Chapter 31 A modern person who has never seen much of the world…
Perhaps Xiang Xuezhi was frightened by the overly exaggerated tone of the sixteen-year-old cicada.
Xiang Xuezhi pursed his lips and stopped talking, silently lowering his head to continue piecing together the wooden planks.
Lu Xiaoqi happened to come over and, seeing this, asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"
Sixteen-year-old cicada chuckled, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Maybe I was a little too loud and scared the kid. I just think his skill must have been innate, otherwise, to be able to study and learn this at the same time, that's really amazing."
Lu Xiaoqi was about to say something casually, but she immediately became alert as soon as the words were on the tip of her tongue.
read?
Wow! If others knew that Xiang Xuezhi had never attended school and barely knew any characters, it would definitely cause a huge uproar. The concept of nine-year compulsory education, where no child should be left behind, is deeply ingrained in people's minds. In the eyes of most people today, children should obediently study in the classroom, and their right to education should be guaranteed even if the sky falls.
She composed herself and said naturally, "This is a family craft, and he didn't fall behind in his studies. Carpentry is like an extracurricular activity for him."
Sixteen-year-old Chan didn't take it seriously, never imagining that his casual question had almost planted a time bomb. He gave Xiang Xuezhi a thumbs up: "Impressive, impressive. I always said that it's good for kids these days to learn a skill; they don't necessarily have to focus all their attention on grades."
Many viewers in the live stream agreed with his opinion:
Yes, if you're truly not cut out for studying, it's better to learn a trade; there's no need to force yourself to achieve good grades.
Don't even mention it. These days, graduating from an average university and finding a job that pays two or three thousand is less profitable than learning plumbing, electrical work, hairdressing, or nail art. And the more experience you have, the more valuable you become.
[+1, it won't be so easily replaced by AI.]
[Maybe the kid is also a good student; why can't he be a top student?]
Lu Xiaoqi felt a pang of guilt. She couldn't dominate anymore, but teaching her child to read and write was something she needed to put on the agenda as soon as possible.
About half an hour later, craftsmen began to hand in their works. Most people only assembled three or four pieces, since the assessment was on the quality of the assembly rather than the size of the pieces, but Carpenter Li assembled a full eight pieces.
He put in a great deal of effort.
Holding the wooden planks he had pieced together, Old Lin's voice rose in excitement: "Flawless! Absolutely flawless!"
If he hadn't witnessed firsthand how the carpenter Li pieced the planks together, he would have assumed the plank was a single, solid piece. The gaps between the strips were so fine that one had to look very closely to see them. Someone with poor eyesight would probably have needed a magnifying glass.
Even the grain of the narrow wooden strips matches each other almost perfectly, making them look like they were born together.
No glue or nails were used at all; it was all done by the mortise and tenon joints created by Li the carpenter's hands.
The board was handed to Xiang Qi.
Yuwen Kai stood to the side, stroked it with his hand, and nodded slightly: "This one is the best."
Xiang Qi and Xiang Ming nodded as well.
They have already looked at more than a dozen boards.
Ren Zhijiao stood to the side watching with great interest, but now she was curious and wanted to ask, "Masters, the board that Master Xiang Dali made was obviously very good, so why do you think this one is better?"
Xiang Qi and Xiang Ming were taken aback, realizing she was Miss Lu's distinguished guest. Not daring to be negligent, they first cupped their hands in greeting, leaving Ren Zhijiao momentarily at a loss for how to return the gesture, feeling unusually embarrassed.
“Dali’s boards are also very good, but in order to speed things up, he only used two tenons on each board,” Xiang Ming explained. “The two sides are solid, but the middle is empty. If it is exposed to hot or cold temperatures, the gap in the middle will easily let in the air.”
Even the cicada that had been hibernating for sixteen years scurried over: "Master, what does 'penetrating the sky' mean?"
The carpenter in the live stream first explained to him: "【'Toutian' is our carpenter's term, meaning that even if the seam is cracked, sunlight can still see through it.】"
“Furthermore,” Yuwen Kai added, “the boards made by Carpenter Li have a smooth surface and a delicate feel. The boards that Xiang Dali pieced together, on the other hand, are not polished enough and have a slightly rough feel.”
Although he was not a carpenter, his strict standards and discerning eye were top-notch. In the past, if the palace requested a chair, but the craftsmen presented a poorly made one, they would certainly be reprimanded.
Everything needs to be completed to a certain degree.
Xiang Dali listened to the whole thing from the side, and a look of shame appeared on his face: "I was opportunistic and didn't put my heart into it."
He was so focused on getting better scores in the assessment that he forgot his original intention.
Xiang Qi patted him on the shoulder: "Remember what I said, always treat the work you're doing as a real work of art."
Xiang Dali straightened his face and bowed, saying, "Yes, Master!"
Sixteen-Year Cicada watched in stunned silence, feeling as if she had stumbled into a period drama, and couldn't help but blurt out, "Wait, are you guys really addicted to playing ancient people...?"
It's just a ritual, why are you taking it so seriously?
Xiang Dali was taken aback, then chuckled awkwardly, scratched his head, and walked away without saying anything more.
Xiang Ming, Xiang Qi, and Yuwen Kai exchanged a glance and tacitly began to examine the next plank.
Fans of the sixteen-year cicada are making a fuss:
[You're such a spoilsport, streamer! Your one sentence completely ruined the atmosphere.]
[Exactly! I was actually watching it like a TV drama. Isn't this better than all those messy period dramas these days?]
[Agreed. Many young male celebrities these days can't even perform a proper bow; they have no manners whatsoever. How can they resemble people from ancient times?]
[Turn the camera to the chief priest! I want to see him! I hereby announce that the "ancient costume uncle" track now has a new Ziwei star.]
Yes, his demeanor is impeccable; he's just like a patriarch from a noble family described in a novel.
They really seem like those reclusive sects, possessing extraordinary skills and adhering to ancient rituals... Oh my god, I'm totally sold on that.
Lu Xiaoqi looked at these comments, turned off her phone, and smiled slightly, keeping her accomplishments hidden.
Hehehe, you're all right!
In the end, the flawless assessment still resulted in Li the carpenter winning first place, which was exactly what everyone expected.
The original assessment process should have included several basic skills, such as listening to the wood to identify the material. This involved blindfolding the craftsmen, having them touch the wood with their hands, naming the wood, and then gently tapping the log with a hammer to identify its condition by ear, such as whether there were cracks or cavities inside. However, due to the lack of raw materials, none of these tests could be conducted immediately.
For example, blindfolded mortise and tenon jointing involves piecing together disassembled wooden blocks into different mortise and tenon joints with one's eyes closed. This method was also abandoned because it was too time-consuming.
There are also several tile makers in Xiangjia Village who are skilled at making roof tiles, especially glazed roof tiles, which require firing in kilns, making it even more impossible to start work.
Lu Xiaoqi felt very regretful after hearing this.
If there were a complete assessment, it could even be made into a TV show. But due to practical limitations, some choices had to be made.
They retained one last major assessment item—all craftsmen needed to complete a piece of work based on their primary skill. For example, if Carpenter Li specialized in furniture, he would have to properly make a piece of furniture, while Xiang Dali specialized in wood carving, he would have to create a piece of wood carving, with a time limit of six months.
We'll determine who's better in six months.
Those watching the live stream couldn't accept it after hearing this:
What? This means I have to wait another six months?!
Couldn't they just do it for me live? I wouldn't mind doing a live stream for a year.
[I have to watch this!]
The cicada, which had been hibernating for sixteen years, was moved by this and quickly said, "Don't worry, everyone, I'll definitely come back here from time to time to give you an update. Please follow me, my friends..."
He didn't forget his benefactor, adding, "Also, follow the official account of Qinghe Ancient Town; they'll be doing a lot of follow-ups too."
Although the fans were helpless, they could only do as he said.
After several hours of live streaming that morning, Sixteen Years of Cicada gained five or six thousand followers, making several other self-media creators who were only filming videos quite envious: "Wow, you're the star of the show today."
Sixteen-year-old cicada was secretly pleased, but said modestly, "Not at all, once your videos are uploaded, the number of likes is far beyond what I can match."
Although he also used a second phone to shoot some videos today, they certainly weren't as good as the ones they shot.
"Warm Breeze's video has already surpassed 5,000 likes!" someone suddenly exclaimed, their tone slightly envious.
Li Nuan was stunned for a moment before opening her phone. Seeing the number of likes on the video, she felt a surge of excitement. It really was over five thousand! All the videos she had posted before had never received as many likes as this twenty-minute video.
It seems that content is really important.
"Actually, it makes sense when you think about it," a colleague said. "Everyone is promoting intangible cultural heritage now, and those handicraft videos get a lot of likes and have high fan engagement. The platform will also give them a big push. Today's event was really high quality, and I think it will definitely go viral later."
In today's increasingly restless society, bloggers who focus on a quiet, slow-paced life and crafting, especially traditional intangible cultural heritage items, are becoming more and more popular.
Thinking this, the man looked at Sixteen Year Cicada with some envy: "Brother, you're the best off, being a local from Qinghe. It'll be so much easier to shoot footage in the future."
Another person nodded in agreement: "Yeah, just filming here can generate a lot of traffic."
These artisans are a treasure!
The sixteen-year cicada grinned from their words, and he thought so too.
They originally took this job just to earn some travel expenses, but who would have thought that God would throw a huge pie in their faces.
The ceremony to honor Lu Ban lasted for more than three hours, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and finally came to a successful conclusion.
The invited group of self-media personalities came to greet Lu Xiaoqi. Some, like Li Nuan, wanted to immediately return to the hotel to edit their footage, while others wanted to explore the ancient town and shoot more material. Regardless, everyone was determined to cultivate a good relationship with Lu Xiaoqi and collaborate more in the future.
It's not just these online celebrities who think this way; Ren Zhijiao, Lao Lin, and the people at the bank all think this way too.
The bank representative said goodbye first: "...Then it's settled. Just please organize these building documents and give them to us. We'll approve them as soon as possible."
They are currently lacking high-quality customers. Qinghe Ancient Town, on the other hand, has both valuable collateral and such high development potential—even if the scenic area's business is not doing well, the virtual holographic technology alone can fetch a high price.
Moreover, the Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism is also taking the lead.
The bank staff were experienced and knew that the loan was almost certainly going through.
After watching Lu Xiaoqi see the assessment team off, Ren Zhijiao let out a long sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping immediately. She chuckled and asked with a smile, "How are you? Tired?"
Lu Xiaoqi then remembered that this important figure hadn't left, but she was truly exhausted, and this kind of welcoming and seeing off wasn't really her thing, so she simply stopped pretending and nodded pitifully.
"I'm tired! Sister Ren, please don't laugh at me."
Ren Zhijiao put her arm around her shoulder and said gently, "How could that be? I'm still waiting for you to open your business. I can help you get a framework agreement with the Culture and Tourism Bureau. You can make any requests you have then."
For example, the Jianshan Scenic Area in Dingnan County has signed a contract. The city provides it with a portion of the funds every year for rural revitalization and also helps it build surrounding roads, parking lots and other public facilities.
Of course, the Culture and Tourism Bureau isn't stupid; it's not going to let her get something for nothing. So the scenic area has to open first, or at least be able to stimulate the development of the surrounding area.
"For example, providing some jobs for the locals..." Ren Zhijiao saw that she was confused, slapped her forehead, and simply asked, "Do you understand?"
"I understand!" Lu Xiaoqi clenched her fists, her eyes shining brightly. "Don't worry, Sister Ren, I will definitely work hard to get closer to the organization!"
“Although the city is talking about developing cultural tourism, it’s still in its early stages and funding is limited. Besides your place, there’s Jianshan and other smaller scenic areas. It’s a race against time; if others take more, you’ll get less. So, keep up the good work and open as soon as possible.” Ren Zhijiao was clearly a decisive and efficient businesswoman, speaking quickly. “Oh, and I also brought you some things—information on some suppliers and construction teams from Qinghe Ancient Town. See if it’s helpful?”
She found it while sorting through some old archives at the Bureau of Culture and Tourism these past two days, and brought it with her.
"Sister Ren, you're my only sister!" Lu Xiaoqi exclaimed with delight. "I really need this!"
Qinghe Ancient Town is so large that the team of just over twenty people from Xiangjia Village is not enough; they definitely need other construction teams. Furthermore, finding suitable timber and other construction materials also left Lu Xiaoqi at a loss.
She was new to this industry and had no clue where to start. So Ren Zhijiao's information was a godsend for her.
After receiving the documents, I wanted to invite Ren Zhijiao to dinner, but she politely declined.
"I have to go back to a meeting this afternoon, and you're busy too, let's do it another time."
Lu Xiaoqi waved happily towards her car, hoping there would be more female leaders like her who disliked socializing, got straight to the point, and were organized.
Ren Zhijiao sneezed while sitting in the car.
She looked at her car, feeling like she'd forgotten something but couldn't quite put her finger on it, and finally stepped on the gas and drove off.
In Qinghe Ancient Town, Old Lin searched for Ren Zhijiao for a long time without finding her. He scratched his bald head and asked, "...Where is she?"
However, he wasn't looking for her to leave, so he simply stopped looking and, with his newly arrived student, happily went to find Yuwen Kai. He had just chatted with Mr. Yuwen, and they felt like they had known each other for a long time. The other man's architectural expertise was extremely profound, especially in ancient architecture; Old Lin even felt he couldn't fathom the depth of his knowledge.
He should let his students get to know such a big shot more often.
It was already noon, and since most areas of Qinghe Ancient Town were closed to the public, the crowds who had come to watch and join the fun quickly dispersed in twos and threes. When Lu Xiaoqi returned to the ancient town, there were hardly any people left, and it had returned to its usual quiet state.
But for some reason, she still felt that the town had clearly come alive compared to its previous dilapidated state.
Towns and buildings still need people to liven them up.
Lu Xiaoqi walked briskly to the cafeteria in Zone 4—the small building with the kitchen—and found that everyone was already sitting down to eat. When they saw her arrive, a chorus of "Miss Lu" rang out.
She greeted them with a smile, found a seat near the children, and the cook, Du Fang, quickly brought over the food. This food had been prepared for her long ago, and she had left it on the stove to keep it warm, not knowing whether she would actually come to eat.
"Where is Teacher Yuwen?" She searched for a long time but couldn't find Yuwen Kai.
The little girl quickly raised her hand to Xiangyu: "I know! Teacher Yuwen is talking to that teacher who came today and has almost no hair."
Lu Xiaoqi almost spat out the mouthful of tea she was holding, bursting into laughter.
However, it seems that Professor Lin and Yuwen Kai did indeed have a very pleasant conversation.
She asked the villagers of Xiangjia Village who were eating, "Today you finally met people from the outside world. How does it feel?"
Everyone looked at each other and chuckled, clearly having already discussed the matter extensively, each sharing their observations in turn.
For example, the people outside really do have all sorts of appearances, but most of the men have short hair and their clothing is quite varied, especially the women who are particularly daring; for example, many women travel alone, very openly and confidently; for example, almost everyone carries a small square box just like Miss Lu and Teacher Yuwen, and that box is quite magical...
But in the end, Xiang Xuezhi suddenly said, "After seeing so many, I feel that they are just like us; they are all human beings."
Lu Xiaoqi raised an eyebrow and patted his head: "You're right. Actually, we're all the same. It's just that you live in ancient times and we live in modern times, but we are all Chinese in essence."
They have all received the same cultural influence, so even though they are separated by hundreds or even thousands of years, they can still share common topics and aesthetics.
Previously, the people of Xiangjia Village were filled with fear of the outside world and its inhabitants, stemming from their past experiences in turbulent times and the way they arrived here. Therefore, she hoped to alleviate some of their fears through this activity, and so far, the results have been quite good.
One of the craftsmen sighed, "But you live much better than we do."
Lu Xiaoqi smiled and said, "This is a societal problem, not just an individual's problem. You all live here now and can live very well."
Everyone nodded in agreement and beamed with joy at what he said.
Li, the carpenter standing nearby, was deeply moved. He asked Lu Xiaoqi, "Here, craftsmen seem to be highly respected?"
While he was working, he overheard many people talking about him, their words seemingly filled with admiration for his craftsmanship. Even those who later struck up a conversation with him treated him with great respect. This made Li the carpenter feel somewhat flattered, even a little incredulous.
During the Ming Dynasty, he was a craftsman.
The Zhu family's court divided all people into three categories: civilians, soldiers, and artisans. Artisan households were at the lowest level among these three. Although they could earn some money, their status was low, and once they were artisans, they were artisans for life, generation after generation. Therefore, they did not even intermarry with the other two categories.
Carpenter Li was used to such a humble life, so the attitude of these people today made him feel somewhat lost and apprehensive.
Clearly, he wasn't the only one who felt this way.
How could such lowly people like them bear the respect and admiration of future generations with bright eyes and upright posture?
Do they deserve it?
After hearing this, Lu Xiaoqi sighed inwardly. This was the psychological trauma left over from history, which could only be alleviated gradually.
“We don’t have that many distinctions based on household registration here; we’re all working people,” she began. “For workers, job skills are the most important thing. Regardless of the industry, those with strong abilities can be called teachers and are respected by everyone…”
Her clear and bright voice flowed through the small building, and everyone listened attentively.
After having dinner, Lu Xiaoqi went to the community again without stopping.
Ren Zhijiao's words were a wake-up call for her; it would be foolish not to seek help from the organization around her!
She had met with the ancient town community a few days prior; their staff had even volunteered at the ceremony to maintain order. They were very dedicated, not even staying for a meal. Lu Xiaoqi bought some fruit to thank them, and then made a new request.
She wanted the community to organize a group of people to dredge river mud in the ancient town. Previously, a major reason Yuwen Kai organized the people of Xiangjia Village to dredge river mud was to give them something to do, but now that they have shown trustworthiness, they can do more valuable work.
The river mud still needs to be dredged, and the smell in the ancient town has faded considerably.
The community was delighted, as this would provide many job opportunities! There were still quite a few farmers and day laborers nearby. So, they agreed on thirty people, 150 yuan a day including lunch, to work for a week.
Tens of thousands of yuan were spent again, but Lu Xiaoqi was clearly much more confident this time.
Her second request was to find a literacy teacher.
“You don’t know, we craftsmen all came from mountainous areas. We only learned our crafts and didn’t have much formal education, including those children…” Lu Xiaoqi looked at a loss for what to do. “This can’t go on. I was thinking if our community could help us find a teacher to open a night school in the ancient town to teach them to read. Of course, I’ll still pay their wages.”
She's already had several basic common sense lessons, and there's nothing more she can do about the rest.
“Sending those children to school like this right now definitely won’t work. I was thinking of letting them learn some characters in the next few months, and then showing them around the schools…”
The community director, a kind-hearted person, was utterly shocked: "Such a thing actually happened?"
Lu Xiaoqi forced a dry smile, "Of course! I was surprised too, hehehehe..."
The community director slapped his thigh: "That has to be done! How can we not read and write? We have to go to school! Xiaolu, don't worry, I'll find you a place right now!"
Lu Xiaoqi breathed a long sigh of relief and secretly gave herself a V sign in her mind.
The plan has been achieved.
The community director was also very happy, because now he had something to write about in his year-end summary.
Lu Xiaoqi stayed in Qinghe Ancient Town until very late. As night fell, she, Yuwen Kai, Xiang Ming, and the others arrived at the open space where the sacrificial ceremony had been held during the day.
Tonight, she's going to do something big.
She logged into the system and the first thing she saw was a notification that her weekly task was complete. However, the reward for this task had already been paid in advance, so it wasn't anything special. Skipping over that, she went straight to the warehouse and found the special building card for the "VR Virtual Experience Hall".
The condition for using this card is to draw forty NPCs, and that condition has already been met.
【Are you sure you want to use this card?】
"yes!"
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