"Next spring, we'll publish a second batch of silk-and-cloth colored Hundred Beasts paintings, one thousand copies at a time, and expand the offering to all the major counties under the jurisdiction of the prefectures. What do you think?"
Su Ningjie pursed his lips when he saw Su Ning'an looking at Song Linyuan's imitation of the big tiger with envy.
"Okay, let's do as Second Brother suggests. I've been busy lately. Not only do I need to improve my painting skills, but I also need to improve my carving skills. Hundreds of templates need to be re-carved."
"Re-carve? Wouldn't these templates be wasted?" Su Ningjie had forgotten about this.
"Don't waste it. The engraving template for the first edition must be carefully preserved. The painting quality of the second edition must surpass that of the copyist before it can be distributed to bookstores and bookshops."
Su Ningjie: "In the future, you might meet a painter who is even better than this one. If you do, will you continue to carve again?"
Su Ningan nodded, "Of course. I also want to know how far my painting and carving skills can be improved."
"Will I have to carve and collect several templates in the future?"
“That’s right!”
Su Ningjie suddenly had an idea. "Then we can put up another batch of the first edition of the Hundred Beasts Painting before the spring, and then the second edition after the spring. Naturally, we have to raise the price..."
"Second brother." Su Ning'an said with a smile: "You know best how to sell more silver. I will be responsible for improving the painting level."
"Hehehe..." Su Ningjie patted Su Ning'an's shoulder happily, "I promise to make you rich. Let's get back to the topic. Do you want to meet Song Yuan from the capital?"
Song Yuan?
Song Linyuan?
Su Ning'an looked again at the big tigers in various forms painted by Song Linyuan, and his eyes darkened.
Could it be that person?
"Do you want to see him? If not, I will send someone back to him today."
"I'll think about it first. I'll give you an answer before I go to sleep tonight." Su Ning'an put away Song Linyuan's painting. "Now that we've earned some money from the Hundred Beasts Painting, we haven't bought any gifts for our parents, brothers, and sisters yet. Let's go to the street to pick out some gifts first, and then come back to paint for our two mothers."
"Okay, let's go report to Mother."
In order to pick out the right gifts for their family, the two brothers went back to Lu Mansion and woke Si Chuyu up from his sleep to go shopping.
"Ayuan, An Ge'er is such a sensible child. Even at such a young age, he already knows how to buy gifts to show his filial piety to his parents."
Simeng looked at Lu Yuan's bulging belly with a smile on her face.
The same should be true for her grandchildren in the future.
Lu Yuan: "I'm afraid An Ge'er will have to be filial to another mother this time?"
"How filial to a mother?" Simeng was puzzled for a moment, then quickly realized, "You mean An'er's biological parents are here?"
"Yesterday afternoon, Lu Ming came to the mansion to report to A Yu on the business situation of each shop. He also mentioned that the princess brought back a masked woman when she went to look for Xiao Xi'er. An Ge'er is very close to her, so there's no doubt about it!"
"Anger's mother should be a big eater too, right?"
Lu Yuan:......
"Maybe. Lu Ming didn't mention it."
＊
Xiao Lingyu took a short nap and then went to the study.
"Xiao Yu, don't you want to take a nap? An Ge'er will paint for you in the afternoon."
Xiao Lingyu shook his head. "I can't sleep. This morning, Xiao Xier interrogated Tai Zhuo. She knows that Xiao Xier is the little princess of the Nankun royal family. She can't hide the fact that you are his adoptive father either. Xiao Xier also wants to verify whether what Tai Zhuo said is true."
Su Xingyi's eyebrows raised slightly. "Then how can we verify it? Nankun is thousands of miles away. Should we also arrange for people to sneak into Nankun and investigate secretly?"
"I can send a letter to my father and take it to the southern border. My father should be escorting the envoy to the southern border with his troops by now."
"If what Tai Zhuo said is true, her biological mother is seriously ill. Xiao Xi'er must return to Nankun to see her biological mother as soon as possible, but this will delay her for quite some time. I'm worried that her biological mother won't be able to see her for the last time. It will be a lifelong regret for Xiao Xi'er if she can't see her mother and daughter for the last time... Now I can't return to the capital, let alone Nankun, and I'm also worried about letting Xiao Xi'er go back to Nankun with Tai Zhuo."
Xiao Lingyu was a little confused for a moment.
Su Xingyi saw that Xiao Lingyu was at a loss, so he held her in his arms. "Don't worry, don't you still have me? I'll protect Xiao Xier and take her back to Nankun. And her biological mother will definitely be able to hold on. Don't let your imagination run wild."
Xiao Lingyu felt relieved. This was the only arrangement he could make. "Okay, I'll write a letter to my father now."
＊
Si Chuyu followed the two brothers as an advisor, and Su Ningan quickly selected gifts for his family.
"Brother, the Yafeng Inn is just ahead. Mr. Song San is staying here. Do you want to see him?"
"Brother Jie, are you saying that someone is now coming to look for Brother An?" Si Chuyu asked.
"Yes, these past two days, people from other prefectures have come to Haoyue Bookstore to buy the Hundred Beasts Painting. Most of them are staying at our Yafeng Inn. Mr. Song San, who comes from the capital, is a very good painter. He can copy the Hundred Beasts Painting just by looking at it once."
Si Chuyu: "Brother An, you can consider going to meet them. If you meet more outstanding people, you will make faster progress."
"I'll think about it." Su Ning'an glanced at the Yafeng Inn and then looked away. "I still say the same thing. I'll tell you whether I'll see you or not before I go to sleep."
After returning to the Princess's Mansion, Su Ning'an personally delivered the carefully selected gifts to his parents, younger brothers and sisters.
In order to prevent the two mothers from getting jealous, they both gave them the latest style of jade headpieces.
"Son, you are so filial."
Xiao Lingyu and Baili Qingluan took the jade headpiece with smiles on their faces and couldn't wait to try it on.
While the two were trying on the watches, Su Ning'an had already picked up his brush to paint, capturing their joyful expressions at the moment in the painting.
The golden sun sets in the west and the night becomes dark.
Xiao Xier slipped into the study after dinner and stayed there for half an incense stick of time before returning to the bedroom.
He stuffed the note from his sleeve into his little pillow.
Seeing that my parents were still talking in the yard, I went to the small bamboo forest behind the lotus pond.
[Master, why are you so anxious to see me? Is there something important going on?]
Seeing that Xiao Xier seemed to be worried, the Fire Phoenix stretched out its big fiery red wings and touched Xiao Xier.
"Huanghuang, I remember the full moon night when we first met. Where were you going to fly with me on your back?"
[It's flying south, where there are beautiful big houses. That's your home.]
Xiao Xier: "I just recently found out that I am the little princess of the Nankun royal family."
[Yes, you are a little princess, you should have many servants to serve you]
This means that Tai Zhuo did not lie.
"Huanghuang, is my mother very weak and seriously ill?"
[I don't know. I've been living with the little prince in the woods behind the Phoenix Palace.]
"Does she have the same scent as me?"
[Yes, but not as good as the master's smell]
"Then why didn't you tell me before?"
The Fire Phoenix flapped its large wings: [You didn't ask before, I thought you already lived here, so there was no need to tell me]
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