Chapter 5: Without Eyes

Lao Ping's words have always been so brief: "He is fast"

Hahaha, Ming Ge, you are not good at everything either!

The visitors are a man and a woman, both approximately around thirty years of age

Now it is good; everyone passing by him has to pat his back. These men, accustomed to physical labor, are all strong and powerful. Chang Ming deeply feels that it is wiser to work first and eat later. In this way, even the leftover food from the previous night is almost patted out of him

Chang Ming resolutely declared, "I will always succeed!"

Lao Ping, with a rare hint of regret, shook his head and turned to leave

The village chief was even more surprised, raising his head to ask, "Faster than you?"

Everyone was discussing animatedly, and Lao Ping made a decisive statement: "Be more detailed, let's go"

Lao Ping could not help but remind, "The lighting is poor, be careful with your eyes"

On the night of the first day, all the finished products made of broken gold threads were delivered to the village chief's house, where the village chief counted them one by one and recorded them.

However, Changming was not satisfied with this; he continued to practice repeatedly. After two days, his success rate reached 100%, and the thickness of the bamboo strands was reduced to only half of what it was originally.

His hands are steady, never touching alcohol, and he controls the strength in his hands with remarkable precision. It is precisely because of this skill that he is able to quickly slice excellent gold threads.

In two days, the eleventh bamboo weaving artisan has emerged in Jinzhu Village

The village chief pondered for a moment, made up his mind, and decided to have a good conversation with the people from the Lian family. He aimed to find a way to restrain the Qi family, ensuring that Chang Ming would not suffer too much harm

It spread its wings wide, flying over here, and hovered steadily above the village

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The last batch of goods involved Changming, with a quantity that increased by 20% compared to usual

He is usually taciturn, and a sentence of eight characters is already considered quite rare

There has been no news these past few days, and I thought that they had just given up on - illustrations - books like this...

Chang Ming's eyes sparkled with brightness, his gaze extremely focused. Lao Ping stood not far from him, yet it seemed as if he was completely oblivious to his presence, entirely absorbed in his own work.

Whether it is a person or a snake, the bamboo forest does not belong to them, and they cannot block others from entering. One can only be cautious and pay attention to safety

The village chief was somewhat surprised; there used to be ten weavers in the village, and now with the addition of Changming, how could there be so many more?

When Chang Ming arrived at Jinzhu Village, it was already nearing the end of the month. On the last day of each month, the Lian family would come over to collect the goods

A few days ago, he encountered such an embarrassing situation and, unwilling to back down, sought to improve his skills in carrying bamboo. However, the difference in physical strength could not be compensated for in just a few days. In the end, he could only assist by holding the tail of the bamboo, his face flushed as he descended the mountain alongside others

The villagers expressed their astonishment, stating that they had never seen anyone who could master the skill so quickly. Even Lao Ping had numerous marks on the pillar, representing hundreds of failed bamboo poles.

The village chief lamented, "It is truly a pity that this child is not becoming a mechanic..."

If Lao Ping has any insights, his entire set of movements has already developed into a fixed tactile sensation, and even with his eyes closed, he will not make any mistakes

The people around him heard it and stopped in their tracks, asking, "What happened, Changgen?"

After selecting the bamboo, the men each tied a bundle of bamboo poles and carried them on their shoulders, walking towards the edge of the forest. They proceeded cautiously along the way, encountering no dangers.

Lao Ping discovered that each of his movements carried a unique rhythm: one for sending, two for shaking, and finally a small spin, giving the impression that he still had energy to spare. The rhythm of each strand was identical, with not a single difference, as if it were a book without any variations.

The man and woman displayed satisfied expressions, but after sitting down, they did not touch the tea prepared on the table. The woman spoke directly, saying: "Village Chief, we had previously agreed with you to collect fifteen thousand strands of broken gold silk every month."

He said: "The rope on this bamboo was tied by me earlier. I usually tie it above the joint, so how has it slipped down below now?"

The bamboo forest is said to be located behind the mountain, but it actually takes about half an hour to walk there. After passing through the small woods behind the village and climbing up the slope, one can look down and see a vast expanse of green bamboo sea. The wind rustles the bamboo leaves, producing a soft sound, and under the rays of the rising sun, shimmering golden glimmers emerge, creating a particularly beautiful sight

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The people of Jinzhu Village come here every day and are very familiar with every corner of the bamboo forest

The woman simply nodded and said, "Yes, we would like to increase to 20,000 units in the future. I wonder if you can provide that?"

The village chief was concerned about the affairs of the Qi family and was just about to make a request when the other party spoke first. He was somewhat surprised but immediately agreed: "Alright, there is a stone table and stone chairs under the tree over there, which have already been cleaned. How about we go over and sit for a while, and enjoy some tea that was picked from the village?"

The men are carrying bamboo down the mountain, the wind carries the fresh scent of bamboo leaves, and the morning sun casts a golden-red glow from the mountain peak. This is a beautiful and vibrant morning in the countryside

He did not agree immediately, but instead asked: "A few days ago, the Qi family came to Jinzhu Village. May I ask if you are aware of this?"

Chang Ming squinted his eyes, and only then did he see that it was not a bird, but a flying wing approximately ten meters wide. It resembled a glider he had seen before, but was more exquisite and complex, looking somewhat like a real bird, pure and flawless, with a blue gem embedded in the "head" area that occasionally flashed with a dazzling light.

Chang Gen pointed at a bamboo and said, "It seems that something is not right"

Alas, as a bamboo craftsman with decades of experience, I find myself outdone by a young person who has only been learning for a few days! Moreover, since he began his studies, I have not seen him take a break. With such talent and diligence, if he does not succeed, who else will?

The village chief was taken aback. Although it was said that the quantity of goods collected by the Lian family each month was approaching the village's maximum output value, there was indeed still some surplus. The excess quantity was exactly 20,000 units. If the Lian family were to collect this amount, the village would have no inventory left, making it difficult to adapt.

After walking in the bamboo forest for a while, Zhang Gen suddenly exclaimed, "Oh"

Is there a snake

It is certainly not to say that a good craftsman can necessarily become a mechanic, but he at least demonstrates talent in this area

At this moment, Chang Ming could not concern himself with any enemy's presence. His skills were ranked among the top three in the village, but he could not carry this bamboo. Indeed, he could not lift even a single piece. Each piece of bamboo was at least ten meters long and would not be cut before reaching the village. The villagers knew how to exert force and avoid obstacles, but how could Chang Ming, a homebody from the big city, manage that

The ecology of the golden bamboo is quite unique; old and new bamboo can be interplanted for better growth. Therefore, the villagers do not focus on cutting bamboo in one specific area; wherever they have cut, they will mark the nearby bamboo.

The village chief was even more astonished. He was well aware that Lao Ping needed half an hour to finish a bamboo pole, yet Chang Ming had managed to reduce this time to half!

The village chief nodded: "Fifteen thousand strands of broken gold have been prepared... May I ask if you need to count them?"

A gigantic "bird" glided toward the rising sun, casting a broad shadow on the ground that enveloped Changming and the men of the village beneath it

On the first day of operation, Chang Ming was able to continuously produce complete bamboo strips, achieving a success rate of 90%. Moreover, the quality of the bamboo strips he produced has significantly improved; although there are still some issues with thickness, the uniformity of the width has been achieved. After processing, these bamboo strips have already met the standards for receiving goods from Lianjia.

Compared to the Qijia people, the attitudes of these two individuals were much more gentle. However, even so, when the elder performed the greeting, they showed no intention of returning the gesture; they merely smiled and lifted their chins slightly, responding: "Hello, village chief, is the crushed gold thread ready?"

Another villager said: "Was it not tied securely and slipped down?"

He can currently split about forty strands of bamboo from a single bamboo pole, never exceeding the quantity of Lao Ping. This indicates that the strands he produces are not as fine as those of Lao Ping, and his waste rate is also higher than that of Lao Ping

Chang Ming appreciated his kindness and smiled gratefully, saying, "It's nothing, actually I don't rely on my eyes much anymore"

Chang Gen said: "The person from the Lian family has arrived to collect the goods"

The village chief's heart tightened, and he asked, "Yes, what is it? Is there any change?"

Not using the eyes much? If it weren't for Lao Ping, the first silk worker in this village, perhaps another person would not be able to grasp his meaning.

The man and woman exchanged a glance, their faces showing a hint of shock, clearly unaware of the situation

It is evident that she is the leader between the two. They followed the village chief towards the large tree in the east of the village, a place where the villagers rest and cool off. Knowing they were coming, the stone table and stone chairs had already been washed with clean water.

Chang Ming noticed that the woman had a complex belt tied around her waist, seemingly made of leather, with many hidden compartments filled with various items, bulging outward

Early the next morning, Chang Ming got up and went up the mountain with the men from the village to cut bamboo for books.

The cabin of the flying wing is located at the front and is not sealed. As soon as it came to a stop, the two individuals jumped down. The village chief was already waiting at the center of the village with some broken gold threads. Upon seeing the two, he approached and greeted them, saying: "Greetings to the two lords."

Chang Ming finished with one bamboo pole and was just about to pick up another when he noticed Lao Ping, who looked up and smiled at him.

Lao Ping came out of the village chief's house and saw Chang Ming working under the eaves, illuminated by the light of a wind lamp. His hands moved swiftly and deftly, and long strands of bamboo silk continuously appeared in his hands, quickly accumulating beside him.

If it were a snake, it would certainly be a large one

Another person said: "Changgen is not you. Changgen is the most meticulous in his work, how could he possibly make such a mistake? He said he has changed, so he must have changed."

The villagers jokingly teased him, and Changming's abilities had earned their respect; their attitude towards him was much more amiable than before

Chang Ming suddenly thought of the two Qi family members who had left the village not long ago, feeling somewhat resentful. Could it be that someone from there had come to inquire about his situation and left traces behind?

The woman immediately nodded: "Just like that"

Chang Ming secretly resolved that this would be the direction of his next efforts

Chang Ming raised his head and looked towards the rising sun, instantly rubbing his eyes, thinking he was seeing things!

If it were a giant snake, we would have discovered it long ago

The woman hesitated for a moment and said, "Village Chief, let's find a place to sit down; there are some matters I would like to discuss with you."

Lao Ping said: "Fifteen minutes"

In the face of the villagers' praise, Chang Ming merely smiled. He was well aware that the reason he was able to achieve such proficiency so quickly was due to the solid foundation he had built in his childhood. Although his grandfather had not been able to teach him after middle school, he had already developed the habit of practicing. For the next ten years, he did not relax his practice even for a single day