Chapter 33, Dare to Try?
Ethan rubbed the bamboo carving in his hand, his face full of love.
"Even if you've been learning it since childhood, it's already remarkable to have such skills."
He knew that some people had been learning for more than ten years, and even in their middle - aged, they might not have reached Ethan's current level.
In the following time, Ethan didn't carve any more but guided Rose to practice.
Time flew by, and soon it was time to go back.
"These kinds of practices in the coming days are of no use to me, so I won't come. You should practice more on your own! If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me, and I promise to answer your questions!" Ethan said, patting his chest.
"Ah! You're not coming?" A trace of gloom flashed across Rose's face.
"Yes. As you can see, I've mastered all these. Coming again would be a waste of time. I don't have so much time to waste now. I still have to take the imperial examination to become the top scholar, and there are too many things to do." Ethan said.
"All right! If there's anything I don't know, I will really come to you." Rose said.
Watching Ethan leave, Rose tightly grasped the bamboo carving in her hand, and her bright face couldn't hide her disappointment.
...
"What? You're not going?" Ethan Lee couldn't help but ask loudly after hearing Ethan's words.
"Learned it? How many days have you been learning?" Ethan Lee was a little angry. Although he loved his son, facing such a situation, he still couldn't help but want to get angry. Giving up halfway was not a good sign.
"Really learned it." Then, Ethan took out a bamboo board.
"I'll carve something for you. Have a look." Ethan said.
Then, the carving knife in his hand flew up and down, and the scraps kept falling.
Ethan Lee was a little angry at first, but when he saw Ethan pick up the carving knife, he was completely stunned.
The moment an expert makes a move, one can tell whether he is skilled or not!
Such a skillful technique was by no means something an ordinary person could achieve. Without long - term practice, the technique would not be so stable and skillful.
"But... how is this possible?" Ethan Lee was even more puzzled in his heart. No one knew his son better than he did. Ethan had never touched this before!
In less than five minutes, a bamboo carving work was completed.
Huff!
Ethan blew away the scraps on it: "Dad, here! Have a look. How is this thing?"
Ethan Lee took the bamboo carving doubtfully.
After looking at it, he couldn't help but laugh.
"You brat... always like to tease your dad!" Ethan Lee said with a laugh.
Yes! It was him who was carved on the bamboo!
However, it was a bit exaggerated. His mouth was wide open, and saliva was flying everywhere, with a humorous effect like in a fairy tale. Although it was not very similar in appearance, it was indeed a more advanced similarity in spirit!
This was a kind of refinement. It not only required superb skills but also the ability to extract the image from the ordinary, which was the most difficult.
After Ethan Lee laughed, his brows wrinkled tightly!
His perspective was completely different from Rose's!
He could see the extraordinariness of this skill at a glance!
What was even more rare was that this was an extremely rare figure carving.
It was many times more difficult than those bamboo carvings of flowers, birds, insects, fish, ancient ladies, and Buddha statues, because those were all imagined without specific references.
Even if the carved effect was really not as good as what was in the mind, outsiders couldn't tell.
However, this figure bamboo carving was completely different.
There were all actual references.
Moreover, what was even more rare was that after referring to the model, there was also refinement and sublimation!
"Ethan! You haven't secretly learned bamboo carving behind my back before, have you?" Ethan Lee asked again, his voice trembling a little.
"No! This is my first time to learn bamboo carving." Ethan said.
"Today is my first day of bamboo carving."
Ethan honestly confessed.
"The first day! The first day! Good! Good son!" Ethan Lee looked at Ethan, his face full of excitement!
"My son is indeed a hundred times better than me!
Dad has been learning bamboo carving for so long, and now I can only carve some simple things, and they are not presentable at all. But my son, in just one day! No! Just half a day, has learned it! And has learned better than me! Reached such a high level! Good! Great!" Ethan Lee was so excited that his voice trembled and he was almost incoherent!
"Dad! Don't be so excited!"
"It's okay. Dad is happy! Really happy! Maybe you are really suitable for this field!
When I have time, I will talk to Elder Chen and let him teach you more things." Ethan Lee said.
...
Early in the morning, Sunnyville Central Square (Sunny County)!
Many people were doing morning exercises.
Some were practicing Taijiquan, some were dancing with swords, some were waving long whips, and some young people were running!
In the pavilion in the southeast of the square, several old men were walking their birds.
"Hey... Is the sun rising from the west today? Charlie Chen, you old fellow, are you actually out walking your bird too?" An old man asked Charlie Chen.
"Why? Isn't it okay?"
"It is okay. But you've been blocked down there for so long. Aren't you afraid of suffocating in the toilet later?" An old man, holding a plastic kettle in his hand, looked at Charlie Chen and couldn't help but laugh.
"Elder Cheng, you old thing. Even if you die, I will still live well!" Charlie Chen counterattacked Elder Cheng without showing any weakness, and at the same time, he whistled to his thrush, looking comfortable and at ease!
Like Charlie Chen, Elder Cheng also had a prostate - related disease, but his condition was much milder than Charlie Chen's. After the catheterization treatment as advised by the doctor and the surgery in a few days, he would be almost recovered.
"An artificial urinary catheter is always not as comfortable as your own." Charlie Chen said proudly to that person.
Yes, these people were not only friends but also fellow patients!
They had all kinds of embarrassing diseases!
Some had urgent and frequent urination, and some, like Charlie Chen, couldn't urinate at all. Each had his own troubles.
"Uncomfortable, but still better than not being able to urinate like you." Elder Cheng counterattacked.
"Heh... I'm sorry, but now I can urinate, and it's very smooth, natural, and easy." Charlie Chen showed off.
When he said this, it immediately attracted the attention of the people beside him!
"Did you cut off the blocked part? That would make you a eunuch." Elder Li beside him asked.
"You're the one who cut it off! I took a folk remedy!"
"Folk remedy? Hey! Since I got sick, I've taken folk remedies. If not a cartload, there's at least a bucketful, but there's no improvement! Does yours work?" Elder He beside him asked incredulously.
"Believe it or not!" Charlie Chen showed off.
"Dare to try?" Elder Li taunted.
"Just try it! Who's afraid of whom?" Charlie Chen stuck out his neck, not showing any fear at all!
"Go! Have a pee!"
"Let's go! Who's scared?"
Several of the most influential old men in Sunny County were now like children, about to compete... in urinating! If others knew about this, who knew what they would think.
Seven or eight old men, all at once, each carrying their own birds, walked towards the outside of the square.