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven?"
Lin Xiushui opened the window and asked her, "Which one of the chickens and dogs are you?"
"You're mistaken. We geese and chickens and dogs never associate with each other."
Lin Xiushui yawned, "You're more like a moth than a goose."
Xiao Chun'e shook her head, saying seriously, "No, moths can't touch water."
But she later said, "I'm still happy for you though."
"What are you so happy about?" Lin Xiushui was sleepy, but she kept her eyelids open and asked.
Xiao Chun'e didn't say it, but of course she was happy that her efforts had paid off. She worked tirelessly day and night, getting up early to mend clothes and sewing all day long. When she was busy at the tailor's workshop, she would even eat with her eyes closed. She would poke her mouth with chopsticks, not complaining about the pain in her hands, but she would often have plasters on her hands and bandages on her hands.
Of course she would be happy; what she received was worth all those hard days.
If Lin Xiushui knew, she would only say that she was happy during those days.
She is quite content, and contentment brings many good things, such as money, like lots of money.
She can afford to buy clothes, and if she wants to eat chicken, she can buy the most famous roasted chicken on West Street. If she wants to eat duck, her aunt will be willing to buy an old duck and stew it into soup in her spare time.
Tomorrow will be a good day for mending.
You need to supplement your diet with all kinds of nutrients.
Of course, amidst the patchwork and the various messy fabric curtains, she thought, what's there to patch? Just cut it all up and make mops.
Oh well, it'll still work if we pick and choose.
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