Chapter 97: Learning from a Master
It is not easy to learn a craft these days. Craftsmen usually only teach their skills to relatives and friends, or if the child's parents have a good relationship with the craftsman, the craftsman will also accept the child as an apprentice.
When you become an apprentice, you will not learn the skills immediately. Instead, you will have to do odd jobs for the master for three years. Only after three years may you get a few cents in wages.
And during these three years, if you live in your master's house, you have to pay your own food rations.
In addition, during festivals, the master should be treated with the highest standards, either by giving gifts or inviting him home for dinner.
The reason why Gao Mingcheng dared to come to the door and say this was because he saw that Gao Shouwang had a good impression of him and often spoke well of him in the village. Although there was an age difference between the two, they could still talk to each other when they met occasionally.
As for Dong Feixia, Gao Mingcheng asked her to make clothes for him several times, and the two gradually became familiar with each other.
Gao Shouwang accepted it on behalf of Dong Feixia, which made Dong Feixia glare at him, but she did not refute or refuse. She said gently: "Okay, then you can ask her to come over tomorrow morning."
Gao Mingcheng was completely relieved after Dong Feixia agreed in person. However, he proposed another idea: "Aunt, three years of apprenticeship is too long. Can you teach faster? After a year, I want Duomei to work in the county clothing store."
This time even Gao Shouwang felt that Gao Mingcheng was going too far.
To learn a craft, everyone has to work as a handyman for a master for three years before they can acquire the skills.
Seeing Gao Shouwang and Dong Feixia's displeasure, Gao Mingcheng immediately said, "Uncle, aunt, I can pay for the tuition! As long as Duomei can finish her apprenticeship quickly, money is not a problem."
In later generations, if you want to learn a skill and only want to learn the basics, you can just look for tutorials on the Internet; if you want to study systematically, you can go to a technical school and sign up for a three-month crash course, which will allow you to learn simple cooking, sewing, etc.
Gao Mingcheng doesn't want many students to learn a craft for three years because he thinks it's unnecessary to waste time. In the context of rapid economic development, how many opportunities will be missed if they spend three years learning a craft and then open a clothing store or a garment workshop?
Dong Feixia was still unhappy. She learned the craft from her aunt. Because she was young, she worked as an apprentice in her aunt's house for five years before becoming a master.
Of course, during these five years, I was not just learning a skill, but also doing odd jobs, doing housework, and even helping my aunt take care of the children.
It took me a lot of effort to learn how to do this, and then I became a tailor. I took orders from several nearby villages and slowly started to earn some money.
But now Gao Mingcheng only allows many artists to learn for one year, which means that during this year, they will basically be learning skills instead of doing odd jobs for their master's family.
If anyone else said this, Dong Feixia would scold them away.
Gao Shouwang was also in a dilemma. He liked Gao Mingcheng and was willing to help him, but now he had to listen to his wife as to whether he wanted to teach him the craft or not.
Dong Feixia pursed her lips and was silent for a moment, but the first question she asked had nothing to do with the matter of becoming an apprentice.
"Are there many clothing stores in the county? Is business good?"
Gao Mingcheng was stunned for a moment, then said, "Not much, but business is very good. There is a clothing store that gets its goods from Yangcheng, which are not available in our county. They sell very well, and one coat costs a worker three months' salary."
Gao Shouwang's eyes widened instantly, and he said in disbelief: "Three months' salary? Who would buy this?"
Gao Mingcheng smiled and said, "There is no shortage of rich people anywhere! There are few people who spend three months' salary to buy a piece of clothing, but there are many people who are willing to spend one month's salary to buy clothes!"
Never underestimate women’s love of beauty!
There is a saying that goes: There is always one piece of clothing missing in a woman’s wardrobe!
"People in the county are still rich." Dong Feixia said with some envy. She was a tailor and naturally had a certain understanding of the clothing market.
When she went to the county to get fabric before, she found some new styles in the county. She originally wanted to buy one, take it apart, make a pattern, and then make it according to the style, but she didn't do it in the end.
The main reason is that people in the county care about fashion, but people in the village care about practicality.
Wear the fabric that is durable and wear-resistant, and use the cutting method that saves fabric.
"Okay, you give her 88 yuan as tuition, and give her a gift during the holidays, and I will guarantee that she will learn it in one year." Finally, Dong Feixia gave in.
"Oh, thank you so much, auntie, you are such a nice person!" Gao Mingcheng happily flattered her.
Dong Feixia only charged 88 yuan, which was not a lot of money, but it was considered good luck.
The tuition for junior high school in Gaomingli is 17 yuan per semester, which means 102 yuan for three years. However, the school will not guarantee you a job after you finish junior high school.
But if you learn the craft of tailoring, it's like having a stable job.
"Then I will bring Duomei here tomorrow to formally become your disciple." Gao Mingcheng said happily, and handed over the wild rabbit he brought, saying, "Uncle, if you want to eat wild rabbit or pheasant in the future, just tell me!"
"Oh, okay!" Gao Shouwang also laughed happily.
He knew that Gao Mingcheng had special skills in catching wild rabbits and pheasants, and he saw that he ate a lot of them on a daily basis.
Now Dong Feixia has accepted many beauties as apprentices, and he can also eat meat.
After Gao Mingcheng left, Gao Shouwang did not forget to praise Dong Feixia: "You have a good apprentice! We will never lack meat for our family in the future."
Dong Feixia smiled, and the only trace of grudge in her heart disappeared.
Early the next morning, Gao Mingcheng brought many beauties to learn from him.
In addition to the 88 yuan tuition fee, Gao Mingcheng also gave a ginseng and a pheasant. This standard can be said to be very high.
Manyu Mei was a little nervous throughout the whole process. Although they were from the same village and knew each other, the relationship between them became different after they became apprentices.
Another thing is that she didn't expect that Gao Mingcheng would spend so much money to let her become his apprentice!
This made her both moved and anxious.
She was afraid that she would not be able to learn well and Gao Mingcheng's money would be wasted.
From that day on, Xuanyuemei officially became Dong Feixia's apprentice and worked with Dong Feixia. This made many people in the village particularly envious, and some people indirectly inquired about why Dong Feixia accepted Xuanyuemei as her apprentice and what Xuanyuemei gave her.
Fortunately, Gao Shouwang and his wife kept their mouths shut and didn't say much when others asked about it.
But there are no secrets in the village. Many Mei families are so poor that she certainly doesn’t have the ability to become a disciple. This must be the result of Gao Mingcheng’s efforts.
After helping many beauties successfully become apprentices, Gao Mingcheng put the matter behind him because he had more things to do.
(End of this chapter)
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