The stele must be cleaned before making a rubbing.
Just wiping it with a wet cloth was not enough. Grandpa Ying took out a brush and a small shovel, bent over and worked for a while, then handed the job to his eldest grandson.
Ying Mingcheng's hand, which often held the gun, was very steady and quick. He gently picked out the dust from the grooves of the seal carving, swept it away with a small brush, and finally cleaned it with a rag.
Grandpa Ying was stirring the water with white hyacinth that had been soaked for a day. The water was sticky and could protect the stone tablet from damage when brushed on it. He asked Ying Mingcheng to brush the water on the stone tablet, while he took out a large piece of rice paper and cut it on the spot.
My grandfather was very skilled. He quickly cut the appropriate rice paper according to the size of the stone tablet and stuck it on it with half-dry white hyacinth glue. After that, he would knock it with a brush.
"This step is crucial. Let's take turns, but be slow." Grandpa's expression was extremely serious. "I'll go first. You guys watch. Grandma will show you how in a moment. Be slow and even. Don't rush."
"Yes, it can't be too heavy. For a painting with a lot of lines like this, you can't be impatient. If you tear the paper, it will be a waste of effort." After taking over, grandma explained it to them carefully, and then handed the brush to Mu Huaixi who was looking at her eagerly.
"Xiao Xi, try it first and satisfy your craving. When you're tired, give it to Ming Cheng!"
Grandma was very relieved about her. She just watched for a while and then went back to drink mung bean tea. Mu Huaixi's hands were also very steady. She tapped the keys bit by bit with a reverent heart.
She was heavy and couldn't squat down, so she knocked on the easier-to-reach part of the stone tablet. She didn't want to show off and left the rest to Ying Mingcheng.
Ying Mingcheng did it more efficiently than her. She watched from the side and suddenly asked, "Why does Grandpa have so many?"
In her heart, grandma is a senior legendary beauty, and it is conceivable that she is multi-talented, but grandpa looks like an ordinary old man on weekdays. His favorite things to do every day are taking a walk, climbing mountains, and eating and drinking. You can never imagine that he was a nobleman when he was young.
"Could it be that I saw more when I was young?" Mu Huaixi had never experienced life in a wealthy family, but she could imagine that they must be from a family of scholars.
Ying Mingcheng glanced at her, smiled, and shook his head. "Grandpa often skipped school when he was young and criticized literary pursuits as useless. This is a hobby he picked up after retirement."
"But grandpa's handwriting is very good, the brush is old and the ink is beautiful, with big openings and closings."
Grandma just came over with some tea. Upon hearing this, she smiled and nodded. "Yes, your grandfather's handwriting is very good, but I prefer Xiaoxi's grandfather's handwriting. You can tell at a glance that he is an upright person."
Mu Huaixi didn't understand what was going on. She turned her head to look at her grandmother and asked, "Grandma, have you met my grandfather too?"
"I haven't met him in person, but I've read the letters your grandfather wrote," Grandma shook her head and continued praising him. "He's a gentleman. You can tell from his handwriting and conversation that he's a true gentleman."
Mu Huaixi's eyes became hot as he suddenly thought of his grandfather who was still whispering his name even though he was clearly on his deathbed. He might not be the best grandfather or a qualified parent, but he was definitely the best doctor in Zhangjiagou and an admirable old Chinese medicine doctor.
"Hey, hey, hey, why are you crying?" Grandma didn't expect that Xiaoxi would suddenly break down and cry after just a few words about grandpa. She was so panicked that she hurried forward to hug her grandson's wife. Seeing that Mingcheng was also confused, she hurriedly called out, "Hey, come over and comfort me!"
Mu Huaixi didn't know what was wrong with her. She suddenly felt very sad. She missed her grandparents, Zhangjiagou, and that not-so-warm home.
"Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow...", Mu Huaixi burst into tears, tears streaming down her face.
"Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi, don't cry, oh oh"
"Wa ...
"Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"
"What happened?" Grandpa also hurried over and slapped Ying Mingcheng on the shoulder. "You kid! What made Xiaoxi angry?!"
Ying Mingcheng was hugging her tightly. After being hit by his grandfather, he explained in a panic, "I, I don't know!"
Feeling so concerned about her by everyone, Mu Huaixi cried even harder. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She just felt layers of grievances rising in her heart, and tears were falling like water.
"What's wrong, old man?" Seeing that she was crying harder and harder, her grandmother asked anxiously while patting her back.
Grandpa looked around and stroked his beard. Seeing her crying in front of the tombstone, he slapped his thigh and said, "Could it be that she is missing home, missing her grandfather?"
"Missing home?" Ying Mingcheng hugged her tighter, his hot breaths rumbling in her ears. "How about - let your grandparents go home with you?"
Mu Huaixi really missed home, but she also knew that it was not appropriate for her to go back like this. Not to mention anything else, she couldn't stand the bumpy journey alone. She would feel bad if she made her grandparents worry about them.
She cried and shook her head, feeling very wronged, and lay in his arms and cried again.
"Okay, let Mingcheng coax her slowly. Let's go make a copy of the stone tablet. The white hyacinth glue should be dry soon." Grandpa saw that Xiaoxi was probably emotionally unstable during her pregnancy, so he pulled grandma away. It would be better for the young couple to be together at this time so that the problem could be solved more easily.
Grandma was worried about Xiaoxi and was very unhappy about being dragged away. "Old man, what are you doing? What if Mingcheng doesn't understand Xiaoxi..."
"What's there to not understand? That's his wife, and she's pregnant with his child. No matter why Xiaoxi is crying, he has to solve it!" Grandpa raised his voice, deliberately letting Ying Mingcheng hear it.
He lowered his voice and explained to the anxious grandmother, "Have you forgotten when you were pregnant with our first child and cried and beat me in the middle of the night? This is what happens to every pregnant woman. Xiaoxi is so well behaved. It's a good thing that she's crying now."
Grandma blushed and reached out to hit him, "It happened so many years ago, and you're still bringing it up!"
Ying Mingcheng didn't know why she was crying, but after listening to his grandfather's words, he racked his brains to coax her, promising to make her a bamboo flute, and then promising to make her delicious food. He even grabbed the unborn baby and slapped it several times, on the grounds that it had disturbed Dr. Mu's mind.
As Mu Huaixi listened, the grievances in her heart gradually dissipated, and her tears finally stopped.
Ying Mingcheng breathed a sigh of relief and helped her walk under the tree. "Come on, let's go and rest for a while. When grandpa and grandma are done, we'll go home."
Mu Huaixi wiped her tears and walked over there with him sobbing.
He was afraid that the electronics would get cold, so he wanted to pull a cushion for Mu Huaixi, but he didn't expect that as soon as he let go, the little woman behind him burst into tears again.
This was even more exciting than hearing any noise while on night duty. Ying Mingcheng immediately turned around and pulled the person into his arms. "What's wrong?"
Mu Huaixi sniffled, "I, I can't squat down, wu ...
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