Chapter 452: Paragon of Craftsmanship (I)

She consulted the viewers in the live streaming room with sincerity. These people may laugh but innately they had a warm nature.

Without wasting much time, Jiang Pengji was educated on a series of words.

Not only was there “Hands Skilled in Sewing Teach One to Knit Sheep’s Fur into Woollen Thread”, there was even “A Hundred Ways of Knitting Wool”.

Talk was cheap, but to realistically execute this was difficult; it involved many issues with fine details along the way. The audiences also failed to provide a solution. Jiang Pengji could only resort to fighting tactics from books to attempt or alternatively enquire from Gu Xin.

The other party was appalled by her questions. Who ever thought of spinning wool into thread, then using it to knit into a thick coat?

Although the queries were incredulous, Gu Xin approved after seriously pondering it. The sheep’s fur was sure to keep the wearer warm, so if a way out was needed for him in the future, it may just start up a new career. He had a premonition that under the surface there hid a huge business secret.

Jiang Pengji was one who executed her plans. Once she had an idea, she was impatient to act on it.

“Go recruit some seamstresses with good craftsmanship and experience. Tell them they will be paid daily, and their meals will be provided.”

She had money now; it was evident through her hiring of part time workers and ability to pay their salaries.

When this news was disseminated, many young ladies applied for the job immediately.

Building houses, road repairs, and cultivating new land for agriculture in the district all required labor, and the work didn’t care if the worker was a man or a woman. Numerous men and strong, healthy women worked very hard to earn a salary and feed their families.

Except the job at hand required physical and mental strength, and it was only really suitable for healthy young men and women and some middle-aged or relatively unhealthy ladies who could not go out to work and were a burden to their families.

At the start, Jiang Pengji started small. She only chose 50 honest and responsible female workers.

Snip the sheep’s wool, wash and trim them, soak and then dry them under the sun and wind…

At the beginning, these procedures when followed step by step, didn’t seem too difficult. Those female workers murmured in their hearts, what has this got to do with their handiwork skills, but since Jiang Pengji provided their meals and forty coins each day, they did not complain out loud.

As those tasks were completed, Jiang Pengji set about designing some tools in the metal craftsman workshop. She worked intently for two days, and finally produced a few real threads of sheep’s wool.

Gu Xin saw his young master experimenting, trying this and that, and he felt as if he was back in the old days when the old master was still alive. He was flooded with memories of a time the old master wanted to set up a paper-making factory, and had such a workaholic attitude.

Threading combed sheep’s wool through a wooden deedle and twisting it into a long thread, Young Master then combined strands to strengthen the thread.

Jiang Pengji was quite good with her hands, and the wool thread she made looked legitimate.

But the female workers seemed to have a compulsive need to make rough, coarse thread despite how hard they focused. After a time, though, they became competent, and 50 people worked together and increased their efficiency significantly.

A few days passed; the spools of wool yarn amounted to hundreds.

The female workers heard the district magistrate wanting to use these yarn to knit sweaters. They muttered discreetly since Jiang Pengji was not around.

“With such a coarse thread, how are they going to be knitted into sweaters? Unless they are used to fill in the gaps?”

One female worker huffed and laughed incredulously, as she sat on a colt’s back and skilfully combed the sheep’s wool with her hands.

“A thread that’s coarser than a hole in the sweater, how can this be used to mend a hole?”

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Another said, “Who knows? Don’t despise the youth of this district magistrate, her ideas are plentiful. Since she pays our salaries, she must have her reasons. If you are so curious, why not ask the district magistrate yourself. What use is there to open your big mouth here? Which rich master desires an overbearing servant? If you’re unwilling to work, there are many others who will rush to fill your place.”

That female worker felt somewhat guilty, “It’s just a passing comment, this won’t reach the district magistrate’s ear…”

What is Jiang Pengji doing at this moment?

Researching a variety of knitting techniques and reporting at the government office daily, Feng Jin and the rest only needed to lift their heads to see her with two wooden needles and a ball of yarn challenging each other. They secretly patted their foreheads; such a lord was surely doomed for failure.

Except in her hands lay two knitting needles that were sharpened on both ends, a bamboo book with numerous and dense writings placed on the table before her. She looked serious and focused. However, if one could see the livestream’s bullet screen, they won’t feel the same.

Qiyue Bohe: “Hahaha——rubbish streamer, there’s finally something you don’t know.”

Jiuniang Maotuanzi: “#rubsface. Streamer, what are you stubborn about, just throw the book directly at these female workers to research and perfect this skill. Knitting is a scholarly topic in itself, a craftsmanship, although it’s rather simple, but honestly it requires a little talent. I’ve seen you try to knit for more than two hours, how I wish to climb through the screen and hold your two hands to teach you…”

Seriously, they’d rather Jiang Pengji play with mud.

Qianceng Liulianbing: “Hahaha don’t be so honest, person above. I am interested to watch the streamer knit a woollen sweater.”

Viewers in the live streaming room laughed mercilessly, and Jiang Pengji frowned and threw the knitting needles on the table with a resounding clatter.

Qiguan Rang tried to hide his smile and looked away to prevent Jiang Pengji from catching him watch the commotion.

As Gu Xin sent a huge number of rations, horses and sheep skins, they needed to be accounted for before storing them in a warehouse.

Qiguan Rang and the rest were busy with that matter, and the experience of working overtime almost to death was refreshed in their memories all over again. But their lord didn’t seem to have compassion for her subordinates. While they toiled, she threaded a ball of yarn through two wooden needles. They often wondered what she was up to… It was always evident when she hit a roadblock, as she had a tendency toward tantrums and throwing things.

Comparing with others was frustrating.

Otherwise, what made her the lord but he must work overtime?

Now, Liyun who had been away purchasing an improved version of seeds at neighbouring Chengde county, returned. He wore a rather tattered coarse garment, revealing his muscular arms. As he washed his feet clean, his trouser legs raised above his knees, and his strong, sturdy and powerful calves surfaced.

Brother Liyun’s arrival stole the attention of a group of his fans.

Jiang Pengji sneaked a peep at Liyun and saw the knitting needles and yarn ball on the table.

She didn’t wait for Liyun to pay his respects and immediately waved to him.

“Come over, Han Mei. Here’s an important task for you, can you successfully complete it?”

Suddenly, Feng Jin, the trio and the viewers in the live streaming room had a bad feeling.

Qiguan Rang opened his eyes wide in disbelief, his enlarged eyes looked at brother Liyun’s innocent and warm smile.

“What my lord has assigned, Yun will do my best.”

Nodding her head, she wore a solemn look, as if what she was about to say was of utmost importance.

“After a month, fall harvest will descend upon us. The weather is also getting increasingly chilly. The people are anxious as the district is unprepared to survive winter and are yet to prepare their clothes. For them to have warm woollen clothes to wear, coincidentally, I discovered a sewing methodology. Unfortunately, my hands are not agile, and my understanding is incomplete, and coupled with other matters, I don’t have replicates of myself. Please take this and look at it thoroughly, research it. If you’re able to make this technique well-known, many of our people will benefit from it. You must treat this seriously to not disappoint their hopes.”

Feng Jin and the trio: “…”

The viewers watching the livestream: “…”