Chapter 68 Big Cherries

Shen Xue was still quite nervous, but after hearing his sister’s encouragement, he suddenly wasn’t nervous anymore. He was confident: “Thank you, Nian Nian. Second Brother will definitely work hard. When Second Brother learns woodworking, I’ll make you a super beautiful carved wooden bed.”

Shen Nian nodded: “I’m waiting for Second Brother to make me a big bed.”

Shen Dong said to Shen Xue: “This time I’ll go with you to apprentice. Qin the Carpenter’s final deadline is at the end of this month. It just so happens that the prefectural exam is in the middle of this month. Today is the third day of the fifth month. Your elder brother will go to the prefecture city eight days later. We’ll go together then.”

Whether it was Shen Xue’s apprenticeship or Shen Bo’s prefectural exam, it was a top priority for the Shen family.

Shen Nian really wanted to go with them, but their family wasn’t a wealthy one. They didn’t have their own carriage, so it was inconvenient to travel. Renting a carriage was expensive, and they would have to stay in an inn in the prefecture city, which would cost even more money. She would only be a burden if she went, so she decided not to go.

After deciding on the time, Old Man Shen asked Shen Xue: “What kind of woodworking are you going to do?”

Shen Xue thought for a moment and said: “I’m best at wood carving. I want to make a wood carving ornament.”

Shen Nian asked: “What do you want to carve?”

Shen Xue looked at the white wolf in the yard: “Mantou.”

When Shen Xue first started learning wood carving, he carved simple things like wooden bowls, cups, and basins, all of which were meant to be held in the hand. Later, he started carving chickens, ducks, geese, and fish. At first, his carvings were very ugly, but gradually they started to look like the real thing.

However, Shen Xue had never carved a wolf before.

Shen Xue was the one who was going to apprentice, and he was the one who knew how to carve wood. Shen Dong and the others were outsiders who didn’t know how to help, so they could only offer their full support. Whatever Shen Xue needed, they would help him prepare.

First, they needed to prepare the wood.

Shen Dong asked Shen Xue: “How big of a wolf do you need to carve? What kind of wood should we use?”

Shen Xue thought for a moment and said: “It should be about the size of my father’s palm. Boxwood is the best.”

With his current skills, he couldn’t use too good of wood. If he didn’t carve it well, it would be a waste!

He believed that as long as he worked hard, diligently, and strived for perfection, even ordinary wood could be transformed into something precious.

Old Man Shen said: “There’s a very thick boxwood tree on the mountain behind our house. We can just cut it down for you. If you don’t use it all, we can save it for next time.”

The trees on the mountain were free, but cutting them down was tiring. The villagers usually only went to cut down trees that were suitable for firewood. They rarely cut down boxwood trees.

Shen Xue knew about that tree, so he nodded: “I’ll go cut it down tomorrow.”

Shen Nian raised her hand: “I’ll go too. I’ll help. I’m strong.”

Shen Dong laughed: “You’re the youngest. Where do you get your strength?”

Shen Nian raised her chin: “I do. I’m strong!”

Wei Shi picked her up: “Okay, okay. You’re strong. You can go cut down trees tomorrow too.”

She then looked at Shen Feng: “The private school will be on holiday for the busy farming season tomorrow. Shen Bo won’t be going to school. He can go cut down trees with you too.”

They didn’t have to set up their stall tomorrow, so after dinner, everyone had a rare chance to rest without making dough. After resting for a while, they did their chores and then went back to their rooms to rest.

The next day, Shen Nian got up early, got dressed, and went to knock on Shen Xue’s door: “Second Brother, it’s dawn. Get up. Let’s go cut down trees!”

Shen Xue had just come back from the outhouse: “Stop knocking. I’m already up.”

Shen Nian turned around and saw him: “Second Brother, you got up really early.”

Shen Xue smiled: “When it comes to cutting down trees, I’m more eager than you. Of course I have to get up early. Where’s Shen Bo?”

Shen Nian said: “He’s still sleeping.”

The little guy had secretly gone to the mountain with her to practice martial arts last night. He was a real child, and he didn’t have any special abilities. His stamina wasn’t as good as hers, so he didn’t sleep well at night and had trouble getting up in the morning.

Shen Xue said: “Then let’s go wash up first.”

Shen Nian nodded vigorously.

The siblings went to the kitchen to boil water and brush their teeth with willow branches.

They had just finished brushing their teeth when the adults got up.

Shen Feng was also up!

After Shen Feng finished washing up, while the adults were making breakfast, Shen Xue went to the wood shed to get his axe and chopping knife. He took Shen Nian and Shen Feng with him to the mountain behind their house.

The brothers from the other rooms also got up. As soon as they stepped out of the house, they saw Shen Xue and the others going to the mountain to cut down trees. They didn’t even wash their faces, but grabbed the sickles and chopping knives from home and followed them.

When they arrived at the mountain, Shen Nian saw the boxwood tree. She recognized it. There was a cherry tree planted next to it, and she had marked it.

Besides this place, she had also planted cherry trees in other places.

This kind of cherry tree takes a long time to grow. It takes about four years to bear fruit, and it takes seven years to produce a large yield.

There’s a long wait!

“Brothers, pay close attention. This tree is the one I’ve chosen. I’ve named it the cherry tree. You have to help me protect it! Don’t cut it down for firewood!”

Shen Nian pointed to several other directions: “Over there, and over there. There are cherry trees in those places too. You can’t cut them down. They’re all mine.”

Shen Xue glanced at the cherry tree and patted Shen Nian’s little head: “How many trees have you chosen on the mountain?”

Shen Nian spread her arms wide: “Lots and lots.”

The brothers laughed helplessly: “Okay, we know. We won’t cut down your trees. We’ll cut down the boxwood tree.”

Shen Nian, having received their assurance, didn’t say anything more.

Shen Xue walked to the boxwood tree: “Brothers, take Nian Nian and go further away. I’m going to start cutting down the tree!”

Shen Cai immediately carried Shen Nian away, and the others also stepped aside.

The boxwood tree was about twenty centimeters thick, with intricate branches and lush green leaves. Shen Xue swung his axe down, and the boxwood tree swayed violently, sending leaves flying down and covering Shen Nian and the others.

Shen Xue swung his axe down again and again.

After chopping for a dozen times, the tree didn’t break. Shen Xue was panting from exhaustion.

Shen Duo stepped forward to help. After chopping a few times, he let Shen Cai chop. The brothers took turns chopping the tree, which made it much easier. Soon, the boxwood tree was swaying precariously.

“The tree is about to fall. Everyone move further away.” Shen Xue shouted. With his final swing of the axe, the tree fell.

Shen Nian was the first to cheer: “Second Brother is awesome!”

Shen Cai and Shen Duo pointed at themselves. Shen Nian quickly said: “Third Brother and Fourth Brother are awesome too.”

The two brothers were finally satisfied.

Shen Xue let Shen Nian play on the side while he took his brothers to clear the branches of the boxwood tree and bundle them together.

When Shen Dong came to call them for dinner, Shen Xue and the others were sweating profusely, and they hadn’t finished clearing all the branches yet.

Shen Dong said: “You’ve done a great job. Go home for dinner first. Come back and continue working after breakfast.”

After he finished speaking, he picked up Shen Nian and headed down the mountain. Shen Xue and the others took their tools, carried some of the branches, and followed behind.

Nie Jiu had finished breakfast and was about to take out the medicinal herbs that Shen Dong had bought yesterday to make a medicinal ointment when he saw Shen Dong carrying Shen Nian and the Shen family boys coming back from outside.

“Why did you go out so early?”

Shen Nian said: “Good morning, Grandpa Nie. My brothers and I went to cut down a tree!”

Nie Jiu was puzzled: “Why cut down a tree?”

Shen Nian replied: “To make wood carvings.”

Nie Jiu asked again: “Why make wood carvings?”

After being poisoned the night before, his mind was filled with thoughts of Shen Nian’s poison. He hadn’t paid attention to Shen Nian and Ma Chenggong’s conversation, so he didn’t know that Shen Xue was going to apprentice.

Shen Xue answered: “To apprentice.”

Nie Jiu asked: “You’re going to apprentice? To do woodworking? Who are you apprenticing under?”