The Wooden Ruyi Still Scratches an Itch

After a while.

Congratulations! Your woodworking skill level has increased by 1!

Carpentry (Weak Foundation) lv.0: 7/10

……

Hearing the notification sound in his ear, Qian Cheng exhaled a breath of stale air and fiddled with the wooden ruyi in his hand.

If you look at it from a different angle, it is undoubtedly ugly. Not only is the shape irregular, but the pattern is also ugly, and it does not capture the elegance of cloud patterns at all.

But from the perspective of a back scratcher, it's very successful!

The interface is extremely sturdy! It won't break even if you scratch it ten thousand times!

The tiny bristles on the Ruyi's head also help to remove grass roots, making it a true marvel in the world of back scratchers!

"What the hell..."

Qian Cheng couldn't hold back anymore. What on earth had he done?

Qian Cheng dejectedly handed the wooden ruyi to Zhang Changtian. Zhang Changtian glanced at it and said with surprise, "Not bad."

"You call this 'not bad'?"

Qian Cheng shook his head: "This looks awful! Master, you can't comfort someone like this!"

"To be honest, it's much better than I expected."

Zhang Changtian chuckled: "I never expected you to stay in the studio for an entire afternoon. Given your usual personality, you would have complained of being tired after half an hour."

"Looks like this freeze wasn't for nothing; I've finally learned to be more composed."

Qian Cheng undeniably possesses the admirable quality of being able to sit still on a stool.

That evening, Zhang Mingxi returned home. Seeing that Qian Cheng was still alive, he was overjoyed and wept, burying his head on Qian Cheng's shoulder, his clothes soaked with tears.

Zhang Mingxi is really pretty, with an oval face and fair skin. Although she usually does farm work with her family, her hands are still very soft. Don't ask Qian Cheng how he knows.

After finishing dinner at Zhang Changtian's house, Qian Cheng patted his behind and prepared to leave.

Zhang Mingxi hurriedly returned to his room, grabbed a complete set of high school textbooks—they were heavy—and said with a blush:

"My dad said you might have to take the college entrance exam with me. Here are some books for you. Study them carefully when you get back."

"Thanks."

Qian Cheng took it, thought for a moment, and then handed the meticulously repaired wooden ruyi to Zhang Mingxi.

"This is……"

"It's a gift for you." Qian Cheng grinned. "If you think it looks nice, you can put it away. If you really like it, you can even scratch its back."

Zhang Mingxi's eyes lit up, and he solemnly put the book into his pocket. He wanted to say something, but he found that Qian Cheng had already left with the book.

Zhang Changtian watched from the sidelines, feeling uneasy. He silently took a small sip of baijiu, the sourness of which could only be felt in the liquor.

"Wife, go heat up the dishes Qian Cheng brought for me," Zhang Changtian said.

"Didn't you say you weren't going to eat?"

Zhang Changtian's eyes widened immediately: "My apprentice gave it to me as a gift, why can't I eat it?"

"Virtue!"

……

When Qian Cheng got home that evening, he chatted with his older brother and Hou Yufen for a while. After his older brother stayed at home that night and everyone else had gone to bed, Qian Cheng lit an oil lamp and began to read the book that Zhang Mingxi had given him.

In fact, Qian Cheng's grades were not bad; he scored over 500 points in the college entrance examination. But that was his peak moment. Now, more than ten years later, he would be lucky to remember even one-tenth of it.

Moreover, the textbooks of this era were very different from those of later times, often linking them to Party spirit and socialism, which Qian Cheng found quite interesting.

I watched it intently for an hour.

Congratulations! You have unlocked the Student profession!

[Student (Weak Foundation) lv.0: 0/10]

You may have a desire to learn, but as a qualified student, your abilities are far from sufficient.

[Focus +10%, Patience +10%, Mental Agility +10%]

Qian Cheng suddenly realized something. For example, chefs or carpenters only have levels from lv1 to lv5, but the highest level for students is lv10!

The saying "One is never too old to learn" is absolutely true.

Qian Cheng sighed and continued reading.

……

The next day, Qian Cheng woke up with two big dark circles under his eyes.

I only slept for 4 or 3 hours yesterday. The candlelight was too dim, and there were no electric lights at home, so it was too hard on my eyes.

Fortunately, it wasn't a complete loss.

[Student (Weak Foundation) lv.0: 6/10]

After working all night, he finally gained six points of proficiency. He estimated that if he studied for another night, he could upgrade the [Student] skill to level 1. Qian Cheng was looking forward to seeing what kind of bonus a level 1 student would bring him.

Qian Cheng rushed to make millet and bran porridge this morning, and his [Chef] skill level improved a bit. He then went to Zhang Changtian's house, where his master had said yesterday that he would teach him how to make stools.

Compared to the wooden ruyi, the stool is actually less difficult to make because the two are not in the same area of ​​difficulty.

The wooden ruyi is first and foremost a work of art, and Qian Cheng wouldn't sell it, so it's not worth the trouble of looking bad.

The stool is different; it's meant to be used. If it breaks after only a few days, it'll definitely have to be reworked. That would not only embarrass him, but also his master, Zhang Changtian.

Therefore, Zhang Changtian explained it in great detail and with great seriousness.

"The angle of the stool legs should not exceed 5 degrees. If it does, it will be uncomfortable to sit on and it will be unstable."

"Keep the height between 43 and 47 centimeters; this height is comfortable for most people to sit at."

"Before nails were available, carpenters used mortise and tenon joints. Now that there's more iron, everyone uses nails."

Qian Cheng studied diligently, taking notes from time to time, which Zhang Changtian nodded in approval.

After this lesson, Qian Cheng's woodworking skills improved a little, and he was just one step away from leveling up. He was ready to get started and make his first wooden stool.

Just then, Zhang Mingxi came in with a smile, carrying a plate of cashews. She first glanced at Qian Cheng, who was focused on his work, before saying, "Dad, have some cashews."

"Okay, just drop it off and go."

"I want to stay here for a while," Zhang Mingxi said coquettishly.

Zhang Changtian said impatiently, "With you here, neither of us can concentrate on our lessons. Hurry up and leave."

Zhang Mingxi snorted, pouted, and walked away looking aggrieved.

Qian Cheng felt a little regretful, after all, it was a completely different experience to see an old man planing wood and to see a beautiful woman planing wood!

However, Zhang Mingxi didn't leave for long before she rushed back, her voice trembling with tears, and said:

"Dad, Mom got beaten up when she went to collect a debt!"

Qian Cheng and Zhang Changtian exchanged a glance and suddenly stood up.

Deng Jingshu is a well-known veterinarian in the surrounding area; everyone comes to her when their chickens, ducks, geese, dogs, or pigs get sick.

However, not every household can afford the consultation fee. After all, farmers rely on their grain earnings all year round, and it is common for them to not have cash on hand, so they can only pay on credit first.

This also meant that Deng Jingshu had to collect debts every year at the end of the year, and conflicts were common.

However, Qian Cheng was somewhat puzzled and also a little angry.

If you can't pay it back, you can't pay it back. How can someone who owes money hit someone?