The textile mill was divided into the front courtyard and the back courtyard; the front courtyard was the main place for spinning, weaving, dyeing, and drying fabric, whereas the two rows of houses in the back were where the workers ate and slept.
As a manager, Manager Gou had a big room to himself, while ordinary workers had to sleep in large communal bunks, squeezing twenty or so people into a small room barely three zhang in length and width. The conditions for the children brought in to do odd jobs were even worse—not only were they mixed-gender accommodations, but the number of people crammed into those rooms was twice that of the ordinary workers.
Fourth Master Shi was just an ordinary worker, but he was lucky enough to have a brother-in-law who was a manager, so he also had a small room to himself. Though it wasn't as spacious and bright as Manager Gou's, it wasn't bad at all.
