Chapter 40: The Seventh-Rank Official at the Prime Minister’s Gate

After carefully inspecting the loom crafted by Zhao Zengjin, Li Yuanjing could not help but shake his head and laugh.

As expected.

Matters of expertise should indeed be left to those truly skilled.

However, Li Yuanjing soon noticed several details in the loom that could be improved, and immediately discussed them with Zhao Zengjin. He suggested that at several key joints of the loom, iron rings could be used, coated with oil. This would not only make the structure more stable, but also further increase efficiency.

After all, these iron connections, once oiled, would reduce wear and bear force more effectively, naturally enhancing productivity.

“Master, your mind is truly remarkable… Ah, it’s clear that one must be educated, must read books…” Once Li Yuanjing finished explaining, Zhao Zengjin quickly understood the principle behind it, and his admiration for Li Yuanjing was beyond words, almost reverential.

Seeing her husband so impressed, Zhao Zengjin’s wife gazed at Li Yuanjing with admiration and respect, thinking to herself: “It is indeed best to have an educated man. This time, my husband truly made the right choice.”

Even their daughter, Ginkgo, looked at Li Yuanjing with greater respect and awe.

As for Yuniang, she quietly stood to the side, smiling to herself with pursed lips.

She always knew her brother was the most capable!

…

Zhao Zengjin’s taking over of the loom’s construction greatly freed Li Yuanjing, giving him more time and energy to accelerate his plans.

That night, Li Yuanjing took Yuniang and Zhang Kun to go fishing, and their catch was impressive.

Thanks to Li Yuanjing’s more meticulous teaching, Zhang Kun was now nearly able to fish on his own.

Upon returning, Li Yuanjing brought Zhang Kun to the old village chief’s home to discuss the matter of ‘building the factory’ the next day.

Given Li Yuanjing’s current status, there was no longer any need to sneak out late at night to fish; the timing of their return was just right.

“Yuanjing, this is wonderful! Don’t worry, I’ll gather the men of our village right away. Within two or three days, your matter will be settled!” The old village chief, delighted by Li Yuanjing’s intention, immediately put aside sleep and went out to rally the villagers.

Li Yuanjing could only smile wryly at his enthusiasm, yet the corner of his lips could not help but curl into a faint smile.

Originally, Li Yuanjing had been very cautious regarding the visits from Murong Kai and Zhao Bingchun.

After all, with his experience from later times, Li Yuanjing understood the gray areas all too well, and was acutely aware of the risks lurking beneath the surface.

But now, even though many risks remained, there was one undeniable advantage for Li Yuanjing—

It allowed his prestige in Quanzi Village to rise swiftly.

With various factors converging, even the old village chief had become somewhat deferential to him.

Yet, despite the smooth progress, Li Yuanjing found no time to rest after returning home.

He quickly immersed himself in drafting the ‘factory blueprints.’

Although all the farmland of Quanzi Village was now registered under Li Yuanjing’s name, and villagers, including Li Yuanjing himself, no longer needed to seek permission from the benevolent Xue for building houses, only the approval of Li Yuanjing and the old village chief was required.

Still, the fire prevention measures of this era were woefully inadequate.

And the textile industry, being labor-intensive, was prone to fires, making Li Yuanjing especially cautious.

After thorough site inspections, Li Yuanjing finalized the plan.

At first, he intended to build a factory to house around twenty looms, two warehouses, and several dormitories of varying sizes.

After all, Quanzi Village had fewer than two hundred households, totaling five or six hundred people.

Subtracting the men and children, there were just over a hundred able-bodied women.

With twenty looms operating in two shifts, forty jobs could be created; with three shifts, even more.

The key point was, Li Yuanjing’s aim was not to profit from the looms, but to build a community of shared interests!

Such numbers were already sufficient.

…

The next morning, the old village chief personally led thirty or forty able-bodied men to Li Yuanjing’s gate.

Once Li Yuanjing handed over the blueprints and explained the details to the chief and several supervisors, the group quickly got to work.

Some laid foundations, some calculated costs, others dug earth.

Soon, an experienced craftsman calculated the required materials.

Although Li Yuanjing’s father, Honest Li, was a master in this field, Li Yuanjing himself was utterly clueless.

But with such a large site, the total cost was just a bit over two taels of silver. Li Yuanjing didn’t bother to calculate, simply took out the money and sent someone to buy the supplies.

Ordinarily, when villagers built houses or held weddings and funerals, neighbors helped without pay, only requiring meals from the host.

Especially during the idle winter months.

But Li Yuanjing would not let the men work for nothing.

He declared that every man who helped would receive five coins a day, plus meals.

As for the master craftsmen, they would get ten coins daily, with meat included in their meals.

This immediately sent a wave of excitement through the villagers, who all called Li Yuanjing a ‘great benefactor.’

The old craftsmen were moved to tears, repeatedly exclaiming, “What a good son Honest Li has!”

Li Yuanjing was already adept at handling such situations, and blended even more warmly with the crowd.

While Li Yuanjing was busy, in the courtyard, Yuniang and Zhao Zengjin’s wife, Chen Chunyan, were also hard at work.

They had begun inviting women from the carefully compiled list Li Yuanjing had given them for interviews.

This list was no simple matter.

It was the result of Li Yuanjing’s meticulous balancing.

It not only included women from the major families in the village but also considered some widows and orphans.

Of course, Xiu Gu could not be left out.

This way, the positive impact would spread, and even if others wanted to find fault, they would be hard pressed.

“Xiu Gu, your skills are excellent. Go home and rest for now; once the factory is built, you can start work immediately. Three coins a day, paid daily. Do you understand?”

At this moment, timid Xiu Gu, who had come for the interview, finally passed the assessment. Chen Chunyan, having received prior instructions from Li Yuanjing, wisely sought Yuniang’s approval first, then smiled as she spoke to Xiu Gu.

“Wow…” Unable to contain her excitement, Xiu Gu burst into tears, immediately knelt and kowtowed vigorously to Chen Chunyan: “Sister Yan, thank you, thank you so much…”

“Heh.”

“Silly girl, why thank me? Go thank the lady!”

Quick-witted as ever, Chen Chunyan promptly guided Xiu Gu.

Xiu Gu finally realized, hurried over to kowtow to Yuniang.

Seeing Yuniang quickly comfort Xiu Gu, and noticing dozens more women waiting, all eager for her approval, Chen Chunyan felt an unspeakable surge of pride, as if she had grown younger by several years.

No wonder they say:

“The gates of a prime minister’s house are guarded by officials of the seventh rank.”

She wasn’t at the gates of a prime minister, just a household steward, yet it already felt so grand.

In the future,

When the master truly prospers, what heights would they reach?

With such thoughts, Chen Chunyan felt even more spirited, walking with renewed vigor, and threw herself into her new position—one that had earned the envy of countless people—with ever greater enthusiasm.