expression, noun
menial services; humble domestic work; serving one's master unsparingly
A literary set phrase, typically used in the pattern 薪水の労をとる, meaning to perform humble, laborious tasks such as kitchen work in service of a master. Conveys a sense of devoted, ungrudging service.
彼は師匠のために薪水の労をとった。
He performed menial tasks for his master.
古い小説では、弟子が薪水の労をとる場面がよく描かれる。
In old novels, scenes of disciples doing humble chores are often depicted.
下働き means menial work or unskilled labor, often in a modern context, while 薪水の労 is a classical expression implying loyal service.
The phrase originates from classical Chinese, where 薪 (firewood) and 水 (water) represent basic, laborious tasks. Combined with 労 (labor), it came to mean humble service. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is a set phrase in literary Japanese.