Chapter 33 When fellow villagers meet, their eyes well up with tears…
Li Nuan is still in Qinghe City and hasn't left.
That day, after returning from Qinghe Ancient Town, she stayed in her hotel editing videos. Her main focus wasn't actually short videos, but rather long videos of five minutes or more. Compared to short videos that are only a dozen seconds or even a few seconds long, this length requires more content and is more difficult to produce well.
However, the Lu Ban worship ceremony in Qinghe Ancient Town this time is perfect for filming as a long video.
The lighting, VR, and the subsequent competition all required Li Nuan to cut out many details she liked in order to keep the whole process under ten minutes—any longer and the audience would lose patience.
Editing, adding music, and adding subtitles—it wasn't until well past midnight that we finally finished.
Stretching, Li Nuan, who was exhausted and wanted to go to sleep immediately, casually clicked on the short video she had posted earlier. Then she suddenly sat up in her chair, and because she hadn't eaten dinner, she was so dizzy that she almost fell to the ground.
However, I cannot express my excitement.
One hundred thousand likes!
When had she ever seen such a large number on her homepage? And look again, even her followers had increased by tens of thousands, and the number of comments below had also increased to "999" in red dots.
Li Nuan's hands trembled as she tapped the little red dot, and a series of comments unfolded on her phone. She glanced at them; most were praising the Seven Star Lamp's awesomeness, and quite a few wrote:
[I clicked on the blogger's profile after seeing the lights and found their videos to be quite nice and heartwarming, so I followed them.]
[555, my treasure blogger has finally been discovered!]
Li Nuan almost burst into tears, but suddenly felt motivated again. She wiped her face, sat back down in her chair, and after making some minor edits to the long video she had just finished, she uploaded it while it was still fresh in her mind.
Besides her, several other people invited by Lu Xiaoqi also uploaded their own videos, including some audience members who were present at the time. While their videos weren't as polished, they were more authentic and vibrant. Moreover, they were clearly not edited in post-production.
These videos gradually spread across the platform and were accurately added to relevant keywords using big data. In just one night, they gained considerable popularity.
The video platform is divided into different categories, each led by a different operations team. The traditional culture category is a rising star in recent years. However, compared to the established categories, this category still doesn't have enough traffic, and there aren't as many creators, since there are certain barriers to entry.
Early in the morning, the video platform's operations team started work.
When he opened the backend monitoring, he saw that the hashtags #QingheAncientTown# and #LubanWorshipCeremony# had suddenly appeared. Curious, he clicked on them and found that the video quality was actually quite high, and the comments section was full of praise.
Wow, is this really made of wood? Or is it a machine?
"Mom, I saw the dragon open its eyes!"
To be honest, these dragons have probably opened their eyes hundreds of times in my phone's camera feed.
Is this really without any post-production editing? Can any carpenters explain this?
[No post-production editing was used; I recommend you watch the live stream that day.]
[This carpenter has arrived, but after seeing this, I realize I'm completely unfit to be a carpenter. Goodbye!]
There are also a lot of posts flooding the screen explaining the Seven Star Lamp technique, which they actually learned from the carpenter in the live stream of Cicada, who has been hibernating for sixteen years.
Besides the earliest video of the dragon opening its eyes, another video also stood out in terms of data: the video of a palace being built "out of thin air" using holographic projection. Even the operations team was excited, watching it over and over again to confirm that no post-production editing had been done.
[Just came out of the mountains, unaware that a thousand years have passed. I said, "Has VR really developed to this level already?"]
[If it weren't for the post-production editing, I'd eat a pound of poop on my livestream.]
[Upstairs, I've taken a screenshot. Waiting for more.]
[Wow, this is true immersion! This is exactly what I imagined VR to be like. I can't imagine how happy I would be if this technology were used in games.]
[Is domestic technology really that advanced now? Which company made this? It must be fake!]
[It's made with AI; it looks fake at first glance.]
We'll know whether it's true or not in time. They seemed to mention in yesterday's livestream that they'd be building a virtual experience center; we'll find out then.
[What's fake about it? Go watch the videos from other people at the scene; they're clearly filmed from different angles.]
[You guys need to go watch that new long video that Warm Breeze posted, it's absolutely amazing! It turns out this scene immediately follows after the dragon opens its eyes; watching them together is truly incredible. Everyone present is incredibly envious.]
Just got back from there. I'm wondering, where is Qinghe Ancient Town? Can't I buy a ticket now?!
The operations team went to Warm Breeze's homepage and watched the long video.
In addition, several videos of carpenters' assessments were also popular. These included videos of Li the carpenter drawing a circle, Xiang Xuezhi assembling boards, and a comparison video of Li the carpenter and Xiang Dali using boards.
[It's no worse than drawing with a compass.]
That's some sharp eyesight! The hand-eye coordination is excellent, and the eyesight is remarkable.
Some experts even scanned the circle drawn by Li the carpenter and put it into a computer, concluding that the error rate between the circle drawn by Li and a true computer-generated circle was only about 0.1%. This comment caused an even bigger stir in the comments section.
The consequence of not studying hard is that all I can do is shout "Awesome! So awesome!"
[I never imagined there could be such a carpenter among ordinary people.]
These are the masterpieces of a great nation's craftsmen!
[This group of carpenters is really interesting. They all seem to know each other well, like they're from the same school. And that little kid—I dare say the carpenter who made my cabinets during my renovation wasn't as skilled as him.]
That's really sad.
......
Jin region.
A middle-aged man hurriedly pushed open the gate to the courtyard, holding his phone: "Senior brother, look at this video!"
"What kind of behavior is this, all loud and boisterous!" shouted the gray-haired old man who was sawing a wooden board.
The person holding the phone immediately fell silent, waiting for the other person to finish their work at a leisurely pace before eagerly holding the phone up: "Senior, take a look at this."
The old man took it and saw that it was a long video of the sacrificial ceremony filmed by Nuannuanfeng.
Carpenter Li is intently assembling boards in the video.
The old man was taken aback; his previous nonchalance vanished instantly, replaced by an increasingly serious expression. He even rewound the progress bar to the beginning and read it again after finishing.
"Senior brother, this flawless technique is quite impressive!" the visitor said.
The old man nodded: "They are indeed very good. I wonder which school they studied under. It's not easy to tell from the video. Moreover, not only him, but the others are also masters."
He pointed to the other craftsmen who were acting as a backdrop for the video behind Carpenter Li. These were people that ordinary viewers couldn't see, but as someone in the industry, he naturally wouldn't miss them.
The visitor asked, "Well...should we go and invite them?"
The old man sighed deeply, handed the phone back to him, and paced around the yard: "You want to invite them to join our restoration team?"
The other person nodded: "Maybe having one more person means having one more idea, which can solve the problem we are facing now."
The old man frowned and looked up at the wooden pagoda not far away.
Under the sunlight, the details of the wooden pagoda are not visible; only the lines outlined by the light are discernible.
It was so magnificent that even though he looked at it every day, he would still be mesmerized.
This is the Yingfu Wooden Pagoda.
As the ancient land of the Han and Tang dynasties, Shanxi Province boasts abundant ancient architectural resources. Han dynasty ruins, Tang dynasty temples, Northern Wei stone pagodas... in other provinces, even a single one of these cultural relics would be meticulously protected and become a major tourist attraction. But in Shanxi, because there are so many and they are so scattered, they lie quietly in the countryside, largely unnoticed.
However, this does not include the Yingfu Wooden Pagoda.
Built during the Liao Dynasty, this wooden pagoda boasts the oldest pure wooden structure in the world and is also the tallest existing wooden pagoda. Everyone who stands beneath it and gazes up at it is moved to tears by its magnificence and exquisite beauty, a testament to its transformation from over a thousand years ago to the present day.
However, as time went on, the tilting of the Yingfu Wooden Pagoda became increasingly unstoppable.
Now, every time you see this wooden pagoda, there's one less you can see it.
The elderly man is the head of the restoration team for the Yingfu Wooden Pagoda, and is also an expert in ancient architecture and a master craftsman.
He lowered his head and asked his junior apprentice, "Do you think the problem now is the lack of good carpenters? You, me, and the masters in the restoration team are all capable. What we lack now is not just individual skills!"
Do they not have good craftsmen?
Yes, and it can be said that their craftsmen are among the best in the country, possessing the most comprehensive skills and mortise and tenon joints.
However, the restoration of Yingfu Wooden Pagoda is a systemic problem that cannot be solved by one or two people.
The junior brother was somewhat disappointed, and of course he knew it.
“However…” The old man hesitated for a moment, then instructed him, “Go and inquire about these craftsmen, pay close attention, and bring me anything new to see.”
He still held onto a sliver of hope. And the craftsmen in the video were indeed highly skilled; even in his entire life, he had rarely seen anyone comparable. Such artisans were worth befriending.
The middle-aged man happily agreed.
......
At the same time, the platform operators were like weasels in a melon patch, running back and forth between different accounts, reading netizens' comments with great interest.
"This Qinghe Ancient Town is actually quite interesting..." he muttered to himself. After thinking for a moment, he curiously searched for Qinghe Ancient Town and actually found its official account.
However, apart from a few short videos of the ancient town's scenery, the official account was completely empty. He paused for a moment, then followed the official account and added it to his potential group.
Finally, the operations team weighted several relevant videos with good data volume and then pushed them into a larger traffic pool. Here, they will receive greater attention.
When Li Nuan finally woke up at noon the next day and immediately turned on her phone, it froze under the bombardment of countless comments and system notifications.
What's going on?!
After frantically setting everything up, she realized that her original two or three thousand followers had increased to one hundred thousand, and the number of likes on her long videos had also increased by one hundred thousand overnight. The number of likes on her short videos had even reached five hundred thousand, making it into the top ten most popular videos.
Millions of people have watched her videos, and the number is still growing.
Li Nuan sat on the bed in a daze.
This dramatic change all stemmed from the day she was unwilling to accept defeat and took the initiative to contact Lu Xiaoqi.
In life, never let any small opportunity slip by.
Li Nuan covered her face with her hands, tears streaming down her face through her fingers. After letting herself vent for a while, she picked up the phone and called Lu Xiaoqi:
"Hello, Miss Lu... Yes, that's right, my bus is this afternoon. It's alright, no need to see me off..." After exchanging a few pleasantries and thanking her for her congratulations, Li Nuan said solemnly, "Miss Lu, if there's anything I can help you with in Qinghe Ancient Town in the future, please be sure to contact me!"
She knew perfectly well that the success wasn't due to her exceptional video editing skills, but rather the excellent content of Qinghe Ancient Town itself. Her technical skills were merely icing on the cake.
Qinghe Ancient Town and its artisans are her true benefactors.
......
Besides Qin Yue and Li Nuan, Lu Xiaoqi also received calls from several other people, all saying goodbye and thanking her politely. Many people in her social media group also tagged her, asking what other programs were planned after Qinghe Ancient Town.
That's when she realized that the Lu Ban worship ceremony had really gone viral online. She was too busy last night to watch it.
She clicked on the official account of Qinghe Ancient Town. The official account had only been open for a little over a week and originally only had a few dozen followers. The few short scenic videos it posted to make up the number didn't get many likes or comments.
But now, when Lu Xiaoqi looked at the video, her followers had already grown to over ten thousand. Many people who hadn't seen the video about the Lu Ban Ritual left comments under the old video:
[Are you awake, editor? I can't sleep.]
[Is she really asleep? It's been a whole day and she still hasn't uploaded the video to me?]
[I suggest the boss deduct the wages.]
Lu Xiaoqi burst into tears: ...What do you know?! She's the boss, operations manager, finance manager, procurement manager, and planner all in one!
They know nothing!
She hummed a few words, then directly obtained authorization from Nuannuanfeng and uploaded her video. Soon, the comment section was flooded with comments:
You're finally awake!
[Well, they only received two payments, both from other places. This salary is too easy to earn.]
Lu Xiaoqi gritted her teeth and replied with a crying emoji begging for mercy.
People felt that this editor was quite human, and they started interacting with her more frequently, leading to a surge of questions in the comments section.
One group asked about the opening:
[I've already taken my pants off—no, I've got my money ready—and you're telling me Qinghe Ancient Town isn't open yet? When is it going to open? Don't force me to beg you!]
[Will there really be a VR virtual reality experience center after it opens? How much will the ticket price be?]
If it's under 100, it's still worth going.
Another group asked the NPCs:
Where did you guys find such a group of amazing people? Get them to create an account too; they love watching all kinds of crafts.
Does that kid have an account?
Could you help me contact Carpenter Li? I'm also a carpenter and I've run into a problem I'd like to ask him for advice.
[I'm different. Editor, hand over the high priest's account now!]
Lu Xiaoqi was flustered and confused when she replied.
She had already planned an account matrix, but initially it was limited to Song Sao Fish Restaurant and Zhao Feiyan. Now, the calls from netizens have given her a hint—that's right! In this day and age, these highly skilled craftsmen are all treasures. It's entirely possible to have one account per person!
How much advertising money can be saved by redirecting traffic to Qinghe Ancient Town then?
Lu Xiaoqi sat on the sofa, grinning foolishly for a long time. She checked the time and realized it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. She could get ready to go to Sister Song's fish restaurant.
Of course, Su Jun should be brought along.
She knocked on the door: "Have you rested enough? I'll take you to meet your fellow villagers."
Su Jun was taken aback: "Fellow villager? Is it Sister-in-law Song Wu?"
He had heard Yuwen Kai mention it yesterday, but they didn't discuss it in detail.
"I heard she was also from the Song Dynasty?"
“Yes.” Lu Xiaoqi remembered something and gave him a strange look. “However, you are from the Northern Song Dynasty, and she is from the Southern Song Dynasty.”
Su Jun said "Oh" and then exclaimed in shock: "...The Southern Song Dynasty?!"
Lu Xiaoqi asked in surprise, "Teacher Yuwen didn't mention it to you?"
She already knew from the system that Su Jun died young, at the age of twenty. Now, like Zhao Feiyan, he is a historical projection.
Su Jun shook his head blankly: "Last night, Yuwen Gong and I mostly discussed matters concerning the current dynasty. We only briefly talked about where we came from."
He immediately noticed that Lu Xiaoqi's gaze towards him had become strange, as if there was a hint of pity in it.
“Then let me tell you about it,” Lu Xiaoqi’s voice softened a bit, “but calm down first, don’t get too excited. This matter has to start with your Red Mansion Emperor, oh, the Red Mansion Emperor is Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji.”
Su Jun frowned: "Prince Duan? In the end, he was the one who ascended the throne..."
He was familiar with this Prince Duan; he was dashing and romantic, loved calligraphy and painting, and had no interest in politics. His ominous premonition grew stronger.
Lu Xiaoqi considered for a moment, then led him towards Song Sao Fish Restaurant, recounting everything from Emperor Huizong's ascension to the throne to the Jingkang Incident. As a self-taught history enthusiast, she knew this famous historical event inside and out.
The two walked slowly, and just as they reached the entrance of the fish restaurant, they finished talking about the sheep-leading ceremony. They mentioned that the people of Bianliang City had followed the court officials and nobles south to Lin'an, and the huge and prosperous city of Bianliang fell into the hands of the Jin army.
Lu Xiaoqi was speaking angrily, but when she turned around, she saw Su Jun standing blankly in the distance, his hands clenched tightly at his sides, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.
"A complete disgrace!" He raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed, his voice hoarse, and said with hatred, "It's an absolute disgrace!"
Unexpectedly, only a decade or two after his death, the Song Dynasty had fallen to such a state!
Lu Xiaoqi pursed her lips. Who wouldn't think so?
She wanted to comfort him, but ultimately remained silent. Never mind, let Sister-in-law Song tell him the rest.
At this time, Sister Song Wu had already prepared all the side dishes for the kitchen and was resting in the shop, waiting to get busy as soon as mealtime arrived. Zhao Feiyan sat in the corner watching videos. Following Lu Xiaoqi's advice and listening to the opinions in the comments section, she gradually improved her videos. Currently, the data has improved significantly—the number of likes has increased from dozens to hundreds, and occasionally even to thousands.
They still haven't shown their face.
Besides the two of them, Song Sao Fish Restaurant has hired two more helpers, one in charge of miscellaneous tasks at the front and the other in charge of miscellaneous tasks in the back kitchen. Zhao Feiyan's job is basically just to serve customers and collect payments; the rest of the time she's replying to comments on her own blog.
Lu Xiaoqi led Su Jun over and introduced them to the group.
"Truly a fellow townsman!" Sister-in-law Song exclaimed with emotion, her expression softening as she looked at Su Jun. She tied on her apron, "Please sit down, I'll make you some Bianliang dishes, let's have a good drink together today."
Lu Xiaoqi: "Closed today?"
Sister-in-law Song waved her hand magnanimously: "Let's finish eating first and then talk."
She no longer has to worry about revenue and can do whatever she wants. If the kitchen hadn't already prepared the ingredients, she wouldn't have opened today.
After thinking for a while in the kitchen, Sister-in-law Song made a braised carp dish. She also opened a small jar in the corner of the kitchen and scooped out a few large abalones. These were pickled when she opened her shop, and now it was time to eat them.
The four people sat down, while two helpers sat at the door.
"Abalone in fermented rice wine." Su Jun stared blankly at the dishes on the table, a look of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.
"Yes, it's abalone soaked in fermented rice wine," Sister Song Wu exclaimed. "It will taste even better after a while, but we're in a good mood today, so let's try it first."
Lu Xiaoqi looked at the abalone in fermented rice wine on the table. The abalone had a deep color after being marinated, and Sister-in-law Song had drizzled a bright crimson sauce on it, emitting an enticing aroma. The braised carp was stewed until tender but still held its shape. The fish must have been pan-fried first, as the skin was wrinkled and soaked with broth, and tender tofu was simmered underneath.
"Is abalone a specialty of Bianjing City?" Lu Xiaoqi asked curiously.
"Yes," Su Jun replied. "Using Jiangnan wine lees to marinate Beihai abalone is a favorite of officials and nobles in the palace. Later, it also spread among the common people."
His ancestral home is in Fujian, and he has a great love for seafood. His grandfather, Su Song, was particularly fond of this dish, and the family cook was also very good at making it.
Sister-in-law Song added, "Unfortunately, war broke out later, and the canal transport was interrupted, so the abalone could no longer be transported."
A look of sadness appeared on Su Jun's face.
"Try this braised carp," Sister Song Wu said, perking up as she pointed to the braised carp. "We just happened to buy some carp today. I remember when Jinming Pond was open, the live fish were incredibly hard to get."
Su Jun smiled and said, "The live fish from Jinming Pond are indeed incredibly delicious."
"Try what I made; it's just as good as the live fish from Jinmingchi." Sister-in-law Song put a piece of fish on his plate.
Su Jun thanked him.
Needless to say, the fish and meat prepared by Sister-in-law Song were so delicious that even in such a gloomy and desolate atmosphere, they could brighten his eyes and improve his mood: "Absolutely delicious!"
Although he was from the previous generation according to his birth date, Song Wu Sao treated him like a younger brother from her hometown. The more she looked at him, the more she liked him, and she put another piece of food on his plate: "Eat more if you like it."
Lu Xiaoqi nodded vigorously beside her: "Yes, yes, eat more."
She was afraid he wouldn't be in the mood to eat later.
Su Jun was indeed a little hungry. He ate quickly but very elegantly. After finishing a bowl of rice to fill his stomach, he put down his chopsticks and said to Sister-in-law Song, "Sister-in-law, what happened after the Jingkang Incident? Please tell me in detail."
Sister-in-law Song glanced at him twice: "Why don't you eat another bowl first?"
Su Jun: ......
“Alright, if you want to hear it, then I will tell you.” Sister-in-law Song sighed, understanding his feelings.
She began by recounting her escape from Bianliang (Kaifeng) with her neighbors and others, their journey to Lin'an, and Zhao Gou's ascension to the throne. She then spoke of Yue Fei's Northern Expedition, his eventual recall by twelve imperial edicts, and his death in prison on trumped-up charges.
Su Jun was utterly grief-stricken and speechless.
"He, he, he..." He slammed his fist on the table. "Such a cowardly and incompetent ruler, it's as if Heaven is going to destroy our Great Song Dynasty!"
Although he had no interest in officialdom and only loved mechanics, like most ambitious young people in the Northern Song Dynasty, his lifelong wish was to see the court recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. Now, things have turned out very badly; not only have the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun fallen, but even Bianjing (Kaifeng) has fallen!
In short, this meal brought tears to the eyes of both he and Sister-in-law Song, who were from the same hometown.
Lu Xiaoqi, who was listening nearby, secretly glanced at Su Jun several times. Tsk tsk, the handsome guy was almost in tears, his eyes reddening—even more appealing...
Hissing.
After finally finishing their meal, it was already past six o'clock. Sister-in-law Song called over the helper to clean up the table, and then opened the door.
Lu Xiaoqi met a pair of resentful eyes.
She was startled: "Fifth Sister-in-law, the queue at your shop is this long now?"
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