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Seeing Jiang Chunshi’s lack of defense, Niu Er assumed his agreement and patted Jiang Chunshi’s shoulder, saying, “Fine, I have a sentimental side. I can’t stand seeing others in a bad situation. If things don’t work out for you, you can come back to work for me.”
“This time, I’ll pay you a little more. If you come back to work, you can work alongside me. Consider it me considering our many years of friendship. What do you think?”
Unusual circumstances indicate something’s amiss.
Niu Er suddenly asking him to return to work probably meant he couldn’t find anyone more gullible and honest to do the labor. Moreover, offering payment and teaching a skill was even more unexpected.
Jiang Chunshi looked at Niu Er calmly, “Have you taken on a big project recently?”
How does he know?
Niu Er was momentarily stunned but maintained composure, chuckling, “Yes, I’ve taken on a big project, and I need a hand because I can’t handle it alone.”
“To be frank, it’s coincidental that I’ve landed such a big project. You can benefit from it as well. If I didn’t need an extra hand, why would I ask you to come back?” Jiang Chunshi raised an eyebrow.
“So you came to Qiu Ji to sneak a peek at the furniture, but the staff wouldn’t allow it, so they kicked you out?” he added.
Niu Er was once again caught off guard, his face paling.
How did this kid know about that?
He had indeed taken on a large project and had visited Qiu Ji with the intention of observing their furniture.
The reason was that he had been boasting outside about having learned carpentry at Qiu Ji for many years and how his work was comparable to that of the masters at Qiu Ji, yet he charged much less. As a result, someone had approached him, expressing interest in purchasing all the furniture for their newly built courtyard house.
Upon visiting the client’s home, Niu Er found them to be a wealthy merchant who was clear about their requirements. They were willing to pay a good price but insisted on high-quality and distinctive furniture.
The offer was tempting, and Niu Er had agreed on the spot. However, upon returning to his shop, he started to worry.
He had never formally studied carpentry at Qiu Ji. His only exposure had been doing odd jobs at a neighboring shop and peering over the wall. Later, he had spent a few years learning from an old carpenter, and his skills were passable for ordinary households.
To attract business, Niu Er had been falsely claiming to have learned carpentry at Qiu Ji, hoping to elevate his status and silence any hagglers. It was a way to kill two birds with one stone. However, in reality, he hadn’t seen the kind of furniture Qiu Ji produced in a long time, and thus, he couldn’t replicate the high-quality, distinctive furniture that the merchant desired.
Furniture, unlike clothing or food, isn’t often displayed in public but is rather kept hidden in homes. To view furniture styles, one must either visit someone’s home or look at pattern catalogs like those of Qiu Ji.
After pondering for two whole days, Niu Er chose the latter and made a trip to the county town.
Initially, the assistants assumed he was a regular customer looking to customize furniture and warmly welcomed him. However, Niu Er kept finding faults, scrutinizing set after set, and even requested to take the catalogs home to show his family, claiming it was necessary for a final decision.
Qiu Ji had been in business for many years, and the assistants had encountered all sorts of people. Individuals like Niu Er, who coveted Qiu Ji’s furniture patterns, were not uncommon. The assistants found an excuse to leave Niu Er aside and stopped showing him the patterns.
Unable to take the patterns and unable to remember them, Niu Er fumed silently to himself, not wanting to cause a scene at Qiu Ji and risk permanently losing the opportunity to sneak a peek.
Then, he noticed Jiang Chunshi and quickly formulated a plan.
He intended to manipulate Jiang Chunshi into returning to work, continuing to do labor. If the furniture turned out poorly, he could shift the blame onto Jiang Chunshi.
So, Niu Er decided to first apply pressure and then offer a sweet deal, expecting Jiang Chunshi to eagerly accept and return with him.
However, Jiang Chunshi not only ignored him but also seemed to have guessed most of his intentions, leaving Niu Er feeling somewhat flustered.
“Say what? That’s the kind of person I am? Even if I wanted to see Qiu Ji’s furniture patterns, would I need to sneak a peek?” Niu Er retorted defensively.
“You look exactly like that kind of person,” Jiang Chunshi spoke sternly.
Niu Er, feeling embarrassed and angry, exclaimed, “Rubbish! Do you think I would stoop so low as to sneak a peek at the patterns? I am…”
“Chunshi, what are you doing here?” An assistant saw Jiang Chunshi at the door and hurried over. “Master Chang is looking for you in the back. He said the wood arrived early and wants you to come take a look. We saw you and thought we’d inform you.”
“I’ll go right away,” Jiang Chunshi thanked the assistant and hurried off to find Chang Yong’an, carrying his belongings.
Niu Er watched as Jiang Chunshi walked straight into the backyard of Qiu Ji. The words “Qiu Ji’s apprentice” remained unspoken, swallowed down forcefully.
After standing dazed for a moment, he hurriedly intercepted the assistant who had called for Jiang Chunshi. “The master you mentioned, is it Chang Yong’an, the best carpenter at Qiu Ji?”
“Of course,” the assistant nodded.
“Why would Master Chang want Jiang Chunshi to look at the wood together?” Niu Er inquired.
“Jiang Chunshi is the new apprentice of Master Chang at Qiu Ji. It’s only natural for him to show him the wood. Do you expect him to show it to you instead?” the assistant, who had also heard about Niu Er’s suspicious behavior regarding Qiu Ji’s furniture patterns, responded with a touch of disdain.
Is Jiang Chunshi now an apprentice at Qiu Ji, learning carpentry from Chang Yong’an?
Niu Er stood dazed once again for a long time. When he regained his composure, he grabbed the assistant’s sleeve and said, “Let me tell you, that Jiang Chunshi is the most ungrateful person I’ve ever known. When he was learning carpentry from someone else before, he turned on them at the drop of a hat. He’s simply despicable!”
“We’ll have nothing but trouble if you let someone like Jiang Chunshi become Chang Yong’an’s apprentice at Qiu Ji!” Niu Er exclaimed.
“Are you suggesting that it’s better for you to be an apprentice instead of Jiang Chunshi?” The assistant was tired of Niu Er’s talk and pulled his sleeve. “Go on, don’t linger here. While Qiu Ji has always been lenient in minor matters, some people are just looking for trouble or trying to steal patterns. Qiu Ji is not to be trifled with!”
As they spoke, other Qiu Ji assistants, noticing the altercation, began to gather, rolling up their sleeves almost in unison.
The assistants who worked with wood were accustomed to heavy lifting, and their exposed arms were almost the size of an average person’s thigh!