Chapter 177: Obstinacy

The two of them had only been inside for a few minutes, but they were already drenched in sweat. Wu Zhixiang took out a handkerchief and wiped his sweat constantly. Then, Zhao Yigong led him into the reeling workshop. The foot-powered reeling machines were whirring, and the cocoons in the pots were bobbing up and down. The workshop was filled with steam and heavy with moisture. The walls and floor were wet everywhere. The stench of the scalded silkworm pupae, the smell of alum from the basins, mixed with the steam, coal smoke, and human sweat, made one’s chest tighten upon entering, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Although there were many workers coming and going in the workshop, they paid no attention to the arrival of the two gentlemen, going about their own business. Only a foreman came forward to greet them. Zhao Yigong waved his hand, and the foreman retreated to his own tasks.

The entire workshop was like a beehive. The buzzing of the reeling machines filled the humid and stuffy air. Hundreds of female workers were busy at their respective reeling stations, pedaling the machines while constantly dipping their fingers into the fifty-degree hot water to pick up the silk threads and put them on the reels. Although the environment in the workshop was harsh, they were all completely focused, barely blinking an eye. Their fingers danced as if flying, and the reels on their machines spun so fast it was dazzling.

For ease of operation, all the female workers in the workshop had short hair. They also had towels wrapped around their foreheads to absorb sweat, so they didn’t have to wipe it frequently. Their clothes were soaking wet, and a small puddle had formed at each person’s feet, a mixture of sweat and hot water splashed from the basins.

Wu Zhixiang had never experienced anything like this. Even though he was young and strong, he felt his chest tighten and he gasped for breath. Seeing hundreds of female workers with the same short hair and the same clothes working in the same rhythm, so fast that he couldn’t even see clearly, he was horrified.

These were not people; they were like the Australians’ machines! Wu Zhixiang thought to himself, wondering how the Australians managed it. But he was also very excited. Although he didn’t quite understand it, he was fully aware of the efficiency involved. How could household silk reeling be so fast! No wonder that for every product the Australians made, the price would plummet to a point where others couldn’t sell it even at a loss!

Although he felt nauseous, his spirits were high. He looked up and saw that there was a patrol gallery running along the walls of the workshop. But this gallery was not open; it was fitted with a lattice wall made of bamboo, and he could see figures moving inside.

“What is this?”

“This is the patrol gallery. It’s for the inspectors to walk back and forth to supervise the female workers.”

Zhao Yigong explained that the filature had production regulations for its silk. Each thread was limited to three or four cocoons. This made the workers’ reeling speed slower than manual reeling. A manual reeler could produce one catty of silk a day, but here it was only six or seven taels. The wages here were based on a piece-rate system. The female workers, in order to increase their output and earn more, often secretly exceeded the limit and added more cocoons, sometimes four or five or more per thread. This not only wasted raw materials but also affected the quality of the silk.

This patrol gallery was set up to supervise the female workers. The inspectors patrolled the gallery, peeking through the lattice to watch the workers. Because of the cover of the lattice wall, the workers could not see that they were being supervised. If an inspector found a worker exceeding the cocoon limit, they would write down the worker’s number on a card and throw it down to the foreman. The foreman would then have someone check the silk from that station. If it met the standard, no action would be taken, and the silk would be returned to the worker to continue. But if it was overweight by more than one-third of the standard, meaning the worker had been adding extra cocoons for a long time and the silk was coarse, they would be punished according to the regulations.

If a female worker was found slacking, chatting, or violating other regulations, she would be punished after being noted by the inspector.

“So that’s how it is!” Wu Zhixiang nodded. “So Brother Zhao manages this factory with military law!”

“Military law is too strong a word. But to run a factory, one cannot ensure production without such measures.” Zhao Yigong also felt he couldn’t stand it much longer, but he didn’t want to lose face in front of Wu Zhixiang, so he put on a calm and indifferent expression.

Zhao Yigong led him out of a corner of the workshop into another room. This room had large windows on the walls, providing ventilation from north to south. It was tall and bright. Coming out of the stuffy and humid workshop, it was a relief for both body and mind.

The room was filled with long-backed benches made of wooden strips. Along the wall was a long table filled with tea cups made of bamboo tubes, each with a name and a mark on it. Almost none of the female workers could read, so they had to use such pictorial markings. On the table were also several large blue porcelain jars covered with white cold cloths. On the walls hung many towels, marked in the same way as the tea cups.

More than twenty female workers were resting in the room. They were all panting and slumped on the long benches, wiping the sweat that never seemed to dry, looking completely exhausted.

Several young girls in blue blouses and double buns were bustling about, collecting and delivering towels, washing and drying them, boiling water, and serving tea… all of them were incredibly busy.

Seeing Zhao Yigong enter, the bustling girls all stopped and timidly stepped aside. The female workers were not so nervous, but they quickly stood up.

“It’s alright, you can sit and rest,” Zhao Yigong said with a smile, but Wu Zhixiang felt a chill.

“The Master is here, how can we sit…” a female worker who looked like a forewoman said.

“I told you to sit, so sit. You won’t have the strength to work later.” Zhao Yigong’s words were gentle but his tone was firm. The forewoman had no choice but to apologize and let the workers sit down again. But now they were not as relaxed as before, appearing very restrained.

Zhao Yigong paid them no mind and sat down on a long bench himself, even gesturing, “Sit, sit.”

Wu Zhixiang was a shrewd and perceptive person and already felt that the atmosphere was not right. Besides, sitting with a group of female workers in such an unseemly place was a bit improper. But since the host had invited him, he could not refuse and sat down awkwardly.

Seeing him sit down, several girls immediately came over to serve him. An older-looking girl asked, “Would the Master like some tea?”

Zhao Yigong said, “We’ve been walking under the hot sun for a while. The artemisia tea the workers drink will do. Pour a cup for this Master Wu as well.”

Two cups of artemisia tea were brought over. The large porcelain jars were filled with various thirst-quenching and heat-relieving drinks, specially prepared for the female workers in the reeling workshop. There was artemisia tea as well as a salt-and-sugar drink made with salt, sugar, and citric acid—of course, without the carbon dioxide.

A young girl who had been busy outside now quietly entered. Seeing Zhao Yigong’s indifferent expression, as if he didn’t see her at all, she had no choice but to walk over and kneel. “Master…”

Zhao Yigong drank several sips of tea, took a breath, and finally spoke. “I told you to teach people to read, and you are indeed very diligent!”

“To answer the Master!” The one kneeling on the ground was Xihua. Because she came from a scholarly family and was literate, she was being trained as a teacher. She studied with Zhao Yigong in the villa’s private school while also teaching literacy classes.

Xihua’s body trembled. She forced a smile. “Since the Master has entrusted these children to this servant, this servant will naturally do her utmost to repay your kindness.”

Zhao Yigong sneered, “Doing your utmost to the point of not even listening to my words?” He then took a sip of tea. The entire room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“This servant would not dare,” Xihua said, bowing her head. “When the Master summoned the musicians, it was their proper duty. It’s just that these girls have been practicing their instruments and have missed too many lessons. This servant was afraid of holding them back…”

“Holding them back? How ridiculous. I told you to teach them to read and write, not to have them take the imperial examinations!” Zhao Yigong sneered. “You, this female teacher, are getting more and more important.”

“This servant would not dare!” Xihua could no longer hold it together. She touched her head to the ground and said with a trembling voice, “This servant would not dare to be disrespectful to her superiors. I only thought that the Master wanted them to study well for a greater purpose in the future…”

Zhao Yigong smiled. “Alright, let’s say you had good intentions but made a mistake. I won’t pursue your fault today. But you said you were going to give them extra lessons. Why did you bring them here?”

“To answer the Master,” Xihua said, “after the afternoon lesson, this servant brought them here to help.” She then kowtowed again. “This servant dares not deceive you.”

“You are quite benevolent!” Zhao Yigong sneered and put down his teacup, about to get up and leave. But Xihua, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly spoke.

“Master, this servant has absolutely no intention of disrespecting you, nor would I dare to act on my own. It’s just that the sisters and aunties here have to work for six shichen every day. The weather is so hot now, and during every break, they are all exhausted. Several of them faint every day. This servant just felt that if I could do something for them, to give them a little respite, it would be good…”

A look of anger appeared on Zhao Yigong’s face. “So you’re saying that by taking them in to work at the Cihuitang, I am torturing them!”

“This servant would not dare!” Xihua’s body trembled, but she continued, “This servant also knows I can’t do much. I only beg the Master to reduce the working hours here by one or two shichen. Everyone is truly at their limit. If this continues, this servant fears something unbearable will happen. I myself cannot stay in that workshop for even a quarter of an hour…”

Wu Zhixiang and the surrounding female workers were all stunned, their faces pale. They knew that what Xihua said was true. The workshop was indeed not a place for humans, especially to work for six shichen with only one meal and a few short breaks in between.

Zhao Yigong was so angry his face turned white. He sneered, “Listen to her. It’s all my fault now.”

“I dare not. This servant deserves to die!” Xihua’s face was flushed red, and her whole body was trembling. “This servant deserves to die. But what this servant said is the truth!”

Zhao Yigong’s hands were trembling with anger. He said to Wu Zhixiang, “Listen to this! What kind of discipline is this! Men! Drag her out and beat her to death!”