Chapter 47: Removing Trees from Rivers (Middle)

  After being shocked, Hua Ping pouted and said: "A cooked duck's mouth is hard to open, isn't this still using Miss's method?"

  Miss Yin shook her head slightly and said, "It should be different from now on." Seeing Shen Mo not preparing to use any other tools to assist, she suddenly had an epiphany, her eyes cast down, and she sighed softly, saying, "So it's that simple, why didn't I think of it..."

  "What's going on?" Hua Ping asked again.

  Miss Yin gently opened her vermilion lips and slowly said four words: "From the inside out..."

  When the splash fell, the river surface returned to calmness, and people only then saw that the cut tree trunk had long been tied with ropes at the stern of the fast boat. The old captain was loudly shouting orders, directing the sailors to row the boat to the shore and pull the tree trunk away from the river course.

  Everyone's attention quickly shifted away from the ship and wood, back to its original position... The big tree was gone, but a large stump still protruded above the water.

  The Wang Lao Hu on the big ship said loudly: "It's more dangerous to cut off the light and make it a hidden stake."

  He smiled silently and didn't answer, but instead instructed the carpenters: "Everyone, let's get to work!"

  A kind attitude makes people feel like a spring breeze, and the craftsmen responded in unison: "Good!" Being able to solve the difficult problem that has plagued Feng Zejiang for decades with the simplest method under the gaze of thousands of people is an achievement that can be boasted about for life. How can they not be motivated?

  The workmen formed a circle, one foot on the foothold and the other on the trunk of the tree, raised their axes high, exerted all their strength, and struck down at the heart of the tree with a loud crash...

  Seeing this scene, those with slightly more discerning eyes already understood and made gestures of sudden realization, nodding repeatedly while pounding their chest and stamping their feet: "It's so simple, how come I didn't think of it?"

  But most people were still confused and asked: "What's going on?" Those who knew the story explained with a smile: "Originally, everyone thought of taking it from the outside, but the water is deep and rapid, how can we cut it down?" They sighed and said: "But Shen Gongzi took a different approach, starting from the heart of the tree, hollowing out the trunk from the inside out, just like digging a big barrel, where you don't have to worry about being flooded!"

  "It's that simple!" On a painted barge, the Lu County Magistrate, dressed in casual clothes, slapped his thigh heavily and said: "But it has troubled me for dozens of years in Shanyin!"

  Magistrate Li, wearing a wide robe with large sleeves, stroked his mustache and smiled: "Have you not heard that great perfection appears incomplete, great skill appears clumsy? The simpler the method, the less simple it is."

  The county magistrate originally wanted to refute, but others were helping his own county. If he said more sarcastic words, it would be unbecoming of a human being. He was somewhat embarrassed and said: "It seems that I underestimated this kid earlier."

  "Is that so?" Magistrate Li's whiskers all stood on end, and he said with a self-satisfied smile: "When I first laid eyes on him, I thought to myself that he might be no worse than your Xu Wenchang."

  "That's impossible!" County Magistrate Lü shook his head repeatedly, "I admit that you're a formidable young man, but at most you're just a talented individual. But our Xu Wei is a genius among geniuses."

  "How would you know if you haven't compared?" County Magistrate Li sneered: "Maybe one comparison will reveal the truth!"

  "You're showing your ignorance!" Magistrate Lü thundered: "A young whippersnapper like you dares to compare himself with the renowned Xu Wenqing?"

  "Then let's have a try!" County Magistrate Li's eyes sparkled with excitement.

  "Good... a head." County Magistrate Lü was about to agree, but suddenly reacted and said: "Want to borrow our Xu Wei to raise the price? No way!"

  Magistrate Li saw that his abacus had been seen through and didn't even blush as he said: "I suppose it's not worth comparing..."

  "It's beneath me..." The endless bickering started again.

  While they were arguing over there, Shen Mo was also proceeding with his own matters in full swing...

  At first, Shen Mo was worried that the wood of this big tree would be too hard and could not be hollowed out from the inside. However, an experienced carpenter told him that since this tree is hundreds of years old and grew in water, its heartwood should be relatively soft and it's possible for it to be rotten or hollow.

  As expected, when the first axe went down, the entire axe head sank into the tree trunk. The carpenters laughed and said: "Young master, don't worry about it anymore! This tree has hard skin but a soft heart, it's really not worth working with!" Someone else laughed and said: "How come we didn't think of starting from the inside? What a waste of our skills!"

  Shenmo smiled as if relieved of a heavy burden: "If only this harm can be eliminated, nothing else is expected."

  He also instructed the carpenters to fasten their safety belts, so that if they fell, they could be rescued quickly. Only then did he encourage them: "Go ahead and do it!"

  The remaining work was very simple, and the carpenters quickly hollowed out the already rotten wood core. Then they cut down segment by segment of wood from the inside to the outside with a saw and threw them into the water.

  For these experienced carpenters, there was no simpler task. When the outer wall of the tree trunk was still more than seven inches thick, an old craftsman said: "Young master, we can't hollow it out any further. If we do, this layer of bark won't be able to support us and we'll be in danger."

  "Alright, let's call it a day."

  Seeing Shen Mo making a gesture, Shen Jing came over and took them aboard. Wang Lao Hu's big boat also drew near, and he laughed loudly: "Young Master Shen, I must say I'm impressed! What seemed like such a difficult task to us, you've solved so easily."

  "It's not done yet, we need to use the boat to smash this empty tree trunk to finish it off." Shen Mo smiled and said: "We still need to trouble the great official for one last time." It was clear that they were giving Wang Laohu and Hu Touhui a bit of face.

  Wang Gui asked for it but couldn't get it, and didn't want to agree immediately, so he pretended to decline, saying: "How can this be?"

  "Our boat is small and we're afraid of accidents." Shen Mo silently made up an excuse and returned the ball to him.

  "That's enough of your impertinence." Wang Gui bowed his hands and said, "Wait until I completely eliminate this scourge, then I will thank you properly, young master."

  "It's urgent." Shen Mo smiled slightly and said, "The official can go now."

  Two ships sailed in opposite directions, both far away from the empty tree stump. Seeing each other disappear into the distance, Shen Jing said discontentedly: "We've been busy from start to finish, why should we let him have the last move?"

  He shook his head slightly and said in a low voice, "These people who have mixed up the Tao, the most important thing is to save face. We've already won two games against him, and he's also promised to return our eldest son. If we don't even give him this little bit of face, then this knot can't be untied."

  "Are we not going to avenge ourselves?" Shen Jing rolled his eyes and said, "The Tiger Head Gang will beat up your father, take away your eldest son, and that's it?"

  "Remember, we are civilized people. Do you know what distinguishes civilized people from barbarians?"

  "What's the difference?" Shen Jing had already gotten used to listening.

  "The barbarian takes revenge immediately, making everyone feel his brutality; the civilized person takes revenge later, making everyone think he is civilized." Shen Mo said quietly: "Whether it's the writing master or the thug of the day, I won't let them off."

  Shen Jing felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't dare to believe that a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy could say such things. Was this guy really a monster?

  As they spoke, the mighty ship of the Tiger Head Society charged forward with a loud crash, shaking violently as it crushed over the tree trunk and sped past in an instant.

  After the big ship passed by, pieces of wood stuck to tree bark floated up on the water's surface, and the problem that had troubled the river for decades was thoroughly solved.