The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 463: Chapter 463: Turns Out They’re Relatives

’A few years ago, I came here with Mom for a relative’s banquet. It was just a small fishing village back then. I can’t believe how much it’s changed.’

He asked for directions to the seashell craft shop on the commercial street. He knew the manager was Granny Wang, the mother-in-law of Sister Tang, one of the boat-women.

Sun Dayong didn’t dare say he was there for an interview right away. He went inside to look around the shop, which specialized in seashell crafts.

’They’re cute, and it doesn’t look difficult.’

After looking around for a bit, Sun Dayong finally asked, ”Hello, are you hiring any Jade Workers?”

At this, Granny Wang looked up at Sun Dayong. ”Young man, are you here to apply for a position as a jade carver?”

Sun Dayong nodded. ”Yes. Don’t let my age fool you; I’m very skilled. Here’s a pendant I made from a scrap piece.”

With that, he handed her his work—a perfectly smooth and lustrously finished gourd-shaped pendant.

Though a simple design, its full-bodied shape, rich luster, and overall form had a certain life to them.

Granny Wang smiled. ”It’s quite good. However, I’m not the one doing the hiring. If you’ll wait a moment, I’ll call the boss to come over.”

”Thank you,” Sun Dayong replied.

After receiving the call from Granny Wang, Han Xiaorui rode over on her bicycle. She took out a key and unlocked the door to the adjacent storefront.

”Come in. We’ll do the interview here,” Han Xiaorui said with a smile, ushering Sun Dayong inside.

Han Xiaorui pointed to a small jade-carving machine near the entrance. ”Sun Dayong, for now, I’m not getting into high-end jade. That business is a bit too murky, and frankly, I’m out of my depth there.”

”What I want to do is open a specialty shop for Conch Jade crafts. It’s a material I harvest from the sea myself. The plan is to process it into keychains and other small trinkets to sell to tourists.”

”Tourists want to be sure they’re buying authentic goods, so this space will be an open workshop where everyone can watch the process. The two storefronts next to this one will be for sales. My process uses machines, not manual polishing, so I need things done quickly.”

Sun Dayong listened carefully to Han Xiaorui’s requirements, confident he could handle the work. ”Alright, let me make a few for you right now so you can take a look. If you think my work is up to par, we can discuss salary then.”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”Alright. Just be mindful of safety.”

With nimble movements, Sun Dayong selected a few raw pieces of Conch Jade, switched on the machine, and prepared to begin.

”Wait!” Han Xiaorui stopped Sun Dayong just as he was about to start working. She pulled a dust mask from a drawer and handed it to him. ”This kind of work kicks up a lot of fine dust. You should wear this, or it’ll get into your lungs. It’s not just uncomfortable—over time, it can make you seriously ill.”

Sun Dayong froze, taken aback. His old master used to buy masks, but his master’s wife had called it a waste of money and forbid him from buying more once they were used up.

He and his senior apprentice were young, so they were mostly fine, but their master now had a chronic cough that the doctor attributed to dust inhalation.

But his master’s wife had just said that all the other workshops were the same and didn’t bother with masks.

Sun Dayong was deeply touched. ”Thank you.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Making money is important, but your health is more important. When you work for me, we’re going to follow all the safety procedures strictly. No carelessness.”

”Okay, I understand.” Hearing this made Sun Dayong want to work here even more. ’At least here,’ he thought, ’they treat you like a person.’

Sun Dayong began to work on the Conch Jade, his hands moving with practiced skill.

He had no choice but to be skilled.

While apprenticing with his master, he received no wages, only meals.

If he ruined a piece, he didn’t get to eat.

Under that kind of pressure, both Sun Dayong and his fellow apprentice had become exceptionally skilled, with a very high success rate for finished pieces.

In just four or five minutes, he had finished carving a piece of Conch Jade. It was plump, lustrous, and had an endearing, simple charm.

Han Xiaorui watched as Sun Dayong worked, noticing how he brought out the best features of each stone, adapting his carving to its unique natural shape.

As a result, every finished piece of Conch Jade was unique.

From that single piece, Han Xiaorui could tell that Sun Dayong was highly skilled.

In about fifteen minutes, Sun Dayong had completed three in a row, proving he was also quite fast.

Han Xiaorui stopped him then. ”Alright, that’s enough. You’ve passed the interview. What are your salary requirements?”

Sun Dayong thought for a moment. ”Well, I live in the city. It’s a two-hour bus ride one-way, with a transfer. So, besides a base salary of seventy yuan a month, I was hoping you could also provide room and board.”

Han Xiaorui thought it over. ”How about this: you rent a place here in Jinshan Bay, and I’ll reimburse you for the cost. As for meals, you can eat with Granny Wang next door; I’ll give her extra money to cover your food expenses.”

”For your base salary, I’ll give you forty yuan a month. But let’s add a commission. For every five pieces of Conch Jade you make to this standard, I’ll give you an extra yuan. The more you make, the more you earn. The less you make, the less you get. What do you think?”

Sun Dayong could hardly believe his ears. ”President Han, does that mean if I can make a hundred pieces in a day, you’ll really pay me twenty yuan in commission just for that day’s work?”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”That’s right. However, both the commission and your salary are paid at the end of the month. If your family is in a tight spot financially, I can give you an advance on your forty-yuan base salary. Would that be alright?”

”Alright? That’s more than alright!” Sun Dayong said with a grin. ”I actually have a relative here in Jinshan Bay. I’ll buy some gifts, go pay her a visit, and ask if she can help me find a place to rent.”

Han Xiaorui’s curiosity was piqued. ”Oh? Who’s your relative in Jinshan Bay?”

Sun Dayong answered, ”My great-aunt. Everyone calls her Granny Cai. Her son is Cai Xueqin—he’s my mother’s cousin. My mom and I even came for the banquet when his son was born!”

Hearing this, Han Xiaorui was dumbfounded. ”You’re kidding. Talk about a small world! Granny Cai is my godmother. Come on, grab your things, you’re coming with me to her house.”

Sun Dayong was taken aback as well. ”To be honest, it’s a bit embarrassing. For the past few years, the state-owned factory where my parents work hasn’t been doing well, and the pay and benefits are poor. They’ve been too embarrassed to visit relatives. In fact, it’s been my great-aunt who has been sending *us* dried shrimp and kelp every year.”

In those days, many state-owned factories were struggling with poor management and inefficiency. Even for families with two working parents, life wasn’t necessarily easy.

Han Xiaorui nodded. ’The fact that my godmother still sends them kelp and dried shrimp every year means they must be really good people. The only reason they don’t visit is because their financial situation has worsened.’

”We’re all family. Come on, let’s head to the house,” Han Xiaorui said. ”And we’ll go with the base salary you asked for—seventy yuan. The commission is still one yuan for every five pieces.”

Sun Dayong waved his hands frantically, getting flustered. ”Sister Han, if you do that, I’ll be too embarrassed to accept the job. Let’s keep family and business separate. A base salary of forty yuan plus the commission is already more than generous.”

Seeing how insistent he was, Han Xiaorui nodded. ”Alright then. Just work hard, and I’ll make sure to give you bonuses in the future.”

Sun Dayong went with Han Xiaorui to Granny Cai’s house. After setting aside a little money for bus fare, he spent everything else he had on some pastries and canned goods.

”You really don’t have to go to all this trouble. My godmother isn’t short on things like this,” Han Xiaorui said, trying to stop him.

Sun Dayong just chuckled. ”What my great-aunt has is her own business. But as a junior visiting an elder, I can’t show up empty-handed. I was going to come see her anyway, whether I got the job or not. It’s what my mom told me to do.”