Chapter 966 Anqing Yingjiang Sericulture Cooperative
Xue'er cautiously surveyed the scene in the courtyard, looking left and right. It was entirely women; not a single man was visible, not even the soldiers who had escorted them inside.
She couldn't help but whisper, "Sisters, how long have you all been here?"
The eighteen women thought for a moment. "It's been quite a while now, hasn't it? Months, perhaps? We haven't really kept track."
Xue'er lowered her voice even further. "Has the master who bought you all ever come... you know... to favor any of the prettier ones among you?"
"No, nothing of the sort," the women chuckled. "After the master brought us back, he settled us here, provided us with food, and work spinning silk. Then he got busy suppressing bandits."
Xue'er and Chen Yuanyuan exchanged a surprised glance.
Xue'er then asked, "Does the master allow you to leave?"
"Of course," one woman replied. "We can leave whenever we wish."
Xue'er said, "I saw people guarding the courtyard gate."
"That's right," another woman chimed in. "I even went out yesterday and bought some patterned cloth."
"Just tell one of the gate guards, and you're free to go,"
Xue'er and Chen Yuanyuan were quite astonished to hear this.
They had assumed that once they were moved, escape would be difficult, but to their surprise, they could seemingly leave as they pleased?
Still harboring a sense of disbelief, the young women were led to their temporary living quarters. They found that all the rooms were uniformly arranged, furnished with simple beds, ordinary tables, and every conceivable daily necessity.
They weren't luxurious, appearing a notch below the items they'd used at the Pear Garden. Yet, these everyday essentials were provided with such thoughtfulness—everything they could possibly need was there—revealing the care taken by whoever prepared them.
This wasn't a perfunctory arrangement, the kind where you're simply given a place to stay and then forgotten.
Such attention to detail truly spoke volumes.
Having grown accustomed to high-ranking officials, corrupt bureaucrats, wealthy merchants, and lavish patrons, the courtesans understood one truth: for a rich man to toss a hundred or two hundred taels of silver at you was nothing. To them, that amount wasn't money; it was merely a plaything casually discarded.
But to make them truly care for you... that was a far more challenging feat.
Chen Yuanyuan whispered, "Sister Xue'er, this monster has actually arranged our lodging with such care, not just haphazardly dumped us here."
Xue'er nodded as well, feeling a faint sense of relief. "This place truly feels eerie. We'll just have to wait and see when that monster decides to appear and deal with him carefully."
And so, with their caution on high alert, the two of them remained on edge for a long, long time...
Days turned into weeks, but the "monster" never once frequented the large manor. Meanwhile, the women living there found themselves remarkably at ease.
Each day, someone provided them with food and necessities; they neither needed to serve anyone nor put on a pleasing facade.
However, the lack of spending money soon became an issue.
But soon enough, numerous weaving machines were delivered. Those willing to work could tend to silkworms, spin thread, or weave silk bolts, earning a respectable wage in return.
Of course, this meager pay meant little to the courtesans. In their former lives, merely entertaining a high-ranking official could net them a hefty silver ingot as a reward.
Some of the young women, disinclined to perform such tasks, simply remained idle.
Surprisingly, no one bothered them; they were allowed to remain idle if they wished.
But Xue'er, however, couldn't sit still.
Before she was sold into the Pear Garden, her family had raised silkworms, with mulberry trees growing in their courtyard. It was only after her parents' death from illness and her family's property being seized by relatives that she found herself adrift in the Pear Garden. Now, seeing these childhood familiarities, she felt a stir in her heart. She spent her free time joining the eighteen women to tend to silkworms and reel silk, finding genuine joy in it.
One evening...
Xue'er and Chen Yuanyuan were chatting in their room. "I wonder when that monster will finally appear. We're on edge every single day, sigh!"
Just then, they heard the young women outside stirring with excitement. "Master Shi has arrived!"
Xue'er and Chen Yuanyuan quickly rushed out, only to see Shi Kefa and the "monster" walking side-by-side into the courtyard.
A knot tightened in their chests: *Oh no, what they feared had finally come to pass.*
They concealed themselves in the crowd, secretly peeking.
They heard Shi Kefa say, "Young ladies, after several days of consideration, I have decided to convert this large manor into a workshop."
The young women exclaimed, "Oh? What kind of workshop?"
Shi Kefa announced, "The Anqing Yingjiang Sericulture Cooperative."
The young women looked bewildered.
Shi Kefa continued, "As the name suggests, this cooperative will henceforth be divided into five major departments: 'Mulberry Cultivation,' 'Silkworm Rearing,' 'Silk Reeling,' 'Weaving,' and 'Dyeing and Finishing.' I will recruit a large number of female workers to join here, integrating into various stages of these five departments."
"You young women have also been here for quite some time. All those willing to join the Sericulture Cooperative need only sign up for a department, and you will be directly assigned to the corresponding one. Once the cooperative officially begins operation, you will work in that department and receive appropriate wages."
The eighteen women who had been rescued from the pirates immediately burst into cheers. For them, this was the most ideal arrangement possible; how could they not be overjoyed? Almost every one of the eighteen was already considering which department they would join.
The courtesans, however, remained far more composed; this type of work felt a bit awkward for them.
Therefore, none of them were in a hurry to declare their intentions.
Then Shi Kefa turned to look at them, a smile spreading across his face. "Young ladies, you are all literate and numerate, skilled in calligraphy, painting, music, and chess, and adept at poetry and prose. To have you undertake the tasks I just described would, frankly, be a waste of your talents. I've given it careful thought: with so many female workers in the cooperative, having male managers might lead to certain improprieties... you understand, of course."
The courtesans, of course, understood perfectly. Men in power would inevitably try to use their influence to acquire women. Even a minor cooperative manager would be tempted to exploit his authority to coerce female workers.
Shi Kefa declared, "Therefore, I intend to make a bold experiment this time: all management positions within the cooperative will be filled exclusively by women."
The young women murmured, "Oh?"
Shi Kefa explained, "As for managers, they must be literate and numerate, capable of handling correspondence, and able to interact with various departments such as mercantile houses and freight services. They also need a certain level of social acumen. After much deliberation, I've concluded that you are the most suitable candidates."
At this revelation, the courtesans were utterly taken aback. "Us?"
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