"Borrow it." Then he went to look for the book again.
Lin Hongchu came out from the backyard and saw that everyone had left. He came to collect the cups of tea, but saw Lou Yunchun was still there, so he made an excuse to wash the dishes and hid in the backyard again.
The cat had eaten its fill in the backyard, so it licked its mouth and wandered out, turning around a few times. Then it ran to Lou Yunchun's feet, rubbed his trouser legs, and acted coquettishly towards him.
Lou Yunchun leaned over and picked it up, pinched its ears, and called out, "Yue Nu?"
Xu Jiang almost knocked over the inkstone on the counter when she heard the sound.
Hearing the noise, Lou Yunchun walked towards her holding the cat and asked, "What's wrong?"
She waved her hand and handed him the loan deed.
Lou Yunchun stood in front of the counter and couldn't help but look at the painting "Drying Persimmons" again. The hand that was originally stroking Yue Nu's head became agitated.
Yue Nu was annoyed by being rubbed, so she opened her mouth and bit him, then jumped off him and crawled back to her cat bed.
"Have you chosen your book?"
"Not yet." Then he added: "I don't know what to choose."
Xu Jiang thought for a moment and asked, "Shall I choose two for you?"
"good."
Xu Jiang went to find a book for him, and he followed her step by step. If she couldn't reach it, he would get it for her.
"These two are good." Xu Jiang took out a book called "Southern Zhao Dialects" and a book called "Zao Xue Ji", both of which were travelogues about customs.
"Well, just these two."
Xu Jiang wrote the loan agreement as usual and handed it to him together with the book.
"Do you still want to go back to Dali Temple?"
"Yes." Lou Yunchun took the book, somewhat reluctantly, but only said, "I'm leaving."
Xu Jiang walked him to the door, but he suddenly turned around and bumped into her.
Xu Jiang quickly withdrew from his embrace and asked stutteringly, "Anything else?"
Lou Yunchun calmed his disordered breathing and asked, "My father invited you to a banquet at the Lou residence?"
"kindness."
"But my mother's birthday party at the end of the month?"
Xu Jiang nodded.
Lou Yunchun said seriously, "If you're embarrassed, just refuse. I'll go talk to him."
Xu Jiang said lightly, "It's not that I'm embarrassed, but I'm afraid of offending your family."
Lou Yunchun breathed a sigh of relief. "My mother is very hospitable. She would be delighted if you were willing to come. Liu Mei and Yin Yin also miss you often and want to invite you."
He paused for a moment, then whispered, "I'm leaving the pears from Ziranxuan for you. If you don't pick them soon, they'll all fall."
Xu Jiang felt a jolt in her heart, and after a long moment she replied, "Okay, I'll be sorry to bother you then."
Seeing that she agreed to come, Lou Yunchun smiled.
After Lou Yunchun left, Lin Hongchu came out from the backyard and saw Xu Jiang standing at the door. She went over and asked, "Is Master Lou gone?"
"Ah? Yeah." Xu Jiang came back to his senses and turned to pack his things.
Lin Hongchu went over to help, but when he looked up, he saw her pretty face flushed red. Seeing her like this, for some reason, Lin Hongchu felt embarrassed.
Before Lin Hongchu returned home, Xu Jiang asked her to tell Master Lin about the printing paper.
"Father never sells calligraphy, and I'm not sure if he can agree to it."
"Just tell him. Let him have some thoughts in his mind. Then it will be much easier for Mr. Yuan to persuade him."
Lin Hongchu agreed.
After watching her go away, Xu Jiang closed the door. Leaning against the door, Xu Jiang touched his face, which was still a little hot.
Yue Nu woke up and ran over to rub her feet. She leaned over and held it in her arms, nodded its head, and muttered, "You only know how to act like a spoiled child."
With Du Hui's intervention, the official approval for printing was quickly granted. Xu Jiang wanted to take advantage of the clear weather to buy wood for the boards, so she asked Lin Hongchu to stay at home while she harnessed her donkey to the cart and headed for the East Market.
I also want to take a look and see if there are any suitable items to buy as birthday gifts.
She came to the East Market and went straight to find Uncle Cao. Uncle Cao was a carpenter and was most familiar with wood. It was most reliable to ask him to introduce the seller.
When Uncle Cao heard that she wanted to buy wood, he immediately stopped what he was doing and took her to a lumberyard.
Hardwood is best for carving blocks. Its hardness, fine grain, and glossy color make the blocks it carves more corrosion-resistant and easier to preserve. Among hardwoods, rosewood and boxwood are particularly suitable for carving blocks, as they have few knots, are aesthetically pleasing, and don't produce waste.
When the owner of the lumberyard heard that she wanted to find boxwood and rosewood, he selected a few good pieces for her to choose from. After she had chosen, he helped her cut the wood according to the size she required, which saved her a lot of trouble.
While waiting for the cuttings, Xu Jiang selected a few more soft pieces, ready to take them back for Lin Hongchu to practice with. Unexpectedly, she stumbled upon a section of Thuja thuja, half an arm's length long and as thick as a bowl. It had a unique aroma when she sniffed it closely.
It would be nice to use it as a decoration.
After spending half a day at the lumberyard, Xu Jiang finally gathered all the wood she needed. Because it was all hardwood and rare, the price was not cheap. As she paid the bill, Xu Jiang's heart was bleeding, hoping that these boards would make back her investment.
Because it was hardwood and heavier than ordinary wood, the stubborn donkey hadn't carried such a heavy load in a long time, and it started braying after just a few steps. Xu Jiang had no choice but to get off the carriage and lead it, walking until dusk fell before returning to Yonghefang.
As soon as I reached the gate, I saw Lou Yunchun waiting there.
When Lou Yunchun saw her coming back, he quickly stepped forward to help lead her donkey. "Why are you so late?"
"This stubborn donkey refused to leave, so we had to drag it back."
Seeing her tired face, Lou Yunchun said, "Next time you want to pull something heavy, borrow an ox cart. The East Market is so far away, and the round trip is too much for us."
Xu Jiang nodded, "I understand." Then he asked, "Why are you here?"
"I came to give you a book, but I saw you weren't in the shop, and I heard from Lin Hongchu that you went to the East Market, so I came here to wait."
Xu Jiang saw that his ears were red from the cold and knew that he had been waiting for a long time. "Next time, wait in the market. It's so cold outside the market."
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