Chapter 370: Chapter 366: Building a Workshop_1
 

Coming back from the market, Niuniu was following closely along, crying at the mention of sending her home.

With no choice, Yingbao had to bring her home.

Afterwards, she washed her head and face, changed her clothes, and threw her onto the kang bed.

Then she wrote a character for her to recognize and taught her how to count on her fingers.

Niuniu was very smart, she learned in no time.

By nightfall, Niuniu still refused to go home, even hiding under the quilt and refusing to come out.

Yingbao had no choice but to compromise, but she was worried that the little child would wet the bed.

Unexpectedly, Niuniu slept till morning, climbed off the kang bed herself, went outside to relieve herself, and was very independent.

Just like that, Niuniu became Yingbao’s little “tail”, following her wherever she went.

One day, Yingbao took her and Wen Shu to stroll around the market.

Today happened to be the market day, and the market was very lively, selling all kinds of things.

There were things such as wild chickens, wild rabbits, partridges, bamboo shoots, white mushrooms, etc.

Niuniu pointed at a stall selling eels, crabs, and turtles and exclaimed, “Auntie, little turtles!”

Yingbao leaned over and saw that in front of this man’s wooden basin, there indeed were several golden little turtles.

“What kind of turtles are these?” Yingbao curiously asked.

“Golden coin turtles,” replied the stubble-bearded man.

“How much?”

Yingbao found the little turtles to be very beautiful and wanted to buy a few to raise in the pond.

The man: “The smaller ones are twenty coins, the larger ones are fifty coins each.”

Yingbao did not haggle over the price and bought all four turtles.

Niuniu was very happy, touching the little turtle’s back with her small hand, infatuated, and kept clamoring, “Niuniu wants to play with the turtles.”

Yingbao gave her a slightly bigger one: “You take this one first, don’t poke its head, it will bite.”

“Ok!” Niuniu put the little turtle into her pocket.

“Yingbao, what did you buy?” someone asked from behind.

Yingbao turned her head and saw that it was Wei Zhan’s mother, Lady Wang.

“Lady Wang.” Yingbao greeted Lady Wang with a bow, and Wen Shu also followed suit.

Lady Wang held her hand and said: “Since both you and Wen Shu are here, come and have a meal at my house. You haven’t visited my new house yet, have you? I’ve built a courtyard at West Village, and it’s just been tidied up.”

“Alright.” Yingbao indeed planned to visit Lady Wang.

So, Yingbao and Wen Shu, with Niuniu in tow, went to Lady Wang’s house as guests.

For this, she also brought back some fruits from home, and Wen Shu also brought two boxes of pastries.

Originally, after Wei Zhan brought his mother to this place, Lady Wang bought a piece of land at a high price in Xichen Village and hired over a hundred villagers to build a house for her.

As long as the money was in place, the delivery of green bricks, green tiles, and materials was extremely fast.

In just one month, a two-part courtyard with over ten rooms was built.

The inside of the house was fully furnished, with green bricks laid on the floor.

Only some furniture was still being made and it would take a few more days to complete.

Lady Wang had already moved in with a group of servants, and the stove was also lit.

But Wei Zhan had been hanging out with Huzi these past few days, reluctant to return home.

Madam Wang had her maid, Ding Xiang, go to the market to buy fresh vegetables. She also purchased some lamb, pork, fish, and shrimp, which she handed over to the cook to prepare the banquet.

She sat with the two young ladies in the pavilion outside the yard and chatted with them, saying, “I remember Qilang once said this place is exceptional, I thought he was exaggerating, but indeed it’s like a utopia—I don’t even feel like leaving.”

The customs here are simple, and the villagers are courteous and polite. Coupled with the beautiful scenery and mountains, it is truly a good place for cultivation and self-cultivation.

Yingbao took a sip of almond tea, nodding, “Our place is indeed extraordinary. My master also decided to settle down after arriving.”

Master Zhou intends not only to stay but also to build a Wuchang Taoist Temple here. The Clan Leader and the Clan Elders are very supportive of his plans and have proposed to raise funds collectively, even suggesting erecting a merit plaque at the village entrance.

Just this morning, her master and senior brother went out to select a site.

Madam Wang took a sip of the almond tea and smiled. She then asked, “I noticed your family has opened a textile workshop. Why didn’t you keep it running? It’s a promising business that could potentially enrich the local residents once it’s profitable.”

Yingbao blinked: “But we run out of cotton, and each household in the village has its own spinning wheel. They usually keep their cotton for personal use, and my mother can’t manage the workshop alone.”

“Why not hire some help? You father’s position as the village head gives him a special ability to attract skilled people,” Madam Wang suggested.

Yingbao had never considered hiring people. She earns a lot of money each year and doesn’t want to worry about such things.

As for her mother, she even less likely to hire outside help. Rather, she prefers to do everything on her own.

Madam Wang could see that Yingbao and her family did not have a proclivity for commerce. She suggested, “Given your family’s reluctance to run the workshop due to its potential influence on Jiang Jie’s career, why not partner with our family? We can split the profits fifty-fifty. We’ll manage it, and all you’ll need to do is provide a location for the workshop. How does that sound?”

After thinking, Yingbao said, “I’ll discuss it with my dad and mom.”

Having their workshop as a fixed asset for the family seems like a good deal.

Moreover, without having to worry about business, they could still make money—who would refuse such an opportunity?

Still, investing requires careful consideration. Yingbao decided to consult with her parents first.

After having a meal at Madam Wang’s, Yingbao said goodbye with Niuniu and Wen Shu and returned home.

She discussed Madam Wang’s proposition with her parents, “Madam Wang wants to open a textile workshop in partnership with us. We’re to choose the location while she sends someone to manage it. All the procurement of cotton and sales of fabric will be taken care of by them. What do you think, dad, mom?”

Jiang Sanlang thought for a while and nodded, “If she’s genuine about the partnership, it could work.”

“I think Madam Wang is sincere. Moreover, Wei Zhan is still studying here,” Yingbao said confidently.

Madam Wang only has one son; why would she deflate his morale?

And the Wei family is not short of money, so why would they bother scheming against her—an impoverished country girl?

Chunniang—relieved to hear she wouldn’t need to worry about managing the workshop—breathed a sigh of relief.

She was tired of interacting with a large number of people, mediating between the weavers’ arguments and fights every day. It drained her energy.

“Well then, I’ll go look for a suitable location for the workshop tomorrow,” decided Jiang Sanlang. They would build the workshop somewhat further from their home so that no flamboyant women would cause trouble and upset his wife. It was too bothersome.

Accordingly, Jiang Sanlang’s family and Madam Wang partnered to set up a workshop on the outskirts of the village.

The construction was paid for by the Jiang family, but the structure was entirely decided by Madam Wang.

Since she also owned a textile workshop, she knew exactly what was needed for one.

The design included a warehouse, a workshop large enough for several spinning lathes, a lounge for the weavers, a kitchen, a well, a stable, and a room for the supervisor and the security staff. It was fully equipped.

The project was a bit large and cost several hundred taels of silver from Jiang Sanlang.

By the lunar month, the workshop was fully constructed.

Once the spinning lathes were moved into the workshop and the purchased cotton was stored in the warehouse, lots of weavers started to gather for positions in the new enterprise.

Madam Wang sent her most reliable subordinate, Wang Wuniang, to handle it.

Wang Wuniang was originally Madam Wang’s accompanying servant. She had always helped her mistress manage the weavers, so she was sent here specifically to manage this new workshop.

Madam Wang also brought Yingbao to Wang Wuniang and told her to teach Yingbao more about the industry.

Managing a big workshop is comparable to managing a large family, with lots of internal intrigue. Madam Wang intentionally wanted Yingbao to gain more experience.

As the saying goes, “three women make a spectacle.” Here, there were far more than three women, and one could never predict how many spectacles they would put on daily.