"Look, what is that?"
As Xia Weiliang spoke, Su Yuxi also looked up.
"What?"
He looked carefully but only saw Xiao Hei on the tree.
"Is it that cat?"
Xia Weiliang shook her head, "It looks like a mirror, hidden among the leaves."
But no matter how Su Yuxi looked, he couldn't see it.
"I'm going up to get it!"
Xia Weiliang's temper flared. To prove her eyesight was perfect, she took off her bag and threw it to Su Yuxi.
"No, you can't go up, it's too dangerous!"
Su Yuxi wanted to go in her place, but Xia Weiliang directly refused, "You're injured and can't do this kind of rough work! I'll do it!"
She took a deep breath and jumped hard—
After repeating this several times, she still couldn't reach it.
Finally, seeing "Niang Niang" bouncing around like a spring, Xiao Shuai couldn't stand it anymore and handed the camera to Su Yuxi.
"Teacher Su, carry this."
"Okay."
After receiving it, Su Yuxi diligently took on the role of cameraman.
Xiao Shuai climbed the tree in a few quick moves. The black cat didn't run when someone climbed up. It stood on the branch, looking majestic from below!
"Niang... Niang Niang, where is it?"
"It's near you, search carefully!"
"Oh."
Xiao Shuai responded and then crawled there to search meticulously.
Finally, he exclaimed excitedly, "Found it!"
He then lightly jumped down, indeed bringing down a small bronze mirror!
"It looks like an old object." Xiao Shuai was a bit superstitious, "My grandmother said it's best not to touch such old objects. Who knows if it was... if it was used by the deceased?"
Seeing his frightened look, Xia Weiliang chuckled, "At Beijing Poly Auction House, there are so many old objects for auction, and everyone scrambles for them! If you think about it this way, what if this is an antique?"
She took it indifferently to examine it. It was a very small bronze mirror, about the size of her palm.
After returning the camera to Xiao Shuai, Su Yuxi also came closer to look, "It's just an ordinary bronze mirror, looking more like a handicraft from modern times."
Although he said that, Xia Weiliang just liked it. Even the darkened patterns on it felt familiar.
She put the mirror into her bag, "Aren't we going to find Uncle Qu? Let him take a look."
The mission still needed to continue, and the two quickly arrived at Uncle Qu Guanxiang's home.
He was a craftsman who inherited the skill of making handmade oil-paper umbrellas. Oil-paper umbrellas are a traditional Dai ethnic craft, symbolizing divine blessings for favorable weather.
Before entering, Xia Weiliang tugged at Su Yuxi and said, "Anyone who gets five stars must be a rather temperamental uncle. We can't just go in like this."
Su Yuxi was almost completely obedient to her. "What do you suggest?"
Xia Weiliang looked around. Opposite their destination was a grocery store selling everything from food to daily necessities.
In today's terms, this place was an information exchange center!
She went inside and bought three bowls of tea. Sitting down, she started chatting with the owner. The owner was very talkative, mixing dialect with a few Mandarin phrases, and gave a general introduction to Uncle Qu.
His daily routine was simple: making umbrellas, making umbrellas, and making more umbrellas.
If he had any hobbies, it might be having a few drinks in the evening, specifically the bamboo tube wine brewed by the grocery store owner from fresh wild bamboo shoots.
However, the brewing of this wine was truly time-consuming, requiring sealing for three to five years. The owner didn't brew much, and the price was not cheap.
Xia Weiliang put down her tea bowl, "Boss, however much wine you have, I'll take it all."
The owner happily brought the wine to her, and also reminded her that Uncle Qu was easy to talk to about everything else, but when it came to making umbrellas, it was like his lifeline.
"Thank you."
Carrying the wine, Xia Weiliang entered Qu Guanxiang's home.
Upon entering the courtyard, she saw a dark-skinned elderly man sitting on a stool, trimming bamboo sticks.
"Uncle Qu, hello."
Xia Weiliang greeted him with a smile.
Uncle Qu was focused on his work and said without looking up, "I don't accept interviews, there's nothing to say."
It seemed he was tired of all this.
Placing down several barrels of bamboo leaf wine, Xia Weiliang said respectfully, "We are here to apprentice."
Uncle Qu's movements paused. He looked up at her, then at the wine, "The last young man who claimed to want to apprentice spoke flowery words, but all he did was film with his phone. He left within a day after filming."
Although it wasn't about her, Xia Weiliang felt her face flush for those who had disappointed Uncle Qu's expectations.
She took a deep breath, raised her head, and said to Xiao Shuai's camera, "Today is the morning of the xth day of the x month, at 9 AM. Our filming will be temporarily suspended. We will meet again in a week." With that, she turned off the camera.
"Niang Niang!!"
Xiao Shuai was shocked.
They were filming a travel variety show! What else was he supposed to film if the camera was turned off?
Su Yuxi gave her a deep look and smiled at Xiao Shuai, "Listen to her."
Only then did Uncle Qu slowly raise his head, his gaze towards Xia Weiliang filled with scrutiny.
"I know your skills cannot be learned in just a few days, but I will not give up."
She wasn't good with fancy words. Once she decided on something, she would forge ahead. She had thought carefully before entering.
Director Huang had said that their task as guests was to give these artisans hope, and their greatest expectation was the inheritance of the craft.
Therefore, since she decided to learn, she would definitely do it seriously!
Saying this, she pushed the wine forward, "This is a gift for becoming an apprentice."
Uncle Qu put down his tools. No matter how nicely she spoke, he clearly didn't believe her. "Apprentice? Heh, then go to the mountain and chop some usable bamboo for me first."
"Okay!"
Su Yuxi was stunned, "Weiliang, let me go."
Xia Weiliang picked up the machete from the ground and slung it across her body, narrowing her eyes at him, "Want to compete for the position of head disciple? No chance!"
After saying that, she was about to leave, but remembered something and instructed Xiao Shuai, "The lunch is up to you! Whatever my master wants to eat, you cook it for him!"
Xiao Shuai looked like he was about to cry, "Oh..."
Uncle Qu had been watching coldly, not believing she would actually want to learn.
It was just... yes, it was a performance! He had heard villagers mention this word.
Xia Weiliang, shouldering the machete, started walking towards the mountain. Gumo Village was small, but the arrival of the production crew made it lively.
She frequently saw staff members in the alleys, and they would ask her in surprise, "Niang Niang, why are you alone? Where is Xiao Shuai?!"
"He's busy cooking!"
"(⊙_⊙)"
Xia Weiliang asked the locals, and the bamboo forest was not far away, so it was easy to find.
She arrived at the bamboo forest. The historical drama she had filmed before had a segment of living in a bamboo forest, so she had learned how to chop bamboo in a pretend manner.
However, Uncle Qu hadn't told her what to select, so she stood in the forest and looked carefully. Suddenly, she noticed a sunny spot where there were several traces of chopping.
Xia Weiliang was still diligently swinging her knife, not noticing a snake slithering closer on a branch.
At this moment, Xiao Lan on her wrist automatically crawled out, climbed onto her shoulder, and then onto the top of her head. It raised its head and coldly surveyed its surroundings.
Xia Weiliang didn't pay attention, assuming it was just coming out for some air.
The snake that had emerged from the branch slowly retreated.