Chapter 262: Teach, Practice, Then Labor
The Scholar savored the silver ear fungus soup, slowly nodding his head as he evaluated Jian Xingxia.
“Previously, I thought you only ate ordinary chicken, duck, fish, and pork, and rarely saw refined dishes. I didn’t expect you to actually know of a delicacy like silver ear fungus as well.”
Jian Xingxia: “…Previously, I also thought that mouth of yours was just a bit annoying, and rarely heard wholesome or kind words from it. I didn’t expect that you simply don’t want to keep that mouth at all.”
Jian Xingxia raised the large ladle, making a mock gesture to strike him.
The Scholar quickly ducked and scrambled away, hurriedly begging for mercy. “Manor Owner, appease your anger, appease your anger! I am praising you…”
“Are you sure?” Listen to yourself, are those even human words?
The Scholar shrunk his neck and smiled fawningly. “It is absolutely true. Manor Owner, you hide your light under a bushel, which truly exceeded my expectations. However—”
The Scholar’s tone shifted, and he couldn’t resist adding, “I do not know how you stewed this silver ear fungus, but as I drink it, it seems to lack a bit of flavor. In my opinion, this silver ear fungus should be simmered over a slow fire until it becomes gelatinous and thick. The heat cannot be too high, lest the fragrance escape, nor can it be too low; it must maintain a gentle boil. Only through the rolling and collision of the water can the essence of the silver ear fungus be fully released…”
Jian Xingxia lowered her ladle.
Sigh. Although the Scholar’s mouth was unlikable, he was indeed one of the rare individuals among the manor’s impoverished workforce who possessed high standards and refined appreciation.
Today, Lin Sanniang was teaching a class and couldn’t help out at the guesthouse, making Auntie Pang much busier. So, Jian Xingxia hadn’t troubled Auntie Pang with brewing the silver ear fungus soup, choosing instead to cook it herself using the electric rice cooker.
It was indeed not as thick and gelatinous as something stewed over an open flame. She found it passable, but the Scholar had hit the nail right on the head, pointing out the exact issue.
Jian Xingxia knew very well in her heart that the Scholar’s arrival at the manor was a complete fluke that landed him among the ranks of the impoverished workers. Because of this, he didn’t look as sorrowful as the others, nor was he as overtly grateful, making him a bit annoying.
But on the other hand, the Scholar was likely a candidate for the gentry class, cultivated by the combined efforts of his entire clan. Compared to a crowd of impoverished souls, the Scholar possessed much more passion for life and could provide nuanced feedback on elegant and beautiful things.
Jian Xingxia didn’t have many virtues, but she had been independent since childhood. Her parents hadn’t taught her much, so she learned many things from the people around her.
The Scholar’s words were unpleasant to hear, but what he said was absolutely correct.
Thinking about it, if she were to visit a future world thousands of years from now and see those high-tech humans taking fresh fruits, vegetables, and premium meats and blending them into a paste with a mechanical whir… her attitude would probably be even more volatile than the Scholar’s.
What a complete and utter waste of a magnificent treasure!
Though she grumbled internally, Jian Xingxia still ladled two brimful bowls of silver ear fungus soup for Lin Sanniang and the Scholar. “Drink some if you’re tired from lecturing. There’s also honey water placed in the pavilion; don’t ruin your throats.”
Lin Sanniang felt a wave of deep gratitude in her heart—among the first batch of students in the sewing class, two were her own children.
If she couldn’t see that this was Jian Xingxia’s deliberate way of looking after their family, she would be willfully blind and taking an advantage for granted.
Consequently, she taught with exceptional earnestness and care, wishing nothing more than to impart everything she had learned to the six apprentices.
Because she taught so meticulously, the one who benefited the most was actually Xu Sanniu.
Never before had anyone spoken to her with such gentle words or taught her a trade.
Her simpleton mother usually spoke with a bad stutter, her thoughts jumbled and incoherent, rarely expressing anything clearly.
Hearing Lin Sanniang’s gentle voice for the first time, Xu Sanniu’s ears perked up even higher than a puppy’s.
Lin Sanniang also looked after her with special care.
The other apprentices all possessed some basic foundation; only Xu Sanniu didn’t even know how to hold a needle.
When she clutched the fabric, her youthful hands—marred by an unknown number of injuries and thick calluses—stubbornly snagged the cotton cloth, leaving two visible flaws.
Xu Sanniu gripped the fabric nervously, wanting to defend herself. “I didn’t do anything, I was just holding it…”
She had simply pulled this piece out from a stack of cloth, and the fabric had snagged on her rough skin.
Lin Sanniang soothed her gently, “No need to worry. These fabrics are all for you to practice with. The Manor Owner said that these count as wear and tear, and she will be responsible for them.”
The moment these words left her mouth, not only Xu Sanniu, but the others in the classroom were also thoroughly astonished.
“Fabric this good… is used just for practice and wear?”
“Why don’t we use some rags and old clothes to practice our trade? There is no need for such good fabric.”
Lin Sanniang understood their perspective, but she could only smile helplessly and reply, “To the Manor Owner, rags and old clothes might actually be harder to come by than these fabrics.”
Outside the window, Jian Xingxia nodded vigorously.
Exactly! When she returned to the old house, she had only brought two winter outfits and two summer outfits. Later on, Liang Chengcheng left a batch of clothes for her.
Even later, she bought two sets of cheap Hanfu herself, and Lin Sanniang made three more outfits for her.
Every single piece was brand new!
If she had to find old clothes, it wasn’t that she was being elitist—she truly didn’t have any!
Moreover, these “scraps” and “remnants” were easily found in massive quantities online, costing only one or two yuan per catty, making them incredibly cheap.
The Manor Academy was excellent in this regard—since they didn’t need to consider letting the apprentices take the items home, there was no need to specifically choose pure cotton, silk, or linen fabrics.
They only needed to find the cheapest textiles across the entire internet, regardless of whether it was polyester, acrylic, nylon, or non-woven fabric…
In any case, it was more than enough for practice.
They practiced as they were taught.
Sun Dongniang, Qin Hua, and Fan Shishi had existing foundations and learned rapidly, already starting to use the fabric to craft small pouches.
Lin Sanniang addressed the group, “As long as you come to the academy, the Manor Owner will cover all your meals. But everyone must understand that the meals the Manor Owner prepares are far superior to what an ordinary apprentice could ever hope to eat.”
“Although the Manor Owner doesn’t treat this as a debt of gratitude, we must know how to repay kindness. Therefore, we don’t need to cover too many new lessons each day. We must leave enough time so that everyone can produce at least some finished goods to offset the tuition and meal expenses.”
Aside from Sun Dongniang and Xu Sanniu, the other apprentices in the sewing class had all received Jian Xingxia’s grace before, and they nodded their heads repeatedly.
“That is exactly how it should be.”
With that, the three of them quickened their pace to stitch the small pouches together.
Meanwhile, under Lin Sanniang’s instruction, Taoya and Xing Ya slowed down their pace slightly, waiting for Xu Sanniu to keep up.
Xu Sanniu didn’t notice this at all, because her entire mind was completely poured into the needle and thread.
She had to be incredibly light-handed when threading the needle and pulling the line, and she had to precisely control the placement of every single stitch so it wouldn’t look crooked…
The trajectory of Xu Sanniu’s very first stitched seam was simply unsightly.
She gritted her teeth, enduring the stinging pain whenever the needle pricked her hand, and continued to practice two more seams.
It was only by the fourth seam that she gained a tiny bit of confidence. Pursing her lips, she handed it over to Lin Sanniang for inspection.
Truth be told, the fourth seam wasn’t spectacular either, looking crooked and distorted like a centipede.
Even so, Lin Sanniang still praised her, “Looking at the overall line, it’s a bit crooked, but if you look closely, the length of each stitch is fairly consistent, and these last few stitches are becoming increasingly steady.”
Xu Sanniu felt her heart thumping wildly against her ribs. She looked up swiftly at Lin Sanniang, confirming that the woman wasn’t mocking her, but truly felt her needlework possessed some redeeming qualities.
After practicing for another hour or so, Lin Sanniang permitted them to use the restroom and wash their hands.
Upon their return, with the final two hours remaining, Lin Sanniang had everyone gather together to divide the labor and cooperate.
“Taoya, Xing Ya, and Sanniu aren’t familiar with the handiwork yet. You three shall handle the basic tasks of cutting fabric and drawing lines, cutting out the materials needed for the small pouches and scented sachets, and braiding the cords and silk tassels required for them.”
“Shishi and Qin Hua, the two of you know some stitching techniques, so you will specialize in sewing the pouches together.”
“Dongniang, you know a bit of embroidery. The embroidery work required for our pouches and sachets doesn’t need to be masterfully complex; just lightly stitch on a few simple patterns.”
Lin Sanniang said to everyone, “Today is the first day, so things are a bit chaotic. Starting tomorrow, after you arrive, the first hour—which is half a double-hour—will be dedicated to my instruction.”
“For the next two hours, everyone will practice on their own. The fabric will be provided by the academy. As long as you don’t intentionally destroy it, you are free to experiment. I will guide you from the side, and everyone can also exchange experiences with one another.”
“But for the final three hours of the second half, everyone must switch to the appropriate fabric, needles, and thread, and work diligently to manufacture goods—this will be the labor you perform to exchange for your meals and tuition.”
Lin Sanniang had stayed at the manor for a long time, and Jian Xingxia had deliberately nurtured her to become a manager lady. By now, she could arrange many things properly without needing Jian Xingxia’s explicit instructions.
Aside from the very first day, the classroom wouldn’t consume too much of her time.
The Manor Owner was good to them—so good that it surpassed everyone’s imagination—so Lin Sanniang had to pull the reins back a bit to ensure everyone kept their focus.
A small act of charity brings gratitude, but a massive continuous handout breeds resentment.
If she blindly loosened the rules, good intentions might not necessarily yield good fruits.
Lin Sanniang’s words were gentle, yet her authority allowed for no questioning. “This manor and the academy both belong to the Manor Owner. The Manor Owner can let you come, and she can also let others come.”
“The slots in the academy are limited. I presume you all know in your hearts how you ought to treat this opportunity.”
Inside the classroom, everyone stiffened slightly, a few more ounces of awe and profound gratitude entering their expressions.
