As the saying goes: There is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. In the hinterland of Suzhou and Hangzhou, the four seasons are distinct, and there are thousands of hectares of farmland and mulberry trees. The rivers are crisscrossed, and the water from the two streams of Tiao and Ping flows through Yang, Dang, rivers, and ports... The water is as clear as a mirror, and the soil is sticky.
It is tough and constitutes good natural conditions for mulberry breeding, silkworm rearing and silk reeling.
The unique silk reeling technology here has gradually formed eight characteristics: "thin, round, even, firm, white, clean, flexible and tough".
Here there are white walls and black tiles, small bridges and flowing water. A north-south municipal river runs through the town. On both sides of the river, merchants gather and there are many houses. Starting from April and May every year until October, every household steams tea from the thatched cottage.
When you come out, you can hear the sound of silk spinning through the bamboo fence. The cocoon foil mountain stands, and the sound of the carriage can be heard from house to house. The creaking sound of the rolling wheel is intertwined with the creaking of the silk carriage. The history lingers on the bluestone slab.
The imprint is the golden years "woven" by a strand of silk.
Mid-Qing Dynasty.
By a small river, there lived a family whose ancestral home was Shangyu County, Zhejiang. The owner's surname was Liu. In the early days of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, his distant ancestor Liu Shang moved to Nanxun, Wuxing (now Huzhou), and set up a small coppersmith's shop under the Tai'an Bridge in Daqiao Bay.
People make a living by repairing copper spoons, copper pots, and repairing keys.
The owner had a son named Liu Yong (1825-1889), whose courtesy name was Guanjing. Because he was the third son, he was later known as the "Liu Sandong Family".
Liu Yong is 15-6 years old and has been smart since he was a child. Although his family has declined, in order to help his father maintain the family and inherit the craftsmanship of his ancestors, he still maintains this small coppersmith shop. He usually helps others repair copper spoons and copper pots in the shop.
, in my free time, I carry a load and walk through the countryside and alleys, in the wind and rain. Sometimes, at the end of the day, I can’t get any work.
It was drizzling, and the sound of clanking copper plates on the burden was heard from one street to another.
A small shop filled with all kinds of pots and pans and groceries. His father, Liu Huanzhang, was sitting on a small bench smoking a hookah.
Liu Yong listlessly came in with the coppersmith's load.
Hearing the noise, Liu Yong's mother came out of the back room.
Liu's mother said with concern: Ah Yong, you're back! Your clothes are soaked through. Did you do what you said today?
The mother felt distressed and picked up the towel hanging on the pillar to wipe the rain off Liu Yong's body.
Liu Yong shook his head helplessly.
Liu’s mother: Hey! No one came to the store to repair anything all morning, and this ‘hundred-family rice’ is terrible to eat. Anyway, let’s eat first.
In a dilapidated room, Liu Yong, his father, and his mother sat next to each other. Each person had a bowl of porridge. There was a plate of pickles on the table. The three of them were eating. Liu's mother put down the chopsticks in her hand, pulled up her skirt and wiped them.
He rolled his eyes.
Liu's mother let out a long sigh and said: These pickles were bought on credit from Uncle Zhang's soy sauce shop. I really don't know how to live like this. Then she said: Ah Yong, your dad is not young anymore.
Although you are still young, this family will still have to rely on you in the future.
Liu Yong raised his head and looked at his mother who had a worried face.
Liu Yong said: Mom, don't worry, I know this. I am a man. People say that a filial son will drag his parents down even if he begs for food. I think begging sons have no ability. From now on, I will not beg for food to support you.
I am already 16 years old and I know my responsibilities. Hey, parents, I want to be a coppersmith but I don’t want to choose. I want to learn business in a silk factory.
Dad Liu: Life still has to go on, and the "hundreds of families' food" is unpalatable now! But it's okay, don't come and go in the wind and rain, as long as the boss controls your mouth and your stomach is not empty. I still want it
You can make it in the store and your life will be passable.
In a silk shop, Liu Yong was busy sweeping and mopping the floor, doing laundry, cooking, chopping firewood, carrying water, doing odd jobs, taking care of the children, and pouring chamber pots. He was busy all day long, and could only sleep in a low and straight bed at night.
In a small attic where you can't afford anything, you can only eat after the chefs, rushing to grab a few bites. Often what you get is leftovers and cold rice. Sometimes you only eat a few bites. If someone shouts over there, you have to leave your job.
Work. Liu Yong worked as a handyman for one year, as a helper for two years, and as a "hands-on" after three years. He was able to pick up a ruler to measure silk and cloth, and began to measure his future path.
In the twelfth lunar month of winter, a thick layer of ice formed on the river.
In the morning, it was still dark. Liu Yong picked up an iron rake, broke the ice on the river, and washed things in the river. His hands were turned purple from the cold and cracked, and blood flowed into the river along the vegetable leaves.
I was also afraid of being scolded by my boss, so I didn't dare to say anything when I came in or out.
Liu Yong wakes up late and goes to bed late, working hard and earning only ten cents a day. The boss doesn't care about food, so he spends three or four cents to buy some food to fill his stomach. In the morning, he has a bowl of flatbread and fried dough sticks, and sometimes drinks at noon and evening.
A little porridge and a piece of kohlrabi are enough, and the rest will be given to his mother to supplement the family income.
But later I learned that the store's housekeeper's annual salary was only a hundred coins (100 strings of copper coins), so I thought this was not a place to stay for a long time.
Later, through a friend's introduction, Liu Yong entered the town to work at Tan Dechang Silk Shop.
In Tan Dechang Silk Shop, Liu Yong worked hard and did everything. He was not only active in work, but also explored new ways in the silk shop business.
Liu Yong and the boss were standing in front of the counter, and a customer came in with a bag of silk.
The visitor said: Boss, how is the silk market today? My pack of silk was sold today.
Liu Yong opened the bag, touched it with his hands, and then shook his head and said: Our store doesn't want this bit of silk. You can go to other stores to have a look.
Liu Yong's words stunned the visitor and his boss.
The boss then said: Why?
Liu Yong: In my opinion, this bit of silk is stained with greasy things. The silk itself is very smooth, but if it is stained with greasy things, it will be difficult to dye and the color will fade easily. If we buy it and sell it,
If the next shop can't get the color, it will become a defective product. Then, the next shop must find us, and our store will have to pay compensation. Our store's brand will also be damaged.
The visitor was speechless by Liu Yong's words, and finally said to the boss: This little guy of yours is really awesome. Yes, my guy accidentally knocked over the kerosene lamp and poured some kerosene on the silk.
.
Liu Yong went on to say: The problem is not big now. After you take it back, put it in clean water and add a little bit of alkali. The greasiness can be removed, but the silk quality is still compromised. You can only use it yourself.
The visitor admired Liu Yong very much.
Shopkeeper Tan patted Liu Yong on the shoulder and extended a thumbs up.
Once, a customer brought a package of silk. Liu Yong touched it with his hand and said: This little silk of yours can only be considered a third-class product.
The visitor asked in surprise: Why?
Liu Yong said calmly: This little silk of yours has been overheated, so the quality of the silk is poor. If you don’t believe it, try it. So he took out a piece of silk, and then threaded three copper coins on it.
The silk broke. He took out another silk from the shop and threaded seven copper coins through it, but the silk was not broken. Liu Yong then said: The toughness of the silk depends on the water temperature. If the water temperature is too low, the silk cannot be pulled out;
If the water temperature is too high, the cocoons will be boiled and the toughness of the silk will be reduced. Therefore, controlling the water temperature in reeling is very important.
The owner of Tan Dechang Silk Shop, whose surname is Tan, is a kind-hearted man. He admires Liu Yong very much. He is not only handsome, honest and hard-working, but he is also dedicated to business. In just four years, he has become more and more famous.
, no need to mention, just see the crux of the problem. Later, most people knew that Tan Dechang Silk Shop had a young man who was very good at business, which also made Tan Dechang Silk Shop's reputation more and more high, and it became a good story in the streets.
By the year, shopkeeper Tan not only cashed in Liu Yong's annual salary of 10 silver dollars, but also rewarded Liu Jiakang with 6 silver dollars. This number was no longer a small number at that time. So the Liu family's life suddenly became rich. This chapter has been completed!