After hearing what he said, the young man looked happy and quickly held Liu Dong's stretched out hand and said in a nervous tone: "Hello, hello! I will definitely not stop you next time!"
"Wang Sheng, you should learn more from Xiaodong in the future. He was just like you at the beginning. He went out to work before going to college. Now he has learned the skill of carving jade. It's amazing!" At this time, standing on the spot
The middle-aged man on the side said encouragingly.
"I know, uncle! I will definitely work hard!" the young man replied quickly.
Hearing this, Liu Dong smiled faintly and looked at the embarrassed young man in front of him. He seemed to have seen himself stepping into Quancheng for the first time three years ago, facing the unknown fate with the same fear and fear. Now that he thinks about it, everything has changed.
Like yesterday.
"It seems like I should find time to go home!" Liu Dong thought in his mind that in the past few years, he had been unsatisfactory outside, had little money, and had no face to go home. He was afraid of facing the disappointed eyes of his parents.
.He spent almost all the three New Years since coming to Quancheng alone.
"Xiaodong, Xiaodong, what are you thinking about? You are so entranced!" Wang Kun asked with a smile, looking at the young man who was in a daze.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Boss Wang, I was distracted just now!" After a pause, "I carved out all the Nanyang jade materials I got from you last time, and I just sent them to you today." Liu Dong patted them.
He glanced at the black wooden box he carried on his back and said.
"Haha, I think you're here for this too. Come on, come in, let's go inside and talk!" Wang Kun said and walked into the store first. Liu Dong quickly followed.
Liu Dong has been to Jinyu Pavilion many times, but every time he comes in and looks at the dazzling array of works of art around him, he can't help but cast envious eyes. Opening such a store in the antique city has always been his
dream.
Like all shops dealing in antique business in the Antique City, although the hundreds of square meters of shelves on the first floor of Jinyu Pavilion are filled with porcelain, calligraphy and painting, bamboo and wood carvings and other types of artworks in various shapes, almost 99% of them
They are all modern handicrafts, sold to tourists who don't know anything about collecting.
The items collected by the store on the second floor are intended to be sold to those connoisseurs, so there are many tables and chairs for resting on the second floor, which are relatively luxuriously decorated. Of course, this is usually where the store owner entertains guests. Therefore, Wang
Kun took Liu Dong straight to the second floor, and then found a table near the window, and both of them sat down!
Because it was too early, the shop assistants had not yet gone to work, so although there were exquisite tea sets on the table, there was no hot water. Fortunately, the two of them had been working with each other for a long time, so there was no need to be polite, Liu Dong
We got into the topic as soon as we started.
After gently placing the camphor wood box behind his back on the table with both hands, Liu Dong opened the five-star lock on the box, opened the lid, and took out all the boxes containing jade carvings one by one.
He opened the lid of the box and placed it in front of Wang Kun.
"Xiaodong, your jade carving skills are getting better and better. If I hadn't watched you step by step until today, I really wouldn't have believed that you were from a wild background. This skill has already surpassed the level of a third-level carver.
Come on." Holding the jade sculpture of Maitreya Buddha, Wang Kun said with admiration on his face and words full of praise.
In fact, although carvers are divided into levels, there are only two levels that can be truly recognized by the entire jade carving industry: national jade carving master and provincial jade carving master. Then there is the jade carving master certificate issued by various associations, but this is only available in the local industry.
Some influence.
As for the three-level carving that Wang Kun just mentioned, it is a carving grading system formulated by the Quancheng Jade Carving Association, with a total of five levels! In fact, the certificates for these levels of carving are just like the current university diplomas.
National jade carving masters are from prestigious universities such as Peking University and Tsinghua University, while provincial jade carving masters are key undergraduates. The remaining carving certificates issued by jade associations in various places can only be regarded as two or three. But even so, for those who have just entered the jade carving industry,
At that time, those who had this carving certificate were still more popular than those who came out of the wild like Liu Dong, and at least they would earn several thousand yuan more in salary.
At the beginning, the Quancheng Jade Carving Association originally wanted to standardize the salary structure of the entire jade carving industry through such classification, so that more jade carvers can work hard to improve their carving skills, thereby ensuring the healthy development of the entire jade carving industry. However, after a few years of implementation,
Years later, the taste has completely changed.
Now, the Jade Carver Competition held every September in Quancheng has become a tool for the people of the Jade Carving Association to make money. If there is no connection or money, it is simply a luxury for ordinary jade carvers to increase their salary through the exam. Therefore,
Although Liu Dong's jade carving skills continue to improve, in the eyes of people who are unfamiliar with him, he is still a little jade carver that few people know.
"Boss Wang won the prize!" Liu Dong said indifferently. Now he has long lost interest in the jade carving competition in Quancheng. Even if he can participate, he is not willing to take the few pieces of paper that can be bought as long as he has money!
"Haha, I didn't say much at all. If those people hadn't broken the rules, I'm afraid you would have obtained the third-level carving certificate by now." After a pause, Wang Kun looked at Liu Dong and smiled.
Then he continued: "Of course, when the time comes, if I want you to carve something for me, it won't be at the current price!"
A jade carver's grade certificate is just like a college student's diploma. There are two different levels: having it and not having it are two different levels. If Liu Dong really had a third-level jade carver qualification certificate, he would be able to earn at least five to six thousand yuan a month.
.
In 2000, five or six thousand was already a very high salary in Quancheng, and ordinary white-collar workers were not that high. If you took on some private work, you would earn even more. A monthly income of tens of thousands might not be a big problem.
.
However, Liu Dong knew clearly that unless he had connections within the Quancheng Jade Carving Association or prepared 100,000 yuan, he would not want to get the third-level jade carving certificate. Obviously, he didn't care now, and he didn't want to pay for it.
.
"Boss Wang, let's take a look at these jade carvings first!" Liu Dong said calmly.
"Well, that's fine! We are all old friends! I will give you a lot of money. I will give you 1,500 yuan for the OEM fee for this jade carving of Maitreya Buddha. These four Nanyang jade pendants are 200 yuan each. What do you think?
"
After listening to what he said, Liu Dong made a mental calculation and nodded. This price was also the price in his mind, "Okay, let's make the deal at this price!"
"Well, are you still getting ingredients from me today?" Wang Kun asked.
"It's better not to do it now!" After thinking for a moment, Liu Dong shook his head.
The market for wood carvings has been very good these days. He wants to use this time to make more wood carvings to sell. Moreover, compared to jade carvings, the production of wood carvings is more time-consuming.
"Well, when Xiaoqiu comes to work later, I will ask him to transfer all your salary and deposit to your card!" Xiaoqiu is the treasurer of Jinyu Pavilion, but it is still not until nine o'clock to go to work.
It's early, so I haven't come here yet.
After listening to his words, Liu Dong nodded. Before he carved this jade sculpture of Maitreya Buddha, he paid a deposit of 5,000 yuan at the Jinyu Pavilion. Now that the things have been delivered, and he is not ready to take over the job again, this money
Naturally, I gave it back to him.
"Xiaodong, what I said before is true. As long as you are willing to be the jade craftsman of my Jinyu Pavilion, I will give you a salary of 6,000 yuan every month, and according to the improvement of your skills, I will give you a regular salary every year.
What do you think about a salary increase for you?" As someone who has watched Liu Dong grow up, Wang Kun knows very well the talent and diligent learning attitude of the young man in front of him.
In three years, he watched Liu Dong transform from a person who knew only a little about jade carving to a jade carving master who was now better than a third-level carver. Liu Dong's progress was greater than those who had masters.
As a shrewd businessman, Wang Kun had long wanted to recruit Liu Dong into his employ.
Looking at Wang Kun's eager eyes, Liu Dong was moved for a moment, but he quickly shook his head. He knew that working in Wang Kun's store might be easier and more stable, but Liu Dong, who has a free nature,
He doesn't like to be controlled by others, otherwise when he came out of the village, he would not have chosen the uncertain career of carving, but would have followed his fellow villagers to the construction site.
Of course, another reason is that Wang Kun's reputation in the Quancheng antique circle is not very good. Many people have been cheated by him, but in the antique shop, one's eyesight is the most important thing, and you deserve to be criticized.
, In addition, Wang Kun is also a person who knows the depth and depth, and most of the people who attack are upstarts who have no connections or background, so there have been no major problems for many years. And his Jinyu Pavilion is getting more and more popular.
prospered.
"Thank you Boss Wang for being considerate, but I'm used to being free and I really can't stand being controlled, so I have to accept Boss Wang's kindness!"
Although Wang Kun was blatantly rejected by Liu Dong, which made Wang Kun feel a little embarrassed, and a hint of warmth and anger flashed in his eyes, but after all, he is still an old man who has been in the society for decades, and he is naturally very deep-seated, "Haha, since Xiao
If you say so, Dong, then I won’t force you. However, the door of my Jinyu Pavilion will always be open for you, Xiaodong. If you want to come over, I’ll welcome you at any time!”
"Haha, thank you so much, Boss Wang. If I want to settle down, I will definitely come and trouble Boss Wang!" Liu Dong would naturally say what he said in the scene.