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Text: Windy
All of the statements in this article are based on reliable sources and are reproduced at the end of this article
preface
In the seventies and eighties of the last century, having a skill was enough to support the livelihood of a family, from the tinkerer who shouted everywhere to the street seller, these craftsmen who walked the streets and alleys, carried the memories of countless people.
However, as the wheels of the times roll forward and the social landscape changes with each passing day, those old trades that were once all the rage have now quietly faded out of people's sight and become a faint nostalgic color in the changes of the times.
Among the following 5 old trades, see which ones you know?
Tinker
The sound of "tinkling", accompanied by the shouting of "mending the pot", was the childhood memory of many people, the tinkerer, this almost forgotten industry by the times, was once an indispensable part of our lives.
I remember when I was a child, whenever I heard the shouting of the tinkerer in the alley, we children would run out excitedly to see the excitement. I saw that the tinkerer was carrying a long burden on his shoulders, and various tools and materials were hung at each end.
They walked the streets and alleys to repair broken pots and pans, and the tinker's toolbox contained many magical treasures, small files, iron filings, bellows, long-handled spoons, and that magical little melting pot.
Each tool has its own unique purpose, and in the hands of a tinkerer, they are like magic, giving a worn-out pot a new look.
We children watched the tinkerer skillfully watch the pot tinker skilfully watch, first using a small file to smooth the bottom of the pot and then putting a layer of iron filings on the holes.
Then they would use bellows to reden the pig iron in the small furnace, pour the hot liquid iron over the holes with a long-handled spoon, and finally, they would hammer the molten iron to fill it up, all of which seemed simple but required years of experience and skill.
In that era of material scarcity, the status of tinkerers was not ordinary, they went from village to village, repaired pots and pans, and solved a lot of troubles for people, especially in rural and urban fringe areas, tinkerers are respected skilled craftsmen.
However, with the change of times, the situation of tinkers has also changed dramatically, and modern kitchenware has gradually become popular, and people are more inclined to buy new pots directly rather than repair old pots.
Nowadays, it is difficult to hear the familiar shouts of "mending pots" in the streets and alleys, and those tinkers who were once active in our lives may have changed careers or retired.
Wooden pole scales
In this digital age, when we are accustomed to the convenience of electronic scales, do you still remember the wooden pole scales that used to be seen everywhere in the market and streets?
A good wooden pole scale should not only be accurate, but also durable, which is not an easy task, and the first step in making a wooden pole scale is to choose the right wood.
Nanmu and mahogany are often the first choice for making wooden pole scales because of their fine and tough texture, but good wood is not enough, it also depends on the carpenter's eyesight, they will carefully inspect the wood to ensure that there are no defects such as moths and cracks.
Once the wood has been chosen, the next step is a long sanding process in which the carpenters will polish the wood over and over again until it becomes smooth and delicate, a tedious process that determines the quality of the wooden scale.
Making a wooden pole scale requires not only exquisite skills, but also deep mathematical skills, and each scale on the scale is precisely calculated.
Carpenters need to consider many factors such as the density of the wood, the length of the scale, the weight of the scale, etc., in order to ensure the accuracy of the scale, and this wisdom of combining practical experience with theoretical knowledge is the essence of the making of wooden pole scales.
And different regions of the wooden rod scale often have different cultural symbols, some carpenters will carve exquisite patterns on the scale rod, and some will engrave auspicious words, these seemingly decorative elements, in fact, are entrusted with the carpenter's good wishes for fair trade and honest management.
With the change of the times, the older generation of carpenters adhered to traditional craftsmanship and paid attention to the fineness of hand-made, the middle-aged generation of craftsmen began to try to introduce some modern tools to improve efficiency, and the younger generation of novices relied more on computer-aided design to pursue higher precision.
Wooden scales are rarely seen in our daily life, and they appear more often in museums and become cultural relics that have witnessed historical changes.
Bounce cotton
According to archaeological findings, as early as the Neolithic Age, our ancestors already knew how to use elastic force to loosen cotton, this skill has evolved over time, and in the Yuan Dynasty, there have been records of using bamboo tools to play cotton.
The tools for playing cotton are also constantly evolving, from the original simple bamboo sticks, to the later wooden bow bullets, and then to modern mechanical equipment, every improvement of the tool has given this craft a new vitality, but no matter how the tool changes, the familiar "bang" sound has always been with us.
The craft of playing cotton has different characteristics in the north and south, the cotton in the north is harder, and the cotton needs to be played harder, and the rhythm is faster, while the cotton in the south is softer, and it needs more skills to play up, and the emphasis is on the weight and weight.
Every late autumn and early winter, the streets and alleys will sound one after another "bangbang", which is the busiest time for the cotton masters. They walk the streets and alleys to prepare warm winter quilts for people.
Playing cotton is not only a skill, but also an art, the rhythm of "bang bang", as if it is a beautiful music, in some places, the rhythm of playing cotton has even been integrated into local opera and folk songs, becoming a unique cultural symbol.
Face hanging
In the past, there was an ancient and magical beauty technique is face twisting, which was the secret weapon of many women's pursuit of beauty, this seemingly simple skill, in fact, contains profound cultural heritage and wisdom.
Its history can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, when there were special court maids in the court who were responsible for wringing faces for queens and princesses, and over time, this skill gradually spread from the royal family to the people, becoming a way for ordinary women to pursue beauty.
Face twisting is not only a beauty method, but also the practice of TCM beauty theory, in the process of face twisting, the face twister will perform targeted operations according to the acupuncture points and meridians of the face.
This not only removes fine facial hair, but also stimulates acupuncture points, promotes blood circulation, and achieves the effect of beauty and beauty, which is the essence of face twisting by combining traditional medical theory with beauty practice.
And in the past, face twisting was often an activity for female friends to help each other, in the process of face hanging, they would exchange life trivialities, share their hearts, this unique way of communication, so that face twisting has become an important medium for women to spread information and enhance feelings.
But face twisting is not easy for everyone to master. A skilled noodle twister needs to go through long-term training to master the correct skills, they need to adjust the strength and frequency of face twisting according to different ages and skin types, and there are many taboos to pay attention to for some special skin types.
Nowadays, the rise of beauty technology has made many people choose a more convenient and painless beauty method. However, some visionary beauticians have not given up on this ancient skill.
They have combined face twisting with modern beauty concepts to create a series of new beauty methods, and some beauty salons have even launched "face twisting experience courses" to allow urban women to rediscover the charm of this ancient skill.
Seller
In this era of online shopping, when we are accustomed to buying our favorite goods without leaving home, do you still remember the seller who carried a big burden, pushed a small car, and walked the streets?
As the saying goes: "Selling goods knows people's hearts, and price depends on friendship" This sentence is very suitable for sellers, who are not only a profession, but also a link between urban and rural areas, and an important channel for information dissemination in that era.
The source of the goods of the sellers is questionable, and they often have to go to the shops of the city, large and small, to carefully select those goods that the countrymen need and can afford.
From needles and threads to daily necessities, from candy snacks to small hardware, the seller's basket is always full of everything, and this unique supply chain makes the seller an important link between urban and rural areas.
The pricing strategy of the vendors is also very interesting, in that era of scarcity, many villagers did not have a lot of money, so the clever sellers invented a way of bartering, the farmer's eggs could be exchanged for candy, and the home-woven cloth could be exchanged for needle and thread.
This flexible way of trading not only makes it convenient for the villagers, but also makes the business of the seller bigger and bigger, and the shouting of the seller is a unique language art.
"Sugar gourd, rock sugar gourd!" "Sell cloth, new cloth and new tricks!" These shouts full of local characteristics are not only to attract customers, but also a vivid embodiment of local culture.
Each local vendor has its own unique way of hawking, blending local dialects and slang that sounds friendly and funny. However, the rise of village supermarkets has given villagers more shopping options.
The popularity of online shopping has made it possible to buy all kinds of goods without leaving home, and the traditional sellers seem to have lost their survival space.
epilogue
Let us cherish these old trades that are disappearing, because they are not only our memories, but also the roots of our culture.
Maybe one day, when we hear that familiar shout again, we will cherish the hard-won human touch and breath of life even more.