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Two days later, Jiang Chunshi packed up and set off for the county town to visit Qiu Ji’s store.
He didn’t have much with him, just a small bundle.
A mattress, a thin quilt, two changes of clothes, and some everyday items. He planned to buy other necessities like warm blankets and additional clothing once he settled down in Qiu Ji’s place. He didn’t want to appear too fussy or unable to endure hardship, especially since he was just starting out on this new job.
Jiang Youfu’s family saw Jiang Chunshi off from the village, watching as he boarded the carriage to the county town.
Jiang Chunshi eventually arrived in the county town and, after inquiring around, found Qiu Ji’s store.
The manager of Qiu Ji’s store was named Ge. He had received instructions from the Zheng family earlier and, upon Jiang Chunshi’s arrival, guided him to his temporary residence and arranged for his mentor.
As Jiang Chunshi was on his own now, he was temporarily housed in the backyard of Qiu Ji’s store. His assigned mentor, named Chang, was known as Chang Yong’an.
Chang Yong’an was in his forties, had been working at Qiu Ji’s store for over a decade, and was both skilled and experienced. Most importantly, he had a gentle temperament and was patient, willing to spare no effort in mentoring his apprentices.
“Thank you for your thoughtful arrangements,” Jiang Chunshi expressed his gratitude repeatedly to the manager.
The store manager, Ge, seeing that Jiang Chunshi was polite and humble, chuckled, “You’re going to be a helper here at Qiu Ji’s, and I’m the store’s manager. It’s only natural for the manager to pay attention to his helpers, isn’t it?”
“However, here at Qiu Ji’s, while the rules may be few and people’s minds not so complicated, you still need to be skilled at your work and have a straight mind to succeed.”
It was evident that this was a reminder and a gentle warning.
Jiang Chunshi understood and nodded repeatedly, saying, “Manager, don’t worry, I will do my best.”
The store manager didn’t say anything more, just patted Jiang Chunshi on the shoulder, instructed Chang Yong’an to take good care of him, and then went off to attend to his duties.
“In the future, you will work with me,” Chang Yong’an said with a smile.
“Yes, in the future, I will rely on Master for guidance and care,” Jiang Chunshi poured a cup of tea, knelt in front of Chang Yong’an, and bowed respectfully, holding the tea above his head, “Please, Master, have some tea.”
This action was clearly a formal gesture of apprenticeship.
Chang Yong’an reached out to help him up, “There’s no need for so much formality here, and you don’t have to do this.”
“With fewer formalities, it’s because of your kindness, Master. But from the bottom of my heart, I respect you as my Master, and it’s my duty as an apprentice to show this respect; it’s something I must do.”
Jiang Chunshi remained kneeling on the ground, resolute.
Seeing that his new apprentice understood the rules, Chang Yong’an’s smile widened, “You’re a good kid, and I accept your gesture of apprenticeship.”
He then took the tea and had a sip, “Please, get up.”
“Sure,” Jiang Chunshi stood up, feeling a bit awkward, “I might not be very smart, but I’m strong and not afraid of hard work. Master, you can assign any task to me.”
“I do have a task for you,” Chang Yong’an said, “Mr. Qian wants a full set of furniture made. He’s not concerned about the cost, but he’s very particular about the wood and its quality. New wood will arrive at the shop in the early morning, and you’ll help me with moving and lifting.”
Carpentry involves not just the skill of working with wood but also an understanding of the materials and the selection of wood for specific furniture. Chang Yong’an’s decision to start from the basics showed his dedication.
Jiang Chunshi felt he had found a good mentor and nodded excitedly, “Yes!”
“It’s still early, so go have lunch and then take care of your daily needs. Once we get busy, we won’t have this free time,” Chang Yong’an advised.
“Alright,” Jiang Chunshi agreed, “I’ll go and come back.”
“Off you go then,” Chang Yong’an said kindly, watching Jiang Chunshi leave the backyard.
Meals were provided at the shop, with dedicated staff handling all three daily meals.
Furthermore, because the assistants often couldn’t eat on time due to their work demands, the shop ensured there was food available at all times to prevent anyone from working on an empty stomach.
Jiang Chunshi, carrying the assistant’s token given to him by Manager Ge, went to the dining hall to collect his meal.
The meal included steamed buns, vegetables with meat, and it was quite substantial.
After finishing his meal and tidying up, Jiang Chunshi roughly calculated what he needed to buy. He then left Qiu Ji’s backyard, heading to the street to purchase some daily necessities such as face towels and tooth-cleaning salt.
As there were many nearby shops, he easily found what he needed. After a short while, he headed back to Qiu Ji’s.
Passing by the front entrance of Qiu Ji’s, Jiang Chunshi noticed someone familiar, Niu Er, his former carpentry master from town. Niu Er was murmuring to one of Qiu Ji’s assistants, seemingly unhappy with something. He wore a stern expression, and after a few words, he turned and left Qiu Ji’s entrance, muttering, “This shop overcharges, they treat customers like thieves. If I can’t afford what Qiu Ji produces, it’s like I’m being treated like a thief…”
As he spoke, he looked up and, not far away, saw Jiang Chunshi. He was initially surprised but then smirked, “What a coincidence.”
It was a coincidence that he found someone to vent his frustrations to, as he was feeling quite annoyed and happened to have someone to direct his complaints to.
“It sure is,” Jiang Chunshi responded calmly.
Since their falling out over learning carpentry skills, Jiang Chunshi harbored no affection for Niu Er and had no desire to engage in conversation with him.
Observing Jiang Chunshi’s lack of interest, Niu Er, feeling embarrassed and jobless after his outburst. However, when Chunshi attempted to leave, he stopped Jiang Chunshi and said, “I saw you selling stools on the west street at the market last time. Couldn’t find a decent job after leaving my place, so you have to resort to making and selling these things to make ends meet?”
“I don’t know what to say to you. You are not skilled, and your hands are clumsy. No one would want you as an apprentice even if you tried to find one elsewhere. I kindly took you as an apprentice to teach you a skill for your future, but you complained about not being taught well and having too much work to do. Now you see how difficult it is to make a living and find a way out. You have no skills, and your future will be bleak,” Niu Er ranted, then noticed the items in Jiang Chunshi’s hands and sneered, “What are you doing with those? Can’t manage carpentry work, so you’re running errands now?”
“I’m going to Qiu Ji,” Jiang Chunshi replied.
“Running errands for someone at Qiu Ji?” Niu Er chuckled, “Well, being able to run errands for Qiu Ji can be considered luck for you.”