Chapter 1, The Silk-Washing Maiden

With feelings directed towards each other, at that time, the green plums.

If the Ji family were to remarry, the Huanhua Dyeing Workshop would change its surname. The Ji family's secret dyeing techniques would also be lost. The Ji family resolutely abandoned the thought of remarriage and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to raising their son

Can this be blamed on her? Her brother's dyeing results in a dog-like color, a feces yellow, while she can achieve a bright yellow. Sigh, if only she could switch bodies with her brother. Unfortunately, she swore an oath that she would never dye fabric or silk for anyone else after leaving the Ji family. The Shu red silk dyed with the Ji family's secret method, she would never touch. Yet, her mother still does not believe her

Old Madam Ji paid no mind to the thoughts of the young maidens. She was a handmaiden who accompanied the Ji family, loyal to her master. Upon hearing the news that her young mistress had sneaked into the dyeing workshop, she had no time to scold them. Grabbing one by each hand, she hurried home with the two maids as if they were chicks.

The coachman Ji Fu has been a servant of the Ji family for several generations. He is gentle in nature and particularly cherishes the young master of the Ji family. Looking at the scenery adorned with deep green and bright yellow, he chuckled and said: "The old servant does not know. The young lady is wise, why not... hehehe"

By the time Granny Ji pulled Zi'er and Lu'er out of the stream, the two of them were disheveled, their hair in disarray and their clothes soaked, looking quite unkempt. The other maids continued to wash the fabric in silence, straining their ears to listen for Granny Ji's outburst.

The owner of the Huanhua Dyeing Workshop is surnamed Ji. The Shu Red Silk and Huanhua Silk produced by the Ji family dyeing workshop are unique in Yizhou Prefecture. Among them, the weaving of tribute brocade is indispensable for Shu Red Silk. Unfortunately, the Ji family does not have many descendants; in this generation, there is still only one son and one daughter. Mr. Ji and his wife are exceptionally affectionate, and although they know that relying solely on one son cannot bring glory to the family name, Mr. Ji is still unwilling to take a concubine.

The scolding caused the maids to lose their focus immediately, and they buried themselves in their work. They began to quietly complain about the troublemakers, Zi'er and Lu'er.

The servant Ji Fu drives the carriage and runs errands, while his wife is Ji Mama

A roll of silk thread sank heavily into the water, splashing green all over her. Green was already feeling frustrated as she washed a large basket of silk thread by herself, and being splashed with water made her lose her temper immediately. She took two steps to Zier's side and pushed her hard. Zier let out a scream and fell into the water. Green stood with her arms crossed, looking at her with a cold smile: "If you have the ability, take the lady with you; what kind of ability is it to vent your anger on me?"

At the beginning, three matrons accompanied Ji Shi in her marriage. Li Matron was determined to remain single and serve Ji Shi, assisting with the accounts. Tian Matron managed the kitchen and married Tian Gui, the doorkeeper of the Ji family. Wu Matron married the steward of the dyeing house, Ji Fu's younger brother Ji Gui. She managed the maids in the back courtyard of the Ji family and also nursed Ji Yingying and the young master Ji Yaoting.

As soon as Granny Ji left, the young maids by the river became excited again and started placing bets: "I bet ten wen that the mistress will be confined to the ancestral hall for at least three days this time!"

Compared to the fight that resulted in the loss of the silk thread, the madam was even more furious about secretly bringing the young lady into the dyeing workshop. Zi'er and Lu'er trembled in fear. Lu'er reacted quickly: "It was Xiang'er who took the young lady there!"

Old Madam Ji was taken aback: "What? The mistress has sneaked into the dyeing workshop again? Well, it must be you lowly servants trying to please the mistress and hiding it from the madam, isn't it?"

The mule cart travels along the official road, with the green seedlings in the fields on both sides resembling a green carpet stretching to the horizon, interspersed with several patches of rapeseed fields, where the bright yellow flowers are in full bloom.

Without mentioning how Mrs. Ji interrogated Zi'er and Lu'er, Ji Yingying, like a bird set free, has already left the county town with Xiang'er

Upon thinking of this, Ji Yingying became indignant. If you do not allow me to learn, I will learn regardless!

The two individuals wrestled from the riverbank into the water, startling all the young maids who dropped their tasks and rushed forward to mediate. This intervention, however, was of little use, as the silk thread that Green had been rinsing was slowly washed away by the current. Green, with her keen eyes, noticed the thread unraveling and drifting towards the center of the river, uncertain of how much labor it would take to earn it back. Ignoring the crowd's attempts to stop her, she pulled at Purple while crying, "You must retrieve the silk! Otherwise, I will kill you!"

The eldest Hong Er exclaimed irritably: "Are you still thinking about gambling with the wife? With three fewer people, there are two more baskets of work! If we don't finish the work before noon, we won't even have food to eat!"

How could Ji Yingying dare to use Ling'er? Once she goes out, she always finds a way to send Ling'er on errands, and then she calls upon the obedient and tight-lipped Xiang'er.

At that moment, a sharp-eyed person noticed a young girl standing alone at the edge, diligently rinsing silk threads by herself, and couldn't help but be surprised: "Green, why are you all alone?"

The back door of the Huanhua Dyeing Workshop creaked open, and a dozen or so young girls with their hair styled in buns lifted bamboo baskets, laughing as they made their way towards the riverbank

A family of four was originally living a prosperous and happy life. However, unforeseen circumstances arose when Mr. Ji, not yet thirty, passed away due to a sudden illness. He left behind the heartbroken Ji family and his two young children.

Mother, I was wrong

Ji Yingying could not think of so much. She only knew that she liked dyeing techniques, enjoying the combination of different minerals and herbs to create various vibrant pigments. Every time she saw those colorful threads, she felt particularly satisfied. Not allowed to learn? But she taught herself.

The young girls were enviously chattering away, discussing the vegetarian meals at the Bamboo Grove Temple.

Upon arriving at the banks of Huanhua Creek, the young women took the dyed silk threads from their baskets, paired up to lift and shake them, and placed them in the water for rinsing

Ji Yingying looked refreshed and suddenly had a whimsical thought: "Uncle Ji, do you think the seedlings can produce such a green juice? The petals of the rapeseed flowers are so tender, can they be kneaded to yield a similar yellow?"

Zi Er forcefully threw the silk thread in her hand into the water and said angrily: "Every time my wife goes out, she only calls for Xiang Er! That little girl can't say a word even if beaten with three sticks, so why does she catch my wife's eye?"

The green grass by the shore flourishes, and the hibiscus flowers bloom beautifully. Rolls of silk thread ripple in the water, vibrant and colorful, dyeing the clear stream into a magnificent satin-like beauty.

Both she and Ji Fu felt a sense of lamentation. The Ji family had few members. Unfortunately, the young master who was to inherit the family business, despite his intelligence and perceptiveness, was still not even half as capable as the young lady.

It was with the help of these capable family members that the Ji family managed to run the Huanhua Dyeing Workshop in an orderly manner after the widowhood of Ji. It was not easy for her to step out and engage in business. The household expenses were tightly controlled. Ji Yingying had been helping with household chores since the age of ten. The maidservant attending to Ji Yingying was named Ling'er. However, her contract was held in the hands of Ji, and every move of Ji Yingying was under the watchful eyes of Ji.

With just one strike, the two maids went from kneeling to lying down, crying out in pain as they admitted their mistakes

Xiang'er also smiled with her lips pressed together

Green Er replied gloomily: "Today, my lady asked Xiang Er to accompany her to the Bamboo Forest Temple to offer incense."

If mother knew that the several vats of silk thread that elder brother recently dyed were all done by her own hands, she would probably run to the ancestral hall holding father's spirit tablet and weep

The secret dyeing technique of the Ji family is passed down to sons but not to sons-in-law, and is passed to daughters-in-law but not to daughters

The stout and robust Granny Ji never holds back when she strikes, swinging the thick laundry stick towards the backsides of Zi'er and Lu'er

Zi'er quickly added, "Therefore, every time the young lady goes out, she only brings Xiang'er."

As a widower, the dyeing workshop is not large, and there are not many servants in the Ji family. Although the sparrow is small, it has all its vital organs and each part performs its function, thus everything is in good order.

It would not hurt to give it a try, but the latter part was swallowed back by Ji Fu. The Ji family's dyeing method is not passed down to women, and as a mere servant, he dared not encourage Ji Yingying to attempt it. He could only chuckle awkwardly a couple of times to brush it off

The social customs of the Tang Dynasty were open, allowing widows to remarry. At that time, Ji was only twenty-four years old and possessed striking beauty. She held in her hands a dyeing workshop renowned throughout Yizhou Prefecture. Most importantly, she had mastered the dyeing secrets of several colors of silk threads that had been passed down for hundreds of years in the Ji family. Therefore, as soon as the mourning period ended, the threshold of the Huahua Dyeing Workshop was lowered by two inches due to the persistent visits of matchmakers.

The forewoman, Granny Ji, did not expect that a moment's delay in leaving would lead to a farce by the side of Huanhua Creek. She grabbed the pestle, twisting her plump body as she shouted and ran over.

In summer, dawn breaks early. Even before the sun has risen, a stretch of orange morning glow appears on the horizon

If my brother has such thoughts, my mother would be delighted. Not allowing me to learn dyeing techniques leaves me with no options. Ji Yingying has been at odds with her mother for years, her distinctly black and white eyes spinning with ideas: "Madam constantly forces my brother to memorize color charts and learn dyeing techniques. Just let my brother try it and let me know afterward."

Zi Er fell into the water, her whole body soaked through. Feeling embarrassed and bullied, she cried out and rushed towards Lu Er.

Aren't you feeling itchy?

Zi'er and Lu'er cried and begged for mercy, but Granny Ji struck them three times before stopping. She pointed at the two and scolded, "No wonder the mistress doesn't take you out; you are always trying to outdo each other. Where is there any of Xiang'er’s gentleness and understanding?"

However, the young lady is already sixteen years old, an age suitable for discussing marriage. The Ji family cannot keep her. It is also unacceptable to allow her to take the Ji family's dyeing secret formula to another household. With this in mind, it is understandable that Mrs. Ji does not permit Ji Yingying to enter the dyeing workshop and engage in dyeing techniques

Grandmother, I will never dare to do it again

Zi'er bit her lip, and the more she thought about it, the more she hated Xiang'er, and she blurted out: "How can my wife like Xiang'er for being sensible? Clearly, she wants to secretly find dyeing materials and learn dyeing techniques! She just thinks Xiang'er is too timid to speak up."

I bet that the madam will punish the wife to embroider ten handkerchiefs and confine her for a month

In the prime of youth, at a lively age, the laughter of the young maidens in the dye house is like the morning birds, crisp and delightful

Ji Fu laughed heartily: "Good idea"

Aunt Ji manages the fifteen rough servant women and about ten young maids in the dyeing workshop