Chapter 219 Ancient Dyeing Methods
Chen Yang and Liu Ran walked towards the dignified and elegant woman.
The noblewoman’s clothes appeared ordinary, yet upon closer inspection, they possessed a certain uniqueness. Chen Yang couldn’t quite pinpoint what made them special, only that they looked simple yet were undeniably beautiful.
Liu Ran waved and said, “Auntie, may I ask what you need? You’ve been lingering here for quite some time.”
The woman turned her head. She was slightly plump with kind eyes. After glancing at Liu Ran and Chen Yang, she hesitated and said, “I, I’m looking for Yangyangyang Live Streaming Company. I wanted to see if we could reach an agreement to help promote our family’s products.”
“However, upon arriving here, I found Yangyangyang Company to be so grand and impressive. I thought you probably wouldn’t be interested in our small business and products, so I was hesitant.”
Liu Ran chuckled upon hearing this. She immediately replied, “Auntie, you worry too much. Our company just moved in, and we have a very small team. Since you’re here to discuss cooperation, why don’t we go inside the building for a more detailed talk? Oh, right, allow me to introduce myself, I am Liu Ran, the owner of Yangyangyang Brand Design Company.”
Zheng Yanqiu looked at Liu Ran with surprise. She hadn’t expected the owner of the now-renowned Yangyangyang Brand Design Company to be such a beautiful and young woman.
Zheng Yanqiu quickly extended her hand to shake Liu Ran’s. Then, the three of them walked into the building together.
In Liu Ran’s office on the top floor of the building, Zheng Yanqiu took out a document. She spoke to Chen Yang and Liu Ran somewhat apologetically, “Both of you, thank you for receiving me. However, I might disappoint you this time, as our family’s products truly don’t seem to be very profitable. Let me first introduce you to the current predicament of our company.”
Zheng Yanqiu placed the documents on the table and began, “Our factory is located in Wuxi City, adjacent to Qingzhou City, a very large fabric and garment factory. Our fabric mill has a long history, dating back to the Song Dynasty, when it was named Qanyi Weaving.”
“For a period, our Qanyi Manufacturing Plant specialized in dyeing fabrics for the imperial palace and various government officials. The fabrics were exclusively supplied to the palace. Later, our ancestors expanded the business further. During a period of relatively lax management, our Qanyi Manufacturing Plant not only supplied to the government but also sold fabrics to the public.”
“Overall, even during the most turbulent times, our family lived quite prosperously. After all, everyone needs to eat and wear clothes no matter what!”
“It wasn't until the seventies and eighties that our Qanyi Fabric Factory was considered quite large in the surrounding area. During that time, chemical dyeing began to become popular, and synthetic dyes started entering our country. Many garment factories began to transform, introducing machinery and various dyeing equipment. It was at this point that our family began to fall behind.”
“My father-in-law is the current patriarch of the Wu family. He’s a rather stubborn man. He always says that what has been passed down from our ancestors cannot be broken during his tenure. He insisted on using ancient dyeing methods.”
“He holds over twenty pigment formulas and dozens of fabric production techniques. He considers these things his lifeblood and refuses to use synthetic fibers and chemical dyes. He believes these must not be lost under his watch.”
“But unfortunately, while he treated these ancient dyed fabrics as treasures, consumers did not recognize them, and our fabric factory soon fell into complete decline.”
“More than twenty years ago, Hanfu began to slowly gain popularity. At this time, my father-in-law decided to seize this opportunity and expand our garment factory, hoping for a new wave of development.”
“So he invested all his money into Hanfu processing, adding a Hanfu production factory to our fabric mill.”
“Initially, they sold quite well. At that time, a Hanfu costume cost around two thousand yuan. Since there were not many factories in the entire country producing such high-quality Hanfu, we were able to sell tens of millions a year back then!”
“Perhaps it was the high sales that led our family members to make the wrong judgment. We used all our money to expand operations and even borrowed 150 million yuan from the bank.”
“The following year, other garment factories began designing Hanfu. Moreover, their Hanfu was simpler, using ordinary synthetic fabrics. However, their Hanfu sold even better. Our factory’s Hanfu sales plummeted, and the factory has become unsustainable, running at a loss every year.”
“Coupled with the inability to repay the loans, now, sigh… our entire family is living a truly miserable life.”
As Zheng Yanqiu spoke, she sighed again. She continued, “Not long ago, some researchers of ancient dyeing techniques and some foreign manufacturers wanted to acquire our factory.”
“Of course, their primary goal was to buy the dozen or so pigment formulas and dozens of fabric production methods that my father-in-law possessed.”
“They offered quite a high price. One foreign manufacturer offered a hundred million US dollars, a sum that would be enough to clear all our family’s loans and debts, with some surplus left over, allowing each family member to receive several hundred thousand yuan, avoiding such dire straits.”
“But my father-in-law refused outright. He is a very stubborn person. He insisted that if he sold the formulas to foreigners, he would never find peace in life and would be too ashamed to face our ancestors after death.”
“However, if we don’t sell, we cannot continue to operate the business. In desperation, I happened to see your advertisement for the Gongting Yuji San cosmetic product and the subsequent resurgence in its popularity.”
“So, I rushed here from Wuxi City, hoping to see if we could cooperate and help our factory.”
Upon reaching this point, Zheng Yanqiu chuckled self-deprecatingly. She sighed, “Of course, I know the chances are slim. Our factory is simply too old, and my father-in-law’s thinking is too rigid. Even if we reach a cooperation, you might not be able to help us revive from the brink of death.”
Zheng Yanqiu smoothed her hair and said, “In fact, from the Song Dynasty until around the eighties, our family lived quite well and had plenty of money.”
“In the eighties, if we had managed to transform and invest in contemporary garment or shoe factories, or even just invested in real estate, we wouldn’t be in such dire straits now.”
“Even during the most chaotic periods in history, our family could still eat and dress warmly. But now, during the most prosperous era, our family is burdened with heavy loans and is on the verge of collapse. Don’t you think this is a kind of mockery?”
As Zheng Yanqiu spoke, she suddenly lowered her head and couldn’t help but wipe her eyes. Tears welled up – tears of unwillingness, humiliation, regret, but more than anything, confusion.
Liu Ran sat aside, nodding. She had fully understood. She said, “Auntie, please don’t worry for now. Whether we can cooperate is still uncertain. How about this, please stay for lunch with us. This afternoon, I’ll arrange for a few other founders of our company, and we’ll go to your garment factory together to take a look.”
At this moment, Chen Yang was flipping through the folder Zheng Yanqiu had brought. When he saw the truly ancient dyed fabrics in the materials, his eyes lit up.