Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 61 Do you accept apprentices?

If Ji Yongyue remembered correctly, he had prepared four electric fans for Wang Chengpeng. Since only one appeared here, the result was already obvious.

Some people said they didn't know how, but they took the items back to study them. However, their actions spoke louder than words, and they quickly repaired the two electric fans.

Although electric fans have higher profit margins, their sales speed is far slower than that of radios, considering people's purchasing power.

Even so, Ji Yongyue still made a killing by contracting the repairs to Wang Chengpeng for 15 yuan per unit.

Most importantly, Wang Chengpeng's repairs are all very meticulous, and he also refurbished these second-hand small appliances along the way, so they can be sold for a higher price.

Such excellent service even gave Ji Yongyue the illusion that he might have overpaid.

However, he quickly abandoned this ridiculous idea, as he had already given Wang Chengpeng enough.

You have to be responsible for purchasing and selling goods. This is not a simple matter of reselling; otherwise, you could be arrested and punished for speculation in no time.

These days, the crackdown on speculation and profiteering is no joke!
If it weren't for wanting to show his family his abilities, Ji Yongyue wouldn't even bother doing such troublesome things, which only earn him a little money after all that effort.

Thinking this, he regained his usual calm and composed expression, picked up an electric fan, and went to the side to plug it in and try it out.

As the fan blades turned, a cool breeze was quickly blew out, confirming to Ji Yongyue that the electric fan had been repaired.

Ji Yongyue tried other goods and found that the same thing happened; there was no error at all.

This scene made him wonder if Wang Chengpeng was doing it on purpose, just to test whether his partner was honest enough.

……

On the other side, Wang Chengpeng had already arrived at his destination, the town's department store.

Perhaps because of his luxury car, the sales staff here treated Wang Chengpeng much better.

After thinking it over, Wang Chengpeng bought a new bicycle basket, a new chain, and a new seat, and also bought some paint before leaving.

Don't underestimate these bicycle parts; they were quite valuable, costing Wang Chengpeng a full thirty yuan. Even with his considerable wealth, Wang Chengpeng felt a pang of regret.

After buying some flour and pork at the grain shop in town, Wang Chengpeng finally finished his big shopping trip for the day.

Although Wang Tieshan instructed Wang Chengpeng to keep a low profile and not to be too flamboyant.

However, in order to speed up his training in Bajiquan, Cheng Peng had to buy this meat king, otherwise his small body simply couldn't withstand the onslaught of Bajiquan.

Fortunately, Bajiquan is neither a fitness exercise nor an aesthetically pleasing martial art, so it won't turn Wang Chengpeng into a muscular hunk, and he won't stand out too much, so it shouldn't attract much attention.

After purchasing some daily necessities, Wang Chengpeng hurriedly rode his bicycle back to the scrap metal recycling station.

Ji Yongyue had already finished checking the goods, and upon seeing Wang Chengpeng, he greeted him warmly, saying:

"Brother Wang, you really gave me a big surprise."

"I may disagree with other things, but I have to admit that I admire your repair skills."

"It would be a real shame if this skill weren't passed down. I wonder if Brother Wang has any plans to take on apprentices."

"Don't worry, I don't intend to kick you out and let you go it alone in this way."

"I just feel that since you are all alone, it would be much easier for you to hire two apprentices to help with the repairs, and it would also be much more efficient."

"I'm not afraid you won't believe me, but in my opinion, your repair efficiency is really too low."

"As long as you keep up with the pace, you'll have a steady stream of goods to repair."

Apprentice?

Taking on apprentices in this era was not as simple as it is in later generations. It is no exaggeration to say that "a teacher for a day is a father for life".

After all, what the master taught was a skill to make a living. For ordinary people, it is no exaggeration to say that it is a life-saving grace, and it can completely change the fate of others.

That might be a good idea? But then Wang Chengpeng thought about his age and abandoned this unrealistic notion, jokingly remarking:

"Brother Ji, you flatter me too much. Do I look like someone who can take on apprentices?"

"Even if you find a suitable target, the other person will probably run away the moment they see me, right?"

Perhaps it was because Wang Chengpeng acted too maturely that Ji Yongyue subconsciously overlooked the fact that Wang Chengpeng was just a young man, or even a very young man.

Supported by the idea that "age equals experience," the scenario Wang Chengpeng described is not necessarily impossible.

It would be truly embarrassing for everyone if we only realized something was wrong later.

Thinking of this, Ji Yongyue apologized to Wang Chengpeng, saying, "Brother Wang, you see, I'm really unreliable when I do things. I haven't even thought of everything you've thought of."

"Your repair skills are more than enough to qualify you to be my apprentice. It's just a pity that not many people will be lucky enough to become your student."

"But from what you're saying, it seems you're not opposed to taking on apprentices."

"How about this, I'll keep an eye out for you first, and if I find a suitable candidate, I can bring them over for you to take a look."

"If Brother Wang finds it acceptable, it would be a good thing to take him in and help him out."

Wang Chengpeng's ambitions lay elsewhere, and he felt it was a good thing to pass on his repair skills. After thinking it over, he agreed.

However, he then put forward another condition, saying, "I can take on apprentices, but there is a time limit."

“If Brother Ji can find a suitable candidate before June, and I like him, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to accept him.”

The reason for setting it for June is that news of the resumption of the college entrance examination is expected to emerge around August, which will be the time for Wang Chengpeng to showcase his talents.

At that point, he would naturally no longer be willing to do the thankless task of taking on apprentices.

In addition, teaching repair skills is not something that can be accomplished overnight, so giving myself two months to teach is a way of being responsible to my apprentice.

After all, Wang Chengpeng either doesn't take on apprentices at all, or if he does, he's bound to impart his knowledge to them properly.

Although he didn't know why Wang Chengpeng had set the timeframe for June, it was already quite an achievement to get Wang Chengpeng to agree, so Ji Yongyue naturally agreed with great joy.

If he had one or two helpers, wouldn't Wang Chengpeng's repair speed increase dramatically, and his performance would also increase dramatically?

The rest was much simpler. Ji Yongyue took out seventy-five yuan and handed it to Wang Chengpeng, saying:
"Nine radios and two electric fans, a total of seventy-five yuan. Please check."

With just a quick glance, Wang Chengpeng confirmed that the money Ji Yongyue had given him was correct, and immediately put it all into his pocket with peace of mind.

This is seventy-five yuan! That's two or three months' wages for most workers, but it's only the result of Wang Chengpeng's three days of hard work.

Wang Chengpeng immediately beamed with joy, no longer caring about the thirty yuan he had spent earlier, and said:

"How could I not trust Brother Ji?"

"I'll take the money. I'm glad I helped you."

"Helping you out?" Ji Yongyue pursed his lips, thinking to himself that Wang Chengpeng really didn't leave anyone any room for argument.

He immediately extended his right hand and shook hands firmly with Wang Chengpeng's outstretched right hand, saying, "It was nice to help."

“I have already prepared the things for Brother Wang, so I will ask Wang Chengpeng to continue to help me out.”

After packing his things and exchanging a few brief pleasantries with Ji Yongyue, Wang Chengpeng set off on his journey home.

As the sun set, its orange rays bathed Wang Chengpeng, as if draping him and his goods in a golden coat.

The bicycle, laden with hope, drew ever closer to home.

(End of this chapter)