"Chen Bai, do you think we can pass tomorrow's test?"
Ma Jie spoke as he wiped a bamboo strip with the dry, coarse cloth in his hand.
He failed to notice that Chen Bai's gaze had gone blank for a full two or three seconds while he spoke.
"To tell you the truth, I privately approached a Second-Grade Apprentice and asked him to teach me some basic tricks for binding frames."
"I gave him all twenty copper coins I'd saved up for it, but you know how it is. Once you become a Second-Grade Apprentice, not only do you stop paying fees, you can earn money based on how much work you do."
"Don't blame me for not teaching you, either. Some things are yours only if they're meant to be."
"That's how the world works. If you want something, you have to pay the price. Nothing falls into your lap."
"If you pass the test, then we can talk about friendship."
Ma Jie picked up another bamboo strip and looked at Chen Bai. "Don't you think I'm right?"
Chen Bai paused, then simply nodded.
Ma Jie smiled.
"With how quiet you are, you're really suited to this trade."
"Someone like me would be best suited to greeting customers in the shop's Front Hall. Unfortunately, I don't have any connections, so I can only start as a paper-effigy apprentice and see whether an opportunity comes along later."
"Oh, do you know how much the boss makes selling a single paper offering?"
"I don't mean the ones displayed out front. I mean the kind he makes himself."
Chen Bai's eyes shifted slightly, and he shook his head.
Seeing this, Ma Jie leaned closer and whispered, "When I was moving things earlier, I happened to see someone buying something from the boss.