Chapter 156: Raising Silkworms

Lizheng was one of the first orphans taken in by Zhao Yigong and trained as his apprentice. She had received a considerable amount of cultural education in Zhao Yigong’s “private school.” This time, she was selected to take charge on her own, as the technical and administrative head of the Jixian Village extension station.

Li Yo’er had given her accelerated training in sericulture techniques at the estate. Although Wang Siniang was clever and had rich experience in raising silkworms, she was illiterate and her ability to absorb new knowledge was somewhat lacking. In comparison, Lizheng, who already had a B-level diploma, was much better. After all, matters like lending money and running a cooperative all involved financial and numerical management. Since Wang Siniang was illiterate, she could not personally manage and supervise. Therefore, she could only exist as a wedge inserted into Jixian Village and a public figure.

Duoduo Niang didn’t know the inside story, but she had good eyesight and could see that although this young lady was young, she was also in charge, so she didn’t dare to underestimate her.

The number of people in Wang Siniang’s courtyard gradually increased. Every time a new shipment of things arrived by boat, one or two more people would appear unnoticed. There were both men and women, and their common characteristic was that they were well-behaved, taciturn, and rarely seen gathering for idle chat. Basically, everyone had a job to do and never stopped working.

The hatching of the silkworm larvae usually began at 4:30 in the morning and was completed by 8:00. After they were all out, the larvae had to be transferred to the silkworm trays for feeding. In Jixian Village, the newly hatched silkworms were collected by sweeping with a feather. This was the most common method, and every household had a special feather for sweeping the newly hatched silkworms. However, a different method was used here.

After the newly hatched silkworms emerged, Duoduo Niang and the other working women, under Lizheng’s guidance, spread a thin but tough cotton paper on the silkworm trays. Then they sprinkled chopped and wilted mulberry leaves on the paper. This was called “luring with mulberry,” and it was specifically used to attract the newly hatched silkworms onto the paper.

When the newly hatched silkworms smelled the fragrance of the luring mulberry, they would crawl onto the cotton paper. Then the luring mulberry was gently swept away, and the cotton paper was moved to the silkworm trays for feeding. The paper was then turned over to give the silkworms the mulberry leaves. This completed the work of collecting the newly hatched silkworms. It not only saved labor but also caused less harm to the newly hatched silkworms and the unhatched eggs.

Duoduo Niang saw that this method yielded far more newly hatched silkworms than the sweeping method she usually used, and she secretly memorized it: she would do it this way when she raised her own silkworms in the future.

The newborn silkworm larvae wriggled in the “silkworm trays,” looking very strong and with a very proper black color. Such larvae were rarely seen in previous years. Wang Siniang’s Guangdong breed was indeed good stuff! Duoduo Niang regretted a little why she hadn’t gotten a sheet of eggs on credit to raise, especially since the conditions offered were very favorable.

The silkworm larvae of the other families in the village emerged a few days later, but the situation was still quite good. It seemed that this year’s silkworm harvest would be much better than last year’s, at least at an eight or nine-tenths level. The constitution of the newly hatched silkworms was also good. The silkworm larvae of Shen Kaibao’s family were exceptionally good, which made him forget all his troubles for a while. He had great hopes in his heart.

However, during the first and second instars, it was cloudy and rainy for days, and the temperature dropped all the way. Silkworm diseases began to appear among the silkworms in the village. Seeing people constantly going to the stream at the edge of the village to dump “silkworm trays,” a heavy stone was once again pressed on Shen Kaibao’s heart. It seemed that it would be impossible to peacefully enter the third instar.

According to past experience, in a normal silkworm season, about one-fifth of the silkworms would be lost. In a bad year, only one-third of the newly hatched silkworms would survive to spin cocoons. Of course, there were even worse years, with large-scale crop failures in the village. But such things were rare.

For Shen Kaibao and most of the villagers, this year’s silkworm harvest had to be at least eight-tenths to make up for their losses over the past year and support them until the next. If the harvest was only six or seven-tenths, this year would be very difficult for many families.

A tense atmosphere permeated the entire village. Although it was customary not to burn incense at home during the sericulture period to avoid affecting the silkworms, every household prayed before the images of the Kitchen God and the Silkworm Goddess, hoping for a peaceful third instar.

Wang Siniang’s silkworm rooms had good insulation, and they had methods for heating and monitoring the temperature and humidity. They were able to keep the temperature and humidity in the silkworm rooms at an optimal state. In addition, the prior disinfection work was done well, and the hygiene of the sericulturists was also very strict, so the silkworms were all very strong. Duoduo Niang’s work was now even busier. She now had to wear a cotton cloth garment similar to a child’s swaddling clothes every day, covering her from head to toe. She even had to wrap her head in a scarf and wash her hands before entering and leaving the silkworm room. A stone trough was specially placed in front of the silkworm room, filled with clean water mixed with something unknown that had a pungent smell. People entering and leaving had to immerse their hands and arms in it for a while before taking them out. A person was specially assigned to supervise. If anyone forgot and only washed their hands after being reminded, they would be given a demerit.

The work was increasing, and the rules were becoming stricter. A complete set of “operating procedures” was implemented here, with Lizheng responsible for teaching them step by step. Regardless of whether the sericulturists understood it or not, they just had to follow the instructions, no more, no less, and no unauthorized changes. Every move had to be done according to the rules. If any step was done wrong, they would also be given a demerit.

Three demerits would result in a deduction of wages. This was a light punishment. Duoduo Niang had also been docked a few times. If it were a servant under Wang Siniang’s master, “Master Zhao,” the consequences of making a mistake would be much more severe. Not only would their money be deducted, but they would also suffer physical punishment. Duoduo Niang had several times heard the sound of bamboo boards hitting flesh and cries for mercy from the side room. Sometimes she would also see a few of the less clever sericulturists kneeling in the courtyard after work, reciting the “operating procedures.”

“This Master Zhao’s rice is really not easy to eat,” Duoduo Niang would feel a chill down her neck every time she saw such a thing, so she remembered all the rules particularly well. Although she would not be beaten or forced to kneel, if she was docked too much money, she would be laughed at when she went home.

As the third instar passed and the sericulture work entered its climax, Duoduo Niang and the sericulturists had all lost weight, and their sleepless eyes were bloodshot. Although a two-shift system was implemented here, which was better than the round-the-clock work at home, the workload was much greater.

In addition to constantly chopping and feeding leaves, the sericulturists on duty also had to patrol regularly. If they found any stiff or sick silkworms, they would immediately pick them out with silkworm chopsticks and put them in a special collection bucket.

The work of cleaning the silkworm droppings was also very heavy. However, cleaning the droppings here was much more convenient than at home. The bottom of Wang Siniang’s silkworm trays was covered with a very fine silk net. When cleaning, they only had to lift the net, and the droppings would naturally fall through into a special droppings basket.

The silkworm droppings and the stiff and sick silkworms were stored in a special room and then dumped into the biogas digester behind the toilet at night. They were fermented to kill viruses and bacteria. Selling silkworm droppings as fertilizer was also an income for the sericulturists, but in traditional sericulture, the droppings were not strictly isolated and treated harmlessly, becoming an important vector for silkworm diseases.

Although the sericulturists were working hard day and night and were often blamed for their mistakes, the treatment given by Wang Siniang had also improved. They had three meals of rice a day, with meat every day. Before starting work every day, there was a special meeting to “motivate” them. The top three who performed well and met their targets would receive an extra bonus in proportion.

Wang Siniang and Lizheng took turns supervising and patrolling. Their own throats were hoarse and their eyes were red. Everyone worked desperately in this intense atmosphere. The extension station raised a lot of silkworms, but used much less labor, relying on work efficiency to improve.

In the village, there was also a busy and tense atmosphere. Shen Kaibao’s whole family, including his ten-year-old grandson, had not slept for several days and nights. Although there was the shadow of silkworm disease and they had to dump a few “silkworm trays,” the remaining silkworms were still doing well. After the “fourth instar,” the “babies” ate seven dan of leaves on the first day. They were all green and plump, and the sound of them eating leaves was a “rustling” sound. Seeing that their own mulberry leaves were not enough, and the mulberry leaves they had bought with all their savings were almost used up, Shen Kaibao estimated that they would need another thirty dan of leaves to reach the cocooning stage, which was completely beyond their own ability.

Shen Kaibao discussed with his sons Daqing and Sanqing where to borrow money to buy leaves.

“We’ve already mortgaged all our land to him. If we ask again, what can we use as collateral? Master Cao won’t agree,” Daqing said.

“If we can’t borrow from Master Cao, should we ask Shopkeeper Wang in town again?” Sanqing said.

Shen Kaibao said with a worried face, “It was possible in previous years, but this year Shopkeeper Wang said he’s already in over his head.”

“It seems we still have to ask Master Cao…” Sanqing said drowsily. He really couldn’t hold on any longer. His eyelids felt as if they weighed several hundred catties, and he just wanted to close them.

Shen Kaibao said nothing. He thought and thought. Besides Master Cao, he really couldn’t think of anyone else who could or would lend him money now. But this Master Cao was a shrewd man, and he would never lend money without solid collateral. These thirty dan of leaves, at the current market price, would cost at least four mace per dan.

Daqing said, “Why don’t we ask the leaf firm for credit first…”

This was an idea, but the leaf firms charged high prices and exorbitant interest for credit. The thought that his cocoons were not yet harvested but already a lot of them were gone made Shen Kaibao’s heart burn with anxiety.

Just then, there was a commotion in the threshing ground outside. It turned out that Duoduo Niang’s husband was passing by with a boat carrying ten dan of leaves. The father and sons’ conversation was interrupted, and they all went out to see the excitement.

Shen Kaibao was a little surprised. He knew that Duoduo Niang’s family had much less mulberry land than his own. Although they only raised two “silkworm egg sheets” this year, the leaves were definitely not enough. A few days ago, he had seen Duoduo Niang’s father-in-law worrying about not having money to buy mulberry leaves. How did they suddenly get the money today?

He quickly called out to Duoduo Niang’s husband and asked where the leaves came from and what the price was.

“This is what Duoduo Niang got on credit from the Shen family,” he said loudly. “They have plenty of leaves!”