The Little Officials of the Song Dynasty

Although she wanted to improve the food, but she was unable to do so, Yun Yan Hui, now as a child, could only look at the only earner in the family, Zheng Ping, and her heart was full of worries.

But in fact, Yun Yanhui thought too much. Indeed, in ancient times, women in many industries were restricted by their gender and could not work. Most of them were just doing housework, but it didn't mean that they couldn't afford to raise three children without a man.

Yun Yan's worried gaze immediately turned into ecstasy after Zheng Ping brought out the keto machine.

Great ancient working women!

Kesi, Zheng Ping actually knows how to play Kesi!

Yun Yanhui interviewed local inheritors of intangible cultural heritage in modern times, found a lot of information, and also learned about it on the spot during the interview, and watched the Kesi craftsmen at work, which 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 Kesi works can be said to be one inch of Kesi and one inch of gold. For a long time, this was the exclusive fabric of the royal family, and there were not many people who knew this skill among the people.

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

The craftsman Yun Yan interviewed took months to years to complete a Kesi work, and he himself had and had to have a deep understanding of calligraphy and painting.

As for Zheng Ping... When Zheng Ping was drawing the figure, Yun Yan looked back, she seemed to only intend to knit a ribbon, the technique was monotonous, and the pattern was monotonous, even if Yun Yan was asked to look back at this layman, there was nothing novel about it. .

And not just Kesi, even ordinary embroidery needs to be sold for a price, artistic creativity is also a very important part.

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

Yun Yan was a little disappointed, because he was too happy before, and he forgot to think about why Zheng Ping went to Salesian Village to work if she had that ability.Besides, it takes too long to produce a relatively large work, and the payback is slow, which is not suitable for their family at all.

But although there is no way to get rich, at least there is no need to worry about starving to death. With Zheng Ping's craftsmanship and the level of wealth in the Northern Song Dynasty, it is enough to feed everyone.

Besides Kesi, Zheng Ping also knows how to embroider. After she brought Yun Yanhui, Shuangyi and Xiaobao back, she never went out except for shopping, and sat at home every day embroidering.

Yunyan is very well-behaved now, and Shuangyi can help take care of Xiaobao, so Zheng Ping can concentrate on her work.

Hu Sanniang next door often comes to Zheng Ping's house to do embroidery work together, during the day and at night, but she often brings her own lights, so she shares the money with Zheng Ping.

Hu Sanniang usually brings her seven-year-old daughter with her when she comes here, and at first she also brings her youngest son.However, her son is about the same age as Yun Yanhui, he is very good at making troubles, and always loves to make trouble for Xiaobao.Little Treasure would cry whenever he was disturbed, which made it difficult for Zheng Ping to work.

Especially at this time when Yunyan was standing next to him, there was a stark contrast. Everyone could see that her son was peeing his pants, and Brother Yan would relieve himself, and he especially liked to wash his hands and dry them cleanly.

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

Hu Sanniang's daughter is much quieter. She is learning embroidery next to Hu Sanniang, and she also practiced with rags.Zheng Ping asked Shuang Yi to play with her and practice for a while, while she chatted with Hu Sanniang and worked.

It was from the casual chat between Hu Sanniang and Zheng Ping that Yun Yan got some information back.

For example, Hu Sanniang introduced Zheng Ping to work at Salesian Young Village. At that time, after Zheng Ping gave birth, there was no man in the family, and she couldn’t get enough sleep with the baby by herself. She had no time to do embroidery work, and had no income.So I went to Salesian Village, where a few women could take care of me, including room and board.

Now Zheng Ping's work is also introduced by Hu Sanniang. Bianliang is prosperous, and there are many places that need embroidery. The works of Bianliang embroiderers can be seen everywhere. From the Wangzi in the shop to the new clothes on the passers-by, their works decorate the whole Bianliang. beam.

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

Also, the current era is about the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty—the transformation and prosperity of Kesi was in the late Northern Song Dynasty.Although Kesi works are still mainly practical or decorative, there is a tendency to develop to a higher level, but it has not yet been popularized.

It's a pity that Zheng Ping doesn't seem to have much artistic talent... Yun Yanhui began to daydream that if Zheng Ping suddenly had a flash of enlightenment, she would embroider a piece of art and sell it for a sky-high price, leading the whole family out of poverty...

This is Yun Yanhui's good hope. Given his stature that is not yet as tall as a qiji, apart from eating, drinking and lazing, he can only daydream.

Sucking away the dreamy saliva, Yunyan pushed back the dozing Shuangyi, and encouraged her to watch Zheng Ping Kesi, little sister, learn the craft well, not to mention the survival skills, she might get rich overnight It's on you...

-

Half a month later, Zheng Ping and Hu Sanniang went to Embroidery Alley together to deliver embroidery products. When they came back, they carried a lot of things in their hands, including food and useful things, as well as silk threads. It seemed that the work had been affirmed. , not only settled the money but also started a new life.

Yun Yan was also very happy to return, this can be regarded as the family's only source of income has stabilized.

Zheng Ping opened a small oil-paper bag, and when it was untied, it smelled sweet. It contained five or six yellow snacks dotted with sesame seeds, "Come on, mother bought some glutinous rice balls."

Zheng Ping put the snack on the edge of the bed, Yun Yanhui and Shuang Yi came over, Xiaobao waved his fat arm when he smelled the sweetness, but unfortunately he can't eat it yet.

Shuangyi swallowed, "I won't eat it, Brother Yan, eat it."

In the past, "Brother Yan" would have devoured it as soon as he grabbed it, but now, Zheng Ping was surprised to see her son slowly pushing the glutinous rice dumpling towards Shuangyi.

Really sensible, Zheng Ping said warmly: "Shuang Yi eat."

Shuangyi blushed and took a piece, and ate it slowly.

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

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

At this time, Yunyan picked up a piece, observed it first, and then took a bite.After distinguishing it, it should be made of grains. In addition to the sesame seeds on the outside, there is lard aroma and crushed peanuts inside. It is not as sweet as Yunyan recalled, but overall it is quite delicious.

The child has a small appetite, and Yun Yanhui knew how to restrain himself, so he stopped after eating a piece, "Mother and Shuangyi, let's eat."

Zheng Ping thought that Yun Yanhui didn't like sesame dumplings, she had never brought this kind of dim sum before.

Shuangyi ate the glutinous rice dumpling, and then glanced at Yun Yanhui, feeling extremely satisfied.

Zheng Ping opened the new paper she bought, and Yun Yan thought she was going to write a letter to her husband again.But in fact, Zheng Ping is going to return Yunyan to Kaimeng.

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

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

Zheng Ping was still a little surprised, and wrote in reverse order, "How about this?"

Yun Yan replied: "...five seven three eight nine two one."

It was a month ago that Zheng Ping taught her son how to read numbers, that is, before the current Yunyan came back, this month because she fell down and lost her job, she was busy with embroidery after she came back, so she didn't supervise her.She didn't even think that Brother Yan still remembered!

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

Yun Yan nodded back, he had practiced calligraphy before, and often friends asked him to help him write fans, spring couplets and the like, which may be considered good in modern times, but in ancient times, it may not be considered anything.

Although classical Chinese is a headache, knowing characters, plus good handwriting, is beneficial 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 also pretended to be playing to grab a pen and learn to write numbers.

Zheng Ping was very pleasantly surprised. She took her son's first calligraphy in her life and thought about sending it to her husband.But then it occurred to her that although she insisted that her husband was fine, this unique first copy would not be seen after sending it out.

Therefore, Zheng Ping embroidered Yun Yanhui's "calligraphy" in its original form.

Yunyan is very happy to return!

Of course, it is not because his badly written handwriting will be permanently preserved, but because Zheng Ping embroiders the handwriting very well. It is obviously a very common handwriting for children, but she uses black silk threads of different shades to embroider the handwriting. The changes in ink color and the immature handwriting of children are all shown.

This is the characteristic of the unity of Kesi, embroidery and other activities. Nothing is pure color.

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

With such a superb skill, Yun Yan felt that his intentionally bad writing had become a work of art!

From this, it can be concluded that Zheng Ping's Kesi skills are definitely not low, at least the ribbons that Yun Yan sees she made are definitely not her true level.

The embroidery and tapestry that Zheng Ping usually does have not changed much, causing Yunyan to think that not only is she not artistically creative, but her techniques are also ordinary.Looking at it now, it was just because the things she embroidered didn't need to change much, so she didn't care, otherwise it would take a long time and the price-performance ratio would not be high.

...But, if this is the case, then why doesn't Zheng Ping embroider some delicate works?

Yun Yanhui gradually became suspicious. If Zheng Ping was said to be because her family had no money to support her long-term creation, but if she really had that kind of craftsmanship, she could definitely talk to the shop in Xiuxiang, or even work directly.

And even for small works that don't take too long, such as the ribbon, there is still room for effort, and the price is definitely doubled compared to before.

Also, before Zheng Ping mentioned that she had to go to work at Salesian Village because she had to take care of the child after giving birth. It was a bit far-fetched to think about it. Obviously, there is a better job that can make her life easier.

Yun Yan found out for a while that his current mother seemed to be very difficult.