Chapter 67 Organizing a Weaving Skills Gathering
I'm going to make a lot of money in July.
Lin Xiushui had this idea. In June, she endured the Lesser Heat and Greater Heat, interspersed with the first and middle periods of the hottest days of summer. After the two hottest periods of summer, most of the mosquitoes and flies had died, and the cicadas chirped incessantly, which was very noisy.
This year, Qixi Festival and the Beginning of Autumn are close together, and in two days it will be the last of the three periods of intense heat. The weather will still be hot and stuffy in the house. It will be cool by the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Lin Xiushui wanted to start a hair tie business and sell silk dolls and gauze bags, but it was hot and hadn't rained for a long time. Even in a shady room, she was sweating profusely and had no energy.
Madam Zhou always said she could endure it. She would get up early and go to the house Lin Xiushui rented while the children were sleeping. It was cool at that time, so she would sweep the house first and carefully hang the clothes out to dry. Once the sun came out, she would take them back in.
She would often take down the curtains used for coming and going in the morning, wash them, and let them air out in the sun all afternoon. Then she would hang them back up in the evening. After a quick bite at noon, she would immediately come over to sew and cut cloth. Most of the gauze bags and clothes were made by Zhou Niangzi. She would work for five or six hours a day and even said that she would help Lin Xiushui get up early to take Xiaohe to the private school.
Lin Xiushui couldn't persuade her either, and she was afraid that the person would faint from the heat in the room. After all, there was only one person working here, and it was hard to say what might happen if something went wrong. July was even more humid and hot than June.
She had just received ten strings of cash this month, which gave Lin Xiushui a great deal of confidence. She was willing to spend money to buy ice. The price of ice had been consistently high, and several times she wanted to buy some, but she couldn't bear to spend several hundred coins on a single piece of ice.
She had previously made coats and added collars for the ice miners in Bingjingwu. Although she thought it was outrageous, she did it seriously for them. She even went to Liu Ya Sao's secondhand clothing shop to pick out a thick leather piece for them, padded it with silk floss, and made a thick scarf. That was how they became friends.
When she found the ice harvester, the man immediately said when he heard that she wanted to buy some: "There are many people using ice these days, so the price of ice is indeed expensive. A big block costs three hundred coins. If you want to buy some, I can give you one hundred and fifty coins for a bucket of ice."
Ice is stored in special ice buckets, which are thickened double-layered mulberry wood buckets, unlike specially made ice chests. The design is ingenious, resembling the Chinese character "回" (hui). The ice is placed in the interlayer of the "回" shape, with white copper in the very center, so that the ice melts very slowly.
There are small brokers selling all kinds of ice and snow products, but Lin Xiushui doesn't think it's worth spending money on that. She said to the ice harvester under the tree, "Give me four buckets today, and five buckets tomorrow. I know a lot of people."
"Alright, everyone knows your name. Since you bought a lot, I'll give you another half bucket of crushed ice. You're young, you should take care of yourself," the ice harvester fanned himself with his hand and pointed to his neck. "After I wore that warm leather scarf last time, it really helped a lot. At least the cold wind didn't get into my neck."
"I'm counting on you; we need to collect ice in the winter too."
Lin Xiushui gave him a palm-leaf fan, fanned herself a couple of times, and laughed, "Okay, I'll make you windproof hats and specially made ice-collecting clothes back then."
"I've been waiting for you to say that. If you need ice in the future, just come to me."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lin Xiushui waited by the river outside the ice cellar for another worker to bring her the ice bucket. He would take it to her and she would have to pick it up. If she used their ice bucket, she would have to pay three coins to have it returned the next day.
Lin Xiushui took a day off today just to deliver ice. She went to the nearest ferry, Sangqiao, to deliver it to Madam Zhou, and she would return the ice bucket tomorrow.
Zhou Niangzi, who was sweating profusely in the room, stood up helplessly. Remembering to put the needle away carefully, she shook her head and waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "I'm not hot at all, I'm really not hot. A Qiao, don't spend money on me and make me take advantage of you for nothing."
“What do you mean by taking advantage?” Lin Xiushui looked at the whole block of ice in the bucket. Sitting in the house near the ice bucket was indeed cooler. She stood up and said to Zhou Niangzi, “If you get sick from the heat, then I’ll be short-handed. I’ll make a little money these days.”
A bucket of ice can make you feel cooler during the hottest part of the afternoon, so it's worth it. You can also put water jugs or mung bean soup on it to cool it down and relieve some of the summer heat.
No matter what Zhou Niangzi said, the ice bucket was placed next to her. With ice, Zhou Niangzi could sew much faster, and could sew more than twenty gauze bags and more than twenty hair ties in half a day.
Lin Xiushui rode on the boat with the helper and delivered another bucket to the tailor, Jin. Jin always patiently taught her how to sew clothes, how she had arranged the fabric over the years, how to make clothes that used the least amount of fabric, and where to find good fabric. Jin would often bring out good fabrics that were not available in the tailor's shop so that Lin Xiushui could touch them and practice her hand feel.
The tailor accepted it, but said, "Don't send me anything like that again. If you do, I won't even open the door for you next time."
"You forgot that we are friends despite our age difference. Glue can be melted with ice."
Lin Xiushui picked up the empty ice bucket, took two steps, and said, "Don't worry, we are fish glue, only boiling water can dissolve it."
"It's so hot today, like boiling water."
Lin Xiushui replied again: "But I am Xiushui, I will not roll away."
The tailor was stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly, telling Lin Xiushui not to leave. He gave her two bags of things, one of which was water chestnuts. The water chestnuts were fresh at the moment, and when boiled with water and sugar, they would make a sweet and sticky soup, perfect for cooling off in the summer.
Lin Xiushui weighed it in her hand; it should weigh two or three jin. Fresh fox nuts were expensive at the moment; they were crisp and tender when eaten raw, and didn't need to be simmered for long when making soup, and they were very chewy. The second type was dried fox nuts from Pingjiang Prefecture, also called gorgon fruit. This type of dried gorgon fruit, which was red on top and white at the bottom, was also called Su gorgon fruit. It needed to be simmered for a long time when making soup, and it was durable and delicious.
She couldn't refuse, and the deliveryman was still waiting, so she had no choice but to take the bag in her hand and hurry out.
The last two buckets of ice were delivered to Wang Yuelan's brocade workshop. Lin Xiushui had specifically inquired about the workshop, which was located one street behind the silk shop. She gave the shop assistant three coins and asked him to help carry the ice buckets while she took two buckets of soup, one with sugar and mung beans, and the other with preserved plum juice, and walked through the narrow alley.
The gatekeeper asked her who she was looking for, and she said she was looking for Wang Yuelan, who had recently come here to weave brocade.
Someone went to call her, and Wang Yuelan rushed out. She ran so fast that she almost lost her shoes. Her face was flushed, and she was panting heavily. She hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"
"Aunt, I've brought you two buckets of ice and cold water. Take them and let everyone have some," Lin Xiushui said, fanning her.
Wang Yuelan said anxiously, "What's the point of sending it here? It's just a waste of money."
"No, that's not it," Lin Xiushui said, sweating profusely as well, teasing her, "This isn't an ice fee, but to ask someone to take good care of you."
In fact, Lin Xiushui really thought so. Her aunt only occasionally mentioned that she wasn't very attentive to teaching brocade weaving, and since she didn't know anyone there, everyone was busy with their own things. She was a newcomer and couldn't operate the brocade weaving machine. People thought they weren't familiar with her and were unwilling to give her any pointers.
Lin Xiushui kept this in mind. She couldn't think of a good solution before, but now that she was offering ice and cold water, she figured she was obliged to do so.
Wang Yuelan remained silent. Her heart was like the clouds in the sky, both cold and soft. She reached out and took the ice, then walked forward and said, "With these two buckets of ice from you, I can definitely make a name for myself."
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t make it big, Aunt. I’ll tell everyone that I have an aunt named Wang Yuelan who weaves brocade, and people will say you’re really amazing,” Lin Xiushui followed behind, praising her endlessly.
Wang Yuelan couldn't stand her mouth, so she carried the ice bucket with all her might, trying to suppress her laughter, and went to the brocade weaving workshop to invite everyone to drink. In the hot and stuffy place, where the looms were humming and even a single wrong warp or weft could not be tolerated, everyone was irritable and bored.
Suddenly, they received ice and were able to drink a bowl of cold water. Everyone was overjoyed and took their own bowls to fill up. Lin Xiushui said, "Yes, this is my aunt. She always says that everyone here is kind. Even though she was new here and not very good at weaving brocade, she carefully taught her how to recognize the pattern, how to read the loom, and how to recognize the three warp and two weft threads. She felt bad about it and asked me to bring her something."
"No, no."
"I'm sorry to make you say that, but we're all family here in the brocade workshop, so we'll definitely teach you properly."
Everyone was flattered by the lie and hurriedly said that they would definitely give some pointers. They had received the ice and drunk the cold water, so they had to show some skill to teach.
After finishing her work, Wang Yuelan brought back four buckets, sat down, and drank two large bowls of water before finally pouring out all the things she had been holding back.
“I was wondering why I couldn’t understand anything before, and I was always confused. Everyone has their own methods,” Wang Yuelan said excitedly, waving her hands and showing a genuine smile that she hadn’t seen in a while.
"After listening to everyone's explanation this afternoon, I finally understood how that machine works, how it stitches latitude and longitude lines!"
The boat she took on her way here rocked so much that she almost cried in the wind. She listened to the story for a long time but was always confused. She couldn't sleep at night and had very light sleep. She often wondered if she was really on the right path.
Today, however, she suddenly had an epiphany. It turned out that it wasn't that she was stupid; it was that no one had taught her those methods, so she simply didn't understand how to thread the face and bottom warps, how to insert the weft threads, which side of the machine to turn, and what all these things were. Where should she move them?
She found the answer today, and everything became clear. She looked up at the jacquard machine, then at her own hands, at the threaded fabric, and heard everyone say that it was correct. That uncertainty, that constant self-doubt, began to gradually dissipate; she really could do it.
It's not that difficult at all.
Lin Xiushui poured the crushed ice into a basin, and pointed to it, saying to Wang Yuelan, "Aunt, this is called breaking ice."
"Don't worry about the ice being hard. If you can roll it into a whole block, you can break it. Once it's broken, everyone will gather together."
Wang Yuelan was a little confused, but she said happily, "Everyone is really nice. They are all willing to teach me something. I'm sure I can learn it."
Lin Xiushui laughed; the ice-breaking operation was a success.
The next day, five buckets of ice arrived. She wanted to give one to Sang Ying, but unexpectedly, Sang Ying also brought a bucket for her. The two met on the bridge, first looking down at each other's buckets, then at their own, and lo and behold, they bumped into each other's ice.
“I just got my wages yesterday,” Sang Ying said with a grin. “I thought if I’m making money, I shouldn’t be afraid to spend it. What’s a few hundred coins for ice? I’ll buy it.”
“My ice is cheap,” Lin Xiushui said, placing the ice bucket beside her legs. “If I trade you for an expensive one, you can get another bucket tomorrow, along with a custom-made Lin Xiushui-branded sun hat.”
"What is that?"
Sang Ying gave Mi a hat, but the bamboo hat was stuffy and hot. It would fall off when she put it on and bend her head down, so she always had to adjust it repeatedly. It was also easy for her to get sunburned.
Lin Xiushui asked Granny Huang to weave her a straw hat that fit perfectly. Cloth hats are stuffy and not as cool as wide-brimmed straw hats. They won't fall down, block out the light, and allow for clear vision.
Anyway, Sang Ying was very satisfied after using it; it truly is a high-quality custom-made hat from the Lin Xiushui brand.
Lin Xiushui also gave two buckets of ice to everyone who was mending the covered walkway. She had been busy and hot these days and hadn't been able to come over to set up her stall much, but everyone still remembered her and always thought of her when they had something good to offer.
It's hot here, so there aren't many people around. But people come here for the lively atmosphere and to make more money. They're all here, mending and sewing as needed. Business isn't great because of the heat and the lack of people. But everyone has made a lot of money before, so they're not as worried as they used to be.
"Business will come back when it gets cooler in the fall," Lin Xiushui said, wiping her sweat and putting down the ice bucket. "Trust me, I'll be there to help you. I'll carry the signboard for you then."
“Of course we should believe it. You little girl, why are you buying ice? You have so much money you don’t know what to do with it,” Grandma Huang said anxiously. “We’re all old and we’re not afraid of the heat. It’s good for us to sweat a little.”
“I’m hot,” the old fortune teller said, “and I really like it.”
Everyone kept saying things, but Lin Xiushui quickly stopped them, saying, "Stop talking, you can't eat this ice. Put water on it and let it cool down, it can relieve the heat."
"If you really can't bear to spend the money, just wait for the ice to melt, and everyone can share the water. Don't drink it, that's called keeping the good stuff in the family."
Some people questioned, "Is this statement correct?"
Lin Xiushui didn't care about right or wrong; she had to get to work. The other two buckets of ice were delivered to the sewing and embroidery workshop.
The tailors don't buy ice. With so many people, each room would need two or three ice buckets, costing five or six strings of cash a day. The steward had calculated the costs and realized they simply couldn't afford it.
At most, they would buy it for the kitchen staff so that everyone could cook soup to cool them down, put it on ice, and deliver it to each of the rooms.
When they arrived, they were all steamed and hot, but not very tasty. I never expected Lin Xiushui to be so generous and buy two buckets, one for each room, along with some sweet bean soup delivered from outside.
“Oh no,” Xiaoqiao said, “My mother always said I was slow to understand things, but now I’ve finally figured it out. I’m falling in love with our manager and I want to marry her. What should I do?”
“That’s only human nature,” Xiao Chun’e replied.
“It’s hard not to fall in love,” said Little Seven. “They really spend money on us.”
"They even helped us make money."
Lin Xiushui vigorously fanned herself and said, "Don't talk, hurry up and drink. If you get hot, rub some ice on your face. Are you not sleepy now? If you're not sleepy, then hurry up and do it. If you are sleepy, then take a nap."
"There are still six days until Qixi Festival. These lucky nets have already been sold out. Everyone will receive no less than 500 coins, which is not included in the monthly allowance."
"From now on, there will be two buckets of ice every day. It's hot, and drawing the threads will be much more tiring. Just hang in there a little longer. Tomorrow, I'll bring a handkerchief and soak my face in the ice water. It will feel much better."
Lin Xiushui saw a group of people staring intently at her below, rubbed her hands together, and said, "Go do your own work, you're making me all sweaty."
"That's perfect, then I won't be afraid of the heat anymore."
"Hairy people are more afraid of the heat."
These clever nets were sold for tens to two hundred coins each. For poor women, Lin Xiushui had said that the clever net plan was clearly a failure.
She also wants to ensure that everyone who does drawnwork embroidery gets their hard work rewarded.
She had another idea: since weaving clever webs wasn't an option this year, then let everyone make their own clever webs. The spider could determine the cleverness, and people could make as many clever webs as they wanted.
That is to make a dreamcatcher.
All you need is a bamboo frame, much thinner than an embroidery hoop, and a few hemp ropes. One hemp rope is wrapped around the outside of the bamboo frame, and the other is woven and wrapped inside with very fine hemp rope. It only costs seven coins.
There are many ways to weave the magic beads inside, and you can decorate them yourself, adding beads or feathers at the bottom. You can hang them in your room all year round, whether you hang one or ten, whether you get one skill or a hundred skills.
Lin Xiushui couldn't expand her business much using this method, but she still told Gu Niangzi, "We can do drawn thread embroidery for wealthy ladies, weaving all sorts of intricate nets. I think this method is both economical and effortless."
"It can also help tailors build their reputation. I think that holding a weaving skills event on Qixi Festival would be a way of saying that they are good at weaving."
Madam Gu turned her head to look at her, then sat up straight, holding the net that was also intricately woven from fine hemp rope. Silence filled the room, and then she slowly spoke: "What are you after?"
“I believe that human effort can overcome skill,” Lin Xiushui said, sitting in front of her. “The spider only spins its web once a year, and if it doesn’t happen that time, then throughout the year, whenever I think of Qixi Festival, I will think of that tattered web.”
"But clearly, we can weave our own nets."
She felt that the Qiqiao Festival was inappropriate. Why couldn't it be about competing for skill, vying for skill, or working together towards skill?
Lin Xiushui said firmly, "If you want to invite everyone to participate, you should create some gimmicks, like a game of chance. You can buy your own cleverly woven net for seven coins, and if you can break away from the conventional weaving method and weave it in a more exquisite way, you can get two strings of cash. I can provide that money, or a set of clothes, hair ties, dolls, silk dolls, whatever I have, I can give as a reward. This is about competing in ingenuity, not begging for skill."
Looking at her, Gu Niangzi seemed to have forgotten Lin Xiushui from half a year ago. She had suddenly grown into the person before her, resilient and full of vitality.
After thinking it over, she said, "Okay, let's make it a big event."
"I'll leave it to you to handle."
Madam Gu then added, "Let me add another condition: those who win in the top three will be allowed to learn a trade at the tailor's workshop, and will receive two strings of cash for their first month's wages."
"The remaining seven each have their own set of clothes."
"The remaining sixty people, have the tailor make hair ties and silk dolls for you to give away."
After thinking for a moment, Lin Xiushui said, "We should prepare more things for those who are not very skillful. The Weaving Skills Gathering is for Qixi Festival, and the rest are for everyone to move forward together."
She would prefer to start a club for enthusiasts.
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