Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 455 Employment
Xie Yuyan saw through Feng Qiaoniang's thoughts, but didn't say much. There were some things Feng Qiaoniang didn't need to know, nor were they things she should be thinking about right now.

Xie Yuyan asked, "What are your plans afterward?"

Feng Qiaoniang was a little embarrassed: "I want to stay in Bianjing. I heard that you're opening a dyeing workshop here, Madam. I wonder if you still need help? My family runs a cloth shop, and I usually help my father with the accounts, so I'm quite familiar with the cloth trade around Bianjing..."

Seeing that Feng Qiaoniang was a little shy, Xie Yuyan took the initiative to ask, "Can you tell whether the cloth is good or bad?"

When asked about places she was familiar with, Feng Qiaoniang's eyes lit up immediately, and most of her timidity disappeared: "Silk should have a lustrous color and be dyed evenly without fading. Linen should be pure white or dyed in a dark color without turning yellow. Furthermore, silk should be soft and smooth, while linen should be crisp and durable. When my father and brothers went to buy cloth, they had to pull it by hand because inferior cloth is easily torn."

“You can also burn it with fire. When these fathers and brothers did it, they didn’t hide it from me. I was interested, and they would patiently teach me.”

At this point, Feng Qiaoniang thought of her relatives, and her eyes reddened even more.

Xie Yuyan could tell that the Feng family must have taken good care of Feng Qiaoniang, not keeping her confined to the inner quarters, which had shaped Feng Qiaoniang's decisive personality.

As Feng Qiaoniang spoke, she became increasingly talkative, revealing her expertise in textiles.

Madam Yu poured tea for Xie Yuyan and Feng Qiaoniang, then stood aside. Actually, Madam Yu was just trying to steer the conversation towards something Feng Qiaoniang was good at.

Only in this way can one get to know the real Feng Qiaoniang in a short period of time.

Judging from how carefully Feng Qiaoniang takes her work with cloth, she's bound to be successful in the future.

Xie Yuyan nodded and said, "Ciyun Nunnery has been running a dyeing workshop for many years, but the nuns have always just waited for believers to come to buy cloth and have never gone out."

“In the future, if we want to expand the dyeing workshop in the nunnery, we can’t do it the way they used to. So I’m short of a trustworthy manager here. Not only does he need to know how to purchase, but he also needs to control the quality of the fabrics, including the number and style of fabrics to be dyed each month. Without finding a suitable person to help, there are many things to do.”

“We are completely different from the dyeing workshops of Ciyun Temple in the past. They did not buy and sell much cloth, and the quality of the dyed cloth was inconsistent. I demand that the color difference of the dyeing workshops should not exceed three points in the future, and inferior cloth should not be allowed to leave the dyeing workshops.”

Feng Qiaoniang was both eager to try and worried.

Xie Yuyan said, "For the first three months, we need to get used to the charcoal stove, so we won't dye too much cloth. You are allowed to make some minor mistakes during this period."

Hearing this, Feng Qiaoniang was stunned. She hadn't expected that Madam Xie would actually make her the manager.
Xie Yuyan said, "Within three months, you will also need to select a few people to help. I have transferred some female relatives from Daming Prefecture. There will be about three or four people in charge. One of them will be your equal, and you will discuss matters together. The other two or three will be under your command."

“In the first few months, I will go to the dyeing workshop more often and help you take control of the overall situation.”

After saying this, Xie Yuyan looked at Feng Qiaoniang, who was still in a daze, and asked, "How is it? Can you do it?"

Feng Qiaoniang's gaze gradually hardened. She stood up and bowed to Xie Yuyan, saying, "Madam, I will definitely do my best."

Xie Yuyan smiled and said, "You didn't even ask me how much I'd be paid, and you just agreed like that?"

“Anything is fine,” Feng Qiaoniang said. “Whatever amount you say, Madam, is fine. I trust you.”

“Alright,” Xie Yuyan said, “then let’s go to the dyeing workshop together tomorrow, and I’ll take you to see Abbess Jingyuan.”

Feng Qiaoniang responded.

Xie Yuyan added, "There is a courtyard behind this house, which is reserved for the women. If you don't have a suitable place to stay, you can move there first."

Guo Chuan bought a house, cleaned it up, and let Qiao Niang move in first. However, before the marriage, Feng Qiao Niang still felt that she should find another place to live. Now that the eldest daughter-in-law let her live in that courtyard, she was naturally happy.

Feng Qiaoniang looked at Xie Yuyan gratefully: "Then I'll stay over there."

Xie Yuyan and Feng Qiaoniang exchanged a few more words before Feng Qiaoniang left the room. When she came in, Feng Qiaoniang was still uneasy, but in the blink of an eye, she felt relieved.

Only Xie Yuyan and Mother Yu remained in the room.

Mother Yu said with a smile, "Guo Chuan is always thinking of Feng Erniang's best interests. He even asked Madam if the dyeing workshop needed any manpower."

Before Feng Erniang arrived, Guo Chuan had met with Xie Yuyan and felt that Feng Erniang probably didn't want to stay at home every day.

“Most men, after getting married, want their wives to manage the household well,” said Mama Yu. “Guo Chuan knows Feng Erniang’s temperament and can go along with her wishes, so he is a good match for her.”

In fact, from this perspective, Lord Wang was no different, letting his wife do as she pleased while secretly sending people to protect her.

After Tang Xing left, Su Man was immediately handed over.

Madam Yu was very satisfied with Su Man; the child was not talkative but very quick-witted. Thinking this to herself, she subtly and timely spoke a good word for Lord Wang through Guo Chuan and Feng Erniang.

Xie Yuyan nodded.

When Madam Yu looked over, the eldest daughter-in-law didn't seem to think much of it. She silently withdrew her bias towards Lord Wang; after all, she had done her best, and it was impossible to do more than that.

“Now that everyone is here,” Xie Yuyan picked up the accounts on the table to look at them. “Tomorrow we can finalize many things about the dyeing workshop. Have someone tell Abbess Jingyuan that we will go to the nunnery at Chenshi (7-9 AM).

Mother Yu responded and went out.

Xie Yuyan finally looked away from the accounts. She wanted to finish what she needed to do as soon as possible so that she could move on to the next step. Once Wang Yan had paved the way, she could proceed smoothly.

……

When Zhou Da and the others emerged from the perfume shop, it was almost dark.

The group then hurried to the restaurant with their wooden signs. Seeing that the restaurant was packed with people, Zhou Da finally realized how big Madam's business had become in Bianjing.

He had a sense of crisis. The people from Daming Prefecture should have been the ones the eldest daughter-in-law trusted most, but if he didn't hurry to catch up, the people from Bianjing would probably get there first.

They all seemed to have the same idea, so they ate very quickly, planning to return to their lodgings as soon as they were full to discuss tomorrow's plans.

Before Zhou Da could put down his chopsticks, he heard someone next to him say, "The goods should arrive at the dock in about five or six days."

Guo Chuan said, "We'll arrange these cargo ships properly, and we'll be able to leave Bianjing the day after tomorrow. It definitely won't delay your business."

Duan Dalang breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. Once the medicinal herbs arrive, we can start trying the dyeing process. After waiting for so long, it's finally my turn."

Zhou Da, He Zhi, Tao Yue, Dong San and the others looked at each other. It seemed that everyone was holding back their efforts. If anyone dragged the team down, how could they have the face to eat here?

Zhou Da drank the last mouthful of soup, and the others ate the last of their food. Then they all got up and walked outside.

This first step is crucial to the reputation of everyone in Daming Prefecture, so he must take it carefully.

My child passed the virus to me, but she's much better now. She just has a headache, eye pain, and a low-grade fever. She had to rest for a long time before she could get up and do chores. I've noticed that my health is getting worse and worse since I got COVID-19.

There is another chapter tonight