Chapter 052: Being controlled by a bold woman
Wen Yan didn’t think her health was that bad before.
But as soon as she started climbing the mountain, she was left far behind by Grandma Wu and Meng Chifei.
She was only sixteen years old, but she couldn't climb the mountain as fast as a sixty-year-old woman.
It would be embarrassing if it were made public.
Grandma Wu looked at Wen Yan with a smile and said, "You're having such a hard time because you don't know how to breathe. If you want to learn, you can come find me.
I live next to the market at the foot of the mountain. Just ask any shopkeeper for 'Grandma Wu's Yard' and someone will show you the way.
I have something urgent to attend to today, so I won't bother you two for now."
After saying this, Grandma Wu said goodbye and left.
Wen Yan rested for a while.
After catching his breath, he and Meng Chifei walked towards the academy.
The entrance to the academy was unusually quiet this time.
There were only two doormen guarding it.
The concierge recognized Wen Yan immediately and greeted her warmly, "Mrs. Wen, why are you here today? Are you here to see Mr. Ying?"
Wen Yan patted the paint box that Meng Chifei was carrying and said, "I'm here to deliver paint to the academy."
"The headmaster has given instructions in advance. Madam Wen, please follow me."
Wen Yan and the other two followed the gatekeeper into the academy.
Wen Yan lived two lives.
I have dealt with Ji Shanchang several times, but this is the first time I have actually entered the academy.
The academy was built in a simple and elegant style.
The sound of reading aloud is endless, and the air is filled with the faint scent of ink.
There are students reading or resting in the pavilions and under the shade of trees.
They walked into the corridor.
There were bamboo curtains hanging on both sides of the corridor, and the curtains were covered with articles.
There are comments in red ink on the article.
Judging from the handwriting, there is more than one person who commented on it.
Seeing her interest, the concierge explained, "This corridor is called the Ink Painting Corridor. Students in the academy, regardless of class or status, can hang their new writings here for their classmates to critique."
"Can the juniors also comment on the seniors?"
The doorman nodded. "Of course. The headmaster said, 'When three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher.'"
The younger generation may not have learned as many classics as their predecessors, but their ideas are not necessarily inferior to theirs. Just like when it comes to the four seasons of farming, students in academies may not know as much as real farmers.
"Every inch has its own strengths and weaknesses!" Meng Chifei nodded. "The learning atmosphere in your academy is very strong. No wonder scholars all over the world are trying their best to get in."
They passed through the Huimo Corridor and arrived at a group of teaching buildings.
They were led into a room next to the church building.
This room is decorated very quietly.
Chessboard and tea table are things that cultured people like.
They had just sat down.
A thin, silver-haired old man walked in with square steps, stroking his silver beard.
From his posture and demeanor, we can tell that he must have been very handsome when he was young.
"Master Ji." Wen Yan and Meng Chifei stood up together and saluted him.
Ji Shanchang nodded towards the two of them and said, "Are you Ying Zhilin's wife Wen Yan?"
Wen Yan smiled and said, "It's me."
After a few pleasantries, they got straight to the point.
At Wen Yan's signal, Meng Chifei placed a wooden box on the table.
Press the trigger and the wooden box opens with a click.
Several rows of exquisite and small white porcelain bottles are displayed before your eyes.
Shanzhang Ji stroked his beard gently and calmly picked up the porcelain bottles one by one, examining them one by one.
He nodded as he examined them: "This color is good, this one is also good, this one is also..."
Although he appeared calm on the surface, the little expressions he showed from time to time and the sparkling eyes betrayed his true emotions.
Humph, I have the same paint too. Let’s see how Wu Yunzi can still show off in front of me.
Wen Yan believed that if she and Meng Chifei were not here, he might dance like a child.
Rumors outside say that Ji Shanchang is well-read, knowledgeable, impartial, and decisive, and is a role model respected and admired by scholars all over the world.
Look at the corners of his mouth that he can't even suppress at the moment, it's totally inconsistent with the rumors outside!
As expected, don’t believe rumors and don’t spread them.
When he got the last few porcelain bottles, Ji Shanchang exclaimed, "These five purples shouldn't be in the paint I ordered!"
Wen Yan smiled and said, "These five purple pigments are given by me as a gift."
Ji Shanzhang pushed the porcelain bottle back to Wen Yan and said, "This pigment is valuable. You should take it back."
"These are all plant pigments and are worthless."
"Plant pigment?" Shanchang Ji took it and looked at it carefully, and found that it was indeed a plant pigment, but he still insisted on giving the silver to Wen Yan.
"Let Wu Yunzi show off in front of me. Let's see if he can still show off next time he comes."
Ji Shanzhang muttered and took out a wooden sign: "Take this and go to the next door accounting office to settle the bill."
He couldn't wait to paint with these paints.
"Thank you, President Ji." Wen Yan took the wooden sign, but did not leave immediately.
Instead, he took out another wooden box and placed it on the table: "Here are some plant pigments. I want to donate them to the academy for the students to use when practicing painting."
However, Director Ji did not accept the paints.
He didn't even open the box.
He just looked at Wen Yan with a scrutinizing gaze.
Wen Yan was not flustered when being scrutinized in this way, but instead had a perfect smile on her face.
Seeing that she was not afraid in the face of danger, Ji Shanchang asked, "What do you mean?"
"My husband has received a lot of care from the academy over the years. Now that he has overcome that hurdle, I want to repay the academy."
Dean Ji's eyes suddenly turned stern. "Are you trying to repay the academy on behalf of Ying Zhilin? Or are you trying to bribe the academy so that we'll give Ying Zhilin a break?"
Wen Yan burst out laughing.
Ji Shanchang frowned: "What are you laughing at?"
"I laugh at how Master Ji doesn't mean what he says. Weren't you and the academy the ones who gave Ying Zhilin such great favors? As soon as he finished his mourning period, you immediately arranged a job for him, the easiest job of a librarian. When he said he wanted to take the Autumn Examination, you immediately put him in the A-class without a second thought. You were also worried that his family would have trouble living without an income after he started studying, so you arranged for him to work as a copyist. So, when it comes to giving him great favors, who could compare to you and the academy?"
Wen Yan said this.
Ji Shanzhang's face was expressionless: "...you little girl, you are so sweet-talking and flattering."
Wen Yan nodded repeatedly: "Yes, I am a little girl, I am good at speaking and flattering. Not only am I good at speaking and flattering, I also push my luck.
Therefore, he specially took these pigments to bribe the academy, asking it not to close the door to Ying Zhilin.
Just wait and see, this is just the beginning.
Next I will open a pen and ink shop, and I will send all the damp paper and moldy ink to bribe the academy."
Meng Chifei, standing next to him, uttered an "Huh?" "This is clearly a case of returning a favor. As the head of a mountain, how could you, Shanzhang Ji, use such inappropriate words?"
"Oh!" Wen Yan covered her mouth pretentiously. "So what I did is called returning a favor. I thought I was doing something illegal."
Wen Yan and Meng Chifei sang in unison.
Finally, Ji Shanchang's expression disappeared, but his beard was still trembling.
"Those plant pigments in front are my bribes to the academy," Wen Yan said, pushing a small, exquisite box in front of Dean Ji. "Here, this is my bribe to you."
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