The Legend of Zhen Huan: Year after year, we share the spring breeze

After hearing these numbers, An Lingrong gradually felt more confident.

She gathered her sleeves and turned to walk deeper into the workshop.

By dusk, the craftsmen had finally completed the final assembly.

A brand new Jenny loom stood quietly in the center of the workshop, with eight spindles neatly arranged.

After loading all eight spools with cotton slivers, An Lingrong gave a powerful twist of her wrist. The gears on the rotating wheel clicked crisply, and all eight spindles began to rotate simultaneously. The cotton slivers were slowly stretched, gradually transforming into fine yarn on the spinning spindles.

This spinning machine uses a mechanical linkage device, so workers only need to shake the handle to make multiple spindles work simultaneously, which is more labor-saving. In addition, this mechanical structure makes the yarn more uniform, reducing problems such as yarn breakage and uneven thickness.

The onlookers' eyes widened in unison, and the two spinners and weavers even opened their mouths in astonishment. They had never seen such a magical sight - a job that used to require eight embroiderers to do was now being completed simultaneously on a single machine!

An Lingrong ignored their jaws that were about to drop to the ground and pointed out a few minor mistakes and asked the carpenter to correct them.

Then go see the blacksmith.

The blacksmith has already made the slide rails and springs and is testing their smoothness.

An Lingrong installed the slide rail on the loom and connected the other end to a rope.

By pulling the rope, the shuttle can shuttle quickly in the loom, saving energy, speeding up the weaving speed, and adjusting the width of the cloth at will.

Shen Yunfei stood there in a daze, the folding fan in his hand dropping to the ground with a clatter. He stared wide-eyed at the swiftly spinning loom before him, then turned to look at An Lingrong, who looked impassive. His lips trembled a few times before he found his voice again: "Cousin, you..."

An Lingrong said without even looking up: "Using these two machines together, the efficiency of spinning and weaving can be increased fivefold."

Her voice was as calm as if she was discussing today's weather, but it made Shen Yunfei feel numb all over his head.

"Five... five times?" Shen Yunfei repeated mechanically, and suddenly he shuddered, "Doesn't that mean..."

Wang Yu was so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth. He swallowed hard and looked at the person next to him and asked, "Who on earth is your wife? She can even make a machine like this!"

Liu Zhu rolled his eyes and said, "What's the big deal? Even if my master made something that could carry people flying in the sky, I wouldn't find it strange!"

Wang Yu: ...

Early the next morning, An Lingrong called Sun Heyin and rushed to the Suzhou Weaving Office together.

The Suzhou Weaving Factory, the Jiangning Weaving Factory and the Hangzhou Weaving Factory were known as the three major weaving factories. They were all under the Guangchu Division of the Imperial Household Department and their official rank was fixed at the fifth rank.

When the group arrived, the vermilion lacquered gate was closed.

Shen Yunfei walked forward and knocked on the door. With a "creak", the side door opened a crack, revealing a face with a pointed chin and monkey cheeks.

Shen Yunfei clasped his fists and said, "This young man is very polite. We have something important to ask you to see the Master of Textiles. Please pass it on..."

The doorman looked Shen Yunfei up and down. Seeing that he was dressed in ordinary clothes and did not look like a rich man, he couldn't help but raise his chin a little: "Go away! Our master is busy with all kinds of affairs. How can you ordinary people just see him whenever you want?"

Shen Yunfei's throat choked, and he suppressed his anger. He took out a silver ingot from his sleeve and said, "Please help me, little brother."

The doorman's face wrinkled up immediately when he saw this. He quickly put the silver into his arms and said, "Wait!"

After saying that, he slammed the door shut.

"What a scoundrel!" Shen Yunfei retreated to An Lingrong's side and said in a low voice, "Look, cousin, even the concierge is acting like this, so you can imagine that the weaving maker..."

An Lingrong looked at the magnificent vermilion lacquer gate before her and said, "If this Suzhou weaver had been a capable one, the weavers in Suzhou City wouldn't be what they are today."

About half an incense stick later, the side door opened again.

The doorman looked up at the sky and said arrogantly, "My lord is busy! Come back another day!"

Saying that, he was about to close the door.

Shen Yunfei rushed forward and held the door panel: "This concerns the livelihood of thousands of weavers, please..."

"Want to see the master? It depends on whether you understand the rules." He rubbed his thumb and index finger skillfully, and his turbid eyes flashed with greed.

Shen Yunfei's face suddenly changed, veins popped out on his forehead, his fists clenched so tightly that they made a creaking sound, and he was about to explode.

"Cousin!"

An Lingrong called out softly.

Shen Yunfei came back to his senses, took a deep breath, and forced himself to suppress his anger. He stepped back to her side and said in a low voice, "Cousin, how about I reveal my identity directly?"

An Lingrong shook her head, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes: "I don't feel comfortable handing over the spinning and loom to this kind of official."

She hesitated for a moment and said, "Go to the Jiangsu Governor's Office and ask the Governor to replace him."

Shen Yunfei was stunned: "Why would the Governor of Jiangsu listen to me?"

An Lingrong thought of Shen Zishan's private seal that Madam Shen had given her. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Sun Heyin suddenly say, "The Governor of Jiangsu has no control over the Suzhou Weaving Factory!"

"What?" Shen Yunfei turned his head in surprise.

Sun Heyin explained, "Suzhou textile manufacturers were usually appointed by the Imperial Household Department's Langzhong or Yuanwailang, or by special decree of the Emperor. Their term was nominally one year, but in practice they could be reappointed for a longer term. Although only a fifth-rank official, they directly represented the Emperor, so local governors had no right to interfere in their affairs and were even expected to show respect."

Her father also worked as a weaver in Suzhou, so he naturally knew all about it.

An Lingrong frowned slightly, and her eyes darkened.

Since local officials can’t control it, let’s find someone who can control it!

She glanced across the street and saw a peddler carrying a load on his shoulder walking slowly not far away. He seemed nonchalant, but in fact he was paying attention to the movements over there.

An Lingrong nodded slightly.

The peddler immediately put down his load, and in the blink of an eye he came up to her and saluted with his fists clasped.

An Lingrong took two steps forward and said a few words in a low voice.

"Yes!" The man responded decisively, and then his figure flashed and disappeared around the corner like a ghost. The whole process took only a few breaths.

Shen Yunfei asked curiously: "Who is this person...?"

"My sister sent him to protect me." An Lingrong raised the corners of her lips slightly, revealing a gentle smile.

"You have a sister?!" Shen Yunfei asked curiously, "Why have I never heard my mother mention her?"

An Lingrong blinked and chuckled, "Well, I'll introduce you two to each other some other day."

Shen Yunfei nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly glanced at the peddler's shoulder pole on the ground and asked, "So he doesn't want his shoulder pole anymore?"

"Of course." An Lingrong said as a matter of course.

Shen Yunfei had no choice but to bend down and pick up the burden, saying with a wry smile: "Well, I, the young master of the Shen family, have become a peddler walking around the streets today."

An Lingrong pursed her lips and smiled: "Let's go back to the inn first."