No. 8 Pawnshop

In the center of the capital there is an quaint three-story building called Gunshan Diaoyu. Ordinary people can't find this place and can't get in. This is actually a studio. The owner's name is Kang Yongyu. He is a national treasure-level woodcarving master and an artist of the older generation. Reputation. It is said that a wooden sculpture of a lady fluttering butterflies that he once participated in an international exhibition is almost indistinguishable from the true and false, and even the flying butterflies landed in the ladies' hair.

The National Museum also houses many of his works. Because of the habit of inheriting the sect of teachers in the country, he also has many disciples and grandchildren, all over the country. At the age of Kang Yongyu, it can be regarded as a combination of fame and fortune, and he can enjoy peace in peace.

So in recent years, although he has never let go of his craftsmanship, he rarely sells his works, and because his works are becoming more and more ingenious, the rarer and more precious, in the market It has even been fired at sky-high prices. Many people can only find Qunshan Carved Jade here to ask for a piece of Master Kang's work only by virtue of their relationship.

Today, Kang Yongyu had just finished pointing out his little apprentice, and he caught a glimpse of a young girl sitting outside carpentry. He suddenly remembered that this Miss Ye came this morning and asked him for something He just regarded it as a request for custom-made wood carvings, and declined as usual. And that Miss Ye didn't get angry after being pushed back by him, she sat at the table outside, played with some small wood carvings, and even tried carving on her own.

The outer room and the inner room are very different. The inner room is his studio, and the outer room is mostly where his apprentices practice their hands, and the ones on the table are also small The stuff is the work of Kang Yongyu's apprentice Sun Lianshu.

It is not uncommon for guests to try to carve something by themselves. Kang Yongyu won't drive them away. After all, the people who can find it here are not ordinary people. Kang Yongyu doesn't care about these worldly relationships, but he still has sons and daughters-in-law after all.

He didn't think that Miss Ye would be able to sit for a long time, not to mention that it would take half a day to carve a gadget, even the hand with thin skin and tender meat couldn't hold a carving knife for long.

Kang Yongyu guessed wrong this time. The lady Ye sat there from morning to afternoon, and did not leave to eat in the middle. An apprentice kindly greeted her and told her what restaurants were nearby The restaurant was also declined by her smile.

If he came here for a piece of woodcarving, it would be considered sincere, but he is in his 60s or 70s, but he is notoriously hard-hearted, this sincerity still cannot impress him , Kang Yongyu straightened his back, stroked his white beard, and said in his heart.

Although she thought so, Kang Yongyu couldn't help but take a look at what Miss Ye had carved out.

He was startled when he saw it, it was a small statue of a Tang Dynasty lady, but with a big palm, but with long waist and long arms, a long dress, willow eyebrows, cherry mouth, It is lifelike, only a pair of eyes remain uncarved.

Kang Yongyu is best at sculpting human figures, and he is also very enthusiastic about it. This lady's woodcarving is exactly the same as a hand-made woodcarving by Kang Yongyu on the outer wall. People will know that it is specially imitated by that woodcarving.

If you can copy to the point of copying, it is really outstanding.

"Have you studied woodcarving?" Kang Yongyu couldn't help touching his beard and said.

The Miss Ye got up from the chair, shook her head at him and smiled, "No."

This Miss Ye, who sat here all day to carve a small statue, is the owner of the No. 8 pawnshop, Ye Li.

Kang Yongyu was surprised but not surprised, a craftsman like him sees people's hands first, and this Miss Ye's hands, he saw before There is no trace of scars or cocoons, let alone learned wood carving, which is why he thinks that Miss Ye won't be able to sit here for long.

But if you haven't learned it, you can do this by imitating carving for the first time. It's probably not an ordinary talent.

Ye Li seemed to see his doubts and said gently, "I have always learned things very quickly, and I can also see others carving here."

"However," Ye Li frowned slightly and continued, "I don't have much enthusiasm for this, so imitation is just imitation."

She was right, you can never become a master like Xiang Kang Yongyu by imitation. But can it be learned in a day just by observing and imitating? This is also an amazing imitation ability.

Kang Yongyu subconsciously looked at Ye Li's hand again, there was still no trace of scars, and it was white and delicate as usual.

Ye Li also noticed the suspicious look he was looking at her hand, she suddenly laughed, raised her right hand, and smiled, "Are you wondering why my hand is not injured? ?"

"People have flesh and blood, and they are hurt by sharp weapons, but I don't. They can't hurt me." She reached out and touched the small carving knife on the edge of the table, and the blade slashed There was no trace of her fingertips.

Kang Yongyu was in shock, whether this Miss Ye was a human being, a ghost, or something else, but he quickly calmed down,

"What's your purpose?" Kang Yongyu still straightened his back, said neither panic nor panic, and didn't even think about calling his apprentices. When people came out, there was not even a sound at all. How could he not notice so many things were wrong.

Ye Li smiled slightly, with deep meaning in her eyes, "I said, my surname is Ye, I came to ask you for something."

Ye Li shook her head slightly, and did not answer immediately, but turned around and picked up the small statue of a lady on the table that she had carved before, and sighed, "Do you know why I didn't carve eyes? "

She didn't even think about listening to Master Kang's answer, and continued, "I can imitate every bit of it, but I can't give it the charm, so it's just a delicate and beautiful thing at most Crafts, but not art."

Ye Li suddenly turned to look at the old man Kang Yongyu, "But you are different. I have seen your works, the works with soul, which make people sigh as a miracle." His demeanor was full of respect and praise for him.

Kang Yongyu smiled bitterly, "My skill is barely enough to make you look good."

Ye Li didn't seem to hear what he said, his eyes fell on his wrinkled, calloused old hands, and he said with a faint doubt, "What kind of hands are these, it can almost Endow the dead with aura?"

"And I want your hands."

"You..." Kang Yongyu how could he agree, he regarded his woodcarving career as his life, and asking for his hand was equivalent to letting him die.

Ye Li said slowly, "You don't have to worry about rejecting me, I'm not asking, but changing, one thing for another, I remember your biggest regret is your two-year-old grandson. "

Kang Yongyu was suddenly speechless, his grandson, the only precious grandson of the four generations of their Kang family, his son had the root of the disease before, and he was a child in his forties. As a result, he was born with cerebral palsy. In the past few years, the family tried every means and spent a lot of money, but the treatment was not good. I think that Kang Yongyu was classified as a woodcarver master, with countless disciples and grandchildren, but in the end, the descendants could not pass it on. Involved in the Kang family incense.

Ye Li's voice sounded again, "Your son Kang Huaiyun has only this one child in his whole life, and there is no other destiny."

"Only if you are willing to **** your hands to me, I can make your grandson better and become a normal person." Ye Li's words were full of endless temptation, and he poked Kang Yong directly. Jade's heart.

What is more important than the one and only descendant?

Kang Yongyu became a lot older in an instant, he closed his eyes and said weakly, "I am willing, you can take it."

He regards wood carving as his life, but his only grandson is something more precious than life.

How can people be truly detached from the world? Because it's a symbol they feel is proof that they've lived on the earth, the endless descendants, the eternal meaning of life.

——

Kang Yongyu named his grandson Kang Yuanmu, Qingshuang carved Yuanmu.

In the underground secret room of the pawnshop No. 8, Ye Li placed a glass bottle on a wooden shelf. The transparent glass bottle contained a pair of fresh and old hands.

The victims are Tang Zexuesui and Kirihara Ryoji.