In just two days, the Yan Clan managed to recruit 680 female workers. About half of them were from town, while the other half were from other villages around the Yan Fortress. Since those villages were nearby, it was quite convenient for those workers to come work at the Yan Fortress. All the women were skillful spinners and weavers at home.
All the female workers officially started working on the 12th day of the fourth lunar month. They walked through the main entrance of the Yan Fortress' woolen mill and started familiarizing themselves with the newly-designed spinning frames and looms, as well as the process of scouring wool. It could be said that they were undertaking a pre-job training, conducted by the couples that Yan Liqiang hired before.