Pei Yao explained casually, "This painting was given to me by Shen Yu yesterday. I thought the shop was empty, so I hung it up as well."
Lin Shaoqing: "Young Master Shen?"
Shen Yu had finished his work outside and was about to come in to see if Pei Yao could help when he heard the two of them mention his name.
Pei Yao nodded, and seeing Lin Shaoqing's reaction, she asked again, "Young Master Lin, what's wrong?"
Looking at the painting before him, Lin Shaoqing explained, "Young Master Shen's painting skills remind me of the great master Wang Moshan, the painting saint of Mount Hua. However, I once went to study under that master..."
As a result, the master painter solemnly refused him.
Lin Shaoqing sighed: "The master painter said he is too old, his hands... tremble, and he can no longer teach apprentices."
Pei Yao: "..."
Lin Shaoqing knew Shen Yu and looked at him with genuine admiration, while wondering to himself, "Young Master Shen, do you have a teacher who can help you with your painting skills?"
Shen Yu, standing to the side, made no attempt to hide anything. He glanced at Pei Yao and said calmly, "I am a disciple of Wang Moshan of Mount Hua. My master taught me for a few years when I was young..."
Lin Shaoqing: "..."
Lin Shaoqing was silent for a moment.
Pei Yao had never heard of Wang Moshan, so she didn't understand Lin Shaoqing's silence: "Young Master Lin, what's wrong?"
Lin Shaoqing shook his head at Pei Yao, then looked at Shen Yu with disbelief: "Young Master Shen, are you saying that the painting master Wang Moshan specially taught you at your home for several years?"
Lin Shaoqing was so excited that he stammered a little.
Shen Yu's expression remained calm, but when he spoke of that teacher, a hint of tenderness couldn't be hidden in his eyes: "Yes, but later my master left."
Shen Yu hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Because my master said... his hands were too shaky to draw anymore, and he couldn't teach me anymore. He couldn't get used to living in Kyoto, so he went back to Mount Hua to retire."
Lin Shaoqing: "......."
The painting master refused to accept his work because his hands were genuinely trembling...
This was something he hadn't expected.
He originally thought that the painting master simply looked down on him and was unwilling to accept him as a student, so he was making excuses.
I never expected that the old master painter was telling the truth.
I was the one who was petty and narrow-minded.
As they were talking, Pei Yao led them to a spot near the window.
"Young Master Lin, there just happens to be a window seat available."
Lin Shaoqing, who particularly liked the window seat, was quite pleased: "Thank you, Miss Pei, for your trouble."
Pei Yao smiled and handed them her homemade menu: "Take a look, what would you like to eat?"
After the two finished ordering, Pei Yao said, "Wait a moment, I'll go over and have the kitchen prepare it now. There are some snacks here that you can try."
Pei Yao had a small hidden compartment specially made by a craftsman next to the table, where some candies and melon seeds were placed so that guests could eat some while waiting for their meals.
Pei Yao took the menu for Lin Shaoqing's table to the kitchen.
Then, looking at Shen Yu beside him, he asked curiously, "Are you really the disciple of the painting master Wang Moshan?"
Shen Yu replied earnestly, "Mhm."
Pei Yao: "So your master's hands really tremble too?"
Shen Yu: "."
Shen Yu paused for a moment before saying, "Master returned to Mount Hua because I had learned the technique, not because his hands were shaking..."
Pei Yao guessed, "So you told Young Master Lin that the Painting Master's hands were shaking, just to save his face?"
Shen Yu didn't say anything, but Pei Yao knew at this moment that she had guessed correctly.
When Pei Yao served Lin Shaoqing, she also gave him an extra portion of pastry.
I promised him yesterday that I would save him a serving of ice jelly, but he ordered it himself today.
Busy times always fly by, and soon today's busy day is over.
After the shop closed, Niu Qingshan took care of cleaning it, and Pei Yao and the others had to hurry back to the village, so they didn't linger.
Tonight's moon is like a shy young girl, currently hiding bashfully behind the clouds.
I don't want anyone to see me.
"Judging from the sky, it looks like it's going to rain," said Old Master Liu, frowning as he glanced at the sky.
He used to lead troops into battle, so he knows a little about the weather.
Pei Dalang glanced at the sky and said, "I'll hurry back later."
After saying that, he quickly told everyone to get on the carriage.
Without the moonlight to illuminate their journey, Pei Dalang and his companions had no choice but to light a lantern and hang it in front of the carriage.
The group quickly left the town and ran home.
A fierce wind had begun to blow outside, and occasionally a few thunderclaps would fall, illuminating almost half of the sky.
Soon it started raining heavily.
The rain in Lingnan came suddenly and heavily.
Raindrops as big as beans fell heavily onto the roof of the carriage, making a series of crackling sounds.
It was pouring rain outside the car, and drizzling inside.
Chen Fang quickly found a raincoat in the corner and put it on Pei Dalang, who was driving the carriage ahead, and put a bamboo hat on him.
However, in such heavy rain, raincoats and straw hats are not very effective.
It got soaked again in no time.
Chen Fang wiped the rain off his head and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Pei Dalang reassured Chen Fang, "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Then, looking at the heavy rain ahead, he said with a solemn expression:
"But there's no moonlight right now, and the lanterns have been blown out, so we can't keep going. We'll be at Liujia Village soon. I'll find a place to shelter from the rain and stop the carriage. We'll continue when the rain gets a little lighter. It's raining heavily outside."
Pei Dalang glanced at Chen Fang, who was also soaked by the rain: "You should go inside and stay in the car with everyone. It's raining too hard outside. Don't get caught in the rain and get sick."
"Okay, then be careful. I'll go in first and tell everyone about this." After saying that, Chen Fang glanced at Pei Dalang in front of her before returning to the car.
Pei Dalang wiped the rain off his face and continued driving the carriage.
Chen Fang returned to the car and looked at the tense faces of the group: "It's pouring rain and wind outside, it's hard to travel. Dalang, we'll go to Liu Family Village ahead first..."
Suddenly, the axle hit a small stone, and the carriage lurched violently.
Interrupting Chen Fang's words.
The people inside the car were immediately jolted and sat together.
The carriage also stopped.
Pei Yao helped Chen Fang, who was sitting on the ground, up: "Auntie, are you alright?"
"It's alright." Chen Fang waved her hand and sat back down.
Grandpa Liu glanced at everyone, frowned, and got up to walk out of the car.
Liu Dalang, who was standing next to him, grabbed him and asked, "Father, where are you going?"
Grandpa Liu shook off his hand: "Don't worry, I'll go out and take a look."
Liu Dalang grabbed him and started to walk forward: "Father, you're not fully recovered yet. You should stay in the carriage with everyone else. I'll go out and take a look."
Grandpa Liu stopped him, saying, "You're so skinny, stay in the car. I'll go out and take a look."
After saying that, Old Master Liu glared at Liu Dalang, who was still trying to pull him away, and said, "Don't stop me anymore, I'll go out and take a look first."
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