Rebirth in 1972: Redemption in Changbai Mountain

Sun Dehou found a chair and slowly sat down, looking at Zhao Gensheng, and casually picked up an ink line and rubbed it in his palm.

The ink line is made of copper and has exquisite and intricate patterns on the outside, so it is obviously not a modern object.

Sun Dehou understood what Zhou Rui meant.

At first, I thought Zhao Gensheng was just shy and timid, and maybe even a little stuttering, but to a carpenter, that was no big deal.

But if the brain is damaged by a fever... then you're no longer a normal person...

Time ticked by, and everyone waited. Even Zhang Zhenbei didn't use his status to interrupt Sun Dehou's thoughts.

Sun Dehou suddenly stood up, holding the inkwell in his palm. The bronze inkwell was quite heavy, but his hands, which were used to holding planes for many years, were very steady and did not tremble at all.

"Kid, your name is Zhao Gensheng, right?" Sun Dehou bent down a little, his gaze meeting Zhao Gensheng's eyes, and his rough voice softened considerably.

"Um, I, I, my name is Gensheng." Zhao Gensheng was a little flustered. He glanced at Zeng Ping, wanting to be closer to his mother.

Before Zhao Gensheng could even move, something was suddenly held up in front of him. The chestnut-colored surface was carved with a lifelike dragon.

"Can you make this?"

Zhao Gensheng's eyes gradually brightened, and his pupils became lively, as if he had discovered something interesting.

He didn't say a word, but simply held the inkwell in both hands, turning it over and over in his hands, completely unaware of the ink dripping from it.

After a while, Zhao Gensheng returned the ink line, then squatted down to one side, clutching the carving knife and wooden block that Sun Dehou had just given him, as if he were at home.

Sun Dehou nodded to himself; this was the quality a craftsman should have—immersion.

Aside from the work and tools at hand, everything else should be put aside; it seems this child is truly talented.

Sun Dehou glanced at everyone present, then looked at Zhang Zhenbei: "This comrade..."

"Zhang, my surname is Zhang, Zhang Zhenbei, the acting director of Xiangyang Forest Farm." Zhang Zhenbei warmly extended his palm, a happy look on his face.

He understood perfectly well that since Sun Dehou had set up a test, it meant that the master craftsman had initially accepted Zhao Gensheng; otherwise, he would have rejected him outright long ago.

Sun Dehou tucked the ink line into his coat, wiped it on his clothes, and then shook hands with Zhang Zhenbei.

Then Sun Dehou gestured to Zhang Zhenbei and his group, inviting them to sit down in the main room.

"Xiao Liu, pour some tea."

The young man quickly put down the saw and hurried into the kitchen.

Zhang Zhenbei, Zhou Rui, and the others all sat down in the main room, but Zeng Ping was still worried and stood silently by Zhao Gensheng's side.

Several cups of hot tea were placed on the octagonal table. Sun Houde tapped his knuckles on the table three times, producing a deep, resonant sound.

"Director Zhang, I, Sun Dehou, have been in this business for forty-two years, and I've always had only three rules for taking on apprentices."

His gaze swept over the room full of people waiting for confirmation. His voice was not loud, but it carried the weight that the old carpenter had carved into the wood grain.

"First, once you enter my school, you must abide by the rules. From now on, you must not give even half of your chisels, saws, or axes to outsiders for private use, and you must not use your skills to speculate and make money illegally."

Zhang Zhenbei nodded quickly, leaning forward slightly: "Master Sun, don't worry, Gensheng is naturally honest and straightforward. If he really becomes your disciple, he will definitely not overstep your rules in the slightest."

Sun Dehou nodded, neither agreeing nor denying, and continued talking to himself.

"Secondly, three years of apprenticeship, two years of service, and for the first five years after graduation, if he is not proficient in his craft, I have the right to ask him to stay, and of course I will pay him the same wages as an ordinary carpenter."

Sun Dehou's gaze fell back on Zhao Gensheng, who was squatting in the courtyard.

The child was completely oblivious to the commotion. His carving knife moved lightly and steadily across the block of wood, wood shavings curling and falling through his fingers. He didn't even lift his hand to wipe the sweat that trickled down his forehead and onto his chin.

Zhang Zhenbei, Zhou Rui, and Chen Datou felt a great weight lifted from their hearts. These words were not a refusal at all; they were clearly treating the man as their own apprentice and negotiating terms with him.

Just as Zhang Zhenbei was about to respond, he heard Sun Dehou speak up with the third point.

"Third, during the apprenticeship period, students shall not frequently ask for leave without reason, nor shall they go out to play and neglect the skills they have learned. Their parents and relatives shall not violate the established teaching rules of the school."

"Of course, we agree to all these rules." Zhang Zhenbei nodded repeatedly.

Although these rules are somewhat outdated, they all conform to the principles passed down by the older generation of craftsmen for hundreds of years, and there is not a single fault in them.

Zeng Ping stood in the corner of the courtyard, her fingertips clenched so tightly they turned white. Her lips moved, but she ultimately didn't utter a single word of dissent.

She watched her son squatting in the yard. The boy usually avoided eye contact with people, but now his hand holding the carving knife was as steady as if it were nailed to the wood. He didn't even glance at the main room.

She had lived half her life and had never seen Gengsheng so engrossed in anything before. Even when he used to squat at the village entrance watching other children play with spinning tops, he had never been so focused.

Sun Dehou saw all of this and said in a low voice, "Director Zhang, these three rules of mine are not just for show."

"If any of these rules are broken in the future, I, Sun Dehou, will show no mercy and will expel the person from the sect immediately. Then, neither you, Director Zhang, nor his family members will be able to come to me for an explanation."

"That's natural."

Zhang Zhenbei thumped his chest loudly: "If Gengsheng really made a mistake, you won't even need to say a word. I'll personally tie him up and bring him to you to apologize, without uttering a single complaint."

Zhou Rui, who was standing next to him, quickly chimed in, "Don't worry, Master Sun. Zhao Gensheng is my younger brother. I'll keep an eye on things with our relatives. I won't let you worry about anything."

Sun Dehou glanced at Zhou Rui in surprise, not expecting that this kid, who was even younger than his sixth apprentice, could make this decision.

The middle-aged man next to him looked like Zhao Gensheng's father, but he hadn't said a word since he entered the room. He just smiled honestly while carrying a basket of gifts in both hands.

Sun Dehou's gaze swept over Chen Datou's face before returning to Zhou Rui, and he suddenly smiled.

"I've lived most of my life and seen plenty of relatives who try to avoid trouble. You're the first one who actively takes on all the trouble yourself."

Zhou Rui didn't reply, but simply gestured with his chin toward the corner of the courtyard.

Zhao Gensheng had just stopped what he was doing, so he picked up the small piece of wood and waved it in the sun.

A small dragon coiled along the wood grain, its scales so fine they looked as if they were sprinkled with shimmering light. Even the tiny hooks on the tips of its claws were clearly carved, almost identical to the patterns on Sun Dehou's bronze inkwell.

Xiao Liu stood with his hands clasped next to Sun Dehou. As soon as he saw the little piece of wood, his eyes widened immediately.

"Master, he's only been carving for less than forty minutes!"

The room fell silent instantly.

Sun Dehou strode out of the main room, took the small piece of wood from Zhao Gensheng, and traced the curve of the dragon's body with his fingertips.

The dragon is carved rather roughly, with some lines varying in depth, but the shape of the dragon and the style of the ink line are exactly the same. With some polishing, it could even be made to look like the real thing.

"Alright, alright, I'll accept this disciple. Xiao Liu, inform your senior brothers that the formal apprenticeship ceremony will be held in five days."