manynovel Chapter 10 Master
Chapter 10 Master
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Xiao Wei smiled at Lao Liu and said, "Master, I'll follow you from now on. Don't worry, I'm very strong and can do anything. I've never done this before and I don't know anything, but I can learn. If I do anything wrong, just scold me and I'll correct it."
Old Liu stared at Xiao Wei for a few moments, frowned, sighed, and said, "It's almost September, and we're rushing to meet the deadline. If there's a frost, it won't be able to dry. Forget it, you wouldn't understand anyway. Just work with me for a few days first, and we'll talk about it if it really doesn't work out."
Xiao Wei nodded and said happily, "Thank you, Master. Don't worry, Master, I learn quickly and I definitely won't give you diarrhea."
Old Liu nodded, squatted down again, and said, "Want a smoke?" He took out a cigarette and handed it to Xiao Wei. Xiao Wei took the cigarette, squatted down next to Old Liu, and lit it with Old Liu's help.
Old Liu said, "Where are you from? Why are you doing this? It's tiring, and you don't earn much money."
Xiao Wei said, "It's the autumn harvest, and I've been idle with nothing to do, so I came out to learn something. I can't stay at home farming for the rest of my life."
Old Liu nodded and said, "Honey Cliff, over there in Pianling. I'm from Huai'ren. Then work hard from now on. If you can't work anymore, just say so. Don't overwork yourself. You're still young. If you overwork yourself, you'll be finished. Don't try to be a hero."
Xiao Wei said, "Okay, I'll listen to my master."
Old Liu chuckled and said, "I knew your small frame wouldn't be up to it. Give it a try. Right now you're reinforcing steel bars, later you'll be pouring grout. Ever pushed a wheelbarrow before?"
Xiao Wei glanced at the wheelbarrow parked in the distance and said, "No, is that thing easy to push?"
Old Liu threw down his cigarette butt, stood up, and said, "Come on, let's find an empty one, you give it a try. This thing is probably hard for a beginner to push properly, it takes a lot of effort."
The two walked along the precast concrete floor and found a truck carrying bricks. The truck was half full of bricks. Old Liu said, "This one will do. It'll be easier to push if there's something weighing it down. You try it, but be careful not to hurt your foot."
Xiao Wei agreed, walked over, grabbed the handlebars, and started to lift it. Old Liu reached out and pressed him down, saying, "Don't rush, listen to me first. This thing is supported entirely by these two legs. If you lift it up, it will fall over, understand? This thing has no center of gravity; it's all supported by your hands. You have to use your hands and be prepared before lifting it. Come on, lift it slowly. If you feel it's too heavy, put it down quickly. If it falls over, no one can hold it up."
Xiao Wei nodded, put his strength into lifting the car, and as soon as the two outriggers left the ground, the car body tilted to one side. He tried to pull it up but couldn't, and it was too late to put it down. The car overturned on its side, and bricks were scattered all over the ground.
Old Liu said, "How about it? Can't budge it? You need to use skill to do this. You can't beat him with brute force. Alright, prop it up and put the bricks in. Try it yourself. You have to figure it out yourself to know how it works."
Xiao Wei nodded, propped up the car, and loaded the bricks into it.
Old Liu said, "You can't carry bricks like that. How thick-skinned would you have to be to withstand that? Grip them tightly with your fingers, yes, wed them between your thumb and forefinger, yes, don't throw them down and rub them against your hand. Release them completely at once, don't let your fingers rub against the brick. If you carry bricks like that, you won't finish a day. Do you know why everyone starts as a laborer on a construction site? You can't even carry bricks properly, you won't get any work done. Learn from me."
Xiao Wei looked at the workers carrying bricks and said, "I see him just throwing them like that, pinching them and letting them go. It's so slow doing it like that."
Old Liu turned his head and glanced at it, saying, "That's because he's skilled. Don't be fooled by his speed; he doesn't hurt his hands, understand? You'll be fast too once you're skilled, but you have to take it slowly at first, letting your hands get used to the process and the force. Have you ever seen egg sellers? Look at them pouring the eggs; they just toss them around casually. Try it yourself, and they'll all break. It's the same thing; you'll get used to it. Take it slow, don't rush."
Xiao Wei nodded and bent down to pick up the bricks.
Old Liu said, "There's less work pouring the beams these days, so it's a good time for you to practice. If it's busy, you'll have to work hard, and you'll suffer. Your hands will be skinned raw."
Xiao Wei loaded bricks into the truck one by one, but he would forget the proper method if he wasn't careful, and his fingers soon became red and sore. Old Liu laughed and said, "Don't worry, it will get better with time. Once you can stack bricks, you can earn 1.8 yuan a day. If you can push a cart to transport bricks, you can earn 2 yuan a day. If you can push cement mortar, you can earn 2.4 yuan a day. Take it slow."
Xiao Wei shook his aching hands and asked, "So, how much do you charge per day, sir?"
Old Liu laughed and said, "I'm a top-tier worker, six yuan a day, plus a pack of cigarettes. How about it? Want to work? Hahaha."
Xiao Wei exclaimed in surprise, "So many?"
Old Liu shook his head, pointed to the other end of the building, and said, "Mine isn't much. I'm too old to work fast. Old Zuo over there makes eight yuan a day, not including cigarettes, but he also gets tea every month. Small workers rely on strength, big workers rely on speed. It all comes down to skill. Take your time, anything is possible."
After loading the bricks, Xiaowei went to push the cart. This time, he had a bit more experience. He used both hands to lift the cart slowly. If he felt something was wrong, he would put it down. If he felt it was about to fall over, he would sway the handlebars. Finally, he pushed it forward a few meters and was a little out of breath from exhaustion.
Old Liu followed slowly from the side and said, "Getting a feel for it? Pushing a wheelbarrow isn't about pushing forward with all your might. You have to keep swaying the handles from side to side to find your balance. Don't be fooled by how fast they push it, as if they're going in a straight line. They're actually swaying the handles from side to side. It's just that they're so skilled that the swaying motion is very small, and they're going so fast that you can't see it unless you're paying attention."
Xiao Wei nodded, thought for a moment, and continued pushing. He staggered for more than ten meters before it overturned again, and then he picked up the bricks again.
……
"Uncle Liu, Uncle Liu, I've pushed it four times already, how was it, damn it, ouch!" Picking up bricks, his ten fingers were red and thick, and every time he touched a brick, it burned with pain. Xiao Wei gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound, steadily placing the bricks into the cart. Pain also has its advantages, as it makes you minimize friction as much as possible, which actually made Xiao Wei's brick-carrying skills improve dramatically.
Old Liu, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, sat on a brick to the side, watching Xiao Wei with a smile. He said, "Alright, it's getting dark. You haven't done anything all afternoon, just watched you cause trouble. Come on, time to go home. Come back at 7:30 tomorrow morning, that should be about right. You can come a little later if you're still okay. Go back and soak your hands in salt water, don't touch anything dirty. I'll pick up a pair of gloves for you when you come back tomorrow."
Xiao Wei stared at Lao Liu for a moment, then asked, "Why didn't you give me the gloves today?"
Old Liu glanced at him sideways and said, "Will you learn your lesson if it doesn't hurt? Besides, gloves are a perk for senior workers. Why should I give you my own stuff as soon as you arrive? Get lost."
Xiao Wei chuckled a few times, pushed the car aside and propped it up, then followed Lao Liu downstairs.
……