Chapter 60: The Artisan as a Model

The distance between the two was barely twenty feet—how many steps could that be? Fifteen feet! Ten! Suddenly, Wang Ge shifted her body slightly, her face lighting up with surprise as she looked past You Jiao, as if her view had been blocked by him. The man, feeling guilty, cast a casual glance over his shoulder, but there were no examiners behind him. The moment he turned back, Wang Ge had already placed herself and the winnowing basket at opposite ends, and, dissatisfied with the gap, took two more steps away.

She stood firm, carrying her mold on her back, locking eyes with this insolent man without a trace of fear: Come then, do you dare to risk mutual destruction?

If he wished to destroy the vessel she had painstakingly crafted, so be it—but he would not sully her with underhanded means! He would not confuse the onlookers into thinking she had carelessly ruined her own work.

If you want to destroy it, do it openly, in front of everyone! Dare you?

She had stepped aside, distanced herself—wasn’t he here to "help"? Come on, then!

Unseen eyes began to focus on them, and in an instant, You Jiao found himself caught in a dilemma.

The rules of the examination ground did not constrain only the candidates; You Jiao and the craftsman’s aides were equally bound. He made a swift decision, picking up her tools and vessel with a forced smile that never reached his eyes.

Wang Ge silently followed him to the Fame Drum. You Jiao set down the winnowing basket with care, stepping aside, hoping this young woman would fail the inspection, so that when she struck the Drum of Defeat, he could have his revenge.

Boom!

The thunderous sound of the Fame Drum shattered the malice in You Jiao’s heart. Now all he could do was watch helplessly as this wretched candidate walked away. Still, she was so exhausted that her back could barely straighten; surely she couldn’t last much longer...

Yet Wang Ge quickly straightened her spine and quickened her pace, her vigor a stinging slap to the man's face.

As dusk crept toward evening, the Drum of Defeat sounded more frequently. One candidate after another withdrew, some from exhaustion, others from failed vessels, leaving quietly. Those who left due to weakness were not forced to announce their names by You Jiao when they struck the Drum of Defeat, for it was known that among them, some had already completed the required nine pieces.

Boom!

“Bu Zhi Township, Jia She Village, Wang Ge—passed.”

At last, Wang Ge had finished her ninth vessel. This time she did not immediately return to the workshop; she was too tired, utterly spent, and needed to rest. From this moment on, she was already a craftsman and could leave through any exit, no longer subject to this ordeal.

But she was unwilling to go. Even if she could not attain the rank of intermediate craftsman, she wanted to push herself, to see how far she could endure—whether she could be among the last to leave. So what if she wet herself? Let it be! What of it?!

She knelt where she had finished her ninth piece. Loosening her headscarf, she lightly covered her nose and mouth, gazing into the distance at the southern mountains. The setting sun painted the sky with such gentle hues—perhaps even it could not bring itself to mock these disheveled yet resolute candidates.

Very well, wetting herself was nothing. While the cold had not yet set in, she used her case as a pillow and closed her eyes for a brief nap.

Using the case as a pillow signaled that the candidate was resting, and patrols were not to disturb her.

The candidates were weary, and so were the examiners.

In the examiners’ rest area, an examiner named Gu arrived, sat on the mat, and said, “Nearly half have been eliminated.”

Examiner He replied, “The same every year! Has anyone tallied how many have reached the rank of lower craftsman?”

“Not yet. But surely some have made it, especially those from the county and He Fang Township.”

The tally of Fame Drum strikes was kept by five craftsman’s aides in each production area; each wrote a record, and at noon, the five tallies were cross-checked, with the most consistent one taken as final. After the examination ended, the process was repeated to avoid error.

Examiner Gu added regretfully, “Zheng Que from He Fang Township has left. He must have completed nine vessels. Alas, he is so young—no wonder he couldn’t endure.”

Examiner He said, “In two or three years at most, Zheng Que will qualify as a master craftsman. For him, whether he is intermediate or lower craftsman is of little matter.”

“In the end, this ranking only matters for those who can never hope to become a master craftsman.”

“Heh, but that’s the vast majority! After all, only one master emerges from every three hundred craftsmen.”

Examiner Liu interjected, “Tonight is when the true character of these young craftsmen will be tested.”

Examiner Gu replied, “Bu Zhi Township has a promising candidate this time.”

“My Xun Xi Township is the same as ever, alas.”

“The county… much worse than usual.”

The oldest, Examiner Shi, who had been dozing by his desk, asked, “Has any candidate gone to the ‘Carp Stone’?”

Though all present were of the intermediate master level, there was a hierarchy among them, and Examiner Shi’s status was second only to the chief examiner. His interjection was a clear signal to avoid private discussion of officials. When the former county magistrate was in office, he had abused his power to interfere with the craftsmen’s competition; now that Magistrate Huan had taken over, it would be odd for those lacking true skill to pass.

Examiner Gu replied, “No. From the middle of the workshop onward, the molds grew scarce—whole stretches of workbenches were empty. The farther south the candidates went, the fewer molds there were. Who would dare run empty-handed? As in previous years, a few tried and all turned back. The candidates, it seems, are quite resentful of the exam rules.”

Examiner Liu remarked, “Last year I had the privilege of supervising in Shanyin County. It is a county seat, after all—the candidates there can endure hardship. Even the weakest last until the second day.”

The gap was enormous!

After a moment’s silence, Examiner Liu continued, “The craftsman’s competition is the only examination for artisans where one’s true opponent is oneself. If you cannot surpass your own limits, how will you surpass others in the future?”

Examiner Gu said, “If only there were more molds—there are just a hundred in total… Those skilled only in weaving with grass or vines are truly at a disadvantage.”

Examiner Shi mused, “The setting of a hundred molds holds a dual meaning.”

“Please, enlighten us, Brother Shi.”

“The obvious meaning, as we all know, is to symbolize the flourishing of a hundred crafts. The deeper meaning lies in the character ‘craft’ itself: to make craftsmen the model, craftsmen the vessel. Every craftsman, like the molds in the workshop, like the rules for making molds—they need only to meet the standard! And above the standard, to increase their speed!”

Craftsmen as molds, as vessels of regulation? The examiners pondered this, their thoughts deepening.

Examiner Shi went on, “Why does the court invest so much each year to hold the craftsman’s exam? To rapidly expand the ranks of craftsmen, to forge them into a pillar of the state! A hundred kinds of craftsmen, a hundred kinds of molds—when each can swiftly and precisely produce their components according to the mold; when pieces made a thousand miles apart can fit together with mortise and tenon; when tools and weapons are all measured by the same standard—how could any industry not flourish? Our own status as craftsmen will be elevated as well. By the way, has the chief examiner received thick quilts and hot meals?”

The conversation shifted, and Examiner Gu was the first to catch on. “They’ve been delivered.”

Examiner Shi sighed, “Every year we hope for a miracle, that a candidate will fight upstream to the workshop’s end, but…”

Examiner Gu finished, “But the chief examiner always keeps solitary watch at the Carp Stone.”

“At least it’s peaceful.”

“And quiet.”

The group jested about the chief examiner, and even the usually stern Examiner Shi joined in the laughter.

Wang Ge awoke from the cold to find night had fallen. Lanterns burned brightly before the Fame Drum, where ten candidates could work through the night. She stood, tugging at her soiled trousers, wryly thinking: When Liu Xiaolang took the craftsman’s exam, he surely wet himself too, or how else would he know the tricks?

After this long rest, her throat was raw with thirst, but the hunger had lessened. She picked up her case and headed toward the workshop, marveling at the government’s attention to the exam—lanterns hung at intervals along the way, and there were more patrols than in the daytime.

She did not pause. The reason she had rested for nearly two hours was to conserve her strength, so that now, heading south, she could see the legendary Carp Stone for herself.