I traveled back to the Qin Dynasty, and the First Emperor begged me to become his empress.

Chapter 177 Teaching How to Knit a Sweater

After handling a series of complicated matters in an orderly manner, Ying Wuyou had someone take away all the yarn that had already been spun, and then she walked lightly to find Uncle Liu. When she saw Uncle Liu, she smiled and said in a friendly tone, "Uncle Liu, could you please find a few skillful old ladies for me? I want to teach them how to knit sweaters."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Liu couldn't help but show a hint of surprise on his face. After all, many things on this estate were unfamiliar to him. However, he was well aware that although he was the estate's head steward, he was getting old, and it was inconvenient for him to personally handle many matters. Moreover, the estate was expanding, and there were more and more new things happening. The reason he had been able to remain the head steward was because of the young lady's kind heart, so he understood that all he could do was follow instructions. Therefore, he quickly agreed and turned to leave to take care of the matter.

Not long after, Uncle Liu led several middle-aged women from the village in a hurry. They spotted Ying Wuyou standing there from afar and quickened their pace to greet her. Seeing this, Ying Wuyou quickly waved her hand, indicating that there was no need for such formality, and said softly, "There's no need for such formalities. Here, we can treat each other like ordinary people. From now on, you can simply call me 'Miss'."

One of the older women smiled broadly and thanked her profusely, saying, "Thank you so much, Miss!"

Ying Wuyou responded with a friendly smile, "Alright, don't be shy, please sit down." Hearing this, everyone obediently took their seats in turn.

After everyone was seated, Ying Wuyou cleared his throat and slowly said, "I specially invited you all here today because I want to teach you a new skill—knitting sweaters."

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone present looked astonished, clearly having never heard of what a "sweater" was, let alone how to knit one. However, since the young lady was willing to teach, all they had to do was learn diligently.

With a smile, Ying Wuyou said to everyone, "Since I've invited you all to knit sweaters, I certainly won't treat you unfairly. The small-sized sweaters will be paid three taels of silver each, while the large-sized ones will be paid four taels of silver." As soon as she finished speaking, the women present immediately showed joy, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

Keep in mind, this is the dead of winter! In the past, at this time, women could mostly stay at home doing housework. Who would have thought there would be such an opportunity to earn money? And if you do the math, the wages earned from knitting just one sweater are even more than what men earn from a whole day's hard work outside! How could such a wonderful thing not make everyone overjoyed and ecstatic?

At this moment, Ying Wuyou continued, "However, you can take these sweaters home and knit them later."

Upon hearing this, the women were initially delighted. One of them asked, "Can I really take it home to weave?"

Ying Wuyou smiled and said, "Don't worry, Auntie, of course it's possible."

The thought of earning money while sitting on a warm kang (heated brick bed) in the dead of winter is truly a wonderful thing!

However, Ying Wuyou continued, "But there are two things you must keep in mind. First, you must not cut corners; second, you must not embezzle the yarn. If anyone dares to violate the rules, once discovered, they will be permanently expelled from the company and never be employed again, and will also be severely punished with a fine of one hundred taels of silver!"

Upon hearing the fine of one hundred taels of silver, everyone gasped in shock, thinking to themselves: This punishment is truly severe; no one dares to harbor any further thoughts!

Ying Wuyou took a sip of water and continued, “Fellow villagers, do you know how important these sweaters are? They are to be given to our brave soldiers who guard the frontier! Among them, there might be your sons, husbands, or even fathers. So, we must do this job well and not be careless. Moreover, if everyone performs well, they will receive a reward every year! As for the reward, you can choose real money or yarn, it’s all up to you.”

An elderly woman exclaimed in surprise, "Really? They even give out rewards?"

Ying Wuyou nodded and said, "Of course it's true. Whoever knits the most sweaters and the best sweaters will be rewarded with 10 taels of silver by the end of next year. The amount of yarn will definitely be enough for two sweaters."

Hearing about the generous reward, everyone was eager to learn how to knit sweaters.

As she spoke, Ying Wuyou smiled and held up the bundle of white yarn in her hand, showing it to everyone. She gently stroked the yarn as she explained in detail, "Look, this is the finest yarn we use specifically for knitting sweaters. Doesn't it feel incredibly comfortable and smooth?" The older women nodded in agreement, their eyes shining with curiosity and anticipation.

Then, Ying Wuyou took out two long, slender wooden sticks that had been meticulously polished to a smooth finish. Holding the sticks, she explained to everyone, "These are called knitting sticks, and they are essential tools for knitting sweaters. They help us weave this soft yarn into warm sweaters." As soon as she finished speaking, Ying Wuyou arranged for people to distribute two of these wooden sticks and a ball of brightly colored yarn to each of the older women present.

Once everything was ready, Ying Wuyou stood at the front of the crowd and personally demonstrated how to knit a sweater using wooden sticks and yarn. Her technique was skillful, her movements light and elegant; in no time, a small, exquisite piece of fabric gradually took shape in her hands. The older women gathered around, watching Ying Wuyou's demonstration intently, occasionally whispering amongst themselves, creating a lively and enthusiastic atmosphere.

Ying Wuyou's slender fingers deftly moved around the skewer, muttering to herself, "This needle should be picked up from the bottom and then around this side..." The old women followed Ying Wuyou's movements closely, afraid of missing any detail.

An older woman, who was rather impatient, tried to imitate Ying Wuyou, but accidentally messed up the yarn and became so anxious that her face turned red. Ying Wuyou smiled and walked over to her, patiently straightening the yarn and gently comforting her, "Don't worry, ma'am, it's normal to make mistakes when you're learning for the first time."

After some effort, a skillful old woman finally grasped the knack and knitted a small, smooth piece of fabric. Everyone gathered around to watch, their eyes filled with envy and curiosity. Ying Wuyou praised her, saying, "Auntie, you learn so quickly! If you practice slowly using this method, you'll soon be able to knit a complete sweater."

As time went by, the women gradually got the hang of it, and the small courtyard was filled with laughter. Ying Wuyou looked at these women who were learning so diligently and felt gratified, as if he could see the future soldiers bravely wearing the sweaters they had knitted themselves.