With the hopeful thought that his paycheck was just around the corner, Shen Le perked up and got back to work:
He pried off the freshly carved section embedded in the Devil's Work Ball and set it aside. Then he slid the Needle Knife inside the old ball and compared the two, getting ready to start carefully sanding it down.
Hmm, the Jujube Wood and the Woodworking Powder used to bind it together had different levels of hardness. The difference was especially obvious under the rapidly spinning Electric Drill.
Great!
That meant it'd be easier to sand away the Woodworking Powder packed between the layers, and he could target it more precisely without damaging the original parts!
Shen Le took his time. First he closed his eyes and went through the breathing exercises once, feeling a fine warmth flow to his eyes and ears, then to his fingers and palms.
TWKAN
The technique he'd gotten from the Copper Fragment was really useful. It enhanced his eyesight and hearing, strengthened his grip and dexterity, and improved his reflexes.
While the effects of the technique still lasted, he switched on the Electric Drill and got to work!
"Bzz..."
"Bzz..."
The Electric Drill vibrated rapidly, sending Woodworking Powder flying. Xiao Ling sat on the Ink Marker, holding a powerful hair dryer in both hands and aiming it at the wooden ball. She did her best to keep the powder from obscuring Shen Le's view, while quietly asking him:
"How much longer?"
"I don't know. This is delicate work... I have to drill in bit by bit and sand each layer smooth. The second layer needs to be carved through, too. It'll take a while!"
"Why don't you let me try?"
"How would you do that?"
Xiao Ling set down the hair dryer and paused for a moment before raising both hands.
The dozens of Silk Threads attached to her shot into the wooden ball all at once.
They tightened, tugged, and rubbed rapidly. A chorus of grating, teeth-on-edge sounds filled the air.
Shen Le: "..."
This is worse than using the Electric Drill!
It's going to drive me crazy!
"Ahem, Xiao Ling, could you help me later?" He tried to speak to the Little Puppet as gently as possible.
"I'll carve the ball first. That part takes strength, so I'll let the Electric Drill handle it. Once I'm done carving, you can help me with the sanding, okay?"
"That's so boring..."
The Little Puppet complained. She leaped off the workbench and pattered out. Shen Le called after her:
"Xiao Ling, if you have time, wipe down the wooden door in the courtyard!"
"Okay!"
Her bright reply was followed by the sounds of a door opening, a basin being dragged over, water being poured, a towel being wrung out, and then the brisk swish of cleaning.
Xiao Ling really was quite handy. She was obedient and well-behaved; whatever chore he asked her to do, she did.
She wiped tables, chairs, furniture, doors, and windows. Wherever Shen Le pointed, she got to work. And she didn't get thirsty, hungry, or tired, or need paid bathroom breaks...
Nor did she demand hourly wages or a housekeeper's salary. As long as Shen Le regularly bought her clothes and occasionally did her makeup, everything was taken care of.
Of course, Shen Le wasn't going to make her spend all day every day working outside, then come home to clean and do chores around the house.
After all, Xiao Ling was Xiao Ling, the Little Puppet he had personally repaired and brought back to life. She wasn't a Pal, right?
Shen Le smiled and got back to work:
The Needle Knife...
The L-Shaped Carving Knife...
The Umbrella-Shaped Grinding Head...
He switched between the different tools, sanding away the Woodworking Powder that had been packed into the Devil's Work Ball but didn't belong there.
The pitted third layer, which had been filled in with Woodworking Powder, began to smooth out.
The repaired second layer separated completely from the layer beneath it, and evenly spaced openwork patterns appeared across its surface...
"Phew... I've been at this for days. All that's left is sanding, polishing, and waxing..."
Shen Le flopped onto the bed. He stretched his arms wide, closed his eyes, and sprawled like a cross.
"I hope this Ink Marker comes to life... and behaves itself when it does. It'd be great if it could help out, maybe even lend a hand with some work..."
Then he'd have a diligent carpenter to help him repair the wooden walls, pillars, railings, rafters, and dougong brackets in this house.
Doing it all by himself was too hard!
Luckily, Xiao Ling would be helping with the work ahead. The ball was only 1.5 centimeters in diameter, with three layers and gaps of about a millimeter between them. The grinding head couldn't even fit sideways into the gaps.
To smooth the surfaces, he had to patiently turn the part he wanted to sand until it lined up with one of the holes in the ball. Then he had to insert the thinnest grinding head, guide it through the hole, and press it against the area he wanted to sand...
It wasn't easy to hold the inner layers in place in such a tiny ball. Even Shen Le's smallest finger, his pinky, couldn't fit through one of the holes.
Luckily, he had the Little Puppet, who had dozens of Silk Threads. She could feed them through eleven holes around the ball, approaching from different directions and angles, and tug on each layer so Shen Le could work without worry:
Just a little more. Just a little more, and it'll be fixed!
Be patient. It'll be done soon!
The Devil's Work Ball was only 1.5 centimeters in diameter. Even with three layers, the total area that needed sanding was less than half the size of his palm.
Shen Le held his breath and slowly turned the ball, sanding and polishing it bit by bit, unaware of time passing.
The hour hand moved from seven to twelve, then made more than half a circle and pointed to seven again. At last, Shen Le yawned and stretched.
"Ah... it's done, it's done! One more coat of wax, and it'll be finished. Then I can attach it to the Lead Weight... Xiao Ling! Bring me the hair dryer!"
The powerful hair dryer roared to life, blowing the liquid wax off the surface of the wooden ball and the droplets that had gotten inside and stuck between the middle and inner layers.
Finally, he flicked the Devil's Work Ball, setting its middle and inner layers spinning in every direction. They turned smoothly and freely, without the slightest hitch.
"Done!"
Shen Le let out a relieved breath. He held up the Devil's Work Ball and examined it from every angle under the light, turning it this way and that. Then he looked down at his hands:
I actually made it!
The Devil's Work Ball, this unbelievably difficult thing—I actually made it! With my own two hands!
He proudly gave himself a thumbs-up, decided to treat himself, and ordered an air conditioner on his phone.
Then he fitted the Devil's Work Ball back onto the top of the Lead Weight, returned the Lead Weight to the Ink Reservoir, and set the Ink Marker neatly on the table.
Hey!
I fixed you!
How does it feel?
Aren't you going to thank me?
Aren't you going to hurry up and come to life?
"Ow!"
He jerked backward and grabbed his forehead. Through the gaps between his fingers, he saw the Lead Weight, topped with the Devil's Work Ball, fly back onto the table and plunge into the Ink Reservoir. It stood upright inside, spun a few times, then settled quietly against the side.
When he touched his forehead, he felt raised and sunken spots—clear marks left by the Devil's Work Ball.
The good news was that the Ink Marker really seemed to have come to life. The bad news was that this newly awakened Ink Marker didn't seem to have a very good temper.