In the early morning, snowflakes were falling in the sky, and the small north wind was blowing unhurriedly.

Wanru got up at five o'clock, looked at the snowflakes outside the room, hadn't been back for a long time, and wanted to go for a morning run in the park. I especially want to see the place where I used to learn Tai Chi with Mr. Chen.

After much hesitation, he walked out of the room.

She trotted all the way to the park, but she didn't expect that many fitness enthusiasts were not stopped by the snow.

Coming to that place felt both familiar and unfamiliar.

It has been almost ten years since Chen Lao went to his junior brother. I was busy every day, and I didn't contact him, so I cut off his news.

If he was still alive, he would be over a hundred years old.

Wanru hadn't been active for a long time, so she tried to do a set of tai chi.

Thinking of the palm that Chen Lao struck, he once shook the pine tree in front of him, and hit the pine tree hard according to his mental method.

Unexpectedly, his palm made the pine tree in front of him shake more than the strength of Chen Lao's palm, and the pine tree shook almost twice as much.

I couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised.

I was very narcissistic and thought in my heart: Is this called blue out of blue is better than blue?

Then he tried to slap his hand again, and this time it seemed to shake more visibly than before. The corners of the mouth are slightly upturned. I thought to myself, if Chen Lao saw it, he would be very pleased.

Wanru was complacent, and she inadvertently saw Lin Guozhong, who was standing not far away, looking at her with a shocked expression.

After Wanru saw his face clearly, she felt very panicked in her heart, and her little heart was beating extremely fast. I immediately felt a little hot on my face.

He took a deep breath, stabilized his nervous mood, put on a warm smile, and walked towards him bravely, seeing that he also hurriedly stepped forward.

Wanru took the initiative to stretch out her hand, shook him amicably, and said with a joyful smile, "Haha." Long time no see. How are you doing? ”

Li Guozhong was also very excited at this time, with a spring breeze smile on his face, and said, "Yes, very good." Yuchen and Zhang Ju, Auntie, are they all okay in the United States? ”

Wanru said politely: "It's all good." Yuchen still misses you very much, let me say hello to you when I see you. He'll graduate from college next year. ”

"Haha, I'm proud to have such an apprentice. Just now I saw that your skills have surpassed Grandpa Chen, which is really amazing. It looks like you've been exercising consistently. ”

Wanru was a little embarrassed and said, "Actually, I didn't insist much. Do you have any news of Grandpa Chen? ”

Lin Guozhong's face immediately calmed down, and he said sadly: "Grandpa Chen passed away three years ago. I learned about it from his grandson. ”

"His grandson, does he still live in our city?"

"Yes, three years ago, in our city's wholesale market, I met Chen Youhe, the grandson of Grandpa Chen, who was doing business in our city's wholesale market, because of a quarrel with the adjacent door, which resulted in a big fight, and Chen Youhe was sent to the hospital. It was only when I was dealing with the dispute that I learned that he was the grandson of Grandpa Chen. ”

"Is he still in business?"

"No, he has already gone to his son's house in the provincial capital. Haha, his son's name is Chen Xiaowei, in the provincial hospital, he is an expert in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular medicine, and he is also a returnee doctor. By the way, Chen Youhe asked me about you, and he said that Chen Lao left a letter for you before he died. ”

"Okay, you give me Chen Xiaowei's phone, and I'll go over when I have time."

Lin Guozhong found out the phone numbers of Chen Youhe and Chen Xiaowei from his mobile phone, and Wanru saved them in his mobile phone.

The two walked out of the park together. We talked as we walked, and we didn't say goodbye to each other until the door of the hotel.

Wanru walked into the hotel lobby and saw Liu Yanhong waiting for her to have breakfast.

The two of them asked for steamed buns and soy milk, and before they could finish eating, Li Feng walked into the hall.

Wanru beckoned to him.

He walked over and asked, "Have you eaten it?" ”

"I've eaten it!"

After Wanru was full, she wiped her mouth with a tissue and said to the two, "I have been to a stone factory to buy marble before. Let's go there and have a look, and I'll ask by the way. ”

Li Feng smiled and said, "Haha, I've already checked it from the Internet." Procedure for making marble tiles. It's a good idea to find talent in this area this time. ”

Wanru drove the car on the snowy road, and said to Li Feng and Liu Yanhong: "There is a master in this stone factory, and his carving skills are very solid. ”

Li Feng asked, "Boss, the marble tiles we made don't seem to have much to do with them, right?" ’

Wanru smiled at him and said gently: "I want to develop a tourist attraction, and I want to carve a big Buddha on the mountain in the north. ”

Li Feng's eyes widened in surprise, and he said excitedly: "Last night, in my father's hotel, there were guests talking about developing tourist attractions in the mountainous areas of Cedar County. It's all very mysterious, especially when it comes to saying that there will be a large playground. Hehe, it will definitely be very popular when it is done. ”

Wanru was both happy and worried when she heard this.

The reason for the happiness is that from now on, people have begun to promote the scenic spot. The reason for the worry is that after the scenic spot is completed, I am afraid that it will not be as beautiful as people hope.

After pondering for a while, he continued the topic just now: "The master can also make rockeries and strange stones. Naturally occurring strange rocks are rare and expensive; Now it is made of the embryo and carved by hand. It can be placed in the garden of the city, and the effect is also good. ”

The car drove into the northern mountains of Cedar County, drove along the mountain road into the mountains, and saw a stone factory in the distance.

They drove to the side of the road, tread a thin layer of snow-covered mountain paths, and walked into the stone factory.

I saw more than a dozen people in the shed, some of whom were doing handicrafts. Some are cutting marble.

Li Feng saw that there was a pair of stone lions, one of which had already been completed, and it was the old master Wanru said, who was carving the other.

Wanru stepped forward and asked the master who was making stone lions: "Master, has anyone booked this pair of stone lions?" ”

The old man didn't raise his head, and said with a smile, "Not yet." ”

Wanru said, "When I'm done, I want it." ”

The old man turned his head to look at it, and when he saw Wanru, his eyes lit up.

Smiled and said, "You're here." Hehe, this is not cheap for lions, the price set by the boss is 11,000 yuan. It took a lot of work to get these two stones out. ”

Wanru smiled and said, "It's okay, I'll leave a deposit of 1,000 yuan, and when it's done, send it to me to install it, and pay the full amount." ”

"Haha, okay. Or is it delivered to the resort? ”

"Yes."

Li Feng admired the stone lions and asked Wanru, "Boss, why do you want to put a pair of stone lions at the gate?" Any explanation? ”

Wanru said with a smile: The stone lion has the implication of going to disasters and protecting blessings, warding off evil spirits in the town, and keeping peace.

If you look at this stone ball in its mouth, it is very particular. People often encounter a lot of things, but some things can only be seen through and not explained, so as not to provoke right and wrong. This stone ball in the mouth is pressed against the tongue.

The placement is also exquisite, the left is a male lion, and the east is yang; On the right is the female lion, who is yin. The stone ball stepped on by the male lion is called the Qiankun ball, indicating the palm of the hand; At the feet of the female lion is a lion cub, which means that the mother is the world.

The old man, who was making a stone lion, heard Wanru's explanation, raised his eyes to look at her again, and said with a smile: "Haha, you girl is still very knowledgeable." That's right, the stone lion is the mascot. ”

Wanru smiled and said, "Master, what is your surname?" ”

"Haha, surname Li."

"You've been working so well for years, haven't you?"

"Yes, our family has been in this business for generations. Haha, our ancestors left us this bit of craftsmanship. Also pointing to it for a living. ”

Wanru asked again: "How much money can you earn in a year?" ”

The old man said proudly: "Seventy or eighty thousand." ”

Wanru came to the old man's side, whispered to him about the development of the scenic spot, and told him about being a big Buddha on the mountain.

Finally, he said: "I see that your carving skills are so skillful, and I came here this time to ask if you can take this job." ”

Since Master Li talked about making such a huge Buddha, he immediately stopped his movements. His eyes were radiant and he looked at Wanru. The old face flushed slightly with excitement.

After a long while, I asked with some hesitation: "On the mountain, carve a big Buddha of more than ten meters!?" ”

Wanru saw that he was already a little tempted, so she wanted to add another fire to him.

said very seriously: "This is very important to the scenic spot, and it is the most important attraction in the scenic spot; If you do it well, you will go down in history and be a good deed. ”

The old man looked at the sky excitedly and blinked excitedly. After a long while, he looked at Wanru again.

Unbelievable: "Girl, do you really trust me?" ”

Wanru said very simply: "Of course! I am a layman, but I recognize your old craftsmanship from the lifelike and realistic appearance of the stone lion you carved. ”

The more Master Li thought about it, the more excited he became, and he wiped the runny nose with his gloved hand and sucked it in.

Nodding slightly, he said with a smile: "Haha, I won't tell you, our family has been playing with stones for five generations." When I came here, although I was not as skilled as my ancestors, I was confident that I was a good hand in this radius of thousands of miles. Don't leave at noon, go to my house, and we'll talk in detail. ”

Wanru has this intention.

Hurriedly replied: "Okay." I'll pay the deposit and go home with you. ”

Wanru went to the office, talked to the person in charge about the stone lion, paid the deposit, and told them to put it away after it was transported to the resort, and then went to the resort to settle the bill with Manager Zhang Xuemei.

Wanru saw Li Feng and Liu Yanhong at the door of the shed, seeing that the workers were cutting a marble slab, and also stepped forward.

I heard Li Feng whisper to Liu Yanhong: "This kind of marble is a decorative stone used for decoration, and it is mainly used for indoor counters. This marble is a high-end finishing material, and it is also extremely expensive. ”

Wanru also saw it. Such marble looks very high-grade.

When I walked out, I saw Master Li, talking to a young man in his thirties. Soon the young man drove away in a black Santana.

Master Li saw Wanru coming over and smiled at her.

said: "It was my son just now, I asked him to go home and let his daughter-in-law prepare the meal, and we went back to eat and talk." ”

Wanru is not hypocritical, interlaced is like a mountain, if you don't understand, then find someone who understands. This time, it is not worth the trip to be able to determine the matter of being a big Buddha.

At eleven o'clock, Master Li sat in the passenger seat, pointed the way, and came to the small mountain village where he lived.

This is the only three-storey villa in the village and has a large courtyard. Wanru drove the car directly into the yard.

Wanru looked at the three-story building, and she was really arrogant. Especially in such a backward mountain village, it is simply rare.

Master Li's son and grandson, hearing the sound of the car horn, hurriedly walked out of the room, warmly greeted everyone into the living room, let everyone sit on the sofa, and then quickly went to make tea.

Wanru saw the women working in the kitchen, cooking neatly. The aroma of spicy chicken wafts from the kitchen.

Wanru admired the living room of more than 100 square meters, and thought to herself, it seems that Master Li earns a lot of 70,000 or 80,000 yuan a year.

Looking at the angular faces of the two masters, especially Master Li's son, who is sturdy, has good facial features, and has a pair of shrewd eyes under his thick eyebrows.

From the way he sits, it can be seen that he also has the temperament of a soldier.

Master Li smiled and introduced to Wanru and the others: "This is my son, his name is Li Kui, he has been a soldier for three years, and after coming back, he went to work in a stone factory for two years, and finally came back to follow me." ”

Wanru said with a smile: "What products does the stone factory where Li Kui's brothers work?" ”

Li Kui took two dishes from his wife's hands and placed them on the round table in the dining room, then walked over and sat down on the sofa.

He smiled and said, "The stone factory I am in is not the same thing as the marble I am doing now. It is used on the sidewalks of urban roads, the ground of parks, the exterior wall tiles of houses, indoor steps, etc., and is synthesized with cement, stones, sand and various additives. The price is also very cheap. According to different thickness and weight, each piece is about 30 yuan. ”

Wanru was overjoyed in her heart, and she achieved her goal by mistake.

Hurriedly asked: "Do you use models, but also make stone balls, curbs, house number stones, car bollards, and stone railings for bridges." ”

Li Kui smiled and said, "Yes, it can be customized according to the required specifications." ”

Liu Yanhong asked with a smile: "Why don't you do it, don't you make a lot of money?" ”

Li Kui narrowed his eyes, smiled and said: "I transferred from the army to find someone to enter the stone factory, 3,000 yuan a month, except for living expenses, there is not much left." After getting married, he came back to learn the craft from his father and stayed in his hometown. ”

At this time, Liu Kui's wife had already made eight dishes, so please sit down and talk while eating.

Wanru called Li Kui's wife, took her first-grade son Li Hua, sat down to eat together, picked up a piece of chicken leg and put it in the bowl in front of Li Hua.

glanced at Li Feng and saw that he didn't react.

I had to smile and tell them about my desire to start a stone factory.

Finally, he said: The factory site is in a warehouse in the city, and there is a yard with a large amount of river sand. If Brother Li Kui has the technology to make marble tiles, I can hire you as the director of the production plant, and Li Feng and Li Feng are in charge.

All the machines you need to buy, to the people you need, you two will do it. If you can take charge of this on your own, I will give you 150,000 yuan a year. There will also be bonuses at the end of the year.

He looked at Master Li again and said, "You can also go over and help Li Kui, for example, to make some rockeries, strange rocks and the like." I'll give you 100,000 yuan a year. ”

After Li Kui and his wife heard this, they were all in good spirits for a while, and they were also stunned by Wanru's words, and even the action of stretching out their chopsticks to pick up vegetables was still.

After pondering for a while, he touched his nose embarrassedly, raised the corners of his mouth, and glanced at his father.

He said, "Hehe, this is also challenging. Such a good thing came to me, and my head was still clouded. The conditions you are talking about are very tempting. I am very confident in my own technology, but when I am a factory director, I am not confident, and I am afraid of messing you up. ”

looked at his father, as if he had confidence, gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

Tentatively asked, "Can I go find a helper?" I know an expert in this area named Song Hengyun, he is a little older, and he really has nothing to say. I studied with him, and he was also an old mechanic in the stone factory. With him, I have the backbone. ”

Wanru finally smiled knowingly.

I thought to myself, this is pretty much it. If you agree to come down in one bite, I really don't dare to use you.

Without hesitation, he said, "Yes." What else do you ask for to hire him over? ”

Li Kui said with a smile: "After Song Hengyun retired, the pension was not high. I went to visit him during the Spring Festival last year. only to know that his son was not filial and drove the couple to live in the countryside. He is sixty-five years old. I asked him to come over as a technical guide, and I also made some rockeries and strange rocks like my father, which also made a lot of money. Is it okay to give him at least $5,000 a month? ”

Wanru smiled and said, "No problem. How many skilled workers are needed? Can you find it? ”

"Take away all the six backbones of the stone factory. Anyway, we are all temporary workers, and the boss picks on the door, giving us 3,000 yuan a month, and always dragging it out. In addition, the workers who are needed are not very important, and they can do it if they have the strength. ”

Wanru said decisively: "That's it." You tell the six backbones that every month, I will give 5,000 yuan to take care of food and housing. If you perform well, after the building in the scenic spot is built, you can make an exception and sell it to the seven of you, and at that time, you can also arrange for your family members and children to work in the scenic spot. ”

Li Kui's heart was overjoyed when he heard this, and he said with a smile: "Haha, they will definitely agree after hearing it." ”

Everyone raised a glass and drank together.

Only then did Master Li remember to be a big Buddha.

looked at Wanru and asked, "Boss, which Buddha do you want to make?" ”

Wanru replied without thinking: "Maitreya Buddha." ”

As soon as he heard about Maitreya Buddha, Li Hua hurriedly got up and ran to the east bedroom and brought back several small Maitreya Buddhas with different shapes.

Wanru looked at the light in her eyes, and hurriedly picked it up to admire.

Then he looked at Master Li with a smile and asked, "Is this all your old doing?" ”

The old man smiled and said, "Haha, when it's okay, I play with the children." ”

Li Hua was both proud and proudly said to Wanru: "Auntie, there are many handicrafts made of stone in my grandfather's room, including stone lions, stone elephants, small animals with twelve appearances, fitness balls, small houses, and small pavilions. ”

After Wanru heard this, she stood up directly, and Li Hua took her into the old man's bedroom, where there was a Bogu shelf against the wall, and on the shelf there were those handicrafts of different sizes that the little boy said

Each one is polished smooth and smooth, and the small animals are lifelike, making people fall in love with it. In particular, the fitness ball made of stone is smooth and cool in the hand.

Wanru quickly thought of a good business.

After they passed, let them make more, pack them well, and put them in a few scenic spots in the scenic area to sell as souvenirs.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she was very reliable, and she was so talented. But just know what to expect, now is not the time to say it.

After returning to the table and sitting down.

Wanru smiled and said, "Master Li, after the beginning of spring, I will take you to see the mountain of the Big Buddha." Discuss how to do it perfectly? If you always promise to do it, I will buy the tools you need, and I will contract it to you, pay you one million first, and then give you four million when it is done. How is it? ”

"Haha, that's a lot. Done! Just contract it to me. Don't worry, I'll find a few people to help, and I'll definitely make you satisfied. This work will last forever, and with this, we can't disgrace our ancestors. ”

After everyone summed it up again.

Wanru was given carte blanche to Li Kui and Li Feng to formally prepare for the establishment of the stone factory.

Before leaving, Master Li asked Wanru and the three of them to pick a few pieces from his collection to take away.

All three of them happily chose two.

Wanru chose a Maitreya Buddha and a pair of fitness balls. I also used my mobile phone to take pictures of all the handicrafts one by one and collect them.