Chapter 101 Joke
After drinking to their heart's content, the fire went out and everyone dispersed.

Chen Mo and Xu Hongdou also returned to the room.

"Go take a shower first." Chen Mo said after entering the door.

Xu Hongdou turned around and leaned against the table, saying, "No hurry, show me the photo first and tell me about your deskmate."

"Ah?" Chen Mo blinked.

"How did you sing the lyrics just now?"

"What do you mean and how do you sing it?" Chen Mo looked "confused".

"[The old days are far away], the last few sentences." Xu Hongdou reminded.

"Hiss~ I can't quite remember." Chen Mo frowned and pretended to be stupid.

"Hmm?!" Xu Hongdou raised her eyebrows slightly.

Chen Mo shook his head, covered his forehead and said, "The champagne just now was not very strong, but the aftereffect was quite strong. I felt dizzy."

"It's okay. Go take a shower first and wake up. We'll have a good chat when you come out." Xu Hongdou said sympathetically.

Chen Mo heard this and changed his words: "I've already sung it just now. If you want to hear it, I'll sing it for you again tomorrow, okay?"

"You don't have to sing it, just read it out loud. How do you write the last few sentences?"

"I" Chen Mo's eyes turned, and he was about to find another excuse.

"If you don't remember, you'll sleep on the sofa tonight." Xu Hongdou's words came lightly.

Chen Mo's expression froze, and he asked tentatively, "Not really, right?"

Xu Hongdou didn't say anything, just looked at Chen Mo quietly.

Chen Mo looked at the sofa. If it was the sofa at home, it would be OK, but the sofa in this room was so small, how could he, a big man of over 1.8 meters, sleep on it?
And this is not a question of whether sleeping on the sofa is comfortable or not.

However, this also reminded Chen Mo that when he gets married in the future, he must select the sofa himself and strictly control the quality in case of emergency.

Chen Mo slapped his head and said, "I think I remember it."

"Hmm." Xu Hongdou raised her chin slightly to indicate.

"You mean, 'I will also have my wife, and I will show her pictures and tell her about you, my deskmate'?"

Xu Hongdou nodded. "That's right. You sang out your heart. I'll give you a chance. Tell me about your sentimental classmate."

"That's not what I want to say." Chen Mo said immediately.

"I don't have a female deskmate. Our high school emphasizes the difference between men and women, not pairing men and women together."

"If there is, then there is. He's just my former desk mate. I don't mind." Xu Hongdou said calmly.

"I'm just curious. Feel free to speak up. I won't be so unreasonable."

"But I really didn't." Chen Mo said with a sad face.

"I got the inspiration from the story Master Ma told me. Didn't you just hear it?"

Chen Mo didn't believe a word Xu Hongdou said.

Don't mind? Haha.

When a woman says she doesn’t mind, it’s like a man saying “I just hug you and do nothing else”. Can you believe it?
If you are generous now, you will definitely be repaid later.

"Really?" Xu Hongdou asked.

"Really." Chen Mo assured.

In China, let alone high schools, it is probably rare for boys and girls to sit at the same table in junior high schools.

Master Ma is old and lives in a different era.

The people who are most likely to develop secret crushes nowadays should be the people sitting in front or behind you.

Xu Hongdou stared at Chen Mo for a while, then nodded and said:
"Okay, I'm going to take a shower then."

Xu Hongdou didn't really suspect anything, but her girlfriend's identity made her a little jealous instinctively.

"How about we take a shower together?" Chen Mo leaned forward.

"Hey, what are you doing~~"

“Save water.”

"Keep your hands away"

"Well"

Mandarin ducks play in Yaochi, and the mist reveals the spring light.

The weather is gentle and the sky is clear.

In the small courtyard, Chen Mo and Ma Ye were doing Ba Duan Jin, using their hands to climb their feet to strengthen their kidneys and waist.

Last night, Chen Mo acted recklessly in the double bath. After Xu Hongdou’s repeated attempts to dissuade him failed, she finally became annoyed and decided to teach Chen Mo a “lesson”.

The battle between the two men behind was fierce and evenly matched. It was a close fight and the situation was delicate for a while.

In the end, Chen Mo won with a slight advantage.

When he woke up in the morning, Chen Mo thought back to last night's battle. He felt exhilarated but also a little scared.

Almost, almost lost.

Although there are some battles that men are destined to lose, and once they lose, it is difficult to get back on track, especially as they get older.

In terms of combat effectiveness in this area, men and women follow two different trend curves.

One goes down, the other goes up, and after passing the intersection, the winner and loser are reversed.

Chen Mo immediately became alert. He could lose, but he couldn't lose so early. He had to hold on for at least seven to five years.

Men should take care of themselves as early as possible to delay the time of defeat.

So Chen Mo’s maintenance was put on the agenda, and thus there was the scene of him practicing Ba Duan Jin with Ma Ye in the morning.

Chen Mo also has a fear of insufficient firepower, and wondered whether he should arrange for wolfberry as well. Later on, he thought that it might not be necessary yet and he could wait a few years.

Chen Mo felt that his victory or defeat should be pretty stable within five years, but it would be hard to say if it took longer than that.

Maintaining fifth place and striving for seventh place, this is the goal Chen Mo set for himself.

Xu Hongdou came out of the room and stretched her waist on the terrace. She looked radiant and energetic.

Going downstairs and passing the courtyard, Xu Hongdou glanced at the two people doing exercises and walked towards the restaurant.

"Keep breakfast warm in the pot." Chen Mo noticed Xu Hongdou coming down and said.

"Okay." Xu Hongdou responded.

As soon as she entered the restaurant, Xu Hongdou saw Chen Nanxing sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast.

"Hey, you're awake. Why did you get up later than me today? Why didn't you go for a run?"

"I overslept. Take a day off." Xu Hongdou went to the kitchen to get breakfast and sat down at the dining table.

"I overslept because I was too tired last night." Chen Nanxing said with a smile.

"Huh?" Xu Hongdou blinked, pretending not to understand, but her ears were already slightly red.

"Look at my dark circles." Chen Nanxing pointed at himself and said.

"Didn't you sleep well last night?" Xu Hongdou asked with concern.

Chen Nanxing laughed angrily, "Don't you know that we are separated by a wall, and wooden structures are not very soundproof?"

Xu Hongdou's face instantly turned red with shame. She was so annoyed by Chen Mo last night that she forgot to be quieter.

"I heard it from the corner." Chen Nanxing sighed and shook his head.

Xu Hongdou covered her face with her hands, feeling extremely embarrassed.

After a while, Xu Hongdou recovered and pretended nothing happened, eating breakfast calmly.

As long as I'm not embarrassed, it's not me who's embarrassed.

Chen Nanxing looked at Xu Hongdou's face carefully.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" Xu Hongdou asked uncomfortably.

"No wonder your skin condition is getting better and better, it seems that it's different when irrigated with someone else." Chen Nanxing sighed.

"You want to die?" Xu Hongdou blocked Chen Nanxing's mouth with a bun in shame and anger.

Chen Nanxing took a bite nonchalantly, his eyes still full of teasing.

After Chen Mo and Ma Ye finished practicing Ba Duan Jin, they sat down to drink tea.

"How long has Master Ma been here?"

Chen Mo picked up the teacup, blew on it gently, and took a sip.

"Less than a year." Master Ma half-closed his eyes and savoured the fragrance of tea.

"Why are you here?"

“Get away from the hustle and bustle.”

"Just meditating here all the time?"

“Sitting in meditation allows you to observe your inner self.”

"Then did you see clearly?" Master Ma was silent for a long time, then sighed, "I am ashamed."

Chen Mo nodded without asking any more questions.

"Crackle—"

After a string of lively firecrackers, a piece of red cloth was removed, revealing the sign of "Tiangongfang".

The wood carving workshop was renovated and reopened.

Chen Mo was invited by Xie Xiaoxia to witness it.

After Xie Xiaoxia returned from one of her escapes, Xie Heshun, the state-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor of the wood carving workshop, finally changed his conservative prejudice and looked for new ways out for his apprentices.

Before, the master craftsmen in the village didn’t have so much work, so Xie Heshun’s apprentices would leave one today and one tomorrow.

Xie Zhiyao proposed to help Xie Heshun with online publicity, and Xie Xiaoxia also tried live streaming the carving herself, but they were both considered by Xie Heshun to be pretentious and sensational.

But after learning that Xie Xiaoxia, the apprentice he had taught for the longest time, also wanted to go to Shanghai to find another way out, Xie Heshun could no longer sit still.

Although Xie Xiaoxia came back in the end, Xie Heshun knew that he couldn't go on like this.

The old path is getting narrower and narrower. Apprentices cannot make money after learning the skills and cannot support their families. Who can continue to learn?
With the help of Xie Zhiyao, Xie Heshun began to accept and try new ways of doing business.

Strengthen personal brand, conduct short video publicity and online promotion, change single store sales, and open up tourists to experience wood carving.

"Brother Mo." Xie Xiaoxia swept away her previous depression and became full of energy.

"Xiaoxia, congratulations." Chen Mo said with a smile.

"Last time I talked about this, I didn't expect the woodcarving workshop to see changes and turnarounds so soon."

"Hehe, I don't know if it will work yet." Xie Xiaoxia touched his head.

"Master Xie's craftsmanship is here, and the wine is not far away, so there will be people who know the quality of the wine."

Chen Mo also felt a little emotional. When people have hope, their spirit and energy are different.

"Yeah." Xie Xiaoxia nodded heavily.

The night is deep and the moon is bright, the evening breeze is cool.

After Chen Mo and Ma Ye met for tea, Ma Ye invited Chen Mo to try the "Shiti" rice noodles he made, which was taken from the meaning of "a horse stumbling".

While waiting, Chen Mo saw Da Mai also strolling downstairs, "Da Mai."

"Brother Mo, Master Ma, you guys haven't slept yet?" Damai opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water.

"Uncle Ma is making fried rice noodles. I'll have some for a midnight snack." Chen Mo said with a smile.

Hearing the voice, Master Ma turned around and invited, "Da Mai, would you like to eat?"

Da Mai thought about it and nodded, "Okay, thank you, Master Ma."

"Sit for a while." Master Ma smiled.

Da Mai came to Chen Mo's table and sat down.

"What's wrong, Barley, you look listless?"

"I can't write anything." Barley was depressed.

"No inspiration?" Chen Mo asked.

Barley sighed deeply, "I have long lost inspiration for this story. Now I just have to rely on perseverance and burning passion."

"Inspiration is something that no one can explain, including yourself." Chen Mo shook his head.

"You're just putting too much pressure on yourself right now."

Barley nodded tiredly, "Maybe."

“Barley, how long have you been writing?”

Da Mai thought for a moment and said, "I have been writing full-time since my senior year."

“Have you been inspired since you first started writing?”

Da Mai smiled and said, "I was young back then, and it was no problem for me to write 10,000 or 20,000 words a day."

"now what?"

"Now that I have accumulated experience, my skills have matured, and my writing style has improved a lot, but I can't write as much anymore."

"why?"

Da Mai thought about it seriously and said, "Maybe at the beginning, I just wanted to express my thoughts. At that time, I was still in school and had no pressure in life. I just wrote."

"Now I have to afford to live."

"The poor number of subscriptions, the large amount of plagiarized articles, the bad reviews from readers, and the lack of support from my family are like a mountain of stones, weighing me down to the point where I can't breathe."

Barley said this with a self-deprecating smile.

"The last reason is the most crucial one." Chen Mo said.

Da Mai was stunned when he heard this, obviously a little surprised.

"You forgot that I am also a creator." Chen Mo said with a smile.

"Since you have been writing for so many years, the reasons you mentioned above should have become commonplace by now."

"These things may make you feel distressed for a while, but you may forget about them after a while. Only the opinions of those close to you are hard to let go."

"Well, my dad is a teacher, and he wants me to go back to my hometown and be a teacher as well." Damai sighed.

“Da Mai, if you keep your head down and follow in your parents’ footsteps, you will never find a new way.” Uncle Ma came out with a plate.

Chen Mo stood up to get the dishes and chopsticks. Damai wanted to help, but Chen Mo gestured for her to just sit down.

"The road you choose may be full of thorns, but after passing through the thorny jungle, there may be flowers everywhere," said Ma Ye.

"Master Ma, will there really be a flowery road?" Da Mai said with longing in his eyes.

Seeing the look in Damai's eyes, Ma Ye did not answer, but said: "Let's eat first. There are some things that we can talk about after we are full."

"Eat first, Barley. You won't even have the energy to be sad when you're hungry." Chen Mo distributed bowls and chopsticks.

Barley nodded upon hearing this.

Ma Ye’s cooking skills are pretty good, and the three of them ate quietly.

After eating, Master Ma made another pot of tea.

"Big Barley, let's get back to the question."

"What's the problem?" Da Mai was a little confused, obviously he had forgotten it after dinner.

"Master Ma wants to talk to you about the flower road."

Chen Mo couldn't help but smile. As long as he could eat and sleep, there would be no big problem.

"Oh, yes, the flower road." Barley reacted.

Master Ma shook his head and said, "This flower path may not exist."

Da Mai's eyes dimmed a lot after hearing this.

In fact, she had guessed it even though Mr. Ma didn't say it directly, but when she really heard it, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Ma Ye thought for a moment and said, "Let me tell you a story about a friend of mine."

After hearing this opening, Chen Mo silently drank a sip of tea.

"My friend started a business a few years ago and is doing very well. He has luxury cars and villas, everything."

"He was so crazy at the time, as if there was nothing in the world he couldn't do."

"Then what?" Damai asked.

"Then, I suffered a huge setback and lost all my previous earnings. Everything went back to square one. All these years of hard work were in vain." There was sarcasm in Master Ma's tone.

"What happened next?"

"Later, I just sat there all day and did nothing."

"Giving up on yourself?"

"That's not the case. He is just suppressing his eager desire to start a business." There was a hint of eagerness in Ma Ye's tone.

"Still want to start a business?" Damai was a little surprised.

Chen Mo also raised his eyebrows when he heard this.

"That's right." Master Ma smiled.

“Do you know what my friend’s parents said to my friend?”

"what?"

"They said that even begging is better than doing this."

After Master Ma finished speaking, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Really?" Da Mai was also amused by this.

Chen Mo looked at the two of them, one joke, two smiles.

Some people think this is just a joke; some people know that this is really a joke.

(End of this chapter)