Chapter 40: You Are Truly Generous and Open-Handed
The sky was completely dark, and Gao Family Village entered its "non-static mode."
No, that wasn't entirely accurate anymore. The city walls now had villagers patrolling in 24-hour shifts, their forms circling under the dim, swaying lamplight.
Still, it was a rather monotonous scene, not something anyone could watch for long.
Every day at this time, Li Daoxuan could safely shift his gaze away, returning to his own real life.
Too lazy to boot up his computer, he just opened his phone.
Just then, a message from Cai Xinzhi popped up: "Daoxuan, I finally finished negotiating with that client after several hours."
Li Daoxuan replied, "Oh? How did it go?"
Cai Xinzhi: "Our Zhizunbao model is crafted exceptionally well, but unfortunately, the Zhizunbao character isn't popular in that market. The item leans too heavily towards being a 'toy,' so it's not particularly valuable. The client buying it for 888 yuan was just offering a goodwill gesture to establish a connection with us."
Li Daoxuan understood: "So, if we change the carving theme, we can make money?"
Li Daoxuan chuckled: "I only made Zhizunbao for fun; I can certainly make Daoist and Buddhist deity statues too. What price did he offer?"
Cai Xinzhi: "For a normal theme, not a parody, a one-centimeter tall deity statue crafted with the same level of detail as that Zhizunbao, he'd be willing to pay 4,888 yuan for it."
Li Daoxuan inwardly delighted: "Oh, that's enough to make two Hakka Walled Houses."
Cai Xinzhi was exasperated: "I made you a half-meter model, with tires, motors, and remote control, over two hundred rooms, using tons of sheet metal and other materials, and I only charged you 2,000 yuan. You're selling a tiny one-centimeter wooden piece for 4,888 yuan. I'm not convinced. I want to beat you up."
Li Daoxuan laughed: "Hahahahaha!"
Cai Xinzhi: "The client also made a rather outrageous request. Let's see if you can handle it."
Li Daoxuan: "Oh? Tell me."
Cai Xinzhi: "He wants even smaller items! Smaller than one centimeter, five millimeters... Can you do that?"
Li Daoxuan: "..."
Cai Xinzhi saw his ellipsis and thought he couldn't do it: "Sigh, it really won't work? He's willing to pay 28,888 yuan for five-millimeter pieces, you know."
Li Daoxuan: "Why so little faith in me? You've surely added him on WeChat, right? Ask him immediately if five millimeters might be too large. I can make items as small as one millimeter; I just worry it might be too tiny for him to see clearly, and he might not accept it."
Cai Xinzhi: "I swear!"
Li Daoxuan: "Mind your language, no cursing."
Cai Xinzhi: "You can make things one millimeter? Isn't that smaller than a grain of rice?"
Li Daoxuan: "The master who helped me with Zhizunbao is an expert in micro-carving on rice grains. Anyway, one millimeter is no problem for me. Ask the client if he wants it."
Cai Xinzhi: "Wait, let me ask him."
Two minutes later, Cai Xinzhi's message came again: "For a one-millimeter item, if the level of detail is even half as good as the Zhizunbao, he'll pay 128,888 yuan."
Li Daoxuan: "Good, I'll take this order."
Cai Xinzhi: "Damn, you really are a madman to take on a commission like that. I'm actually impressed."
Li Daoxuan: "Hahaha, so tell me, what does he want custom-made?"
Cai Xinzhi: "A Grand Supreme Elder Lord statue."
Li Daoxuan: "What would a one-millimeter Grand Supreme Elder Lord statue be used for?"
Cai Xinzhi: "I was curious too, so I asked. He said he wants it for 'Holy Images within Beads.'"
Li Daoxuan was greatly surprised: "What the heck are 'Holy Images within Beads'?"
Cai Xinzhi replied: "No common sense, huh? Haha! Okay, neither did I; I only found out after asking him. You've heard of sandalwood Buddhist or Daoist prayer beads, right? They're individual beads that can be strung together and worn on the wrist."
Li Daoxuan: "I've heard of those."
Cai Xinzhi replied: "'Holy Images within Beads' means hollowing out the center of a prayer bead, inserting a tiny image of a deity, then filling it with a special liquid and sealing the bead. A small window is left on top, allowing you to look inside. When you pick up a bead, squint with one eye, and peer inside, seeing a Buddha image floating within the bead – that's practically a treasure for believers."
Li Daoxuan: "Holy crap, that does sound pretty amazing."
Cai Xinzhi: "But ordinary artisans can only put a very crude drawing inside the bead. With your micro-carving skills, he can insert a lifelike statue. That's much more three-dimensional than a flat picture and looks far more impressive. The statue can even float and rotate in the liquid, which a picture can't do."
Li Daoxuan finally understood completely. This really seemed like something that could trick people.
Cai Xinzhi: "I'm willing to bet this guy will take your micro-carving for 128,888 yuan, put it in a bead, and then turn around and sell that bead for 300,000 yuan a piece."
Li Daoxuan chuckled: "Hahaha, interesting. How much he sells it for is his skill. We just need to get our fair share. Be more open-minded."
Cai Xinzhi: "One can be open-minded as a person, but not as a merchant. I need to negotiate with him again."
Li Daoxuan: "Alright, whatever you can negotiate is your skill. As long as I get 115,000 yuan, I'm good. Anything extra is your commission."
Cai Xinzhi: "Damn, you truly are generous. If you were in ancient times, you'd definitely be a magnanimous hero who was generous with his wealth, just like Little Whirlwind Chai Jin in 'Water Margin,' handing out money to everyone, regardless of whether they were useful to him. You'd just shower them with money, making heroes far and wide respect you threefold."
Li Daoxuan thought: *Well, you certainly got me right. For the past month and a half, I've been showering those little people with money. Now they revere me tenfold.*
"Generous and open-handed" wasn't a derogatory term, so he'd gladly accept the compliment.
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Time ticked by...
In the blink of an eye, several days had passed.
In Gao Family Village, the most prominent figures recently, besides Gao Yiye and San Shier, were the two new sculptors. After continuously "offering" several statues to Dao Xuan Tian Zun, the two received multiple lavish rewards.
Aside from the initial two large cuts of pork loin, they also received plenty of flour, rice, rapeseed oil, and a large chunk of glistening white lard.
These items, in a year of drought, were far more valuable than any gold or silver jewelry.
They used these goods to trade for various daily necessities with other villagers. They even hired a few fellow villagers to build two simple shelters for their families during breaks from constructing the Dao Xuan Tian Zun Temple.
The two sculptors were the first among the immigrant villagers to Gao Family Village to own a roof over their heads.
However, Zheng Daniu, who was just as diligent and worked tirelessly chopping wood every day, hadn't gotten rich. Although he also received rewards, he always asked for only "Happy Fat Water."
While that drink brought happiness, no villager was willing to exchange their limited possessions for it.
Simply put...
If it was free, they'd happily drink it. But if they had to pay, they'd die before taking a sip.
Zheng Daniu was happy not to sell it; he drank it himself, finishing one basin, then going back to chop wood, then another basin. He didn't care whether others would fight for this stuff, as long as he was happy.
Amidst this cheerful atmosphere, the Dao Xuan Tian Zun Temple was finally completed...
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