Unexpected changes

And so life went on.

Zheng Youning would come in the morning to teach Nianci to read and write. After lunch, if there was enough time, he would also teach Nianci to draw in the afternoon.

With a good teacher, Nianci made rapid progress.

On this day, Zheng Youning sat upright behind her desk. In front of her, Nianci was concentrating and holding her breath, her small hands tightly gripping a slender purple brush, leaving ink marks on the snow wave paper stroke by stroke.

"This stroke is like a swallow skimming the water, light and graceful."

Zheng Youning's voice was clear and melodious, like a mountain stream flowing into a stone pool, neither hurried nor slow.

She did not immediately correct Nianci's strokes, but leaned slightly forward, reached out and gently held her wrist, guiding the brush tip downwards.

The ink flowed smoothly immediately.

"When pressing down, the force originates from the wrist, is expressed through the fingers, and is contained in the heart... Once the essence of the character '永' is in your mind, your hand will naturally be steady."

Nianci's brows furrowed slightly as she stared intently at the pen tip, her lips pressed tightly together, her cheeks puffed out, and sweat soaked the soft downy hair on her forehead.

Following Zheng Youning's instructions, she forcefully lowered her wrist, and the final stroke finally landed steadily.

Although it is somewhat immature, it is also square and robust, and has a certain appearance.

"Teacher," Nianci looked up, "Is that so?"

Zheng Youning's gaze lingered on the characters for a moment, then the corners of his lips turned up: "Yes, Nianci's characters already have strength... but remember, practicing calligraphy is like planting a young pine tree. If it can withstand the cold, heat, wind, and frost, it will naturally grow tall and majestic over time."

Sunlight filtered through the plain white curtains, casting soft, hazy beams that lazily blanketed a corner of the desk, while fine dust motes floated slowly within the beams of light.

The old locust tree outside the window remained motionless, not even bothering to sway a single leaf. Only the long, intermittent chirping of cicadas could be heard, further enhancing the tranquility of the room.

On the desk, a small incense burner with Ru ware sky-blue glaze exudes a delicate floral fragrance.

After finishing her simple lunch and clearing away the food table, Nianci gazed longingly at Zheng Youning.

Zheng Youning understood and got up to walk towards the antique shelf against the wall.

She took down a long, narrow rosewood painting box, opened the brass clasp, and inside lay a scroll of yellowed old paintings.

“Today, we’ve come to view the painting.” She placed the scroll on a large painting table to the side, and with her delicate hands, she untied the ribbons, and the scroll slowly unfurled.

The paper is flexible and makes a slight curling sound.

It was an old landscape painting on silk, its age evident in the yellowish-brown hue of the silk, yet the green landscape on the canvas remained vibrant.

Vast expanses of azure and malachite, layer upon layer, paint the rugged and majestic peaks that pierce the clouds.

Clouds and mist swirl around the mountainside, where a few thatched cottages are faintly visible, with a narrow path winding through them.

At the foot of the mountain, the river stretches out in a vast expanse, and a single sailboat is sailing upstream, as if confronting the entire sky.

"Look at this brush and ink. Isn't it majestic and vast, with an awe-inspiring presence? The lapis lazuli is as thick and heavy as the bones of a mountain, and the malachite green is as fresh and vibrant as a spring forest. The thick ink outlines the contours of the rocks, penetrating the silk with its power; the light ink washes out the misty clouds, making them ethereal and otherworldly. When the ancients viewed the magnificence of mountains and rivers, they had their own vision in their hearts, and their brushstrokes immediately created a magnificent scene."

Nianci looked up, her little face upturned, completely absorbed in the sight.

The mountains in the painting look like they're about to topple over, the river seems to roar, and the small sails struggle to move forward in the giant waves.

"The mountain is so high..." she murmured, "The boat is so small..."

“Yes…” Zheng Youning’s gaze also lingered on the verdant ink-wash landscape: “The world possesses immense beauty, and humans standing within it are but a speck of dust. Yet, even knowing the path ahead is treacherous, this speck of dust refuses to give up even a single stroke of its oar. This is the spirit of ‘doing what one knows to be impossible’…”

She paused, turned her gaze to Nianci, and softened her voice: "Whether it is learning painting, calligraphy, or even how to conduct oneself, this mindset is essential."

Nianci seemed to understand but not quite, yet her gaze remained firmly fixed on the painting.

The vibrant green of the painting left a deep imprint on her clear pupils.

Zheng Youning took a brand new sheet of snow-white Xuan paper, spread it out, and pressed the four corners down with a paperweight.

Then he picked up a central wolf-hair brush, dipped it in thick ink, and brought it down without hesitation, exerting force under his wrist as if pulling a thousand pounds.

The ink quickly outlined several powerful arcs on the paper, and then revealed the rugged contours of the mountains.

With just a few strokes, the essence and spirit of a strange rock leaps off the page.

"Once you grasp the overall trend, you'll have no regrets once you put pen to paper."

Nianci held her breath, watching the ink solidify and take shape on the snow-white Xuan paper, as if the spirit of the mountain truly condensed under the teacher's brush.

She carefully picked up the small pen on her desk, and imitating Zheng Youning, took a deep breath and then forcefully drew a crooked stroke on the paper.

The cicadas outside the window started chirping again, one burst after another, breaking the afternoon silence.

The sunlight quietly shifted westward, silently stretching the long shadows cast by the window.

Meanwhile, the western market of Qinzhou was bustling with noise and excitement.

Pei Qingwu, dressed in a refreshing light blue narrow-sleeved ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), moved swiftly and lightly through the surging crowd, like a nimble fish skillfully navigating the pushing and shoving.

After Princess Shouchun became pregnant, her tastes became increasingly discerning.

Yesterday, she sent someone to find Pei Qingwu, saying she wanted to eat some spicy snacks.

In this era, chili peppers had not yet been introduced to China, but the concept of spiciness already existed, and many people enjoyed it, so they often used ingredients such as dogwood and black pepper to create a spicy sensation.

Pei Qingwu had no other choice but to use this method, but the shop had very little stock left, so he had to go to the West Market to buy more.

The streets and alleys are filled with spice stalls, displaying a dazzling array of spices piled up like mountains.

Clusters of pungent, reddish-brown peppers hang high, mounds of deep purple, almost black cloves are piled up, and neat, dazzling golden ginger chunks are arranged...

Some vendors even displayed rare coriander seeds, fennel seeds, pepper, and nutmeg, which emitted a strong and unusual aroma in the scorching air.

Shouts, haggling, and the neighing of mules and horses... all merged into a huge wave of sound, assaulting Pei Qingwu's eardrums.

"Young lady! Top-quality dogwood! Home-dried, bright red, and very flavorful. Want some?"

A dark-skinned, lean stall owner grinned and offered her a handful of bright red dried dogwood.

Pei Qingwu's gaze lingered on the dogwood for a moment; its red was indeed pure and full. But she did not stop immediately. She merely nodded slightly, her steps uninterrupted, her eyes still searching forward.

Not far ahead, there seemed to be even more people gathered around a shop with a sign that read "Hu Xiang Ji," and she was more familiar with it.

Just as she was about to arrive, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure flashing by at the entrance of the alley diagonally ahead.

The figure, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe with floral patterns, moved quickly and disappeared into the shadows at the alley entrance in an instant.

Liang Jingshan? What's he doing here?

A hint of doubt flashed through Pei Qingwu's mind.

The Liang family's Ruifangzhai restaurant has been operating in Qinzhou for a long time. It is a large and well-established business with many employees, so it is naturally incomparable to her Sushan Xiaoji restaurant.

Moreover, Liang Jingshan has always been proud of his status, so why would he personally come to such a mixed place?

She slowed her pace slightly and glanced at the alleyway entrance a few more times.

The alley was deep and deserted, and the figure had completely disappeared.

"Master Pei, we're old acquaintances! Are you looking for the finest cloves? Our shop has just received some benzoin, the fragrance of which is the purest and longest-lasting!"

A greeting with a heavy foreign accent interrupted her thoughts.

The waiter from Hu Xiang Ji greeted us with a smile, pointing to several piles of cloves spread out on the counter inside the shop.

Pei Qingwu composed himself, temporarily suppressing his doubts, and walked over.

She bent down, stretched out her finger, picked up a plump clove, and brought it close to her nose.

A strong and unique spicy aroma fills the nostrils, rich and fragrant, which is enough to prove that the quality is good.

Then, her gaze swept over the dried dogwood next to her, which was bright red and intact, and was of excellent quality.

"I need one portion of each of these cloves and dogwood. Please weigh them accurately."

The man readily agreed and quickly began weighing the medicine packets.

After waiting for a moment, Pei Qingwu glanced at the quiet alley again.

The alleyway was still deserted; that glimpse just now seemed to be nothing more than an insignificant illusion.

She took the wrapped spices, paid the money, carefully put them away, and then prepared to turn around and leave this noisy place.

The moment she turned around, something unexpected happened.

A small, thin figure suddenly rushed out from behind a pile of debris, as if shoved by something, and crashed uncontrollably into Pei Qingwu.

Even with Pei Qingwu's quick reflexes, he still couldn't dodge it.

With a heavy thud, the violent impact slammed into her waist and abdomen, sending a sharp pain through her ribs.

The spice packet flew out of his hand, scattering dark red dogwood powder and dark brown clove granules, creating a pungent cloud of dust in the air.

"Why--"

He hit someone, but instead of stopping to apologize, the person ran even faster and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Pei Qingwu could only accept his bad luck.

However, when she got up, she touched her clothes and found that the purse containing copper coins was gone.

That won't do; she has other things to buy.

Thinking back to the collision, Pei Qingwu couldn't help but believe that the person had taken advantage of the collision to steal her wallet.

"Wait a minute!"

She instinctively gave chase, but as she approached the alley, a hand suddenly reached out from the darkness and pulled her into the alley before she could react.

Just as she was about to cry out for help, a wet cloth was placed over her face.

In an instant, Pei Qingwu lost all strength, her vision went black, and she collapsed limply to the ground.

When she woke up again, her whole body ached, especially her temples, where the blood vessels were throbbing.

She was dizzy for a long time, and only after she finally focused her vision did she realize that she was in complete darkness.

The darkness brought a deathly silence, and that silence made her heart pound wildly, pounding against her ribs with a muffled, drum-like sound.

Sharp pains shot through the areas where I had been dragged and bumped, my arm felt like it had been crushed, and the dull ache from the impact on my back was also clearly felt.

She was breathing heavily; the cold air, mixed with the heavy smell of dust and rotten wood, choked her lungs, triggering a violent cough.

"Is anyone there? Please help me..."

Perhaps due to the drug, Pei Qingwu's voice was extremely hoarse when he opened his mouth.

Her response was still only deathly silence.

Damn it, she must have fallen for Liang Jingshan's trick.

I just don't know what that fox wants to do by locking her up here.

After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Pei Qingwu began to survey his surroundings—

Only a faint ray of light pierced through a crack, barely outlining the blurry contours of the decaying beams overhead and the swaying shadows of spiderwebs.

Beneath them was a ground covered in thick dust and debris, and the air was thick with the smell of mildew and rotten wood.

This must be an abandoned warehouse; there's nothing useful here, and everything bears the marks of age.

"Well……"

Just as she was feeling uneasy, a man's voice suddenly came from somewhere.

She immediately pricked up her ears, cautiously searching for the source of the sound.

The sound gradually became clearer, so clear that she went to investigate, and what she saw left her speechless.

It was an old acquaintance, Said, but he was curled up in a corner, groaning in pain, his face abnormally flushed.

He was drugged!