Chapter 2172: Spring Cold

Chapter Nine Hundred and Ninety-Eight: Spring Chill, Materials Expensive

The early spring in Jiangnan was always characterized by drizzle and continuous rain.

For the common people, the rain meant the entire spring planting season would be spent working the fields. It also meant endless moisture, cold, and dampness.

In the south of the city, the rain had been falling for over ten days. The sky was still gray, and the fine rain was still coming down.

In a small courtyard, the sound of weaving could be heard from dawn till dusk. It was the sound of a loom weaving cloth.

In the small room, a woman was working diligently at the loom.

It was late spring, but the continuous rain made the air cold.

The woman was wearing a thin lined jacket, which was damp from the moisture.

"Mother, it's already late. Rest for a while."

A twelve or thirteen-year-old girl came over and helped her mother put on a thicker outer garment.

"Yanzi, why aren't you sleeping?"

The woman's eyes were red, clearly she hadn't rested well.

"Mother, it's cold. You should sleep too."

The girl's name was Yanzi. Her small face was pale, and she was thin and weak.

"Mother isn't tired. Weave a little more and we'll have enough to send to the silk shop tomorrow."

The woman was named Liu Shiniang. She had been married for over twenty years, and her husband was a fisherman.

The family relied on fishing for a living. But since the river had become turbulent, they hadn't been able to catch any fish.

Now, the family was relying on Liu Shiniang weaving cloth to make ends meet.

"Mother, the silk shop said the price of silk has gone up, and they won't buy our spun silk anymore. We have to weave it into cloth."

Yanzi's voice was quiet and timid.

Liu Shiniang's expression changed slightly. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Mother, you've been so tired, I didn't want to worry you."

Liu Shiniang sighed and gently stroked her daughter's hair. "Silly child. This is a big matter, why didn't you say anything? What about the price of cloth?"

"The price of spun silk was twenty coins per jin, but the price of woven cloth is only sixty coins per bolt. A bolt of cloth uses about ten jin of spun silk."

Liu Shiniang's hands trembled. Ten jin of spun silk would be two hundred coins, but a bolt of cloth only sold for sixty coins. This meant they were losing money.

"They're clearly taking advantage of us! This is silk spun from our silkworms, woven by us, and they're only paying sixty coins!"

Yanzi said softly, "Mother, they said the price of silk has gone up, and the price of weaving materials has also gone up. They have to buy the raw materials at a high price, so the price of finished cloth is lower."

"Nonsense! The silkworms are raised by us, the mulberry leaves are picked by us, and the silk is spun by us! What raw materials do they need to buy?!"

Liu Shiniang was angry.

"Mother, they mean the materials for dyeing and finishing the cloth. They said those materials have gone up in price, and the transport costs have also increased."

Liu Shiniang's face was pale. She knew that even though this explanation didn't make sense, the silk shop had the final say on the price. They couldn't afford to argue.

"Mother, it's getting late. Rest for a while."

"Mother isn't tired. Mother will weave a little more."

Liu Shiniang continued to work, her face a mixture of anger and helplessness.

Yanzi looked at her mother's exhausted face and felt a pang of sadness.

"Mother, why don't you go to sleep? I'll weave."

"Silly child, you're still young. You can't do this kind of work. Go to sleep."

Yanzi didn't argue. She knew her mother was doing this for their family.

She just sat beside her mother, quietly keeping her company.

In the early morning, Liu Shiniang carried the woven cloth to the silk shop.

The rain was still falling, and the road was muddy.

She carefully protected the cloth from the rain.

When she arrived at the silk shop, the shopkeeper was a fat man with a smiling face.

"Liu Shiniang, you're here. Let's see the cloth."

Liu Shiniang put down the cloth, and the shopkeeper examined it.

"Hmm, the quality is good. But the price is still sixty coins per bolt."

Liu Shiniang's heart sank. "Shopkeeper, can you raise the price a little? Sixty coins is too low."

The shopkeeper's smile didn't falter. "Liu Shiniang, you know the market conditions. The price of raw materials has gone up, and the price of finished cloth has gone down. Sixty coins is already a good price."

"But we raised the silkworms ourselves..."

"Liu Shiniang, the market is like this. We also have to make a living."

Liu Shiniang knew it was useless to argue. She reluctantly accepted the sixty coins.

On the way back, the rain seemed even heavier.

She looked at the meager amount of money in her hand and felt a sense of despair.

The price of everything had gone up. Rice, oil, salt, everything.

And the price of their only source of income had gone down.

How were they going to survive?

When she got home, Yanzi was waiting for her.

"Mother, how was it?"

Liu Shiniang forced a smile. "It's fine. Let's have breakfast."

But Yanzi saw the disappointment in her mother's eyes.

She knew that their lives were becoming more and more difficult.

In the days that followed, Liu Shiniang continued to weave, and Yanzi continued to help her.

They worked tirelessly, but their lives didn't improve.

The price of materials continued to rise, and the price of cloth remained low.

One day, Yanzi came back from the market with a worried expression.

"Mother, the price of rice has gone up again."

Liu Shiniang's heart ached. Rice was their staple food. If the price of rice kept rising, they wouldn't be able to afford it.

"How much is it now?"

"It's already..." Yanzi hesitated, "two hundred coins per dou."

Liu Shiniang gasped. Two hundred coins per dou of rice! That was outrageous!

A bolt of cloth only sold for sixty coins. How many bolts of cloth would she have to weave to buy enough rice for their family?

She felt a wave of dizziness.

"Mother, are you alright?" Yanzi quickly supported her.

"I'm fine," Liu Shiniang said, but her voice was weak.

She knew that they couldn't continue like this. Something had to change.

But what could they do? They were just poor people, struggling to survive.

The spring rain continued to fall, reflecting the bleakness of their lives.

The chill in the air seemed to penetrate not only their clothes but also their hearts.

The materials were expensive, and life was hard. This was the reality of their existence in the midst of the spring chill.