The young man pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "Never heard of him."
Ming Zhi Tian nodded, "Oh, thank you."
As if recalling something, the young man quickly called out, "Brother, wait a moment."
Ming Zhi Tian turned back. The young man scratched his head, "Oh, I know who you're looking for. An Bozi, that silly carpenter. I know him."
Ming Zhi Tian smiled slightly, "Where is he?"
The young man scratched his chin, "He's by the dry well in the village, under a dilapidated little shed."
Ming Zhi Tian bowed, "Thank you."
The young man asked, "What are you looking for him for?"
Ming Zhi Tian replied, "I want to ask him about some wooden machinery."
The young man burst into laughter, "Wooden machinery? Don't listen to his nonsense. The old fellow is just a carpenter. Does he brag about himself everywhere, claiming to be a descendant of Lu Ban?"
Ming Zhi Tian nodded, "Yes?"
The young man howled with laughter, "Don't be ridiculous. It's true that the old man squandered all his wealth, but calling himself a master is bullshit. He can barely manage his own food and drink, yet he's always messing around with those scraps of wood he traded for food, always making a mess of things. He's good for nothing but causing trouble. You really don't believe me? Every word I say is true, everyone in the neighborhood knows."
Ming Zhi Tian smiled and let it go, then led the little lion to find An Bozi.
He asked a few people, none of whom knew any descendant of Lu Ban, only the old carpenter An Bozi. They also said he had trouble with food, and was practically starving to death.
Ming Zhi Tian, half-believing and half-doubting, arrived at the dry well the young man mentioned. Indeed, there was a small shed, made from a faded, almost transparent old white cloth. Four wooden poles were stuck into the dry earth, swaying in the wind, making it seem as if a strong gust could blow it apart at any moment.
Inside the shed was a workbench, covered with carpentry tools and hundreds of carved pieces of wood spread across the floor.
As Ming Zhi Tian picked up a small piece of wood from under the table, three burly men in plain clothes walked over, "Don't touch anything!"
Ming Zhi Tian turned to look at them. They were ordinary people, so he gently put down the wood.
One of the burly men said, "Are you that old guy's new young apprentice? I don't care about that. The deadline has passed. Everything here is confiscated and taken away."
Saying that, they took out the telescopic sacks they had brought, opened them like magic with a flick, and began to pack things.
An Bozi, who was returning in a hurry from a distance, saw this and quickened his pace, "Slow, slow, slow...! Don't touch my things!"
The burly men ignored him, "Keep packing!"
An Bozi, dressed in old plain clothes, rushed over and blocked them, "Don't touch, don't move! This is all my life's work, put it down!..."
The burly men shoved him, "Old man, a debt is a debt! When are you going to pay?"
An Bozi's face was distressed, "You know, I even have trouble eating right now. Please, give me a few more days."
The burly men's faces turned cold, "A few more days? I've been giving you nearly a month! If you can't pay, then take your belongings as payment. Get to work!"
An Bozi tried to stop them again, but they kicked him away. An Bozi got up, "Please, no, don't! My life is worthless, but if you touch my work, I'll die!"
The three burly men burst into laughter, "You'll die? Haha, did you hear that? This old man says he'll die? This is the biggest joke I've heard all year. If that old man ever really died, perhaps no one in the world would ever lie again."
"Die then, come on, show us your death?"
An Bozi was stunned, "I!..."
At this moment, Ming Zhi Tian stepped forward, "How much does he owe you? I'll pay for him."
The three burly men stopped packing their sacks, "What did you say? You, kid?"
Ming Zhi Tian said, "Are you going to take it or not?"
The three burly men didn't quite believe him, but they still said, "Fifty thousand. He owes us fifty thousand yuan."