readsfreenovel Chapter 421 Turtle
Chapter 421 Turtle
In the morning, Luo An went for a walk around the Taiji Hall. When he came back, he was carrying a large covered basket and looked like he was struggling.
Without a second thought, Nianyao stepped forward, picked up the basket, and placed it on the table: "Where are Brother Sijie? If all else fails, call a guard?"
Luo An opened the lid and took out a rolled-up bamboo curtain, as well as various kinds of wood.
Nianyao looked at Luo An in confusion: "What kind of medicinal herb requires so much wood?"
Luo An paused for a moment: "Agarwood can invigorate the spleen and stomach, regulate internal organs, and eliminate bloating; sandalwood can reduce inflammation and bacteria, and relieve cough and phlegm; rosewood can relax muscles and promote blood circulation, relieve pain and refresh the mind..."
Nianyao picked up a piece of teak: "What about this?"
Luo An said: "It neutralizes nausea and vomiting, dispels wind and relieves itching, and promotes urination and relieves strangury."
Nianyao put down the teak and picked up a piece of ash: "What about this?"
Luo Andao said: "It clears heat and dries dampness, clears the liver and improves eyesight, and invigorates blood and regulates menstruation."
He truly deserves to be called a divine physician; nothing can stump him.
Nianyao raised the ash tree and examined it closely: "I remember that the bark of the ash tree can be used in medicine, not this kind of peeled wood?"
Luo An raised an eyebrow: "You know about this?"
Nianyao put down the ash wood, eager to have a competition: "We use all kinds of wood when building ships, and different woods are used to make different parts."
For example, mahogany is hard and brightly colored, but it is expensive and is generally used for railings; teak is corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant, and is mostly used for ship hulls; cherry wood has a soft color and fine texture, and is used for interior decoration; ash has straight grain and hard wood, and is mostly used for decks.
Ninth Brother was the most shrewd and meticulous, never wasting a single grain. Every time timber arrived at Chongming Island, Ninth Brother would have his men peel the bark off the ash trees and sell it to the pharmacy.
This income won't go into the Dahe Gang's accounts; the money from the sale will be split directly. So brothers, get to work! Peel off the whole tree bark—it'll look nice and be intact.
How carefree and happy everyone was back then! Nianyao sighed unconsciously.
Luo An immediately unfolded the bamboo curtain, revealing a complete set of carving tools: "Didn't you say last time that you were an expert in ship models? I didn't know what kind of wood was suitable, so I took a piece of each. You can practice first."
Is this to keep her occupied in the palace? That's really thoughtful of you!
Nianyao glanced at it and said, "Then let's use boxwood."
Nianyao was about to pick up the carving knife when she thought for a moment and then drew a rough sketch: "Let's carve a simple awning boat first to warm up our hands. It's been a long time since I've done this kind of work."
Luo An sat down next to her: "You're really good at this? I've never seen you carve anything like this on Chongming Island."
Nianyao's design drawings are truly first-rate; the lines are perfectly straight, and she doesn't even need a ruler to draw circles. "On Chongming Island, there's a four-story wooden dragon boat and a covered boat on the low cabinet by my father's bedside. You've never noticed them, have you?"
How could Luo An not notice something so big? "Wasn't the four-story dragon boat carved by Uncle Liu? And that ugly awning boat next to it..."
Nianyao piled up the drawings in front of him: "I carved them all. Uncle Liu loves carving things. I have a wide range of interests. I love to learn everything except reading poetry. I carved with him for a while."
The first boat I carved was that ugly awning boat, which I originally threw into the woodpile intending to burn as firewood.
My dad went out of his way to pick it up and insisted on keeping it on the bedside table so he could look at it every day, and he wouldn't let me touch it.
I discussed it with my dad, and he said that if I carved a really beautiful dragon boat, we would throw away that awning boat.
Later, I started consulting books and drew more than thirty drafts of the design. I was busy at the time and didn't have much time, so I sculpted it on and off for more than half a year. There were many times when I wanted to give up.
Uncle Liu guided and encouraged me throughout the process, promising to take me to Yongxing County to eat Yuanbao (a type of traditional Chinese sculpture) after I finished carving it, and that he could even hire a chef from Yongxing County to make Yuanbao for me.
Uncle Liu was afraid that food alone wouldn't be enough to appease me, so he told me about a treasure in the Dongyang Palace, one of a kind in the world. He said if I completed it, he would buy it for me.
How could he not know about the unique treasures in Dongyang Palace?
Luo An asked, "What treasure?"
Nianyao picked up a pen and made a few marks on the boxwood. Thinking back on it now, it still makes her laugh: "A turtle. A huge one, about a foot long, with a shell shaped like the Chinese character '米' (rice), unlike the turtles we usually see."
So what? No matter how big, how different, or how unique, it's still a tortoise. I spent so much time and effort carving the dragon boat, and Uncle Liu just gave me a tortoise to fool me. I almost cried.
Luo An continued, "And then what happened to the tortoise?"
Nianyao said, "I was so angry that I threw the turtle into the river. Uncle Liu tried to grab it but didn't have time. He said it was a land turtle and would drown if thrown into the river."
I was naive and ignorant back then, and I didn't care whether a turtle would drown or not. I even had a long argument with Uncle Liu about it. He really loved me more than my own father.
As Nianyao spoke, her eyes reddened slightly. She lowered her head and began to carve, wood shavings falling from her hands little by little.
Luo An didn't press further, picked up his pen, and began to draw. The room fell silent.
Having carved a three-story dragon boat at the age of thirteen, carving a small boat at this age is a piece of cake.
As the prototype of the awning boat came out, Nianyao was about to show it off when she saw a huge, unique turtle on the drawing paper, with a cross-shaped turtle shell and large scales on its front legs.
Luo An put down his pen: "Is this the turtle you're talking about?"
Nianyao was both guilty and shocked: "You know about this turtle too? Could it be your turtle?"
Luo An glanced at her, his eyes seeming to say: What do you think?
Nianyao put down the wood, picked up the drawing paper and examined it carefully: "Weren't you at Heaven on Earth? How could the one kept in the palace be yours?"
Luo An said, "A merchant from Bago came to Heaven on Earth seeking medical treatment, saying he had been bitten by a dog. Such bites usually lead to death once the disease develops, but by sheer coincidence, I cured him. The second time he came, he brought me a large star tortoise."
And coincidentally, that year Dongyang suffered a natural disaster. In June, hailstones the size of eggs fell, damaging crops, injuring people, and killing livestock. The emperor was extremely anxious.
Some master told the emperor that natural disasters raise divine turtles, and the emperor, desperate for a cure, searched the world for divine turtles. An Jingchen then brought that star turtle back to the palace.
And coincidentally, the hailstorm stopped on the very day the star tortoise was brought back. The emperor felt the star tortoise possessed divine power, so he kept it in the palace and even built a special tortoise enclosure for it.
The tortoise that was worshipped like a god in Dongyang Palace was given away by Uncle Liu so easily? And Nianyao didn't even like it and threw it away casually?
Luo An asked, "How did Uncle Liu buy it? How much did it cost?"
Nianyao then realized something was wrong. Uncle Liu hadn't said how much money it would cost, and how could such a unique treasure in Dongyang Palace be freely bought and sold?
Even if the palace were to sell him, it would cost Uncle Liu a fortune. But in reality, Uncle Liu had kept a considerable amount of money hidden under his pillow during that time.
Unless Uncle Liu went to steal it, but Uncle Liu had been on Chongming Island all that time and hadn't gone out at all.
That means Uncle Liu ordered someone to steal it. But this kind of thing must be guarded by someone special; not just anyone can steal it. After all, she got caught stealing two grilled fish.
So, there's a traitor in Dongyang Palace? And that person must be deeply trusted by the Lord of Dongyang and the Crown Prince to be able to steal it so easily.