During the long wait, A-Tu poured all his energy into honing his "craft."
He was no longer content with just farming; he began to learn more advanced carpentry from the old woodworker. He built more comfortable tables and chairs for himself and renovated the entire wooden hut. His hands became more and more dexterous, able to sense the texture and character of every piece of wood.
He also learned from Xiao-Ye, systematically documenting the plants' growth logs and making more scientific compost. His knowledge, which had been scattered experiences, became a structured discipline.
He was like the artisan in the card, focused on hammering the pentacle in his hand day after day. He no longer thought about how much the pentacle would eventually sell for. His only thought was how to make this hammer blow more precise and perfect than the last one.
He found joy in the labor itself. It was a pure, profound satisfaction gained through constant repetition and refinement. His work was no longer just a means of making a living but a spiritual practice for understanding the world and shaping himself.
【Echo from the Mirror】
What is a "craft" that you are willing to refine and master day after day? It could be a professional skill, an artistic hobby, or even just cooking a good meal. Can you find that pure joy and dignity of the "artisan" in this focused, repetitive labor?