By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 28 Carving Skills

The ground was steaming with white, sweltering heat.

The cicadas' chirping was heart-wrenching, the leaves were wilting and curling up, and Li Younan and Huang Xiaoyang walked along the shadows of the wall, their undershirts stained with dark salt.

To be honest, taking a walk along the lakeside in this kind of weather, even walking to the middle of the lake and back, sounds leisurely, but it's actually anything but pleasant. At least for Li Younan, this trip didn't bring the same leisurely feeling as before.

But there's nothing we can do now, since we're already here...

"Since we're already here," what a frustratingly common phrase. It's the gentlest form of blackmail, a sugar-coated bullet in the world of bitter literature.

Of course, Li Younan wasn't incapable of enduring this little hardship. Besides, what he was doing right now was extremely meaningful to him. He glanced at his smartwatch; it showed over 15000 steps, and if he walked back, he would easily surpass 2.

Compared to himself, Huang Xiaoyang was suffering even more. Li Younan secretly glanced at Huang Xiaoyang; Huang Xiaoyang's forehead was also covered in sweat, and sweat stains were visible under his armpits and on his back. At least he could get a reward for completing the task, while Huang Xiaoyang was just suffering along with him.

But Huang Xiaoyang didn't ask questions like "Why are you taking a walk in this kind of weather?" He just followed silently.

Li Younan stopped and said, "Let's go back."

Huang Xiaoyang nodded and asked casually, "By the way, I also heard that you broke up with your boyfriend."

Li Younan rolled her eyes: "You're even more gossipy than those infatuated girls in our class."

Huang Xiaoyang ignored the sarcasm in Li Younan's words and said to himself, "I know, it must be the other party's fault."

Li Younan found it somewhat amusing: "How can you be so certain?"

Huang Xiaoyang took out a tissue from his pocket and slowly wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Personality."

"Your personality is the best I've ever met."

"If it's not your problem, then it's the other person's problem."

"That's fine too. Your girlfriend really isn't good enough for you."

Li Younan paused for a moment, avoided Huang Xiaoyang's gaze, and said to himself, "Heh..."

He quickened his pace.

Watching Li Younan leave, a barely perceptible smile appeared on Huang Xiaoyang's lips. "But there's still a problem."

Li Younan turned around: "What's the problem?"

Huang Xiaoyang squinted at the not-so-clear blue sky, the sun scorching his face: "Why did you choose this time for a walk?"

Li Younan patted Huang Xiaoyang on the shoulder and said in a serious tone, "You've never experienced this before, have you?"

Of course, I can't say, "Huang Xiaoyang, you're a huge victim. This is pure torture for you, but it's different for me. I get a reward for being tortured."

After finishing his sentence, Li Younan left with a dashing back view and continued walking forward.

Huang Xiaoyang stood there stunned for a moment, then lowered his head deeply, seemingly understanding something, and murmured, "Is that so..."

Huang Xiaoyang thought that Li Younan meant that this was not a poetic stroll, but a real living experience of physical suffering.

The scorching heat unexpectedly became a mirror, revealing the carefully constructed comfort cocoons of daily life—it turns out that many people have never truly felt the pulse of summer.

The true dimensions of this land were suddenly revealed to me amidst the torment.

Huang Xiaoyang suddenly felt that Li Younan was now a philosopher.

……

[Check-in complete!]

[Random reward...]

[Sculpting Skill +1] To be honest, Li Younan had some regrets. What he most wanted to acquire right now was driving skill. Driving skills were essential for traveling all over the country and crossing major rivers.

At this point, his driving skills can only be described as being able to drive.

However, there was one skill that Li Younan found quite interesting.

Earlier, while scrolling through short videos, he came across a video about jade carving. Craftsmen sculpt raw jade into various meaningful shapes, which is also a form of art. Li Younan has always liked things that can capture emotions, like photography.

Now that he has this carving skill, perhaps one day he will drive to places like Yunnan, buy a piece of jade, and carve it into a beautiful gift according to his own wishes to give to someone important.

His first thought was of his mother.

I want to carve a gift for my mom that will move her to tears in the future.

As the saying goes, once you have a hammer, you start frantically searching for the nail. Li Younan suddenly remembered that Huang Xiaoyang's family seemed to own a jade shop. He thought that it wouldn't be difficult to ask this young master for a piece of jade to practice on at his family's shop.

But to Li Younan's surprise, before he could even speak, Huang Xiaoyang had something to say. They had just arrived at the entrance of a teahouse. Huang Xiaoyang said, "Let's go in and rest for a while. There's something I'd like to tell you."

Li Younan nodded.

The teahouses near West Lake are quite different from those in the Sichuan and Chongqing region. Teahouses are primarily for leisure and entertainment, bustling with the sounds of mahjong and laughter – a lively atmosphere. These teahouses, on the other hand, are quite quiet and serene. Most of the space is made of wood, even the chairs are made of bamboo and wood; there are no sofas. The private rooms are mostly occupied by business people, but no one makes a loud noise. Sitting here drinking tea evokes a strange sense of calm, and even a touch of austerity, much like the scene described in the poem "The Humble Abode."

Li Younan couldn't help but sigh. No wonder people in the Jianghuai region are good at doing business. They spend all day in teahouses like this. Even if they are worth millions, they always feel like they have nothing and are single-mindedly focused on getting rich.

Huang Xiaoyang said, "There's something I wanted to tell you."

Li Younan took a sip of tea and nodded.

"Do you still remember Yang Manman?" Huang Xiaoyang asked.

Li Younan looked somewhat dazed, trying to search his memory for any recollection of the name. After a moment, he frowned and shook his head: "Who is she?"

Huang Xiaoyang was somewhat surprised: "So you've forgotten about her?" He took something out of his bag, placed it on the table, and pushed it over. It was a jade carving.

Li Younan's eyes lit up.

Having mastered carving skills, Li Younan also gained a wealth of knowledge about jade, and he immediately recognized it as a piece of Lantian jade. Jade of this size and quality would typically cost around a thousand yuan. However, what puzzled Li Younan was that the jade was carved with a figure of a person playing basketball.

Huang Xiaoyang said casually, "This was carved by Yang Manman when she asked me to have it carved by the craftsman in my family."

Li Younan suddenly realized something: "This thing isn't a gift for Wang Yue, is it?"

Wang Yue is the younger brother of Li Younan that Huang Xiaoyang mentioned.

Huang Xiaoyang nodded.

Li Younan paused for a moment, then roughly pieced together the whole story in her mind: "You mean, the girl Wang Yue likes has a new relationship, and Yang Manman is going to give this to Wang Yue?"

Huang Xiaoyang calmly took a sip of tea, nodded, and shrugged: "That's how it is, a complicated love triangle. I thought you remembered Yang Manman, the girl who used to watch basketball games from the sidelines, the one who was short and wore thick glasses... She doesn't wear glasses anymore, and she's become prettier."

Li Younan was speechless: "I thought she was after you, but I didn't expect she was after Wang Yue."

Huang Xiaoyang said, "I only learned that Yang Manman came to Lin'an City because of Wang Yue when she contacted me."

Li Younan fell into deep thought after listening. He stared at the jade carving on the table, then suddenly gave a strange smile: "Could I borrow your jade carving equipment?"

Huang Xiaoyang asked, somewhat puzzled, "What are you going to do?"

Li Younan picked up the jade and stroked it: "I know a little about carving, and I'd like to do a little more processing."

--------

P.S.: About six or seven years ago, when I went to West Lake, the weather was just like this. It wasn't fun at all. Anyone know what I mean, guys?

(End of this chapter)