Chapter 483 – Sharing the Profits with Lu Xia
When Lu Xia saw her again, Ye Lin excitedly handed her a red envelope.
“Sister Lu Xia, this is for you!”
“What is this?” Lu Xia asked, puzzled, as she took it.
“This is the red envelope given by the bride’s family at the last wedding,” Ye Lin explained.
Lu Xia understood and said, “If it’s for you, you should keep it. Why give it to me?”
Ye Lin felt a bit embarrassed and said, “Thanks to your teachings, Sister Lu Xia, I have this skill. I’ve thought about it. I’ll give you all the money I earn in the future, considering it as my apprentice gift.”
Lu Xia smiled upon hearing this, handed the red envelope back to her, and said, “No need. Keep it for yourself. I’m not really your master, and what I taught you isn’t much. You’ve learned well on your own.”
“How can it not count? Sister Lu Xia, you didn’t hide anything and taught me all the techniques openly. I can’t just let my master starve. I know you don’t need this money much, but I still hope you’ll accept it. That way, I can have peace of mind,” Ye Lin insisted.
Lu Xia sighed at her words, opened the red envelope, looked at the amount inside, and took out a tenth of it.
“Alright, I’ll accept this much, and you can keep the rest. After all, you bought all those cosmetics, and you did the work. It wouldn’t be right for me to take too much.”
Seeing her hesitate, Ye Lin wanted to give her more, but Lu Xia wouldn’t hear of it. She could only agree for now.
“Alright, it’s settled. From now on, for every penny I earn, I’ll give you a tenth, Sister Lu Xia.”
Lu Xia resisted for a long time, but seeing that Ye Lin wouldn’t budge, she reluctantly agreed.
In the end, she joked, “Doesn’t that mean I have a great deal? I teach one person and then get to make money while lying down…”
Ye Lin laughed and nodded, “Exactly, just like those artisans in ancient times who take on apprentices. After taking in an apprentice, the apprentice has to pay tribute first and then work for several years before learning the basics. It takes at least ten to twenty years to truly master it. After becoming independent, they still have to give a portion of their earnings to their master.”
Lu Xia chuckled at her words, “Don’t worry, I won’t exploit you.”
Ye Lin laughed too, “I know, Sister Lu Xia, you’re a good master.”
Afterwards, she continued, “A few days ago, after some brides saw the makeup I did for a bride, several families came to me, some with overlapping appointments. I’m a bit overwhelmed. It’s a pity. I think I still need to improve my skills in styling hair.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Xia said, “I don’t know much about styling hair either. You can go ask around. There should be many artisans in the capital. You can learn from them.”
Ye Lin immediately became interested upon hearing this. She couldn’t wait to go and learn.
Seeing her eagerness, Lu Xia wanted to smile. She didn’t plan to waste any more of her time, so she waved her hand, and Ye Lin happily trotted away, probably off to inquire about artisans.
She had thought it would be hard to find artisans in a big city like the capital.
However, she heard from Ye Nan during Monday’s class, Ye Lin had already found an artisan to learn from and was planning to visit and seek apprenticeship. The situation was similar to when she first approached Lu Xia.
Lu Xia chuckled at the thought. It seemed her luck was good.
Later, probably due to being busy learning hair styling, Ye Lin visited Lu Xia less frequently. However, every now and then, she would still send her a share of the earnings.
Lu Xia tried to refuse a few times, but it was futile. She could only accept for now, and she planned to buy Ye Lin a gift later on to reciprocate. After all, she truly didn’t think she had taught her much, and holding onto the money felt uncomfortable.
*
Chapter 484 – Opening a Shop?
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However, when she saw her again, Lu Xia noticed that Ye Lin seemed quite tired, but the sparkle in her eyes remained unchanged and bright.
“What’s going on with you? Have you been very tired lately?” Lu Xia asked.
Ye Lin nodded, “Yes, very tired! I now realize how in demand good skills are. You don’t know, Sister Lu Xia, even those having weddings in the northern part of the city are coming to me. Even if I have five hands, I’m still overwhelmed. Watching the money slip through my hands, it really pains me!”
Lu Xia chuckled at her and said, “Weren’t you most passionate about makeup? Why the sudden focus on money?”
Upon hearing this, Ye Lin responded firmly, “Who doesn’t like money? Besides, I need money for makeup and makeup products. All that I had before has depleted my little treasury. Also, now that my family sees that I can finally earn money and doesn’t stop me from doing makeup, I treat it as a career. Of course, I want to make money!”
Lu Xia was impressed by her determination.
Since that was the case, she offered her own suggestion.
“If you think like this, have you considered making this a bit more professional?”
“Hmm? What do you mean? Are you saying I need to learn more?” Ye Lin asked.
Lu Xia shook her head, “No, there’s only so much to learn about makeup for now. What I mean is, make the process more professional. Since you’re treating it as a career, why not expand and scale up?”
Ye Lin seemed to understand, “Are you saying I should take in a few apprentices and have them work separately?”
Lu Xia nodded, then shook her head, “If you want to do this in the long run, doing the process more professionally is necessary. Otherwise, it’s easy to be imitated. Just like how you do makeup now, it’s not actually difficult. Skilled people can learn it after a few observations. When others learn it, you lose your advantage.”
This time, Ye Lin understood. She thought of how recently many people in the residential compound had been improving their makeup skills, all learning from her. This made her feel a sense of urgency.
If everyone learned, wouldn’t she be left without any clients?
Thinking about the busy yet fulfilling life she had in recent times, she felt a bit worried and asked, “So, Lu Xia, what do you think I should do?”
Seeing her like this, Lu Xia smiled and said, “That’s why I said you should go towards professionalism. Start by opening a shop to make yourself more formal.”
“But does opening a shop make it more professional?” Ye Lin asked.
Lu Xia saw that she hadn’t grasped the concept yet, so she gave an example, “Let’s say, if you’re going to eat, which would you think is better and more prestigious: a street vendor or a restaurant?”
“Of course, a restaurant!” Ye Lin answered without hesitation.
“Exactly, it’s the same with makeup. When people hear that you have a dedicated makeup shop, they’ll perceive it as professional and skillful. Moreover, weddings are important occasions, and most families are willing to spend money on them.”
Ye Lin’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. “Yes, if it were me, I would think the same way. But, is it worth opening a shop just for this reputation? I’m afraid I won’t even earn back the shop rent in the end!”
**TN
Just 2 updates today. I’m just really so very sad today, mourning my husband’s death (no, not in real life). I now have 4 dead husbands, thanks Gege (I will find you Gege). (I’m talking about Jujutsu Kaisen)
Thanks for the update ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️