I am the Odd One Out Chapter 6

He remembered something his mother often said during her lifetime. When her mother said this, he was sweating profusely in the carpentry room. His mother appeared at the door. She was deeply gratified that her son was as good at carpentry as his father. She spoke with approval. The tone said:

"Even if you have a fortune, it's better to have a few skills."

After Leo Lin lost his money, he often thought of this sentence. The more he thought about it, the more he realized it made sense. No matter how much wealth there is, one day it will fall. There are examples like this throughout the ages. There are unpredictable fortunes and misfortunes in life, but there is a skill that can turn disaster into good fortune, and the skill will never fail. Leo Lin felt that his carpentry skills should be improved to a higher level and he should continue to learn from his masters.

As winter turns to spring, the hail in front of the house finally begins to melt, the trees grow green buds, the earth begins to revive, and birds fly over, chirping non-stop on the roof of Leo Lin's house. Leo Lin led the donkey with red tassels and fluttering bells on the main road at the entrance of the village.

He went around to apprentice with master carpenters who were all highly skilled. The first one he saw was a cabinet maker who lived more than ten miles away from home. He was a cabinet maker who could also make tables, chairs and benches. He was one of the best carpenters within a hundred miles. He is the only one who has been to the capital, and he has seen the world. He saw the emperor traveling in the capital, which was a precious experience in his life. The first thing he said when he saw Leo Lin was:

"Have you ever seen the emperor travel?"

When Leo Lin saw him, he was packing an old wooden box. While smoking cigarettes and working, he kept talking to Leo Lin about the scene when the emperor went out. He told Leo Lin that the first person to come out was not the emperor, but the emperor. The emperor's saber was solemnly held out by the memorial officer, who shouted "The sword is down". The emperor would not come out until the emperor's saber came out.

Chen Xiangqi, who was over 50 years old and had gray hair, kept swallowing his saliva when he told Leo Lin about the emperor's outing, as if he was not talking about the emperor going out, but the emperor having a meal. The emperor's majesty when he went out seemed to be like delicacies from the mountains and seas. When he described the queue of the emperor shouting in front of him, he seemed to be counting the dishes at the Manchu and Han banquet, and his mouth was watering as he thought about the display cabinets.

Leo Lin was dumbfounded by Chen Xiangqi's eloquent narration. This was something he had never heard of before. What made him even more stunned was the craftsmanship of Chen Xiangqi. As he spoke, he packed up an old box and made it look like a new box. . After hearing Leo Lin's praise, Chen Xiangcai smiled lightly and said to Leo Lin:

"Those who work in our industry not only need to make wardrobes, boxes, tables, chairs and benches, but also need to learn a special skill, which is to be able to tidy up old things."

Chen Xiangcai told Leo Lin that he was just a softwood craftsman. The best in the carpentry industry was the hardwood craftsman, who specialized in making hardwood appliances. Naturally, he could also make softwood appliances. He said that this hardwood craftsman could not only make old appliances look like new. , in turn, the new can remain the same as the old. Chen Xiangqi said that the lowest class in the carpentry shop were foreign carpenters. He said that since the foreigners came to the capital one by one, the capital has been declining and foreign-style woodware has become popular. There are only a few carpenters with his skills. The character who came here ended up in such a miserable state that he had no employer. When Chen Xiangcai said this, he smiled bitterly and lamented the unpredictable changes in the world. He said:

"It is no longer allowed to use nails casually on wooden utensils. Even wedges are rarely used on hardwood utensils. Those foreign wooden utensils are all made by hammering nails."

Then he pointed out the door and said: "Go west for more than 20 miles to Xuzhuang. There is a man named Xu Hardwood. That is a person I admire. He is a hardwood maker. He has been doing carpentry for more than 40 years." , I haven’t used a wedge or a nail once, and I can’t even take a look at it.”

Xu Hongmu from Xuzhuang was Leo Lin’s second apprentice. Unlike Chen Leo Lin, Xu Hongmu, who is over sixty years old, does not think that making foreign woodware is a low-level job. He said that the soft parts of foreign woodware have their own skills, such as The soft chair was very particular when it was wrapped in sheepskin.

Xu Hardwood said that there are only different categories in the woodworking industry, and there are no rich or poor, such as wood factories. Most wood factories do not do carpentry work, but they are proficient in estimating labor and estimating large and small projects, designing and organizing, and can draw and produce samples; for example Speaking of carpenters, this profession specializes in construction, and all the beams, rafters, purlins, doors, windows and partitions are their craftsmanship; for example, mold making, making snack molds, not only the pattern must be beautiful, but also the depth and size require a lot of consideration, because although the pattern is different, the printing The portions of snacks must be consistent; for example, for Yazi making, others cannot do the lace carvings on the wooden utensils; for example, for small utensil making, their specialty is bottle holders, stove seats and basin stands, specializing in matching seats according to objects. This craft was mastered by Su It comes from Hangzhou; for example, the lathe maker specializes in making cylindrical wood, and the thickness and length are also modified; for example, the round chair maker uses fresh willow wood and bends it while it is wet to make the Taishi chair. This profession only relies on one Large axes and saws and chisels are considered auxiliary accessories. Not only do they not require ink lines, but they don't even need rulers; for example, barrel makers, barrel makers, toilets, footbaths, washbasins, etc. are all made by them; for example, ring makers, except for round cages They can also make baskets for hat boxes and children's strollers; for example, the flag shoemaker, all women in the capital city wear clogs, and the thickest soles are six or seven inches long. This is also a job that ordinary carpenters cannot do; For example, if a carpenter picks a barber, the cabinet maker behind him is the job of a carpenter, and the barrel maker in front of him is the job of a ring maker. The total is their job; There are bellows drawers, and only they can do this work; for example, the wooden fish makers who knock the wooden fish during chanting are also specialized skills; for example, the handle makers, they specialize in making fake weapons for the theater industry, which is also woodworking There is a large industry; for example, a large carmaker, who specializes in large cars; for example, a carmaker, whose craftsmanship is much more refined than that of a big carmaker, and his skills mainly focus on the wheels; for example, a small carmaker, who specializes in large cars. Those who make second-hand carts; for example, carriage makers, who make Western-style carriages; for example, rickshaw makers, who specialize in making rickshaws; for example, saddle makers, who specialize in making saddles, shafts, and saddles for donkeys and mules; for example, sedans Craftsmen are different from car craftsmen. What they do is lifting sedans and carrying sedans without wheels; for example, deacon craftsmen, only they can do flags, gongs, umbrellas and fans; for example, longevity carpenters, this is not what ordinary carpenters can do. A large piece of wood can produce a lot of materials. What this industry emphasizes is using marginal materials to make longevity wood that saves materials, labor, and is beautiful.

Xu Hardwood finally said to Leo Lin: "Even the seemingly simple sawmakers and house-carrying workers have their own specialties. Let's talk about the sawyer, who specializes in using a saw to cut wood boards. A good sawmaker The wood will not be wasted, and the sawing seams are very fine. Besides, the bearers used during funerals look like just a few wooden sticks. If it is not done by an expert, the shoulders of the bearers will be unbearable, and this industry is also difficult. It must be true."

Leo Lin is diligent and studious. It is often at dawn that the villagers see Leo Lin walking on the road with a white scarf on his head and a donkey with fluttering red tassels in his hand. Often when night falls, the villagers hear Leo Lin coming back. The sound of bells, days like this come again and again in the morning breeze and the waning moon.