Era: Starting from cave dwellings in northern Shaanxi

Chapter 143 Paper-cutting Master

"Old Party Secretary, have you eaten?"

Sun Xiangyang greeted.

"Eat, how about Tiaotiao? If he doesn't obey, you can beat him hard without giving me face. If it doesn't work, I'll ask his father to beat him."

The old party secretary nodded with a smile, then looked at Sun Tiaotiao who was standing at the stand and said.

At this time, Sun Tiaotiao was far from being distracted, so naturally he heard these words in his ears, his body shook, and his face looked like he had eaten bitter melon.

"Tiaotiao is very hard-working, and the perseverance is not bad. It's just that I'm still young, so take your time."

Sun Xiangyang said.

"I don't know how to practice martial arts. Anyway, you can just watch it. Didn't you talk about paper cutting and painting before? I asked Tiao Tiao Nai to cut some randomly in the past few days. You can see if it works."

The old branch secretary then revealed the purpose of his trip.

Now that the coal mine matter has been resolved, the remaining road construction does not require his involvement as party secretary, so he simply gets busy with another major matter.

So far, he has still kept a tight lid on the matter of earning foreign exchange through paper-cutting and painting. Even if he asked his wife to cut the paper, he only said that Sun Xiangyang needed it and did not disclose anything else.

After it was cut, it was immediately sent over.

"Okay, let's watch it in the house."

With that said, Sun Xiangyang invited the old party secretary to the house.

The quilts on the kang have all been rolled up by now, and there is a small table on top. The stove outside goes directly under the kang, so it is warm to sit on the kang.

First, he helped the old branch secretary make a pot of tea, and then Sun Xiangyang spread out the stack of paper-cut paintings.

It can be seen that these paper-cut paintings all have a strong northern Shaanxi style, and they are also daily scenes.

There are people driving cattle to plow the fields, some working in the terraced fields, some fetching water from wells, some setting off firecrackers during the New Year, and some beating gongs and drums and blowing trumpets. One of them even brings together many characters, which look very vivid.

While Sun Xiangyang was carefully admiring these paper-cut paintings, the old party secretary was also nervously looking forward to it.

Despite what he said just now, he just cut it casually, but in fact, he warned him over and over again, and he didn't even take it here if it was slightly defective.

"Xiang Yang, how are you? Can you make it work?"

When Sun Xiangyang raised his head, the old party secretary couldn't wait to ask.

"It's more than just passable. Especially this one, it's no worse than the ones sold in the Friendship Store. If future paper-cuts can have this quality, there will definitely be no problem."

Sun Xiangyang pointed to the paper-cut painting that satisfied him the most and said.

"That's good, as long as it works."

The old party secretary breathed a sigh of relief, and then continued: "From now on, we will follow this standard, go back and find out, and let everyone submit a few pictures. Those with similar levels can join together, practice more, and strive to get it as soon as possible. Cut out the rest.”

"Then the standard you set is a bit high."

Sun Xiangyang couldn't help but said.

In fact, several of these paper-cut paintings meet the standard, but judging from the old party secretary's intention, it is obvious that he wants to only produce the best products.

In this way, a lot of energy is wasted.

He believed that even if Sun Tiaotiao's grandma wanted to cut to such a level, it would not be easy. She would make mistakes and start over.

Cutting eight out of ten pictures in a month is considered too much.

Even she is like this, let alone the others.

After all, it is easy to stick a paper-cut painting on a window, and there are only a few paper-cut paintings that really have meaning and tell a story.

"This is about earning foreign exchange from exports. We can't fool around with it, otherwise people will laugh at it and we won't have the shame to take money. So it must be the best, so that people will be willing to continue to cooperate with us in the future."

The old party secretary has his own opinions.

"You're right. Let's keep improving and get our brand out there first. Maybe we can export to more countries in the future."

Sun Xiangyang nodded.

Based on the calculation of two dollars for a fine paper-cut painting, a thousand paintings are only two thousand dollars, and Shapingba accounts for 35%.

For Shuangshuiwan, which has already dug out high-quality coal, this number is not much. A slight increase in production will be the profit for a month.

But that’s not how the accounts were calculated.

Earning foreign exchange through export is a great honor, not only measured in money, that’s why the old party secretary is so concerned about it.

For Sun Xiangyang, paper-cut paintings can be used to gain experience and gain reputation. In the future, they can also be included in the intangible cultural heritage and become a unique embellishment in the development of Shuangshuiwan, which cannot be summed up by money.

Therefore, paper-cut painting must be developed and improved.

Even if we waste a little more paper and spend a little more effort, we still have to make a good sign.

I believe that once the news about Shuangshui Bay earning foreign exchange by paper-cutting spreads and hits the newspapers, it will immediately cause a sensation and people will rush to visit here and learn from it.

Isn’t the reputation just spread out?

Just like when talking about ceramics, the first thing people think of is Jingdezhen.

From now on, when people mention paper-cutting in northern Shaanxi, the first thing that comes to mind is Shuangshuiwan. Only in that way can it be considered a success.

Of course, Shuangshuiwan still has a long way to go to reach this point.

Therefore, this first shot must be fired and even launched with momentum.

"That's the truth, but there is one more thing. Tiao Tiao Nai told me that she once had a relative who liked paper-cutting since she was a child. She studied with her for a while. She also won awards for paper-cutting and was rated as an advanced figure. Unfortunately, paper-cutting was later classified as Once that was discovered, there was no news.

Her level is certainly undeniable, she is much better than Tiao Tia Bo. Wouldn't it be better if we could bring her here?

Of course, she is an outsider after all, so she still has to make the decision. "

The old branch secretary said again at this time.

"I definitely have to recruit them. In fact, according to my plan, Shuangshuiwan and Shapingba alone cannot provide so many high-quality paper-cuts. The level is also another aspect. Since we want to do better, we must continue to attract talents to join , only in this way can we become bigger and bigger.”

Sun Xiangyang did not expect that the old party secretary would bring such an unexpected surprise.

He agreed without hesitation.

"Where does that person live? I'll go and invite him personally."

"No, just let Dancing Girl accompany you to find it. How can we calculate this salary? If we make people work for nothing, they may not agree."

"If her level is really better than jumping breasts, then we won't make any money from her. We will give her as much as she sells. What we want is the name. It's best to find a way to get her to join Shuangshui." Bay, then you will be one of your own."

Sun Xiangyang said directly. Making money through exploitation will always be considered inferior to him, not to mention that he does paper-cutting and painting not for the purpose of making money.

If the opponent's level can reach the master level, it will virtually increase the reputation of Shuangshuiwan paper-cutting, and make more money.

"Okay, since you said so, I will definitely get it done."

The old branch secretary said forcefully.

He saw Sun Xiangyang's contribution to the development of Shuangshuiwan. As the temporary branch secretary of Shuangshuiwan, he naturally could not hold Sun Xiangyang back.

Yes.

Now the old party secretary positions himself as a temporary party secretary. Before Sun Xiangyang grows up, he will support him. Once the time is right, he will hand over the seat to Sun Xiangyang.

At that time, Sun Xiangyang could legitimately lead the development of Shuangshuiwan.

And he can also relieve his burden, don't have to worry about anything, walk around every day, and enjoy his old age in peace.

Ever since Sun Xiangyang told him that he wanted to build Shuangshui Bay into a pearl on the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi, he had been thinking about living a few more years and trying to see a future that he could not even imagine.

In particular, as the things Sun Xiangyang did brought changes to Shuangshui Bay, he had a strong intuition that maybe it was not just an unattainable dream.

It wasn't until the pot of tea was almost gone that the old party secretary left with satisfaction.

On the same day, all the women in Shuangshuiwan were summoned by the old party secretary to announce the paper-cut painting.

However, the old branch secretary still did not say that paper-cut paintings should be exported to earn foreign exchange. He only said that Sun Xiangyang contacted a shop in Beijing. As long as their cut-out paintings can meet the standards, they can sell them for money!

Everyone's enthusiasm was immediately aroused when they heard that the paper-cut paintings that were casually cut and pasted on the windows during the Chinese New Year could be sold for money.

Due to the winter, it is no longer possible to work in the fields, and the coal mines are also the business of the men. As women who can hold up half the sky, they can only work at home. Many of them have already become a little restless.

After hearing that paper-cut paintings could be sold for money, they could not sit still. They all received red paper from the old branch secretary and started cutting at home.

In the words of the old party secretary, this is an exam. If you have any unique skills, don’t hide them. If your skills are too low, don’t even think about them. Just work at home and take care of your family.

Regarding how much paper-cut paintings can be sold for, the old party secretary also gave the answer: It is definitely no less than what the old men in the coal mines earn.

With these words, the women in Shuangshuiwan immediately put out all their energy, and many of them even stopped cooking at home. When the men came back from the mines, they could only manage to eat a few bites.

Even Zhang Guihua came back with the red paper happily, looking like she was going to do something big.

However, her skills were really not up to par. After cutting out a whole piece of red paper, there were only two pictures of the words "happy" that could be seen.

Especially when Dudu took out the few paper-cuts left by Sun Xiangyang, Zhang Guihua simply threw away the scissors and went to cook angrily.

Because Dudu also told her: This is a paper cut that dad didn’t want, so he gave it to her to play with.

Look, is this human language?

So much so that during dinner in the evening, Zhang Guihua didn't look good on Sun Xiangyang.

In the next few days, while the women in Shuangshuiwan were busy cutting paper, Sun Tiaotiao's mother and grandmother also invited the paper-cutting expert mentioned by the old party secretary.

At the old party secretary's house, Sun Xiangyang met each other.

Although he was only forty-five years old, the other person looked like he was in his fifties. His hair was gray, he was not tall, he was thin and frail, and even looked a little reserved, and his face was full of anxiety.

"Aunt Guo, you already know everything, right? We Shuangshuiwan have received a batch of work, and we need to provide good paper-cut paintings that can reflect our characteristics in northern Shaanxi. I heard that you have won an award, so I invited you to try it. Try, the price is three yuan per piece. This is also the price they gave us. I wonder if you are willing?"

Sun Xiangyang asked directly.

Regarding the price issue, this was something he had discussed with the old party secretary. He couldn't say two dollars. That would be tantamount to asking for trouble. If someone knew in advance that there was a way to earn foreign exchange through export in Shuangshui Bay, it would be easy to change.

Moreover, even if it is sold for two dollars, it is impossible to give you US dollars directly. It still has to be converted into RMB, so simply telling the other party the final converted price is not considered cheating.

After all, the price is that price.

In fact, the fact that the other party appeared in Shuangshui Bay so quickly could already show the other party's attitude, but Sun Xiangyang still asked again.

If you have any questions, you can speak up and speak directly.

"Really, can we really cut paper again? No more burning it?"

Guo Zhen asked cautiously.

Obviously, she has tasted that. If it weren't for the fact that the family couldn't open the pot, and the people who came to see her were former relatives and elders, and they also sent a lot of white noodles to her family, she wouldn't have followed over in a hurry.

"No, don't burn it. In fact, stores in the capital, that is, our supply and marketing cooperatives, have begun to sell this kind of paper-cut paintings. This shows that paper-cutting is allowed, and paper-cutting is also an art, which can be compared with calligraphy and painting. Juxtaposition can show the characteristics of a place, so it should be developed well."

Sun Xiangyang knew what the other party was worried about, so he explained seriously.

"Okay, I'll cut it for you. You provide me with paper, a place to live, and just give me three cents for a paper-cut painting. How much it can sell for in the end is your business and has nothing to do with me."

After hearing Sun Xiangyang's assurance, Guo Zhen raised her head and said firmly.

Three dollars and three pieces?

She couldn't even think about it, and even thought that the other party had said the wrong thing.

Even in her opinion, thirty cents for one picture is already a lot.

A young laborer earns ten work points a day, which sometimes translates into only thirty cents.

And she only needs to sit in the room and cut with scissors, and she can earn three cents. What is there to be dissatisfied about?

Moreover, this is just a paper-cut painting.

She estimated that even if she was slower, cut bigger and more finely, she would be able to do two or three pictures in a day.

The equivalent of what she earns in one day can equal two or three young workers.

"Don't worry, it's not just a place to live, but also food. There are white flour steamed buns every day. As for the price, otherwise, we will settle the bill at thirty cents a piece first, and then we will sell the rest later. I’ll give you the money to make up for it.”

Sun Xiangyang also knew that the price of three yuan for a paper-cut painting frightened the other party. Because it was too much, he did not dare to take it.

So Sun Xiangyang didn't force it, and waited until it was finally sold.

Anyway, he will definitely not default on the debt.

"Then let's do this for now. Auntie, give me a pair of scissors and some paper. I'll try it first. After all, I haven't cut much for a long time and I'm still a bit shabby."

Guo Zhen nodded, but did not take Sun Xiangyang's words seriously. He could take care of food and housing, and it was already good for him to pay 30 cents for a paper-cut painting.

Since the treatment was given, she naturally had to show her hand and see, and couldn't just talk about it.

"okay."

Then, the scissors and red paper were handed to Guo Zhen's hands.

She washed her hands first, and then sat down again. The moment she picked up the scissors, her whole person seemed to have changed.

　Chapter One!

　　

　

(End of this chapter)