Chapter 51: Looking Down

When a nobleman comes to his house, he'll need three thousand yards of firewood and eight hundred yards of rice. Ji Mingxiu visited Qixian Pawnshop twice, his calligraphy hanging on the wall. The entire room was adorned with splendor, imbued with the aura of the Wang and Xie clans of yesteryear. The painting sat on display for half a day, Xue Jia and Yanru examining the original, then revisiting the scene they had witnessed together. Ji Mingxiu's fame was immense, the painting depicting the goddess Danqing so beautiful, Yanru's red fox fur robe so elegant. The young couple felt a tacit understanding, their gazes etched with smiles, their expressions more proud than a peacock spreading its feathers in spring.

However, Xue Jia seemed to prefer the painting of Yanru painted by Mianzong for the three of them to Ji Mingxiu's own. He wished every man, woman, and child who entered the pawnshop could see Ji Mingxiu's legendary masterpiece and discover his connections with the most distinguished artists of our dynasty. He had intended to hang the two paintings at the counter, but the counter was too conspicuous with the constant flow of people. What if they were stolen or destroyed by a jealous person? Alas, Xue Jia had to settle for the next best thing and framed them and hung them alongside the "Painting Goddess Playing" on the main wall of the reception room. He brewed a pot of tea and sat down below, sipping it, shaking his legs, and admiring it. Mianzong, walking in and out, felt ashamed and embarrassed to see his crude work displayed alongside the masterpieces of famous painters. His face flushed. Scholars cherish their reputation, and even if a scholar is poor, he still has backbone. After sitting restlessly for a whole morning, Mianzong resolutely stood up and said to Xue Jia, "Sir, why don't you take down my painting and just hang up the painting by Master Ji? That will be fine."

Xue Jia narrowed his eyes and raised his chin: "Why?"

Mian Zong said, "Sir, my skills are far inferior to Ji Mingxiu's. How can I put my handwriting together with his? It will make others laugh."

Xue Jia said contemptuously, "Do you think I'm showing respect and admiration by hanging your painting? If I hadn't put that painting up, who would have known that Ji Mingxiu's painting was given to me personally? Who would have known that my wife is the Goddess of Painting? Who would have known that we have such a close relationship with the great painter Ji? You think you're a piece of shit that a dog wouldn't even sniff at. What do you really think you are? Work harder and dream less!"

From that day forward, Xue Jia tirelessly introduced and explained the origins of the two paintings to every distinguished visitor to the pawnshop, extending his discussion to his wife's connection to the renowned artist. Ji Mingxiu's paintings were valued for their rarity, often collected by the likes of the "Gongxu Gongzi" and the "Five Marquises." Even the wealthiest of wealthy families, those below the highest rank, would rarely even glance at one. Upon hearing that Qixian Pawnshop held Ji Mingxiu's calligraphy, many characters, bearing gifts and respect, visited Xue Jia's place to see Yanru's past paintings and hear their memories of that day with the renowned teacher. Sometimes, they would suddenly forget that the painter was Ji Mingxiu, the renowned official and county figure, and not You Yanru or Xue Jia.

Thanks to the two paintings, Qixian Pawnshop became increasingly bustling with customers, welcoming and sending off guests, a bustling atmosphere of one after another. Gradually, the number of people coming to flatter Xue Jia and Yan Ru exceeded those who actually came to see the paintings, and even more than those who came to pawn their belongings. Even if the Jade Emperor descended to earth or the Emperor left the palace, these two supreme beings in heaven and earth, after hearing the flattering words in the Qixian Pawnshop's reception room, would have sighed: "With a tall horse at the door, it's a relative, even if they are not relatives."

Day after day of laughter, the cups and plates were in disarray. The warm stoves for entertaining guests burned brightly, the yellow glow of the charcoal dancing on Yanru's face. The goddess of painting, her radiance even greater than before in Jinling, she wore the red fox fur robe Liu Xiang had given her, her smile even more radiant than the fur itself. In the jubilation of the house, how could anyone remember the cold outside? Time passed quickly in the bustling atmosphere, until the novelty wore off, and another eye-catching event in the city replaced the Xue Mansion's collection of paintings. Yanru was forced to temporarily withdraw from the hustle and bustle, only then realizing that the twelfth lunar month had arrived and the Spring Festival was approaching.

Qixian Pawnshop has returned to its former normal state, with few visitors. Yanru has lost her place of leisure and is unwilling to travel to the city all day. She only wants to close the door in Daiyuan and dream of being a lady. Unfortunately, no matter how beautiful Daiyuan is, it is located in a deserted and secluded suburb of the city. Xue Jia, who is full of vigor and vitality, can't stay there and has to drive into the city every other day to relax. Yanru guessed that her husband is not good at judging goods, let alone settling accounts. He will never stay in the pawnshop to work honestly when traveling alone. It would be okay to stay with his mother at Xue Mansion, but what if he goes to some brothel and is seduced by some vixen and spends all his money? She couldn't help but get nervous and decided to get up, change clothes, follow Xue Jia into the city, and stare at her husband's every move.

She despised Xue Jia for being useless, and in reality, she herself couldn't understand what was going on in the pawnshop. Today, Xue Jia was going to the horse farm, leaving Yanru alone in the pawnshop. To emphasize her power to the other employees, she first asked them to hand in the pawnshop's account books, showing off her status as the mistress of the house. Flipping open the books, she saw income, expenses, profits, prices, taxes... Four, six, thousands, tens of thousands, a long string of black numbers piled up like ants on the arm-length account book. Yanru only read for three seconds before she felt dizzy. She could read, but she forced herself to read a few pages, but she couldn't understand the meaning of the accounts, let alone how to deduce the numbers at the bottom. It was like a mortal reading a book of heaven, confused and lost.

After yawning three times, Yan Ruduan closed the notebook, closed her eyes, and thought to herself: I'm the headmistress now, employing so many people. Do I still need to do my own abacus like those small shop owners? Mian Zong takes care of the accounts. I just need to hear him tell me how much I've earned at the end of the month. I've seen so many good things, so identifying them is no problem. I might as well go up front and check how much money the store takes in every day. It would save me time, effort, and worry.

Yanru ordered the account book to be put away, then walked to the front, where she sat bored at the counter, her head drooping as she peered out. Like any other pawnshop, to protect the goods and keep out robbers and thieves, the interior was separated by thick wooden planks. Above the pawners, a fence as thick as a woman's fist was built, leaving only a small window for the clerks to peek in and take their belongings. Those outside held their heads high, smiling attentively, hoping for more money; those inside looked down, deciding the amount of money. Over time, anyone could develop a false sense of superiority. After half a day, Yanru had spent too much time looking at the heads of the customers. Then she looked at the items they were pawning. It was like a swan looking down on a sparrow or an eagle looking down on a fly. She pinched her nose and said, "Everyone who came here today is as poor as the other. They're either pawning old clothes or broken chairs. It's rare to see someone just come in and say they want to pawn jewelry. I took a look and saw—a wooden hairpin. How much is a wooden hairpin worth? My friend, Mr. Zheng from the Ministry of Revenue, used to wear wooden hairpins all day long before he passed the imperial examination. Other people's pawnshops only accept coral beads and jade bracelets every day, and we, on the other hand, throw away money and get these things?"

Mian Zong gathered up the pawn ticket he had just written and said, "The holidays are coming soon, and some poor people have no spare money, so they pawn their belongings to get some money to buy New Year's goods, and then redeem them in the spring. The pawnshop where I used to work was very kind. He gave more money and less interest to the poor families who came to pawn their clothes before and after the New Year's Eve."

Yanru said with disgust: "How poor! Was your previous employer a pawnshop or a temple?"

Mianzong looked down upon Yanru's harshness and said, "Oh? Everyone outside is praising your erudition, but they don't know that the pawnshop, Changshengku, was originally a temple from the Southern Dynasty? It's understandable that pawnshop owners have a kind heart."

Yanru fell silent, pouting and muttering, "The Southern Dynasty is the Southern Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty is the Sui Dynasty, the pawnshop is the pawnshop, and the temple is the temple. Who cares whether others want to become Bodhisattvas or not? We at Qixian Pawnshop must settle the payment."

Mianzong ignored her, clacking away his thoughts as he concentrated on his abacus. Yanru, bored by her own actions, fiddled with the pen holder. A few "knock knocks" rang out, and the partition vibrated. Mianzong and Yanru poked their heads out. A small girl, no taller than the wooden plank, clutched a bundle tightly. She must be another poor girl pawning clothes for the New Year. Yanru retreated, letting Mianzong handle the situation.

The little girl, though still young and somewhat frail, had a strangely distinctive appearance, her eyes red and half-filled with tears. Mianzong's daughter, even younger than her, saw this and felt a surge of pity. She acted with a gentle warmth, coaxing her in a coquettish voice, "Sister, are you going to pawn these clothes? Bring them up to your uncle!"

The little girl nodded, then shook her head, and looked timidly at Mianzong. Mianzong patiently guided her: "Sister, do you want to change money? If so, please give it to uncle quickly, okay? Come on, give it to uncle."

The little girl obeyed and handed the clothes in her arms to Mianzong. The package was tied tightly with several knots. Mianzong took great pains to open it, wanting to carefully examine the quality of the clothes. Unexpectedly, there was a round thing hanging inside. Mianzong reached out and was startled. He hurriedly called Yanru: "My wife, my wife, look!"

Yanru took a closer look and was equally surprised. Who would have thought that a pair of high-quality jade bracelets could be hidden in a pile of half-worn clothes? Usually, such fine things were delivered by older people, ensuring their safety. But today, a young girl was holding them in a pile of old clothes. I'm afraid there's something else going on. If it was theft... Yanru gave a look, and Mianzong understood. He quickly asked, "Sister, how did you get those things? Are they from your family?"

The child nodded, and Mian Zong continued, "Sister, are your parents here? Uncle has a rule that good things must be delivered by adults. Call your parents, okay?"

But as soon as he said that, the little girl burst into tears, her heart breaking: "I don't have a father, my mother is sick, can't get up, can't afford medicine, and asked me to bring the things my grandmother left for my mother here to exchange for money to find a doctor." She was crying, and even the most heartless people would have to wipe their eyes when they saw her. Mianzong took out the ginger candy he wanted to bring for his daughter from his pocket to comfort her and stop her crying. He lowered his voice and said to Yanru: "My wife, I have seen this, it is a good thing. This little girl is really pitiful. She wears so little in winter, I guess this is all her family has. She has lost her father and her mother is sick. Even if she recovers, she can only earn enough money to make a living. How can it be easy to pay back the interest of our pawnshop? Let's not lower her price, add a few copper coins, and charge her less profit. We won't do a loss-making business, what do you think?"

Yanru was originally a little moved, but after hearing what Mianzong said, she cast aside all her mixed feelings and said firmly, "Come on, come on, you run the shop, you manage the money. I just said, I don't care about other people. Whether you want to become a Bodhisattva or not, we want to settle the money. We run a pawnshop, and if you want to do good deeds, go to Tiekan Temple now, and you can become a monk at the hour of Xu."

Mianzong estimated the price and peeked out to see the little girl, her eyes tearful and her hands covered in chilblains. Thinking of his own daughter complaining of the cold even in winter, even wearing a quilted tiger-head hat, he couldn't bring himself to be cruel. "My lady often told us how hard it was for Lord Zheng of the Ministry of Revenue back then, how cold and miserable his family was, how they couldn't even afford a doctor, and it was only thanks to you that they were able to survive and enjoy their current official position and wealth. My lady, look, how much this child looks like Lord Zheng back then. Since you often lament your own kind heart, how could you bear to see this little girl like this? My lady, trust me, I'll let it go and lower the interest rate so our shop won't suffer a big loss."

Yanru always liked to use the events of the past to show off herself, and Mianzong used it to restrain her, half persuading and half forcing her. If she refused, who would believe her when she boasted about her purity and kindness in the future? Yanru wavered and said, "Okay, don't lower her price, and charge less interest. But don't give her too much money. Do you understand?"

Mianzong responded, quickly signing the bill, stamping it, and counting the money to prevent his boss from regretting his decision. Yanru sat on a chair, legs crossed, shoulders tilted, arms folded, feeling that she was truly a beautiful and kind-hearted bodhisattva who had descended to earth. She didn't know how much she had suffered in her life because of the four people who "did good deeds to help others"!

Amidst my myriad thoughts, a sturdy figure, half human, half ghost, half frog, suddenly leaped out from the corridor. It was Xue Jia, his face like a monkey eating chili peppers. He scratched his ears and cheeks, calling out impatiently, "My adoptive father is coming! Hurry and pack your things! In one stick of incense at most! My adoptive father and Shao Yanei will be here!"

For a moment, except for Mian Zong at the counter, the other employees put aside their work and quickly set to work. The pig gathered firewood, the dog started the fire, and the fox swept the floor and invited guests to sit down. It was like a crab crossing a river, with all its hands and feet busy. Yanru stood up and said, "I went to the horse ranch today. How did I know that my adoptive father would come? And Shao Yanei is coming too?"

Xue Jia's throat was smoking from the long journey. He gulped down a pot of tea and said, "Hey. Today we went to the horse farm for my adoptive father! My adoptive father and Shao Yanei made an appointment to go horseback riding... Mian Zong, pour me some tea - they also made an appointment to play polo, didn't they? They asked me to come over. Then, while they were chatting, they suddenly felt like coming to the pawnshop to sit and look at the painting we got."

"Oh, so that's it." Yanru touched her hair ornaments, called Shanjuan to fetch her some water, and with delicate steps, she went to the inner room to wash and touch up her makeup. It was just the right time, and by the time she had finished tidying up, Master Shi and Shao Yanei had arrived, surrounded by a large group of people. They sat in the reception room, drinking tea and burning incense, admiring Ji Mingxiu's paintings on the wall. Master Shi seemed very pleased, exclaiming, "Your Excellency and your bride are capable. They can get anything you want."

"Teacher Ji is getting older and hasn't been very interested in painting these days. Actually, this painting was made by Teacher Ji three years ago when I was a student at Qiushui Academy." Yanru seized the opportunity and gracefully slipped into the painting, showing off without leaving any trace. "This painting may seem simple, but the brushwork and coloring are actually inspired by many ancient painters, and they are all very sophisticated."

Shao Yanei said, "Madam You is truly extraordinary. I've only seen Master Ji's paintings three times, and two of them depicted her—oh, the one my father collected is also of her. She truly deserves to be called the Goddess of Painting!"

"That's all just a joke from others. I don't deserve it." Yanru covered her mouth with her fan and laughed charmingly. Xue Jia was arrogant: "Of course not. My bride is not only a goddess of painting, she also studied painting seriously with the great painter Ji. She studied in the two best academies in Jinling and Beijing!"

Mr. Shi nodded and said, "Dalang, you are blessed to have married such a beauty. Well, since your bride and Dalang are so powerful, why don't you tell Dalang about your recent worries and ask him to share your concerns?"

Xue Jia said seriously, "Oh? What happened to Shao Yanei recently? Tell us quickly so we can think of a solution together."

"Hey! It's nothing serious! It's just..." Shao Yanei waved his hands, and suddenly saw Mian Zong walking past the window with something in his hand, his eyes glued to it.

[Narrative]: Sister Saoao Rui, I'm late. I should have appeared last night, but unfortunately, I've had some worries these past few days. My cat was neutered yesterday, so I'm only updating today.

Yanru appears to have done another good deed, but is she truly doing the favor out of pity? Even if poverty isn't a sin, her friend is already an official, and needs to maintain some outward appearance. Would a truly kind person, for the sake of their own image, casually share their friend's painful and unbearable past with their subordinates?

In addition, I really like the previous article about the poetry duet between Juzi and Xuedou, as well as Chiyueliang's message. Thank you all for your support! I really like your comments on poetry duets, and I hope you will boldly recite poems and compose fu with the two teachers!