The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 465: Chapter 465: Varied and Colorful Conch Jade Crafts

After eating, Sun Dayong hopped on a bus and hurried home.

Sun Dayong’s heart ached for his parents. Seeing they weren’t home from work yet, he started making dinner.

That evening, the family of three had cornmeal porridge and a plate of stir-fried greens.

When Sun Dayong recounted his experience in Jinshan Bay that day, Wu Yulian and Sun Yuzhu were stunned.

”Dayong, that job you found... can you really make one thousand yuan a month? Is it for real?”

Sun Dayong replied, ”Of course it’s for real. She’s my grandaunt’s goddaughter, why would she lie to me? And with a shop that big, there’s no reason for them to lie!”

”First thing tomorrow morning, I’m going to Treasure Pavilion to quit and say goodbye to my master. My senior brother has been at the shop for five years and still only earns a meager wage. When I see his situation, I see my own miserable future.”

Hearing this, Wu Yulian thought for a moment. ”I’ll give you some money tomorrow. Buy something for your master and his wife. Don’t go empty-handed. Even though they’re not being fair to you now, you still learned a skill from him. We have to remember that kindness.”

Sun Dayong nodded. ”Of course. I formally became his apprentice back then. I always give him festival gifts three times a year to show my respect.”

”Mom, Grandaunt said she could find you a job at a clothing factory over there, for no less than a hundred yuan a month. Will you go?”

Wu Yulian nodded. ”My aunt is a straight shooter; she never minces words. If she says she can find a job, she definitely can!”

”Yuzhu, your factory is barely staying afloat, and its performance is getting worse and worse. It’s going to go bankrupt and lay everyone off sooner or later. We should make plans now.”

In the past, Wu Yulian would have never believed that Jinshan Bay could have developed so much.

Sun Yuzhu thought for a moment, then said, ”Alright. I’ll take a day off from the factory tomorrow and go check it out with you. I don’t want to stay at that factory anymore either. I’ve seen that anyone with an opportunity has already chosen to take the severance pay, get laid off, and find their own way.”

He was a pastry chef, but pastry sales were dwindling. He probably wouldn’t even get his full salary this month. There was really no point in sticking around.

The next day, Sun Dayong went to Antique Street. He passed by Yao Ziqian’s feng shui shop and called out a greeting.

Yao Ziqian asked, ”How did it go?”

”Thank you, Master Yao. I passed the interview. I’m on my way to my master’s place to quit now,” Sun Dayong said. Although he was nervous, he steeled himself to go through with it. He couldn’t back down.

He never wanted to see his mother walking to the wholesale market early in the morning to pick up discarded vegetable leaves again.

”Good!” Yao Ziqian smiled. ’To be chosen by Han Xiaorui, this Sun Dayong must be quite skilled.’

Yesterday, he had also asked around about Sun Dayong and heard that his craftsmanship was excellent.

At the same time, he also found out that Sun Dayong’s master was the quiet, withdrawn type, while his wife was sharp-tongued but a penny-pincher. She was stingy with outsiders and even stingier with the two apprentices.

Sun Dayong arrived at Treasure Pavilion, took out a pastry he had brought—a crab shell yellow—and said, ”Master, you haven’t had breakfast, have you? I brought this for you. Please, try it.”

Master Zhou washed his hands, took the crab shell yellow, and finished it in a few bites. He then pulled five yuan from his pocket and stuffed it into Sun Dayong’s. ”Your master’s wife... that’s just how she is. Don’t take it to heart.”

Sun Dayong took the money out and gave it back to his master. ”Master, this is your pocket money for the whole month. If you give it to me, you won’t even have enough for a smoke. I can’t take your money.”

”There’s another reason I came today. My mom got laid off, and my dad isn’t getting paid right now. Through a relative, my mom found me a job at a Conch Jade craft workshop in Jinshan Bay. Master, I’m here today to resign. I want to go work there.”

Hearing this, Master Zhou stiffened for a moment before giving a bitter smile. ”It’s all because your master is useless. I can’t control your master’s wife. Since your family has found a good opportunity for you, I won’t stand in your way.”

Sun Dayong was grateful. ”Thank you, Master. You need to take care of yourself too. Don’t work so hard.”

Master Zhou felt a bitter pang in his heart. ’With two apprentices, things were a bit easier.’

Now that his junior apprentice was gone, there was only one left. He couldn’t take it easy even if he wanted to.

When Mrs. Zhou found out Sun Dayong was quitting, she flew into a rage and started cursing him out. She snatched Sun Dayong’s rice bowl and smashed it on the ground. ”It would’ve been better to raise a dog than an ungrateful bastard like you!”

Sun Dayong’s eyes turned red with anger. He wanted to curse her back, but out of respect for his master, he simply bowed to him. ”Master, Senior Brother, I’m leaving. Take care.”

Senior Brother Wang watched Sun Dayong’s departing figure with envy in his eyes.

’He wanted to leave too; he didn’t want to stay here.’

’But because of the master’s wife, he couldn’t find any other work on Antique Street.’

’When I have time, I should see if they still need people over at my junior brother’s new place. If they do, I’ll quit too.’

’The master’s wife is getting more and more unreasonable.’

Master Zhou pointed at his wife and yelled, ”You... You shrew! That was my apprentice! If you had just paid him a decent wage, would Dayong have left? Dahai’s salary can’t be less than seventy this month. Any less than that, and I’ll beat you.”

Master Zhou, who was usually henpecked and silent, was so furious he was actually yelling at his wife.

”Seventy?” Mrs. Zhou shrieked. ”Are you trying to run us into the ground? Fifty, tops! Not a penny more.”

When Senior Brother Wang saw that the master’s wife had raised his salary by twenty yuan, he was already quite satisfied. At least it was enough to support his family. As for living more comfortably, he’d just have to wait for a bigger opportunity.

Although the process had been a bit unpleasant, Sun Dayong had successfully quit his job.

When he got home, his mother was packing things up. Sun Dayong asked, ”Mom, what are you packing for?”

Wu Yulian smiled. ”I went to Jinshan Bay today. Your grandaunt took me to apply for a job. I only worked for an hour before the supervisor hired me. With wages and bonuses, I can make over a hundred yuan a month.”

”As for your dad, after he saw your grandaunt’s shop, he went straight to the factory to file his layoff paperwork. He might even get some severance pay. Once we’ve saved up enough money, we’ll buy a house in Jinshan Bay too.”

”Your grandaunt has already tidied up a courtyard for us; she’s just waiting for us to move in. I’m packing our bags now. I’ll call for a small truck tonight to move our things. We’ll start work over there tomorrow.”

It had only been three or four years since they’d last been to Jinshan Bay, but it had changed completely.

It was easier to find work there than in the city.

And so, the family of three arrived in Jinshan Bay.

Except for eating at Granny Cai’s house on the first day, the Sun Family cooked their own meals.

In high spirits, Sun Dayong started his new job.

Just as he had said, once he got the hang of it, he was incredibly fast. In one hour, he could make more than twenty pieces.

He took a few minutes to do stretching exercises every hour. Working eight hours a day, he could make nearly two hundred pieces, which meant a considerable income.

The Conch Jade didn’t just come in white; it also came in other colors and shapes.

Sun Dayong’s craftsmanship was excellent. He was always able to polish the pieces into the most suitable shapes based on their different forms and colors.

In Sun Dayong’s hands, a once plain and unremarkable piece of Conch Jade became a beautiful work of art.