Chapter 10, Persuasion
This bundle of silk feels inadequately bonded, failing to reach the top-tier quality of silk
The couple exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves that had they known the old gentleman would agree, how could they possibly oppose it? Zhao Bingsong helped his son up and said, "Since that is the case, your mother and I have no objections. For the next two months, you should focus on preparing for the Doujin competition."
He sat beside, panting, took the water handed to him by Ji and asked while drinking, "There is not much time left until the ninth day of the tenth month for the brocade competition. The Zhao family still needs to dye new silk and weave new brocade paintings. Do you think the Zhao family can surpass the Yang family of Yizhou City this year in the brocade competition?"
Ji Shi came to her senses and shook her head. She had always been particularly attentive when mixing dyes. Why was she so distracted today? She collected her thoughts, took the key, and opened the door
Ji slowly walked past the dyeing room, reminiscing about the late nights spent with Master Ji in the past. She looked at her son with satisfaction; after all, he had grown to seventeen and was to be married this year. May the Buddha bless them, and may the Zhang family bring prosperity to the Ji family. Then there is Yingying, who is now sixteen and should be engaged. Today, someone from the Zhao family came, speaking vaguely, mentioning that after the embroidery competition, the Zhao family intends to form a marriage alliance with the Ji family. The Zhao family is wealthy and influential, and Yingying and Zhao Erlang have mutual feelings for each other. It is indeed a good match. Today, someone from the Zhao family came, speaking vaguely, mentioning that after the embroidery competition, the Zhao family intends to form a marriage alliance with the Ji family. The Zhao family is wealthy and influential, and Yingying and Zhao Erlang have mutual feelings for each other. It is indeed a good match.
I see that there is no such secret formula, yet she is still able to dye it out.
Ji Yaoting smiled apologetically and held the hand of Ji Shi, saying: "Mother, you have worked hard. Once Zhang Shi enters the family, you will have a bit more leisure time."
The maidservants of the Zhao family's Moon Brocade Hall stood at a distance in the courtyard, wishing they could stretch their ears into the tightly closed carved wooden door.
Zhao Shenshi let out a hum and turned to enter the inner room
Ji Yaoting felt a tremor in his heart, dressed and smiling as he followed the Ji family out, and quietly asked her: "Mother, did someone from the Zhao family come a couple of days ago?"
Ji's father wiped his son's sweat with a handkerchief and said with a smile: "The Zhao family is in a hurry, and mother has received two hundred taels of silver as payment from the Zhao family. Mother does not care who becomes the brocade king; she only needs to sell our family's silk."
Ji Yao Ting secretly felt happy for his sister and nodded in agreement
Zhao Xiuyuan stood in the hall with a smile, exuding the temperament of green pines and cypress trees
Ji'shi did not hear clearly and looked up to ask him: "What did you say?"
Mother, you have said it countless times. Ji Yaoting smiled as he lifted the lid of the four dye vats, measured out the dye from a nearby coarse pottery jar, and then added it to the clear water in proportion
Ji looked at him and warned, "Don't tell Yingying just yet. It's better to wait until after the Doujin competition, and if the Zhao family truly comes to propose, then we can discuss it."
"Having touched it since childhood, one no longer touches it? A day without touching makes one feel unaccustomed." Ji scolded him lightly and then handed him a bundle of silk.
"Dalang, do you remember the secret recipe that your mother told you? Each step in the process must be executed in the correct order without any mistakes. You must remember that our family uses safflower to achieve the red color, and in the end, we must add black plum, without using millet rice paste. The vermilion must be the top-grade sand produced in Pengshui Yushan, and it must be sifted twelve times, finer than face powder. The glue we mix must include glue made from fish bones. The Ji family has this little extra ingredient compared to others, which makes it a secret recipe. Remember, you must not tell Yingying a single word; the Ji family's secret recipe is not to be passed on to women." The vermilion must be the top-grade sand produced in Pengshui Yushan, and it must be sifted twelve times, finer than face powder. The glue we mix must include glue made from fish bones. The Ji family has this little extra ingredient compared to others, which makes it a secret recipe. Remember, you must not tell Yingying a single word; the Ji family's secret recipe is not to be passed on to women.
"Do you know why I am more favored by grandfather than Dawang?" Zhao Xiuyuan sighed as he looked at his parents, "The second daughter of the Ji family possesses an innate sensitivity to colors. The samples I painted, when she re-colored them, resulted in brocade that is more vibrant than Dawang's. Although she cannot learn the Ji family's secret techniques, she has an exceptional talent for dyeing silk. If she truly marries into the Zhao family, I will build her a dyeing workshop, and she may well be able to produce top-quality silk that surpasses that of the Ji family. We have grown up together, and our feelings for each other are mutual. She also has this ability. Marrying her would be a delightful addition. Does the Zhao family really lack a dowry for a daughter-in-law?"
Ji Yaoting took the silk thread and smiled: "Mother, I have been familiar with silk thread since I was young. This bundle of silk feels coarse, and just by touching it, I can tell it is oak silk. Oak silk is primarily produced in the north, and the silkworms feed on oak leaves. It has a dull color and strong rigidity, making it suitable for sewing quilt covers."
At the depths of the room, there is another small chamber
Every year, we offer one or two thousand bolts of brocade as tribute, yet we have not seen any of the weaving workshops of the Yang or Zhao families manage to monopolize it. The quantity is small, and other dyeing workshops still have their livelihoods. If we dye too much of the top-quality silk, we will be taking away others' business and will be met with resentment. Moreover, how can one easily dye top-quality silk and still demand such high wages? Our workshop is small. Expanding the dyeing workshop is not feasible for our family with so few members. The secret formula cannot be preserved either. Mother hopes to have more grandchildren so that you will have support.
"Mother. The key." Ji Yaoting turned around and found Ji's expression to be absent-minded
In the spacious and lofty room, dozens of dye vats, each about a person's height, are closely arranged.
The room is not smaller than the outside; it only contains four dye vats. This is the place for mixing dyes.
The Zhao family was suddenly rendered speechless.
Since the age of twelve, Zhao Xiuyuan secretly assisted his father in managing accounts and devising strategies. As the younger generation of the Zhao family grew up, Elder Zhao Er and Elder Zhao San finally settled down, focusing on nurturing their sons to compete for the position of family head. In recent years, Zhao Bingsong received a candid evaluation from the Old Master Zhao: "You have maintained the family's stability and prevented the Zhao family from declining, which makes you a benefactor of the Zhao family"
She will not suffer the indignity of becoming a concubine. If the Ji family were to covet the wealth of the Zhao family, Mrs. Ji would have long since married my third uncle. Ji Dalang has already made it clear that if I do not marry her, she will not cling to me. Zhao Xiuyuan knelt before his parents, lifting his robe, and said, "For the sake of my son, for the sake of the Zhao family, I ask my parents to grant this request."
As soon as he left, Zhao Shen's spirit returned: "I just can't stand Ji Erniang!"
Both of these bundles of silk are of the highest quality. However, this bundle feels slightly rougher and is not as smooth as this one
Ji Yao-ting tied a towel around his forehead, took off his outer garment, and climbed up the small wooden ladder beside him, vigorously stirring with a stick.
Zhao Shenshi pondered over the three shops owned by his daughter-in-law Liu, still unable to suppress the frustration in his heart, muttering: "Are you marrying a wife or just hiring a dyer?"
Worried that sweat would drip into the dye vat, he did not even take off his shirt. After stirring the four vats of dye, the clothes on Ji Yaoting were so wet that water could be wrung out of them
Zhao Xiuyuan raised his eyebrows and said: "I want to marry a woman who can help me reclaim the Zhao family's prestigious title and elevate the Zhao family's glory."
It's nothing
This is the secret of the Da family. After Zhao Bingsong was appointed as the successor to the family head, Old Master Zhao retired from active duty after his sixtieth birthday. His two dissatisfied younger brothers did not miss any opportunity to undermine him. In the first few years, Old Master Zhao helped to manage the situation, but once Zhao Bingsong took full control, the Zhao family still faced issues, with the eastern corner being leveled while the western side was raised again. Zhao Bingsong worked very hard, but he could not overcome the passive resistance of his two brothers, who were each protective of their own territories and reluctant to lend a hand, leaving him constantly busy with damage control and firefighting.
The son is filial, and Ji's heart feels as sweet as honey: "I am now worried about your sister's marriage."
Surrounding the area are long shelves. Uncolored silk threads are placed in fine bamboo baskets. Various dyes are stored in coarse pottery jars
Before Zhao Bingsong could speak, he noticed a slight smile at the corner of his son's lips: "Hasn't it been the son supporting his parents all these years?"
I want to marry Ji Erniang. I decided this when I was six years old
Ji Yao Ting could not help but say: "Mother, in fact, our family's dyeing workshop could dye several hundred more pounds of silk every year. Why don't we do it?"
This is mulberry silk. However, it is not from our region; it should be silk from Jiangnan.
Startled, the Zhao couple stood up. Before they could speak, Zhao Xiuyuan smiled and said: "Grandfather has already agreed. He also praised my discernment. He said that after the Doujin competition, he would discuss the marriage proposal with the Ji family."
The screen faded away, leaving only three people in the main room. Zhao Shen's voice was soft, as if she had been hungry for several days: "My child, your father and I are doing this for your own good. In the future, you will need to support the family, and your wife will have to manage the household affairs. The Ji family is a small household, and Ji Erniang will only hold you back."
Zhao Bingsong pondered for a long time and said: "Er Lang, if you were to take her as a concubine..."
The old master has agreed, so you should refrain from causing any more trouble. Otherwise, it might lead to Erlang losing his position as the head of the family. Zhao Bingsong warned his wife with a sigh, shaking his head in a bitter smile, saying, "How did we end up with a son like Erlang? He has made his parents suffer immensely."
In the late night, Ji Shi and Ji Yao Ting entered the dye house. Once the two entered the dyeing room, Granny Ji closed the door and stood guard outside alone
He was deeply impressed by Zhao Xiuyuan for so easily persuading his own parents
The Ji family has always adhered to the instructions of the late Master Ji. Rarity enhances value; whether it is Shu red silk or the signature Huahua silk, only three to four hundred pounds are dyed each year using a secret formula
Ji took a piece of black cloth from his sleeve and moved forward to cover Ji Yaoting's eyes. He then took a bundle of silk thread from the basket and handed it to Ji Yaoting
After Ji Yaoting finished distinguishing, Ji took a black cloth and said softly: "The silk produced in the various prefectures of Jian'nan Road has a uniform fineness and a soft luster, making it most suitable for weaving Shu brocade. Our Ji family's Shu red silk is brighter than that of others, and in addition to selecting the finest silk threads, we also rely on our family's secret formula"
Having easily persuaded his parents, Zhao Xiuyuan left with a satisfied bow