Chapter 283 Personal Learning: Her Wisdom!
The delegation of more than a dozen people from Europe and the United States first arrived at the Shanghai No. 10 Textile Factory according to the tour route. Accompanied by the factory director Sun Xianjin, they toured the factory's production workshops.
Sun Xianjin proudly showed the clean workshop assembly line. After a thorough cleaning, the workshop was spotless, and the workers were highly efficient, already showing the initial signs of a modern production workshop.
"Please look around, everyone. This is our factory's production workshop. The workers are all wearing uniforms and are focused on operating the assembly line, just like experts operating precision instruments."
"The product quality in our workshop is absolutely consistent; these are the defect rate figures..."
"Our factory's defect rate is among the highest in the entire city, no, even in the entire country."
Sun Xianjin spoke excitedly, but the members of the inspection team had a lukewarm response.
Dr. Müller, an expert from Hans, said: "It is very efficient and the management is very meticulous."
American journalist Ms. Smith was taking notes beside him with a pen, her expression somewhat calm.
Mr. DuPont, the representative of the French fashion magazine, frowned: "...This factory doesn't look special at all. It's no different from the factories we've seen in XXX and XX."
Reporter Ms. Smith asked, "Dear Factory Director Sun, while pursuing production efficiency, how does your factory preserve the uniqueness and cultural value of its products?"
The translator next to him relayed reporter Smith's words to Sun Xianjin.
“Cultural value?” Sun Xianjin frowned. “Textiles are an industry. And the core of modern industry is standardization, efficiency, and cost. The stable quality of our factory's products is our greatest value!”
The members of the inspection team exchanged glances, especially Mr. DuPont, the representative of the fashion magazine, who helplessly shrugged, while Ms. Smith continued to write notes in her notebook.
The atmosphere was somewhat subdued at this point.
Sun Xianjin also felt that this inspection team was strange and had something wrong with their minds. Instead of asking about industrial production efficiency, they were looking for some kind of cultural value.
However, no matter how these foreigners think, as long as they have eyes, they can see the astonishing efficiency of their Tenth Textile Factory.
They are the most successful textile factories in Shanghai's reform.
If their tenth textile factory is not up to par, then there will be no textile factories in the country that can be considered competent.
After introducing the tour of the Tenth Textile Factory, Sun Xianjin joined the inspection team's tour route, looking down on the other factories and commenting on them. In his mind, no textile factory in Shanghai could compare to the Tenth Textile Factory that he managed.
The inspection team's vehicles proceeded along the predetermined route, getting closer and closer to Feiyan No. 2 Factory. At this point, many members of the inspection team could see the scene not far away through the glass windows of the vehicles.
A delicious aroma of food filled the air.
Someone exclaimed in surprise, "We're about to visit a new textile factory? Isn't this a food factory?"
"What does it say on it?"
"Flying, swallow, wind, splendor".
"Good heavens, there are so many people queuing up over there, what's going on?"
...
Sun Xianjin sat in the carriage, staring wide-eyed at the row of shops of Feiyan No. 2 Factory. He clearly remembered that this wall used to be a garbage dump, but now there were so many people surrounding it.
By now, quite a few factories have indeed torn down their walls and rented out their warehouses to other entities, but—Feiyan No. 2 Factory is moving way too fast!
"A glass shop window, is this a clothing brand store? Good heavens, what kind of clothes are these?"
"A suit...a cheongsam? Oh my god! It's kesi (silk tapestry), and what she's holding...is that a painting?!"
...
On the open ground, several old machines from the Republic of China era, wiped clean, stood like silent behemoths in the sunlight.
Qin Xiangxiang led Secretary Li and others out to receive the foreign inspection team, and directly led them to the machine.
Standing in front of the loom produced in 1927, Shi Kaibei was using the machine to weave a special cheongsam fabric from the Republican era, in front of all the members of the inspection team.
The clothes made from this cheongsam fabric were just displayed behind the transparent window display.
Behind the glass window, the master tailors were cutting and tailoring this high-end custom-made cheongsam. The whole process was smooth and graceful, just like an artistic creation.
Scenes from fifty years ago seem to be replayed at this moment. The machines are producing, and the young craftsmen who were once young have grown silver hair behind the shop window, but they are still making well-tailored clothes.
Many people who witnessed this scene covered their mouths, their eyes filled with excitement and tears.
Dr. Mueller was the first to rush to the machine, stroking it gently as if it were a work of art: "My God... it's still working! This sound is like a living fossil of the Industrial Revolution; I can hear its heart still beating."
Shi Kaibei was a little confused: "???"
What is this foreigner babbling about?
Qin Xiangxiang had no idea what these foreigners were saying in their gibberish, only managing to understand a few words here and there. But she decided to ignore it for now and just have people come up to take photos. "Come up and take photos, everyone take a souvenir photo, and we'll charge you two yuan."
The photographers, who had been waiting in the wings, immediately stepped forward. The members of the inspection team were very curious and paid two yuan to take photos with each of them, and then handed them a souvenir bag.
Secretary Li originally thought that the inspection team members should not be charged, but Qin Xiangxiang was worried that if it was free, it would not have the right publicity effect. He emphasized that everyone would pay "two yuan per person", and that this was not a special treatment for the inspection team. Everyone could experience it – this was the only way to attract more ordinary people.
"Anyone who comes to our factory can take photos with our cultural relics and receive souvenirs from our factory."
American journalist Ms. Smith opened the bag and found a keychain with a "top scholar's coat" design inside, as well as a "kesi (silk tapestry) bookmark." Holding the kesi bookmark, she exclaimed in surprise, "You guys are so creative! This is not just a souvenir, it's your factory's 'personality'!"
Kesi bookmarks are made from scraps of fabric that workers discard while practicing kesi weaving. They have exquisite patterns on them, and after being neatly cut, they are pressed into a mold and made into elegant bookmarks.
This bookmark is relatively expensive, mainly because the silk weaving process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Frankly speaking, in terms of labor value, it might not even cost two yuan. However, because it is made from recycled materials, after some exquisite decoration, it will definitely impress foreign guests and high-end clients.
These kesi (silk tapestry) bookmarks, bearing the logo of the Feiyan Textile Factory, are now widely distributed in souvenir bags, spreading further with tourists from home and abroad.
Silk tapestry bookmarks are also a symbol of technical prowess. They hold their own in any high-end setting, never appearing cheap, but rather exuding luxury and bespoke quality.
“These old machines are never a symbol of backwardness; they are witnesses to time and the cornerstone of technology.” Mr. DuPont of the French fashion magazine almost jumped up as he held the exquisite silk bookmark in his hand.
He could perfectly imagine what such exquisite kesi (silk tapestry) would look like on fashionable clothing—artistic! Beautiful! Luxurious!
An American reporter interviewed Qin Xiangxiang, the factory director of Feiyan Textile Factory: "Director Qin, how did you come up with this unique development concept that perfectly integrates history, culture, commerce, and community?"
Qin Xiangxiang was completely dumbfounded after hearing the translator's words. What historical and cultural commercial community...?
"Actually, the old masters in the factory have worked in the factory their whole lives, accompanied by these old machines. They can't bear to throw away these old machines. These machines once represented the glory of the factory. They were among the most advanced machines at the time and were the pride of the factory workers."
"The veteran workers couldn't bear to throw them away, so they put them outside for people to visit and remember. This is part of the history of our factory's development."
Qin Xiangxiang rambled on and on, basically saying that throwing away the machine offended the master craftsman, so she simply threw it outside, hoping it would become an antique... That's how it is.
Secretary Li quickly said, "What our factory director said was 'people-oriented, respecting history, and seeking truth from facts.'"
Reporter Smith said, "A remarkable display of Eastern wisdom, a remarkably harmonious cultural ecosystem."
The delegation members visited this historically significant textile factory with great anticipation, and ultimately gave it high praise:
"A factory reform plan that perfectly combines historical heritage, technological innovation, community culture and market economy, and is full of humanistic care. Its development model is more universal and inspiring."
The evaluation of the Tenth Textile Factory was as follows:
"...Standardized management, a qualified model of modern industry."
When Sun Xianjin looked at the two different reports, he couldn't laugh at all. What was even more disheartening was an article written by American journalist Smith:
In Shanghai: Old Machines and New Ideas – A More Humanistic Model of Industrial Reform
In the article, the female reporter praised Feiyan Textile Factory for "cherishing its industrial heritage and craftsmanship while pursuing the production efficiency of modern industrial machinery, and forging a unique path of development and reform that takes into account both history and the future, technology and humanity."
"Feiyan Textile Factory? Is there such a textile factory in Shanghai? How come it suddenly has such a big reputation?"
"The former Shangpu Textile Factory has now been renamed Feiyan No. 2 Factory, forming a Feiyan United Textile Factory. The factory director... the factory director is that Director Qin!"
"Factory Director Qin?! That Factory Director Qin!"
"It's said that foreign visitors were all amazed by her reforms!"
...
The leaders of the Light Industry Bureau were extremely excited when they saw these articles. "Look! Qin Xiangxiang is brilliant! He truly deserves to be called a college student! He's cultured and intelligent! Reform is not just about replacing machines, but about inheriting and developing, and having our own characteristics. These old machines are history, culture, and the best textbooks!"
"This Sun Xianjin still has a lot to learn from Comrade Qin!"
"We should organize a study session to learn from Comrade Qin Xiangxiang and her wisdom!"
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