1992: Starting with the Second Generation of Shipowners

Chapter 52 Ranking

Jiang Haiping read through the registration form from beginning to end, noting that several sections in the "technical level" column were blank.

Lao Fang hadn't taken the certification exam, Qiu Changhai hadn't taken the certification exam, and Ding Haisheng had a provincial competition ranking but hadn't taken the welder's grade exam.

He pulled out the appendix to the provincial notice, which contained the technical grade standards, line after line, densely packed.

The provincial standards are divided according to certification: junior worker, intermediate worker, and senior worker, with each level specifying the examination subjects and practical skills.

Old Fang has been repairing main engines for thirty years, and he has disassembled more diesel engines than the models listed in the provincial standards, but he has never taken the certification exam.

Qiu Changhai has been sharpening that chisel for forty years, and the seams he has made could stretch from Moon Island to Hongjia Island. There is no such job as a seamstress in the province, and he wasn't even given the opportunity to take the certification exam.

Jiang Haiping put down the appendix and used a ballpoint pen to write in the remarks column of the registration form that Lao Fang had "thirty years of experience as a shipyard fitter and a founding member of the service station".

Qiu Changhai was noted as having "40 years of experience in sewing and is a provincial-level inheritor of traditional craftsmanship."

I've finished writing it and will wait for Lao Fang to come back and review it.

When Lao Fang returned from the dock, Jiang Haiping was squatting at the workshop entrance wiping his hands with cotton yarn. The registration form was on a stool next to him, held down with a wrench to prevent it from being blown away by the sea breeze.

Old Fang stubbed out his cigarette, walked over, squatted down, and picked up the registration form, reading it from beginning to end.

Seeing the words after his name, he twitched his lips but didn't say anything.

He stared at Qiu Changhai's line for a long time.

"If Old Qiu's skills were ranked, the provincial standards wouldn't even be a fraction of his."

Old Fang returned the registration form to Jiang Haiping. "For these few vacant technical skill levels, I'll have Ahai go to the county to see if we can add a practical skills certification process for the veteran workers. Old Qiu's chisel can't just be left without any explanation."

Jiang Haiping kept Lao Fang's words in mind.

In the afternoon, Wang Cunzhi was coming to the service station to deliver the training schedule for the next quarter. He planned to ask in person whether the province had a certification channel for traditional craftsmen.

When Qiu Changhai filled out the provincial list of protected traditional skills last time, Investigator Zheng mentioned that the list was only the first step, and there would be supporting policies such as subsidies for inheritors and skill archives. However, no one knew exactly when these policies would be implemented.

In the afternoon, Wang Cunzhi's motorcycle was parked at the gate of the courtyard.

He took the documents off the back seat and had just entered the workshop when Jiang Haiping called him back.

Jiang Haiping opened the registration form and pointed out the blank columns for technical grade to him.

Wang Cunzhi glanced at the note after Qiu Changhai's name, put the filing form on the table, and said that he had mentioned this matter when he went to the provincial meeting last time.

The province conducts employment registration, and the forms are printed uniformly. The job classification is based on the standards of large factories, including welders, fitters, and machinists, but not grouters.

Director Sun also reported to the provincial authorities that there is a group of veteran craftsmen at the coastal service stations, whose skills have been passed down through generations, and that an exception should be made for them in the technical level assessment.

"What did the province say?" Old Fang squatted down beside him, his cigarette already burned down to the filter. He stubbed it out and looked at Wang Cunzhi.

Wang Cunzhi said that the attitude of the provincial fisheries department is that the job category can be supplemented for application, but the service station needs to submit materials to explain the technical standards, lineage, and practical application scope of the job, and also attach work records and apprentice training files.

After the materials are submitted, the province will organize an expert group to come to the site for inspection, and then decide whether to include it in the supplementary list of occupations.

If they can be included, experienced workers can be directly assessed for their technical level without taking an exam.

After listening, Jiang Haiping took out the application materials that Qiu Changhai had left behind when he filled out the provincial traditional craft protection list last time.

The section on "Core Technical Features" in that document was dictated by Qiu Changhai and written down word by word by Lin Xiu'e: A well-sealed seam that doesn't leak isn't the best.

The best seam is one that, decades later, when you take it apart, still shows white hemp fibers, still moist tung oil putty, and the mark between the pieces of wood.

He placed the document on the table and asked Wang Cunzhi if there was anything else he needed to add.

Wang Cunzhi flipped through the materials and said that this was the application material for the directory of the Cultural Bureau, which was not the same system as the provincial technical level assessment.

However, the sections on "existing works record" and "apprenticeship record over the years" in the materials can be used directly. Please supplement with a list of wooden fishing boats repaired by the service station, a description of the mortise and tenon process, and Lin Xiu'e's award certificate from the provincial competition.

"If the provincial expert team comes down to inspect, what they want to see most isn't written materials, but the actual site. Having Lao Qiu patch a crack on the spot is more effective than any written documentation."

Lin Xiu'e came out of the kitchen carrying a basin of freshly mixed tung oil putty. Hearing this, she put the basin on the windowsill and went into the workshop.

She glanced at the materials spread out on the table and said she could help organize the process flow instructions. The copy of the advanced technician certificate from the provincial competition was also in the drawer, and she could take it anytime.

Jiang Haiping collected Qiu Changhai's application materials, training records, and provincial competition award certificates one by one, and put them into a kraft paper file bag.

He wrapped a thin cotton thread around the sealed file folder, trimmed the excess thread at the joint with scissors, and put it in the top drawer.

Before leaving, Wang Cunzhi said that the expert group would probably arrive after autumn. If Moon Island could secure the title of "sewing worker," other service stations in the province with similar skills could follow this path to apply for the same designation.

Jiang Haiping nodded, closed the drawer, and turned back to continue organizing the training schedule.

After finishing work in the evening, Qiu Changhai, as usual, sat at the entrance of the asbestos-roofed shed, sharpening his old chisel.

The sandpaper scraped across the blade, making a fine, even sound.

Lin Xiu'e placed a bowl of fish ball soup next to him and sat down on the stone stool beside him.

She told Qiu Changhai about the materials she had gathered in the file folder that afternoon.

When the expert team comes in the fall, they will specifically check his stitching.

He taught her sewing skills by hand, and this skill is something that needs to be described and described in writing.

She would fill the gaps exactly as he had said back then, ensuring that the seams were properly sealed and didn't leak, which wasn't the best outcome.

The best seam is one that, decades later, when you take it apart, still shows white hemp fibers, still moist tung oil putty, and the mark between the pieces of wood.

As Qiu Changhai listened, the rhythm of grinding his chisel never stopped.

The sandpaper scraped across the blade, making a soft, rustling sound, while the waves gently lapped against the stone groove, one after another.

He picked up the chisel, held it up to the light to examine the blade, wiped it with cotton yarn, and said something unhurriedly.

As autumn approaches, the batch of wooden fishing boats will be ready to be deployed. We'll pick the one with the longest seam on the bottom and slowly twist it so the expert team can see it clearly.

Lin Xiu'e took the empty bowl away from his side, and the kitchen knife fell rhythmically onto the cutting board.

In the courtyard of the service station, a few more loquats on the tree had turned yellow, glistening slightly in the sunset.