Chapter 416: Six-year-old birthday, the traveling painter, population explosion

Eighth year of Great Xia, October 5th.

Just after nightfall, Yuan Mansion in the inner city.

"Hahahaha, I'm finally six years old!"

Shi Lu was leading six maids on the first floor to set up a banquet. Hearing an exaggerated and excited shout from upstairs, a smile appeared on her face.

"Young Master, you're still bare-assed! Put on your clothes before going down."

"Forgot, forgot."

"Hahahaha."

Hearing the conversation between the maids and little Yuan Shao upstairs, Shi Lu and the six maids beside her couldn't help but laugh.

"The Young Master has been looking forward to it since a year ago, and it's finally here."

"Not just the Young Master, the peers of the same age in the inner city now especially like to compare who reaches six years old first. How can this kind of thing be compared? Hahahaha..."

"You can only officially start cultivation at six years old, no way!"

"I know, I heard it's the new trend brought by the Second Highness this year, asking about the specific age of the other party whenever they meet peers. Many peers in the inner city follow suit. The Young Master often plays with the Second Highness, so it goes without saying."

Step, step, step...

The maids' laughter was interrupted by the hurried footsteps coming downstairs from behind. They turned their heads immediately and looked at the stairs with Shi Lu, the hostess, and their eyes brightened slightly.

Yuan Shao, who had just turned six, was running down the stairs quickly, full of excitement.

Although he was only six years old, Yuan Shao's height exceeded 1.3 meters, far exceeding his peers in the camp, and his sturdy physique was already beginning to show;

He was wearing a well-tailored black small Xia suit, with silver threads interwoven at the collar and cuffs, a pendant hanging at his waist, and a young magic sheep pattern embroidered with red thread on his back. The magic sheep was clawing and dancing, and the six horns on its forehead had extended to Yuan Shao's left chest, as if it were lying on his shoulder, lifelike, both beautiful and majestic;

Behind him, he also carried a double-edged giant axe.

Of course, it was a pocket version tailored for him.

As soon as Yuan Shao came down the stairs, remembering that today was his big day of turning six, he immediately suppressed the excitement on his face, stood upright, cleared his throat deliberately, and asked Shi Lu with a slightly formal expression: "Mother, have the Highness and my friends arrived yet?"

"Pfft..."

Seeing her son deliberately pretending to be a little adult, Shi Lu couldn't help but laugh out loud. As soon as she laughed, the maids who were holding back their laughter beside her immediately followed suit.

"Hahahaha..."

Shi Lu directly pulled Yuan Shao into her arms, took off the giant axe from his back without saying a word, and scolded with a smile: "You little ghost, you've only just turned six and you dare to act old in front of your mother. If you grow a few more years, won't you turn the world upside down!"

While scolding with a smile, she had already taken off the giant axe from Yuan Shao's back. Seeing the reluctance on her son's face, she couldn't help but reach out to stroke the small round bun on his head, smoothing out all the black hair that had become messy because he ran down the stairs too fast, and then said with a gentle look: "You are about to enter the hair-tying ceremony. You can't be reckless anymore. Your father and grandfather haven't arrived yet. How can the Highness arrive so quickly? Sit here for a while, and don't run around. Mother invited a painter today, and I want to have your portrait painted later."

As Great Xia's population grows, the number of new-generation descendants has also begun to explode. In order to better manage and standardize these new-generation descendants, the "Xia Rites: Ritual System Chapter" stipulates:

Children can only tie up part of their hair before the age of six. They must be six years old and go through the hair-tying ceremony before they can tie up all their hair; then wait until they are fifteen years old and go through the capping ceremony before they are considered truly adult and can go out alone without the company of adults.

Yuan Shao's temperament is not jumpy on weekdays, it's just that he was too excited to turn six today. Being persuaded so gently by his mother, he immediately calmed down. However, hearing that he was going to have his portrait painted, he immediately pouted with a bitter face: "Portrait painting again... Mother, I don't want to paint!"

…………

As Great Xia's population grows, all kinds of talents have begun to emerge one after another, and painters are one of them.

Painting is an extremely important skill. Regardless of the size of the camp, almost everyone who can go out will know a little bit.

The reason is very simple. Whether you go out to gather or hunt, including exploration and mapping, you have to know a little bit of drawing skills. For example, when Great Xia compiled the Cold Beast Records in the early days, Xia Hong also took a hand. Of course, he had no talent in this regard, and the final effect was naturally unbearable to look at.

However, Xia Hong is not good, which does not mean others are not good.

The appearance of paper in the first year of Great Xia greatly promoted the development of the painter industry, but at that time, this skill was at most applied to the records of hunting and gathering, as well as mapping;

But as Xia City's population exploded in recent years and there were more and more talents, the skills of painters became more and more exquisite, and the application scenarios of painting skills began to expand to people's livelihood.

The cause of the matter was that Bai Yunzi, the chief painter of the Craftsman Department, was a famous henpecked husband. One day last year, he was scolded by his wife again. He was really angry, so he painted a portrait of his wife standing with her hands on her hips and scolding, and also labeled it "Shrew scolding the street."

That "Shrew scolding the street" picture was drawn so lifelike that it spread in the Craftsman Department first. Coincidentally, Bai Yunzi's wife looked quite good. With such an interesting story and that lifelike portrait, it immediately spread in Xia City.

When the portrait spread, the women in the city were immediately moved when they saw it.

Great Xia's current level of development has allowed some women to have the qualifications to love beauty.

Faces change, youth passes, and women care about their appearance. This kind of portrait that can preserve the impression of their youth for a long time and can be taken out to look at from time to time is simply too attractive to them.

As a result, a new business specializing in painting portraits for people was born.

These painters only painted for women at the beginning, but now they have developed to paint for old people, men, children, and basically do not refuse anyone. I heard that a very small number of people have already fallen in love with landscape painting.

…………

Since his mother Shi Lu fell in love with portraits, Yuan Shao has painted three times. The reason he is so resistant is that every time he paints, he must maintain the same posture, short for half an hour, long for an hour, which is simply the most painful thing for a child of his age.

Shi Lu naturally knew the reason for her son's resistance, smiled and said: "Don't worry, Mother invited a very powerful painter this time. You don't have to stand still anymore. She just needs to take a look at you."

Yuan Shao was stunned, and his face was full of confusion.

The maid beside him seemed to know something and asked curiously: "Madam, did you invite that Miss Chu from the outer city?"

Seeing Shi Lu nod, the maids immediately opened their chatterboxes.

"So it's Miss Chu! I've heard a lot about her. She now charges at least 500 taels for a painting."

"That Miss Chu has become very famous recently. I heard that even Bai Yunzi, the chief painter of the Craftsman Workshop, went to visit her ten days ago."

"I heard people say that the paintings she makes can move!"

"Can move, so magical?"

Hearing that the paintings made by Miss Chu could move, Yuan Shao immediately became energetic, his eyes full of curiosity.

"Yes! Not only the people in the painting, but even the scenery can move. It's just that I heard people say the price is not cheap, it takes 1,000 taels to paint one!"

Hearing the price of 1,000 taels, Yuan Shao couldn't help but click his tongue.

Although he is young, because his family is well-off and he lives in the inner city, not far from the Logistics Department hall, he has a little understanding of prices.

Silver currently exchanges for 10 contribution points per tael. 1,000 taels is 10,000 contribution points, which is definitely not a small amount.

"Madam, the little young masters have arrived!"

Suddenly, a maid's voice came from outside the hall.

"Mother, I'll go open the door!"

Before Shi Lu could speak, Yuan Shao, who had just been appeased by her, ran to open the door. Seeing her son so excited and agitated, Shi Lu smiled and didn't say anything, walking slowly toward the door.

Yuan Cheng has been promoted to a seventh-rank Qingming Viscount, so the Yuan Mansion has also been expanded to 600 square meters according to the seventh-rank specification. It is about twenty meters from the main hall to the gate. Shi Lu had only walked a few meters after going out when Yuan Shao brought nearly thirty peers and friends in together.

Among the group of children, there are not many who have turned six. Including Yuan Shao, there are only six, and the remaining twenty-odd people looked at Yuan Shao with obvious envy in their eyes.

Seeing the envy in the eyes of those children, knowing that they were all looking forward to turning six quickly to start cultivation, Shi Lu couldn't help but smile, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

The destruction of the Tashan Dashan camp was only ten years ago. Among the hundreds of people slaughtered by the wood puppet strange monsters, there were also many children of the same age as the children in front of her. If they hadn't died at that time, they could have lived such a life today.

"Pay respects to Aunt Yuan!"

In a daze, Shi Lu was awakened by the voices of a group of children. She looked down at the group of children aged four to eight, her eyes full of love, couldn't help but reach out to rub the cheek of Yue Yuan, who was at the front, and smiled at the group of children: "Good children, get up! No need to pay respects to Aunt Yuan. Today you are all here to celebrate Shao'er's birthday, so you are guests. Aunt Yuan has prepared snacks for you in the side hall. Shao'er, take your friends to play!"

Yue Yuan was the oldest. Being pinched on the cheek, he immediately showed some shyness, which caused a burst of laughter from the group of little friends.

"Go, go, go, follow me to the side hall and let you all see my strength!"

However, Yuan Shao, the little host, seemed a bit impatient at this moment. Seeing his mother speak, he immediately led everyone to the side hall.

Watching the group of children walk toward the side hall, Shi Lu's face was full of smiles.

Even in the inner city, children of such a young age cannot be allowed to run around casually by their families, so those who can be called by Yuan Shao tonight are basically neighbors.

You must know that the Yuan Mansion is almost next to the Great Xia main hall. The neighbors are naturally not simple characters.

Shi Lu basically knows all of these twenty-seven children.

For example, the eight-year-old Yue Yuan at the head, and his six-year-old younger brother Yue Bo, are the eldest and second sons of Yue Feng; then the seven-year-old Xu Cheng and the four-year-old Xu Ping are the two sons of Xu Ning; then there are Qiu Peng's eldest son Qiu Hong and second son Qiu Yang; Lin Kai's eldest son Lin Shou, second son Lin Lie, and third son Lin Meng; Lu Yang's eldest son Lu Yuzhou and second son Lu Yufan; and her eldest nephew Shi Yuan, who will soon turn six...

"Madam, Miss Chu has arrived!"

Shi Lu returned to the main hall and had just finished instructing two maids to go to the side hall to watch the children when a voice came from the door.

She hurriedly wiped her hands and shouted toward the door: "Please come in!"

Soon, a maid led a young woman in a plain green dress, who was unremarkable, and walked slowly to the door of the main hall.

The woman in green had dark skin and kept looking around at the furnishings of the Yuan Mansion since she came in, her eyes full of shock. She was clearly stunned. It wasn't until she walked to the door of the main hall and saw Shi Lu in a luxurious dress that she immediately lowered her head and bowed with a slightly nervous tone: "Painter Chu

Shi Lu did not show any discrimination due to Chu Yan'er's attire and appearance. At this moment, her eyes were filled only with curiosity as she smiled and asked, "Miss Chu's reputation is like thunder to the ears; I have finally met you today. I heard that when you paint, you only need a single glance, and the paintings you create can even move. May I ask if this is true or false?"

"Just some minor, insignificant tricks, my lady is too kind. This young woman has a decent memory, so it is true that I only need a glance to paint. As for the paintings being able to move, it relies on nothing more than some light and shadow techniques, which were already seen through by the painter Bai Yunzi ten days ago."

Shi Lu did not understand, but she confirmed that the paintings the other party created could indeed move. Her expression immediately became even more curious. She nodded, first looking Chu Yan'er up and down, then summoned two maidservants and said to Chu Yan'er, "You should first follow the maids to the side hall to take a look. It just so happens that my Shao'er and his group of little friends are there. You might as well paint a picture of children playing; can you do it?"

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light flashed deep within Chu Yan'er's pupils. She nodded heavily and said, "Yan'er will certainly do her utmost to satisfy you, my lady!"

Shi Lu revealed a trace of satisfaction and continued, "I heard that you help people paint in the outer city, charging 1,000 taels per time. I will give you 1,500 taels. If the painting is good enough, I can add a little more."

Chu Yan'er immediately showed joy, bowed her head, and said, "Many thanks, my lady!"

It seems Xiang Liang was right; she really is a person from outside the Far North who hasn't seen much of the world. If she hadn't come to Great Xia, this painting skill of hers would likely have been buried forever.

Seeing Chu Yan'er's reaction, Shi Lu immediately recalled what Xiang Liang had said when he introduced Chu Yan'er to her earlier. She then nodded and let the two maidservants take Chu Yan'er over right away.

"Miss Chu, please follow me!"

Chu Yan'er immediately followed behind the two maidservants and walked toward the side hall.

Shi Lu, including the two maidservants, did not notice that the moment Chu Yan'er turned around, the awkwardness and nervousness on her face vanished completely, replaced by a face full of excitement and deep joy in the depths of her pupils.

"It really was effortless to obtain; it was not in vain that I worked hard painting in the outer city for over half a month. Now, not only can I enter the inner city to investigate, but I can also paint directly for the core high-level descendants of Great Xia. As long as I can record them all in the painting..."

Beneath Chu Yan'er's calm expression was a heart full of surprise.

On the nineteenth of last month, she brought Chen Yimou and the other five, successfully infiltrating Xia City as travelers. However, she discovered that she could only operate in the outer city and couldn't even enter the inner city, let alone spy on the true situation of Great Xia.

Thus, she could only bring out her painting skills to first attract attention.