As a father, I just want to quietly watch you live a long life - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Nine Sons Embracing the Lotus, the Method of Inner Strength

Xu’s Wood Carving Shop was among the top-ranked wood carving shops in the Outer City and often received orders from the Inner City, where there was an immense demand for a variety of wood carvings.

Whether it was carvings of landscapes or images of the Bodhisattva and Buddha, or even deities that Li Che had never heard of before.

For day laborers like himself, transporting timber and finished statues meant earning a fixed piece-rate pay—not much money, and terribly exhausting to boot.

But should one become an official wood carving master, carving a single finished piece could fetch at least thirty taels of silver!

Even more impressive, Li Che had heard that Master Chen once carved a “Thousand-Armed Guanyin Woodcarving Statue,” which took nearly a month to complete and earned him a Gold Leaf—equivalent to one hundred taels!

Such a skill could bring ordinary people immense wealth and prosperity!

Li Che felt tempted, whereas he wouldn’t have dared to entertain such thoughts before.

Learning the art of wood carving required training from a young age, and also tested one’s talent and artistry, like the apprentices at the wood carving shop who had been sent by their families to study since they were five or six years old, exchanging silver for learning.

By the time Li Che started working at the wood carving shop as a laborer, he was already thirteen, long past the ideal age.

Though he had once contemplated teaching himself the craft, he gave up after a few days.

How could he, with just a few days of self-study, hope to surpass the arduous training of someone’s entire childhood?

Besides, though watching others carve was one thing, getting hands-on was entirely another.

“Find an opportunity to try… perhaps the ‘Immortal Artisan’ Dao Fruit has truly granted me a talent for wood carving?”

A wave of anticipation rose in Li Che’s heart.

The cold wind blew, bringing him back to his senses. He buried the idea of becoming a wood carving master deep in his heart and began to work earnestly.

Transporting finished wood carvings was different than handling raw timber; one had to be even more careful to avoid knocking and damaging the carvings.

Wrapped in cloth and bound with hemp rope to prevent any friction injuries from carrying, Li Che hoisted up the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva Statue and carefully took measured steps toward the inner room.

Upon arriving at Master Chen’s workshop, he placed the Bodhisattva Statue down, removed the wrapping, and felt relief upon seeing no signs of abrasion.

“Master Chen, the Bodhisattva Statue is brought in. Now I’ll fetch you the ‘Flowering Curved Willow,’ you want a larger piece, right?” Li Che said with a relaxed smile, shrugging his shoulders.

Master Chen was already sitting on a stool, sharpening his engraving knife with a whetstone.

“Yes, make it quick. This time I need to carve a ‘Nine Sons Embracing the Lotus’; it’s a complicated process, and the Inner City is rushing for it,” said Master Chen, picking up the engraving knife and squinting at its sharpness.

Li Che returned to the snow-covered courtyard, intending to move the piece of Flowering Curved Willow he had picked out.

But as he touched the wood, Li Che felt the ‘Immortal Artisan’ Dao Fruit pulse slightly, giving rise to an indescribable feeling.

“This piece of Flowering Curved Willow doesn’t seem quite right for carving the ‘Nine Sons Embracing Lotus Statue,’” Li Che murmured softly to himself.

Most of the time, wood carving masters would choose the timber themselves, but there were exceptions. Some masters, confident in their skill, preferred not to venture out in the winter chill to pick wood.

But when it was the laborer who picked out the timber and if the chosen wood wasn’t quite right…

It wouldn’t be too troublesome if the wood carving master was amiable, but if they had a bad temper, they might deduct money from your transportation payment.

Then not only would you have to move timber more than once, but you’d also face deductions… a loss indeed.

Li Che set aside that piece of “Flowering Curved Willow,” and began to choose another from the pile, touching each one until he found a piece that, under the influence of the ‘Immortal Artisan’ Dao Fruit, intuitively felt just right.

He carried the slightly heavier piece of “Flowering Curved Willow” back to Master Chen’s workshop.

“Hey, not bad, Little Li. You have a good eye; this wood is exactly what’s needed!” Master Chen was pleasantly surprised because the wood matched almost perfectly with the ‘Nine Sons Embracing the Lotus’ he had visualized in his mind.

With just a few cuts, the basic outline could be drawn out, saving a lot of time on conceptualization and planning.

Li Che smiled, but did not say anything to take credit.

After praising him, Master Chen started his carving preparations without further ado.

“Li Che, help me put this timber on the rack. I heard your daughter was born… I’ll pay extra for this job,” said Master Chen, rising to his feet with a smile.

Li Che’s eyes lit up at the words, and he hurriedly agreed. He then slung hemp rope around the timber and began to heave the heavy piece of Flowering Curved Willow onto the metal rack.

“The Inner City is in a hurry. Lately, there’s been a constant request for wooden carvings of children, surely related to the widely talked-about ‘Spirit Infant Master’. The whims of the nobility… indeed, a different craze every period.”

Master Chen shook his head and muttered a comment.

“We need to finish it in five days. My old bones… are probably going to be quite busy,” he added.

“But they pay well, heh, Li Che, guess how much the client for this job is offering?”

Master Chen rubbed his hands together, chatting and laughing with Li Che while approaching the Flowering Curved Willow that was soaked by the heavy snow.

Li Che wiped the sweat from his forehead and exhaled, “If it’s to be delivered in five days… it should be at least fifty taels, right?”

The difficulty of the Nine Sons Embracing the Lotus was not as great as that of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin, thus Li Che made a conservative estimate.

“Fifty taels? Heh… too little, you’re missing a whole Gold Leaf!”

Master Chen burst into laughter, and then with a slap placed his palm onto the wood, his arm’s skin seemed to take on a reddish hue, as heat steamed from the center of his palm, entering the wood and driving out its moisture!

An intense heat washed over them, and standing beside Master Chen was like facing a boiling furnace!

Li Che took a deep breath, both astonished by the fact that the wood carving was actually worth one hundred and fifty taels, and filled with awe and envy for Master Chen’s mystical methods!

These wood carving masters, they had not only skills in craftsmanship but also, as legends suggest… martial arts!

To become a wood carving master, one needed to possess Inner Strength, which could be used to dry wood, saving a lot of work time.

Moreover, when Inner Strength merged with the wood carving, the creation would embody a certain essence—

It was these essences that enabled wood carving masters to willingly make the nobles of the Inner City part with their money.

Catching a glimpse of Li Che’s shocked and envious face, Master Chen teased with a playful smile, “Want to learn, hm?”

“If you want to learn, it’ll cost you. Although you won’t learn any Superior Internal Strength Technique, the common Internal Strength Techniques left in the Outer City by Xu Ji are all learnable.”

“A few decades of hard cultivation later, and you might develop your own Inner Strength.”

Li Che’s heart stirred slightly, “Master Chen, may I ask how much an Internal Strength Technique costs?”

“Superior Internal Strength Technique can’t be bought with money, and you can only study that at Xu Ji’s in the Inner City; it’s inaccessible to regular folks.”

“The common Internal Strength Techniques in the Outer City can be obtained with money, the cheapest one… will cost you thirty taels. What about it? Are you truly considering it?” Master Chen said while operating his Inner Strength to dry the wood, giving Li Che a half-teasing glance.

“You have a newborn child at home, you should be saving your money… Even if you buy an Internal Strength Technique, learning it is one thing, mastering it is another.”

Master Chen shook his head, giving a kind piece of advice as he saw Li Che seemed to be seriously contemplating it.

Raising an eyebrow, Master Chen added, “You have a keen mind, lad. It’s a pity you didn’t try to learn wood carving when you were young. If you really want an Internal Strength Technique, come find me. I have one that you can learn for twenty taels.”

Li Che didn’t immediately agree; he simply smiled and said he’d consider it.

Afterward, he left Master Chen’s workshop.

In the following days, Li Che got busy again, helping other wood carving masters transport timber and finished wood carvings.

He also helped apprentices in the shop move smaller pieces of wood to earn his wages.

The shop provided lunch, and although it was simple, it was at least hot and enough to fill one’s belly halfway and provide the energy to keep working.

In the evening, after collecting his thirty-five Dajing Cast Copper Coins for the day, Li Che left work, worn out.

Wearing a conical hat, he braved the wind and snow and picked up some charcoal on his way home.

Just as he entered the crisscrossed alleys, darkness had fully settled in, but the dim yellow light emitting from within his clay house quickened his snow-trudging steps a bit.

“Wife, I’m back.”

Quickly opening and immediately shutting the door to prevent the cold wind carrying the snow from blowing in and taking away the warmth, Li Che added some charcoal to the furnace. Then he tiptoed over to the bed, where Xi Xi lay, eyes wide open and staring.

When Xi Xi saw Li Che, she actually giggled with delight.

Li Che’s heart nearly melted, as he picked her up and gently rocked her.

Zhang Ya, with a gentle gaze, watched this scene unfolding while she took out the prepared dinner for Li Che from the pot.

The hot noodles released an enticing aroma.

For the poor, there was no such thing as a ‘sitting-in’ period.

Not having to do fieldwork and only preparing dinner was, for Zhang Ya, already like a ‘sitting-in’ period.

After the couple ate dinner, Li Che told Zhang Ya to rest, and he washed the dishes.

Then, he picked up a piece of wood and an engraving knife and returned to the house.

As Zhang Ya hugged and gently patted Xi Xi, she curiously watched Li Che.

“Husband, what are you going to do?”

Under the dim glow of the oil lamp, with his fingers interlaced and stretching out with a series of cracks, Li Che smiled and said, “I’ve picked up a trick or two recently at the wood carving shop.”

“Wife, watch closely!”

Hearing this, Zhang Ya couldn’t help but laugh, “Husband, over the years, you’ve picked up quite a few tricks, but after a few days, you usually say with a serious face, ‘It’s good to put things down…’”

Li Che’s lips curved slightly, “My dear wife, don’t tease your husband. Have you heard the legend ‘Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west’?”

“Now I’m different from before; I’m a father now!”

Zhang Ya pressed her lips together, her eyes twinkling with a smiling curve.

What does being a father have to do with learning wood carving?

Li Che laughed but said no more.

He closed his eyes briefly, and the carving techniques and skills of the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva Statue flooded his mind like water pouring from squeezed wet cotton…

When he opened his eyes again, a flicker of light seemed to flash within them.

With calm and poised energy, his strong fingers gripped the engraving knife as he started the first cut on the wood…