Chapter 452 – Crafting Expert (1)
She earnestly consulted the Audience in the live stream. While they laughed, their nature remained warm and enthusiastic.
Without wasting much time, Jiang Pengji received a mountain of written tutorials.
Not only was there “A Handy Guide to Spinning Wool into Yarn,” but also “One Hundred Patterns for Knitting with Yarn.”
It sounded simple when spoken, but doing it was a different story, filled with numerous intricate details that the Audience couldn’t answer. Jiang Pengji could only attempt to follow the textual guides or ask Gu Xin for help.
He was taken aback by her unique idea—who would think of spinning wool into yarn and then knitting it into wearable warm clothing?
Despite the oddity of the concept, Gu Xin approved after some serious thought. Wool was indeed warm, and if this quirky idea became a reality, it might just launch an entirely new industry. He had a gut feeling that there was a huge opportunity here!
Jiang Pengji was an absolute doer; now that she had an idea, she naturally had to put it into action.
“Go recruit some skilled, experienced seamstresses. Pay them daily, and provide meals!”
Now that Jiang Pengji had money, it was evident in her ability to offer day-to-day wages to her recruits.
The moment the news spread, a number of Women showed up to apply.
The county needed countless hands for house building, road construction, and land reclamation, and they weren’t picky about gender.
Many Men and healthy Women worked hard every day to earn their pay and support their families.
However, this job required physical strength, making it only suitable for young, healthy individuals. Some older or less healthy Women couldn’t go out to work, burdened by family. Hearing that the county needed skilled, experienced seamstresses with daily meals and good pay, these older Women hurried over to apply.
At first, Jiang Pengji didn’t recruit too many; she selected just fifty honest female workers.
She managed the steps of shearing the sheep, washing the wool, degreasing it, soaking it, and air-drying it…
Following the tutorial step by step wasn’t too difficult. The female workers puzzled over why this was related to their skills, but with Jiang Pengji providing meals and paying forty copper coins a day, they remained silent.
After finishing these tasks, Jiang Pengji also spent two days at the blacksmith’s, crafting several wool carders.
Gu Xin watched the young lady hustle around, feeling a sudden flash of nostalgia, as if the old master were still around. In the past, the old master worked tirelessly to establish a paper workshop in the same way.
Using the combed wool, she spun it into long strands with a stick, then twisted it to increase its toughness.
Jiang Pengji had knack for practical work, producing respectable wool yarn. The dedicated female workers, in turn, exhibited a hint of perfectionism, insisting on getting the yarn to look evenly thick.
After experimenting for a while, they were basically up to speed. The fifty-strong workforce significantly boosted efficiency.
In just a few days, they accumulated hundreds of balls of woolen yarn.
When the female workers learned that the county magistrate wanted to use these yarn balls to weave clothing, they quietly murmured while Jiang Pengji was away.
“Wow, with yarn that thick, how are we supposed to make clothes? Are we just mending with it?”
One worker chuckled, sitting on a small stool, skillfully carding wool.
“A single thread is thicker than the holes in the clothes! How can we patch that?”
Someone else chimed in, “Who knows? Don’t be fooled by this young county magistrate’s age; he’s got plenty of ideas. Since he paid for help, he must have his reasons. If you’re so curious, go ask him directly instead of gossiping here. Which Noble likes chatty subordinates anyway? If you don’t want this job, there are plenty of others who would jump at the chance.”
The worker felt a bit guilty, “It’s just some idle talk; it’s not like it’ll reach the magistrate’s ears…”
Meanwhile, what was Jiang Pengji up to?
She was busy researching various knitting patterns, reporting daily to the administrative office. Whenever Feng Jin and the others glanced up, they would find her wrestling with two wooden needles and a ball of wool, unable to hold back a facepalm. Such a Lord really was something else.
She was gripping two long wooden needles, meticulously studying a thick bamboo booklet filled with rows of tiny handwriting, her expression serious and focused. However, if anyone could see the live stream comments, they would think otherwise.
【Qiyue Mentha】: Hahaha—janky streamer, finally something you can’t do!
【Wine Pudding Cat Dumpling】: #Facepalm, seriously, Jiang Pengji, what are you being so stubborn about? Just hand those booklets over to the workers; let them figure it out. Knitting is a craft, an art; while it seems simple, it really needs a touch of talent. You’ve been at it for over an hour; we might as well jump into the screen and show you how to do it…
They honestly preferred watching Jiang Pengji play in the mud.
【Layered Durian Cake】: Hahaha, let’s not be so honest, I still want to see the streamer knit a sweater!
The Audience mercilessly mocked her, making Jiang Pengji furrow her brows and clatter the needles down onto the table.
Qi Guanrang quietly rolled his eyes, moving his gaze away to avoid getting caught by Jiang Pengji while he was enjoying the show.
With Gu Xin delivering a large amount of grain, horses, and sheepskins, all of it needed to be sorted and stored.
Qi Guanrang and the others busily handled that task, reliving the painful memories of working overtime, while their Lord showed no sympathy for his subordinates, clutching two knitting needles and a wool ball, unsure of what on earth she was up to. Once she hit a snag, she just threw a fit and tossed stuff around.
Comparing people is infuriating!
How come she’s the Lord, but he’s stuck working late?
At that moment, Li Yun, who had been out acquiring good seeds in the neighboring Chengde County, returned. He was clad in slightly worn short attire that revealed his muscular arms. His feet were spotless, with his pant legs rolled up to his knees, showcasing his strong, explosive calves.
The arrival of Li Yun shifted the attention of some of her fans away.
Jiang Pengji glanced at Li Yun, then back at the needles and wool. Without waiting for him to bow, she waved him over.
“Han Mei, come here. I have a critically important task for you; can you handle it smoothly?”
Suddenly, both Feng Jin and the Audience got an ominous feeling—wait a minute—
Qi Guanrang gaped at Li Yun, watching as he revealed an innocent and enthusiastic smile.
“Whatever the Lord entrusts, I will certainly give it my all.”
Jiang Pengji nodded, her expression solemn, as if what she was about to say held great importance.
“In one month, the autumn harvest will begin, and the weather gets colder by the day. What’s worrying is that the Common People in the county still haven’t prepared warm clothing for winter. I’ve stumbled upon a knitting technique, but my hands aren’t deft enough, and I am overwhelmed with other matters. You need to take a good look at this, study it. If you can bring this craft back into the world, countless Common People will benefit. You must take this seriously and not let the Common People down.”
Feng Jin and the others: “…”
The Audience: “…”
