Once, Carpenter Li came back from the bazaar with a bag of newly bought fabric, intending to make a new dress for his old mother. As soon as he walked to the entrance of the town, the thugs surrounded him again, and the leader was a butcher, the guy had a big waist and a round waist, and he had a horizontal face, he snatched the fabric in Carpenter Li's hand, and scolded in his mouth: "Yo, Carpenter Li, who do you want to honor when you buy such a good fabric today?" Carpenter Li didn't dare to resist, so he could only bow his head and remain silent, the grievance in his heart was so aggrieved that tears were about to fall. The butcher saw that he was silent, and he was even more proud, threw the cloth on the ground, stepped on it a few times, and swaggered away.
Carpenter Li picked up the trampled fabric, tears swirling in his eyes, and he held back the tears. When he got home, he told his old mother about it, and the old mother sighed and said, "Son, our family has been a carpenter for generations, and craftsmen rely on their crafts to eat, not on their fists. Bear with me, don't be like them. Carpenter Li listened to his mother's words, and his heart was even more uncomfortable.
He walked to his workshop, looked at the room full of wood and tools, and suddenly a thought came to him: I want to make something out of wood, so that they can see how good I am! As soon as he said it, Carpenter Li chose a piece of fine Nanmu and began to carve it. He was highly skilled and soon carved a lifelike wooden tiger. This tiger, with its eyes wide open and majestic, seems to pounce and bite at any moment. Carpenter Li looked at his work and nodded with satisfaction.
Early the next morning, Carpenter Li left the wooden tiger at the door. The butcher happened to pass by, and when he saw this wooden tiger, he was so frightened that his legs went limp. He thought that Carpenter Li really raised a tiger, so he hurriedly ran back to the town and told the others about it. When the people in the town heard the butcher's words, they all ran to the door of Carpenter Li's house to watch the excitement. When everyone saw the wooden tiger, they were amazed and praised Carpenter Li's good craftsmanship.
When the butcher saw that everyone praised Carpenter Li, he was even more unconvinced. He felt that he was the boss of the town, how could he be compared to a carpenter? So, he walked up to Carpenter Li and said provocatively: "Carpenter Li, you look like a tiger, but it won't move." If you can get it moving, I'll obey you! Carpenter Li listened to the butcher's words and had an idea in his heart. He grinned, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and said, "Okay, you can leave it there first." As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and plunged into the workshop. After a while, Carpenter Li walked out with a wooden mechanism. He quickly attached the mechanism to the wooden tiger's body, and slapped it gently. The wooden tiger opened its mouth wide as if it had been beaten with chicken blood, let out a deafening roar, and then pounced on the butcher. The butcher was so frightened that his legs went limp, and he turned around and ran. But the wooden tiger was like a living creature, chasing after it. The faster the butcher runs, the tighter the tiger chases. Finally, the butcher stumbled and fell into the mud, and the wooden tiger pounced on him and bit off his neck with one mouth. When the people in the town saw this scene, they were all stunned. They didn't expect Carpenter Li's craftsmanship to be so good, and they didn't expect that the wooden tiger could really move. Everyone started talking about it, saying that Carpenter Li was really a god, and his craftsmanship was already extraordinary. Carpenter Li looked at the butcher who fell to the ground, but he was not happy in his heart. He sighed and said, "I just wanted to scare him, but I didn't expect to kill him." Now, I might have to get out of here. After saying that, Carpenter Li began to pack his things and prepare to leave Qingyang Town. But just as he was about to go out, the townsfolk stopped him. They all said that Carpenter Li was the pride of the town, and his craftsmanship was unmatched. They were willing to testify for Carpenter Lee and prove his innocence. When Carpenter Li heard these words, his heart warmed. He decided to stay and continue to do carpentry work for the villagers. The wooden tiger was also collected by him and became a memorial of his life. As soon as this matter spread, Carpenter Li's reputation became even louder. Everyone said that he was a man of real ability, who could not only make beautiful wooden objects, but also make wooden tigers move. Those who had bullied Carpenter Li also stayed away from him and did not dare to provoke him again. As the days passed, Carpenter Li's reputation spread farther and farther, and even people from other towns came to ask for a piece of wood he had made with his own hands. Carpenter Li is never complacent, and warmly receives and patiently guides everyone who seeks art. His workshop is often filled with laughter and warmth. But the good times didn't last long, and one day, a group of strangers who claimed to be relatives of the butcher came to the town, and they were aggressive to seek justice for the butcher. They stormed Carpenter Li's workshop, smashed things to pieces, and threatened to kill Carpenter Li to avenge the butcher. Carpenter Li looked at this group of people, but he was not afraid in his heart. He knew that these people were just scoundrels who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to extort money. So, he calmly walked up to the group of people and said lightly: "I am Carpenter Li, and the person you are looking for is me." But I will tell you that the butcher's death has nothing to do with me. "The wooden tiger is really just a toy, and it doesn't have any ability to move on its own." When Carpenter Li told the group this, they were stunned at first, but soon resumed their arrogant laughter. They seemed to think that Carpenter Lee was lying, and they clamored for extreme action against him. At this tense moment, a voice suddenly sounded: "Stop! Everyone turned around one after another, only to see a gray-haired, well-respected old man walking into the scene. The old man had a high position in the town and was known for his impartiality. He walked up to Carpenter Li, studied it carefully, and then asked Carpenter Li if he could really make the wooden tiger move. Carpenter Li nodded affirmatively, indicating that he did have this ability, but he had never intended to use it to harm anyone. The old man pondered for a moment, then said to the men, "I believe Carpenter Li's words. In Qingyang Town, everyone knows that Carpenter Li is a craftsman, and he is not the kind of person who will do bad things. As for the butcher's death, I believe there must have been other reasons. Hearing the old man say this, those people did not dare to be arrogant anymore, they looked at each other, and finally left the workshop in a gloomy manner. Carpenter Li watched them leave, and his heart was full of emotion. He didn't expect that at such a critical moment, it would be the elders of the town who would stand up and defend him. He walked up to the old man, bowed deeply, and expressed his gratitude: "Thank you very much for your help. The old man waved his hand lightly and told him that he didn't have to be polite, he just told the truth. The old man also reminded Carpenter Li to be careful of those with bad intentions, who might try to frame him out of jealousy of his craft. Carpenter Li nodded earnestly, his heart full of gratitude. He understood that the elder had not only saved his life, but also shown him the way forward. Since then, he has become more cautious and no longer shows his skills lightly. Life returned to peace, and Carpenter Lee continued to be busy in his workshop, and the wood in his hands was carved into various exquisite wood products. And the wooden tiger that once shocked the whole township was also carefully stored by him and became an eternal secret in his heart.
One evening, Carpenter Lee was busy in the workshop when a sharp knock on the door interrupted his work. He put down his tools, walked to the door, and opened it, to find a beggar in rags standing outside the door. As soon as the beggar saw Carpenter Li, he fell to his knees and cried and begged for his help: "Carpenter Li, please save me!" Carpenter Li was stunned for a moment, and immediately asked the beggar what difficulties he encountered. The beggar choked up and recounted his experience of being bullied along the way when he came here from out of town, and heard that Carpenter Li was a good man, so he came to ask for help. Hearing this, Carpenter Li's heart was filled with sympathy, and he quickly picked up the beggar, invited him into the workshop, and told him that there was enough food and water here. The beggar gratefully followed Carpenter Li into the workshop, his heart filled with gratitude. Carpenter Lee prepared a hearty dinner and a warm bed for the beggar. After enjoying the food, the beggar lay down in the comfortable bed contentedly and soon fell asleep. Early in the morning, when the first rays of sunlight shined through the window lattice, the beggar woke up and bid farewell to Carpenter Li. He said to Carpenter Li with gratitude: "Carpenter Li, you are really a kind-hearted person. I will never forget your kindness! With that, he set out on his way home. Carpenter Li watched the beggar's back drift away, and infinite emotion swelled up in his heart. He realized that even small acts of kindness can have a profound impact on others. Since then, he has been more convinced that only by having good intentions and doing good deeds can the path of life be broader and more stable.
With the passage of time, Carpenter Li has also entered his old age, but his craftsmanship has been passed down from generation to generation and has been carried forward by future generations. The wood-carved tiger that once caused a sensation in the countryside has also become an eternal legend that circulates in people's hearts. Carpenter Li's later years were quiet and peaceful, and although his workshop was no longer as bustling as it used to be, there were occasional visits from apprentices or neighbors to exchange skills and share their lives. Carpenter Lee always greets them with a smile on his face, pours them a cup of hot tea with his skillful hands that have created countless exquisite wooden objects, and listens to their stories from the outside world. And the once shocking wood-carved tiger was also carefully cared for by Carpenter Li, although the years have left traces on it, its majesty and momentum are still the same. Whenever a guest visits, Carpenter Lee carefully displays it and places it in the center of the workshop for people to admire.
But the good times didn't last long, when Xiao Yang's career was on fire, Qingyang Town suddenly suffered a catastrophe, the river rose sharply, there was a big flood, the houses collapsed, and no one had a place to live. Xiao Yang looked at this mess, and felt uncomfortable in his heart, he really couldn't say it. At this moment, he remembered the wooden tiger that Lao Li Touer gave him, and hurriedly ran back to the workshop and moved the tiger out. Looking at the majestic appearance of the tiger, Xiao Yang suddenly had a sense of strength in his heart, he wanted to put the tiger in the town square, let it become the patron saint of the town, and bless everyone to tide over the difficulties.
When the villagers saw the wooden tiger, they were all stunned and moved. Everyone gathered around the tiger and prayed and prayed. Strange to say, since the tiger came to the square, the water in the town began to slowly recede. Everyone said that it was the good luck that the tiger brings. Xiao Yang looked at all this, the beauty in his heart, he knew that this was the treasure left to him by Lao Li Tou'er. He decided to pass on the craftsmanship of Lao Li Touer and the story of the wooden tiger, so that more people could know and cherish this wealth.
Time flies, decades have passed in the blink of an eye, and Xiao Yang has also become Lao Yang, and his apprentices continue to pass on his craftsmanship and the story of the tiger. Every time outsiders come, they will proudly talk about the wooden tiger that once shocked the townspeople, and the auspiciousness and blessings it brings. The tiger has also become a legend in Qingyang Town, witnessing Lao Litouer's craftsmanship, Xiao Yang's growth, and the unity and strength of the town's people. It lies quietly in the square, guarding the land and the people here, and it has become an eternal legend......