Chapter 103 - 87: What to Do When the Bamboo Craftsmen All Want to Quit?

Chapter 103: Chapter 87: What to Do When the Bamboo Craftsmen All Want to Quit?

Lin Haida frowned at his daughter’s words. "Lin Qing, I think things are pretty good as they are. Working at Li Yuan Farm, at this rate, I can make over 30,000 a month. In a small place like You City, how many people can make that much?"

Lin Qing was speechless at her dad’s lack of ambition. "Dad, you’re always so content and satisfied with everything. No wonder Mom left you back then. You just don’t know how to seize an opportunity."

"This is your chance, right now. 30,000 a month is more than what ordinary people make, but what can you really do with it? Can you afford a villa like that Master Zhao? Can you afford a nice car? Besides, at your age, how much longer can you keep this up?"

"Dad, I’m warning you. If you don’t listen to me this time, I’ll run off just like Mom. After I get married, I’ll never come back, and you can spend the rest of your life with that Bamboo Culture Park!"

"Lin Qing, do you really have to be like this?" Lin Haida felt utterly helpless hearing his daughter’s words.

She had even brought up the woman who had run away. If his daughter also left and never came back, he would truly be all alone in the world.

"Dad, just tell me if you’re going to listen to me or not," Lin Qing asked, getting straight to the point.

"Alright, I’ll go quit tomorrow," Lin Haida said with a sigh. He knew this was a dirty move, but he only had one daughter. With her forcing his hand, he felt he had no other choice.

Lin Qing looked at her father, completely exasperated. "Dad, why would you quit now? Tomorrow, I’ll bring the equipment and we’ll go to the Bamboo Culture Park to start a livestream. We’ll spend a couple of days building up some traffic and doing the initial prep work. I’m not going to open my shop anymore. I’ll sell off the clothes in my store tomorrow to get you all the tools and equipment for bamboo crafting. Two days should be about enough. Then you can quit."

"Alright!" Lin Haida had no ideas of his own on the matter, so he could only listen to his daughter.

Seeing she had convinced her father, Lin Qing’s face broke into a smile. She was already starting to fantasize about the life that Master Zhao lived.

’If that Master Zhao could make it to that level, and Dad’s skills are clearly better, why should he be slaving away for Li Yuan Farm instead of living that kind of life?’

「The next day.」

Old Guo woke up early. He saw that in the WeChat group he had created, messages from his two sons were popping up one after another.

Eldest Son: Dad, I’ve already resigned, but I can’t leave for another half-month. It’s company policy!

Second Son: Me too.

Eldest Son: Dad, can you save a spot for me at Li Yuan Farm?

Second Son: Dad, how long does it take to finish the apprenticeship for this bamboo crafting?

Seeing his sons’ attitudes, Old Guo’s face was all smiles. Just last night, they were saying he’d been scammed. But after he sent them the promotional video for Li Yuan Farm, they were both suddenly desperate to come back.

He replied directly in the group: "Just quit without notice. Forget the half-month’s pay they’re holding back and come home. You can start by serving me tea and acting like proper apprentices."

After sending the message, Old Guo was so happy he felt like pouring himself a couple of drinks.

’They refused to learn before, and now they’re asking how long it takes to master the craft before they’ve even started? What are they thinking?’

His happiness made him all the more grateful to Li Yuan Farm. It wasn’t just that the farm gave him the confidence to stand up to his sons. More importantly, it had given craftsmen like him—people from the bottom rungs of You City who could barely even make a living—a chance to shine again. It had breathed new life into their entire industry.

Seriously, he remembered his grandfather’s generation. Thanks to his craft, everyone in the village respected him. Back then, many household items were made of bamboo, and people would always ask his grandfather to make them.

But now, sadly, there were barely any people left in the village. Young people were all about modern technology. Many bamboo tools had been replaced by technological products. Even bamboo chopsticks were being replaced by metal ones.

People even claimed that bamboo chopsticks were toxic, that they would grow mold after long-term use and poison the body.

’As if our ancestors haven’t been using bamboo chopsticks all this time.’

Now, Li Yuan Farm seemed to have changed all of that in an instant, revitalizing both him and his industry. Because of this, he was truly full of admiration and gratitude for Boss Zhang.

’He’s the real deal. I honestly feel like I could kneel and kowtow to him.’

With these thoughts, Old Guo got on his motorcycle, left the village, and headed to the farm for work.

The village he lived in was very close to the farm. There was a small path that was even shorter than the road from the county seat.

When he arrived at the Bamboo Culture Park, Old Guo saw that many of the other bamboo craftsmen were already there. After a busy yesterday, every one of them had a smile on their face.

"Master Guo is here!"

"Master Guo."

The bamboo craftsmen all greeted Old Guo one after another. Firstly, his skills were superior, and secondly, he was the traditional bamboo craftsman the Bamboo Culture Park had specifically sought out.

Everyone knows it pays to be polite.

After returning to his workstation, Old Guo also saw Lin Haida. He noticed a young woman next to Lin Haida’s station, fiddling with a phone.

A moment later, he realized she was doing some kind of livestream.

Not long after, tourists began to arrive.

Old Guo got busy.

He also noticed that something was off with Lin Haida today. He clearly wasn’t working as diligently as he had been yesterday.

He had already finished four pieces, but Lin Haida hadn’t even finished one. He was spending all his time on the livestream, with the woman next to him teaching him how to do it.

"Master, can you hurry up? I’ve been waiting for a long time," a tourist said, clearly getting impatient.

"Sorry, I’m very...!" Lin Haida was still a bit embarrassed.

But Lin Qing cut him off. "My dad’s skills are the best, as everyone can see. He’s working slowly because he’s doing fine, detailed work. If you think it’s too slow, you can find another craftsman."