Chapter Fifteen: The Skills Passed Down

At this point, Qin's mother paused. After a moment's hesitation, she continued, "I think Wan Ting is a pretty good girl."

"Mom, stop worrying about this!" Qin Feng couldn't help laughing and crying. He would like that too! But he was afraid Lin Wan Ting might not be interested in him.

"Oh, you child!" Qin's mother shot him a glare and said, "This kind of thing can't be delayed!"

"Mom, your son is not completely hopeless in this department!" Qin Feng shrugged with a grin.

Qin's mother let out a cold snort, feigning annoyance. "Alright, since you have money now, the next step is to give me a grandson to play with."

Hearing his mother's words, Qin Feng laughed, finally realizing that his mother had changed more than he’d thought.

After chatting a while longer with his mother, Qin Feng got up, left the house, and drove straight to Master Yan's carving studio.

Today, he planned to study the carving techniques taught by Master Yan.

When he arrived, only Master Yan and a man in uniform stood inside the studio.

"Xiao Feng, you're here!"

As soon as Qin Feng entered, the man in uniform greeted him enthusiastically, a warm smile on his face.

The man’s name was Yan Jing, Master Yan’s son. However, Yan Jing had no interest in carving; instead, his expertise lay in medicine.

This was one reason Master Yan had accepted Qin Feng as his apprentice.

Qin Feng nodded slightly in greeting.

"Brother Jing, I'm here to study the skills Master Yan is going to teach me."

Yan Jing's face lit up. "That's great! I'll arrange everything for you right away!"

Qin Feng nodded and followed Yan Jing into the workshop.

The studio covered an area of about six hundred square meters. At its center stood a large redwood table, surrounded by antique display racks crowded with all manner of carving knives, tools, and accessories.

In the farthest corner, a pile of raw materials was stacked high.

Qin Feng examined them carefully and saw that many of the raw materials were quite valuable—worth far more than the average carving tools.

At that moment, Master Yan, wearing glasses, was focused intently on his work, carving slowly and meticulously into a piece of white jade. His demeanor was absorbed and serious.

Qin Feng didn't dare disturb him and waited patiently.

Nearly an hour passed before Master Yan finished his carving, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and offered Qin Feng a gentle smile.

"Master, you must be tired. Please, sit and have some tea," Qin Feng urged respectfully.

"Haha, it's nothing. These old bones are still strong. Tell me, after watching for so long, how much did you take in?" Master Yan asked, pointing at the white jade Guanyin he had just carved.

Qin Feng scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "Master, I must admit I haven't mastered it yet."

He was not being modest—his skills in carving were still basic. Even with a pair of eyes capable of seeing through things, true mastery would require diligent practice.

Hearing this, Master Yan frowned slightly. After a moment’s thought, he said, "In that case, why don't you give it a try? I'll watch and guide you."

Qin Feng felt both nervous and excited—this was a rare opportunity to learn.

He stepped up to the redwood table, his eyes roaming over the exquisite carving tools before selecting one that, while basic, seemed the most agile.

Taking a deep breath, he carefully picked up an uncarved piece of stone. It was a piece of Qingtian stone, smooth in texture and uniform in color. While not as precious as white jade, it was still a fine material for carving.

"Master, I’ll try my hand at it," Qin Feng said softly, his tone tinged with respect.

Master Yan nodded, a glimmer of encouragement in his eyes. He stepped aside, hands clasped behind his back, watching Qin Feng's every move intently.

Qin Feng took another deep breath, trying to recall every detail of Master Yan's technique from earlier.

He began by carefully observing the stone’s grain and color, silently planning his design.

Then, he gently brought the carving knife to the stone, following the image in his mind as he made his first cut.

At first, his movements were awkward and overly cautious, fearful of ruining the precious material with a single mistake. But as time went on, he found his rhythm. The carving knife came alive in his hands; each stroke was precise, and as the chips of stone fell away, delicate lines began to emerge on the surface.

Master Yan watched closely, nodding or frowning from time to time, offering silent guidance.

He noticed that, though Qin Feng's foundation was weak, his talent was extraordinary. His sensitivity to beauty and his ability to capture it were far above the ordinary.

More importantly, Qin Feng possessed a pair of steady hands—an essential quality for any master carver.

Time slipped by, and the atmosphere in the studio became heavy with focus and intensity.

Qin Feng seemed to lose all sense of the world around him; his universe had narrowed down to the carving knife and the stone before him.

As he made his final cut, he gently blew away the stone dust, revealing a lifelike lotus flower on the surface. The petals overlapped delicately, each vein visible.

"Excellent!" Master Yan couldn't help but applaud. "Xiao Feng, you truly have the makings of a great artist. Though there’s much to improve, your progress is remarkable."

Qin Feng was filled with a joy and sense of accomplishment that defied description.

He put down the knife, stepped before Master Yan, and bowed deeply. "Thank you for your guidance, Master. I will continue to work hard and strive to live up to your expectations."

Master Yan nodded in satisfaction, then added, "However, the art of carving is vast and profound. One cannot reach its peak alone. You must broaden your horizons and learn from others.

As it happens, there’s a national carving art exhibition soon in Jianghai. You should go and observe."

Qin Feng's eyes lit up. He knew this was a rare learning opportunity.

He nodded eagerly. "I will, Master. I won’t let this opportunity go to waste."

Master Yan then imparted further essential techniques and insights into carving. Not until sunset did their lesson come to an end, both reluctant to part.

As he left the studio, Qin Feng felt light-hearted and content.

Just then, his phone rang. When he checked the caller ID, he was surprised to see it was Lin Wan Ting.

After answering, he heard Lin Wan Ting’s subdued voice on the other end, as if she were unhappy.

"Qin Feng, are you free right now?"

Qin Feng hesitated slightly, then asked, "What’s wrong?"