join patreon.com/worldoffanfiction for advanced chapters and to support the daily update
The young man, seeing Gōng Chěng's strong reaction, bent down to pick up the scroll and commented seriously: "The brushwork of these paintings is quite extraordinary. Some are like 'Cao Yi Chū Shuǐ' (Cao style of painting, clothes seem to emerge from water), with powerful strokes, the figures in the painting clad in thin gauze, swaying gracefully, inviting endless fantasies; others are like 'Wú Dài Dāng Fēng' (Wu style of painting, clothes appear to float in the wind), with flowing and rounded brushstrokes, the figures' garments fluttering, looking divine and beyond profanation. Given time, the painter will surely become a master!"
The courtesan also smiled: "These paintings are excellent."
The young man then teased Gōng Chěng: "Tsk, it's just a pity that some people not only fail to appreciate them, but also regard them as monstrous."
The courtesan feigned surprise: "How so? Yún Chí has a reputation for being skilled in calligraphy and painting. If even he can't appreciate them, what about us...?"
Being teased and ridiculed by the two, Gōng Chěng's emotions were in an awkward state, neither frightened nor amused. He could only helplessly plead for mercy, asking the two to let him off: "Mr. Gù, Wēng Zhī, please don't make fun of me anymore..."
No matter how well they were painted—
They were still explicit paintings!
And explicit paintings featuring his old friend as the protagonist. Although it was just a fleeting glance, he could tell that the characters' expressions were captured extremely accurately. Though the form wasn't identical, the spirit was, and the painter had even exaggerated those spiritual resemblances. Even though he knew that the folk customs in the northern desert were fierce, and his old friend had always been unconventional, he was still shocked. It truly shocked him for an entire year! Looking at those paintings was like looking at a monstrous flood.
The courtesan said, "He finally has some vitality." After Gōng Chěng was rescued, he had been numb and dejected, so much so that describing him as gaunt and utterly disheartened would not be an exaggeration. Recalling Gōng Yún Chí from back then—well, actually not that long ago, at most a year or two—this fellow was extremely competitive, often gathering a group of friends for horse racing, ball games, sword fighting, and cuju. If he won, he would sing and drink; if he lost, he would pester endlessly. If things didn't go his way, he would even dare to climb through a window at midnight, threatening with a knife to demand a rematch.
Gōng Chěng paused for a moment, then said, "You must have worried about me."
"Worry is secondary; your recovery is what matters most."
The young man: "When the time has passed its limit, misfortune will turn to prosperity."
Gōng Chěng pursed his lips and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your auspicious words, sir."
Confirming Gōng Chěng's emotions had recovered, the young man steered the conversation back—Gōng Chěng's "wife's elder brother" was a variable, like a chess piece appearing out of thin air, seemingly outside the situation, but no one could guarantee whether "he" would interfere at a crucial moment. The timing of this person's appearance was too coincidental: he just happened to take on the explicit painting job, just happened to encounter Gōng Chěng, who was hiding and recuperating in Yuè Huá Lóu, and was coincidentally Gōng Chěng's former "wife's elder brother." No, whether this "wife's elder brother" was real or fake still needed to be questioned.
How could there be such a coincidence in the world? Too many coincidences suggest intentionality. The young man lightly tapped the chessboard with his finger. "How much do you know about your marriage with the Shěn clan's eldest daughter? How much do you know about this 'wife's elder brother'?"
Gōng Chěng looked up, pondered for a moment, and shook his head. He said shamefully, "I don't know."
The young man: "..."
The courtesan: "..."
If not for the accident, the two would have become legitimate husband and wife after the three bows. How could he say, "I don't know"? Gōng Chěng also felt somewhat absurd himself. But—he said with utmost sincerity: "I truly don't know."
In fact, his wedding attire was rushed. He hadn't seen the betrothal letter, the etiquette letter, or the welcoming letter. The six rituals of betrothal, asking the name, auspicious divination, presentation of gifts, selecting the wedding date, and personal welcome were all simplified as much as possible, or rushed. He was urgently summoned home by his father only to learn that he was to be married and start a family in a few days. What could he possibly know? At most, he was told the woman's surname, her order of birth, and her age, to give him some mental preparation. Everything else was unknown. He only briefly met her on the wedding day, and even then, she was heavily made up with makeup. It was truly difficult to recognize his "wife's elder brother" as bearing a striking resemblance to his fiancée!
The courtesan, hearing this, patted his shoulder admiringly. It was widely known that marriage in the Central Plains often involved blind marriages, emphasizing "the parents' command and the matchmaker's words." But to be as blind and mute as Brother Yún Chí was truly rare. The young man's gaze was also hard to describe.
Gōng Chěng could only stammer in embarrassment, "This grand wedding was not meant to unite two families in affection, but merely to avert disaster and preserve a spark of the lineage. It was inevitably a bit rushed..." As he spoke, he couldn't continue and wanted to cover his face. How was this "a bit rushed"...? Calling it playing house wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"Though the Shěn clan's eldest daughter died young, her 'wife's elder brother' Shěn Táng is still alive. At least there's a survivor of the Shěn clan." Gōng Chěng composed himself, a flicker of suppressed emotion and sympathy crossing his face for his fiancée, whom he had met only briefly before their eternal separation. "It's a blessing in misfortune."
Seeing Gōng Chěng's unwavering belief, the young man furrowed his brow, secretly exchanging glances with the courtesan. The two, in a tacit understanding, reached a consensus.
Meanwhile, the Zhǎng Guì, with eager anticipation, waited for Shěn Táng to emerge. Grabbing her wrist, he led her to a corner: "Did you offend those people?"
Shěn Táng shook her head: "Never offended."
The Zhǎng Guì asked again: "Then do you know them?" He vaguely seemed to have heard something about "wife's elder brother"...
Shěn Táng said: "I know one of them, but I have no dealings with him. Zhǎng Guì, you can rest assured, it won't cause any trouble." The bookshop Zhǎng Guì pondered silently; that made sense. He put Shěn Táng's remuneration into a money pouch and handed it to her, instructing: "Check it carefully. Or would you like me to lend you a small scale to weigh it?"
Shěn Táng weighed it in her hand; she knew the amount. "No need for the scale." If he gave it to her, she wouldn't know how to use it anyway.
Shěn Táng bowed her head, counting the pieces one by one, secretly sighing that the freshly acquired, still-warm money was about to be spent. The Zhǎng Guì said, "I'm quite familiar with the manager of Yuè Huá Lóu; I can say a few words for you and save you some money."
"Ah?"
The Zhǎng Guì retorted: "Aren't you trying to redeem your younger brother or sister? For a young attendant, as long as they aren't as striking as you, this amount of silver you have should be enough. You might even be able to haggle the price down."
Shěn Táng: "???"
When did I ever say my younger brother or sister was trapped in Yuè Huá Lóu?
"It's not a child I want to redeem; it's an old gentleman."
The Zhǎng Guì blurted out his thoughts: "An old man? Old men are even cheaper. The older they are, the less valuable they become." These words were hurtful, but true. Older attendants lacked the strength of younger people, had less energy, and didn't do as much work. Their overall value was indeed lower than that of young adults, and certainly lower than children with potential. Hence, their price was the lowest. For redemption, this amount of money should be enough.
Unfortunately, Yuè Huá Lóu's manager was still asleep. The Zhǎng Guì went directly to Yuè Huá Lóu's head steward, tapped on the table, and got straight to the point: "Hey, business is here. I'm buying a person from you." The head steward looked up at the newcomer, recognized him as the Zhǎng Guì of Zhèng Guāng Bookshop, with whom they had cooperated many times, and his expression softened slightly, a smile spreading across his face.
"Oh, buying whom?"
"This young lady wants to buy someone." The Zhǎng Guì stepped aside, revealing Shěn Táng. The head steward's eyes lit up when he saw Shěn Táng's face. If her looks fully matured, she would definitely be a cash cow!
Shěn Táng said, "I want to buy an attendant who works in the kitchen. His surname is Chǔ, his hair is gray, and he looks about forty or fifty years old."
The head steward reined in his thoughts, pondered for a moment, and knew who Shěn Táng was looking for: "You mean that old thing, Old Chǔ? You want to buy him?"
Shěn Táng nodded: "Mm."
The Zhǎng Guì advised from the side: "An old attendant, sell him for cheap. You incur no loss, and it fulfills this young lady's filial piety. It's an act of kindness and virtue."
Shěn Táng: "..."
Others get a childhood sweetheart; I get a heaven-sent grandfather???
Dèng zi: A precise small scale, used for making change.
Cao Yi Chū Shuǐ, Wú Dài Dāng Fēng: Two painting techniques for depicting drapery folds.
Shí Guò Yú Qī, Fǒu Zhōng Zé Tài: Roughly equivalent to "When things reach an extreme, they can only get better," meaning luck will turn after a certain amount of misfortune.
Qí Shàn, the guiding NPC, is not yet off duty. Before crossing the river, Táng Mèi has already thought about how to burn the bridge...