Chapter 99: A Little Perk for the Old Man
“The blogger’s antics are too wild! He actually installed wheels underneath the Chonglin Manor model. It probably has a motor or something and can be remote-controlled. A model like that has absolutely no collectible value; it’s pure mischief.”
“No, no, no, you’re missing the point! This video, starting from a high-altitude aerial view, seamlessly glides down, enters the village, and then focuses on the old man. The transitions in this video are superb; it’s a single, continuous shot all the way through, with no visible cuts. How did he do that?”
“Exactly! The old man must be a real actor, but the video is a single continuous shot, and yet he’s sitting inside a model, weaving a bamboo basket. The quality of this video is consistently high, as always.”
“That’s why I’ve always followed his videos. His stuff isn’t cheap CGI.”
“The later segment, where the old man is weaving the bamboo basket, that’s real skill. The old man isn’t acting; he’s genuinely weaving that basket.”
“That bamboo basket is really well-made. I want to buy one.”
“Can’t you find a bamboo basket anywhere?”
“I don’t want an ordinary bamboo basket. I want a bamboo basket from the Miniature World!”
Li Daoxuan watched the comments scroll by, a thought suddenly sparking in his mind. Interesting. He had found work for the sculptors, helping them get rich. The village’s blacksmiths, carpenters, and papermakers had also received extra rewards for their labor, providing services to other villagers. Now, it was time to show some care to the Village Chief, wasn’t it?
Gao Yiye hurried off. She explained the Heavenly Lord’s request to the Village Chief, who was overjoyed. He never imagined his humble little crafts would earn the Heavenly Lord’s favor, and even be given to other deities to 'play with'! Of course, he’d eagerly offer them up.
So, quickly, Li Daoxuan reached into the box and very carefully picked up a pile of offerings from beside the Village Chief.
The Village Chief himself was only 0.8 centimeters tall. The bamboo baskets he wove were just 2 millimeters in diameter, the bamboo trays about the same size. The bamboo stools were a mere 3 millimeters long. Only the bamboo chairs were slightly larger, almost 1 centimeter.
This collection of tiny bamboo crafts rested in the palm of his hand, miniature and adorable.
Li Daoxuan edited the video clip. He uploaded the footage of himself reaching in and picking up the bamboo crafts to TikTok, attaching a product link. The caption read: “Bamboo crafts snatched from the Miniature World, handcrafted by the Miniature World’s Village Chief himself! Miniature artistry, the charm of traditional culture.”
As soon as the video went live, it instantly went viral again.
“Wow, this video! Holy cow! A giant hand just snatched away the things made by the little people in the Miniature World!”
“The special effects are incredible.”
“They’re actually selling these? How big are they really?”
“Didn’t you see the last shot of the video? These tiny things were spread out on the creator’s palm, just that little bit big.”
“The craftsmanship is so fine. At this size, are they really woven from individual bamboo strips?”
“They’re so cute! I want to buy one.”
“Let’s see the price... Holy cow! 998 yuan for a set? I can’t afford that.”
Li Daoxuan hadn’t dared to price them too high. Selling items for that price on TikTok was already pushing boundaries. If he really wanted to sell them for a premium, he’d need to go through art channels or auction houses. But that wasn’t simple. For now, he’d just list them to test the waters.
As expected, the price was too steep. It utterly shocked the TikTok viewers. A day passed with no inquiries. The product link was clicked countless times, but not a single purchase was made.
Conversely, the plastic houses and miniature plastic furniture from Ningyang Toy Company, priced at a few dozen yuan, sold like hotcakes from the product link.
Li Daoxuan thought for a moment. The 2-millimeter bamboo baskets and trays? He’d just leave them at a high price and forget about them. He’d take the 1-centimeter bamboo chair and sell it separately.
He listed it for 99 yuan!
This time, he was right. Over fifteen hours later, the 1-centimeter bamboo chair was sold.
Li Daoxuan called the local courier station downstairs, asking them to come pick up the item. Then he turned and spoke into the diorama box: “Gao Yiye, tell the Village Chief that my friend here absolutely loves the bamboo chair he wove, and specifically rewarded him with...”
He was about to say he’d reward him with staple foods and cooking essentials, but then a sudden thought struck him. The Village Chief, as part of the “original management,” often received extra rewards from him and was already quite wealthy.
His home was piled high with rice, flour, oil, and salt. He probably wasn’t very interested in those anymore, was he?
So, what would be a good reward for him?
Something that would bring him happiness and satisfaction.
His gaze swept across his desk. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Chocolate—smooth milk chocolate flavor.
Ha!
That was it.
He cut a tiny sliver from the chocolate bar. Dragging it with his fingertip, he gently placed it in front of the Village Chief.
The Village Chief only saw a dark, enormous, strange lump descend from the heavens. It landed right in front of him, easily a full circle larger than himself. He stared, utterly bewildered. “Heavenly Lord, what is this thing?”
Li Daoxuan said, “Taste it.”
The Village Chief fetched a chisel, chipped off a small piece from the massive chocolate lump, and put it into his mouth. In an instant, the old man’s expression transformed into something truly magnificent.
“Wow!”
“It’s utterly delicious!”
Just like a child tasting chocolate for the very first time, a smile of boundless joy spread across the Village Chief’s aged face.
“Your humble servant has never eaten anything so delicious in his entire life. This truly must be food for the heavenly deities! It’s so good, and it’s not hard on my old teeth. Even I can eat it!”
Li Daoxuan said, “This entire chunk is yours. You may distribute it as you wish, and dispose of it freely. Oh, and that bamboo chair, make a few more when you have time.”
The Village Chief bowed. “Thank you, Heavenly Lord.”
After all this commotion, it wasn’t long before everyone in Gao Family Village knew that the Village Chief’s crafts had found favor with a heavenly deity, who had specially rewarded him with a delicacy only deities could enjoy.
The Gao Family Villagers quickly gathered around.
Zheng Daniu, ever the most gluttonous, asked, “Grandpa Village Chief, can I also have a taste of this divine food of yours?”
The Village Chief chuckled heartily. “How could I let you taste it for free? If you give this old man a leg massage, then I might give you a tiny piece to try.”
Zheng Daniu immediately transformed into ‘dutiful son’ mode and began massaging the Village Chief’s legs. Before long, the Village Chief was thoroughly enjoying the pampering. Only then did he give Zheng Daniu a tiny sliver.
Zheng Daniu popped it into his mouth, and his expression instantly exploded with delight. “Ahhh! This is even more delicious than Happy Fat Water!”
The Village Chief beamed with satisfaction. “Hahahaha, delicious, isn’t it? But it’s all gone! I’m not giving you any more.”
Zheng Daniu protested, “I’ll trade you! I’ll trade you all the food I have at home for it.”
The Village Chief shook his head. “No trades, no trades!”
“Please, trade with me!” Zheng Daniu pleaded. “I have a huge piece of cured meat back home. I’ll give it all to you, just give me one more tiny piece, just a tiny piece!”
The other villagers suddenly realized. They quickly rushed home to find any extra possessions they had, then flocked back to the Village Chief’s house, hoping to trade, turning his home into a bustling marketplace.
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