Chapter 572: Conditions
It is also because of "Tan Palace" and Ning Weimin that the atmosphere of the Beijing Art Red Light Factory is also very different from the past.
Since the overstocked inventory was sold last year, we have received a large number of subsequent palace lantern orders from "Tan Palace".
Hu Kuanfu, the secretary of the Palace Lantern Factory, and Xu Pingzhi, the factory director, not only no longer have to hide from employees who reimburse medical expenses, but they also no longer have to drink "Flower Triangle" worth two yuan and a pound.
Finally they are living the good life they dreamed of, being able to drink "welfare tea" for seven yuan a pound.
In addition, participating in the opening ceremony of "Altar Palace" also made them discover that Ning Weimin spared no effort in interior decoration, and realized new business opportunities from the hand-painted murals by teachers and students of the Academy of Fine Arts.
After that meal, starting from September 1983, they focused on the renovation project of "Beishen Kitchen" that was already scheduled, and began to try to restore the factory that they had given up for ten years. Several years in the wallpaper and mural business.
Speaking of wallpaper murals in Beijing, they first appeared in the early twentieth century.
At that time, Wenshengzhai Lamp and Fan Painting Shop, which specialized in palace lanterns, gauze lanterns, calligraphy and painting, was established in Langfang Toutiao outside Zhengyangmen. It was the first to discover that foreigners liked to decorate their living rooms with wallpapers painted with various patterns. , bedroom habits.
The painter was invited to create it with reference to our country's traditional painting style and artistic characteristics.
The biggest difference between Wenshengzhai's wallpaper murals and ordinary Western wallpapers is that they inherit and carry forward our country's traditional painting style on the basis of being cheap, easy to post and easy to replace.
For example, the earliest people to participate in the design and drawing of murals include Wu Zhongsan from the Qing Ruyi Pavilion, and well-known folk painters such as Kou Shuangshou.
The first set of lady murals and the first set of flower murals launched by Wenshengzhai that year were painted using the meticulous and heavy-color techniques of traditional Chinese painting.
Because of its delicate outlines, elegant and bright colors, and rich and gorgeous artistic effects, it quickly attracted attention in the international market and became popular.
In the early 1930s, Wenshengzhai's wallpapers and murals had become a hot commodity in the United States, Britain, Italy, France and other countries, and many merchants made special trips to Beijing to place orders.
And with the increase in export volume, it also promoted the overall prosperity of the wallpaper and mural industry in Beijing and spread rapidly.
Between the 1930s and 1940s, there were Qin Industrial and Commercial House, Zhen Kee Antique Shop, Yihe Xing, Pu Ju Zhai, Lin Kee Foreign Trade Co., Ltd., etc., who successively joined this emerging arts and crafts industry. There are more than 300 artists working here.
The Oriental Fine Arts Firm, established in 1942, is even a manufacturer specializing in the design and production of murals.
Its products are exclusively distributed by Glass Company of the United States.
It should be said that because of their practicality and artistry, the wallpaper murals in Beijing are very likely to develop into decorative products that sell well overseas and have the characteristics of our Chinese civilization.
But after the 1940s, this good momentum came to an abrupt end, and the war seriously affected the sales of wallpaper and murals in the capital.
As a result, the lives of those working in the relevant industries are in the miserable situation of "having a living to eat, but not having a living to beg for food."
On the eve of liberation, all industries in the capital were in depression, and the wallpaper and mural industry was on the verge of extinction.
Thanks to 1956, the government organized artists from the wallpaper mural industry and palace lantern production industry to establish the Beijing Art Red Lantern Factory.
The factory resumed wallpaper and mural production only in the fourth quarter of 1957, and was operated and exported by Jingcheng Special Art Company.
But soon it was the sixties again.
It is a pity that due to well-known special factors, this unique industrial and artistic product unique to Beijing has to be discontinued again.
And this pause will last twenty years. Even if overseas demand increases day by day, it will still be useless.
If it hadn’t been for the appearance of the “Tan Palace” restaurant, and if it hadn’t been for Ning Weimin’s idea of inviting teachers and students from art schools to paint on the walls.
I am afraid that even in the Art Red Light Factory, no one can think of this niche product that only overseas wealthy people like.
So from this perspective, it is thanks to the butterfly effect produced by Ning Weimin.
This is why the unique wallpaper murals in Beijing have a chance to continue to survive and not completely disappear in history.
As for how to resume production specifically.
The greatest blessing among misfortunes is that there are old people in the factory who know this craft, and most of them are still alive.
Hu Kuanfu and Xu Pingzhi personally came forward and invited these old craftsmen to come out one by one.
Don't even think about retirement, these people haven't done this job for twenty years.
But three bad generals can defeat Zhuge Liang.
These old craftsmen gathered together to reminisce, discuss and ponder together.
The basic production technology is really put together gradually like a puzzle.
In this way, by early November 1983, the "Flowers of the Four Seasons" wallpaper mural by the Palace Lantern Factory was successfully produced.
There was finally a finished product that could be shown to Ning Weimin.
I have to say that the technical foundation of the Palace Lantern Factory is still very good.
The four-season flower wallpapers they painted are rich and colorful, fragrant and colorful, and have a unique charm.
The effect is no worse than the serious murals made by teachers and students of the Academy of Fine Arts. Ning Weimin liked it very much when he saw it.
Especially when he learned that this kind of wallpaper is composed of several banners.
The width, length, and even picture content of each set can be customized according to actual needs.
And no matter how large the panoramic view is, as long as the various pieces are spliced together, a complete picture can be formed.
He was even more surprised.
Because this is as convenient as wallpaper in later generations.
He dared to say that if there is still something like this thirty years later, it will definitely become the first choice material for Chinese-style hall decoration.
As for the cost, there is no problem at all.
Even the sharpening price that the Palace Lantern Factory shouted through gritted teeth was only fifteen or six yuan per square meter.
It was much cheaper than Ning Weimin to hire teachers and students from the Academy of Fine Arts, less than one-third of the cost of the altar palace murals.
A wall of more than ten square meters needs to be framed, and the price is barely worth the price of an official table sold by Ning Weimin.
The most important thing is that this thing is very efficient in construction.
These wallpapers can be painted in advance and then framed on the wall.
There is no need to let the artists rush to work in an environment full of dust and smoke like when decorating the second floor of the "Altar Palace".
That was too hard and too humiliating.
The only flaw is that the material of this wallpaper is too fragile.
Because the palace lantern factory uses rice paper, the most traditional, cheapest and most convenient material for pasting.
What Ning Weimin is worried about is that this thing is not only easy to get dirty, but also easy to break. If you sprinkle some water or wine on it, it will be ruined.
So in order to avoid this problem, the palace lantern factory must continue to carry out technical research.
It would be best to restore the higher-end silk painting production methods they had mastered during the heyday of wallpaper and murals a year ago.
In this way, we can meet the needs of Ning Weimin and catch up with the progress of the "North God Kitchen" decoration project in time.
But even so, the efforts and achievements made by the Palace Lantern Factory were enough to move Ning Weimin and respect them.
So he let it go, as long as the silk painting was really done.
Most of the 6,000 to 7,000 square meters of interior decoration of "Northern Divine Kitchen" can be completed by the Palace Lantern Factory. As a result, the whole palace lantern factory was greatly stimulated, which was almost like a shot of chicken blood.
No, under the joint supervision of Hu Kuanfu and Xu Pingzhi, the research team of the Palace Lantern Factory spent two months in a row, lighting lamps and boiling oil through repeated tests, and finally mixed the southern alum silk and the foreign ones. The spun material and the special glue that matches the material are almost done.
Only from a technical point of view, these cloths need to be dyed into various colors before painting can be made.
There are still some technical issues with the dyeing pigments and fixing agents used, as well as whether it can be painted first and then mounted.
So on January 24th, Hu Kuanfu, the secretary of the Palace Lantern Factory, and Xu Pingzhi, the factory director, called together all the relevant technical backbones for a mobilization meeting.
I hope everyone can work together to overcome the technical difficulties.
“...Now there is a golden opportunity before us, which is the second phase of the 'Tan Palace' - the interior decoration project of Beishen Kitchen. The area of this place is larger than that of Tiantan North Road. The two-story building is much larger. It will definitely be used for large-scale banquets in the future. It will have a wall area of at least 6,000 square meters. The wallpaper and mural alone will be a large order of 100,000 yuan."
< br>"Moreover, this project is not only cost-effective in economic terms, but its social influence cannot be underestimated. Everyone should know how famous the 'Tan Palace' restaurant is now. It is already as famous as Beihai Fangshan Restaurant and Tingli Restaurant When Beishen Kitchen opens, there will definitely be more reports from reporters.”
"Just because we participated in the last project, the sales of high-quality palace lanterns in the factory have expanded a lot. The other two palace restaurants did not want to be pulled down by 'Tan Palace' and began to order high-end lamps from our factory. Even Sichuan Restaurant Come and ask for our palace lantern types and quotations."
"What does this mean? It means that this "Altar Palace" is indeed a key project in the district, and it is indeed a project invested by Pierre Carton. As long as we can participate in the decoration project of this restaurant, we will gain both fame and fortune.”
“If our wallpaper becomes famous this time, then our factory will have two major advantages in the future. The product will definitely bring our factory's income to a higher level."
"How about it? Everyone, please make a statement. Are you willing to sacrifice temporarily for the sake of our factory and everyone's future? I want to spend the three days of the New Year with some dedication and completely perfect the silk painting technique in progress."
Secretary Hu Kuanfu did it first. In his speech, he described the issues very objectively and analyzed the situation very clearly.
However, due to the characteristics of his position, his long speeches were full of great truths and were too high-sounding.
So much so that everyone’s mood was not high.
What’s more, the three-day holiday during the Spring Festival is too important. It means a lot in this era.
Everyone has been working hard and frugally for a year, and they are looking forward to pampering their stomachs and living a good life with plenty of food and fish in these few days.
How could you be willing to lose this opportunity for family fun?
So when I should have responded, I was silent.
Everyone was very hesitant, and many people recited the "bow fast".
This made Hu Kuanfu unable to come to the stage, and he sighed in disappointment.
Fortunately, I have Xu Pingzhi as my partner. He quickly added something more and his words were much more down-to-earth than Hu Kuanfu.
"Hey, to be honest, Secretary Hu and I are actually quite intolerant. At this time, we ask everyone to work overtime and give up celebrating the New Year with their families. It is really unkind."
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"But the problem is that to seize this opportunity, we have to race against time. If we miss this opportunity, we will lose a lot of profits in the future. It will even make all our current efforts meaningless. Because except for the 'Tan Palace' There is no chance for our wallpapers and murals to take off anymore. But people won’t wait for us. If the technology we finally recovered is not put to use, wouldn’t everyone’s efforts be in vain?”
“ Comrades, don't blame me for telling the truth. Our factory is no longer the same as it was when we worked well and badly for a month. Although the state is still responsible for our wages, it will not even if the factory loses money. Shortage. But if we can't make the factory prosperous by ourselves, forget about the benefits and various reimbursements. Everyone remembers what life we lived before we didn't have the customer "Tan Gong". Will we go by then? "
"In the past, we always said that two-thirds of the people in the world were in dire straits. Looking back now, it turns out that Secretary Hu and I are the ones in dire straits. We dare to compare ourselves with Bu Xinsheng, but we are really poor and want to lead everyone to live a good life. With our conditions, what else can we do if we want to live a good life? , Fang is a master.”
“Let me make a statement here. During the three days of the Spring Festival, Secretary Hu and I will work in the factory all day, and we will try our best to arrange coordination and logistics support for everyone. . As for those of you who are willing to work overtime, not only will the factory give you overtime pay, but you will also be compensated for your leave afterward."
Not to mention, this time is not only polite and reasonable, but also beneficial. Xu Pingzhi did not waste his words, and finally got some points. Impressed everyone.
Someone said, "Okay, since the secretary and the factory director have said so, we are not ungrateful people. You can count me in if you work overtime during holidays. But if you work for three days, I can't keep up with my wife and children." Explain? You have to leave the New Year's Day to me no matter what?"
As soon as these words came out, there was a burst of laughter.
Some people said, "Secretary and factory director, you are willing to set an example and take the lead in working overtime. We admire you. It is rare to have cadres like you two. But the emperor is not short of hungry soldiers. We have to ask clearly. This overtime work How much is the fee? If we really improve the technology in advance and let the factory get the order, will there be any extra bonus?"
There was a lot of noise.
"Director, I think there should be additional bonuses..."
"Secretary, by the way, you said just now that you will make up for the rest. How many days will it be made up for? Can we choose the days ourselves?"
To be honest, Hu Kuanfu and Xu Pingzhi felt both relieved and conflicted at the same time.
What is gratifying is that everyone spit out their words after all, which brings them one step closer to their goal of success.
Paradoxically, they did not expect that everyone’s additional requirements would not be easily met.
However, just when they were about to add up further, something unexpected happened.
The door opened, and several elderly people suddenly walked in.
This immediately made all the noise disappear without a trace.
"Master Zhao, Master Liu, Master Huang, who are you?"
The visitors, Hu Kuanfu and Xu Pingzhi, all know each other, and they are both retired masters from the factory.
“Secretary Hu, Director Xu, we don’t need these gangsters anymore. Our old brothers will come over to help us during the Chinese New Year, okay?”
"Yes, we don't want overtime pay. We don't even want the factory to take care of our food. We will provide it ourselves."
"We are angry outside the door. The factory points out that these young people are not good enough. They don't care at all." Those who love the factory are all white-eyed wolves..."
The words of these old masters immediately made the young people blush, and some even called them "masters."
The old masters are so arrogant that they no longer recognize their apprentices.
One even said, "Don't call me master, I don't have you as my apprentice. After working overtime, you dare to negotiate conditions with the factory. How capable you are! You are so capable now, I I have to call you master.”
At this time, it was Hu Kuanfu and Xu Pingzhi who spoke for the young people.
They explained to the old masters that the current policy is that the more work you do, the more you will get, and pure dedication is no longer a concern.
Of course workers cannot work in vain, they must also receive material rewards.
But the old men are stubborn and don’t recognize this principle at all.
Master Zhao said, "In terms of material rewards, yes. But it also depends on the score. How difficult is it for our factory now? This is the time when we need to work together to overcome the difficulties. Is it true that there is no water in the big river, but the small river can still Is there water? Will everyone’s life get worse after the factory is restored? What’s more, the factory is a collective, and I haven’t heard of asking for conditions for working for your own family. This is called extortion. It’s called adding insult to injury.”
Master Liu also said, "It was not easy for our ancestors to figure out a craft that could amaze foreigners and not be compared to them. Now, with great difficulty, we have a chance to revive this craft and restore the prosperity of the factory." What a great thing! Are you holding back just because it’s the end of the year? How selfish is this? I want to ask them who taught them their skills. "Tuition fees?" Another person sneered, "Tuition fees? Who didn't get this ability by being beaten and tortured? How much money do they have to live in and support their families?" Can we just leave? We are teaching the country and the factories that support us. Who cares about them? It’s not me. The society in the past was dark, but today’s society is good. But they can be taught and raised to be young masters who are not good at anything. Are they qualified to be workers?"
The conversation naturally turned back to the first person to speak, Master Zhao.
"This is a rat laying cubs. One litter is worse than the next. Secretary, factory director, today's young people have lived a good life for too long. They have forgotten the difficulties of the past. They have forgotten their roots. As long as you don't think we are old, let us do this. We old people don't need material rewards. We just need to be worthy of the factory that has supported us for decades. We have to be worthy of our industry. We hope that the factory will prosper again. Get up and make life easier for everyone in our factory..."
When saying these words, the eye circles of several old masters turned red one after another.
This made the young people present want to bury their heads in the ground.
But they couldn't help but be convinced.
Because when it comes to character, technology, and contribution, once the workers of the 1950s come, workers of the younger generation can no longer stand.
They were all outclassed.
The shining points of these old workers are like gold sand, like pearls, like water droplets in the desert.
Amazing, enviable, admirable, and completely impossible to ignore.
(End of this chapter)