Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Carpenter
When everything calmed down, Miao Ying lay on the bed, feeling relaxed all over. Huo Xing also lay down afterwards, breathing steadily.
"Why don't you ask me why I gave the deer to Young Master Fu?" Miao Ying yawned.
"Why?" Huo Xing asked. In fact, he didn't care. His things all belonged to Miao Ying, so Miao Ying could do with them however he wanted.
"Because I plan to do business with them in the future." Miao Ying turned over and leaned his head on Huo Xing's arm, "I want to establish a good relationship with them in advance."
Huo Xing turned his head to look at him and found that he had fallen asleep. He reached out and gently touched Miao Ying's face, then brought him into his arms.
The next morning, they did not have breakfast in the county town and had to hurry home. Huo Xing said that there was a carpenter on the way home and they could go and ask him if he could make what Miao Ying wanted.
As they walked out of the inn, they were stopped by the servant of the Fu family who was guarding the side. Just like Miao Ying did last night, he put the money in Huo Xing's arms and turned around and ran away. Before they could react, he disappeared.
Miao Ying glanced at the bundle in Huo Xing's arms. There was silver in it, which should be the money to pay them for the little deer.
However, it was not convenient for them to open the bundle and look at it on the street, so after getting Miao Ying's consent, Huo Xing put the money in his arms.
On the way back, the carpenter's house was not far away. Miao Ying saw the sign from a distance. There were a lot of wood piled outside, and on the other side were some finished carpentry tools.
Miao Ying watched with great interest, thinking that the craftsmanship of the ancient people was truly amazing, and each of these things was more exquisite than the other.
The carpenter was a white-haired old man, and he had only one apprentice with him, who looked like his grandson. Miao Ying could now distinguish between a boy and a man. The old carpenter's grandson should be a boy, who looked about six or seven years old.
Miao Ying briefly explained what he wanted. The old carpenter was old, and Miao Ying spoke loudly, so he only understood a little. Finally, Miao Ying drew a simple diagram on the ground. The old carpenter shook his head and said, "If I were younger, I could still do it. But I'm too old now."
Miao Ying was a little anxious: "We can help you with the heavy work, this thing is really important to me."
The old carpenter still shook his head: "You should seek help from someone else."
Miao Ying wanted to speak, but Huo Xing patted his shoulder gently and said, "Go home first."
His shoulders slumped, and he finally followed Huo Xing. Before leaving, Miao Ying stuffed a piece of Huo Xing's snack into the arms of the carpenter's boy. The boy had been staring at them eagerly since they came in.
"Why didn't you let me talk?" Miao Ying was a little dissatisfied with Huo Xing after leaving the carpenter's house. "If I talk more, maybe I can impress him."
Huo Xing didn't get angry when he heard his complaints. He just said softly, "Having a skill is a very important thing in this world. You said we could help, but in his opinion, we are trying to steal his skills. Who would easily reveal their skills without formally becoming his disciple or being his successor?"
Miao Ying just remembered this incident. It seems that the ancient people really did attach great importance to inheritance. This made him feel better. "Then there are no other carpenters?"
"Carpenter Yao is the best carpenter in the area. If he says he can't do it, no one else can." Huo Xing said, "No matter how good the carpenter is, we can only find him in the provincial capital."
Miao Ying's shoulders slumped. "What should we do then?"
"Isn't the simple one we made okay?" Huo Xing didn't quite understand why he had to have this thing. Oil could also be squeezed out using that simple thing.
"That can only take a little bit. If there's more, we'll have to use a bigger one." Miao Ying sighed, "Let's think of another way."
Huo Xing looked at his sad face and came up with a solution that was not really a solution.
"How about I become his disciple?" Huo Xing said, "I'll learn from him, and then when I've learned enough, I'll make you what you want."
Miao Ying's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands. "You're a real genius." Then he hesitated, "But will he accept you? And can you learn it?"
"My master refused to accept me before." Huo Xing smiled. When he was young, he was taciturn and there was nothing attractive about him except his physique. But later he learned how to hunt well. Now he is becoming a carpenter's disciple. As long as he works hard, he should be able to do well.
After returning home and telling his mother and grandmother about this, Li Hongying was stunned: "Isn't it a bit late to go to school now?"
She looked at Huo Xing's big hands, which looked rough and clumsy. Could he really learn carpentry skills?
"Give it a try." Grandmother pressed Li Hongying's hand. After going through so much, she had become much more insightful. "Now that our family has settled down, we don't have to worry about making a living. We can tend to the land, and the young people can have something to do. Going up the mountain to hunt can be dangerous sometimes, don't you think?"
"What if they don't accept him?" Li Hongying began to worry about another thing. "He looks so clumsy."
"When we become apprentices, in order to show our family's importance, we will all go."
It’s really nice to have such an atmosphere of discussion and consultation among the family. In the past, when Miao Ying wanted to do something, there was no one around to give him advice, so he could only act on his own intuition.
When Huo Xiaobao came back in the evening, he didn't see the little deer. His mouth was pouting so much that an oil bottle could be hung on it. Miao Ying used some snacks to coax him, and he became a little happier. Then he went to play with Mantou and Wotou.
In the evening, Huo Xing fetched water for him to wash. Miao Ying soaked his feet in the hot water and sighed with comfort. Huo Xing stood by with a questioning look in his eyes.
Miao Ying reacted for a moment and then shook his head: "Not tonight, I feel a little weak lately."
He is young now and wants to be normal, but his body seems unable to withstand such high-intensity work every day, so he has to proceed step by step.
He looked at Huo Xing with sharp eyes. Huo Xing felt a little uncomfortable with his gaze, so he changed his sitting position and straightened his pants.
Miao Ying looked away guiltily. Neither he nor Huo Xing had reached the final step yet. Huo Xing had been the one serving him the most in the past few times. The reason he hadn't reached the final step was because Miao Ying couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart. Also, he felt that if he really did it, he would have to be paralyzed in bed for several days.
Although they were both men, he had never seen hands that big. Miao Ying had never thought that his hands were small. When they were helping each other, they found that there was a huge difference in their physical fitness.
Huo Xing's fingers could already make him feel happy, so he felt that he couldn't bear anything else for the time being, so he could only let Huo Xing down, or wait for the next few days so that they could try it.
Huo Xing saw that he had finished soaking his feet and the water was not too hot, so he washed his own feet. Then he went to pour the water. After pouring it, he thought about it and washed his hands carefully and thoroughly.
Back in the room, Miao Ying took off his outer garment and put on his inner garment, sitting cross-legged on the bed, mumbling something. When I listened closer, I heard him planning what to prepare for the apprenticeship ceremony. Seeing Huo Xing come back, he asked again, "What did mother prepare when she took you to the apprenticeship?"
Huo Xing shook his head: "I forgot."
Miao Ying had no experience of finding a master, so he planned to go to the home of the most knowledgeable person in the village to ask for advice tomorrow.
Huo Xing turned off the lights, and Miao Ying lay down. The two of them were so close that their breaths became hot. Miao Ying soaked his feet and felt warm. He felt completely safe leaning on Huo Xing and fell asleep quickly.
The next day when he sent Huo Xiaobao to school, he stopped at Master Song's house for a while. When Master Ning came out, he asked Master Ning a little embarrassedly what he needed to prepare to become his disciple.
As for why he didn't ask Master Song, Miao Ying's nature as a poor student did not change even after traveling through time, and he was still afraid when he saw a serious teacher.
"According to ancient rituals, a gift of food is required: celery, lotus seeds, red dates, longan, and red beans." Master Ning's voice was gentle. "But things are tough these days, so we can't prepare such a complete meal. Probably just a piece of meat, a handful of celery, and a portion of red dates will be enough."
Miao Ying bowed to Master Ning, who patted his shoulder gently and asked, "Who wants to become my disciple?"
"Huo Xing." Miao Ying was the good student who always answered his teacher's questions. "I want to learn carpentry."
Master Ning nodded and said, "It's right to learn something. What about you? Do you want to go to school?"
Miao Ying quickly shook his head: "I can't, I'm too old."
"Haven't you heard of the saying 'you never stop learning'?" Master Ning frowned. "Oh, right, I have something to tell you."
Miao Ying stood up straight: "What? Is Xiaobao not studying seriously?"
"No." Master Ning also straightened his expression, "Old Song said that he will not teach Huo Xiaobao next year."
Miao Ying opened his eyes wide: "What, what do you mean?"
"Don't worry, this isn't Xiaobao's problem." Master Ning said patiently, "Old Song thinks Huo Xiaobao should go to a more organized school."
Miao Ying was still a little confused.
"Xiaobao is very smart. He understands everything Old Song says immediately. He needs a better teacher. If he wants to take the imperial examination in the future, you should prepare early."
Miao Ying was a little excited, but then a bucket of cold water was poured down on him. He said with some difficulty: "I'm afraid Xiaobao can't take the path of the imperial examination."
"What's the matter?" Master Ning asked, "Is there any trouble at home?"
Miao Ying shook his head: "Xiaobao has some disabilities."
Master Ning was so shocked that he held onto the door frame: "Yes, what's going on?"
Miao Ying spoke with some difficulty: "Xiaobao's foot is missing a toe."
Master Ning held his forehead and said, "How could this happen? I heard from Old Song that Xiaobao is the smartest child he has ever taught. As long as he has a good teacher to guide him, he will definitely achieve something. How could this happen..."
Miao Ying calmed down a bit now: "Master, we send Xiaobao here to learn to read and study so that he can understand the truth and become an upright and kind person in the future."
"But no matter what, thank you both for your concern for Xiaobao."
Looking at Miao Ying's departing back, Master Ning felt a pang of regret. He was injured when he was young and was destined to be childless. He and Master Song came to Rongshu Village and taught many children to fill the emptiness in his life.
He tossed and turned at night and couldn't sleep. Master Song asked why, and Master Ning told him. He was also stunned, and then he could only comfort him: "There's nothing we can do about it. This is the law of the court."
Master Ning turned over and looked at him with displeasure: "Do I need you to teach me this?"
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