Chapter 8: Yinchen Wood

After listening to the old man's words, Liu Dong was startled, and his expression turned somewhat astonished.

These three years in the antique market of Quancheng were not wasted. He naturally knew the status and reputation of Uncle Long's Taibai Pavilion wood carving shop, which occupied a prime location in the center of the antique market. Any wood carving that could be displayed for sale here was almost certainly a masterpiece by a renowned wood carving artist from various regions, 100% handmade, with a high price tag, and almost no small pieces! The wood carvings on the first floor were almost all priced at over 100,000 yuan. This showed the high quality of the wood carvings here.

If his wood carving could be displayed here, then regardless of how much money he could earn, the honor alone would be enough to make anyone reluctant to let it go.

"Uncle Long, is this really okay? My wood carving skills might not meet the standards of our shop!" Liu Dong said hesitantly. Although he knew that if his wood carvings could be sold here, he would soon earn a substantial amount of money, he was very clear about his own abilities. He still lacked the skill to create large wood carvings.

Moreover, he didn't want to ruin Uncle Long's long-established reputation for high-quality wood carvings at Taibai Pavilion because of himself!

Seeing that Liu Dong remained grounded in the face of fame and wealth and thought of Taibai Pavilion first, the old man felt very gratified. He also felt that he had not misjudged the person. His initial hesitation now turned into firm resolve.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Just listen to me!" Without giving Liu Dong a chance to object, the old man shouted loudly, "Dagang, go to the warehouse and bring the piece of wood I received yesterday!"

"Uncle Long, you're really...!" Seeing the old man fanning himself vigorously with a palm leaf fan, Liu Dong couldn't help but show a bitter smile. Over the years, he had come to understand the old man's personality very well. Once the old man, who was straightforward and stubborn, made up his mind, not even eight oxen could pull him back. Therefore, Liu Dong didn't plan to persuade him further.

"Thump, thump!"

After sitting for a short while, Liu Dong heard heavy footsteps coming from behind, which soon grew closer. Soon, a super-strong man over 1.9 meters tall, with bulging muscles, a short buzz cut, thick eyebrows, large eyes, a square face, and a somewhat wooden expression, walked over carrying a piece of black, somewhat rotten wood. He then slowly placed it on the small round table next to the two of them.

"Alright, Dagang! You can sit down too!" the old man said.

"Yes, Uncle Long!" The giant responded in a deep, resonant voice, turned around, and fetched a large, heavy black stool, sitting down not far from the two of them.

Liu Dong was already very familiar with this man, whose physique was even more robust than that of American action star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. When Liu Dong first learned that he had martial arts skills, the two had even fought. However, Dagang's innate strength and his well-trained Bajiquan skills left a deep impression on Liu Dong.

"Uncle Long, this is wu wood!?" As an excellent wood carver, recognizing and identifying various types of wood was basic knowledge. So when the piece of black wood, nearly two feet high and about twenty centimeters in diameter, was placed on the table, Liu Dong immediately recognized it.

"Exactly, I just received it a few days ago! How about it, not bad, right?" The old man couldn't help but smile, showing a hint of pride.

"Not just not bad, it's simply excellent!" Liu Dong said with delight.

Wu wood, commonly known as "black sandalwood," is typically divided into two categories. The first category is one of the 33 types of red wood under the 5 genera and 8 categories of international red wood, specifically the Diospyros genus, which includes two types: wu wood and striped wu wood. Modern wu wood is generally divided into three types: wu wood (horn wu), green wood (tea wu), and wu pattern wood (wu wen). In Japan, wu wood is collectively known as "black sandalwood," and in Chinese folk, black sandalwood, East African black sandalwood, and other wu wood types are sometimes collectively referred to as "black sandalwood." In the wood market, "wu wood" generally refers to black African wu wood.

The other type of wu wood is "yinchen wood," also known as "carbonized wood." This is primarily due to ancient geological disasters, such as river floods, mudslides, and landslides, which buried trees in riverbeds or in oxygen-deprived, dark layers of the earth. Over thousands or even tens of thousands of years, these trees transformed into a plant "mummy" that is neither stone nor wood.

Yinchen wood combines the elegance of wood and the charm of stone. It is solid and heavy, with a black luster, a smooth and fine texture, and is resistant to decay and insect damage, making it a natural wonder.

Chinese people often call it "wu wood," while Westerners refer to it as "Oriental divine wood." Yinchen wood is not a specific tree species but a collective name for various types of wood that have been buried underground for a long time without decaying. The main types include: cypress, fir, nanmu, red beech, mother tree, oak, holly, and ge wood.

Throughout Chinese history, wu wood has been used as a talisman to ward off evil, and it is used to make crafts, Buddha statues, and amulets. There is a saying in Chinese folklore: "Having half a piece of wu wood at home is better than a chest full of treasures," highlighting its rarity and value.

At this moment, the piece of black wu wood in front of Liu Dong was yinchen wood. The wood had very few cracks, and its black exterior with a yellow interior, along with the patterns on the cross-section, gave Liu Dong a strong sense that this piece of wu wood was likely the most precious type of yinchen wood, golden nanmu.

Moreover, Liu Dong knew that if his judgment was correct, this piece of wood, which was less than one cubic meter, would be worth at least 30,000 yuan, and sometimes even money couldn't buy it.

"Uncle Long, this piece of wood is too precious. If I really carve it, I might ruin such a good piece of material. You should take it back!" Although Liu Dong was reluctant, he firmly shook his head, adhering to his principles.

"Don't waste words. If I give it to you, take it. Besides, I got this piece specifically for you to carve. If you keep being so formal with me, I'll get angry!" The old man glared, his tone stern.

Seeing the old man, who had helped him multiple times over the past three years and was like a teacher and a father to him, Liu Dong felt a deep sense of gratitude. He understood why the old man was doing this. If he used ordinary wood, the wood carvings he made would likely not sell in the high-quality Taibai Pavilion.

However, with this piece of golden nanmu yinchen wood, as long as his carving skills were not too poor, the piece could fetch several times its base price of 30,000 to 40,000 yuan, and people would be eager to buy it.

Seeing the determined look on the old man's face, Liu Dong, who knew his character, hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Uncle Long, I'll accept it, but I promise to do my best to carve it!"

Hearing this, the old man's face finally showed a smile. "The piece of wood is yours now. How you carve it is up to you. Just bring it to me when you're done."

"Alright, we've said all that needs to be said. I still need to go to the next door to have tea with Old Huang, so I'll leave now!" After saying this, without waiting for a response, the old man stood up and walked straight to the back yard.

Liu Dong watched the old man's back disappear around the corner of the courtyard gate before turning around. "Brother Mu, how much is this piece of wood? I'll bring the money over later, otherwise, I'll feel uneasy!"

After hearing this, Mu Gang's somewhat wooden face showed a hint of a smile. He patted Liu Dong's shoulder and said, "Little Dong, you know Uncle Long's personality. Do you think he would take the money?"

Hearing this, Liu Dong's expression turned serious, and he then smiled bitterly, shook his head, and said nothing more.

"Alright, don't think too much about it. Just focus on carving it well! Besides, among Uncle Long's close people, only you have the talent for wood carving. The old man is thinking of passing his legacy to you!" Mu Gang patted his shoulder and comforted him with a smile.

"I know!" Liu Dong secretly decided to put aside all other matters and focus on carving this valuable piece of wood.

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(End of Chapter 8)