In the blink of an eye, another month had passed. With just one month left before the Textile Works could officially open, it was time to start recruiting workers.
The Textile Works planned to hire eighty workers, all of whom would be women.
The requirements for female workers at the Textile Works were high: they had to be literate, skilled in weaving, and possess nimble fingers and keen attention to detail.
As soon as the recruitment notice was posted, it drew a great deal of attention.
Charleston's business scene was booming, and job advertisements were everywhere. To make recruitment easier, the authorities had set up bulletin boards at the city gates in all directions, dedicated to posting job openings.
The moment the Textile Works' notice for female workers went up, crowds gathered around.
By now, the people of Charleston were used to seeing job ads everywhere. Ever since His Majesty King Alexander arrived and reformed commerce, the city had become much more prosperous, and every corner needed workers—so job postings were nothing new.
These days, everyone could read. Whenever a new notice went up, people would check it out themselves—so convenient! Unlike before, when most folks were illiterate and had to rely on someone else to read it aloud.
"Hey, this Textile Works is hiring women only!"
"Looks like the requirements are pretty strict, too."
"This is a government-run Textile Works. The benefits are sure to be good."
...
News of the government recruitment spread quickly—one person told ten, ten told a hundred. As soon as registration opened, plenty of women came to sign up.
A gentle-looking young wife passed by with her mother-in-law, her gaze lingering on the crowd with obvious longing. She hesitated for a moment before softly saying, "Mom, I want to give it a try too. My weaving skills are pretty good—I should meet the recruitment standards."
The mother-in-law snorted, her tone sharp and dismissive. "With your scatterbrained ways? As if! Women belong at home, tending to their husbands and raising children. What business do you have running around outside? Only improper women would think of such things." She shot a contemptuous look at the women lining up, her eyes full of disdain.
Her words, sharp and unpleasant, carried to the women in line, making them roll their eyes at the mother-in-law. It was as if she thought their coming to apply for work was something shameful.
The young wife shrank back, her desire to speak further stifled by her mother-in-law’s attitude. The tension between tradition and ambition hung heavy in the air, but the line of women remained resolute, refusing to be shamed.
Her remarks were unpleasant, and as they spread among the waiting women, many rolled their eyes at her. As if, by seeking work, they were doing something disgraceful!
"What nonsense! Why shouldn't women work?" One woman filling out her registration form glared at the mother-in-law. "Princess Jade Hayes of the Kingdom of Qin is a woman too, and she works outside. Who dares say Princess Jade Hayes isn't decent?
"Exactly! What a load of rubbish. Look at this old stick-in-the-mud, still clinging to outdated ideas." The other female workers rolled their eyes at the mother-in-law too.
The effects of universal literacy were obvious. Whenever new ideas were promoted, even small flyers could help challenge the old notion that women should only stay home. Now, Charleston had plenty of places needing female workers, and women could earn much more working than just cooking and feeding chickens at home. Skilled women sometimes earned as much as men.
Economic foundations determine social status, and the status of women in Charleston was rising rapidly.
Still, there were some old-fashioned holdouts—like this mother-in-law—who faced unanimous disdain.
The mother-in-law knew she'd offended everyone with her words, her face turning awkward as she stiffened her neck. "Hmph, there's no talking sense with you lot. Anyway, if other people's daughters-in-law want to show their faces in public, that's their business. My daughter-in-law will stay home and cook and watch the kids!"
The gentle young wife bit her lip, gazing longingly at the registration desk. But hearing her mother-in-law's stubborn words, she didn't dare say anything more.