To set up a garment workshop in the village, one must first report to the village head (Lizheng). After legal approval and paying a management fee, the village scribe (Libi) drafts a recruitment notice, stamped with the village head’s seal, and posts it in the village. Li Cuimei initially didn’t want to recruit locals, as constant interactions would make management difficult. However, avoiding the issue wasn’t a solution, so she carefully outlined the rules in the recruitment notice to minimize potential future disputes.
Contrary to Lin Cui’e’s exaggerated warning to Lin Cuiping, not everyone who stayed had to sign a contract of servitude. Only those involved in critical stages of the garment-making process were required to do so. For example, after a garment was completed, embroidering a simple flower on the cuff or sketching sparse bamboo on the lapels—though time-consuming—were skills most households with needlework experience could manage, so no servitude contract was needed. However, intricate patterns requiring days or even weeks to complete, which ordinary people couldn’t handle, necessitated such contracts.
Certain individuals had to sign servitude contracts without exception: those learning embroidery from Guo Siniang and the two older women from scratch. Additionally, anyone who mastered a particularly refined skill in any part of the garment-making process after training had to sign a contract. Of course, those who signed contracts earned significantly higher wages than those who didn’t.
Building on Lin Fang’s ideas, Li Cuimei refined the plan further: those making undergarments only made undergarments, those making trousers only made trousers. Hats, clothes, pants, robes, cloaks, shoes—every garment, from innerwear to outerwear, head to toe—was assigned to separate teams. Within each garment category, tasks were further divided by process. When Lin Fang heard her mother explain this to Guo Siniang, she was astounded—this level of specialization almost rivaled the assembly-line factories of her past life.
Applicants could choose to learn one skill based on their interest—and only one. Experienced applicants who passed the assessment could start working immediately, but they, too, were limited to one task.
Moreover, even if someone willingly offered to sign a servitude contract, the household would still assess whether they were qualified.
The process proceeded smoothly. Though the scene outside the general store appeared chaotic, the details had already been settled, so no major issues arose. Lin Cui’e and Lin Juan were exhausted but excited, frequently slipping into the backyard to whisper updates to Li Cuimei. Lin Fang, Lin Xia, and Lin Wu also came, but due to their young age and the risk of accidents in the crowd, they stayed in the backyard with Li Cuimei, listening to reports from the managers about the situation upfront.
In her past life, Lin Fang had only experienced crowded scenes like this when job hunting at a talent market, accompanied by her second brother, who shielded her like a mother hen protecting her chicks. Otherwise, she avoided such gatherings, knowing her physical limitations—if she fell ill, it wouldn’t be a trivial matter.
*Sigh… I wonder how Mom, Dad, and my brothers are doing now. At least the doctors had warned them long ago about my congenital heart condition—that I could drop dead any day. I hope they were prepared and aren’t too heartbroken.*
Lin Fang longed to see the spectacle upfront that had her aunt and third sister so thrilled.
Just as she was about to ask her mother for permission, Guo Siniang entered the backyard, looking troubled. “Madam,” she said to Li Cuimei, “a village boy has come to apply, insisting on joining my embroidery class. No matter how much we try to dissuade him, he refuses to leave. He’s kneeling outside, demanding to see you.”
“A boy?” Everyone in the room was startled. The first rule of the recruitment notice explicitly stated that only women were eligible. This wasn’t because men couldn’t work in garment-making, but because the workshop was predominantly female, and mixing in men could lead to complications.
Few villagers were literate, so attendants were posted beside the notice to read and explain its contents to applicants. Even if someone arrived without reading it, they’d be briefed on the spot. How, then, had things escalated to this point—a village boy insisting on seeing the matriarch? Everyone immediately sensed trouble.
Unfazed, Li Cuimei asked Guo Siniang, “What’s the boy’s name? How old is he? Why does he want to apply? Did you explain that joining your class requires signing a servitude contract?”
“Madam, we asked all that,” Guo Siniang replied, still frowning. “The boy is called Gou Dan, ten years old. He says he wants to earn money. He heard from his mother that you, Madam, are my apprentice, and since everyone knows your unmatched skills, he believes learning from me will lead to great success and wealth. He’s not afraid of the servitude contract—as long as he works hard, he trusts your kindness will ensure he’s never resold. He’ll earn the highest wages and be able to care for his mother.”
At the mention of the name, Li Cuimei smiled. When Guo Siniang finished, she chuckled. “Hah, this boy is clever—flattering the matriarch before even being hired. You might remember his mother—also surnamed Guo. She’s a talented storyteller and quite beautiful. Villagers often invite her to perform at celebrations.”
“Oh! Now that you mention it, I do recall her,” Guo Siniang said, then puzzled, “If she’s so skilled, why would her son sell himself into servitude?”
Li Cuimei sighed regretfully. “Gou Dan’s father died when he was just a few months old. His mother struggled to raise him until he could walk and talk, but her eyesight failed soon after. The boy is remarkably capable—he handles all household chores, even sewing clothes and socks neatly. If he trained under you, he might truly go far.”
Guo Siniang grew anxious. “Madam, the rules are set. If we make an exception for Gou Dan, others will demand the same.”
Li Cuimei nodded solemnly. “I know. Tell him that as a boy, he doesn’t meet the criteria. Say you’ve consulted me, and I’ve refused. If he persists, add that since his family were once our neighbors, I’ll visit his mother when I have time.”
When Guo Siniang first mentioned Gou Dan, Lin Fang felt the name was familiar. It was common—she’d known several “Gou Dans” in her past life. For a moment, she was disoriented, unsure if she was in her past or present life. Then Li Cuimei mentioned Gou Dan’s blind mother, and Lin Fang remembered—Lin Wu had once tearfully confessed that their mother cried every night, her eyesight failing, and if she kept crying, she’d end up like Gou Dan’s mother, blind. He didn’t want that. That plea had strengthened Lin Fang’s resolve to live well, if only for her mother in this life.
“Fang’er, why are you covering my eyes? Are you bored and want to play?” Li Cuimei’s voice snapped Lin Fang back to the present. She realized she’d instinctively cupped her mother’s eyes. Mistaking it for a game, Li Cuimei stayed still, letting her daughter’s hands linger.
“Mother,” Lin Fang said earnestly, “you must keep your eyes healthy. I want you to watch me grow up, learn skills, and take care of you.”
Li Cuimei pinched her daughter’s tiny nose and playfully bumped foreheads with her. “You little sage, talking like an adult! I’ll not only watch you grow up but also see you marry, have children, and grandchildren. Satisfied?”
“Mm! Mother must keep her word.” The serious expression on the little girl’s face amused everyone in the room.
“Mother, what did you say? Why is little sister making you promise something?” Lin Wu, hand in hand with a guard, bounded into the room—or rather, was dragged in. He and Lin Xia, unable to resist their curiosity, kept sneaking to the front yard and squeezing out the gate. Li Cuimei had ordered the guards to return them to the backyard immediately, by force if necessary. *Heh,* Lin Fang thought mischievously, *the chicks got snatched back by the eagle.*
Oblivious to his “capture,” Lin Wu had overheard his sister’s words and now demanded an explanation.
“Mother promised to protect her eyes so she can watch you marry and have children and grandchildren,” Lin Fang fibbed.
“Ah? Mother, I’m too young! It’ll be ages before I’m as old as Granduncle!” The boy declared without a hint of embarrassment.
Lin Xia hastily clapped a hand over his mouth. “Fifth Brother, don’t let Grandfather hear you! He hates being called old. If he hears you, he’ll twist your ears!” To demonstrate, she gave his ear a playful tug.
“Ow! Fourth Sister, why’d you pinch me?” Lin Wu yelped.
Someone burst out laughing.
“Haha, since you two can’t sit still, let’s take you out for a walk.” Li Cuimei stood, and a maid hurried to lift the thick curtain. Snowflakes swirled beyond, painting the world white.
*A timely snow promises a good harvest.* Next year would be another prosperous one.
**End of Volume One.**
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage