I trade in both worlds

Xu Qinglin picked up a piece of wood and looked at the tenon on it carefully. His focused expression made it seem as if the whole world had stopped.

Seeing this, Xu Ziqi's curiosity was completely aroused. He squatted down, staring at the mortise and tenon structures that seemed simple but were actually complex.

"Uncle Qinglin, can I help you? I also want to learn how to install these. I feel like there's a lot of knowledge involved."

Xu Qinglin looked up, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, then he smiled and nodded: "Okay, it's a good thing that young people want to learn. This craft is a treasure left by our ancestors. There is no harm in learning more."

As he spoke, Xu Qinglin picked up a piece of wood, pointed at the groove on it and said, "Look, this is a tenon. It must be inserted into the corresponding mortise precisely to fit tightly and be stable. Come, try this."

Xu Ziqi carefully took the wooden board and, following Xu Qinglin's instructions, tried to align the tenon with the mortise and gently pushed it in.

At first, it seemed a little awkward, but under Xu Qinglin's patient guidance, gradually, the mortise and tenon seemed to be a perfect match made in heaven, fitting together perfectly.

"Done." Xu Ziqi shouted excitedly, with a smile of accomplishment on his face.

Xu Qinglin nodded approvingly: "Not bad, you can do this for the first time, you are very talented."

As the conversation deepened, Xu Ziqi became more and more interested in mortise and tenon structures, and he began to actively participate in the assembly of the couch.

Xu Qinglin stood by, demonstrating and explaining, and every movement revealed the rigor and delicacy of a craftsman.

"Here, we must pay special attention to the angle. If there is a slight deviation, the entire structure will be unstable." Xu Qinglin said as he demonstrated. The tools in his hands seemed to have life, moving flexibly between the wood.

Xu Ziqi followed closely behind, imitating Xu Qinglin's movements, becoming more proficient with each attempt.

Sweat dripped down his forehead, but he was unaware of it, completely immersed in the charm of this ancient skill.

As time went by, the Huanghuali couch gradually took shape. Its smooth lines and exquisite carvings all revealed the ingenuity of the craftsmen.

Xu Ziqi stood aside, looking at the fruits of his labor, feeling an unprecedented sense of satisfaction in his heart.

It was late September in the busy schedule. Xu Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Xu Ziqi moving the last piece of furniture away.

At this time, the rice wine that Xu Xu had brewed earlier had already been brewed, but because there were many people coming in and out of the house recently, the white wine was put aside.

After finishing dinner, Xu Xu couldn't wait to rush to Xu Jizong's house.

"Second Uncle." Xu Xu shouted as he pushed open the door of Xu Jizong's house.

Xu Jizong was just walking out of the house. When he saw Xu Xu, a warm smile appeared on his face: "Xu Xu is here. Have you had dinner?"

"Yes, Uncle. Let's open a jar of the wine we brewed earlier tomorrow." Xu Xu's voice was filled with excitement and nervousness that was difficult to conceal.

Hearing this, Xu Jizong's eyes flashed with anticipation, but then he said calmly, "Okay, I'll go there early tomorrow morning."

That night, Xu Xu lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

The scene of opening the jar tomorrow kept appearing in her mind. She imagined the rich aroma of wine coming to her nose, and she felt excited but also afraid of disappointment.

Xu Jizong also found it difficult to calm down. He repeatedly recalled every step of the wine-making process and kept praying to his ancestors for a successful brewing.

Finally, the first ray of sunlight from the sky penetrated the clouds and illuminated the entire Xu Zhuang.

Xu Xu and Xu Jizong got up early, washed up, and went to the main room together.

"Uncle, I'll go first." Xu Xu volunteered. She carefully lifted the thick cloth on the mouth of the jar, and then gently opened the lid.

At that moment, the whole yard seemed to stand still.

Xu Xu and Xu Jizong waited with bated breath, only to see a faint mist rising from the mouth of the jar, followed by a strong and unique aroma of wine that filled their noses and instantly filled the entire yard.

"It's done, it's really done." Xu Xu jumped up excitedly.

Xu Jizong was also trembling with excitement. He reached out to take the jar from Xu Xu's hand and took a deep breath. The aroma of the wine seemed to penetrate directly into his heart, making him feel refreshed.

At this moment, all the waiting and hard work turned into endless joy.

Since the production was successful, Xu Xu and Xu Jizong discussed brewing some more. This time she planned to cellar it for three to five years.

Anyway, she owns 30% of the shares of the workshop and is not short of money. She can put the wine-making recipe aside for now and there is no rush.

So Xu Xu started buying grain in the village again and brewed the tea with the grain he bought.

After a few busy days and the wine was brewed, it was October.

After dinner, Xu Jin and Xu Zhun went to their online classes conscientiously, while Xu Xu was carefully editing a video of making clothes.

Although the income from this small video shop is not lucrative, it still brings in a steady stream of revenue, enough to cover monthly expenses and even have some surplus.

Xu Qiwei took Xu Tiantian chasing and playing around the house.

"Sister, look at this." Xu Jin and Xu Zhun rushed out of the room like a gust of wind, each holding a learning machine in their hands, their faces filled with excitement and curiosity.

"What's wrong?" Xu Xu put down the mouse.

"Sister, we just had an online class and the teacher talked about the imperial palace." Xu Zhun couldn't wait to share his new discovery.

His eyes seemed to have reflected the magnificent scene of red walls and glazed tiles: "The video said that there is the emperor's dragon throne and many beautiful things there. We want to go and see them."

Xu Jin was not to be outdone and added, "Yes, sister, we want to know what the emperor's residence is like?"

Even though it has been so long since he came to the modern era, Xu Xu has never thought of visiting the places where the emperors lived in the past. Perhaps he still subconsciously believes that those are not places he can go.

However, when the twins mentioned it, she remembered the scene she had seen in the short video before, and suddenly wanted to go and see it.

"Yes, yes." Xu Zhun continued to describe excitedly: "I wonder if the place where the emperor lives is like on TV, with gold everywhere and many beautiful palaces. Sister, can we go and see it?"

Xu Xu looked at his brothers' eyes full of expectation, then looked at Xu Qiwei and Xu Tiantian who were looking around curiously at the side, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.

Since the kids all want to go, let's go.

She flipped through the calendar on the table, and a gentle smile appeared on the corner of her mouth: "Okay, the day after tomorrow is Saturday, and you guys have a day off, so let's go to the palace for a stroll."

Hearing the affirmative answer, the two children were so happy that they almost jumped up. They high-fived each other and cheered.