Chapter 50 Absurd Reunion
Ever since the rainy night when she met Liu Xiang, Yanru thought that her fate with Ji Mingxiu was over.
She should have hated him; anyone in her position would have hated him, but Yanru couldn't bring herself to do so. She thought Liu Xiang's gentleness and affection had distracted her from the moment, preventing her from fully devoting herself to hating him. Later, when Ji Mingxiu took the initiative, inviting her to Fan Garden and introducing her to Bu Yibo, Yanru realized she could never hate him. After all, without him, there would be no You Yanru today. Ji Mingxiu had invested time and effort in her, allowing her to shine, allowing her to peer outside the palace gates, helping her reach the capital, and most importantly, bestowing upon her the title of Goddess of Painting. With this title, she gained attention and, naturally, ascended to the throne of wealth and luxury. Everything she had, even Liu Xiang, was inextricably linked to Ji Mingxiu.
How could she hate him? She even looked forward to meeting him tomorrow, looking forward to the passage of time when he would pose her, outline her, and let her blossom under his pen.
Thinking of this, Yanru licked her lips excitedly. Even though the twilight hour had passed and the sky had darkened and sun set, she still insisted on staying in the pawnshop to prepare for tomorrow's affairs. Ji Mingxiu preferred a spacious, dark room. Yanru acted decisively and drastically, ordering the servants to clear out all the tables, chairs, desks, and paintings that Xue Jia had lavishly placed in the room. She only placed a short couch by the window, a paper mallet vase with plum blossoms in it, and a bamboo screen. Xue Jia was extremely dissatisfied with the emptiness: "This is too empty! Someone who didn't know would think we couldn't afford nice things."
He was indeed an ignorant fool, his rich, nouveau riche odor unable to mask his tacky nouveau riche. Yanru looked down on Xue Jia's ignorance and told him, half boasting, half disdainfully, "Sir, Master Ji dislikes tediousness. He strives for minimalism and pristine simplicity in his settings, highlighting the essential qualities and characteristics of the subjects. Master Ji would despise the garish, vulgarity of simply piling on gold, silver, and jade."
Xue Jia turned away with disdain, humming through his nose, "Oh, you really understand him very well, very deeply."
Yanru's mind wasn't on her husband. She listened to his words, catching their superficial meaning. "Of course. Back in Qiushui Academy, I was Master Ji's most favored student. He always asked me to answer his questions. My dear, don't be fooled by the fact that his paintings have empty backgrounds except for the figures. In fact, the placement, distance, and size of those objects were all carefully considered by Master Ji. Take the painting in Shao Yanei's hand, for example. My movements, expression, and sitting position are all very, very particular."
She was immersed in a joyful and beautiful world. Time had passed, things had changed, and tomorrow's meeting seemed even more exciting. After tiring herself out with the set, Yanru began to rub her hands, imagining how to dress up and reclaim her glory as the goddess of painting. Setting the scene was setting the scene, dressing up was dressing up, but things were different now. Yesterday, Jinling Youshi, with her pockets full of money, even wore a plain headdress for Ji Mingxiu's pleasure, euphemistically calling her "clean and pure yet not coquettish," "leisurely and elegant, with a graceful and graceful figure, inviting words with a delicate touch." But today, the mistress of the Xue Mansion, the owner of the Qixian Pawnshop, with a mountain of gold behind her, a veritable beauty of wealth and status, how could she condescend to her former, unassuming attire?
On the way back to Daiyuan, Yanru racked her brains over this monumental matter. As soon as she landed, she rushed into the house, refusing to eat or drink tea. She rummaged through her drawers and cabinets, tinkering with her treasures, detailing how long her eyebrows should be drawn tomorrow, how much osmanthus oil to apply to her hair, and what kind of incense to use. After all this fussing, she finally got stuck on the clothes.
It was the dead of winter, and Xue Jia had mostly inner dresses, with only a few outer furs. White wasn't stylish enough, black was too old-fashioned, and gray made her look like everyone else. Yanru tried them on and complained, "Master, please buy me some new clothes tomorrow. I've run out of good clothes."
"Your clothes already fill seven or eight large boxes, and that's not enough?" Xue Jia rummaged through them for her and pulled out a red fox fur robe from the bottom of the box. "Here, don't you have one more?"
Yanru looked over and saw a pile of red fur with a fringe of white hair around the edges. Yanru recognized it as a gift from Liu Xiang. She said awkwardly, "Sir, I want to wear the one you gave me. It's for my reputation, so others know you're good to me."
Xue Jia muttered, "You're so pretentious. You're not satisfied with the three pieces you brought from your mother's house. You don't want to wear them. At this hour, can I go out and catch a fox for you? All right, all right, put them on first. I'll find you some material and ask a tailor to order a new one later." As he spoke, he unfolded the robe, shook it, and put it on Yanru. Yanru had no choice but to obey and wrap herself up in the fur. Seeing the saddle reminds you of the horse, seeing the object reminds you of the man. When she was shopping with Wen Yue, she fell in love with this robe at first sight. She went to the gate of the Imperial College and cried and shouted that the capital was too cold. She had no good winter clothes to keep warm. Her feet were so cold that she couldn't walk. Liu Xiang was so distressed that she cried and clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She worked several jobs and wrote IOUs to wealthy classmates. She scraped together more than 20 taels of silver to buy it for her. More than twenty taels of silver was enough for a small family to eat for a year. She cherished this fur coat so much that every time she put it on, she dared not sit or lean against anything else. She even had to stand far away from the fire, fearing she would get burned. It was as if she wasn't wearing the coat, but the coat was wearing her. After getting married, she hoped Xue Jia would give her something better, so she packed this coat along with everything she had, stuffed it into the bottom of a box, and locked it. She hadn't expected that after marrying this fool who had nothing but money, she would add a lot of things to the box, but after counting them, the best thing was still the one Liu Xiang gave her.
It's so frustrating.
Xue Jia circled around Yanru and said impatiently, "This is beautiful, beautiful! Okay, my lady, now that you've taken care of your own business, it's time for you to help me think about what I should wear to welcome the great painter Ji tomorrow."
Yanru tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. She seemed to be the same little girl she was three years ago, thinking about meeting Ji Mingxiu, her heart fluttering, unable to tell whether she was awake or dreaming, feeling as confused as if she were stepping on cotton and turning into a butterfly flying into a gorgeous dream. But Xue Jia seemed even more excited than her, holding Yanru's hand with a slight layer of sweat. All night passed, until Ji Mingxiu's carriage approached, his hand was still wet and sticky, and he asked with a slightly trembling voice: "My wife, what do you think if Ji Mingxiu really gets my clothes? Will he look down on me?"
Yanru was a little annoyed by his annoyance: "Yes, yes, yes, fine, fine, no, no, no. If the master was looking forward to it so much, why didn't you meet Teacher Ji with me yesterday? It was so boring that I had to entertain him alone."
Xue Jia said, "I was just asking you two, master and disciple, to have a proper talk, but you still don't know what's good for you."
As they spoke, Wang'er drove the carriage to the pawnshop's door, and Yanru and Xue Jia personally came forward to greet him. As soon as Ji Mingxiu poked his head out from behind the carriage curtain, Xue Jia rushed over enthusiastically, pretending to help Ji Mingxiu get out of the carriage. The sudden, unfamiliar, ugly face approached him, and even though he was a veteran of the world of pleasure, he was frightened and quickly turned away from Xue Jia: "I can do it myself, I can do it myself."
Yanru said calmly, "Teacher Ji, this is my husband, his surname is Xue, his name is Jia, and his courtesy name is Lianxu."
Ji Mingxiu nodded to him, "Master Xue." Xue Jia acted neither servile nor overbearing, "Teacher Ji, there's no need to be polite. Just call me by my name, Xue Jia. Teacher Ji, people say our pawnshop is excellent, everything about it is excellent. My wife wasn't very hospitable yesterday. Would you like me to show you around?"
"No. I have other matters, let's get started quickly." Ji Mingxiu refused simply. As Yan Ru's former concubine, he felt uncomfortable in front of Xue Jia - especially Xue Jia treated him like a big boy or a small boy, and he was too polite and considerate. He called him a vegetarian or a vegetarian. He was very worried that when he was not prepared, Xue Jia would punch him and beat him like a male thief, a female prostitute, and a bully. The crime of seducing someone else's wife is just to cut off the mess with a quick knife and leave as soon as possible.
But as Yanru's teacher, he still took advantage of Xue Jia's unpreparedness, turned around and gave Yanru a look, silently asking her: "I taught you so many ways and principles to appreciate beautiful things, but you actually found a man who looks three parts human and seven parts ghost to be your husband? At least be nice to me!"
Yanru understood Ji Mingxiu's hint and turned away in a mixture of hatred and shame, hiding her face in the fox fur. Xue Jia was truly unpresentable, making her unable to hold her head up in front of anyone, let alone Ji Mingxiu. Helplessly, she could only feign ignorance, slowing her pace slightly and trying to distance herself from Xue Jia.
The group entered the room that Yanru had spent most of the day's work on. Ji Mingxiu was quite satisfied with Yanru's arrangement. He only adjusted the opening and closing of the windows and the position of the plum blossoms in the vase, and called Wang'er to arrange the four treasures of the study. He said, "Good, you can sit down there."
Xue Jia found a stool for himself. Yanru, receiving the order, hurried to the short couch. A single glance at Ji Mingxiu and the training he had once instilled in her, ingrained in her bones, immediately took effect. Her limbs were uncontrollable, and she dared not sit fully on it. Her buttocks were tucked in half, her hands supporting the couch, her feet in a "T" position, her legs straight and slightly stretched forward, looking to the right, half of her tongue hanging out, her eyes curved in a coquettish smile.
Ji Mingxiu looked up from his pen, stunned to see Yanru assuming the same pose he had designed for her. In the past, her eyes were clear yet dull, her makeup simple, and her demeanor, though somewhat delicate and artificial, possessed a uniquely endearing charm due to the youthful innocence of a young girl. Yanru, now three or two years older, had become more adept at applying makeup. Today, with her hair and face painted in a slick of powder, her face and figure had lost their youthful immaturity. After a few exchanges with men, and now married, her every move and gesture had regained the allure of a woman, even now deliberately projecting the air of an innocent and naive young girl. Xue Jia observed this, and, recalling the past, he felt a certain resentment.
Tsk, that's a bit disgusting.
"Mr. You...don't be like that...you're dressed like a mature woman now, you should be more dignified." Ji Mingxiu stopped Yanru and instructed her to change her posture. "Come, sit on it with your whole body, don't tense your legs, be more graceful...yes...girls should be more graceful. Come, lean your back against the chair, don't smile, hold your tongue, and look more dignified."
Yanru followed the instructions, and Ji Mingxiu, reflecting her appearance, gently outlined the human form with his brush, changing three or four colors. He once again compared the real person with the painting, admiring it. With a confident look, he called out, "Student You, this is roughly what it looks like. Come over and take a look. If you like it, I'll continue."
Unexpectedly, the couple rushed to the painting desk and took a look. They saw a noble lady wearing a sable hat and a red fox fur coat, her expression gentle and steady. They did not comment, but looked at each other, pouted and shook their heads. Ji Mingxiu had always been confident in his skills, so the reaction of the two people caught his eye and made him feel ridiculous and angry. He hurriedly asked, "What do you mean, are you dissatisfied?"
Yanru said, "Xiu--Teacher Ji, we don't want this. I want the way I used to be, the way you used to paint me, very pure and natural, very lively, like the goddess of painting."
Ji Mingxiu's brows were furrowed, "Huh?"
Xue Jia felt his wife wasn't being straightforward enough, so he interrupted, "Master Painter Ji, this Yanru you painted is so different from the ones you used to paint. It's hard to connect her with the Yanru you painted in previous years. We want you to paint her... uh... how should I put it? Just paint her like the Yanru you painted as the Goddess of Painting, with the same movements and expressions that will make people realize she's your Goddess of Painting."
Yanru nodded like a chick pecking at rice. "Yes, Teacher Ji, this painting of me makes me look a little..." She didn't want to describe herself as old, so she changed the subject and said, "Not as lively and light as before. I hope you can paint me again in my current outfit."
Ji Mingxiu looked at Xue Jia, Yanru, Wang'er, and then at the characters he had painted. He understood. His paintings could be divided into two categories: the first was when someone asked him to paint their likeness, in which case he would often depict the client's appearance, adding only a hint of his own imagination. The second was when he simply let his imagination run wild, expressing his feelings without restraint, letting his imagination run wild. For example, "Bronze Sparrow Locking Spring" embodies what Yanru called "the light and agile spirit of a goddess of painting." He had been reluctant to give Yanru a painting before, so the couple wanted a painting like the old one, one that portrayed Yanru in his own image, so they could brag about her as his goddess of painting!
Ji Mingxiu was in a dilemma, helpless, and sighed deeply, "Alright, sit back down and I'll start over." He crumpled up his previous work and began again. Yanru beamed, sat back on the short couch, and resumed her original position: feet in a "丁" shape, legs stretched straight, looking to the right, tongue hanging out, eyes curled in a coquettish smile.
Ji Mingxiu forced himself to recall Yanru from Qiushui Academy, then looked up at Madam You before him. He reluctantly made a few strokes, glanced at her again, crumpled up the paper, and tried again, but still couldn't quite get the result he wanted. Feeling increasingly nauseous, he simply threw down his brush and said angrily, "No, I can't draw it. Classmate You, people change. I can't draw you as you were three years ago, let alone three years from now. I don't want this money."
Xue Jia was anxious and stopped Ji Mingxiu: "No! No! You must draw!"
Yanru became even more anxious. Regardless of etiquette and the presence of her husband, she grabbed Ji Mingxiu's arm and said, "You can't do this! You can't do this to me! You said you would paint it for me!"
Seeing this, Wang'er, who had been silent, quickly stepped forward to separate his master and Yanru, offering a suggestion: "Don't start a quarrel! Master, since you can't draw, I have an idea. A few days ago, when I was packing up Master's things, I found quite a few of his sketches, including one by Zhang You. How about I go back now and get that sketch for you two? Master, you can put your name on it, and it will count as a complete painting. What do you think?"
Xue Jia and Yan Ru looked at each other, and after receiving his wife's affirmative look, he said, "Okay! But you have to charge us less money."
Ji Mingxiu said cheerfully, "Okay! I'll just take the deposit that classmate You gave me yesterday. Wang'er, hurry home and get it!"
"Hey!" Wang'er agreed and immediately set off for home. Shanjuan served tea and snacks. Ji Mingxiu sat alone in front of the couple, listening to them want to chat with him. He felt very uncomfortable, as if there was a thorn in his back and a lump in his throat. He could only nod and agree. He was unable to taste the tea and swallowed it down. After an unknown amount of pain, Wang'er finally arrived with the drawing. Ji Mingxiu saw his savior and felt like he had been pardoned. Without any formalities, he hastily signed his name and was about to leave. Unexpectedly, Xue Jia held him back again: "Master painter Ji, please wait a moment. It's rare for us to meet. Let's hang up this painting. You and my husband and wife will stand in the front and ask someone to paint it down again. Later, Yanru and I can look at the two paintings and recall today."
Yanru charmingly replied, half-seriously, "Yes, Teacher Ji, just agree to my request. It will be quick! If you don't agree, I want you to paint me another picture. Otherwise, I will file a complaint with the authorities, saying that you are bluffing and bullying me, and that you took my money but refused to paint for me!"
Ji Mingxiu's breathing hitched, and he pounded his chest several times. He suddenly hated himself for causing trouble three years ago, flirting with other women, and provoking a troublesome woman like You Yanru! After he recovered, he told himself: This couple isn't normal. It's better to keep out of trouble. Just bear with it and everything will be fine. After today, I'll have nothing to do with them anymore.
The pawnshop clerk, with practiced skill, quickly framed and hung the painting. Ji Mingxiu froze on the left, Xue Jia stood in the middle, and Yanru, wearing a red fox fur, stood at the right. The three of them gathered around the painting of the goddess of painting. The pawnshop owner, Mianzong, sat at his desk, writing furiously, the brush tip rustling. In less than a cup of tea, the painting was complete. Mianzong wasn't as skilled as Ji Mingxiu, but he still had some skill. His ink strokes captured Xue Jia's pride, Yanru's innocent charm, and Ji Mingxiu's blushing, bewildered expression.
Many years later, You Yanbao accidentally opened the painting and sneered, "It's clearly only depicting three people, but how come I see four?"
[Mumbling]: Not only Ji Mingxiu is suffocating, I am suffocating too!
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