The designer's story
▓ Han Jin
Jinling Evening News, June 25, 2024
The three sisters of Chaoshan You, "The Story of the Designer", was published in the supplement of "Jinling Evening News". The editor said it was changed to the third person. At that time, I also wanted to write in the third person, but then I wanted to be a little "new", so I used the first person, which is more intimate. Mr. Yao rewrote the article for the author, which is really touching. (Editor's note: Han Jin's "composition" written in the first person is attached to see what the difference is) - Han Jin
While traveling in the Chaoshan region, I met a jade designer and listened to him tell the story of his trip to Guangdong to learn jade design.
The young man is a native of Northeast China, his hometown Tieling, Zhao Benshan's hometown, 27 years old this year, one meter eight tall, no object, he jokingly said that it was because he had no money. They had three children, two sisters, and their grandfather wanted a boy, so he was born. My parents rented a piece of land in the village, planted flowers, and couldn't make a lot of money, and they could get by.
Later, when he studied, he was not the material for studying, and his grades were at most two books, and he couldn't hold his face, so he thought that it was better not to read it, so he went out to work by himself, and he wanted to run to the south, so he decided to break through. At the age of 18, he went to Shenzhen, and later spent another year in Guangzhou, and finally came to work in a jade company in Jieyang through a friend's introduction.
Jieyang is known as the jade capital of the world, and jade processing is very developed. The young man learned to paint in the Children's Palace since he was a child, first learning to sketch, painting various animals and plants, and later painting portraits. Because he had the basic skills of painting, when he first arrived at the company, the boss asked him to draw something, so he drew a dragon, and the master nodded and left him.
"A 22-year-old apprentice doing jade design. To do this, success depends on luck, and hard work is a must. It would be nice to have two of the ten designers stick to it. I have to paint every day, it's very hard and tiring, you look at my fingers, my hands are deformed, all calluses. The young man said with a smile.
Just started in the industry, young and young, and no one paid attention to him. The client saw that he was in his twenties, turned around and left. In the first year, the master took the order, and he tried what he didn't want to do. After he finished the design, he didn't make any money, and the design fee was 10% of the material money, and he took 20,000 yuan in the first year.
One life and two luck, even if he was lucky, once a guest from Jiangsu came, saying that he wanted to make a jade pendant for his son, hoping to be successfully admitted to the civil service. The young man's master took over the work of two Hong Kong customers at that time, so he gave him this task. He was very attentive and designed more than a dozen patterns, but the guests were just not satisfied. Finally, I thought of drawing a peacock and climbing the branch, which means that the peacock climbs the high branch and has prosperous official fortune. The child's name is engraved on the back of the jade pendant, hoping to bring him good luck. Unexpectedly, the customer and his wife were very satisfied, so they first called 6,666 yuan, and said that they would give a red envelope of 2,222 yuan. As a result, it caused a sensation in the company, and the young man became a bit of a limelight, and the boss later promoted him to be the manager of the traditional design department.
The zodiac pendant designed by the young man is also very popular, and it has been conceived for a year and a half. "It is characterized by simplicity, abstraction, and few strokes. Like a cow, it uses a curved horn, industrious, hard, and flexible in bending. Rabbits, using hieroglyphs, because weak animals should be good at protecting themselves, listening to all directions, and seeing six ways. There are few strokes and conciseness, the small dragon is one stroke, and the big dragon has two strokes. Domestic guests like it, and foreign guests also like it. It sells well, and I invite the master to drink in the evening, and the master says, my apprentice is amazing, hehe! The young man smiled sheepishly.
The designer's story
▓ Han Jin
Good morning, uncles and aunts! Yesterday during the Lantern Festival, the custom in the Chaoshan area was to receive the God of Wealth, and the local boys all went to the dragon dance. Today, many salesmen are resting, and the boss asked me to come to make a cameo in sales, a little honestly afraid, stupid, and stupid, but it's okay to do design, and I'm afraid it can't be used to introduce the company and products. When traveling, everyone doesn't like to enter the store for fear of being deceived. You have the right to rest and drink tea. Why don't I tell my uncle and aunt about how I came to Guangdong to learn jade design? Hehe, don't applaud, applaud I'm nervous, blushing and flustered.
I am a native of Northeast China, my hometown of Tieling, and a fellow villager of Zhao Benshan. 27 years old this year, 1.8 meters tall, no object, no money, hehe.
We have three children, two older sisters, and my grandfather had to have a boy, so I was born. At that time, my parents took me to live in the countryside. I rented a piece of land in the village, planted flowers, and couldn't make a lot of money, and I could get by.
Later, when I was studying, I was not the material for studying, and my grades were at most two books, and I couldn't hold my face, so I thought it would be better not to study and go out to work by myself. My father said to help at home and plant flowers with me. I don't think there is much money, and I yearn for the south to run, and I say that Guangdong makes a lot of money, so I decided to break through. At the age of 18, he went to Shenzhen, and later spent a year in Guangzhou, and finally a friend introduced him to the jade company in Jieyang.
Jieyang is known as the jade capital of the world, and jade processing is very developed. I learned to paint at the Children's Palace since I was a child, first sketching, various animals and plants, and later portraits. The teacher encouraged me to learn tattoos with him, and I thought it was cool. At first, I practiced with pig skin, bought the kind of fresh pork with the skin, carved the pattern with a fine needle, like a drill, and then colored. The teacher also asked me to try to tattoo a few dragon patterns for the two young people. Later, my grandfather found out, and he taught private school, a traditional person, and resolutely refused to do it for me, so he gave up halfway. But the basic skills of painting are OK, when I first arrived at the company, the boss asked me to draw something, so I drew a dragon, the master nodded, and stayed.
22-year-old apprentice, doing jade design. To do this, success depends on luck, and hard work is a must. Of the 10 designers, it would be nice to have two of them stick to it. I have to paint every day, it's very hard and tiring, you look at my fingers, my hands are deformed, all calluses.
You're new to the industry, you're young, and no one pays attention to you. The client sees that you are in your twenties, turns around and leaves. In the first year, the master took the order, and the unwilling ones were given to you to try. After the design is completed, I can't make any money, the design fee is 10% of the material money, and I got 20,000 yuan in the first year.
One life and two luck, it's better to count me lucky. If you look at the four paintings hanging here, the third one is my work, which can be regarded as my "enlightenment" work. At that time, a guest from Jiangsu came and said that he wanted to make a jade pendant for his son, hoping to be successfully admitted to the civil service and take a career in office. Later, I learned that my son didn't pass the exam in the first year, and he plans to take the exam again this year. Do Jiangsu people like to be officials? Cantonese people don't like to take the civil service exam very much, hehe.
The master took over the work of two Hong Kong guests at that time, so he handed over this task to me. I was very attentive and designed more than a dozen patterns, but the guests were just not satisfied. Finally, I thought of the official uniforms of the Ming Dynasty, the civil officials embroidered birds, the first-grade cranes, the second-grade golden chickens, and the third-grade phoenixes. He drew a peacock and climbed the branch, implying that the peacock climbed the high branch and had prosperous official fortune. It also took a name, called "the well-dressed beast". Explain to them that the word is positive and subtle, and people don't care about it. The child's name is engraved on the back of the jade pendant, hoping to bring him good luck. Unexpectedly, the couple was very satisfied, and the guest first called 6,666 yuan, saying that he would give a red envelope of 2,222 yuan. As a result, it became a sensation in the company and made a bit of a splash. My boss later promoted me to be the manager of the traditional design department.
The zodiac pendant we designed is also very popular, and it has been conceived for a year and a half. It is characterized by simplicity, abstraction, and few strokes, and the waiter will take you to the counter to have a look. Abstraction is freehand, fashionable, and profound. Like a cow, it uses a curved horn, industrious, hard, and flexible in bending. Rabbits, using hieroglyphs, like ears, eyes, because weak animals should be good at protecting themselves, ears to hear in all directions, eyes to see six ways. There are few strokes and conciseness, the small dragon is one stroke, and the big dragon has two strokes. Domestic people like it, and foreign guests, including European guests, like it. Translate Shenqi, saying that the 12 zodiac signs are protective gods, and wear one in a month to keep a year safe. Foreigners buy 12 of them, hehe! It sells well, and invites the master to drink wine in the evening, and the master says, my apprentice is amazing, when foreigners used opium to open our country, and now we use design to open their wallets. Hehe!
Is it time? If you are interested, come to my studio, and if you are not interested, continue to drink tea here. Now there is a new term, called emotional value, which is the ability to bring comfort to others, I wonder if my story can bring joy to my uncle and aunt? I hope you all have a happy time in Yudu!
Han Jin, male, retired cadre of Nanjing municipal organs, member of Jiangsu Province and Nanjing Writers Association, has published more than 250 novels and essays in central, provincial and municipal newspapers and magazines, and many of them have won awards. His two collections of literary works, "The Old Leader and the New Tenant" and "Reading the Spring of the World", were published by Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House in 2019 and 2022 respectively, and were printed for the second time in the following year and distributed to libraries around the world.