Chapter 10: Pasting Matchboxes

Second Uncle was gnawing on a cornbread bun. In their household, anyone who didn’t have a job didn’t get breakfast. These days, having two meals a day was already considered decent.

“Second Uncle, eating?”

“Oh, Yimin? What’s the matter?” Second Uncle looked at Zhou Yimin with some surprise.

Zhou Yimin handed a few eggs to Second Aunt , smiling. “Second Aunt , keep these eggs for yourselves. I need to talk to Uncle about something.”

Second Aunt was overjoyed and quickly took the eggs. “Alright, you two talk.”

Since it was a favor for her husband, accepting a few eggs felt perfectly justified. As the saying goes, eggs and meat are nutritionally similar in many people’s eyes.

“Second Uncle, do you know anyone who does renovations?” Zhou Yimin got straight to the point.

Oh?

Second Uncle was surprised. “I do know someone, from the next street over. Why? Are you planning to fix up your house, Yimin?”

If he remembered correctly, Zhou Yimin’s two-room house seemed fine—at least livable. In these times, people were used to saving money. As long as a place was barely habitable, no one would bother renovating.

Zhou Yimin nodded. “Yeah! I want to fix it up a bit. You know, I’m at the age where I should be looking for a wife and getting married, so…”

Second Uncle nodded in understanding.

That made sense—it was indeed time to spruce up the house.

“I’ll pass by his house on my way to work. I’ll call him over to our courtyard to talk to you. You’re not heading to the factory too early today, are you?”

“I have flexibility—I can go to the factory whenever I want today. Thank you, Uncle.”

Second Uncle was a bit envious—working in procurement really had its perks!

“Alright, I’m heading out now. You just wait at home.”

With that, Second Uncle left, one hand holding his cornbread bun and the other carrying his lunchbox.

It wasn’t long before a dust-covered man arrived at the courtyard, led in by Second Aunt .

“Yimin, this is Master Gu. You two talk.”

“Alright, thanks, Aunt”

Zhou Yimin casually pulled out a pack of Da Qianmen cigarettes, took one, and handed it to Master Gu. “Master Gu, thanks for coming over. Have a smoke.”

Master Gu smiled. “No trouble at all! This is our job, after all. We should be thanking you for giving us work. Comrade, what’s the plan? Got any ideas?”

Zhou Yimin led him inside and explained his renovation plans.

First, he wanted to level the uneven floor, whether with cement or tiles.

Second, he wanted to brighten up the room by enlarging the windows or adding another one, and the walls needed a fresh coat of paint.

“Can we do a ceiling installation?” Zhou Yimin asked.

Master Gu nodded. “Of course! It’s not too difficult—it just depends on what materials you want to use.”

Ceiling installations might sound fancy, but they weren’t a modern invention.

In fact, they had been around for centuries. A ceiling installation was simply a form of decorative treatment for a house’s interior roof.

Since ancient times, people had placed great importance on ceiling decorations, with the most famous example being the “coffered ceiling” (藻井).

Coffered ceilings had intricate, varied designs—square, polygonal, or concave circles—often decorated with elaborate carvings and paintings. They were a hallmark of traditional Chinese architecture.

In the modern era, ceiling materials were quite basic. Some used woven sackcloth or plastic-striped sheets, glued together with synthetic fibers and adhesive. These ceilings lacked aesthetic appeal and were not very practical.

By the 1950s, lime-plastered ceilings became popular, using prefabricated boards coated with white lime. However, these ceilings were rough, easily developed mold, and turned black over time.

“Pick something lightweight and bright-looking,” Zhou Yimin specified.

Master Gu nodded—he got the idea. The main theme was “brightness.”

Next, there was the bathroom.

“That’ll require a drainage pipe installation, which is a bit costly. Plus, you’ll need to notify the local street office,” Master Gu reminded.

“No problem! Just go ahead and do it. How much will it cost?”

Since the client insisted, Master Gu didn’t argue.

“Labor and materials included, about 400 yuan. The main cost is the materials—they’re on the pricier side,” Master Gu explained.

For example, flooring—Zhou Yimin wanted glossy tiles, which weren’t cheap.

Plus, installing a bathroom meant laying drainage pipes, which added to the expense.

“Alright! I’ll pay 200 upfront and settle the rest after completion. When can you start?” Zhou Yimin had expected this price.

“I can get workers together anytime. It depends on when you’re ready, but you should at least move your belongings first.”

“Let’s start tomorrow! I’ll move everything into one room first. Once you finish that room, I’ll shift everything over so you can do the other side.”

“I know the rules—I’ll provide lunch. You can eat at Second Aunt’s place across the courtyard. I’ll take care of it.”

“Sounds good, no problem!” They liked clients like this—straightforward and generous, not nitpicking over every little thing.

Zhou Yimin handed over 200 yuan, had Master Gu confirm the amount, and saw him out. Then he headed to Second Aunt’s house, where she was pasting matchboxes.

Pasting matchboxes was a piecework job assigned by the street office. Families in financial difficulty could apply for it. The pay wasn’t much, but it helped with household expenses.

” Second Aunt, I’ve settled things with Master Gu. Since I need to provide lunch for them, I’d like to ask if you could help with cooking. They’ll eat at your place, and once the renovation is done, I’ll pay you 5 yuan or give you 5 jin (about 2.5 kg) of meat. How about it?”

Second Aunt was thrilled.

Absolutely!

She was currently pasting matchboxes—1,000 matchboxes earned her just 60 cents.

Yes, you heard right—1,000 matchboxes only earned 60 cents, and 10,000 earned 6 yuan.

Pasting matchboxes might seem simple, but it wasn’t easy.

It didn’t require much skill, but it was time-consuming and repetitive.

Each tiny matchbox had a meticulous process.

First, she had to prepare the glue. The glue for the inner box needed to be thinner, while the glue for the outer box had to be thicker.

To paste the inner boxes, she had to divide long paper strips into ten stacks, brush glue evenly with a soft brush, then carefully place and seal the edges, leaving one side open.

Next, the inner boxes had to be placed in wooden molds, where small wooden plates helped seal the bottoms. After drying, they were ready for use.

Pasting the outer boxes was slightly simpler. They were printed on large sheets of paper—10 rows across and 5 rows down, making 50 boxes per sheet.

A pre-scored cutting tool allowed the sheets to be easily separated. Then, using a bamboo scraper, she applied glue and folded each box carefully, holding them tightly to prevent them from popping open.

Only after drying were the inner and outer boxes assembled, completing the matchbox.

Helping with lunch for a short while, in exchange for 5 yuan? That was an amazing deal!

“I’ll take the 5 jin of meat.”

Given the choice, of course, she picked the meat!

Zhou Yimin nodded. “Deal.”

(End of Chapter)