There is also a skilled carpenter in our town, surnamed Zhang, known as "Zhang Qiaoshou".
Carpenter Zhang's craftsmanship, which is not blown, is famous far and wide.
Whether it's carved beams or furniture, it can turn decay into magic.
However, this Zhang Qiaoshou has recently encountered a problem - the rich man Li owes him a lot of wages, but he just doesn't pay it back.
Let's have skillful hands, in our forties, and look thin, but those eyes, hey, are bright, as if they can see through the mind of wood.
He has a gentle personality and treats people sincerely, but he is stubborn in his bones, and he can't pull back nine cows.
Look at the rich man Li again, his body is round, his face is full of meat, his eyes are narrowed into a slit when he laughs, and what is hidden in that smile is all cunning and calculation.
In the blink of an eye, the end of the year has arrived, and every household is decorated with lights and beams.
But Zhang Qiaoshou's home is gloomy.
His wife, Wang, is gentle and virtuous, and when she saw her husband frowning, she was so anxious.
Late one night, Wang brought a bowl of hot noodles and asked softly: "The master, what can we do to get back the account of Rich Man Li?" Zhang Qiaoshou sighed, shook his head, and said, "It's difficult, that rich man Li is very cunning, and he doesn't eat soft and hard." Wang listened, was silent for a while, suddenly his eyes lit up, and said: "I heard that in ancient times, some people used puppets to cast spells to punish the wicked, although we can't really cast spells, but maybe we can try ......" Zhang Qiaoshou listened, his brows tightened, he has always despised this side door, but thinking of the old and young in the family, as well as the unfinished salary, he finally wavered.
The next day, Zhang Qiaoshou closed the door, carefully selected a piece of fine peach wood, and began to carve.
He silently said in his heart: "It's not to harm people, it's just to get justice." "After three days and three nights, without sleep, a lifelike wooden figure finally took shape.
This wooden man looks a little similar to the rich man Li, but there is a little more righteousness between his eyebrows, as if he can gain insight into the injustice in the world.
In the dead of night, Zhang Qiaoshou quietly buried the wooden figure under an old locust tree in the backyard of the rich man's house, and silently recited a mantra in his heart.
After doing all this, he returned home with mixed feelings, both anticipation and apprehension.
Rich Master Li was really anxious this time, and he pondered the little Jiujiu in his heart, and immediately sent someone to find out the bottom secretly.
It doesn't matter if you don't touch it, you really feel a little bit of a doorway when you touch it.
Under the old locust tree in the backyard, he dug out the secret hidden.
The rich man Li was so angry that he immediately asked someone to dig out the wooden man, and was ready to find a skillful hand to talk about it.
This matter spread faster than the wind, and in a blink of an eye, it reached Zhang Qiaoshou's house.
When Wang heard the news, his face turned red, but his heart was like a mirror.
She knew that although her man was kind, he did a bit inauthentic in this matter.
She decided to go out in person and go to Li's house to solve this misunderstanding.
Wang was dressed simply and plainly, but his gentle temperament couldn't be hidden.
When she arrived at Li's house, she saw that the rich man Li was staring at the wooden man, so she stepped forward and said softly: "Master Li, this matter is all my family's confusion for a while, he really didn't want to harm you, but he was forced by life to have no choice."
You have a lot of them, and you have a lot of them. ”
When the rich man Li heard this, his anger disappeared a little, but his face was still not very good-looking.
Wang continued: "This wooden man is actually my family's desire for justice.
He just wants to use his craft in exchange for some deserved reward, not to harm others.
If you feel indebted, pay us back, we are grateful. ”
When the rich man Li heard this, he was stunned for a while.
He looked at the Wang family, and then looked at the wooden figure in his hand, and his heart was mixed.
In the end, he sighed, asked someone to bring the silver, handed it to Wang in person, and said: "Zhang's carpenter craftsmanship is really a must, and I have always admired it."
Today's incident is really a misunderstanding.
In the future, I will definitely reform and will not owe a penny again. ”
Wang took the silver, and the smile on his face was as warm as the spring sun, which melted the frost in the heart of the rich man Li at once.
She said: "It's really our blessing that Master Li can think like this.
I hope you have a prosperous business and a safe home. After speaking, Wang saluted and was about to leave.
"Wait a minute!" Rich Master Li suddenly stopped her, with a little hesitation in his eyes, but finally spoke, "I have always admired Carpenter Zhang's craftsmanship."
My house just needs to be repaired, I wonder if Mrs. Zhang can help introduce me and ask him to make me some furniture? ”
When Wang heard this, her heart blossomed, and this was the turning point she was hoping for.
She said: "Of course it is good, my family will definitely do their best to live up to your expectations." Then she bowed again, and went home with money and joy in her heart.
As soon as the night was dark, the little children gathered around the fire to listen to the stories of Zhang Qiaoshou and the wooden people told by the elders, and their eyes were full of yearning for justice and hope for a better life.
Zhang Qiaoshou's old brother is still busy working in his small cabin every day, and the carving knife in his hand has not stopped, and the sawdust flies like snowflakes.
He always has that faint smile on his face, and in that smile, there is satisfaction with life, love for craft, and persistence in innocence and kindness in human nature.
His daughter-in-law, Wang, is his hardest backer.
She not only takes care of the house, but also helps pick wood and design patterns.
The two supported each other and ran the small carpenter shop together, although their lives were not easy, but they were full of happiness and tranquility.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Zhang Qiaoshou has become a white-haired old man.
His craftsmanship has been passed on to his son and grandson, and his insistence and belief in justice, like the unfading wood grain, is deeply rooted in the hearts of the Zhang family.
When someone mentioned the past, Zhang Qiaoshou always shook his head with a smile and said: "How can there be any wooden people casting spells, people's hearts are kind, and they have their own heavenly help." His words are full of contempt for the world and gratitude for life.
The people of Yunyin Town also remember this old man who changed the atmosphere of the town with his carpenter's craftsmanship and pure heart.
They know that the real strength is not in power and money, but in the kindness and justice in people's hearts.
As long as everyone can stick to their own principles and protect their beliefs like Zhang Qiaoshou, the world will become a better and more harmonious place.
The story of Zhang Qiaoshou spread faster than the winter wind in Yunyin Town, and every household had to chat a few words after tea and dinner.
The elders like to talk about how good his craftsmanship is, how he speaks with wood, and how he can't tell how fireworks in the world are; The young people prefer to listen to how he fights wits and courage, and uses his wisdom and courage to maintain the justice and harmony of the town.
In the blink of an eye, it was the Spring Festival again, Yunyin Town put on festive clothes, red lanterns were hung high, and firecrackers sounded one after another.
Zhang Qiaoshou is an old man, the family is called a lively, his son and daughter-in-law are very busy, Zhang Luo is carrying New Year's goods, and his grandchildren are circling around the old man, clamoring to listen to those old-fashioned but never tired of listening to the stories.
Zhang Qiaoshou sat in the courtyard, the sun shining through the sparse clouds, shining on his wrinkled but kind face.
He held a dry tobacco pouch in his hand, and in the smoke, his eyes seemed to travel through time and space, returning to those years when he worked with wood and was kind to people.
"Grandpa, you said that wooden man, can it really protect us?" The little grandson asked innocently with a look of innocence with a big wink.
Zhang Qiaoshou grinned, smiling kindly and warmly. "Child, wooden man, it's just a thought, what really protects us is the yearning for a better life in our hearts, and the stubborn temper that doesn't admit defeat no matter what difficulties we encounter."
Although the grandson didn't understand it very well, his innocent smile was even brighter.
Zhang Qiao understands in the palm of his hand that these stories and truths, like seeds, will take root in the hearts of children and grow into towering trees.
After the Spring Festival, Yunyin Town ushered in a rare spring snow.
Snowflakes fluttered and sprinkled, covering the earth with a layer of white gauze.
Zhang Qiaoshou put on a padded jacket and a dogskin hat, stepped on the snow, and slowly walked towards the old locust tree that had witnessed the turning point of his life.
Under the tree, the wooden man who had been buried and rediscovered had been eroded by the wind and snow.
But Zhang Qiaoshou seemed to see the appearance of it when it was carved, so vivid and powerful.
He gently stroked the surface of the wooden figure, and an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart. "Old friend, thank you for accompanying me this way." Zhang Qiaoshou muttered to himself, as if he was talking to the wooden man, "Now, it's time for me to enjoy Qingfu."
But rest assured, I will pass on my story, my craft, and my commitment to justice to my descendants. ”
After speaking, Zhang Qiaoshou took out a clean handkerchief from his arms, carefully wrapped the wooden figure, and brought it home.
He intends to pass on this special "legacy", along with his own memories and expectations, to future generations.
Time flies like a white horse, and in the blink of an eye, Zhang Qiaoshou has come to the end of his life.
As he lay dying, the whole family sat around his bedside and listened to him, in a weak but firm voice, tell the story of the wooden man and the rich man for the last time. "Remember, children, no matter how the world changes, we must keep a good heart and stick to our principles.
Only in this way can we, like the wooden man, become the guardians of our homes and the justice in our hearts. ”
After saying this, Zhang Qiaoshou closed his eyes and showed a satisfied smile on his face.
His life, like every piece he carved, has endured wind and rain, but it is still resilient and shining with the brilliance of humanity.
After Zhang Qiaoshou left, the head of the family put the handkerchief wrapped in the wooden man and his other belongings into a special wooden box according to his wishes.
Whenever the family got together or had something important, they would open the wooden box and let the descendants know the life of the legendary carpenter and the precious spiritual wealth he left to us.
The villagers of Yunyin Town will never forget Zhang Qiaoshou and his stories.
They will continue to spread the pursuit of fairness and the yearning for a better life, so that this spiritual leader will be like the old locust tree, with deep roots and leaves, and it will never stop.