The Jiangnan region boasts beautiful scenery and has been considered a sacred place for poets and writers since ancient times. Since you're here, you should definitely take a boat trip on the lake and see the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan.

After finishing his duties, Emperor Kangxi began to relax.

The sensible ministers below had prepared all the necessary arrangements for eating, drinking, and having fun, and were just waiting for Kangxi.

Although Emperor Kangxi was not a foolish ruler, he was not a harsh emperor either. He still enjoyed himself. So, when he had nothing else to do, he went to enjoy himself with the beauties of Jiangnan.

Naturally, he wouldn't take his sons with him on this trip, so Yinzhen had some free time.

When Yinzhen had some free time, he naturally wanted to spend it with his little princess. He had been to Jiangnan once before, but not to this place, so he planned to take Tong Cheng'er shopping, have a meal, and see the local scenery.

Let's go shopping first, in order.

Tong Cheng'er specially asked someone to find her a ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) that women from Jiangnan (southern China) like to wear, and styled her hair with a popular Jiangnan hairstyle before she came out.

When Yinzhen saw her attire, a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes.

Upon seeing this, Tong Cheng'er couldn't help but smile: "Does it look good?"

Yinzhen: "Of course she looks beautiful, like a little girl. Seeing her makes me want to go back and change my clothes."

Yinzhen was not very old, but due to his personality, he seemed to be mature beyond his years.

Tong Cheng'er felt even happier.

Let's go.

"good"

Yinzhen took Tong Cheng'er's hand and got into the carriage.

Once they reached the street, the two disembarked from the carriage.

After getting off the carriage, Tong Cheng'er exclaimed, "As lively as ever!!"

The Jiangnan region is renowned for its rich literary culture, and this fertile land of fish and rice is teeming with wealthy merchants. As a result, the streets are bustling with people, and the cries of vendors and the conversations of passersby create a vibrant and lively street scene.

Yinzhen: "Slow down." As he spoke, Yinzhen pulled Tong Cheng'er back.

I was so busy admiring the scenery that I didn't watch where I was going and almost stepped on some pebbles that some kid had carelessly thrown on the road.

Upon hearing this, Tong Cheng'er looked down at the pebbles in front of her feet and blushed: "I understand."

There are many snacks in Jiangnan, and Tong Cheng'er ate as she walked, and even asked someone to buy some to take back with her.

However, wherever there are people, there is a world of its own. Along the way, she encountered many people arguing, mostly over trivial matters, which made Tong Cheng'er feel as if she were in another world.

After all, she had experienced the life of an ordinary person in the city, so it sounded somewhat familiar.

Along the way, there were also some acrobatic stages, with stilt walkers, fire-breathing performers, opera singers...

There were also scholars dressed in cotton clothes setting up stalls by the roadside, with folding fans and some trinkets on their stalls. Next to the stalls was a table where they wrote letters to people to earn some money to support their families.

Tong Cheng'er was curious about the scholar's stall, so she stopped for a while. The scholar came over and said, "Young master, young lady, take a look and see if there's anything that catches your eye."

The scholar's cotton cloth had faded a bit from washing and looked quite old, but he didn't seem uneasy in front of the two men in brocade robes who were followed by a large group of servants.

Tong Cheng'er found it quite interesting.

She had met some scholars from less fortunate backgrounds, but few had achieved this.

Yinzhen's gaze was drawn to the painted fans on the bookstall.

Yinzhen had seen many fine things, and the painted fan in front of him was naturally not as good as the works of others, but it was still quite nice, with words and paintings on it.

The inscription on the painting is remarkably harmonious, and the painting itself is evocative while the calligraphy possesses a distinctive style. If it were the work of the scholar in front of me, it would indeed be quite rare.

Yinzhen asked, "Did you draw all of these yourself?"

The scholar nodded: "It was indeed drawn by me."

Yinzhen then asked, "I can tell you're working hard. Are you still studying?"

The scholar was taken aback. Not many people usually came to buy his painted fans. He displayed them only because he liked them. Most of his customers relied on letters and household registration.

It's rare to hear someone say that he puts in a lot of effort.

The scholar shook his head: "I've stopped studying."

When the scholar said this, there seemed to be a hint of melancholy in his tone.

He sounds like a scholar with a story to tell.

Yinzhen felt it was a pity.

As the saying goes, one's handwriting can reveal a person's character, and that's not far from the truth. Yinzhen felt that the scholar in front of him was quite capable, at least very talented in reading.

Yinzhen, unusually, asked, "May I ask the reason?"

The scholar said, “There’s nothing to be presumptuous about. My family is poor. When my parents were alive, things were alright. Although we weren’t rich, we had several dozen acres of fertile land. But my parents fell seriously ill suddenly, and we spent all our savings. We even sold our land, but we couldn’t save their lives. Now that my parents have passed away, I should have stayed home to observe mourning. But since I only have my young and naive sister at home, I have no choice but to come out and do some work to make a living.”

The scholar's tone revealed an undisguised sorrow.

If he could, he would love to study at the academy, but his family's circumstances wouldn't allow it.

He needs to support his younger sister. Although the cost of education has come down, it doesn't mean it's not necessary. Besides, if he goes to academy, who will take care of his younger sister at home? How could he bear to leave her with relatives?

Yinzhen saw that he was neither humble nor arrogant. Although he spoke with some melancholy, he did not resent life. He was a scholar who had fallen on hard times but had not given up on himself. Although he did not have much business sense, he could be trained and perhaps he would be good.

Have you thought about going back to school?

The scholar replied, "Of course I have thought about it, but I'm afraid it's not feasible for the time being."

This is the third year he has been observing mourning for his parents. He is only seventeen years old this year. Although he is not old, his parents passed away and his relatives and friends became estranged instantly. He has long understood the ways of the world.

He had already planned it out: after the mourning period, he would find a job that could earn money, and after he had saved up enough for his sister's dowry, he would consider other things after his sister got married.

He wants to study now, but he can't afford to.

If he were alone, it would be easier. There are several academies in Jiangnan that not only waive tuition fees for students with good grades, but also offer extra rewards. However, he also has a seven-year-old sister.

A seven-year-old child can't take care of himself. If he goes to the academy and leaves his younger sister in the care of relatives, it would be like sending her away as a free maid, which he can't bear to do.

Yinzhen: "May I ask your honorable surname, sir?"

The scholar said, "I am unworthy of being addressed as 'sir' by such a young master. My surname is Wu, and my given name is Wu Sidao."

Yinzhen then asked, "Sir, these painted fans are truly excellent; I'll take them all."

Usdao quickly said, "Painted fans are not consumable items. If you like them, young master, you can just buy one. There's no need for that."

Although he sells painted fans, one should have a conscience; buying them all is really unnecessary.

Yinzhen smiled and said, "I bought these paintings and calligraphy because I found them to be quite good. I'm afraid they won't be available for purchase once you become famous."

Us said, "Young master, you are quite the joker."

Yinzhen was not joking. He didn't know what the future held for this person, but his calligraphy and painting were certainly not bad. To be able to write such characters at such a young age was a testament to his perseverance.

However, they did not stop him from buying painted fans.