Essays of rural hairdressers

There used to be no barber shop in the town, but now there are no "beauty salons" all over the street. Only hairdressers from one village to another. Although they go from village to village, people respect them very much. Generally, he is not called "barber" but "to be summoned". There is a short story about the name "Daizhao": In ancient times, a barber was called to the palace to cut the emperor's hair. The eunuch told the emperor that the barber had arrived. At this time, the emperor was dealing with the script, so he casually said, "To be determined." . The eunuch said to the barber, "The emperor asked you to wait for a letter." . The barber was flattered, and his words were eloquent. He mistakenly thought that the emperor told him to wait for the letter. When he got home, he told everyone he knew about it. Hearing this, the common people called him "to be summoned by the emperor". Later, people called the barber "the summoned".

The mobile hairdresser has simple tools, including a comb, two scissors, two razors, a bib, a pair of scissors for shaving, a razor (also used for shaving the head), a small ear scraper, a string of polished polishing cloth and a bar of soap. , can be packed together and put in your arms. Some also carry an iron pot and put it on a small stove to carry the burden. Every once in a while, he walks around the country with shaving tools. With one pair of feet, I almost traveled to every village and farmhouse within a dozen miles of Fiona Fang. From adults to children, he is required to cut his hair short. Although shaving your head only costs a dime, business is still good.

In fact, these hairdressers have good skills and excellent service attitude. In the shade of the village head or at the door of a family, move a wooden stool as a seat, let the barber sit on it, then untie the cloth that wraps the tools, hit the barber's neck a few times, hang the swinging knife cloth on the branch or the door seat, and then take out tools such as knives and scissors from the wooden box to start a haircut. There are men and women, adults and children, most of whom are led by women. Some have come to get a haircut, some have come to shave, and some have come to watch the fun. The barber joked while cutting his hair. Once you become an old acquaintance, there is nothing taboo, and sometimes you will open some dirty jokes. Men naturally laugh happily, and women are not angry.

These hairdressers are really good at their head work. The best thing is to shave the monk's head for the rural elderly, that is, to shave all the hair. This is a seemingly simple, but actually difficult "recruiting people" job, all by hand. First cut off the hair with hair clipper, then soak the scalp hair roots with hot towels and soap bubbles until soft, and finally shave them off with a razor. When scraping, it should be neither heavy nor heavy. The blade should swing quickly and scrape at a good angle. Shave all your hair and touch it with your hands. It should be as smooth as watermelon skin, and you can't cut a little skin. If you cut your skin and bleed, the barber will be unhappy or even pay, and the barber will feel embarrassed and ashamed to be called a master. It is said that it takes half a year to learn the skill of shaving. The monk's head shaved by the barber is fresh, smooth and comfortable, and the old people like to shave. They regard a haircut as a pleasure.

Their mode of operation is also very unique. They sometimes take Bao Cun Hu Bao and wander around the countryside every day. The cost of a haircut is calculated on an annual basis per head. Children spend half as much as adults every year. That is, adults count by one head and children count by half. The boundary between children and adults is determined by marital status. People who have never been married are always treated as children. So people think it's reasonable, and they all like to have a regular barber to cut their hair.

These hairdressers attach great importance to the perfection and art of craftsmanship. People who need to shave, they will put a little hot water on your own towel, soak your face for a while, then put soap on it, then swing the shaving knife on the "knife cloth" several times over and over again (this will make the blade sharper), and then shave again and again. Their work efficiency is very high because the whole village is waiting. Of course, no one will care, and there are still a few beards missing. After they shave the heads of adult men, they will make some small moves. For example, hit him on the back with a fist, bend the index finger of the middle finger of the right hand, then hold the nose of the shaved person and hold it for several times (it should be massage). Then turn to your back and put your hand on that person's shoulder four or five times (which also plays a relaxing role) to let the barber relax. Some hairdressers also dig their ears. When picking out your ears, you should be bold and cautious, depending on your eyes and your touch. People in rural areas, or the elderly, like to pull out their ears before pulling them out, which is not only to clean up the earwax, but also a kind of enjoyment. It's really wonderful to stick your ear into it, poke it around and scratch it gently. It's itchy, numb and even slightly painful. When a piece of earwax is taken out from the ear canal wall and then taken out with tweezers, it seems that an enemy has been destroyed, and the ears are refreshed immediately, and the hearing seems to be much more sensitive. Finally, when the ear brush quickly twists in the ear canal to remove the dirt scattered in the ear canal, it is a fairy-like happiness. So many people who come to shave their heads feel comfortable! Leave with a smile. Some even handed in tobacco leaves and said thank you!

At present, most young hairdressers in barbershops can't pull out their ears, especially some girls. They may have high skills in haircut, dyeing and styling, but they can't and dare not pull out their ears when asked. When picking out your ears, you should be bold and cautious, depending on your eyes and your touch. People in rural areas, or the elderly, like to pull out their ears before pulling them out, which is not only to clean up the earwax, but also a kind of enjoyment. It's really wonderful to stick your ear into it, poke it around and scratch it gently. It's itchy, numb and even slightly painful. When you take out a piece of earwax from the ear canal wall, and then take it out with tweezers, it seems that you have destroyed an enemy, and your ears look brand-new and your hearing seems to be much more sensitive. Finally, when the ear brush quickly twists in the ear canal to remove the dirt scattered in the ear canal, it is a fairy-like happiness. Some hairdressers rely on this skill to shave their ears, which makes anyone who asks him to shave his head unforgettable.

People will never forget the country barber who walked in the countryside with one pair of feet, cut people's hair with a pair of scissors, and created a happy life for others and himself with his own skills and hard work.