Lin Yuezhi nodded and said: "I used to study art design, I'm very interested in things with aesthetic sense and spirituality. I think carving is magical, anything can become the most beautiful thing in the world under the hands of a carver, especially when it's imbued with spirituality, it's touching. I think it's a wonderful thing that something like wood, jade, or stone can be transformed into a beautiful person or object bit by bit in one's own hands."

  Chang Tai nodded upon hearing this, interest is the driving force behind learning, but he didn't know how long this interest could last. Many people only have temporary interests, and once they realize the extremely dull process involved, they would give up; Chang Tai had seen many such people.

  He Changhe listened to the conversation between the old and young on the side, not knowing how to interrupt. The other party's selection of apprentices was not something he could intervene in, and whether or not to accept was the other party's business. He could only play a role of threading a needle.

  "Really? It seems you're quite interested in carving. Have you learned it before?" Chang Tai asked again.

  Lin Yue shook his head slightly with a hint of regret: "No, after graduating from college I wanted to learn but no one taught me. Later, I entered a jade processing workshop, where the jade ornaments were not hand-carved but made by machines. At that time, it felt very awkward, as jade was originally a spiritual thing but they turned it into an inanimate object."

  "What did you used to do?"

  "The stone carver from the processing workshop is now working at He Lao's Rong Le Xuan."

  At this time, He Chang appropriately inserted a sentence: "Lin Yue is young, but he is the best at unlocking techniques in our factory."

  "Oh? So you're saying that your grasp of the saw blade is quite good?" At this time, Chang Tai's eyes finally showed a hint of interest.

  "It's still okay, He Lao said that I have a big gap with the real Jie Shi Gao Ren." Lin Yue said somewhat embarrassedly, he didn't dare to speak loudly in front of two master-level people.

  Chang Tai nodded in agreement with Lin Yue's humble attitude and then said, "May I take a look at your hand?"

  "Hands?" Lin Yue was taken aback for a moment, not understanding what Chang Tai meant, but still stood up and walked to the front of Chang Tai, extending his own hands.

  Lin Yue's hands were slender and extremely white, looking nothing like a man's hands should. His pair of hands had envied countless girls. Many girls saw his pair of hands and exclaimed loudly, "These hands were born to the wrong person!" which made Lin Yue very embarrassed.

  Chang Tai couldn't help but flash a bright light in his eyes when he saw Lin Yue's slender hands. He then moved Lin Yue's fingers around before smiling and gesturing for him to sit back down.

  After that, Chang Tai never mentioned the carving again and chatted with He Chang and Lin Yue about everyday things. The three of them talked until morning, then had lunch together at Chang Tai's house. Li Qingmeng accompanied them on the side, although there were two elders present, her face still didn't have any smile, only occasionally a warm color flashed in her eyes, like an ice sculpture that hadn't been carved for thousands of years, but with a hint of human emotion.

  Chang Tai was like an ordinary and kind old man, having a good time with He Chang and sharing some of his life experiences with Lin Yue and Li Qingmeng. The meal was filled with laughter, but Lin Yue's heart was bitter.

  Chang Tai's attitude made Lin Yue's mood very low. Was it that his own hands were not suitable for carving? Why did he stop mentioning anything about carving after seeing his own hands?

  It wasn't until they were about to leave at two o'clock in the afternoon that Lin Yue's heart began to stir with a glimmer of hope, because he was called alone by Chang Tai into the study.

  Chang Tai got straight to the point and asked, "Learning sculpture is no easy feat, can you endure this suffering?"

  "Got it!" Lin Yue nodded very affirmatively, with a hint of expectation in his heart.

  "Don't talk about it so lightly, the pain in this is not something ordinary people can understand, only those who have experienced it know. Since you want to learn carving, it means you like it, you should know that carving is first and foremost an art, and secondly a means of making a living. If you put the cart before the horse, even if you enter the door of carving, you won't be able to truly master it." Chang Tai's tone had become very severe by the end.

  Lin Yue nodded solemnly, he would never let the smell of copper make him give up on this art, anyway, he could rely on his special ability to gamble with stones and had plenty of money, so there was no need for him to earn a living by carving.

  "Alright, I've said what needs to be said. Here's a method for you: after returning home tonight, light an ordinary incense stick in your room and place it upright. Take a knife, any kind will do, but don't turn on the lights. In complete darkness with only the incense lit, use the knife to chop at the incense stick. You have one month's time, and out of ten attempts, you must successfully chop the incense stick at least six times. If not, we can consider ourselves as having no fate together. One month from today, come to my house and I'll inspect your results."

  At night in complete darkness, use a knife to chop ordinary incense?

  Do ten downs necessarily have at least six splits in the middle?

  Give me a month's time?

  Lin Yue looked at Chang Tai in disbelief, this was his test, wasn't it making things difficult for him?

  It's absolutely impossible for anyone to achieve this in such a short period of time within a month!

  Lin Yue suddenly felt that his dream was getting farther and farther away from him. Was it really so difficult for him to learn carving?

  But soon, Lin Yue recovered from his deep despair. Let's just have a try then. If the other party says so, there must be someone who can practice it within a month. Otherwise, this means that the other party does not want to accept himself as an apprentice at all. Since he doesn't want to, why bother going around in such a big circle? So the second possibility is ruled out, and there's only one possibility left.

  Since someone can succeed, Lin Yue is confident that he can also succeed.

  He nodded heavily at Chang Tai and said, "Alright, I'll come again in a month."

  Chang Tai looked at Lin Yue with some surprise, feeling puzzled by his prompt agreement, and then said calmly:

  "Don't tell He Chang and that old man about this, if he finds out you won't have a chance!"

  Lin Yue nodded as he listened to Cheng Tai's serious words.

  Soon, Lin Yue followed He Chang and left Chang Tai's home.

  On the way, He Chang saw Lin Yue's expression was somewhat disheartened and asked: "Did that old man say something to you in the study?"

  "Nothing was said, just casual conversation." Lin Yue clearly remembered his appointment with Chang Tai.

  "Just casual chat?" He Chang and Man looked at Lin Yue with profound meaning, smiled slightly, and then stopped asking.

  After He Changhe and Lin Yue walked away, Chang Tai was alone in the study reading a book. At this time, Li Qingmeng came in from outside with a cup of tea.

  "Teacher, have some water."

  Li Qingmeng put the tea on one side of the desk and was about to leave when he heard Chang Tai ask, "Qingmeng, do you know what Old He and that young man came for?"

  Li Qingmei shook her head, a hint of puzzlement flashing in her eyes.

  "Hehe, he's come to ask me to be his master, but whether I accept him or not depends on how he performs in the next month."

  Chang Tai picked up his teacup and took a light sip, his eyes gazing out the window with a profound and meaningful expression.

  Li Qingmeng beside him still looked calm and unruffled, only slightly nodding his head.

  All the way, Lin Yue thought about Chang Tai's words, putting a burning incense in the dark and holding a knife to chop, at least six out of ten knives would hit, could he really do it? And how should he do it?

  Lin was mentally rehearsing the knife-cutting incense, but the more he thought about cutting it, the more he couldn't cut it. This made his hope, like a candle in the wind, always on the verge of being extinguished.

  Lin Yue let out a deep sigh and thought to himself, "Forget it, at worst I'll go to Chang Tai's house in a month to explain the situation. But before that, he must do his best, use all his strength."

  They soon arrived at the intersection where Lin Yue was to get on the bus. As he slowly walked towards it, He Changhe rolled down the glass window and said meaningfully, "No matter what, do your best and that's all you can do. If you and Old Chang really don't have a good match, then so be it. You can always change to another master. There are countless talented people in China, and there will definitely be a suitable master for you. Moreover, the most important thing about learning is not the teacher, but yourself. The teacher can only lead you into the door, and whether you can make progress or not depends on your own efforts."

  He Changhe's words were like a wake-up call, suddenly awakening Lin Yue from his daze.

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