Chapter 214: Qiao Zhi’s Family
The next day, Li Wenru went to the real estate agency and bought the three people he had chosen. He meticulously signed the deeds of sale and the attached contract. Then, he explained the contract word by word, meticulously and clearly, to the three people. After everything was arranged, Li Wenru returned to the inn, and the group immediately set off for Jiaxing County.
The three young girls chosen and bought came from Ruifu Workshop, Xiangyun Workshop, and a local small weaving workshop, respectively.
Each of the three held a deed and a string of copper coins. They stood at the entrance of the real estate agency, watching Li Wenru walk away without looking back. They looked at each other.
“He’s gone,” Dong Mei from Xiangyun Workshop said cautiously, holding her breath.
“Are we really going back?” Qiao Zhi from Ruifu Workshop clutched her deed and the string of copper coins, hugging herself with both hands, looking at Dong Mei and Ming Zhi.
“Second Master said we should go back if we can,” Ming Zhi’s eyes sparkled.
“Let’s go back first,” Dong Mei, the eldest, decided.
“Then what time will you come over tomorrow morning?” Qiao Zhi asked hurriedly.
“Chen Hour?” Dong Mei looked at the other two.
Qiao Zhi and Ming Zhi nodded together.
The three looked at each other again and turned to go home.
Qiao Zhi ran into the alley in one breath and rushed into the courtyard house.
Qiao Zhi’s father was not born into the weaving workshop family; he was bought into the workshop when he was six or seven years old. He was taciturn and known as an honest man in the workshop. His given name was even called Wang Quexi.
Wang Quexi was clever and skillful. He learned woodworking from his master from a young age. He was excellent at repairing and adjusting looms. He could make anything needed in the workshop very well. After studying with his master for two or three years, his skills surpassed his master’s.
However, Wang Quexi had truly bad luck. His master was thick-skinned, black-hearted, and cunning. He first put Wang Quexi’s work under the name of his eldest son, who was learning at the same time. After the eldest son graduated and officially became a woodworker, the master’s second son reached the age to enter the workshop, and Wang Quexi continued to be a substitute for the second son. After the second son graduated, a year later, the third son also entered the workshop.
Fortunately, the master only had three sons. All three sons graduated. Wang Quexi’s master kept him working for him for another two or three years until Wang Quexi’s mother-in-law stormed into his master’s house and made a big scene. Only then did Wang Quexi graduate.
Woodworking apprentices in the weaving workshop graduated in about five years, or at most six or seven years if they were slow. But Wang Quexi was an apprentice for a full fifteen years.
In the year he graduated, Wang Quexi had the lowest wages among the woodworkers. Even now, more than ten years later, his wages have not increased by a single copper coin.
There were wage increases every year, but it never came to Wang Quexi.
When the weaving workshop stopped production, the looms needed to be repaired, adjusted, and oiled. The woodworkers were all working in the workshop, but Wang Quexi was idle at home.
The woodworking tasks in the weaving workshop could be completed in about ten days, and after that, they would be idle at home. This extra ten days of wages did not go to Wang Quexi.
When Qiao Zhi’s mother was young, she was chosen to learn to make decorative patterns. Because of her outstanding dexterity among her peers, she was noticed by the second manager of the weaving workshop and became engaged to the second manager’s second son.
However, Qiao Zhi’s mother also had bad luck. Once, while tying cloth, the heavy warp beam crushed her right thumb and index finger.
Once it was confirmed that Qiao Zhi’s mother’s hand was ruined, the second manager quickly arranged a marriage for Qiao Zhi’s mother through the master’s arrangement, betrothing her to Wang Quexi.
Less than a year after marrying Wang Quexi, Qiao Zhi’s mother no longer felt sad or regretful. For people like them, marriage was about finding a companion to endure hardship together. Being able to partner with Wang Quexi, she felt it was heaven’s compensation for her two fingers, her good fortune.
When Qiao Zhi rushed into the courtyard house, Wang Quexi was sitting on the threshold, head bowed, whittling willow wood.
Qiao Zhi wanted a cosmetic box, and he should have made it overnight yesterday!
Qiao Zhi’s mother sat blankly on a small stool inside the threshold, her head leaning against the doorframe, motionless.
“It’s not like they’re taking her to be beheaded. As long as she’s alive, there’s hope. She can live on and look forward to the future. Our Qiao Zhi is lucky!” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother mumbled as she pounded rice.
Qiao Zhi rushed through the courtyard house like a gust of wind, straight to the door, her eyes shining brightly, “I’m back!”
The small knife and willow wood in Wang Quexi’s hand clattered to the ground. Qiao Zhi’s mother sprang up and rushed to hug Qiao Zhi, “They don’t want you anymore? You escaped back?”
The neighbors in the courtyard house swarmed over.
“No, let’s go inside and talk,” Qiao Zhi hugged the deed and the string of copper coins tightly and pushed her mother into the house.
“Let Qiao Zhi talk to her mother for a bit, let Qiao Zhi catch her breath,” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother came out, waving her hands to shoo away the neighbors who had gathered around.
The neighbors reluctantly retreated, each watching Qiao Zhi’s house from near or far.
“You just sit here and watch,” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother grabbed Wang Quexi, who was about to follow them inside.
Wang Quexi immediately sat back on the threshold, picked up the small knife and willow wood, but had no intention of carving even a single stroke. His eyes looked outside, and his ears perked up, listening to the sounds from inside the house.
“Niece, what exactly happened?” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother pulled Qiao Zhi over, looked her up and down, and tears fell.
“They bought three people in total, me, one from Xiangyun Workshop named Dong Mei, and another from Jinxia Workshop named Ming Zhi. It’s just the three of us!” Qiao Zhi stayed close to her mother, her voice low, filled with nervousness and excitement.
Qiao Zhi’s grandmother sat down on Qiao Zhi’s other side.
“Mother, look at this! Look! The government office stamped it.” Qiao Zhi handed the deed to her mother.
“Second Master Li didn’t know I was literate. He pointed to each word on the deed and read it aloud to the three of us. I can read, and he didn’t lie about a single word!
“Second Master Li said he bought us not to weave cloth, but to teach others to weave. As long as we can teach others to weave four-harness weaves, he said they already have several weaving schoolrooms outside Pingjiang City. He said the schoolroom in Guo Lane Town accepts ten people per class, and there are many people learning to weave!”
Qiao Zhi was so excited she spoke incoherently.
“What does this say?” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother asked, pointing at the deed.
“And more! Weaving plain silk involves sixty-four processes. I only know eleven now. Second Master Li said I should find a place to learn myself first. If I can’t find a place, he’ll send me to the schoolroom in Pingjiang City. If I go to the schoolroom, my wages will be deducted. Mother, teach me!” Qiao Zhi hugged her mother.
“It says that for each process of weaving plain silk, there’s a monthly allowance of ten copper coins. If you teach someone one process, you get another ten copper coins,” Qiao Zhi’s mother’s voice trembled slightly.
“That’s right, that’s right, and they also allow redemption! At the original price. They spent five taels of silver to buy me. If I learn all sixty-four processes, Mother…”
“Keep your voice down!” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother lightly slapped Qiao Zhi.
“And more! I heard Second Master talking to the real estate agent, saying they were short of people and asked them to find more useful weavers. Second Master said they would be back the day after tomorrow at the earliest, or the day after that at the latest, to see if they could pick more people. He said when they come again, they’ll see if we stay here to learn the craft or if they’ll take us to Pingjiang City.”
Qiao Zhi’s eyes sparkled.
“Mother, can the workshop sell our whole family?”
“Where are these masters from? Did they say?” Qiao Zhi’s mother asked, frowning.
“They said they are surnamed Li and are from Li Family Market in Kunshan County. That Second Master said he is a steward, and the master is their Fourth Mistress. Dong Mei asked if the Fourth Mistress was the young lady who tested us yesterday. Second Master said no, she said the young lady who spoke to us was the Fourth Mistress.
“The young lady who spoke to us yesterday was so kind, exceptionally kind!”
Qiao Zhi didn’t know how to describe that young lady. She felt that the mistress was like their little sister, someone they could talk to about anything.
“What is this?” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother touched the string of copper coins that Qiao Zhi had been holding to her chest.
“I almost forgot! This is the meal money Second Master gave us, for today, tomorrow, and the day after, a total of three days’ meal money. Second Master said they would be back by the day after tomorrow at the latest.
“Second Master also said that if the weaving workshop doesn’t let me come back to live, I can stay at the Tongfu Inn next to the real estate agency, as he has already spoken to the shopkeeper.
“Mother, Grandmother, Second Master is so kind! Fourth Mistress is so kind! The new master is so kind!” Qiao Zhi emphasized the word “kind” forcefully.
“You didn’t sleep well last night. Go and sleep for a while. Your grandmother and I will discuss it,” Qiao Zhi’s mother patted Qiao Zhi.
“Okay.” Qiao Zhi knew her mother was going to discuss important matters with her grandmother. Reluctantly, she stood up, handed the string of copper coins to her grandmother, lay down on the bed, and with her eyes open, tried hard to hear the discussion between her mother and grandmother.
“Ten copper coins per process, that’s quite a lot of money,” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother looked at the deed.
“Yes, it has the government seal,” Qiao Zhi’s mother pointed to the square, bright red seal in the middle of the documents.
“If you teach others, your hand won’t be an issue,” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother gently stroked her daughter’s injured hand.
“I’m just afraid they won’t think highly of it,” Qiao Zhi’s mother’s expression was gloomy.
“I’m not afraid of them looking down on us. I’m worried about whether our side will let you go, and also about Qiao Zhi’s father,” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother said softly.
“Can they pick more people and let them go?” Qiao Zhi’s mother looked at her mother.
“We can’t wait. By the time we know they’re picking people, it’ll be too late. But whether this is a trap or not is uncertain,” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother pointed at the deed.
“Qiao Zhi is already in the trap,” Qiao Zhi’s mother said, lowering her eyes.
“I was foolish,” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother sighed. “We’ll follow Qiao Zhi, whether it’s a trap or a fire pit, we’ll jump in. What does it matter if it’s a trap or not! I’ll go to Steward Ma’s house right now and talk to him.”
“Will he listen?” Qiao Zhi’s mother looked at her mother, who had already stood up.
“If he doesn’t listen, I’ll die in his house, all three of us will die in his house!” Qiao Zhi’s grandmother patted her clothing placket forcefully.
Qiao Zhi’s mother let out a low hum, stood up, leaned against the doorframe, and watched her mother, leaning on her crutch, leave the courtyard house as if going into battle.
