The candidate He recommended to Qiao Mingjin was Xia Jingui, her own mother and the wife of He's father, He Mancang.
He Mancang's parents have both passed away, and the couple gave birth to siblings He Dongmei and He Xiaochun. After He Mancang took his son and two apprentices to Qiao Mingjin in Xiahe Village to help with carpentry work, Xia was the only one left in the family.
One person.
The He family's original family situation was extremely difficult. The family did not have two acres of land, so He's father took out carpentry jobs all year round to supplement the family income. Later, when He Xiaochun grew up, He Mancang taught his son the carpenter craft step by step, and brought his son up with him.
I went out, hoping that more people could earn more coins.
Life at home gradually got better, and a few acres of land were gradually purchased. Later, after the father and son got some money from Qiao Mingjin, they bought some more land.
It's just that because He Mancang and his son were not at home often, only the Xia family was left. The Xia family could not cultivate so many fields by themselves, so they leased most of the family's land to acquaintances.
Now she has a lot of leisure time on her own. She has no worries about food and drink, and she has land to rent. She can't say that she has a lot of money, but her life is moist.
It's just that living alone is a bit lonely.
He Dongmei had long wanted to ask Qiao Mingjin if she could bring her mother to the Yayi Workshop in Xiahe Village. The whole family would be in one place, so that the family would not have to worry about two places. It would also allow the He family and his son to concentrate more on their work.
Work.
She just kept looking at the workshop and there was no extra work to be filled. Her family was also favored by Qiao Mingjin, and she never had the nerve to speak to Qiao Mingjin.
After listening to He's hesitant words, Qiao Mingjin said with a smile: "Cousin, what's there to be embarrassed about? I wish your family could all be here, so Master He and Xiaochun don't have to worry about anything.
Wouldn’t it be easier to work with peace of mind? You also know that I am very short of people now. I wish I didn’t have a holiday every ten days. The masters directly make the Yayi Workshop their home. Now the workshop is not without room. Besides, even if you
Mother either replaces Xingniang or has other tasks assigned to her, such as helping to polish, wax, paint, or dry tree stumps. It can also give the masters more time to work on their work.
Do more important things. I'm still waiting for you to speak."
After hearing this, Mr. He's straight back immediately softened.
He said with a little embarrassment: "My father, my brother and our husband and wife, sometimes Yunluan is here, almost the whole family is here, and the salary you gave is too much, I really can't bother you anymore
You, your mother's family is much better now. They built a new house last year, and my mother's life is very leisurely now. She is a little lonely and boring just guarding the big new home by herself, and my father and Xiaochun don't trust her, and they always
Thinking about her..."
Sister Xiu listened and said with a smile: "My dear cousins, what can't be discussed? When this workshop was first built, Jinniang built several small suites just for the children.
The master carpenter's family lives here. She, I'm afraid, would like to have the whole family come to work for her. The whole family is here, they have nothing to worry about, they own the workshop, and she can also do a lot of things for others.
Yes, I can earn a lot of money and put it into my pocket."
Several people laughed after hearing this.
Mr. Ma, who was sitting next to him, also smiled and joked with Mr. He.
That's how things settled.
After hearing the letter, the He family father and son were very happy. They went to Qiao Mingjin to thank her and hurriedly sent his son-in-law Yun Jin back to Hejiacun to pick him up.
Xia arrived at noon the next day.
Originally, Qiao Mingjin often heard her cousin-in-law He nagging her mother, but she never had the chance to meet her. There were a few times in her memory, but they were all too vague.
Xia is much younger than Qiao Mingjin imagined.
Also, He's Dongmei is only in her early twenties.
Although Xia's life was hard in the past few years, she managed it at home alone, but maybe it was because her life had been better in the past two years, and she looked very energetic. She was wearing a brand-new fine cotton coat, her hair was neatly tied, and she also wore
Her hair was oiled, and there were several silver hairpins as thick as her little finger in her hair. Her face was round and fleshy, and she smiled with a row of neat teeth, giving her a kind look.
As soon as he got off the oxcart, he hurriedly walked two steps to Qiao Mingjin and said hello to Qiao Mingjin. He took Qiao Mingjin's hand and muttered several words. He also held Wan'er in his arms and rubbed him a few times.
Seeing this, Qiao Mingjin had a better impression of Xia.
After hearing the letter, the He family father and son also came to the door of the workshop.
He Xiaochun hurried forward to help his mother with her luggage, while He's father just looked on with a smile on his lips. The couple only looked at each other in the crowd.
But this glance was enough to make Qiao Mingjin envious.
Sometimes there is no need for words or much care between husband and wife, sometimes it is all in that look.
Xia's residence has been tidied up by He.
Xia's luggage was also very simple. A few soft bundles were carried on He Xiaochun's shoulders and brought to the house. There was another bag wrapped in coarse cloth and a pickle jar. Xia said it was hers.
The pickled pickles were held in his arms and brought to Qiao Mingjin. There were also a few snacks wrapped in oil paper, most of which were also given to Qiao Mingjin.
The things were not exquisite, but Qiao Mingjin remembered them.
That night, in order to welcome Mrs. Xia, the workshop also added several dishes. The arrival of Mrs. Xia made the masters in the workshop relax a little bit of their restraint. They talked and laughed and ate happily.
The masters looked at Master He and his family together, and enviously asked Qiao Mingjin if he could take care of their family, saying that all the money had been taken away by the He family...
After Mrs. Xia arrived, Mrs. Ma was officially taken home by her husband to raise her baby.
And Mr. Xia is very agile, and she used to do everything at home, but now she is like a fish in water in the workshop. The whole family is probably together, with a smile on her face every day, and the food she cooks is in line with the taste of the old and young masters in the workshop.
I get along very well with the old and young masters in the workshop.
It turned out that the masters in the workshop, because Ma was a young daughter-in-law, young and newly married, and her husband and wife were very loving, would always come to pick her up when her father-in-law left work. Therefore, the young masters in the workshop usually avoided her.
I was too embarrassed to give her a change of clothes to wash, and I didn't want to say a word for fear of making some noise.
But Xia didn't have this problem at all.
Xia is talkative and has great conversations with the other masters. Those of the same age will talk to each other about her children and trivial matters at home, while the younger masters will talk to each other about their parents, family, wives and children...
The young chefs also treat her like an elder. It is not a burden for Xia to wash the clothes she has changed. She can eat whatever food she wants, whether it is salty, sour, spicy or light and heavy. It is also very casual.
Discuss with Xia.
Qiao Mingjin watched with cold eyes for a few days, then let go with peace of mind.
Now that everything in the workshop is on track, Qiao Mingjin doesn't have much to worry about. She also produces fewer pictures. Now the masters only need to glance at the wooden stakes a few times to know what works they want to create, and they don't need to worry about it.
Drawing and looking at pictures, pruning and removing beards, polishing and polishing, all at random. And she just gave some opinions from the side.
It was a matter of manpower. Qiao Mingjin discussed with Manager Zhou, who came to the workshop every now and then, and planned to hire some more people to do auxiliary work so that the masters could spend more time.
Although the root carvings of Yayi Workshop in Qingchuan City are the first to be created, some carpentry shops or master carpenters who have spotted business opportunities are also making some root carvings for sale. The cost is low and the selling price is low. Although it is rough, there is no lack of market.
It has an impact on Yayi Workshop. Fortunately, the impact is not big. They focus on profits, while Qiao Mingjin focuses on making heirloom products. There are still many orders to come, and this year Zhou Yanqing took over some orders from Beijing and neighboring cities and counties.
of orders.
We need to rush out these orders. My hands are tight.
It's just that this thing cannot be produced on an assembly line, and the most important thing is slow work and careful work. Moreover, each master's creative method is different. Even if he is working on the same picture and different masters take over, it can also be seen that there are two different lives.
.So it cannot be mass produced.
It's just that you need to find some people to help with auxiliary work, such as painting, waxing and polishing, so that the masters can spend more time doing the most important carving.
Therefore, it seems that Shi Gen and Yue Dongzhi alone are not enough.
After Qiao Mingjin asked Manager Zhou to inform Zhou Yanqing, he selected six young men in the village. He asked Shi Gen and Yue Dongzhi to do some auxiliary chores, or to deliver goods to the city with Yun Jin, and back and forth.
Work like transporting wooden piles.
The speed has been significantly improved.
The works also came out faster than usual. The feedback from customers who received the goods as scheduled was very good.
On this day, Qiao Mingjin was watching some newly hired young men doing some polishing and painting work in the workshop, so Xia brought Sun in to look for her.
Mrs. Sun saw that Qiao Mingjin's reputation in the village was now rising day by day. She was not at all what she thought she would be when she was kicked out of the in-laws' family, or dragging her skinny daughter in ragged clothes, crying, shouting, kneeling and begging to enter the in-laws' family again.
At this time, she was talking eloquently and commanding several young men invited by the village. Others seemed to be convinced of her, and the injustice in Sun's heart became more and more intense.
At this time, she had no choice but to put on a smile. Who asked her to ask for help?
Sun said sourly to Qiao Mingjin: "Third brother and sister, your life is getting more and more lively now. Look at what you are wearing on your head and body, and looking at you now, I would have thought you were the shopkeeper.
As for my wife, my sister-in-law is so envious."
Qiao Mingjin smiled secretly after hearing this.
Seeing Mrs. Sun's expression of injustice but unable to resist flattery, she said, "Do you have any business with me?"
Sun originally wanted to say a few more words, but she didn't expect that Qiao Mingjin didn't agree with her. She was so straightforward and didn't even exchange greetings.
I had no choice but to swallow the unfinished words and said with a smile: "Look at you like this. If you don't know, you would think we are strangers. Look at your birth status."
As she said this, she glanced at Xia who led her over.
Xia also glanced at her, then received Qiao Mingjin's eyes. She said something to Qiao Mingjin and turned around to go back to work.
Mrs. Sun looked at Mr. Xia's back, feeling even more unsatisfied.
This person was invited from such a long distance, just to do laundry and cook. She, Mrs. Sun, can’t cook anymore?
One tael of silver a month! The whole family is flesh and blood, and Mrs. Qiao’s elbows are all bent outward. No wonder her mother-in-law scolds her as a white-eyed wolf at home every day.
Mrs. Sun felt relieved when she saw Qiao Mingjin waiting for her to finish speaking and then ask someone to walk. Her tone became a little serious and she said, "My mother-in-law asked me to come this time, saying that she wanted to go to your house."
One trip.”
After saying this, I sighed in my heart, if the monkey is wild, can it still find the Five Fingers Mountain? (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
ps: The update has been resumed. Sorry, dear friends. Starting tomorrow, I will leave home and return to the world of reinforced concrete. The city is full of lights, pedestrians are passing each other in a hurry, and I am already filled with sadness before I leave home...
Thanks to the book friends who have always supported me, I bow... I wish all book friends a happy Year of the Horse and all the best.
