Chapter 029: You have a new order

It's late at night and everyone is asleep.

Ying family.

The oil lamp was still on in Wen Yan's room.

Ying Zhilin reads by lamplight at night.

Wen Yan was lying on the kang in a daze.

If she wanted to expand her business, she had to reintegrate into the circle of dignitaries in the capital and gain connections and support.

She originally wanted to use Ying Zhilin's connections in the academy and the literary circle to return to the Beijing circle.

Unexpectedly, Ying Zhilin knew Wu Yunzi, and Wu Yunzi loved pigments so much.

It made her achieve twice the result with half the effort.

With the gimmick of Wu Yunzi's calligraphy and painting exhibition, the store has no shortage of traffic and business.

But this is far from enough for her to truly break into that circle and earn their money.

Wen Yan suddenly sat up, took out the deposit paid by Wu Yunzi, and counted it on the table on the kang.

She met Ying Zhilin head to head, and the faint light of the oil lamp instantly enveloped them together, making them seem very close.

Wen Yan divided the money into three parts: "This 40 taels will be used to purchase daily necessities; this 40 taels will be used to repair the house. The rainy season is coming soon, and I'm afraid that many houses will leak."

"The last forty taels..." Wen Yan pushed it in front of Ying Zhilin, "Although you are not short of money, I wrote in the agreement that I will support your studies and I will never break my promise.

You can use these to pay for next month's tuition and board and lodging, and you can live in the academy from now on."

Ying Zhilin's movements as he turned the pages of the book froze.

He raised his head and looked at her calmly: "Does it make you uncomfortable that I live at home?"

Wen Yan quickly waved her hands and explained, "Today I went to the academy and found that the mountain road was too difficult to walk on.

You make two trips back and forth every day, which takes at least one or two hours.

Instead of wasting this time on the road, you might as well use it to memorize one more book.

Moreover, the rainy season will begin in half a month. When it rains, the roads will be slippery and the mountain roads will be even more dangerous.

We are not without money, so why should we endure hardship, don’t you think? "

Wen Yan discussed the matter at hand.

To Ying Zhilin, it sounded like he was just thinking about himself in everything.

His expression softened a lot.

He explained, "I can also memorize on the road, which is more efficient than sitting in the room! Besides... the old Ying family is restless. If I don't come back for a long time, they will definitely come to bully me.

If it rains in the future, I can stay at the academy temporarily."

Wen Yan listened to his clear and logical arguments and guessed that he might not be confident in leaving his sister-in-law to a stranger like her, so she said nothing more.

But he still gave him forty taels of silver: "Keep these. Socializing with classmates always requires expenses."

"Okay." Ying Zhilin was stunned for a moment before accepting the silver.

He thought of the scenes when his parents were alive, which were also ordinary yet warm.

He turned around, opened the kang cabinet, and took out a bundle from the top layer.

"Open it and take a look."

Wen Yan opened the outer cloth bag, and there were several layers of oil paper inside.

After opening each layer, the smell of insect-proof and anti-corrosion spices hits you in the face.

Looking at the contents, Wen Yan's eyes widened in shock: "The Diamond Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, and the Heart Sutra, all written in Liuyun Kai!"

Many people can write Liuyun Kai, but only Jiao Liniang can write with the character of the founding master Huiwu Fangzhang.

And the writings on these scriptures...

She couldn't wait to flip through a few pages, and then said with absolute certainty, "This is Jiao Liniang's handwritten copy of Liuyun Kai!"

"Ying Zhilin, how did you get this? Do you know what the price of Jiao Liniang's Liuyun Kai was in the capital?"

Wen Yan held his face in her hands and looked left and right. "Ying Zhilin, how many treasures do you have hidden?"

He has a basket of priceless cat-playing pictures.

He took out three copies of Jiao Liniang's Liuyun Kai, which was fought over by the noble ladies in the capital.

Who said Ying Zhilin was a poor scholar?

He is clearly a huge treasure!

The delicate and smooth touch of Wen Yan's palm made Ying Zhilin feel slightly hot where he touched it.

When Wen Yan looked at him, her sparkling eyes were pure and passionate, making him subconsciously look away.

Wen Yan realized that he had crossed the line and withdrew his hand without leaving a trace.

She rested her hands on the small table on the kang and asked Ying Zhilin curiously, "Did you know that the Buddhist scriptures she copied in Liuyun Kai were originally loved by the noble ladies in the capital?

Ever since the news of her death broke five or six years ago, the price of her manuscripts has skyrocketed overnight, reaching the point where they are in short supply.

If you just sell one copy, you can rest easy for the rest of your life.

So, how come you have Jiao Liniang's manuscript..."

Wen Yan suddenly stopped.

Jiao Liniang passed away five or six years ago, and Ying Zhilin's mother also passed away five or six years ago...

It can’t be such a coincidence!

"Jiao Li Niang, is she your mother?" Wen Yan asked tentatively.

Ying Zhilin nodded. "She's my mother. The Ying family used to rely on my mother copying sutras to support us. She copied these three especially for my three siblings. She died of illness before she could finish copying the last one, the Heart Sutra."

Wen Yan flipped through the Heart Sutra from back to front and found that he had only copied half of it.

There were also dark red spots on the paper.

Wen Yan recognized it at a glance. It was not ink, but coughed-up blood.

Ying Zhilin said, "Aren't you planning to open a paper and ink shop? You just earned a thousand taels of gold from Wu Yunzi, so you shouldn't be short of capital. I don't have much to offer you, but I'll display these three scriptures in your shop; they should help attract customers."

"How can that be!" Wen Yan pushed the scripture back. "This is a token of your mother's love for you and your sister. You should keep it well."

This favor is too great.

Ying Zhixue and Ying Zhihai were also involved.

Wen Yan firmly disagreed.

Ying Zhilin couldn't persuade her.

He took out the Lotus Sutra and gave it to her: "You don't want to take advantage of my sister-in-law, but mine should be fine. You earn money to support my studies, so you should let me do my bit."

Wen Yan blinked.

Could it be that Ying Zhilin doesn't want to be a gigolo?

That’s true.

It's not like he's really broke.

Why beg for food when you have a mountain of gold?

"In that case, I'll accept your copy. But I'll leave the book with you first. I'll ask you for it when the shop opens." With Jiao Liniang's Liuyunkai, her shop has another gimmick.

Just wait for three days until Sister Chi Fei comes back and the new business can be started.

**

The next day.

Wu Yunzi, with big bags under his eyes, carrying paints and holding a newly-finished painting, followed Ying Zhilin back to the academy.

He stayed up all night to finish the painting, and he would feel uncomfortable if he didn't show off to the old men in the academy today.

Before leaving, Ying Zhilin called Ying Zhixue and said, "I'll take you to your aunt's house, and you can send your wages over."

Although Ying Zhixue was reluctant, she still pulled her younger brother and followed Ying Zhilin out.

When they came back in the afternoon, Ying Zhixue actually took the initiative to greet Wen Yan.

The attitude has also improved a lot.

Wen Yan raised her eyebrows slightly and glanced at Ying Zhilin inconspicuously, presumably because he had said something to Ying Zhixue.

It’s good to have him discipline me.

As long as Ying Zhixue doesn't cause trouble, she would be willing to spend the next few years in peace.

Ying Zhilin came to Wen Yan and handed her a note.

When Wen Yan unfolded it and took a look, he almost cried out in surprise.

She looked at Ying Zhilin in disbelief and lowered her voice: "Does the academy really want three sets?"

"Yes, but it's not the top version, just the regular version."

"As long as there is profit, even a small amount is still meat." Wen Yan's eyes sparkled, and she didn't mind the small order at all.

"Don't worry, I will personally take you up the mountain when I'm ready." Wen Yan's mood instantly brightened.

Yingzhi Lin needs to rest for two days, and his family lacks everything.

He suggested that the whole family go to the county town to buy things tomorrow.

Ying Zhihai raised his hands and cheered, jumping and dancing around the house with joy, muttering non-stop: "Tanghulu, big buns, malt sugar, mung bean cakes!"

Looking at his lively appearance, Wen Yan thought of the child in her previous life, and her expression involuntarily became gentle.