Chapter 200: Riding the Clear Wind Away, Returning Cloaked in Stars and Moon

"This boat looks about finished. Can it go in the water?" Huang Sanshi asked, chatting with Ning Fei.

Ning Fei shook his head.

"Only the frame is put together. The seams definitely aren't waterproof yet."

At that moment, the director's camera for Yearning 6 cut to Ning Fei.

Lately, the directors had discovered that Ning Fei was basically the ratings cheat code for Yearning 6.

Background data provided by the analytics team showed that whenever Ning Fei appeared on screen, the Production Crew's viewership and live-comment interaction rates spiked in a clear upward curve.

To run a successful variety show, the directors had to pay attention to what the netizens liked.

Without a doubt, Ning Fei was exactly what the netizens liked.

Head director Chen Zhou had even contacted Ning Fei again recently, offering a very high salary to get him to join the cast, but Ning Fei still turned him down.

While most of the program focused on rural life, a large portion of it still consisted of celebrities sitting around a table chatting.

To Ning Fei, listening to a bunch of big stars chat wasn't nearly as fulfilling as teasing Little Dog for a while.

Ning Fei used bricks and wooden planks to build a raised platform, then flipped the wooden boat upside down onto it.

The boat's shape was excellent. The overall design was streamlined, its ends curving upward like a crescent moon. The hull was flat, supported in the middle by two sturdy crossbeams.

"Next, I'm moving on to the following step, which is a very crucial one."

Ning Fei explained this to the viewers in his live stream.

Huang Sanshi and Peng Xiaochang stood to the side, watching quietly.

The older man and the younger man both felt this was a scene they absolutely couldn't miss.

It was the exact same logic as grown men stopping by the side of the road to watch an excavator demolish a house or dig a ditch.

Men were always interested in oversized toys.

"In traditional boat building, this step is called hemp packing."

"The process involves taking rolled hemp fibers, placing them over the seams of the boat, and carefully tapping them in bit by bit."

"This step is also known as caulking. You mix a bit of oil-lime into the hemp fibers to create a much better seal."

Ning Fei picked up some of his prepared hemp fibers and spread them out evenly into a long line over the seams.

Watching this, a netizen going by the username 'Shipbuilding Wu Yanzu' commented:

"The streamer actually knows about hemp packing and caulking. So professional!"

"I've seen hemp packing done on large wooden ships before. Over a dozen workers stand on the hull, tapping the hemp in bit by bit. That was truly spectacular."

"But fewer and fewer people know this craft nowadays."

Off to the side, Huang Sanshi also sighed in amazement.

"Every single traditional craft in Huaxia contains its own unique techniques, some of which still can't be replicated by modern technology."

Ning Fei took out a hammer and a chisel. Lining them up with the boat's seams, he gently tapped the hemp fibers in.

The hemp looked like a fluffy, tangled mess, but once hammered into place, it became incredibly compact.

It filled the gaps entirely.

Slowly and meticulously, Ning Fei caulked every seam with hemp to prevent the hull from leaking.

Tap, tap, tap!

He hammered away bit by bit, his movements steady, powerful, and striking to watch.

While the viewers in Ning Fei's live stream were already well accustomed to scenes like this and happily enjoyed the show, the audience watching Yearning 6 was stunned.

"This is so weird. I'm actually finding it incredibly interesting just watching this Daoist priest work."

"It's so relaxing. Truly magical!"

"The visuals are stunning."

"It mostly comes down to his face. A handsome guy looks good doing anything!"

"It's more than that. Everyone has aesthetic fatigue nowadays, but almost no one can compare to Temple Master Ning's aura."

"I really love this streamer."

"As soon as Yearning 6 is over, I'm going straight to his live stream!"

"Same here!"

Ning Fei continued his caulking with single-minded focus.

Once the caulking was done, he took a putty knife and scraped every single seam perfectly smooth.

"All right, the caulking is finished. The only thing left is oiling."

"The oiling process is divided into three stages: applying the base coat, applying the topcoat, and sun-drying the final coat. Oiling a wooden boat extends its lifespan significantly."

"If it gets oiled once a year, a wooden boat can easily last fifty to sixty years."

Ning Fei looked over his handiwork with deep satisfaction.

The finer details of the wooden boat had turned out beautifully.

After a moment of thought, he decided to add a little more artistry before applying the oil.

He fetched his engraving files and carving knives, and etched two moderately sized characters onto the hull:

Chengfeng.

This wooden boat would be named Chengfeng.

"Chengfeng. That's a good name," Huang Sanshi praised as he watched him carve the characters.

Ning Fei offered a brief explanation.

"Riding the clear wind away, returning cloaked in stars and moon."

"So, it's called Chengfeng."

Afterward, he carved a few decorative patterns along the gunwales.

If building the boat had made him look like a meticulous craftsman, then right now, he was every bit an artist putting the finishing touches on a masterpiece.

The patterns he carved were exquisite, the lines crisp, clear, and breathtakingly beautiful.

Next came the oiling.

Oiling was a slow and patient process. He had to wait for the first coat to dry completely before applying the second.

Some things simply needed a good coat of oil to stay sturdy for a long time.

Ning Fei applied the initial base coat, instantly giving the small wooden boat a glossy sheen.

By now, it was almost 11:00 AM.

Huang Sanshi had already headed back to prepare, but Zhang Xiaofeng came running over to hang out.

Today's guest wouldn't arrive until the evening, so the cast had nothing going on at the moment and were enjoying a rather leisurely morning.

Every episode's guest would stay at Mushroom House for two or three days to experience rural life—chatting, doing chores, and showing off the beautiful side of farm living.

"This boat is gorgeous!" Zhang Xiaofeng exclaimed in pleasant surprise when she saw it.

"It's all right," Ning Fei replied with a smiling nod. He thought the boat looked fantastic too, but he still had to maintain a modicum of modesty.

"Temple Master, when can this boat go in the water?"

"It needs to air dry. Today and tomorrow should be enough time, so it'll be ready the day after tomorrow."

Peng Xiaochang chimed in with a question of his own. "Temple Master, where are you planning to put the boat? I heard from the Production Crew that there are quite a few lakes in the mountains, and we're planning to find one to film a boating segment."

Ning Fei smiled, a thought seemingly coming to mind. "South Lake, I suppose. It's quite spacious."

South Lake was located past South Village, deeper into the mountains. Normally, getting there required a massive detour, making it quite a long trek.

But for Ning Fei, all he had to do was go out the back gate, cut through the woods, and cross the mountain behind the temple. South Lake was right on the other side of that small mountain.

Walking there from Qingfeng Temple only took about half an hour.

"The lake to the south? It sounds like we might be heading to the exact same place," Peng Xiaochang said, his face lighting up with joy.

"Is that so?" Ning Fei just smiled.

"Temple Master, aren't you going to make oars? The boats I saw the directors buy all had massive oars," Peng Xiaochang asked again. He seemed curious about absolutely everything—a little naive, perhaps, but endearingly genuine.

"You can use oars on a wooden boat like this, but I'll be using a punt pole."

"A punt pole is basically a long bamboo stick. It lets you propel the boat while standing up, and it actually makes the boat move much faster," Ning Fei explained.

If someone was navigating a wooden boat alone, a punt pole was indeed the better option—not to mention, it looked far more elegant.

After chatting with them for a few more minutes, Ning Fei returned to Qingfeng Temple to prepare lunch.

Rural cooking often relied on ingredients that were already prepped and ready to go, making the cooking process remarkably fast.

With enough preparation, a typical nongjiale chef could whip up seven or eight farmhouse dishes in just ten minutes.

It took Ning Fei even less time to breeze through cooking his meal.

Back inside Qingfeng Temple, Ning Fei picked up the package Da Huang had fetched and tore it open. Inside was a brand new Luo Xiaohei plush toy.

Seeing the toy, Little Fox immediately trotted over with keen interest, letting out a couple of soft yips.

"This is for Little Dog. You already have one."

"I've bought you so many plushies already. Just let him have this one."

Seeing her reaction, Ning Fei gave her a pet and smiled helplessly.

Little Fox's nest was exquisite. It was a spacious little house featuring a bed made of folded blankets and several smaller fox plushies scattered around.

Sometimes when she curled up among the toys, anyone who didn't know better would be hard-pressed to tell the real fox from the plushies.

Right then, Little Dog came bounding over, his tail wagging furiously.

Ning Fei handed the Luo Xiaohei over. Little Dog happily snatched it up in his jaws, trotted back to his own bed, and began gleefully ravaging it.

"If you want another one, I'll buy it for you."

Seeing Little Fox's slightly wronged expression, Ning Fei scooped her up into his arms and spoke in a gentle, coaxing tone.