Transmigrated Into the Stand-In of the Tragic Novel’s Heroine - Chapter 47

Life is like floating duckweed, gathering and separating are common occurrences.

Chang Yishao’s calmness was mixed with an inexplicable sense of melancholy and sorrow, and Xie Qingtang felt as if she was entangled by strands of ethereal smoke. The sudden loneliness swept over her like a tidal wave, throwing her into the swell. At this point, she didn’t know how to speak some words. She blinked, and a single “you” escaped her lips, just as Chang Yishao also spoke in a tacit understanding.

“Are you still going up the mountain to tap lacquer tomorrow?” Chang Yishao asked.

Xie Qingtang’s thoughts shifted, and the flicker of emotion dispersed. She smiled at Chang Yishao on the screen and replied, “No. I’m starting the process of making lacquerware now.”

“Good,” Chang Yishao nodded. “Then be careful. Don’t hurt your hands.” Handicraft is different from machine production; it relies entirely on a pair of skillful hands to control the process. The hands of master craftsmen are covered in thick calluses, accumulated day after day. Xie Qingtang was probably new to it, wasn’t she? She was afraid of seeing a pair of scarred hands.

“Okay, I will be careful.” Xie Qingtang’s tone became light-hearted; she naturally had control over this. As for tapping the lacquer—wasn’t that her first attempt? It wasn’t actually a big deal.

Hearing this, Chang Yishao carefully gave her a few more pieces of advice. Xie Qingtang was not a careless person, but if she didn’t say it aloud, she would feel uneasy.

After hanging up the video call, Chang Yishao did not turn off the light and go to sleep as usual. She leaned against the backrest pillow, her thin lips tightly pressed, and her lowered eyelashes cast a small shadow. She was the one who had mentioned that gathering and separating are common occurrences. This was true between her and her students, but what about between her and Xie Qingtang? Apart from that contract, they were nothing.

She had originally thought that the waiting and preparation time was sufficient, but now it seemed highly likely that if they missed a chance, everything would be gone.

A sudden sense of urgency arose in her heart.

“The making of the lacquerware body cannot be rushed.”

From the very first day, the experienced masters had been repeating this sentence. They had been immersed in this craft for over a decade and were long since skilled, but to accommodate the apprentices, they slowed down their movements significantly. Xie Qingtang held a piece of pine wood base in her hand. She planned to make a square lacquer box, primarily using the technique of “head-gluing”—relying on drilling holes and tenoning the pieces together to glue them.

“Processes like preparing the body, base-coating, applying lacquer, making putty, and applying rough lacquer cannot be skipped. You must be careful and cautious, as a single slip-up can ruin it,” the old master smiled with narrowed eyes, adding, “Before you actually make a lacquer box, Xiao Xie, you need to practice first.”

Xie Qingtang naturally wanted to produce her best work, and she nodded thoughtfully after hearing the master’s words.

She hadn’t stayed long in the dyeing and printing area, but here, she would spend two or even three times the amount of time. She made the lacquerware base herself and prepared the lacquer by hand. Achieving the right consistency—being able to pick up and hang a thread of lacquer—required considerable effort. It wasn’t until mid-June that she barely had any free time during the day. The gift she was preparing had only completed the base-making process. At this stage, the lacquerware was plain and unadorned; to make it exquisite and gorgeous, it still needed decorative work.

“Xiao Xie, take these books back and have a look.” The old master had quite a collection of books at home, filled with his notes, which were experiences summarized over time. There were actually quite a few apprentices who came here, but those who were as patient as Xie Qingtang were rare. The old master naturally liked her very much and wished he could teach her everything he knew.

These several books all discussed the process of lacquering: clear coating, painting, carving, sculpture… Among these many techniques, Xie Qingtang deliberately chose a path that was relatively difficult for a beginner. The old master naturally preferred her to start with the simpler “clear coating” and not be overly ambitious, but Xie Qingtang was obstinate on this matter.

“We old bones are getting old. As long as one person learns it, the hard work of our ancestors can be passed down, and we will be satisfied,” the old master laughed. They had learned from Jiang Lu that Xiao Xie was moving around various craft areas, and whether she would stay was still unknown. They had long given up the idea of taking on closed-door disciples; they wouldn’t have come to this museum at all if they hadn’t wanted these skills to flourish.

“There will be,” Xie Qingtang’s eyes were bright. Times were different now; with the museum and support from higher-ups, the heritage would definitely not be broken. This place, which most people just hurried through, was a sanctuary for her. This was the kind of retirement life she longed for—even though her hands were busy, her heart was as free as a floating cloud and wild crane, completely unrestrained.

Chang Yishao arrived in Shencheng near the end of June.

The weather had already reached a point where even a single short-sleeved shirt felt hot.

Nearly a hundred layers of lacquer had been applied to the lacquer base. Sweat ran down Xie Qingtang’s forehead as she focused intently on the lacquer base, holding the carving knife steadily in her hand, meticulously carving layers of patterns onto the surface. She had been exposed to the art of sculpture in her past life experiences, and after adapting, the process of carving the lacquer became effortless. Each cut, each line, the texture and thickness were uniform. Even the old master praised her, saying it didn’t look like the work of a beginner.

Xie Qingtang couldn’t elaborate on her past mysterious life experiences, so she just smiled and said, “I’ve been exposed to it before.” The old masters understood and nodded knowingly, no longer asking further questions. They watched Xie Qingtang’s movements, occasionally offering guidance to help her reach a higher level of craftsmanship.

In the live stream, Xie Qingtang’s visual fans and song fans came and went, only staying briefly. The longest-lasting viewers were the handicraft enthusiasts, who “greedily” absorbed the knowledge and also left comments in the live stream’s comment section and on Xie Qingtang’s Weibo—Xie Qingtang would then ask the masters for advice the next day after seeing them.

Just as she said herself, she was only a bridge.

“Xiao Xie, is this lacquer box for your boyfriend?” the old master joked.

Xie Qingtang reacted quickly, blurting out a sentence before fully thinking it through: “No, it’s for my girlfriend.” The old master looked at Xie Qingtang in surprise, then after a moment, let out a meaningful “Oh.” Xie Qingtang then realized her slip-up. Her earlobes turned slightly red, and she added, “It’s for a female friend.”

Most areas of the Handicraft Museum are open to the public. The group of inheritors, represented by Elder Jiang Lu, are happy to teach and pass on their skills.

Chang Yishao drove to the Handicraft Museum after arriving in Shencheng and dropping her belongings off at her accommodation. After touring the exhibition area, she was enthusiastically led by an older woman (Auntie) to the lacquering and finishing craft area. It was a courtyard with white walls and black tiles. Upon entering the main gate, a screen wall came into view. The bas-relief on it illustrated the process of lacquering, and above it were the four characters “Ingenuity.”

“Just past the screen wall,” the Auntie smiled.

Approaching this area, one first felt a sense of tranquility and stillness, but upon getting closer, one could truly experience the liveliness and activity emanating from within.

There were quite a few people sitting in the courtyard, but Xie Qingtang’s voice was particularly clear and distinct.

The three words “my girlfriend” entered Chang Yishao’s ears, and a stone was thrown into the lake of her heart, sending ripples outward in circles. She understood what Xie Qingtang meant, but savoring these three words still made her feel joyful.

Xie Qingtang wanted her to follow her heart, to pursue happiness and freedom.

If she followed the deepest desire in her heart, she didn’t want any separation between herself and Xie Qingtang.

“Xiao Xie, your friend is here!” The Auntie’s voice was loud. Before Chang Yishao could take a step, she had already shouted with full vigor.

Xie Qingtang was startled, and the carving knife in her hand nearly slipped. She put down the knife, patted her chest, and secretly sighed in relief, but at the same time, a few doubts arose in her mind. Friend? How many friends did she have? Could it be Qi Yu? Unlikely—unless there was a muse here that could enter her painting, why would she leave her studio?

She pondered over it but couldn’t find an answer. However, when she was about to round the screen wall and see the visitor, Xie Qingtang’s steps suddenly paused. A candidate—Chang Yishao—came to her mind, a thought that made her feel both incredible and yet that it should be so.

Her conflicting emotions did not last long.

Even with the guess in her mind, at the moment they met, her face still flushed with a hint of panic, and an emotion she herself couldn’t detect. “You, why are you here?” Xie Qingtang’s mind stopped working, and her tongue seemed to be tied in a knot.

“You are here,” Chang Yishao said softly. She gazed at Xie Qingtang, and the scenes of the past intertwined before her eyes like a film playing in reverse. The person standing truly before her was more real than the one on the screen, yet still intangible.

Xie Qingtang was silent for a moment. She looked up to meet Chang Yishao’s eyes and asked, “Are things resolved over there?”

“Yes, everything is resolved,” Chang Yishao smiled gently.

Xie Qingtang breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried that Chang Yishao had rushed over regardless of everything. If that were the case, she probably couldn’t bear such “favor.”

“Xiao Xie, your friend is here? Why don’t you go take a break? The lacquer box is almost done,” the old master said with a laugh.

Since Chang Yishao had come, she couldn’t just leave her on the side. Xie Qingtang needed this brief “holiday.” She turned around and called out “Thank you,” then stepped forward, took Chang Yishao’s hand, and led her out.

The noisy, crowded place was not suitable for conversation.

“When did you arrive?” Her pace was a bit fast. After walking dozens of meters, she seemed to realize something and let go of Chang Yishao, whom she had been pulling along.

“Not long ago. I walked around the exhibition area,” Chang Yishao replied.

“How was it?” Xie Qingtang turned around, her smile gentle, and she walked backward facing Chang Yishao. Her steps were light, and her whole being was full of vibrant energy.

A sentence, “It’s like you,” lingered on her tongue, but Chang Yishao ultimately swallowed it back. “It’s very vibrant.” Those artifacts were inanimate objects, but they were not lifeless.

“Indeed.” Xie Qingtang stopped. She looked at Chang Yishao and then asked, “You still haven’t answered me, why did you come here?”

“I promised to help you. To edit the video footage, it’s naturally more convenient to be in Shencheng,” Chang Yishao said unhurriedly.

Xie Qingtang nodded, not doubting Chang Yishao’s intention. She asked, “And then?” Recalling words like “gathering and separating are common” that Chang Yishao had once said, she always felt that Chang Yishao’s arrival was not that simple.

She didn’t wait for Chang Yishao’s subsequent words. After pondering for a moment, she answered herself, “Is it to terminate the contract?”

Support