Chen Hao's saw got stuck in the wood. He pushed it forward half an inch, and sawdust fell in a flurry. Sweat slid down his forehead, trickling into the corner of his eye, making him blink. He raised his hand to wipe it, involuntarily taking a breath, then suddenly stopped.
This tastes wrong.
It wasn't the pungent smell of burnt wood, nor the earthy odor of damp mold. It was a delicate, indescribable fragrance, like the air in a forest after rain, with a hint of minty coolness. He released the saw, bent down to pick up a piece of freshly cut scrap, and brought it to his nose to smell it.
"Hey."
He stared at the piece of wood for two seconds, then tried another one; it smelled the same. He turned to the other side of the counter: "Nana, can you smell anything over there?"
Nana was controlling the robotic arm to carve a vine pattern, the blade moving smoothly across the wooden surface. Without looking up, she said, "A slight increase in volatile organic compound concentration has been detected, but it has not reached the warning level."
"It's not about whether there's an alarm or not." Chen Hao held up the piece of wood. "Isn't this wood a bit strange? The scent is unusually strong."
Nana finally stopped what she was doing, turning the optical microscope toward the sample in his hand. She raised her hand, and a miniature spectrometer slid down from the ceiling, scanning the surface of the wood. Three seconds later, the data feed appeared before her eyes.
“The fiber density is abnormal,” she said. “It is 47% higher than that of standard pine wood. The internal structure is similar to that of hardwoods, but the growth rings are irregular. Based on preliminary assessment, it does not belong to any known tree species in the existing database.”
Chen Hao grinned: "So, the broken piece of wood we picked up is actually an alien specialty?"
“Evolution of the Earth’s environment may lead to plant gene mutations,” she corrected. “The possibility of the evolution of native species cannot be ruled out.”
"Who cares where it came from?" Chen Hao scratched the wood surface hard with his fingernail, leaving only a shallow mark. "It's so hard, my wrist almost went numb from the impact when I tried to chisel it. If only it could prevent insects and rot, so the table wouldn't be riddled with holes later."
Nana paused for two seconds, then brought up an experimental procedure. She took a small pinch of wood powder, placed it in a petri dish, and then inoculated it with a bacterial sample. Ten minutes later, grayish-white mold spots had appeared on the ordinary wood in the control group, while the area around the powder remained clean.
"The results showed that the material releases trace amounts of antibacterial components," she said. "It has an inhibitory effect on common molds and saprophytic bacteria."
"It can also prevent insects?" Chen Hao pressed.
“Further testing in progress.” She initiated another analysis, simulating insect contact responses. Soon, the data showed clear repellent signals. “Confirmed to possess natural insect-repellent properties.” She looked at him. “This wood can be preserved for a long time without chemical coatings.”
Chen Hao plopped down on the wooden crate beside him, still clutching the scrap of wood in his hand. He looked down at his hands; his palms were covered in red marks from working, and his knuckles were a little sore. But now, he felt all the hard work had been worth it.
"I said..." his voice trembled slightly, "have we struck gold?"
“From a resource value perspective, yes.” Nana nodded. “If all the logs have the same properties, this batch of materials is sufficient to support the construction of high-intensity, low-maintenance living facilities.”
"Then why are you carving any patterns?" Chen Hao suddenly stood up. "Such a good thing should be used as a cooking table! Things we use every day have to be sturdy, durable, and clean. Why waste time with all those patterns? Just put together a big slab and let it sit on four legs."
“It is precisely because it is rare that it needs to be meaningful,” Nana responded calmly. “It is not just a tool, but also a testament to rebuilding life.”
"Witness what?" Chen Hao slammed his hand on the table. "What I fear most right now is the table collapsing halfway through a meal. If you really want a souvenir, you can do the stage flooring after we build the theater. Right now? Let's solve the problem of being able to sit still first."
“Functionality and cultural expression can coexist,” she said. “I can simplify the design and add symbolic elements while retaining practicality.”
"It needs to be both practical and good-looking?" Chen Hao scratched his head. "So how do you plan to compromise?"
Nana raised her hand, and a new projection appeared: a square tabletop with clean, simple edges and sturdy legs, but with a very fine swirling pattern engraved on the side, like the traces of flowing water.
"This is a timeline of the spring construction cycle," she explained. "Each curve represents an important milestone. The complexity of the process has been reduced by 68% without affecting the overall strength."
Chen Hao leaned closer to examine it, then reached out and touched the stripes. He didn't speak, turned and walked to the corner piled with logs, pulling out a piece that hadn't been processed yet. He rubbed the surface with his palm, and the fragrance wafted out again.
"You think these patterns can be passed down?" he asked.
“As long as the furniture exists, the story will not disappear,” she said.
“People forget,” he said softly. “I don’t even remember what I ate yesterday, let alone what I did three years ago.”
“That’s why we need physical objects to carry our memories.” She walked to his side. “Just like a monument doesn’t speak, but it stands there, and you know we’ve come a long way.”
Chen Hao stood there for a while, then suddenly laughed: "Alright. Let's make it a 'dining table with a story' then. But I'll make it clear beforehand—the name still has to be 'Living Series'. Otherwise, I won't feel at ease."
Nana glanced at him, her optical glasses flashing softly: "The right to name belongs to the creator."
"Then it's settled." He placed the lumber on the workbench. "Take your retro design aside for now, let's make this new design first. I'll do the structural work, and you'll handle the engraving. How does that sound?"
“The collaborative model is better than working independently,” she said. “Efficiency is expected to increase by 31%.”
"Don't calculate so much." Chen Hao picked up the measuring tape and started taking measurements. "You're my partner now, not a calculator."
Nana didn't answer, but she retracted the robotic arm that was carving and reset the task sequence. The new drawings were locked as the priority project, and the old design was temporarily archived.
The two returned to their workstations. Chen Hao rearranged the timber, this time making a more steady cut with the saw. He knew this piece of wood was different, and he knew that what he was about to make might last a long time. So he pressed down firmly with every cut, and drew every line precisely.
Nana stood on the other side of the control panel, bringing up a simplified wood grain template. She set the robotic arm to its lowest vibration mode to avoid damaging the wood. The moment the blade made its way in, a delicate fragrance wafted out with the wood dust.
“This taste…” she suddenly paused.
"What?" Chen Hao looked up.
“The concentration of volatile components has increased slightly,” she said. “The release rate accelerates during the cutting process.”
"Doesn't it smell better the more you dig it?" Chen Hao took a deep breath. "It's quite refreshing."
"I recommend continuous monitoring of air composition," she said. "Although it is currently harmless, we still need to be vigilant about unknown substances."
"Then go ahead and test me," Chen Hao continued, "Anyway, I'm full of energy right now, I don't even need coffee to stay alert."
The sounds inside changed. No longer were two opposing rhythms, but gradually synchronized. The handsaw's rhythm was steady, the motor's operation smooth. On one side, human hands painstakingly chipped away at the hard wood, while on the other, the machine precisely etched the marks of time.
After finishing the third table leg, Chen Hao stopped to catch his breath. He picked up a piece of scrap material, smelled it, and couldn't help but laugh: "How much do you think this stuff would fetch per pound if we sold it?"
“It’s impossible to estimate the price,” Nana said, “because there’s no market benchmark.”
“That’s outrageously expensive.” He chuckled. “We’re burning gold bricks like firewood.”
“You were just complaining that carving was a waste of time,” she reminded him.
"That's because I didn't know it was valuable." He waved his hand. "Now that I know, of course I have to be careful with my money. What do you think about adding something to the pattern? Like our initials?"
“Space is limited,” she said. “I can only carve one symbol at most.”
“Then let’s carve a smiley face,” Chen Hao gestured, “like the crooked kind, like the ones I draw.”
“The record is complete,” she said. “It will be added in the final step.”
Sunlight streamed in through the high window, falling on two side-by-side workbenches. One side was piled high with rough, unfinished pieces, while the other held smooth, carved sculptures. A faint fragrance permeated the air, like a silent proclamation.
Chen Hao picked up the fourth log and secured it back to the clamp. He gripped the saw handle, took a deep breath, and prepared to begin.
Nana suddenly spoke up: "There was an anomaly in the data just now."
He stopped what he was doing: "Huh?"
“The strongest antibacterial effect is concentrated in the core layer of the wood,” she said. “The surface layer only provides moderate protection. This means…”
Before she could finish speaking, Chen Hao had already reached for the pile of freshly cut timber. After searching for a moment, he pulled out a piece with a particularly clear cross-section.
"You mean, it's better inside than outside?" he asked.
"yes."
"So haven't we been doing it backwards all along?" He stared at the rings of the tree. "We've been using the outer layer as the main body, while throwing away the most useful part as scrap?"
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