Chapter 45 Endless Aftertaste

There is no more proud moment than today.

After leaving the Shao Mansion's villa and having dinner at the restaurant, they paid their respects to their parents-in-law and returned to their room to bathe and change clothes. The couple was still excited, recalling today's events with great enthusiasm. Xue Jia was lying on the bed with his legs stretched out and his feet apart, like a half-worn dustpan. He even had to tilt his body, with his right foot raised high and resting on his left leg, shaking his legs vigorously: "My wife, it's true. Today at Shao Yanei's place, when you said that the person in the painting was you, everyone was shocked. They stared at you with wide eyes, then at the painting - hey, not to mention them, I was shocked too. My wife, how can you be so capable? Shao Yanei said that his father spent a hundred taels of silver to get that painting. A hundred taels, a hundred taels of silver for a painting, and it actually depicts my wife. Hehe, hahahahaha."

Yanru was so embarrassed by Xue Jia's behavior that she ordered Shanjuan around even louder than usual, her voice a bit louder than usual, her coquettishness revealing a touch of unbridled impunity. "Before I brought out that painting, I was wondering, what kind of painting could it be? Even the children of a noble family would find it so rare and interesting? I'd love to see it. But when it was brought over—oh my god, it's Ji Mingxiu's painting, and the person in it is me! Hey! I thought it was some rare jade gem. Then I told them, this is an old painting that Teacher Ji used to draw when he was teaching painting at Qiushui Academy. It was a spring day with flowers in full bloom, and I was sitting by the pavilion reading. Teacher Ji saw it and said it was interesting, so he took out paper and pen and drew a picture based on my image. However good this painting is, it's at best just Teacher Ji's casual sketch, far inferior to 'The Bronze Sparrow Locking Spring.' 'The Bronze Sparrow Locking Spring' was a joint creation of Teacher Ji and I, and it's still treasured in the palace in Handan!"

"Yes, yes, yes. I think so too." Xue Jia smiled and pinched Yanru's feet. "So I told them right away that the painting in the Shao family's collection only depicts you as a beauty. 'The Bronze Sparrow Locking Spring' is different. That painting is better. It depicts both your charm and your talent."

Yanru said, "Sir, do you remember? When we first went there, those people spoke to us politely on the surface, but in fact, their eyes were in their crotches. They turned their heads towards us while talking, and their breath was all through their noses. But after seeing the painting, their expressions changed drastically, and they all praised me for being so beautiful, like a fairy descending to earth. And the one in purple clothes was called - oh, Li Yanei. Li Yanei said that Teacher Ji's painting skills were outstanding. This was the first time he saw the painting and the person in the painting at the same time. He couldn't tell whether it was the person in the painting or the real person who had the charm. After that, he offered us tea, praised me for being beautiful enough, and said that I was lucky enough. Then everyone followed his example and offered us tea. I was so flattered that I forgot what they said. When we went back home, I thought Shao Yanei would personally see us out. Hmm... I feel a little regretful."

"Really? I didn't notice that. I think they are all the same." Xue Jia scratched his head. "I only looked at that bald woman. What kind of world can a poor nun from a steamed bun temple have seen? Shao Yanei was kind enough to let her come and look at the good things, but she really made a dish of herself, like a little mouse climbing a scale hook, not knowing how much she weighed, and always finding fault with my wife. She knows shit. My wife is a goddess of painting, and she is shit. No matter how much she knows, can you understand as much as my wife? Oh, don't tell me, she started to make a fuss and act like a spoiled brat, pointing at the painting of Mr. Wang all the time, and I thought she was really used to seeing good things. As expected, when Shao Yanei took out the painting by Master Ji—oh hey, she was so shocked that the string in her hand broke and she almost fainted! Amitabha, Amitabha, her own magic tools were scattered all over the floor. She stood there stupidly, not moving. Shao Yanei called her but she ignored him. It was Li Yanei who had to call the servants to help her pick up the beads and asked the maid to help her down—oh, do you remember, she couldn't even walk at that time? Oh, Mantou Temple is still too small. The nuns there are like the gods in the Wudao Temple, without receiving much incense. Today is probably the closest she has ever been to real rare treasures. I can only say that."

Yanru was dissatisfied with Xue Jia's lack of knowledge and skills, and with her words, she belittled her former lover and said angrily, "Mr. Wang? Who is Mr. Wang? How can he be compared with Ji Mingxiu? Ji Mingxiu, that is the most powerful painter in our dynasty, and his paintings are worth thousands of gold!"

Xue Jialang laughed: "Hey, after all, not everyone is like us, born into a wealthy family and used to seeing all the good things."

The couple chatted back and forth, their joy a hundred times greater than a basket full of magpies. After the publication of "Fu of Three Capitals," the "Book of Jin" records: "The rich and noble vied with each other to copy it, and paper became expensive in Luoyang." The rich and noble rushed to circulate and copy "Fu of Three Capitals," causing the price of rice paper in Luoyang to soar. Originally, it was because Zuo Si was so talented and his writing was so brilliant that others praised him as "expensive paper." But who knew that in the Xue Mansion in the Sui Dynasty Imperial City, the priorities were reversed? Alas! If the paper from Luoyang during the Jin Dynasty had the good fortune to meet the Goddess of Painting, it would also learn to be arrogant and shake it, saying, "This is the paper that was used to write "Fu of Three Capitals"! How impressive!"

Xue Jia, after all, tired before Yanru did. He rubbed her buttocks, "My dear, it's getting late. Let's get some rest. Mother said my godfather has to go to the pawnshop tomorrow and has to get up early." He yawned loudly, his lips closing and his teeth smacking. Lazy as Xue Jia was, he disdained the bother of meticulously brushing his teeth with willow branches and had no habit of cleaning his mouth. Even when Yanru forced him to rinse his mouth with strong tea soaked in salt before bed, it had little effect. The rancid stench permeated his mouth, and even a fresh, delicate melon vine placed nearby would have been suffocated and wilted by the fumes, let alone by the sleepy man.

Yet Yanru was still lost in the flattery, applause, and tea offered to her by others, savoring the experience endlessly. Her overwhelming joy had diminished her dislike for Xue Jia's slovenliness, and her kindness had multiplied. Without even sending Shanjuan, she leaped out of bed to pour herself some tea and soothe her throat. Her eyes strayed across the ebony display rack in the room. Xue Jia had instructed them to leave all the finery in the house untouched; it was laid out uniformly here, as if waiting for someone to see it and praise their ability to afford and appreciate their knowledge of collecting. As Shanjuan was packing, she also included the dowry from her wife. Yanru spotted a pendant made of polished pebble, nestled among several jade waist pendants, suspended in a specially designed compartment. It was a small trinket Liu Xiang had made for her as a decorative pendant, with a reed pattern carved into the back, inspired by the line "You should be like a rock, I like a cattail. The cattail is as strong as silk, the rock is immovable."

Oh, this was originally a pair. Liu Xiang made two, gave one to her, and kept the other for himself.

As if possessed by some strange force, Yanru walked over and took a look at the pebble pendant. It was white with a hint of yellow, with a smooth surface and a rough texture. The jade waist pendant next to it was crystal clear and slightly light green. In comparison, the former really pales in comparison, comparable to the two-cent vinegar in the shop - sour and cheap.

Yanru sneered, took off the pebble pendant, turned around, and decisively threw her once beloved object into the bottom compartment of her dressing table.

Mr. Shi was visiting the pawnshop as a guest, but the Xue family was on high alert. The cock crowed three times, and at dawn, Yanru was dragged from her bed by Xue Jia. "Don't sleep any more! Hurry up and get up! My godfather has other things to do today, so he has to be at the pawnshop an hour early. We need to get ready early."

Yanru said sleepily: "Then just call a few people to entertain them. Why do I have to go there myself? It's so early in the morning, and I won't be able to sleep well."

Xue Jia frowned and glared, "Nonsense! My adoptive father paid me a lot of money for this pawnshop. If you don't want to go, that's fine. If he doesn't see you later and gets angry, he can take back the money he gave us. You can stop being a pawnshop lady and just stay home."

A word woke Yanru up from her dream. She opened her eyes wide, jumped up from the bed, and shouted to Shanjuan to come and serve her, and to wash and dress up and get ready.

The pawnshop clerks got up earlier than their boss, all of them trembling with fear, as if they were on the edge of an abyss, treading on thin ice. When Xue Jia and Yanru arrived, all the big and small items had been cleaned, and the yard had been swept with water, leaving it spotless. Yanru secretly complained that she was not as good-looking as the noble lady she was yesterday: "Damn it, isn't there someone working? Your godfather is here to visit, not to visit the grave, why is he here so early? Why does he have to rush to serve people?" A beauty does not need to be toiled, just need to be well taken care of, and when it comes to the scene of banquet guests, she will appear gracefully and stun everyone, not to mention that she is a beauty who married into a wealthy family and became a noble lady? Yanru waved her long sleeves gracefully, intending to have a good rest on the beauty couch in the back room. Walking up the corridor, she accidentally found that there was something wrong with several flowers and plants in the yard. After a careful inspection, she quickly called the pawnshop manager: "Mian Zong, what's going on in this yard? Has it been moved?"

The steward, Mian Zong, said, "Yes, yesterday the mistress came and said the furnishings in the courtyard were not good. Master Shi definitely didn't like them and told us to replace a few pots immediately."

Yanru's chest was on fire. "What?! I'm the mistress of the Xue Mansion! Is this a pawnshop for me?! I like it! What does it have to do with Master Shi? You, put it back here right now! Do you hear me?"

Mianzong was a scholar, and although he had to yield to others for a living, he was neither humble nor arrogant. "My lady, the madam said that everything today is up to Mr. Shi's preference. We have always been working here just to follow the instructions of the monthly salary. The madam also said that every blade of grass and every tree in this yard was hard-earned by the Xue family. Wealth and honor are hard-earned and cannot be squandered easily. In the future, everyone should not do whatever they want and waste things when they are happy or sad, even a leaf or a flower is not allowed."

Yanru understood immediately. On the opening day, she had crushed several banana leaves with her fingernails. Wang Xianyi was using Mianzong's words to scold her. Yanru was furious and wanted to vent her anger on Mianzong, but coincidentally, Xue Jia shouted in front, "Where is the manager?! Miansheng! Miansheng!" The man saw the opportunity and ran away, leaving Yanru alone to stamp her feet.

"I'm so angry! I'm so angry!" Yanru cursed as she entered the back room where they were resting. She kicked the short ebony couch hard and punched the soft golden pillow. Aside from Qi Fengning's attacks, how could the Goddess of Painting and Painting have ever suffered such bullying? Yanru was furious and decided to teach the Xue family a lesson, otherwise she would let them bully her in the future.

But what is the best way? Yanru thought about it over and over, racking her brains, but she couldn't find a good solution. Just then, there was a commotion in the front yard, and it seemed that a group of people were coming - it must be Mr. Shi! Yanru stood up and adjusted her appearance in front of a square mirror. She was about to walk out and surprise everyone, when Shanjuan rushed over with a pale face. She didn't even bother to go into the house, and directly leaned over the window and said to her:

"Madam, Madam said that there are too many people ahead and things are getting chaotic. She told me to tell you not to go and to rest in this room until they disperse."