高中毕业时，我没有达到当时规定的“分配年龄”。不得分配工作，只能和下一年的同学一起分配。在那段时间，工作都是政府统一分配，所以政府说要等，就只好等。但到了75年，还是没有分配工作。学校组织（还是市里统一的？不记得了）应届毕业学生去各单位“劳动”，拿现在的说法就是打工。我被加到本校75届的一个班里一起去当时市里最大的一个百货商场去工作，每月5块钱作为报酬。
这个百货商场营业部门有两层楼。有很多“部”，如钟表部，无线电部，电器部，布匹部，鞋帽部等。每个部又分为若干个柜台。比如服装部有上装柜，外裤柜，内衣柜等。我先被分到服装部，衬衫柜台。我们柜台有四个师傅，加我一个学徒（或者说是打工的）。商场每天都营业，一天好像开12小时（早8点到晚8点）。所以员工分成两班，当中可能有些交叉的时间，还要除去吃饭的时间。
开始去什么也不懂，跟师傅学。几位师傅都非常耐心教。一件衬衫取决于两个数据，领口和袖长。师傅们有经验了，看一眼顾客就基本知道什么尺寸。有时不很确定就用皮尺量一下。我一开始只是在边上看，后来慢慢也知道个大概，可以给出比较准确地尺寸了。有时柜台上不忙，就和师傅们聊天。其实也学了很多社会知识，许多东西在学校里是学不到的。
到了第二学期（春天），我又被转到布匹部，绒布柜卖布。卖布也是有点技巧的。首先是要比较准确地估计做件衣服要多少料。这要根据人的体型及布的材料。另外剪布也需要剪得齐。通常的操作是把布卷打开，用尺量好长度。老师傅一般只要在量好的地方画个印，然后把布翻转过来，折齐，沿着折缝就可以剪过去了。没有经验的，像我这样的，一般要用尺在整幅布上划线，延着线剪才可避免出错。厚的布，如绒布，灯芯绒等剪起来相对容易一点。薄的布如的确凉等剪起来就比较难。
在这样的大型商场里，钱和票是分开的。顾客在我们这买了东西（衣服或布匹），我们会开一张票，写明顾客买的东西及价钱。顾客拿着这个票据就到附近的帐台去付钱（一个商场有很多这样的帐台）。帐台收了钱，在票据上盖个章，顾客就凭着盖过章的票据来换取买的东西。
两个学期（秋，春）很快就过去了。在商场里学了不少原来不知道的东西。也结交了很多新朋友，有商场的师傅，也有75届的同学和班主任老师。可惜现在和这些同学和师傅都没有联系了。
Working as a sales clerk in city’s department store
I wasn’t at the age for getting a job when graduating from high school. I had to wait for the next year. Those years, the government was in charge of everything, including assigning jobs to everyone, certainly including high school graduates. As such, I had no choice, but waiting for the next year. But when 1975 came, there were still no jobs. My high school (it could be arranged by the city government, I can’t remember) sent us to work in various places in the city as a temporary measure. I was inserted into a Class’75 class (similar to the idea of “home room” in the U.S.). The entire class of 50 or so students were sent to the city’s biggest department store to work as sales clerks in various sections. We received 5 RMB per month as a complementary.
The department store was a big one by then standard. It had two story of sales area. There were many departments, such as clock and watch, radios and components, electrical, fabric, hats and shoes, etc. Each department was further divided into sections. For example, the clothing department has sections of coats, pants, underwears. Usually these sections have their own counters for both display and storage so the customers can see items through. I was assigned to the section for selling shirts. We had four regular clerks. All four were very experienced. The store opened everyday, probably 12 hours a day (8 am to 8 pm). So we’d work in different shifts. Of course, we’d have lunch breaks or supper breaks.
At the beginning, I knew nothing about the business, just following what the seniors do. They were very patient and nice. Shirts have two key measures, the size of the collar and the length of the sleeves. My seniors were experienced. They can decide the size of the shirts by just a glancing at the customer. When in doubt, they might use a tape measure to actually get the proper size. I watched what they did. After a while, I was able to get the proper shirts for my customers as well. Sometimes the sales were not busy, we just sat and chatted about everything and anything. It was a very good learning experience, as many of the things you’d never learn in schools.
When the spring came, I was transferred to the fabric department. Selling fabric requires a different set of techniques. First, you’d be able to estimate the amount of fabric needed to make certain types of clothing. This is based on the individual body shape and size, as well as the type of fabric. Second, you’d be able to cut the fabric properly. Experienced seniors can just measure the fabric and make a mark. They can then fold the fabric and cut it through the side along the folding line. For inexperienced folks like myself, I usually had to draw the entire line across the section of the fabric, then cut along the line to avoid moving the scissors sideways. It is a bit easier to cut the fabric that are thick. Thin fabric was more difficult to cut.
In stores of this size, money and the sale tickets were separated. The customer would choose what they’d buy from the counters. We (the sales clerks) would write a sales ticket indicating what was bought and how much it costed. The customer would then take the ticket to a near-by casher register and pay the money (all cash those days). The cashier would stamp on the ticket. The customer would come back to us with the stamped ticket to exchange the merchandize.
We worked there for two semesters, fall and spring. Time passed quickly. I learned a great deal in the department store as much was new to me and everyone in my class. I made some new friends, regular store clerks and the students in that special class and its “home room” teacher. Those students never took the same classes as I did. But I made good friends with them during that year. It is a bit unfortunate that I lost contacts with them all.
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