Chapter 1179 Postscript Thirty-five Do you have all the woolen coats?
Chapter 1179 Postscript 35: Do you have all the woolen coats?
The next day, Daiyu and Baochai's parents came.
The two parties signed a five-year employment contract. From the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty to today's Ming Dynasty, "five years" has always been the longest employment period. After expiration, the contract can be renewed, and a single contract cannot exceed this period.
Generally speaking, a maid signs a contract at the age of thirteen or fourteen, and when the contract expires at the age of seventeen or eighteen, she will get married.
For girls from poor families, this is not only a job, but also a way to get gold. After they learn the rules and gain knowledge in rich families, they are very popular when they go to their in-laws' families.
In the Ming Dynasty at this time, there was no Neo-Confucianism between Cheng and Zhu, and not all people were humble. The employers did not have strong personal restraint on their servants.
And with the development of the commodity economy, employers no longer need so many "home-born slaves", because that will greatly increase the cost of employment. It's like a capitalist recruiting workers and directly dismissing them when they become disabled and old. I still have to provide for you in old age, right?
Therefore, it is rare for people to be servants in the same family for generations. Such servants are absolute confidants.
Most of them work for five years and are terminated after ten years, and very few can renew their contracts for fifteen years.
Supplies!
Li Minqiu was responsible for drafting the contract, and he was also the mediator, that is, he had three roles: the deed, the mediator, and the guarantor.
A middleman is a middleman, including matchmakers, and a matchmaker is also a subdivision of a middleman. If it is a professional middleman, an intermediary fee of 5% of the transaction amount is often charged.
As the name suggests, there is no need to elaborate.
Different eras have different priorities.
In the history of the Song and Yuan dynasties, due to the extremely powerful officialdom, all kinds of contracts were mainly made by intermediaries, who had official backgrounds as guarantees. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the guarantee was mainly based on the guarantor, and if something went wrong, the guarantor would bear the responsibility.
In addition, the middleman is often the main party in the sales contract, while the guarantor is the main party in the loan contract.
Contracts have become very formal since the Song Dynasty, and even have extremely detailed legal provisions. For example, during a house transaction, if the seller maliciously conceals information (the house has been mortgaged, resold, etc.), the government can directly declare the contract invalid and cause
The losses will be borne by the middle party.
The three parties signed and pledged the contract in duplicate.
The families of the two little girls were very happy and bowed to Xie Yan again and again, just to beg Xie Yan to treat their daughters well.
Xie Yan also prepared some small gifts, which were pastries bought in a neighborhood outside the city, and gave them to the little girl's family as a meeting gift. This move made the other party completely reassured and felt that Xie Yan was a good employer.
"Does Bachelor Xie want to go to Taixue?" Li Dunshi asked.
Xie Yan said: "Wait until the academic conference is over before going."
Various academic seminars will end in another three days, and Luoyang Taixue will be on vacation during this period.
But there is nothing worth listening to anymore. Those really great scientists have already queued up in private groups to do experiments.
Li Dunshi asked again: "This is the first time for Bachelor Xie to come to Luoyang. You haven't visited many places, right? I am very familiar with Luoyang."
Xie Yan was a little moved when he heard it, and wanted to experience listening to music on a hook.
Alas, forget it.
We are now Bachelor of Furong, so we have to cherish our reputation.
Xie Yan asked in a low voice: "Would it be bad for the bachelors to go to Goulan to listen to music?"
Li Dunshi said: "How could it be? If students go to listen to music, they may be scolded by their elders for neglecting their studies. If accomplished bachelors go to listen to music, it must be an elegant thing."
Xie Yan felt itchy after hearing this.
Before the epidemic, he worked as a construction worker for a period of time, and he often listened to the boasts of his seniors at the construction site. He said that in the glorious era of civil engineering, people who studied civil engineering were not dogs. At that time, he was often invited to Shang K Xiaosa, and he didn’t even have to use it.
Pay for it yourself.
It can be said that Xie Yan only regretted that he was born a few years late.
"Mr. Lang!"
The two little girls sent their families away and when they came back, they all stood there waiting for instructions.
Xie Yan felt happy when he saw them. He had two beautiful maids and was rumored to be having an affair with a real princess. Why would he need to go to Shang K to find a fake princess?
Humph, I, Xie Yan, am not that vulgar person!
Xie Yan saw that they were still dressed as village girls, so he asked: "Is there any ready-made clothing store in Luoyang City?"
Li Dunshi said: "There are ready-to-wear shops that also offer custom-made clothes."
Xie Yan cupped his hands and said: "Please lead the way, I will buy them a suit."
Li Dunshi immediately asked his servants to prepare the carriage, and the two little girls cheered even more.
This place is located on the outskirts of Luoyang, and it is also next to the Longmen Grottoes. Ladies often come to pay homage to Buddha. Daiyu and Baochai naturally do not dare to compare with the ladies. They just envy the maids of wealthy families who can wear colorful and beautiful clothes.
The floral skirts they wore were the cheapest printed fabrics, and they were reluctant to wear them.
Li Dunshi believed that with Xie's status as a bachelor, even a maid should be classy. So he asked the coachman to go directly to the city instead of going to the shops in Fuguo Street outside the city.
The carriage came to a street in the southwest city, where a variety of textiles were sold. There were even wool felts and cashmere cloths from the grassland areas, as well as various furs from the Northeast and overseas.
Li Dunshi jumped off the carriage, pointed to a shop and said, "This is the Zhong Family Clothing Store, a first-class shop in Luoyang City." Then he pointed to another shop and said, "That's Zijinfang. The name is elegant, but it's not as good as
Zhong’s clothing store.”
Xie Yan walked in and saw all kinds of ready-made clothes hanging inside, and there were various fabric samples on the upper counter.
You can choose the fabric and style here and ask a tailor to tailor it. It will be done in a few days, and there is also door-to-door delivery service.
"Invite your distinguished guests!" The shopkeeper came over to greet him personally.
The shopkeeper of the ready-made clothing store was obviously more knowledgeable than the students from Huangzhou Prefecture. He glanced at the hibiscus jade pendant on Xie Yan's waist and immediately became more enthusiastic: "But Bachelor Xie, who is known for his green hair?"
Xie Yan smiled awkwardly.
Li Dunshi said: "The shopkeeper has good eyesight. This is Bachelor Xie. Bachelor Xie will live in Luoyang permanently and has hired two new maids. Could you please help me select ready-made clothes."
Except for the shopkeeper and tailor, who are men, all the shop assistants here are women.
A female shop assistant was ordered by the shopkeeper to make tea, while another female shop assistant was smiling beside her.
The shopkeeper said: "My shop is on the first and second floors. It's early summer now, and the first floor is full of summer clothes. There are more ready-to-wear styles upstairs. Bachelor Xie might as well go upstairs and have a look."
Xie Yan carefully looked at the ready-made clothes. Different from the ones worn by the Hanfu girls in the short video, there were no wide robes or long sleeves in these clothes on the first floor. Maybe it was because summer was here, and they were all narrow-sleeved or short-sleeved.
Clothes have become more convenient to put on and take off for work, which is a mainstream development trend.
In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, there was still a clear boundary between the clothing of noble women and civilian women. By the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty, this boundary was blurred. The noble women also liked to wear civilian women's clothing, and the sleeves became narrower and narrower, but the materials and details were more sophisticated.
To be particular about.
"What kind of skirt is this?" Xie Yan was like a curious baby.
The shopkeeper's introduction said: "This is a spiral skirt, worn by women when riding horses and donkeys. The noble ladies in the capital like to play polo, so this kind of skirt is the most convenient to wear."
Xie Yan studied it carefully and found that it was indeed very suitable for horse riding.
This thing actually existed as early as the Northern Song Dynasty. It was invented by prostitutes in Kaifeng. The front and rear hips were opened for easy riding. At that time, the ladies of Bianliang competed to imitate it, and moral people sighed, saying that the world was declining and they were imitating prostitutes.
dress up.
Today's Ming Dynasty people are so accustomed to it that they have long forgotten the origin of the spiral skirt. They are all worn on the polo field.
"How much?" Xie Yan asked.
The shopkeeper said: "Twenty strings."
Xie Yan thought to himself: This shabby skirt doesn’t use much fabric, it’s just like a black shop!
Daiyu moved a step and quietly tugged on Xie Yan's sleeve, implying that this place was too expensive and she wanted to find another one.
Baochai's attention was on those beautiful clothes. She was dazzled by the dazzling array of clothes, and she didn't even hear what the shopkeeper was saying.
Xie Yan was not afraid of embarrassment and said directly: "I didn't bring much money to Beijing. I can't afford the clothes here. I'll come back later when I have money."
The shopkeeper was startled when he heard this. He had never seen such an honest person before. He smiled and said: "It is already a great honor for Bachelor Xie to come to our store. Whether you want to buy it or not, you can take a look again. I can get to know Xie
Bachelor, this is a great honor for me."
Thanks to the shopkeeper's kind invitation, Xie Yan visited the first floor and was invited to the second floor.
There are more styles on the second floor, and there are even many Hufus, from Japan to Egypt. But most of them have been improved and become more in line with Chinese aesthetics.
Xie Yan's eyes fell on a coat, which was similar in style to a modern windbreaker. He wore it when he met his parents in Huangzhou last winter.
This thing was originally called a coat, and it was very popular in the Tang Dynasty. The nobles did not dress well and liked to wear it on the outside, just like those in later generations who wore their windbreakers without wearing them.
During Ju Ming's reign, the coat was modified and became the regular uniform of the musketeers. Now it is also worn by many officials and civilians.
The one in front of me is made of different materials.
Woolen coat!
"What kind of material is this?" Xie Yan asked.
The shopkeeper's answer: "Hu Rong."
Xie Yan asked again: "Did it come from overseas?"
“It was originally made by Lanzhou craftsmen and then improved by Jiangnan craftsmen,” the shopkeeper introduced in detail. “Agriculturists have cross-bred sheep from Monan, Tubo, Anxi, Qihe, Dawan, and Tianfang. In the past few years,
A kind of sheep with fine and long hair was bred. Craftsmen used the wool and cashmere of this sheep, mixed with silk and other materials, and finally woven this velvet fabric."
Xie Yan said: "I haven't seen it in Huangzhou."
The shopkeeper said: "Hu velvet was originally a fabric worn by poor people. At that time, it was only made of wool. Although it was warm, it was not delicate. It was thick and heavy and could prick the skin. Later, craftsmen from Lanzhou added cashmere, and craftsmen from Jiangnan added it.
Silk wool has only become popular among the nobles in Beijing in the past two years. It is estimated that it will spread in the southern provinces within a few years. I heard that more and more herdsmen are raising this kind of high-breed sheep."
Xie Yan's expression became a little strange, and he suddenly imagined a scene.
The background of the picture is factory chimneys, and the people walking on the street are wearing woolen coats, but each of them has their hair in a bun or a Chinese hat.