At the educated youth compound, Li Guang was the youngest. Unlike Jian Dan, who was young but capable, Li Guang was just a child with a simple and lively personality.
So it wasn't just Chen Jing and Gu Jianjun who took good care of him; everyone else treated him like a child too.
“If you want to eat fish, we’ll go catch some in a bit. You guys break off some willow twigs; I think the basket they’re weaving is quite simple, let’s try it out later.”
"Haha, you should take care of yourself, I'm no good."
"What's wrong? Don't you want to give it a try? It doesn't seem like it's that difficult for the villagers to do it."
"Don't even mention it. People have been doing this for so many years, they're used to it, they wouldn't make a mistake even with their eyes closed."
Hey, didn't you forget the other day? Weren't they weaving baskets under that big tree at the village office?
I tried it myself, thinking it would be pretty simple, but it was incredibly unruly in my hands. Look at these marks on my face; the willow branch in my hand has even whipped my own face.”
When this matter was mentioned, Qian Cheng hung his head, and there were still a few faded marks on his face.
Who would have thought that someone as invincible as myself would stumble on this simple craft? I waved my hand helplessly.
"Go ahead and try it if you want, but I advise you to be prepared. This is different from regular work; it really depends on your talent."
The boys were naturally unconvinced. They looked at each other, refusing to believe it, and turned around to cut willow branches.
"Really? Is it that difficult?"
Gu Jianjun, with his long arms and legs and great strength, didn't quite believe it either.
"Exactly, can this little thing be harder than farming?"
Qian Cheng didn't try to persuade him.
"Go ahead and try it, I won't bother. We'll start cooking and wait for your fish."
"Little Li Guang, let's go gather some firewood and start a fire."
Li Guang glanced at them cutting willow branches, then at Gu Jianjun and Chen Jing, and followed them without hesitation.
"Brother Qiancheng, should we put the baskets down first? Who knows how long we'll have to wait for them?"
"Haha, you're right, Little Li Guang, you have excellent judgment."
He turned around, grabbed two empty baskets, and headed straight for the old spot. He set up the baskets against the current, then untied the ropes and tied them to a tree on the bank to prevent them from being swept away.
"Let's go gather firewood, we'll be back to grill fish in a bit!"
Seeing their decisive stance, the others became a little apprehensive.
"No way, we really can't make this work, right? Are we still wasting our time here?"
But men, even in death, remain young at heart; that indomitable spirit...
"I refuse to believe it. If others can do it, they all have the same long arms. What's the difference between us?"
So the rest split into two groups. Ling Weidong, Gu Jianjun, and Yuan Ye were the group that refused to admit defeat. Chen Jing, on the other hand, knew his own physical condition well. Being able to keep working and earn work points was already his limit. He basically didn't participate in anything challenging like this.
But seeing how seriously they were arranging all those willow branches, he got bored and picked up a few to play with.
After a while, when Qian Cheng and Li Guang returned with firewood, the group had already seen initial results.
As Qian Cheng expected, Ling Weidong and Yuan Ye's outfits were a hodgepodge, uneven in tightness, with some parts wrinkled and others coming undone at the slightest touch.
Gu Jianjun's next to him was even more exaggerated. Not a single piece was formed. Either one side was about to break, or the other side was squeezed together. The bottom was bulging like an airtight cage. It was something you could only look at but not touch, because if you touched it, the whole thing would easily fall apart.
"Haha, Brother Qiancheng, look at them! Haha, trying to catch fish? With such a big hole, even the biggest fish will get away!"
Qian Cheng also pressed his lips tightly together, his gaze towards Ling Weidong was not friendly, and he didn't dare to laugh out loud, only saying vaguely,
"Hmm, it's alright. None of us have studied this before, which is normal."
After saying that, he stopped talking, afraid that he would burst out laughing.
Li Guang's eyes darted around, scanning from one end to the other. When he saw Chen Jing, his eyes widened as if he had discovered a new continent. He scurried back and squatted down there.
"Boss, did you make this up?"
His loud voice drew everyone's attention.
Unlike the others' work, Chen Jing's was remarkably smooth and polished. Except for the initial base, which was a bit rough and stiff, the rest was incredibly smooth. He had already finished more than halfway through, and it was almost as tall as their usual baskets.
However, it's clear that Chen Jing is a shrewd person. He knows that this will be used to catch fish. The bottom is thinner and it gets thicker as you go up. He's already looking for the thicker ones and preparing to finish them off.
"Brother Jing, we've known each other for so many years, how come I didn't know you had this skill?"
Gu Jianjun and the others also came over, and were amazed to see that Chen Jing had successfully grown a piece in the basket with a flick of his finger.
Ling Weidong was also shocked, but he still reached out to touch it. It felt smooth to the touch, no worse than the one they had.
"I really didn't realize you had such good skills. They're comparable to what the villagers make."
Don't tell me you just learned this too?
Chen Jing didn't stop for a moment; he had already finished speaking halfway through, and upon hearing this, he smiled faintly.
"Actually, it's not difficult. Just follow this direction, one after another. It's all in a pattern. First this one, then this one, and finally this one. Then pull this one over, and that's it."
Isn't it easy?
The boys looked at each other, watching Chen Jing finish explaining and then resume his own pace. They didn't know what to say. They were all boys, and it was their first time doing this, so why was he so clear-headed, while they just wouldn't listen?
Finally, everyone contributed the willow branches they had cut to Chen Jing, who wove three long, thin baskets and placed them into the water one after another.
By this time, Ling Weidong and the others had already set up their fires, and Li Guang and Qian Cheng had also made a harvest in their baskets.
Li Guang was loud and boisterous.
"Come quick, come quick, we've caught a fish!"
Their laughter and chatter masked a tense atmosphere deep within the mountains.
They encountered not a human, but the wolf whose cubs Chen Jianshe had captured when Chen Jianshe came to rescue him last time.
She was also very depressed.
Following a few dogs, we headed deeper into the area, even venturing further than before. However, we did have some success. We caught quite a few different kinds of prey, which was standard practice. In a corner where the sunlight wasn't very strong, we also discovered several ancient trees covered with Ganoderma lucidum (reishi mushrooms). With our tree-climbing skills, that wasn't a problem at all.
After coming down, she tentatively wandered back. The sunlight couldn't reach her here, the air was damp and stuffy, and the ground was very slippery with dry leaves. This illusion was deceiving; she could easily sink in with each step.
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