ebookpocket.com Chapter 578: Tong Family Weaving Workshop
Chapter 578: Tong Family Weaving Workshop
On an early autumn morning, Tong Huaqiong’s Weaving Workshop opened its doors.
For Tong Huaqiong, the opening of the Weaving Workshop was a double blessing. The first joy was that Chen Sufen had safely and healthily given birth to a daughter.
Early in the morning, firecrackers went off at the entrance of the Weaving Workshop.
It was already quite a spectacle that County Magistrate Liu brought along his mother Mrs. Han and his son Liu Yanhong to show their support, but unexpectedly, Magistrate Yao also came.
Originally, the scissors for the ribbon-cutting were given to Magistrate Yao.
There was no choice, even if it wasn’t given to Magistrate Yao, County Magistrate Liu’s hand was shaking uncontrollably in front of his superior, unable to hold the scissors steady.
So the ribbon-cutting naturally had to be done by Magistrate Yao.
Mr. Lu personally came with Lu Zhaozhao to show support, and naturally, Huang Yuanwai, the good in-law of the Lu Family, came as well.
Merchants from Pingchuan County and Yan Guan Town sent congratulatory gifts one after another.
Boss Qian stood on the side with several familiar merchants, and He Chao, who transferred from the Taohua Dessert to the Weaving Workshop, stood behind Tong Huaqiong with the sales clerk.
Gu Baishuang, Gu Dashu, and Liu Yueer came back from Pingchuan County to celebrate.
Lian Hengruo and Aunt Tang not only sent congratulatory gifts but also arrived early in the morning by carriage.
Tong Huaqiong noticed Magistrate Yao glancing at Lian Hengruo, who blushed.
She was puzzled as to why such a high-ranked official like Magistrate Yao would attend the opening ceremony of her Weaving Workshop.
There were countless commercial activities opening daily in Ning City. Some businesses were larger in scale and broader in range than hers, yet Magistrate Yao didn’t necessarily attend all of them, but here he was in Qinghe Bay for a rural Weaving Workshop.
Seeing Magistrate Yao occasionally glancing at Lian Hengruo, and Lian Hengruo standing beside Gu Taohua trying to stay composed while introducing herself to Lu Zhaozhao, Tong Huaqiong’s temples throbbed. She had already played matchmaker once before, and it seemed she might have to do it again.
What Tong Huaqiong didn’t know was that Magistrate Yao had specifically gone to Pingchuan County to repay the silver owed for the pearls to Lian Hengruo before coming to Qinghe Bay.
The two of them had not expected to meet again at the entrance of Tong Huaqiong’s Weaving Workshop.
These days, the rural economy largely relied on farming. Even if there were some commercial activities, they were focused on small businesses like grinding tofu and extracting sesame oil, not forming a large scale. The Weaving Workshop was considered the first sizable commercial entity in the villagers’ minds in Qinghe Bay.
Actually, in Tong Huaqiong’s mind, her pig farm should also be counted, but to the people of Qinghe Bay, everyone raised a few pigs, excluding Tong Huaqiong’s pig farm from consideration.
The opening of the Weaving Workshop was as lively as when Tong Huaqiong was granted the title of village chieftain and Gu Jingzhe came out on top in the case.
After all, everyone thought the Weaving Workshop was not just a money-making powerhouse for Tong Huaqiong but was also closely related to their own earnings.
In the past, they didn’t dare to plant cotton, fearing it wouldn’t sell. Now that Tong Huaqiong’s Weaving Workshop specialized in supplying cotton cloth, they could confidently plant cotton, knowing they could sell it to Tong Huaqiong’s Weaving Workshop.
Moreover, the Weaving Workshop needed cotton processors, spinners, and weavers. Although the female workers were complete for now, with the business flourishing, more weaving machines might be added, and perhaps family members might find work there and earn silver.
Even if one couldn’t grow cotton or become a weaver, as Tong Huaqiong’s Weaving Workshop grew, it would inevitably benefit the neighbors.
Not to mention, the village’s private school was built with Tong Huaqiong’s sponsorship.
Therefore, the villagers watching all felt a sense of pride and were genuinely happy for Tong Huaqiong.
The front of the Weaving Workshop was crowded, not just with villagers from their village but also from other villages.
The hired girls and women of the Weaving Workshop stood in front, ready and eager.
Who would have thought that they could earn money like men in the future?
Seeing the envious and jealous eyes in the crowd, they naturally lifted their chins proudly.
And their families, standing in the crowd, also looked at them with faces full of pride.
There was even an old lady who wiped her eyes while looking at a round-faced girl in front of the loom. Her granddaughter had lost her parents at a young age, and after coming of age, she was engaged, only for the man to die of consumption before they could marry.
Her uncles and cousins in the clan called her unlucky, saying she brought misfortune to her parents and husband, and wanted to sell her far away.
They had even agreed on a price, and she thought she couldn’t save her granddaughter, yet there was a turn of events.
This girl was strong and had a knack for processing cotton.
When Tong Huaqiong’s Weaving Workshop was hiring, she secretly came to apply. She could easily handle over one hundred pounds of cotton in the cotton machine, quickly becoming a cotton worker at the Weaving Workshop.
During this time, the clan tried to sabotage her, sending people to tell Tong Huaqiong that she brought misfortune. Tong Huaqiong shrugged and said that was perfect, because the Weaving Workshop needed people who brought misfortune, and let it be known at home that the girl was already a cotton worker at her Weaving Workshop. Whoever dared to mess with her, she would report it to the government.
When others reported to the government, it might get swept under the rug as an internal family matter, but as she was now a village chieftain, if she reported it herself, the government had to give her some face.
Now, the clan no longer dared to mention selling her.
The old lady with red eyes looked at Tong Huaqiong, wishing she could push through the crowd to thank her personally.
But she also knew it was a grand day, with the County Magistrate and Magistrate present, she couldn’t afford to lose decorum, so she wiped her eyes and smiled.
Of course, Tong Huaqiong did not know the emotional journey of the cotton worker’s grandmother. At that moment, she stood beside Magistrate Yao, and as he cut through the ribbon, she invited County Magistrate Liu to unveil the red silk covering the plaque.
The red silk slowly fell, revealing the words "Tong Family Weaving Workshop" on the plaque.
"Tong Family Weaving Workshop."
Coincidentally, it was a school break, and children from the private school squeezed into the crowd for some fun, loudly reading out the words on the plaque.
"Did I read that right? Isn’t it supposed to be Gu Family Weaving Workshop?" The Gujia Clan Leader, unable to read, asked incredulously.
Ever since Gu Ruinian’s leg was crippled, the Gujia Clan Leader focused on mending relations with Tong Huaqiong, trying to maintain his presence despite her cold demeanor.
With both the Magistrate and County Magistrate attending the Weaving Workshop’s opening, he arrived early just to secure a spot close to the two esteemed officials.
Hearing the children read "Tong Family Weaving Workshop," he subconsciously thought they had read it wrong.
"No mistake."
"Yes, it’s definitely Tong Family Weaving Workshop."
Several children from the private school pointed at the plaque and read loudly.
The Gujia Clan Leader felt very uncomfortable. Tong Huaqiong had crossed the line, a wife from the Gu Family naming the workshop "Tong Family Weaving Workshop." It was too much.
"Though Dashu’s mother is a widow, she’s still a daughter-in-law of the Gu Family. Naming it Tong Family Weaving Workshop is inappropriate," the Clan Leader grumbled.
He said it just loud enough for the people around him to hear, not daring to raise his voice for fear that Tong Huaqiong might hear it in front and hold a grudge against him forever.
This grievance would become a deadlock, impossible to unravel.
"Clan Leader, why bother with that much? My mother-in-law’s surname is Tong, and since she opened the workshop, what else should it be called if not Tong Family Weaving Workshop? Even if it were called Gu Family Weaving Workshop, you wouldn’t get a share," Liu Yueer retorted, having seen through the Clan Leader’s intentions as soon as he asked the question.
Liu Yueer sneered, thinking if she had the ability to open a shop independently, she would gladly call it Liu Family Shop or Yueer Shop.
The Clan Leader was furious, almost about to explode.
So outrageous, truly outrageous.