Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 12

“Boy, you just praised your sister. Are you not as strong as she is?”

Niu Laomu took a deep breath, keeping his smile intact.

With his years of experience navigating the intrigues of state-owned factories, he quickly figured out the child’s tactic: it was probably a strategy of first suppressing, then praising. The boy first complimented his sister, then aimed to show he was stronger to highlight his own abilities.

If that was the plan, Niu Laomu had to admit the child had miscalculated. His comparison was off. A little girl that size could barely lift the lightest piece of wood here.

Sure enough, the kid was still young and naive.

It was a pity Niu Laomu didn’t have a beard—if he did, he would’ve proudly stroked it right now and given the child a knowing look.

“Grandpa, you’re so smart. You know I can’t compare to my sister.” Zhen Baoli scratched his ear shyly. 

His mother had been right—this grandpa was indeed a capable person.

“Uh—” Niu Laomu’s smile froze again. This kid didn’t play by the rules.

“Grandpa, should we carry it into that room?” Baobao, tired of the foolish conversation, simply grabbed a piece of mahogany and walked toward the side room with determination.

“Yes, yes, yes.” Niu Laomu responded without thinking, then widened his eyes in disbelief. His eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets.

What did he just see?

The wood Niu Laomu brought was the best he had collected over the years as a carpenter. Carpenters often develop a certain attachment to such fine wood, especially Niu Laomu.

His father-in-law’s shop had been quite large; that’s why it was favored by the warlord’s relatives. There had been many rare woods in his father-in-law’s private warehouse. After becoming the old carpenter’s son-in-law and direct disciple, Niu Laomu had been fortunate enough to see those treasures.

But after the shop was taken over, his father-in-law’s collection was burned. For decades, Niu Laomu had been searching for those precious materials again, but his identity and circumstances had changed, and he couldn’t achieve the same success his father-in-law had.

The piece of redwood Baobao was carrying now, which was nearly 20 years old, was a treasure in Niu Laomu’s collection.

This piece of wood must weigh at least 180 kilograms. Niu Laomu had planned to ask his brother’s children for help carrying it in later. But unexpectedly, the skinny little girl in front of him carried it into the house without breaking a sweat.

Was he dreaming? Or was he just getting old and blurry?

“Gulp—” Niu Laomu swallowed nervously.

“Grandpa, I’ll help you too, but I’m not very strong. I can carry it with you.” Zhen Baoli blinked his eyes, speaking innocently.

“Oh…” Niu Laomu responded automatically.

“Oh oh…” He repeated his response absentmindedly, gazing at Zhen Baoli, still in a daze.

At this point, his steps had grown weak, and his thoughts muddled. He was responding to whatever the boy said without really processing it.

To be honest, his body wasn’t what it used to be. Of course, he was willing to let a half-grown child help him. And truth be told, Zhen Baoli wasn’t just big for his age—he was strong too. With his help, Niu Laomu found it easier to carry the wood.

The wood in Niu Laomu’s collection was all high-quality, dense, and large—still heavy for two people to carry. Zhen Baoli, used to his sister’s efficient way of handling things, concentrated on moving the wood. 

Meanwhile, Niu Laomu, lost in his thoughts, couldn’t help but watch Baobao breeze past him with a relaxed pace, over and over again.

At the speed at which the two of them were moving the wood, Baobao could walk back and forth three times before they even made one trip.

Niu Laomu looked up at the ceiling. Was he just getting old and useless, or had women really started growing too fast since the great man said that women could hold up half the sky?

After a while, the wood that Niu Laomu had expected to take a day or two to move was easily transported in just half an hour.

Baobao knew how precious these woods were to Niu Laomu. Though she wanted to show off her strength, she was very careful as she moved them. There was no bumping, and all the wood was neatly stacked in the side room.

Once all the wood was moved, the three of them were inevitably covered in sawdust and dust. To emphasize their hard work, Baobao didn’t forget to wipe both her and her brother’s faces with her hands. The two originally clean children instantly turned gray, looking pitiful.

“Grandpa, these woods are really beautiful, even better than the wood in our house.”

Perhaps it was meant to be this way. Even though it was his first time touching wood, Zhen Baoli was completely fascinated by the strange texture and fragrance of the woods as he helped move them.

“You’ve got a good eye, kid.” Niu Laomu beamed. 

Was there anything better than having a fellow wood lover praise his collection?

His biggest regret was that, apart from his second son, no one in the family was willing to learn the craft from him. Since joining the state-owned furniture factory, the family’s standard of living had improved. His eldest son and youngest daughter both excelled in their studies, now working as a doctor and a teacher, leading prosperous lives.

As for the grandchildren, they had grown up in a world of comfort and couldn’t endure any hardship.

The craft of carpentry not only required talent but also long-term practice. Injuries were inevitable at the start. Even someone as experienced as Niu Laomu occasionally got his fingers scratched by a sharp carving knife.

The children had better options, so naturally, they weren’t willing to endure the pain, including his second son, who had learned the craft from him but, in the end, didn’t want his own children to learn it.

Back when Niu Laomu worked in the furniture factory, he accepted many apprentices. Some were hired by the factory, and others were relatives of the leaders. But according to traditional customs, these apprentices could only be considered registered disciples, and most of them didn’t even earn that title. Niu Laomu only taught them the basics, never intending to pass on his deeper skills.

In recent years, the factory had introduced machinery to speed up the process of cutting and polishing wood. Many young people, unwilling to endure the pains of learning the craft, became reliant on these machines. To Niu Laomu, this was a shortcut and not true craftsmanship.

Sadly, he knew this was in line with the times. Perhaps one day, a traditional craftsman like him, who focused on patience and precision, would be seen as an outdated relic in the eyes of others.

Thinking about the frustrations of recent years, Niu Laomu looked at Zhen Baoli with a much softer expression.

“Do you like these materials?” When Niu Laomu asked, he didn’t expect any particular response.

“I like them,” Zhen Baoli replied with a nod. He wasn’t good at lying and didn’t see a reason to. “That old tree root looks like my grandmother. See those knots? They remind me of her eyes when she was about to scold me.” Zhen Baoli shuddered as he said this. The tree root really did look quite intimidating.

Niu Laomu didn’t know who Zhen Baoli’s grandmother was, but he was still amazed by the boy’s imagination. The pile of wood he’d collected wasn’t all precious wood; there were also old, oddly shaped tree roots and other common woods with unusual grains. 

The reason Zhen Baoli pointed out that root was because it had a strangely human-like appearance, especially resembling the face of an elderly woman.

However, this resemblance wasn’t immediately obvious. One had to spend time with the wood and have a deep understanding of its structure to truly appreciate its beauty before carving it. Niu Laomu hadn’t realized he had such a keen perception until he was taught by the old carpenter. This was a talent that truly impressed him.

“And this one,” Zhen Baoli continued, pointing at another tree root, “looks like Grandpa. Your belly’s about that big.”

With a mischievous grin, Zhen Baoli took a deep breath, puffed out his belly, and placed his hands behind his waist to make it stick out even more.

The tree root had a large, swollen bulge in the middle, and Niu Laomu, who had been drinking for years, had a beer belly that couldn’t be ignored.

Niu Laomu’s smile froze for the nth time, and he was tempted to give this cheeky kid a good scolding.

This was a good seedling! A good seedling! A good seedling!

Niu Laomu repeated the words in his head, trying to suppress the urge to smack the boy for his irreverent remarks.

“Grandpa, my mother and grandmother both said you’re a great master of woodcraft. My brother loves wood. When he’s not in school, can he learn some woodworking from you?” Baobao was torn. She wasn’t sure if she should let brother continue speaking. 

She noticed that Grandpa Niu liked her brother’s innocence and honesty. People like him were very clever—they could sense what was true and what was not. Even if Brother Baoli inadvertently offended someone, he probably wouldn’t get upset. But if Brother Baoli kept saying whatever came to mind, Baobao feared Grandpa would get annoyed and lose his temper, deciding not to teach him.

“Grandpa, you see, I’m really strong. If there’s any heavy work in the future, just leave it to me.”

Baobao sighed, feeling a pang of nostalgia for her past life as someone without responsibilities. Being rich… what a wonderful thing it was.

“Yes!” Zhen Baoli’s eyes lit up, his attention now fully on what his sister had just said. He hadn’t really noticed before.

“Grandpa, you’re really powerful, right?” He asked eagerly, looking at the old man with wide eyes.

“Haha, um…” Niu Laomu chuckled, then wished he had a beard to stroke, to look more like a wise master.

He felt this kid would probably ask him to take him on as a disciple.

The two children before him were both pleasing in their own ways. Their personalities were also to his liking.

After a bit of contact, Niu Laomu found Zhen Baoli to be a much simpler child. This boy seemed to lack guile—he was transparent, and Niu Laomu could read him easily. Masters like that kind of apprentice, especially when accepting personal disciples.

They feared an apprentice who was either too dull or too clever. A sharp, calculating disciple could betray or outsmart the master. Craftsmanship was a personal treasure, and it wasn’t easily passed on unless there was a close relationship.

In earlier times, if you wanted to become a disciple of an old craftsman, you had to prove yourself by doing chores for the master first—working late into the night, chopping wood, fetching water, massaging shoulders, and even lighting cigarettes. Apprentices often didn’t get paid and sometimes even had to give the master a tribute. Even then, the master might still refuse to teach them the craft.

Therefore, being a direct disciple was often considered as close as being a son.

If a disciple betrayed their master or stole their business after leaving, it was enough to destroy the master’s spirit.

Niu Laomu felt this child had good character. With some more grooming, he was sure this boy wouldn’t disappoint him.

The little girl in front of him was more thoughtful than her brother, and her words seemed more intentional. Her reason for helping him was clear: she wanted him to take her brother on as a disciple.

Niu Laomu didn’t mind this at all. He saw Baobao’s calculations as sincere.

He’d been sold off to work as a farmhand in his youth, so his relationship with his own siblings had never been close. Since his recent success, his brothers and sisters were more interested in his wealth than in the family bonds.

Niu Laomu envied the relationship between these two siblings. Baobao’s tactics made him feel something deep inside.

He exhaled softly, knowing that as long as the child asked, he would agree to make him a registered disciple. As for making him a direct disciple, that would come with more testing to see if the boy had potential.

“Grandpa, you’re so powerful! You should go ask Uncle Captain if my sister can carry the team’s cows.” Zhen Baoli was thrilled. 

His greatest wish was to see his sister lift a cow with her own strength. The cow was the team’s most prized possession, and if the old yellow cow ate less grass, the whole team would be in a panic, unable to eat or sleep. The cow was usually guarded closely, and no one was allowed to touch it except when plowing.

Zhen Baoli, being a good boy, wasn’t about to watch his sister hurt the cow. But if his sister could lift it, then his dream would come true.

He looked at the old man with excitement, fists clenched in anticipation, hoping for a reply.

Niu Laomu’s smile froze. His face, once full of warmth, was now almost petrified. Where on earth had this child come from?

Baobao, mortified, covered her face in defeat. She had given up trying to rein him in.

Brother Baoli was exactly the type of person who would make Grandpa Niu experience the full range of emotions if he ever taught him. Baobao figured it was better to give up on any hope of correction now, before Grandpa Niu rejected or ridiculed him.

“You, kid…” Niu Laomu studied him deeply, suspecting that this boy wasn’t as clueless as he seemed. Perhaps he was pretending to be foolish.

Based on his years of experience dealing with intrigue in state-owned factories, Niu Laomu quickly recognized that the kid’s move was likely a veiled tactic—a “kill the chicken to scare the monkey” approach.

Why was he so fixated on Niu?

It was obvious. His last name was Niu, and this kid was threatening him. If he didn’t agree, his sister would carry him around the village, and how could Niu Laomu maintain his dignity after that? It was a blatant threat.

However, these were just fleeting thoughts in Niu Laomu’s mind. He quickly realized that he was probably overthinking the situation.

Despite that, the old man still felt uneasy. He feared that accepting this apprentice would bring unexpected turbulence into his life—like chickens fluttering and dogs jumping around.

He was curious about the kind of family that could raise such an unpredictable child.

Eventually, Niu Laomu agreed to accept Zhen Baoli as an apprentice but with a condition: the Zhen siblings would be responsible for gathering firewood and filling the family’s water tank from then on.

This wasn’t too difficult. Everything on the mountain was considered public property, so the villagers could pick up fallen branches and dry grass. Even without Baobao’s help, Baoli could easily gather enough firewood for the old man in just an hour after school each day.

As for the water tank, it only needed to be filled once every week or two.

Soon after, the brother and sister joyfully returned home to announce the good news. 

Not long after that, Niu Laomu made an announcement to the village: he would be recruiting apprentices and teaching them the craft. Of course, there would be a tuition fee.

It turned out that his calm demeanor had been the result of already planning to earn a living this way.

The villagers had mixed reactions.

Learning carpentry wasn’t very promising, as the government had recently banned private transactions. Even the wood on the mountain was public property. Any man with some strength had to work in the fields to earn labor points, or else he would be labeled as a petty bourgeois and accused of being lazy, leading to his family being ostracized and forced to live in the cowshed and clean pig pens.

In the past, carpenters could take on side jobs, working after hours to build simple cabinets or wooden beds. But these jobs took one or two months to complete and only earned 50 cents to 1 yuan—hardly worth the effort.

Unless a carpenter could land a job in a factory, like Niu Laomu did, becoming a stable employee was the best option.

Unfortunately, with the recent restrictions on household registration, it wasn’t easy for country folk to get into the factories.

Niu Laomu revealed that he would teach his apprentices to bring five kilograms of grain a month, regardless of type, though grains like corn and sweet potatoes had to be measured after grinding into flour. Some villagers thought this deal wasn’t worth it.

Five kilograms of grain might only be enough for a single meal for a family.

However, some villagers were drawn to him. They didn’t just value Niu Laomu’s craftsmanship but also saw his connections as an opportunity. If his child could gain his favor and become a serious disciple, Niu Laomu might use his influence to help them land a job in a furniture factory. Even starting as an apprentice would be worthwhile.

Even if no factory job came through, learning a practical skill and earning some money over a lifetime still seemed like a good deal. After all, it was possible to recoup the costs of tuition and food.

There were also plenty of savvy individuals in the village, like Liu Sanmei.

Soon after, Lin Rui heard the news that Niu Laomu had accepted an apprentice. She remembered this person—Zhen Baoli was learning his craft under the old man.

In her previous life, Niu Laomu had a poor reputation in the village because many believed he took tuition without teaching his apprentices proper skills.

In that life, Baobao hadn’t brought her brother to Niu Laomu, and Zhen Baoli had just been another one of many apprentices. Compared to others who flattered their master with sweet words, Zhen Baoli had been an unremarkable disciple.

Moreover, Zhen Baoli’s progress had been slow at first. He was the type who needed time to accumulate knowledge before making a breakthrough. Since the master didn’t give him proper instruction, Zhen Baoli focused on perfecting the basics. He practiced patiently, honing skills that others overlooked, like planing and polishing. He studied the characteristics of different woods and learned how each type required a different approach for carving. 

While his peers had already moved on to carving the rough shape of their pieces, Zhen Baoli was still focused on the fundamentals.

It wasn’t until much later that Niu Laomu realized what a gem he had in Zhen Baoli. From that point on, he began to mentor him more intentionally. But the old man was too proud to admit his earlier mistake. Though he had always been teaching Baoli, he had kept a detached attitude, leading others to believe that Zhen Baoli was mostly self-taught and that Niu Laomu hadn’t truly invested in any of his apprentices.

In fact, this statement is somewhat biased. The apprentices trained by the old man are certainly qualified carpenters. Their skills are on par with those of workers in a furniture factory, but their abilities are limited to this level. Without further effort in the future, they will never reach a higher level of mastery.

For Niu Laomu, the tuition fees he collects are entirely justified by his teachings. If he didn’t feel so lonely, he probably wouldn’t even care about the little food he receives. Strictly speaking, Niu Laomu still feels he’s at a disadvantage.

Lin Rui doesn’t know these details. She just thinks it would be good if her brother could learn some skills.

In those years, apart from Zhen Baoli, who was an exceptional case, there were several apprentices who made ordinary furniture and earned a good amount of money during the years of reform and opening up.

Her two brothers had been ordinary farmers in their previous lives. They couldn’t read and had no skills. Lin Rui felt it was time to bring some change to her family after her rebirth.

She approached her parents and shared her thoughts tactfully. Over time, she had been consciously letting them adjust to her changes. The discovery of wild boar footprints and the five kilograms of pork they earned had already made her parents more accepting of her precociousness. Compared to their older children, they tended to listen to their youngest daughter more.

Her parents, unlike most in the village, firmly believed that education could change lives. This was evident from their willingness to send all their children to school.

Learning a trade is also a form of education, and they were very open to the idea.

After discussing it for several nights and consulting with their sons, they decided to send their eldest son, who had the worst grades, to Niu Laomu to learn the craft.

“Brother, from now on, Baoli will be in your hands.”

Liu Sanmei brought her grandson to Niu Laomu’s house, her face as bright as a blooming morning glory.

She had nothing in her hands. She wasn’t sure what Niu Laomu had told the others, but she knew that he had agreed with her grandchildren that they only needed to help chop wood and fetch water. The apprenticeship fee was something she had already discussed with others.

Niu Laomu didn’t mind the old woman’s stinginess. His gaze unconsciously lingered on Liu Sanmei’s eyes, and he kept thinking about Zhen Baoli’s words.

When this old woman was angry, didn’t she resemble the root of an old tree?

Liu Sanmei awkwardly adjusted her hair. This old man looked at people with such intensity. Ah, it was all because she was too attractive. Even though she was an old woman, she still drew the old man’s attention.

No wonder the women in the village didn’t like her. It was obvious that her presence made them feel threatened.

Liu Sanmei was lost in her own thoughts, never considering that the villagers didn’t dislike her, but feared her. With her unreasonable temper, she often caused trouble and took things from others. Only her daughter-in-law was better than her, and everyone else in the village—both men and women—were afraid of her.

The old lady glanced at Niu Laomu once more. Despite being over 60, he was strong and energetic, like men in their 40s and 50s. He was also good-looking, which likely explained why he had caught the eye of the old carpenter’s only daughter. Even in his old age, he still appeared to be a vigorous middle-aged man.

Liu Sanmei couldn’t help but think of the look her daughter-in-law had given her that day.

Oh! What was she thinking? How embarrassing.

Flustered, the old lady hurriedly left her grandson with Niu Laomu and went home, shyly.