Kong Xuan said, "I also want to learn."

This craft definitely couldn't be learned just by watching. He manifested a substitute body, wanting to learn the craft in human form.

"What do you want to learn this for?" Tan Xiao asked, puzzled, "Who are you going to mend masks for?"

Kong Xuan hesitated for a moment and said, "Who said it has to be masks..."

If not masks, then what was he mending? Seeing that he still wouldn't say, Tan Xiao laughed, "Never mind if you won't say. Then come and try to learn, and see if you can mend the thing you want to mend."

On the holiday morning, Kong Xuan solemnly went out first, walking a bit further in a pretentious manner, then walked all the way back and knocked on the door, pretending to be Tan Xiao's classmate coming to visit. As a result, when the door opened, he saw a whole set of film crew inside.

"Mom, this is my classmate Kong Xuan. Kong Xuan, these teachers are filming a documentary." Tan Xiao introduced Kong Xuan with a straight face.

These were from the filming crew of "The Great Shaman". Since it had been confirmed that the filming of the shaman's work would be one of the main characters in the Chu Shaman episode, the director of the Chu Shaman episode, Zhu Yixin, had also visited in person and chatted online many times to determine the filming tone.

As it happened that Tan Chunying had work to do today, they came over, set up the equipment and started. Tan Xiao didn't even know they were coming today, but anyway, they wouldn't interfere and would just silently film.

Tan Xiao was no stranger to the camera, but today he happened to run into Kong Xuan coming.

Kong Xuan was silent for a moment, then called out to Tan Chunying in front of the camera, "Hello, Auntie."

Tan Chunying unabashedly pointed at Kong Xuan and introduced him to Zhu Yixin, "This is my son's classmate. He often comes to watch our activities out of admiration. The shaman culture has also attracted a considerable number of young people. He is quite in awe of my son, so just now Tan Xiao also said, his classmate wants to come and learn."

Kong Xuan folded his arms and said nothing. As long as he didn't speak, his proud appearance always seemed a bit unhappy.

Zhu Yixin was a little suspicious, "Oh oh, is that so?"

Tan Chunying pointed at Kong Xuan's keychain, "This is our family's merchandise. You see how much he likes it."

Kong Xuan: "..."

The camera pans over Kong Xuan's keychain and face, using cinematic language to convey: after being revamped, the traditional Chu shaman culture has captured public attention and even become a fashionable item.

Zhu Yixin nodded, "Haha, okay, so this classmate, you too - once we officially start filming, just ignore us, pretend we don't exist."

Kong Xuan slowly said, "You can also pretend I don't exist..."

Pointing at the tools in the courtyard and seeing how good-looking Kong Xuan is, Tan Chunying jokingly said, "Little Kong, right? Do you know, the secret skills of this wood repair tool, our family doesn't pass it on to outsiders. If a boy wants to learn, he has to marry into our family as a live-in son-in-law."

Kong Xuan: "!!"

"But you're in luck, those are all old rules." Tan Chunying said with a smile, "Come on, you two young men, guess what I'm going to use for the demonstration today?"

"Your family doesn't have a daughter..." Kong Xuan was still dwelling on the previous topic.

"That's right, so I was just joking." Tan Chunying replied. She stares at Kong Xuan for two seconds, thinking to herself that although Tan Xiao's classmate was good-looking, he was quite dense. "Alright, look at this."

Kong Xuan glanced at it, "This is a boat."

An old boat, made of fir wood.

"Yes, this is the hull for the dragon boat our district team will use in next month's Dragon Boat Festival race." Tan Chunying introduced, "You should have seen it when you were little, right? But Nanchu hasn't held dragon boat races for many years, only restarting it this year. Hopefully it won't rain then. Not afraid of ghosts during the Ghost Festival, just afraid of water during the Dragon Boat Festival."

Dragon boat racing during the Dragon Boat Festival has a long tradition everywhere. Nanchu's dragon boat races used to be very lively in the past, but later, due to safety, organizational issues, and young people's lack of participation, the government didn't hold it for many years.

Even folk-organized events were strictly regulated, fearing adverse incidents, especially as the Dragon Boat Festival often sees heavy rains, raising drowning concerns.

In recent years, with the revival of folk culture and emphasis on tourism, the Nanchu government has resurrected the dragon boat race.

"Oh, the Dragon Boat Festival." Kong Xuan has heard of this holiday.

Tan Xiao deliberately spoke up to provide context for Kong Xuan, "The Dragon Boat Festival has many origins. To mention the most widely circulated one now, it's to commemorate Qu Yuan. As Qu Yuan's homeland, the Chu region's dragon boat races are very popular. The drumming is nonstop throughout May.

"Usually one or two months before the race, each dragon boat team starts preparing their boats. Dragon boats are only used during races and stored away otherwise. This boat has been used for many years and repaired many times. And before launching, a ritual master must be invited to conduct rites."

There are specialized dragon boat manufacturers and master shipwrights. The storage methods for dragon boats also vary. For example, if a dragon boat is made of Belian wood*, it's stored by sinking it in water, called "dragon returning to its home". It's raised from the water when needed.

*T/N: A type of hardwood known for its extreme durability.

But their old district's dragon boats are made of fir, so dry storage suffices. The hull has some minor damage, but the master who originally built the boat has long passed away, and his descendants have changed professions. The dragon boat team elders sent it to Tan Chunying.

Compared to some new masters or new dragon boat materials, they trust Tan Chunying's craftsmanship more. More importantly, they will ask her to perform rituals later.

"There used to be a custom of going to make offerings to Qu Yuan before the Dragon Boat Festival. Some schools would also organize students to go together. Little Kong, have you been?" Tan Chunying asked casually.

Qu Yuan was once in charge of ancestral temple rites. Hearing this, Kong Xuan pondered, "Right, seems he did come to make offerings, I have a vague impression."

Made offerings to my mom.

Tan Xiao: "..."

Looking at the boat, Kong Xuan didn't see anything dragon-related. "Where's the dragon?"

"The dragon heads are all stored in temples and can be hundreds of years old, even older than the hull. Actually, we in Nanchu are more traditional in this regard. When we say dragon head, it's not necessarily a dragon." Tan Chunying listened and felt this Little Kong didn't even know the local characteristics. "Little Kong, are you from out of town?"

"?" Kong Xuan said, "My family has lived in the Chu region since the beginning of time, but I have been away."

Tan Xiao silently facepalmed.

"Beginning of time, haha, then that's right, you must not have been here when you were little." Tan Chunying understood. "Tan Xiao, explain it to your classmate."

"...It's because in ancient times, besides dragon boats, another mainstream racing boat was actually the bird boat, especially the phoenix among birds. Since the Chu region reveres the phoenix, phoenix boats were common. Some used qilin. Seems neighboring towns even used tigers. But nowadays, due to how it has spread, people generally call them all dragon boats."

Hearing there are phoenix boats, Kong Xuan nods, "That's more like it."

"What do you mean that's more like it? Seems you support diversity in dragon boats," Tan Chunying says happily, "Later, don't touch things randomly. There are legends of dragon boats being borrowed by the water god and mysteriously disappearing, transporting people and boat through time."

"What's transporting through time?" Kong Xuan just asked when Tan Xiao interrupted him.

"Mom, stop scaring people." Tan Xiao was afraid Kong Xuan would say too much and reveal something. "Now if the water god wants to borrow, it wouldn't borrow our district's boat. I heard several teams aren't restoring old boats anymore and directly ordering fiberglass dragon boats."

"What?" Tan Chunying starts cursing and grumbling about lack of sportsmanship.

Tan Xiao coughs.

Realizing there were cameras, Tan Chunying pretended to shut up and changed the subject, asking Kong Xuan, "Little Kong, if you learn this, what do you want to repair? If furniture at home breaks, it can also be repaired seamlessly. A must-learn for live-in sons-in-law."

"I'll repair a desk." Kong Xuan straightened his back. "The old desk I want to repair is missing a piece on top."

Tan Xiao is puzzled. What desk is Kong Xuan talking about? His desk in heaven is missing a piece? If it's the underworld, the school has long stopped using wooden desks. As for the desk at my home...

Tan Xiao looks at him.

Tan Chunying also asked, "Missing a corner?"

"No," Kong Xuan gestured, "For some reason, there's the character 'early' carved in the corner."

"Hahaha, wasn't that something you carved yourself as a child? My son's desk also has it." Tan Chunying laughed. "When he was little, he didn't have the chance to carve school desks, so he could only carve the wooden desk at home."

Tan Xiao: "..."

I knew it was my desk! Tan Xiao thought about it and found it a bit funny. Okay, so the great god wanted to help him repair his study desk.

"Hey Little Kong, where do you live?" Tan Chunying asked casually after laughing.

Kong Xuan glanced at Tan Xiao, "...Nearby."

Tan Chunying, "Oh oh, close is good. Convenient to go back after dinner in the evening, right?"

Kong Xuan: "Very convenient."

After all, it's so close, just going upstairs to get there, and never having to pay rent.