Chapter 7 Wood Carving

Walking out of the Golden Jade Pavilion, Liu Dong did not go back to the community he rented, but rode his Golden Deer bicycle and continued to gallop towards the center of the antique city.

Fortunately, it's still early, there aren't too many people on the street, and the people who set up stalls next to them haven't left their homes yet. Otherwise, if you want to ride a bicycle on the streets of the antique city, it is simply a luxury.

Quancheng Antique City, although it is called 'city', but its area is not large, two main streets, plus a few lanes and thousands of shops operating here, the entire antique city covers an area of only 100 acres.

In the past, it was originally the residence of Zheng Shusheng, a big capitalist in Quancheng during the Republic of China, but the Zhang family, which was once known as the largest family in Dongshan Province, was also defeated in frequent civil wars and political turmoil, like most of the national capitalists in China at that time.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it once became the government seat of Quancheng. Later, because it was too dilapidated, and in that special decade, it belonged to one of the four olds, which did not fit the image of the city government. Therefore, in the mid-70s, it moved to Yuhan Road, where the current city government is located, and it was once a failure.

After the reform and opening up, the east wind of economic development blows, and the antique trade that once fell into a trough flourishes again, the Quancheng city government has carried out further renovation and expansion of this Zhang Zhai, which has been almost deserted, and gradually formed the entire Quancheng City, which is really the most prosperous antique cultural relics and art trading market in the entire Dongshan Province.

And Liu Dong's destination at the moment is in the center of the antique market.

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Looking at the magnificent attic in front of him that is about ten meters high, divided into three floors up and down, and the shape is also a traditional Chinese mortise and tenon structure, and the plaque at the door reads 'Taiyi Pavilion' with three gilt characters, Liu Dong stopped the car.

Walking here, Liu Dong's face was completely free of the restraints he had when he was in the Golden Jade Pavilion just now, and when he walked into the first floor full of various wood carvings, Liu Dong looked left and right, and then shouted: "Uncle Long, Uncle Long!"

"Don't shout, stinky boy! I'm not deaf!" The old man said with a hint of joy, accompanied by the footsteps coming down from the second floor, an old man wearing a gray short coat and holding a banana fan commonly used by the common people appeared in front of Liu Dong's eyes.

Seeing the old man coming down, Liu Dong hurriedly put down the wooden box in his hand, took two steps forward, and stretched out his hands to support the old man's arm. If he and Wang Kun were just talking about business just now, then Liu Dong would respect the old man in front of him.

If it weren't for the guidance and help of this old man, Liu Dong's carving skills would not have progressed so quickly, and the level of jade carving would not have reached the level of the current third-level carver.

However, I don't know why, the old man with extraordinary carving skills just didn't agree to take him as an apprentice. Maybe it's because the old man is good at wood carving instead of jade carving, Liu Dong always guessed in his heart.

"Okay, boy! I'm not old enough to walk!" Although he said this, the old man looked at Liu Dong with the kind of love in his eyes for his younger generations.

After pushing Liu Dong's hand away, the old man made it on a mahogany hoop chair behind the counter. After glancing at him, he asked, "Have you gone to send jade to the king boy of the Golden Jade Pavilion again?"

"Well, yes, Uncle Long!" The old man had known about this for a long time, so he didn't plan to hide it. After finishing speaking, Liu Dong moved a round stool from the side and sat down beside the old man.

After he sat down, the old man nodded, and explained with a somewhat stern expression: "Wang Kun, that kid, has been in this antique city for more than ten years. His reputation has never been good, so you must have a few more eyes when you come into contact with him, you know?"

"I remember, Uncle Long, don't worry!" What the old man said to himself was often his own experience that he had summarized for many years, so Liu Dong did not have the slightest impatient look on his face except for seriousness.

Looking at the young man in front of him, the old man did not hide the look of appreciation on his face, Liu Dong's steadiness and diligence are rare in the current era, especially in young people of his age. This is also the reason why he instructed Liu Dong in carving skills in the first place. However, the old man knew that his strength was limited, and in order not to mislead people's children, although he appreciated it, he never agreed to accept Liu Dong as an apprentice.

"Come, let me see if your craft has improved this month!"

After listening to the old man's words, Liu Dong hurriedly took out a white grain of rice from the pocket of his jacket and put it in the old man's hand.

That's right, it's a grain of rice, but Liu Dong's grain of rice is not ordinary, this is the material he uses to practice his micro-carving. It is also a unique skill that he inherited from Uncle Long.

After the white rice grains were in his hand, the old man did not rush to check them, but first took them in his hand, touched them carefully with his fingers, and then nodded, turned his hand and took out a copper-handled magnifying glass from the counter next to him, and put the rice grains under the mirror to examine it carefully.

Looking at the old man's movements, Liu Dong, who was sitting on the side, was also a little nervous on his face, and his back unconsciously straightened a little straighter. It's like an elementary school student who is checking his homework with a teacher.

"It's not bad, after practicing for more than two years, it's rare to be able to engrave thirty words on it!" After the old man put down the magnifying glass, he looked at Liu Dong and said with a smile.

"I'm far behind Uncle Long!" Liu Dong said modestly after breathing a sigh of relief in his heart.

After listening to his words, the old man waved his hand with a look of admiration, and said with a smile: "Don't be presumptuous, I didn't have your current level when I was in your year!" After a pause, "Okay, what are you going to come to me this time to get some materials?"

"Uncle Long, maybe a little more this time!" As he spoke, Liu Dong took out a piece of paper full of various specifications and types of wood from the pocket of his jacket and handed it to the old man.

"Heh, I want a lot this time!What's the matter??," the old man asked with a smile after reading the list in his hand.

"Thanks to you, my wood carving skills have grown rapidly, so I have made a lot of money recently!"

Looking at the smile on Liu Dong's face, the old man couldn't help but laugh and scolded: "You kid, monkey spirit, monkey spirit, all pick up good things and tell me, the old man is not so superficial." After a pause, "To be honest, if you hadn't worked your own, I wouldn't have helped you anymore! But it's a pity, your kid likes too much, and especially likes jade carving, if you can take back your heart and focus on wood carving, with your talent and hard work, I'm afraid the level of wood carving is not what it is now, even if it is a provincial wood carving master certificate, you can take a test!"

After listening to the old man's words, Liu Dong smiled on his face, although he knew that the old man was right, and it was also for his good, but compared to wood carving, he preferred jade carving, and now he is still practicing miniature carving with the old man, and his energy will naturally be dispersed if he learns more. Although it is far less than the achievement of specialization, this is his own preference, and Liu Dong does not want to change it.

Seeing his appearance, the old man shook his head somewhat helplessly, "Forget it, I won't talk about you, it's useless to say it." But although you kid has a lot of appetite, the work in your hands is also growing quickly, and maybe you will learn it in the end. ”

"Don't worry, Uncle Long, with you always watching me from behind, whether it is wood carving or jade carving, I can succeed in the end!" Liu Dong hurriedly promised.

After listening to his words, the old man nodded with a smile, and after glancing at the list handed over to him by Liu Dong in his hand, his face showed a look of thought, but soon his eyes were certain, and he already had an idea in his heart, "Xiaodong, now your wood carving skills can be regarded as entering the house! So don't carve those small things in the streets and alleys first! I'll give you a piece of material later, and when you go back, carve it out and sell it to me!"