Chapter 53: Imagining a Talent for Writing and Paper Cutting

When passing by a small pond, Wu Ziqing was surprised: "Why is the water here not frozen?"

"Maybe there is running water underground. I also think this pond is great. Next year I will plant some lotus flowers in it. It will be fun to enjoy and delicious to eat. Isn't it killing two birds with one stone? I will invite Sister Wu to come over then, okay?"

Wu Ziqing said in surprise: "Then I will definitely come. Speaking of lotus flowers, the lotus flowers in Lingshan Temple never fade all year round."

Xu Nian was surprised when she heard this. Seeing her curiosity, Wu Ziqing told her the legend of Lingshan Temple in detail.

The more Xu Nian listened, the colder her back felt. She felt that her father was right. There is always someone better than you. Such a magical thing actually exists.

The two entered Xu Nian's room. Wu Ziqing was first surprised by the cabinet of books in the room. She walked over and found that the books were of various types.

There are not only books like the Four Books and Five Classics and Sheng Lu, but also miscellaneous books such as Qi Min Yao Shu, Chen Fu Nong Shu, and Tian Fu.

She had seen many of the book titles for the first time, but she could tell from the titles that they were about farming.

"Sister Xu, have you read all these books?"

Xu Nian looked at them and said with a smile, "I have finished reading some of them, and I am still reading some of them. Is Sister Wu interested too?"

Wu Ziqing shook her head. "I don't know what those plants look like even if I look at them. It's better not to look at them if I'm confused."

Xu Nianting's eyes lit up.

"Sister Wu's words really reminded me that when I have a new way of farming in the future, I will compile a farming book myself, the kind with illustrations."

Seeing Wu Ziqing's puzzled expression, Xu Nian explained, "Just add ink paintings to each plant mentioned in the book. Isn't that clear and concise?"

Wu Ziqing didn't have the heart to hit Xu Nian. She had never heard that a woman could write a book.

"Sister Wu, New Year's Day is coming soon. Let's cut some paper together and stick it on the windows."

Wu Ziqing was intrigued. Although she didn't know how to cut hair, she thought it was a good idea.

Xu Nian learned the art of paper-cutting from her grandmother in her previous life. She remembered that the Chinese New Year was the happiest day for the two of them, because many people would come to buy her grandmother's paper-cuttings, and they could earn money to have a good year.

Xu Nian doesn’t have the superb skills like her grandmother to make the characters come alive, but common styles are not difficult for her.

Xu Nian was seen holding a folded red paper in her left hand and a pair of scissors in her right hand, as if the pattern was right in front of her. After a few moves of the scissors, a pattern of a doll holding a lucky bag appeared in front of the two of them.

Wu Ziqing was amazed when she saw this.

"Sister Xu, you are so skillful."

As he said this, he took Xu Nian's right hand and looked at it left and right.

Xu Nian found it funny. Fortunately, she hadn't cut her hair for such a long time that her hands were not rusty.

"Sister Wu, what kind of haircut do you want?"

Wu Ziqing thought about it and decided to cut it out herself and give it to her father and mother. She was not good at sewing, and in the past, every New Year, it was her younger sister who embroidered the purses that her father loved the most.

She expressed her idea, and Xu Nian thought about it and decided to cut the two types: the Magpie's Plum Blossom and the Shangshu Red Apricot.

Because Shangshu Hongxing was a little complicated, they started with Magpie Dengmei.

At the beginning, Wu Ziqing either cut too much or cut the round into a square, but after getting familiar with it, she became more and more skilled at it.

Xu Nian couldn't help but sigh. If Wu Ziqing was herself in her previous life, she would definitely be able to learn her grandmother's unique skills.

The two of them were having so much fun cutting their hair that they completely forgot about time. They only stopped when Xiu'er's mother came over and told them to.

"Miss, the county magistrate's wife is going back to the county government office. The old lady asked me to come over and tell Miss Wu."

Xu Nian nodded, then put Wu Ziqing's paper-cuts into a small box, and also took out two boxes of rouge and put them in.

"Sister Qing, this is the rouge I made when I was free. Try it when you go back. If you like it, I'll give you more."

Wu Ziqing smiled and said, "Thank you, sister Nian'er. I am really happy today."

Wu Ziqing was a little worried because of Mrs. Shen's instructions, but she didn't expect Xu Nian to take care of her like an older sister.

Similarly, Zheng, Xiao Wang and Xu Nian escorted the group out of the courtyard. At the same time, Xiu'er's mother put the Xu family's return gift on the carriage.

After seeing off the county magistrate's wife, Mrs. Zheng and Mrs. Wang both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh my god~ My face is almost frozen from laughing. As the saying goes, old ginger is still wise. Look at my mother, she is not nervous at all."

Little Wang pounded her waist. Receiving guests was really not an easy task.

Xu Nian held back his laughter, and as he supported Xiao Wang, he said, "Aunties, you need to get used to it as soon as possible. These things are unavoidable."

The two nodded thoughtfully. They really should learn more about some rules.

Shen was also asking Wu Ziqing about what happened today.

"How are you today? I see you and Miss Xu are getting along pretty well."

Wu Ziqing smiled gently and said, "Sister Nian'er is a very considerate person and knows a lot.

Mom, look, these paper-cuts were taught to me by my sister Nian'er, and she even praised me for my talent.

And these two boxes of rouge were also made by Sister Nian'er herself."

Shen picked up a few paper-cuts in the box, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"This paper cutting is really well done. It seems my son really has a talent for it."

Wu Ziqing blushed in embarrassment at what her mother said.

Shen picked up the two boxes of rouge, opened them and smelled them. A light and elegant sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance filled her face.

"It seems that this Miss Xu not only has a pair of skillful hands, but also has a lot of clever ideas.

I heard before that the wife of the magistrate spent 800 taels to buy the lip balm recipe, it seems to be true."

Wu Ziqing covered her mouth in surprise and whispered, "800 taels?"

Shen nodded and couldn't help thinking, maybe this is what people often say "smoke coming out of the ancestral tomb."

The Xu family, who were reluctant to buy even a teapot a few days ago, have now bought a farm. Who says that only men can support a family? Isn't there an exception?

Shen touched her daughter's head and decided to train her own daughter well. She knew that the old man favored the concubine's daughter, so she wanted to let the old man see that the demeanor of the legitimate daughter was not something that a little concubine's daughter could learn.

At this time, curses were heard from a house in the county town. The person who cursed was Liu Fu, who had a gloomy face and threatened Xu Yaozu that day.

But this time the people being scolded were Liu Wangfu, who was lying on the bed groaning, and Yang, who was crying beside him.

"Shut up, you are crying in front of me. If you hadn't condoned him everywhere, would he have gotten into such a disaster?"

Yang dared not utter a word after being yelled at by Liu Fu, but she could not stop complaining in her heart. He blamed her for everything that went wrong, when it was he who was abusing his power as son-in-law.

Liu Wangfu on the bed didn't dare to moan loudly anymore. Looking at the look in his father's eyes, he seemed to want to eat him up.