Listening to the two children talking so eloquently, Qin San Niang was surprised at how thoughtful they were. It seemed that double-skin milk pudding could indeed be launched on the market!
The task of cutting bamboo and making bamboo bowls was entirely handed over to Chen Laohan and his apprentice, which was no problem for them at all.
Moreover, Chen Laohan's carving skills are also extremely outstanding. He has been teaching his apprentices these days, and it would be a good opportunity to carve a Ruyi symbol for Qin Sanniang. Upon receiving Qin Sanniang's notification, he readily agreed.
However, this greatly enhanced the quality of the bamboo bowl, and Qin San Niang was reluctant to use it to serve double-skin milk pudding, since the bowl was going to be given away for free!
However, Da Wa had his own ideas. He actually asked Chen Lao Han to carve a Ruyi seal and went to the bookstore to buy ink. This way, he could easily imprint the two characters "Ruyi" on the emerald green bamboo bowl. The bright red characters didn't need much embellishment. Even in such a simple way, he felt that it had a unique artistic conception, just like that minimalist style! Even Chen Lao Han thought it was good and praised the young master for his skill!
The eldest son scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed, even though it wasn't the first time he'd been called "Young Master"! He thought to himself, "I only remembered this after the teacher talked about rubbings! It seems going to school is still useful."
Once this busy period is over, he and Lu Song will still go to attend some classes, at least to broaden their horizons.
Seeing Chen Laohan's superb carving skills, Qin Sanniang had a new idea. She had many ideas in her mind. If she could open a furniture shop, the business would definitely be good!
But right now, she has a lot of things to do, so let's talk about it later!
One must take things one step at a time, just as one must eat one bite at a time.
Chen Laohan is very satisfied with his current life. Even if Chen Erjun comes to find him again and says that no one will take care of him in his old age, he will have to rely on his younger brother!
Old Chen didn't budge, and Chen Erjun was still trying to persuade him with gentle persuasion, but his apprentice Chen Ming rudely chased him away!
And then there was the mouse, which suddenly bristled and roared, "Grandpa, you still have me! I'll take care of you in your old age! Grandpa can live to be a hundred!"
Chen Erjun shamelessly came several times, but seeing that his elder brother remained unmoved, he knew it was hopeless and stopped coming to cause trouble!
Old Chen was quite skilled, and farmers from all around knew he was available again. Many came to him to make farm tools and furniture. In addition, with a constant stream of work on Qin San Niang's side, she was also very busy and had plenty of money to spare!
For example, the labor cost for each bamboo bowl is one coin, and if business is good, it may need to be more.
Chen Laohan and his apprentice are both quick and efficient, making fifty or sixty a day, and that's in their spare time. Their income is quite considerable!
What pleased him even more was that he was increasingly satisfied with this apprentice; he was diligent and talented, a truly remarkable person!
Chen Laohan wasn't a stingy person. For example, in this bamboo bowl business, he wanted to split the profits 50/50 with his apprentice. Chen Ming was so excited that he almost kowtowed to him!
When Chen Ming's parents heard the news, they were so shocked that they couldn't speak for a long time!
It's one thing for my son to become an apprentice, but Master Chen didn't ask for much tuition at all. He just said that he would give me a piece of meat during the New Year and other holidays. He even gave my son some wages when he worked for my eldest son's family before. But this time, he directly gave my son half of his wages!
Chen Ming's father was an honest man, and he absolutely refused to agree. This wasn't an apprenticeship; it was learning a trade for wages!
"Mingzi, what exactly did your master say? It wasn't something you asked for yourself, was it?" Chen Ming's father was furious at the thought of this possibility.
Although their family had helped Master Chen and his grandson, they never expected anything in return. If their son took advantage of this and went too far, they would be in for a world of hurt! But then they thought it was impossible; their son was honest and kind and wouldn't do such a thing.
Chen Ming looked at his parents with a wry smile. What did they take him for?
"Father and Mother, this really isn't what I wanted. Master insisted on giving it to me, and he even said that if I didn't accept it, he wouldn't want me as his disciple anymore!" Chen Ming scratched his head and said in a very honest and simple manner.
He never expected his master to take such good care of him. His family was very poor, the poorest in Shiligou!
The reason was that my grandfather and grandmother fell ill one after another a few years ago, and the family sold four acres of good land. In addition, they encountered natural disasters and man-made calamities, and the land did not yield much harvest. After the exorbitant taxes and levies were deducted, they could not even make a living.
Fortunately, his parents were hardworking and bought two acres of wasteland from the village head to cultivate, which saved them from starving to death!
The harvest from the wasteland is limited, so it needs to be tended slowly. However, even with such a busy family, they still try their best to ensure their children grow up well. Otherwise, no one else would agree to their eldest son becoming an apprentice; a young man like Chen Ming is excellent labor!
Nowadays, being an apprentice is called being a disciple, but many masters are unwilling and unable to pass on their best skills to their apprentices.
It's not uncommon for a disciple to starve his master after teaching him. Besides, unless they're biological father and son, it's almost impossible for the master to impart all his knowledge.
Even so, there are still many people willing to learn a trade. They know very well that once they learn a trade, it will be their own. The master must teach them some basic skills, right? And over time, they can also learn by observing others.
Therefore, nowadays, apprenticeships typically last three years, and some even take seven or eight years.
Chen Ming's parents exchanged a glance, both somewhat incredulous and excited. "Ming'er, how much does your master pay you a day?"
They thought it was only a matter of one or two coins, but they didn't think it was too little. For their family, every penny had to be carefully counted.
"The master didn't give a definitive answer, only that it would be calculated based on the amount of work done each day. Like today, it's twenty coins. Oh, right, Mother, she's here!"
Chen Ming quickly rummaged through his sleeve pockets. He had been holding onto his wages for a long time, and this was the first big sum of money he had ever earned! He had also received wages when he worked at Da Wa's house before, but it was only two or three coins.
"What did you say? Twenty coins?!" Chen Ming's father stumbled and almost fell off the stool!
Twenty coins! That's more than a heavy laborer earns! But my son doesn't seem that busy!
Chen Ming's mother wasn't much better off. Only Chen Ming's younger sister, Chen Xi, ran over excitedly, her bright eyes fixed on the coin, gazing admiringly at her older brother, praising, "Wow, big brother is amazing! He can actually earn money for the family! I want to be like big brother, earn lots of money, and buy clothes for Mom and Dad in the future!"
Chen Ming's father fell silent, and Chen Ming's mother's tears also streamed down her face. Now that their son could earn money, they could finally rest easy.
"Mother, why are you crying? Isn't this a happy occasion?"
Seeing his mother cry, Chen Ming was at a loss. His mother had always been a strong person. Even when the family was so poor that they couldn't even afford wild vegetable porridge, he had never seen his mother cry. Instead, she comforted them and said it was okay. Then she turned around and took a sickle to cut the bark of the tree.
Seeing that her son and daughter were worried about her, Chen Ming's mother quickly wiped away her tears and smiled, saying that she was happy.
Chen Ming's father solemnly instructed him that he must be respectful to his master, for a teacher for a day is a father for life, and he would take care of his master in his old age and see him off when he died! Also, he must be good to Hao'er, for he is the only son of his master's family!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com