Chen Jing became interested immediately upon hearing this and spent half the night discussing it with Ji Xia before finalizing his plan.
Actually, he wasn't very interested in partnering with others, but he couldn't refuse Ji Xia's invitation. Now, Ji Xia offered him a new idea that caught his eye.
The two discussed it for half the night and also made another plan.
However, the garment factory will not be able to start operating by the end of this year, so the matter has been put aside.
Xie An, Xie Xun, and Jiang Yizhi took Chen Jing's suggestion about recruiting female workers to heart. Sure enough, within a week, five or six girls came to their door looking for work.
On Saturday afternoon after school, Ji Xia carried her sketchbook and schoolbag, along with a net of apples, back to the courtyard house. As she returned to the gate, a neighbor called out to her.
"Ji girl, you're back from your holiday."
Upon hearing this, Ji Xia turned around and smiled slightly at her, generously offering her an apple: "Yes, Aunt Wang, these are fresh apples I just picked out. Have one!"
Many old neighbors lived in this alley, and Ji Xia had become familiar with them after living there for a few months.
Knowing that Ji Xia was a student at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Chen Jing set up a small workshop here. At first, the surrounding neighbors watched from afar and dared not approach.
However, since the news of the country's economic opening up came out, her workshop has hired more and more female workers, and the neighbors around her have become more and more friendly towards Chen Jing and Ji Xia.
Aunt Wang is the old lady in the courtyard next door. She always considers herself superior and doesn't look down on people from other places.
It was unusual for him to greet Ji Xia with a smile today, which made Ji Xia feel a little strange.
However, Ji Xia knew that the capital was full of hidden talents, and who knew what kind of background these old local ladies and gentlemen were, so she always greeted them politely.
"No, no, you eat it yourself. My teeth aren't good, I can't eat this cold fruit."
Grandma Wang was very pleased with Ji Xia's politeness, politely declined her kindness, and warmly grasped her wrist: "I've noticed that you've had some new people coming to your workshop these past few days. Are you looking to hire more people?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Xia smiled and said, "Yes, Aunt Wang, our workshop is rushing to meet its embroidery and textile production deadlines, and we urgently need to hire some female workers who know embroidery or have basic embroidery skills. Do you have any recommendations, Aunt Wang?"
"You need to know embroidery? Do your clothes require hand embroidery? Don't you need people who can sew?"
"Most of the wedding dresses we've been making recently require hand embroidery, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive, so we need more people to do it."
Upon hearing this, Ji Xia simply shook her head tactfully: "We already have enough female sewing workers. All our sewing machines have female workers, and we don't have any extra machines."
Hearing this, Old Mrs. Wang was somewhat disappointed, but she held onto her wrist tightly: "There aren't any extra cars. We can transfer those who know embroidery, and then hire sewing workers. Let me tell you, I have a niece who is very skillful, quick, and capable."
As she spoke, she waved towards her door, and a girl with two braids and a somewhat shy expression came out.
"Let me introduce you. This is the daughter of one of my relatives, named Wang Yuexiang. She's a well-known good girl in the surrounding area. She makes clothes, shoes, and hats, and she does them all beautifully..."
Grandma Wang praised Wang Yuexiang highly, and Wang Yuexiang lowered her head shyly, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes as she stood there awkwardly.
Ji Xia looked closely and was about seventeen or eighteen years old. She might be a little malnourished, with a pale face, but she had an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, a small and slightly upturned nose, beautiful features, and a petite and delicate figure. She had the temperament of a sweet girl next door.
She looked somewhat awkward and uneasy, her eyes subtly glancing at Ji Xia several times. When Ji Xia looked at her, she looked away like a startled rabbit.
Looking at her cotton-padded coat, the cuffs were frayed and there were two linings sewn on the elbows, but it was clean. The stitches on the patches were fine, so it looked alright.
Ji Xia guessed that she came from the countryside. She herself came from the countryside and knew how difficult it was for girls from the countryside to come to the city. She was more tolerant of girls from the countryside and smiled reassuringly at her.
"Wang Yuexiang, right? Can I see your hands?"
"Okay!" Wang Yuexiang replied softly, timidly extending her hands.
Ji Xia reached out and touched her fingertips. Her fingertips were fleshy and a little dry, but not very rough.
There are some calluses on my palms, but they're not serious. I haven't done much rough work since I was little. I'll buy some clam oil, treat my hands with it, and take care of them for a few days. It should be fine.
Do you sew clothes regularly?
Wang Yuexiang nodded vigorously and smiled shyly at her: "Yes, I make all the clothes in my house. I make clothes for my father, my mother, my brother and my younger brother. I take care of all the needlework at home."
"Are you a fast worker? If we teach you embroidery, can you learn it quickly?"
"Yes, I promise I will learn it as soon as possible."
Wang Yuexiang nodded vigorously, her voice clear and sweet. Ji Xia glanced at her in surprise, thinking that such a voice was actually a waste of her talent in the workshop.
With such a beautiful face and such a sweet voice, she could easily work at a broadcasting station; it's such a pity.
Old Mrs. Wang chimed in, saying, "How can she do anything at home?"
Ji Xia just smiled slightly: "Aunt Wang, we are really full with sewing workers. However, since you brought people here personally, I will take Yuexiang in and teach her some embroidery to see how she learns. If she learns quickly, we will make an exception and hire a novice, as long as she is diligent and ambitious."
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Wang's eyes immediately lit up with joy. This was only because of her; for ordinary people who don't know embroidery, it would be difficult to get in.
However, she asked worriedly, "Is embroidery profitable? It's very complicated, is it difficult to learn?"
Ji Xia patiently explained, "Aunt Wang, don't worry. Embroidery can be simple or complex. Our processes are different, and so are our wages. She's a beginner, but as long as she's willing to learn and works hard, even a novice can earn thirty or fifty yuan a month."
"Even a beginner can earn 30 to 50 yuan? How much can an experienced person earn?"
Old Mrs. Wang's weathered face showed surprise. Thirty or fifty yuan was not a high salary in Beijing. However, high salaries were usually for engineers or managers. The wages of ordinary factory workers were not actually that high.
But Ji Xia's business is a small private workshop with only a few dozen people. It's surprising that a novice can earn thirty or fifty yuan.
"Even skilled workers have varying levels of skill. We earn money by piecework. Those who are quick and efficient and work overtime earn more. Last month, the highest wage for embroidery was eighty or ninety yuan."
Piece-rate? How is it calculated?
"Distribution according to work, more work more pay, since there is a price for each job, so the more you do, the higher your wages will be."
She explained the difference between piecework and hourly rates to Grandma Wang and Wang Yuexiang, and also explained that beginners have a protection period and are guaranteed a minimum wage even if they don't meet the standards, which made the two of them even more eager to try.
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Wang gave Wang Yuexiang a push: "Yuexiang, you should go in with Ji Yatou and study hard. You must learn it. Such an opportunity is not easy to come by, so you must cherish it."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
