Colorful years

Master Wu, with a focused expression, began to patiently teach Zhang Zhong about the characteristics and uses of various types of wood. He explained in detail to Zhang Zhong that each type of wood has unique properties, and these properties determine the type of gourd they are suitable for making, as well as their uses in real life.

Master Wu patiently taught Zhang Zhong how to select the most suitable wood for making gourds, his focused expression as if he were carving a precious work of art.

Then, he picked up an axe, a plane, a digging knife, and other tools, and demonstrated to Zhang Zhong how to use them correctly, each movement skillful and precise.

Zhang Zhong's eyes were filled with a desire to learn a skill, and he studied extremely diligently.

Every day, before the dawn had fully illuminated the earth, he would get up early and eagerly begin his day of study.

Night fell, and the stars were already twinkling in the sky, but Zhang Zhong remained engrossed in his studies until Master Wu urged him repeatedly before he finally put down his tools and went to rest.

Master Wu was very pleased to see Zhang Zhong's diligence and dedication, so he devoted himself even more to teaching him. He not only taught Zhang Zhong how to make all kinds of gourd utensils, but also passed on his years of experience in dealing with customers and his skills in negotiating prices to Zhang Zhong without reservation.

After a full month of diligent study, Zhang Zhong finally mastered the basic skills of digging gourds. Master Wu looked at Zhang Zhong's progress, nodded in satisfaction, and said with a smile, "You're ready to graduate. Go find the supply and marketing cooperative; they'll assign you work."

Filled with gratitude, Zhang Zhong bowed deeply to Master Wu, bid him farewell, and hurried off to the commune's supply and marketing cooperative. There, through his own efforts and the skills he had learned, he successfully signed a purchase and sale agreement with the cooperative.

This letter of intent is detailed and clearly stipulates the rights and obligations of both parties, providing a solid guarantee for Zhang Zhong's gourd sales and ensuring that his gourds can be sold smoothly.

The supply and marketing cooperative also took Zhang Zhong's actual situation into full consideration and specially issued him a special qualification certificate. This certificate was like a key, allowing him to freely cut down trees and dig up gourds in the mountains and forests within the town, saving him a lot of tedious procedures and unnecessary trouble, and allowing him to devote himself more wholeheartedly to the work he loved.

Carrying his toolbox and bedding, Zhang Zhong strode resolutely into the mysterious and deep forest. From the moment he stepped into this forest, he officially embarked on his own career as a gourd craftsman.

This vast and boundless forest is like a mysterious world that contains countless treasures, but it is also full of unknown challenges and potential dangers.

Here, the craft of making gourds has extremely strict requirements for the wood used. If the wood is too hard, it will be exceptionally difficult to process; while wood with a loose texture is prone to cracking and damage during the manufacturing process.

Therefore, only experienced and skilled gourd craftsmen can accurately select high-quality wood suitable for making gourds with their discerning eye. They usually carefully select trees with clearly visible grain and fine, dense texture as the ideal material for making gourds.

However, digging for gourds alone in these deep mountains and forests is by no means an easy task. In addition to enduring the torment of loneliness and solitude, Zhang Zhong also needs to remain vigilant at all times to guard against possible attacks from snakes, insects, and wild animals.

Here, every step forward is fraught with unknown risks; the slightest carelessness could lead to peril. However, Zhang Zhong, with his strong sense of responsibility to his family and his years of honed martial arts skills, tenaciously perseveres in this mountain forest.

Every time he worked hard for ten days and successfully dug up a hundred wooden ladles, a joyful smile would spread across his face. He would happily shoulder the heavy load and carefully walk down the mountain path, afraid of damaging these precious wooden ladles with the slightest carelessness.

Then, he would deliver these wooden ladles to the supply and marketing cooperative without stopping. This process was long and arduous, taking about a week, but Zhang Zhong never complained in the slightest.

Selling a hundred wooden ladles to the supply and marketing cooperative would bring in a little over twenty yuan. In modern times, twenty yuan is barely enough for a large meal. But in those days, it was a considerable income for Zhang Zhong's family.

Every time he returned home, Zhang Zhong would carefully take out the crumpled but still warm banknotes from his pocket and gently hand them to his wife, Shi Daya.

Shi Daya took the banknotes, a childlike smile spreading across her face. She carefully counted each banknote, her earnest expression as if she were handling an incredibly precious treasure.

After counting the money, she would neatly place it in the drawer and then smile at her husband, saying, "Old man, you're so capable!" Hearing this, Zhang Zhong's heart was filled with satisfaction and pride.

He knew that this money meant the family could buy more food and household goods, and the children would have the opportunity to wear brand new clothes.

As the days went by, Zhang Zhong's gourd business became more and more prosperous.

He was busy every day in his workshop deep in the mountains, constantly producing gourds to meet market demand. Meanwhile, Shi Daya devoted herself to taking care of the children and managing the household chores at home, while also assisting her husband with some business-related matters.

Through their joint efforts, the family's life gradually improved, and they lived a happier and more fulfilling life.

However, Zhang Zhong was not satisfied with this.

He knew perfectly well that in order to make his family live a more prosperous life, he had to work hard and strive continuously.

So he began to seriously consider how to further expand his gourd business. After in-depth investigation and research, he discovered that the market in other regions had greater potential. If he could sell his gourds to other places, his income would increase significantly.