The noisy family arrived at the house of the woman in the plaid shirt. The woman in the plaid shirt was already waiting outside the door. Seeing the old tailor and Ruan Xiren, she smiled and hurriedly greeted them: "Oh, you are finally here."
In order to wait for the old tailor to make clothes, she has not been anywhere until now.
Of course, she did not plan to do anything else in the next two days. She would not do the work of the production team for the time being and stayed at home to take care of this matter. After all, her son's marriage was the top priority of the family.
Two men put down the chair in front of the door, and the other two carried the sewing machine into the house, said hello and left.
The woman in the plaid shirt called the old tailor into the house, and Ruan Xi followed quietly behind with two schoolbags on her back. She came to learn from the old tailor on the job, and all she had to do was deliver things and do odd jobs, so she didn't say much.
The woman in the plaid shirt took a long bench and placed it behind the sewing machine. The old tailor walked over and sat down. He didn't like to socialize with people, so he didn't greet the woman in the plaid shirt and directly asked Ruan Xi to take out the album.
Ruan Xi took the album out of her schoolbag and handed it to the woman in the plaid shirt.
The old tailor smoked a pipe and said, "I drew a few simple patterns based on the girl's face and figure, as well as the patterns and materials of the pieces of cloth you pulled. Take a look and I'll cut the cloth after you choose."
The woman in the plaid shirt flipped through the album, her eyes full of joy, and said as she flipped through the pictures, "It's really fashionable."
When she finished flipping through all the pictures drawn by the old tailor, her future daughter-in-law appeared at the door.
The woman in the plaid shirt was very happy to see the pictures and smiled and said, "You came at the right time. Come over and take a look and choose. Master Song has drawn a lot of patterns for you. Once you choose, we'll make it right away."
Even in normal times, if you can make a new piece of clothing to wear, you will be happy for half a year, not to mention that now there is also the happy event of marriage. The girl smiled, braided her hair, and came to look at the album in the woman's hand.
The two of them looked at and discussed, but they didn't get too entangled, nor did they argue because of aesthetic differences. They smoothly decided on the three styles they liked the most.
After the woman and her daughter-in-law decided on the style, the old tailor put down the smoke pot and stood up.
In order to let the old tailor make clothes, the woman borrowed a large board from the production team, put it on the wall, wiped it clean, so that the old tailor could draw lines on the board, cut, iron, etc.
The old tailor walked to the big board and sat down. Ruan Xi took out pencils, rough paper, scissors, chalk and other necessary tools from his schoolbag and placed them on the board in order so that the old tailor could reach them. The
old tailor spread out the paper in front of him and drew a sketch on the marked size.
Ruan Xi watched him draw beside him, pretending to be learning seriously. The woman and her future daughter-in-law also stood by and watched. They had different feelings. They were looking forward to the appearance of the finished clothes. After the
old tailor finished drawing the sketch, he threw down the pen, turned to Ruan Xi and said, "Cut out these carefully, put them on the cloth, use chalk to trace along the edges, and then cut out the traced pieces of cloth. You do it."
If you count carefully, Ruan Xi didn't learn the craft from the old tailor for a long time, only a few days. This was her first time to make clothes with him. If she was really a novice, she would have hesitated for a long time to take this task.
But she was not a novice, so she agreed straightforwardly, "Okay."
The woman in the plaid shirt and her future daughter-in-law looked at each other, and it was obvious that they were still not so confident in Ruan Xi. However, they had been scolded by the old tailor before, and they remembered the lesson. This time they endured it and did not say anything.
They were still very nervous at first, but when they saw Ruan Xi come back after washing his hands and start to work according to the steps, the uneasiness in their hearts gradually disappeared. Because Ruan Xi's work is very meticulous, not only is the cutting good, but also the fabric is extremely economical.
Seeing Ruan Xi cutting most of the pieces, the plaid shirt lady looked relieved and said with a smile, "Master Song, your apprentice is really well taught. She does things in a methodical manner, which makes people feel at ease."
The old tailor was willing to praise Ruan Xi this time and said, "She is smart. I won't teach stupid people."
The plaid shirt lady echoed beside her, "Yes, the little girl looks smart."
Ruan Xi smiled as she cut the cloth and flattered the old tailor, "Master taught her well."
After cutting, Ruan Xi put down the scissors and took out the body of the sewing machine from her stomach and set it up.
The old tailor washed his hands and sat down in front of the sewing machine, stepping on the pedal to skillfully sew the fabric. Ruan Xi, the plaid shirt lady and her future daughter-in-law still stood by and watched, watching the fragments of cloth being pieced together into clothes.
The old tailor first sewed a simple version and asked the woman's future daughter-in-law to try it out first.
Only after trying it on can you know the specific effect, and you can see at a glance where the tailoring is not suitable or where it can be done better. After trying it on, make some slight changes and then make it in detail.
A set of clothes is tried and modified in this way until the end.
Because it is a wedding dress, this set of clothes is made slowly and is not completely finished until the evening. The next day, two sets of daily wear clothes had to be made, so Ruan Xi stayed with the old tailor that night.
Living up there can only be considered a makeshift, after all, no one has so many houses. But the food is better than what the mountain residents usually eat, not salted cabbage and white porridge.
The woman in the plaid shirt cooked dishes for the old tailor and Ruan Xi separately and let them eat together.
After a full meal, they slept together for one night and continued to work the next day.
The old tailor was still sketching in front of the big board. After finishing, he threw down his pencil and then used chalk to trace the paper onto the fabric. Cutting along the lines was not a job that required much technical skills. Ruan Xi was still doing it.
After Ruan Xi finished cutting, he gave the fabric to the old tailor, but this time the old tailor did not take it.
He looked lazy and suddenly said, "You watched all day yesterday. You saw how a piece of clothing is made from the beginning to the end, and how every step and detail is handled. These two pieces today are simple, so you do it."
Hearing this, Ruan Xi did not respond yet, and the woman in the plaid shirt stopped working.
She stared at the old tailor, "Master Song, this won't do!"
The old tailor asked, "Why not?"
Isn't this a nonsense?
The woman in the plaid shirt frowned slightly, "These are all new cloths. I spent real money and walked four days on the mountain road to buy them from the commune. The clothes I made are for weddings. How can I let your apprentice practice with them?"
Everyone knows that this is the first time he has taken his apprentice out to make clothes together. This apprentice has only been with him for a few days. No matter how smart he is, it is impossible for him to use the machine to make clothes by himself, right?
Ruan Xi can fully understand the worries of the woman in the plaid shirt. She doesn't want to be in the spotlight, so she said to the old tailor, "Master, how about I learn for a while before using the machine?"
The old tailor said, "Just do what I tell you to do."
He knew that his apprentice could definitely make these two simple daily clothes.
As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the room froze.
The woman in the plaid shirt knew the old tailor's personality and temper. Everyone on the mountain knew his personality and temper. He was mean, old-fashioned and inhuman, like a moldy, smelly stone.
If it weren't for his skills, I'm afraid no one would even want to talk to him.
There was no other way. The woman in the plaid shirt took a deep breath and held her breath. Finally, she looked at the old tailor and said, "Master Song, if you insist on letting your apprentice do it, then I'll make it clear.
If it's not done well, you won't be paid and you'll have to compensate me for the cloth." The old tailor said "hmm" easily, "Let her pay for it. Her father is an officer in the army."
Ruan Xi was stunned and looked at him: "???"
The old tailor ignored her eyes and stuck his chin towards the sewing machine: "Finish it early and go home early."
Ruan Xi retracted her eyes and said nothing. She took the cut pieces of cloth and sat down in front of the sewing machine.
Making such simple clothes was not a big deal for her, so she was very relaxed. But the woman in the plaid shirt and her future daughter-in-law standing by the sewing machine were not relaxed, and their faces were as if weighed down by tons of dark clouds.
In order to quickly relieve their psychological pressure, Ruan Xi did not hesitate and decisively pulled out the thread on the sewing machine, picked out the appropriate thread to wind a bottom line, and after winding the bottom line, he threaded the thread to lead the bottom line, all the actions were done in one go.
Seeing that Ruan Xi was very skilled in doing these things, the woman in the plaid shirt looked a little better. But she did not relax, especially when she saw Ruan Xi pressing the cloth under the press plate, her heartbeat was blocked in her throat.
When she thought that this was the cloth that his family had worked hard to save money to cross the mountain road to buy from the commune, she was even more breathless. When Ruan Xi turned the wheel and stepped on the pedal, she almost rolled her eyes and fainted.
But when Ruan Xi stepped on an equidistant straight line on the edge of the fabric very smoothly, she suddenly steadied her breath and stood still. Then the dark clouds on her face gradually dissipated, and slowly revealed a look of surprise.
The old tailor was smoking a cigarette beside her, watching the change of expression on the plaid shirt lady's face, and deliberately chose this moment to ask her: "What do you think of my apprentice?"
The plaid shirt lady came back to her senses after hearing this, and looked a little embarrassed, "You teach really well."
The old tailor was not modest at all, "Of course."
Ruan Xi smiled as she stepped on the sewing machine, "I am still smart."
The plaid shirt lady praised her again, "Girl, you are really smart, I underestimated you."
When she said this, she didn't have any worries left in her heart. She was completely relieved and relaxed, and no longer stood in the room to watch, but asked her future daughter-in-law to wait here, so that she could try on the clothes and talk about her ideas when needed. After that
, the only sound in the room was the sound of the sewing machine turning.
After the last piece of clothing was finished, Ruan Xi sat in front of the sewing machine and used a hand-made needle to sew buttonholes. After sewing the last buttonhole, ironing it, and then nailing the button, he had completed the task for the day.
While Ruan Xi was ironing clothes with the iron, the woman in the plaid shirt brought a gutted and featherless chicken into the house and said to the old tailor, "Master Song, I slaughtered a rooster for you. You can take it back to eat."
The old tailor did not refuse and accepted it directly.
He used to do this when he went to make clothes for others. He could always get some food. Some people gave him peach cakes, honey cakes, some gave him eggs or slaughtered livestock. During the New Year, they would also give him some pork meat when they slaughtered pigs.
Of course, after giving him gifts, he didn't care whether the wages were a little more or a little less.
After the clothes were finished, the old tailor took the rooster and wages and left.
After packing up the things, four strong men took them back.
The old tailor sat on the chair and asked Ruan Xi: "Do you want all the money, or this chicken?"
Ruan Xi was a little surprised, "Do I still have wages?"
The old tailor said: "Of course you can get wages for the work, it's up to you."
Ruan Xi thought about it, looked up at him and said: "Then I want half a chicken."
In the small stove room of the Ruan family.
Ruan Changgui was cooking pig food behind the stove, and Sun Xiaohui was sitting next to him chopping chicken food.
Ruan Changgui grabbed a handful of straw and stuffed it under the stove, then asked Sun Xiaohui, "Did Xiaoxi not come back last night?"
Sun Xiaohui knew about this. She chopped chicken food and said, "I heard that she went with the old tailor to make clothes for others."
Ruan Changgui looked at Sun Xiaohui, "The old tailor has never taken anyone out to make clothes, has he?"
Sun Xiaohui smiled indifferently, "No, so what?"
Ruan Changgui looked anxious, "What's wrong? It means that the old tailor values her, don't you think so?" "What do you think of me ?"
Sun Xiaohui kept wielding the kitchen knife. "What do I think of me? Don't you know what the old tailor is like? He is just a miser. In the past, many people came to him to learn the craft, and everyone gave him something. What did they get? He was generous at best, just a bunch of grapes."
She stopped the knife to take a breath. "He just treats people as tools. He takes Xiaoxi out to make clothes, just like he takes someone by his side to order her around and let her do odd jobs. It is probably because Xiaoxi is easy to order that he does this. I'm serious about accepting her as my apprentice."
He raised the kitchen knife and continued chopping, "Only your mother would treat her like this. What kind of craft would she learn? She gave up half a basket of eggs in exchange for a bunch of grapes? What's the use of a bunch of grapes? Not to mention that half a basket of eggs was lost, this girl was raised in vain. She doesn't do housework at home, but works for other people. In the end, she doesn't learn any craft, so what does she get?"
Ruan Changgui thought about it and nodded in agreement, "Yes, she went to follow others. "She is learning a skill and asking others to take the trouble to teach her, but she is not cut out for it. Do they even pay her for it?"
Sun Xiaohui sneered, "Wages? I'm afraid they will have to slaughter another chicken and send it over later."
Sun Xiaohui had just finished speaking when she heard Ruan Xi's voice from outside: "Grandma, I'm back!"
Sun Xiaohui shook her head when she heard the voice, "The prodigal is back."
Liu Xinghua's voice came again, "Hey, where did you get the chicken?"
Chicken? What chicken?
Ruan Changgui and Sun Xiaohui raised their heads and pricked up their ears at the same time.
Ruan Xi: "The family that made the clothes killed it and gave it to us. My master and I each got half a rooster."
Outside the side room, Ruan Xi pulled out a banknote from his school bag after he finished speaking. Unable to suppress his joy, he continued: "Ting ting ting ting... In addition to half a rooster, there is also a one-dollar bill. It's the wages I earned from going out with my master to make clothes this time."
The moment she saw the banknotes, Liu Xinghua's eyes widened: "One dollar?"
In the stove room, Ruan Changgui almost exclaimed at the same time as Liu Xinghua: "One dollar?"
You know, he worked hard for a month, and the work points he earned were only about five yuan. Women like Sun Xiaohui did lighter work in the production team, and the work points they earned in a month were only about three or four yuan.
And Ruan Xi went out for two days and easily earned half a rooster and one dollar? ?
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