Chapter 89: The Painting and Calligraphy Master

Seeing the Grain Ticket, Feng Zaining was stunned for quite a while.

It was the first time he had received such a return gift.

Accompanying the gift was a note.

The content written inside roughly meant: While chatting today, I heard from Brother Feng that since you have just arrived here and are not yet settled, it is inconvenient for your servants to run about. After thinking it over, I thought I might as well lighten Brother Feng's burden.

The note stated that these Grain Tickets were printed this month and are valid for three months. They can be used in their Jingxing Fang; the canteen has ginger soup, hot porridge, and occasionally some meat, eggs, and side dishes...

Feng Zaining put down the note and picked up one of the Grain Tickets from the wooden box.

Nowadays, the value of gold, silver, copper, and iron is not what it used to be, and the Money Vouchers one gets in hand are all for large amounts.

In the past, one could reward household servants with bits of silver, but now it is indeed inconvenient, and food and goods must be pre-packaged.

If the Jingxing Fang canteen is reliable, these Grain Tickets can indeed be put to use.

The pearls and coral he gave to Wen Gu would, of course, have been worth a fortune in the past. Now, however, it is hard to say.

Powerful and wealthy people who like jewelry are willing to pay a high price, but if no one likes them, they depreciate severely.

After a compromise in valuation, what he sent out was not far off from the Grain Tickets and Glass Book Knife that Wen Gu gave in return.

In the three days since arriving in Xinzhou City, Feng Zaining has sent out many gifts, and the return gifts he received can be roughly divided into two types: those that value "form" and those that value "substance."

"This Ward Chief Wen seems to be a pragmatic person."

The two from the Shen Family are not very reliable; one shouldn't place too much hope in them. This Ward Chief Wen is quite interesting.

Analyzing the various people in Xinzhou he had encountered over the past few days, Feng Zaining took the thick stack of Grain Tickets out of the box, called his attendants, and distributed them to everyone as an allowance.

If it is inconvenient for his guards and attendants to cook for themselves, they can take the Grain Tickets to the Jingxing Fang canteen to give it a try.

The current state of the world is unusual, and commerce in the city is far from active.

Previously, servants running errands outside could buy food themselves, but this Xinzhou City has a strictly managed ward system; there are no shops along the sides of the roads, only ward walls.

They had just arrived here and had not yet figured out which ward sold food.

For now, Jingxing Fang is the first one.

Those people sent to scout for information in Jingxing Fang no longer need to be secretive.

After giving instructions regarding the Grain Tickets, Feng Zaining thought again of the Treasure Gourd he had seen at the Jingqing Public Office.

When chatting with his grandmother, he had also thought about using shiny objects similar to the Treasure Bridge to build a Buddhist hall, but he had to first figure out the rules of Xinzhou City and the attitude of the Zhao Family.

In the residence where he is currently staying, the converted Buddhist hall will temporarily remain as it is. It is better to keep a low profile for now, observe, and then renovate later.

The fact that the Danguan in Qingyun Fang is permitted must be mixed with other interests; it is not an ordinary Danguan.

He thought that Treasure Gourd looked alright; although it was refined by a Daoist, it would be quite nice to buy one and keep it at home.

Another day, he would go and ask whether one buys it directly with money and grain, or if one must donate Merit money to exchange for it?

Jingxing Fang.

After the construction site stopped work, many laborers who did manual labor temporarily lost their income, and they also economized on their meals.

The canteen side became a bit desolate, and the circulation of Grain Tickets slowed down.

But soon, people from Sihai Fang made this place bustling again.

Feng Family's guards and attendants arrived one after another, holding their Grain Ticket allowances.

They were quite enthusiastic; they could watch the Treasure Bridge from up close, it was convenient for gathering information, and there was hot soup and food.

Seeing this, others who had moved north to the city this winter also opened up their minds.

They were also new to this place, also had many items not yet fully prepared, it was inconvenient for their servants to cook, and it was also inconvenient to give out cash rewards, so it was better to use Jingxing Fang's Grain Tickets as an allowance.

Calculating it, they could save some money and grain, and also hear more news.

Save money, save time, save trouble.

It wasn't that no one had thought of it before, but everyone had too many concerns and no one wanted to be the first.

Now that the Feng Family of Sihai Fang had taken the first step and it seemed there were no problems, they followed suit with peace of mind.

Those with small quantities went directly to the canteen manager to exchange for Grain Tickets, while those with large amounts went to the Public Office to purchase them.

There were also those wealthy families who often sent servants to the city gates to meet family members returning from outside; they had to send people to the city gates to look out several times a day.

Especially on snowy days, some stewards would bring people to the Jingxing Fang canteen to drink ginger soup and hot porridge while waiting.

They would leave one or two fast-footed people at the city gate to report news; if there was any movement, they would come and call out, and they could rush over immediately.

Jingxing Fang is not next to the main road, but it is not far away, and the trip back and forth is quick. There is no need for everyone to huddle at the city gate and freeze.

For a time, the Jingxing Fang canteen became crowded.

For this reason, several sheds near the canteen used for storing sundries were cleared out to serve as private rooms.

The big-spending stewards, unwilling to stay in the main canteen, would rent a private room, which had a coal stove inside, the kind with an exhaust pipe that could conduct heat.

The canteen hired five more temporary workers to clear bowls and chopsticks and clean up.

When Cheng Zhi and He Xiaodi checked the accounts, they grinned broadly.

A lot of money was spent on the canteen side, but they earned quite a bit too!

The Ward Chief said that the main canteen was not enough, and after the weather warmed up, they would build a "Second Canteen," and would hire more people then.

Now, some residents with nothing to do would take the initiative to go to the canteen to help out, to make their presence felt and show their worth, in hopes of being hired first.

Wen Gu painted the bustling scene at the canteen and had Chang Shun send it to the painting and calligraphy master he had chosen for himself.

It was still only an observation period, and he had not yet officially begun to learn the craft. This was a two-way selection process.

Wen Gu had chosen this person as his painting and calligraphy master, but the other party still had to accept him as a student.

The three candidates provided by his cousin all had extraordinary family backgrounds.

Don't look at the fact that these three were old and idle at home; the status of their relatives was not ordinary.

One had a former Imperial Academician in the family, who was a confidential secretary by the Emperor's side and now helped Lao Zhao handle affairs.

Another's younger cousin was once a Crown Prince's Tutor and is now also highly regarded by Lao Zhao.

Then there is this person whom Wen Gu has set his sights on. Old Master Hong, whose two sons once held important positions in the imperial court, is now helping Lao Zhao govern the town.

Under the chaos of the Evil Plague, even a small town is not something an ordinary person can govern well.

Just as Wen Gu and his companions saw on their journey north, those County Towns had different outcomes. Some were completely wiped out, becoming nests for monsters, while others were able to preserve more of their living inhabitants, becoming a flicker of firefly light amidst the chaotic times.

In short, these three people currently have no real power, but their family members do.

That is how established clans are; one cannot look at a single person alone. That group of people sticks together, and pulling one hair affects the whole body.

One truly cannot use hard tactics.

"Treat people with sincerity! Interact with heart!"

I must make this Old Master Hong feel my persistence in seeking knowledge and learning!

From the day he decided on the candidate, Wen Gu would send a painting to the old gentleman every few days, asking him to provide some guidance.

The note sent along with the painting also stated clearly that he was drawing the Great Canteen, and once he drew a version he was satisfied with, it would be used to print Grain Tickets.

Of course, it would not be printed with such precision; it was just for reference regarding the composition's angle, primary and secondary subjects, void and solid, density, where to leave blank space, the position of the seal, and so on.

Layout and composition can affect the entire artistic charm of a picture.

In any case, it is for learning to paint, and the finished drawings also have their uses.

Thus, the fresh painting of the Jingxing Fang Great Canteen was sent to a certain ward in the core area.

To Old Master Hong's desk.

The unfurled scroll carried a vivid and lively air, as if one could hear the once-bustling sounds of the marketplace.

Although Old Master Hong had never been to Jingxing Fang in person, he had only seen that Treasure Bridge when passing by the vicinity.

What was it like inside Jingxing Fang? He had only heard others speak of it.

But the canteen of Jingxing Fang was now clearly imprinted in his mind.

The changes in the canteen during this period were like a serialized story, making the mood of the person looking at the paintings brighten along with it.

It had a nostalgic air of the marketplace.

Regarding painting technique alone, Wen Gu's work, in Old Master Hong's eyes, truly could not be called very good.

But he could feel that the people in the paintings, every detail, were full of hope and vitality, rather than struggling in a quagmire or sinking into numbness.

From the laborers exerting themselves at the construction site to the Idlers running errands and joining in the bustle, and even the stewards and attendants of wealthy households, all had a more vibrant side.

Facing Wen Gu's paintings, Old Master Hong's mindset was also changing.

From casually adding a few strokes to the painting at the beginning, to later earnestly pointing out the flaws and making additions and corrections.

... And now to the present.

The old servant beside him had followed him for many years, and they were usually quite close and casual with each other.

From the first painting Wen Gu sent to this current one, the old servant had also been watching along.

In the paintings from a while ago, the canteen had become quite desolate, and his mood had grown desolate along with it.

The weather was freezing, the construction site was not operating, and with the figures of the laborers gone, only those Idlers bragging remained.

Today's Jingxing Fang actually had a crowd of people; it looked very lively. He seemed to feel the warmth of the winter stove fire, and he could not help but wear a smile on his face.

The old servant had long since ground the ink and laid out various pigments, waiting for the master to revise the painting.

However, the person before the desk picked up the brush several times, then put it down.

Old Master Hong stared silently at the painting before him.

It was not that the painting's composition and technique were perfectly executed.

After pondering for a long time, he took out his own seal and stamped it heavily.

The old servant beside him asked in confusion: "... Master? Not painting anymore?"

"Not painting anymore!"

Old Master Hong slapped the seal down, with no intention of picking up the brush at all.

"I always have the illusion that I'm helping him draw Grain Tickets and working for him! Or perhaps it's not an illusion?"

"Ah, this..." The old servant was stunned.

It shouldn't be, it shouldn't be.

He followed the master's instructions, rolled up the painting, and had someone send it to Jingxing Fang.

He thought to himself: Although scholars who can survive in chaotic times have eight hundred schemes each, what if that Ward Chief Wen is truly an honest child?

Qingyun Fang.

Wen Gu's gaze was clear and sincere as he looked at the several craftsmen before him:

"Your craftsmanship is becoming increasingly exquisite and skillful!"

He had just received the custom-made gift for learning, and he was very satisfied with the finished product.

After the dog Daoist was spurred on, he indeed found motivation and quickly worked with the craftsmen to make the items. The several craftsmen before him were mainly responsible for the carving and polishing processes.

From the details of the carving to the overall effect, and then to the craftsmanship of the artisans, Wen Gu expressed his praise in a different way for every single point.

The several craftsmen before him were flushed with praise, so excited they did not know what to do.

They were all craftsmen raised by various wealthy families; usually, they worked for their employers, and if the employer was happy, they would give some rewards, but if they were unhappy, there would be all sorts of punishments.

Only here with Ward Chief Wen could they hear such sincere praise, and furthermore, this person was truly generous with payment! Double the joy!

Afterward, Wen Gu left behind several more difficult polishing tasks, and the craftsmen promised repeatedly that they would definitely finish the items for the Ward Chief before the new year!

Wen Gu walked back carrying the gift for learning.

The Feng Family, a large merchant group that had recently moved into Sihai Fang, joined the group of financial backers, giving the kiln side more confidence, and there was enough money and grain to purchase raw materials and auxiliary materials.

In any case, any failed products burned would become decorative materials for Wanfu Garden next year.

The result of the craftsmen's efforts was that they finally burned materials that met Wen Gu's requirements!

If he could make the items before the new year, the weight of the New Year gifts he sent to his aunt, uncle, and cousin would be very significant.

Hmm, the warehouse of my uncle-in-law has been replenished again recently.

The amount of Money Vouchers in the hands of those shops in Sihai Fang indicates how much merchandise they have provided to the Zhao Family...

Pondering matters of the New Year, Wen Gu returned to Jingxing Fang, and subsequently waited for the painting returned by the servant of Old Master Hong.

"The painting was revised so quickly this time?"

In the past, it was always returned after a day or two.

He knew his own painting skills well; his level was far from sufficient.

With doubts, Wen Gu opened the scroll.

There was not an extra stroke on the painting, but an additional seal had appeared.

This was the key!

A look of joy appeared on Wen Gu's face.

This was the first time Old Master Hong had used a seal, which meant he had given his approval!

In other words, he could formally visit to learn the craft!

Wen Gu looked at the painting again, rolled it up to store it away, and wrote a note to arrange a time.

He also packed the gifts for learning the craft—

Made of Glass, a combination design of an Ink Dish and a Brush Washer that could be stacked, which could serve as an ornament or be taken out for use.

The overall shape was square on the outside and round on the inside.

The outer contour was square, firm and steady. The interior was circular, harmonious and balanced.

The surface was carved with auspicious patterns, suitable for placing on a desk; it was both practical and elegant.

Old Master Hong did not formally take on disciples, so he did not accept formal apprenticeship gifts; this was merely a gift for learning prepared by Wen Gu.

The next day, he brought Tietou and Cheng Zhi to a ward near the core area of the city.

Here, or more precisely, the several adjacent wards, were all inhabited by many officials.

Old Master Hong was a man of sixty, with gray hair and beard.

He had once served as an official, but he resigned early to run an academy and teach.

Although he could not be said to have students everywhere, he had taught many talented people.

It was not until the chaotic times that he and his family came to Xinzhou in Beidi.

The old gentleman had a sense of concern for the country and the people, as well as a spirit full of martial virtue.

Wen Gu recalled the information he had learned.

It was unfortunate today that a new round of snowfall had begun, though fortunately, the wind was not strong.

If the world were at peace, there would certainly be many scholars reciting poetry and enjoying the snow.

However, nowadays, it only appeared cold and desolate.

Even in this ward, which was home to many wealthy households and powerful figures, if one paused slightly to listen, one could hear cries that were either faint or sharp.

Arriving at the residence where Old Master Hong lived, a servant led them into the courtyard.

An old man in blue was dancing with a sword in the snowy weather.

His figure was lean and vigorous, as imposing as an Armored Soldier breaking through enemy lines.

The north wind suddenly turned fierce, and the cold light chased the snow.

The sword technique was sharp and carried an air of uprightness, quite reminiscent of the style of the sages of old.

Wen Gu stood to the side, watching quietly.

The old gentleman's physique was truly robust!

He could certainly continue to dance with his sword for at least another twenty years!

(End of chapter)