Scripture of Days Past

Xie Yan bent low in a timid and respectful manner as he introduced the components of the water-powered spinning machine to Chu Qiguang, who was very pleased with what he saw.

Chu Qiguang didn’t have any in-depth knowledge of how water-powered spinning machines worked, but the prototype really was converting cotton into yarn. The finished product wasn’t very even, with some sections being thicker than others, but it was already more than serviceable and could definitely be spun into cotton fabric.

”Well done!” Chu Qiguang praised. ”Each of you will receive a hundred taels of silver. If you can make a water-powered spinning machine as well and make raw cotton into cotton fabric solely using the power of flowing water, then each of you will receive another three hundred taels of silver.”

The skilled workers were all ecstatic to hear this. None of them truly realized just how important these machines were, but they were overjoyed to be receiving so much money.

”How’s the water-powered spinning machine coming along?” Chu Qiguang asked.

”It’s almost ready, but there are still some key components that are yet to be completed,” Xie Yan replied. ”At the very latest, it’ll be ready in two months.”

Chu Qiguang’s brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this. It was already December, and he had to travel to Jade Face Mountain in January the following year.

His original plan was to have both machines ready before he left. That way, he would be able to hold a press conference and attract a bunch of investors, thereby providing him with enough funds to help him reach the fifth state.

”What’s the problem?” Chu Qiguang asked.

Xie Yan introduced the problems to Chu Qiguang, and after hearing what the former had to say, Chu Qiguang pointed at a vacant section of the machine and suggested, ”How about you put a box here?”

Xie Yan was perplexed. He didn’t know how that was going to help.

”Put a box here, one big enough to fit a child inside,” Chu Qiguang continued. ”Have the child hide in there and do what the machine is currently still unable to do.”

Xie Yan immediately began sweating profusely at this suggestion.

”B... But that would be...”

”All I need is for the machine to work for a demonstration, understood?” Chu Qiguang asked in a cold voice. ”In the meantime, continue working on the machine until it actually works.”

”But what if someone finds out?” Xie Yan asked in an uneasy manner.

”Who’s going to find out if none of you say anything?” Chu Qiguang countered. ”As long as you come up with a true working prototype in two months, everything will be fine.”

A hint of killing intent surfaced in Chu Qiguang’s eyes as his gaze roamed over the skilled workers, and all of them felt a collective chill run down their spines.

”Make sure you don’t speak a word of this to anyone, not even your wives and children,” he warned in a menacing voice. ”As far as everyone else is concerned, the spinning machine and the loom are ready. If any one of you dares to reveal this secret to anyone, it’ll be the last secret that you ever tell!”

The workers hurriedly nodded in response, and Chu Qiguang’s demeanor softened a little as he continued, ”Don’t be so anxious. I’m confident that all of you can get this done in two months. Once everything’s ready, each of you will receive three hundred taels of silver, but if you don’t get the job done, then I’m not going to be very happy with you.”

Shortly thereafter, Chu Qiguang left the workers to continue their work, and the next day, he returned with his sister and stuffed her into the machine.

”How do I use this thing?” Zhou Yujiao asked in a curious voice.

”You just step on that, then pull on that...”

With Zhou Yujiao stepping on the pedal and pulling on the wooden lever, the entire machine quickly began operating smoothly.

Chu Qiguang turned to Xie Yan and asked, ”If we use the spinning machine and the loom together, how much faster will we be able to produce cotton compared with the current machines?”

”That depends on the stamina and the skill of the worker, but at the very least, our machines will beat out the rate of production of traditional machines by twenty-fold,” Xie Yan replied.

Chu Qiguang nodded with a pleased expression. He recalled that rates of textile production on Earth had improved by similar magnitudes during the first industrial revolution.

”This isn’t fun at all!” Zhou Yujiao complained from inside the machine. ”You brought me here just to play with this thing?”

”Keep going, it’ll become fun soon,” Chu Qiguang encouraged.

”Alright,” Zhou Yujiao said in a skeptical manner.

Only after close to fifteen minutes of operating the machine did she finally realize that she had been tricked, and she jumped out from inside before giving Chu Qiguang a vicious punch.

Chu Qiguang took some time to cheer her up, then promised to buy her beef patties to eat if she agreed to do this a few more times.

Zhou Yujiao licked her lips, then negotiated, ”I want your fur as well!”

”Fine, fine, I’ll pluck some off for you,” Chu Qiguang promised with an exasperated roll of his eyes, and Zhou Yujiao immediately broke out into a beaming grin.

”While you’re inside, make sure you don’t make any sound,” Chu Qiguang warned. ”You have to make sure that no one finds you, understood?”

***

With Zhou Yujiao operating the machine, Chu Qiguang invited Wu Wei and Abbot Chen Zhu to the textile workshop for a demonstration, and the two investors were ecstatic.

”With these extraordinary machines, we’ll be sure to dominate the entire northern textile industry!” Wu Wei exclaimed, his eyes glowing with excitement. ”Trade relations should be officially established sometime around July or August of next year. Over the next few months, we have to produce as many of these machines as possible and also purchase large quantities of raw cotton.

“That way, when trade relations are established, we’ll already have a large batch of stock ready to sell to the fiends. With these machines, we’ll be able to produce cotton far cheaper than everyone else! No one will be able to outcompete us!”

However, a frustrated look then appeared on Wu Wei’s face as he complained, ”The only roadblock in our way right now is the Chen Clan from the neighboring county. Wherever we go to try and purchase raw cotton, they immediately go and offer a higher price to the seller. They’re clearly trying to target us!”

”All of the county’s wealthy clans have invested in the virtue treasury, but if we have to simultaneously produce machines and purchase cotton, then we’re still going to be a little strapped for funds,” Chen Zhu mused with a concerned expression. ”I think we should adopt a more conservative approach for now and aim for smaller profits when trade relations are established next year. In any case, with these machines at our disposal, we’ll definitely be able to take over the entire northern market eventually, even if it takes us a few years.”

Chu Qiguang nodded and said, ”Being conservative and taking things slow is not a bad idea, but if it were me...”

Oh boy, Brother Chu’s about to start swindling again! I better watch and learn, Chen Gang thought to himself.

”I would have everyone in Azure Sun County invest this month,” Chu Qiguang concluded.

”Why would you allow outside investment in such a lucrative business?” Wu Wei asked with a puzzled expression.

”Because with their money, we’ll have greater purchasing power to buy more raw cotton and produce more machines,” Chu Qiguang explained. ”We can gather all of the skilled workers in the entire county to produce hundreds of machines, and our profits will be enormous! We’ll be able to flood the market with vast quantities of cheap cotton fabric, and in just half a year, we’ll be able to drive all other cotton producers out of business!

“Once that happens, we’ll have a complete stranglehold over the market, and we’ll pull in more investment from the most powerful and wealthiest people in the entire Spirit Province to keep expanding our business. If we adopt this approach, not only will our business spread across the entire Spirit Province in just a year, we’ll also be granted tax exemption status thanks to all of the powerful connections we’ll make.”

Chen Zhu nodded with a thoughtful expression. Business tax was very low in the Great Han Empire, but all of the other miscellaneous taxes could really add up. Each area of the Spirit Province would have its own taxes, and those taxes would eat significantly into their profit margins if they wanted to expand their business across the entire province.

”Once we have a monopoly over the market, we will be the one calling the shots. If we cease production, the entire Spirit Province will have no clothes to wear! In a year or two at most, we’ll be able to make more money than in ten years if we were to take a more conservative approach! On top of that, once we secure tax exemption status, we’ll be able to force our way into other markets, such as salt, tea, ironware, you name it!”

Looks of excitement and longing quickly appeared on the faces of Wu Wei and Chen Zhu as they listened to the grand image laid out for them by Chu Qiguang.