Chapter 3: Chiselled Dreams

Xu Ji’s Wood Carving Shop was one of the top wood carving workshops in Outer City, frequently receiving orders from Inner City for all kinds of carvings.

Sometimes they carved landscapes, other times Buddha statues or Bodhisattva figures—and even deities that Li Che had never heard of before.

For the laborers, moving timber and finished sculptures was paid by the piece. The pay was meager and the work exhausting.

But if one became a full-fledged wood carver and completed a finished piece, it could earn at least ten taels of silver!

Li Che even heard that Master Chen once carved a ‘Thousand-Armed Guanyin Holding Child Wood Carving’ which took nearly a month and earned him a piece of gold leaf—equivalent to a hundred taels!

That was a craft that could make an ordinary person fabulously rich!

Li Che’s heart raced at the thought—if only in the past he had dared to dream.

Wood carving skills needed to be nurtured from a young age and demanded both talent and artistic flair. Many apprentices at the workshop were sent there with hard-earned money as young as five or six.

Li Che was already thirteen when he started working at the workshop, long past the ideal age.

Although he once tried to teach himself, he gave up after a few days.

How could a few days of self-learning ever compare to a lifetime of grueling practice?

Besides, while wood carving may seem simple in theory, the actual craftsmanship was an entirely different matter.

“I should seize an opportunity to try… maybe this Dao Fruit of 【Xiangong】 will endow me with a gift for carving?”

A spark of hope stirred in Li Che’s heart.

A chill wind swept by, snapping Li Che back to reality. He buried the thought of becoming a master carver and got to work seriously.

Transporting finished sculptures was not the same as carrying timber. Extra care was needed since any bumps or scrapes could ruin the carving.

They wrapped the pieces in cloth and secured them with hemp rope to avoid any damage from friction while carrying them.

Carrying the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva, Li Che proceeded cautiously toward the inner workshop.

Upon reaching Master Chen’s workshop, he set the statue down, removed the cloth, and, after noting there were no signs of damage, felt a wave of relief.

“Master Chen, the Bodhisattva has arrived. Now I’m off to fetch some Hua Qu Yang, the larger kind, right?”

Li Che relaxed his shoulders and smiled.

Master Chen was already seated on his work stool, sharpening his carving knife with a whetstone.

“Yes, and hurry up! We need to carve a ‘Nine Sons Embracing Lotus’ this time—a laborious process, and Inner City is already expecting it,”

Master Chen said after checking the sharpness of his knife.

Li Che returned to the yard, where snow was falling thickly, intending to haul away the piece of Hua Qu Yang wood he had chosen.

But as his hands touched the timber, he sensed a faint pulsation from the Dao Fruit of 【Xiangong】, and an inexplicable feeling welled up inside him.

“This piece of Hua Qu Yang doesn’t seem right for a ‘Nine Sons Embracing Lotus’ carving…”

Li Che murmured to himself.

Most master carvers would personally select their own wood. Of course, there were exceptions—some, confident in their skills, were too lazy to brave the winter elements to choose timber.

However, if a helper picked the wrong kind of wood…

A patient master might let it pass, but a temperamental one could even dock the transport fee.

In that case, not only would extra trips be required, but money would also be deducted… a real loss.

Li Che abandoned that piece of Hua Qu Yang and began sorting through the pile, running his hands over each piece until he found one that felt just right under the subtle influence of the Dao Fruit.

He then lugged the slightly heavy block of Hua Qu Yang back to Master Chen’s workshop.

“Hmm? Not bad, Xiao Li, you’ve got a good eye. This piece is perfect!” Master Chen exclaimed in pleasant surprise, for the wood matched the envisioned ‘Nine Sons Embracing Lotus’ almost exactly.

With just a few strokes, the overall outline could be easily sketched, saving him considerable time on planning and refining.

Li Che merely smiled, not seeking any praise.

Master Chen complimented him briefly before resuming his preparation for carving.

“Xiao Li, help me move this wood onto the stand. I heard your daughter was born… I’ll add extra pay for this order,” Master Chen said, rising with a smile.

At those words, Li Che’s eyes brightened. He quickly agreed, secured the hemp rope, and hoisted the heavy Hua Qu Yang onto the metal stand.

“The Inner City is breathing down our necks. Lately they’ve been demanding sculptures of sacrificial children—must be linked to that blazing rumor about the ‘Lingying Fa Zhu’ and the eccentric tastes of the Inner City nobles. It seems fashion changes with the times,” Master Chen muttered as he shook his head.

He muttered under his breath.

“They need the finished piece in five days. This old body of mine… might just fall apart from all the work,” he lamented.

“But the fee is high too. Hehe, Xiao Li, guess how much the client is paying for this piece?”

Master Chen rubbed his hands together as he bantered with Li Che, then walked over to the weather-worn Hua Qu Yang, damp with snow.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Li Che replied, “For a five-day deadline… it should be at least fifty taels, right?”

Carving a Nine Sons Embracing Lotus was easier than a Thousand-Armed Guanyin, so Li Che conservatively estimated the fee.

“Fifty taels? Ha… that’s too low—it should be worth a piece of gold leaf!”

Master Chen burst into hearty laughter, then slapped the wood with a palm. The skin on his arm seemed to flush a deep red, and heat radiated from his hand, driving out the moisture from the wood.

The intense heat hit Li Che full force, making him feel as if he were standing beside a blazing furnace!

Li Che took a deep breath, astonished that this carving was valued at one hundred and fifty taels, and equally amazed and envious of Master Chen’s mysterious technique!

These master carvers possessed not only craftsmanship but also, according to legend, martial prowess!

To become a master carver, one had to command inner strength—the kind that could imbue the wood and drastically cut down on production time.

When inner strength merged with the wood, the carved piece would carry a unique aura.

It was this very aura that made the Inner City nobles willingly pay a premium.

Master Chen glanced at the surprised and envious Li Che and teasingly remarked, “Want to learn?”

“Learning costs money. Although you might not master the top-tier inner strength techniques, you can still pick up the common ones from Xu Ji in Outer City,”

he continued, “and with decades of arduous practice, you could eventually cultivate your inner strength.”

A thought stirred in Li Che’s mind as he asked, “Master Chen, how much does it cost to learn inner strength techniques?”

“The supreme techniques are priceless. Only those in Inner City could even study them, and few ever manage to learn,” Master Chen replied.

“The common inner strength techniques in Outer City can be bought. The cheapest set… still costs thirty taels. So, you really have your heart set on this, huh?” Master Chen said while channeling his inner strength to dry the wood, his gaze on Li Che both playful and knowing.

“Your child has just been born—better save your money… even if you learn the technique, mastering it is a whole other matter,” he added in a friendly tone.

Master Chen shook his head, offering gentle advice.

Li Che’s determination seemed to be growing.

Master Chen raised an eyebrow and said, “You’re a meticulous one. It’s a pity you missed out on learning wood carving when you were young. But if you want to buy inner strength techniques, come find me. I have a method you can learn for twenty taels.”

Li Che didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he smiled and said he’d consider it for a while.

After that, he left Master Chen’s workshop.

For the rest of the day, Li Che busied himself helping other carvers move timber and finished sculptures.

He also assisted the apprentices in the shop by carrying small pieces of wood to earn his wages.

The shop provided a simple lunch. Although modest, a warm meal was enough to fill his stomach and give him energy for the work ahead.

By evening, after collecting thirty-five Dajing Cast Copper Coins for the day, Li Che, exhausted, wrapped up his shift.

He donned his bamboo hat, braved the chill wind and snow, bought some charcoal on the way, and headed home.

When he reached the maze-like alleys, night had already fully descended. However, the soft glow from the oil lamp in his Earthen House quickened his steps in the snow.

“Honey, I’m home,” he called out.

He quickly opened and closed the door to keep the cold, snow-laden wind from stealing the warmth inside.

After stoking the fire in the heater, Li Che tiptoed over to the bed where XiXi lay wide-eyed.

Seeing him, XiXi burst into a tinkling giggle.

Li Che’s heart melted as he picked her up and gently rocked her.

Zhang Ya watched the tender scene with soft eyes as she brought out the evening meal from the pot.

The steaming noodles filled the air with an inviting aroma.

For a struggling family, there was no tradition of postpartum confinement.

Not needing to toil in the fields—simply preparing dinner was, for Zhang Ya, akin to a period of rest.

After dinner, Li Che sent Zhang Ya off to rest and washed his own bowls.

Then he retrieved a small piece of wood and a carving knife, returning to his room.

While Zhang Ya cradled XiXi, gently soothing her, she looked over at Li Che with curiosity.

“Honey, what are you up to?”

By the soft glow of the oil lamp, with his fingers interlaced and flexing as he worked, he chuckled, “I’ve been learning a new trick at the wood carving shop.”

“Watch closely, dear!”

Zhang Ya couldn’t help but laugh, “Over the years you’ve picked up a few tricks, but sooner or later you always end up saying that taking a break is best…”

Li Che’s lips curled into a smile as he replied, “Honey, don’t tease me. Haven’t you heard the saying ‘After thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west bank’?”

“I’m different now—I’m a father now!”

Zhang Ya pursed her lips, her eyes twinkling with amused affection.

Really, what does fatherhood have to do with learning wood carving?

Li Che simply smiled, offering no further words.

With eyes half-closed, his mind flooded with techniques and methods for carving the Six-Eyed Bodhisattva, as smoothly as squeezing out soaked cotton.

When he opened his eyes again, there was a spark of brilliance in their depths.

Calm and focused, with firm, powerful fingers gripping the carving knife, he began to make the first cut into the wood…