The Little Officials of the Song Dynasty

Although he wanted to improve the food, he was helpless and lacking enough energy. As a child, Yun Yan could only stare blankly at the only person in the family who could make money, Zheng Ping, full of worries.

In fact, Yun Yan thinks too much. Indeed, in ancient times, women in many industries were restricted by their gender and were unable to engage in housework. Most of them were only doing housework, but it did not mean that they could not afford to raise three children without a man in the family.

Yun Yan's worried gaze instantly turned into ecstasy after Zheng Ping moved the machine out.

The great ancient working women!

On the tapestry machine, Zheng Ping actually knows the tapestry!

Yun Yanhui interviewed the local inheritors of intangible cultural heritage in modern times and found a lot of information. During the interview, he also learned about it on the spot. Watching the work of the silk craftsmen has a deep memory.

Kesi is a kind of silk fabric with a unique weaving method, which takes a long time and is expensive. The finest tapestry works can be called an inch of tapestry and an inch of gold. For a long time, this was the exclusive fabric of the royal family, and there were not many folks who knew this skill.

The heyday of Kesi in history is now, the Song Dynasty. Because of the aesthetics of the emperor of the Song Dynasty, the Kesi works changed from practical and decorative to more artistic, and a large number of paintings and calligraphy works were used as the original.

The craftsman Yun Yan interviewed back took several months to complete a Kesi work, and it took years to complete, and he also had and must have a deep understanding of calligraphy and calligraphy.

As for Zheng Ping... When Zheng Ping was painting, Yun Yan looked back. She seemed to only intend to emboss a ribbon. The technique was monotonous, and the pattern was monotonous. Even if Yun Yan went back to the layman to look at it, there was nothing novel.

Not only tapestry, even if ordinary embroidery needs to be sold for a price, artistic creativity is also a very important part.

In this way, the time-consuming tapestry and the size and value of the ribbon... it seems impossible to live a good life on Zheng Ping’s tapestry.

Yun Yanhui was a little disappointed, because he was too happy before, and he forgot to think about what Zheng Ping would do to work in Ciyouzhuang with that ability. Besides, it takes too long to produce a relatively large work, and it takes too long to return to the original cost, which is not suitable for their home.

But although you can't get rich, you don't have to worry about starving to death. With Zheng Ping's craftsmanship and the wealth of the Northern Song Dynasty, it is enough to feed everyone.

In addition to Kesi, Zheng Ping can also embroider. After bringing Yun Yanhui, Shuangyi and Xiaobao back, she never went out except to buy things. She sits at home and embroiders every day.

Yun Yanhui is very well-behaved now, and Shuangyi can help take care of Xiaobao, so Zheng Ping can work wholeheartedly.

Hu Sanniang next door often came to Zheng Ping's house to do embroidering work together. She came during the day and night, but she often brought her own lights, so she shared the money for the lights with Zheng Ping.

Hu Sanniang usually brought her seven-year-old daughter when she came, and at the beginning she would also bring her youngest son. However, her son is about the same age as Yun Yanhui, so he can toss and he always loves to make trouble with Xiaobao. Xiaobao cried as soon as he was disturbed, which made Zheng Ping difficult to work.

Especially at this time, Yun Yanhui is still standing next to him in a sharp contrast. You can see that her son is still peeing his pants, and Yan Ge'er will relieve himself. After that, he especially likes to wash his hands and dry them.

So after having two or three times like this, Hu Sanniang was embarrassed to bring her son as well, and let her mother-in-law take them.

Hu Sanniang's daughter was much quieter. She followed Hu Sanniang to learn embroidery and practiced some rags herself. Zheng Ping asked Shuang Yi to play with her for a while and practice for a while, while she chatted with Hu Sanniang and worked.

It was from the small talk between Hu Sanniang and Zheng Ping that Yun Yan returned to learn some information.

For example, when Zheng Ping went to work in Ciyouzhuang, it was introduced by Hu Sanniang. When Zheng Ping had a child, there was no man in the family, and she could not sleep enough to take the child to sleep alone, and she had no time to do embroidery and no income. So I went to Ciyouzhuang, where a few women could take care of them, and they also covered board and lodging.

Now Zheng Ping’s work is also introduced by Hu Sanniang. Bianliang is prosperous, and there are more places where embroidery is needed. Bianliang Embroidery's works can be seen everywhere, from the shop’s eyes to the new clothes of pedestrians, their works decorate the entire Bianliang. Beam.

There are even streets in Bianliang that specialize in embroidery business, and many embroiderers live there. The embroideries made by Hu Sanniang and others are also sent there, and then Zheng Ping's Kesi works will have to find a market.

Also, the current era is about the mid-North Song Dynasty-the transformation and prosperity of Kesi, which is in the late Northern Song Dynasty. Although the Kesi works are still mainly practical or decorative, they have already developed to a higher level, but they have not been popularized yet.

It's a pity that Zheng Ping doesn't seem to have any artistic cells... Yun Yan had a daydream. If Zheng Ping suddenly had a spiritual inspiration, she embroidered a piece of art, and then sold it for a sky-high price, leading her family out of poverty...

This is Yun Yanhui's good hope. With his current stature that is not tall enough, besides eating and drinking Lhasa, he can only daydream.

After sucking the drool of dreams, Yun Yan pushed back the dozing Shuang Yi, and encouraged her to look at Zheng Ping's tapestry, little sister, study crafts, not to mention the survival skills, maybe get rich overnight. It fell on you...

—

More than half a month later, Zheng Ping and Hu Sanniang went to Embroidery Alley to send embroidery products together. When they came back, they carried a lot of things in large and small bags, some useful for food, and silk thread, etc. It seems that the work has been affirmed. , Not only settled the money, but also got a new job.

Yun Yan was also very happy when he returned. This can be regarded as the only source of income for the family and there is a steady trend.

Zheng Ping opened a small greased paper bag, and when it was unwrapped, the sweet fragrance radiated, containing five or six yellow desserts dotted with sesame seeds. "Come on, mother bought some fat dumplings."

Zheng Ping put the dim sum on the edge of the bed, Yun Yanhui and Shuangyi leaned over, and Xiaobao waved his fat arms when he smelled the sweet smell, but it was a pity that he couldn't eat it yet.

Shuang Yi swallowed, "I'm not going to eat, Yan Ge'er eat."

Before, "Brother Yan" must have been caught up and gobbled it up. Now, Zheng Ping is surprised to see her son slowly pushing the Zhima Dumpling towards Shuangyi.

Really sensible, Zheng Ping said warmly: "Shuangyi eat it."

Shuang Yi blushed and took a piece, slowly eating.

Yun Yan said to Zheng Ping again: "My mother eats too."

Zheng Ping was stunned for a moment, and then ate a piece with emotion.

At this time, Yun Yanhui took a piece, observed it first, and then took a bite. I distinguished it. It should be made of cereals. In addition to the sesame seeds on the outside, there is also lard aroma inside and ground peanuts. It is not as sweet as Yun Yan recalled. Overall it is quite delicious.

The child has a small appetite, and Yun Yan once again knows to restrain himself, and he will not eat one piece of it. "Mother and Shuangyi eat it."

Zheng Ping thought Yun Yanhui did not like to eat fat dumplings, and she had never brought this dessert before.

Shuang Yi ate the fat dumplings and looked at Yun Yanhui again, feeling very satisfied.

Zheng Ping opened the new paper she bought, and Yun Yan thought she was going to write to her husband again. But in fact, Zheng Ping was going to give Yun Yan back to the world.

Zheng Ping wrote one to ten, ten capitalized numbers on the paper, and called Yun Yan back, "Brother Yan, do you remember this?"

Yun Yan said casually: "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, ninety."

Zheng Ping was still a little surprised, and she changed the order and wrote, "What about this?"

Yun Yan replied: "...Five seven three eight ninety two one."

Zheng Ping taught her son how to read counts a month ago, that is, before the current Yunyan came back. This month, because she fell and was unemployed, she was busy rushing for embroidery after returning, so she did not urge her. She didn't even think that Yan Ge'er actually remembered it!

After Zheng Ping was surprised, she was naturally delighted, "Brother Yan is awesome, can mother teach you literacy now?"

Yun Yan nodded back. He had practiced calligraphy before, and he often had friends who asked him to help write fan noodles, spring couplets and the like. It might be good in modern times, but in ancient times, it might be nothing.

Although it is a headache for classical Chinese, recognizing characters, coupled with good handwriting, is good both in modern times and in ancient times. Therefore, he will definitely cooperate with Zheng Ping's request for enlightenment.

Not only that, Yun Yanhui pretended to be playing to grab a pen and learn to write numbers.

Zheng Ping was very surprised. She took her son's first calligraphy and wanted to send it to her husband. But it suddenly occurred to her that although she insisted that her husband was fine, but this unique first copy would not be seen after sending it out.

Therefore, Zheng Ping ingeniously embroidered the "calligraphy" written by Yunyanhui as the original.

Yun Yanhui is very happy!

Of course it’s not because his deliberately badly written characters will be preserved forever, but because Zheng Ping’s embroidered characters are very well embroidered, which is obviously a very ordinary child’s handwriting, but she uses black silk threads of different shades to The change of ink color and the immature handwriting of children are all shown.

This is exactly the unified characteristic of tapestry, embroidery, etc. Everything is not a simple color.

Just like modern sketches, any part has a change in depth. Only when this change is expressed will the object be three-dimensional and lifelike.

Such superb skills made Yun Yan think that his deliberately badly written characters had become works of art!

From this, it can be concluded that Zheng Ping's tapestry skills are definitely not low, at least the ribbons that Yun Yan saw her taped back are definitely not her true level.

Zheng Ping's usual embroidery and tapestry have not changed much, which caused Yun Yan to think that she not only lacks artistic creativity, but also has ordinary skills. Now it seems that it’s just that the things she embroiders don’t need to change much, so she doesn’t care about it, otherwise it will take a long time and the price/performance ratio will not be high.

…But, if so, why doesn’t Zheng Ping embroider some delicate works?

Yun Yan gradually became confused. If Zheng Ping was said to have no money to support her long-term creation, but if she really had that kind of craftsmanship, she could talk to the shop in Xiuxiang, or even directly serve.

And even for small works that take relatively less time, such as the ribbon, there are areas where you can work hard, and the price is definitely doubled compared to before.

In addition, Zheng Ping mentioned that she had to go to work in Ciyouzhuang because she had to take care of the child after giving birth. It was a bit far-fetched to think about it. It is clear that there is a better job that can make her life easier.

Yun Yan found out for a while that his mother seemed very difficult now.