Ren Yaoqi interrupted with a smile, "Besides the difficulty in finding materials for painting repairs in Baihe Town, is there any other reason?"
Sun Shiyi Niang hesitated for a moment and looked at Ren Shimin again. Seeing that Ren Shimin didn't say anything, she said, "No more. But those materials..."
Ren Yaoqi smiled and said, "Manager Sun is the painting master my father hired at great expense. Just focus on painting. Why shouldn't you worry about such trivial matters? Why don't you make a list of what you need and I'll have someone go out and find it."
Sun Shiyi Niang frowned, somewhat disapprovingly. "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Fifth. It's not that I don't want help, but the paint materials I need may be different from some common materials sold outside. Even if I make a list, people who don't understand these things won't recognize them, let alone know where to find them."
Sun Shiyi Niang's words were rude, but Ren Yaoqi didn't look angry at all. She smiled, walked to the two desks side by side, and bent down slightly to examine one of the paintings.
Jiang Yuanyi's magnificent style wasn't just about his technique; he was also extremely particular about the materials he used, with some pigments being extremely rare. This almost pathological attention to detail made his paintings particularly appealing to members of the royal family and prominent nobles. Even imitating his paintings proved difficult for outsiders.
Ren Yaoqi gently tapped the painting with his right index finger, noting the gorgeous clothing of the barely visible palace lady. "The red on this woman's skirt is still so vibrant. It's made from a mixture of cinnabar, bloodstone, germanium, animal blood, and castor oil."
Sun Shiyi Niang was stunned and looked at Ren Yaoqi, forgetting what to say next.
Ren Yaoqi, however, lowered his head to examine the pair of silk flowers on the woman's head and continued, "Purple is unusual. The purple most people use in painting is simply comfrey juice. This color is bland and easily fades. The purple used on this pair of silk flowers is a rare mineral called purple stone by the locals of North Vietnam. Very few people use it for painting, but Painter Jiang actually likes to use this pigment. This cyan pigment is a bit complicated. It's not that the material is hard to come by, but that it uses navy blue, which looks rough. Creating this smooth cyan is a bit complicated. I remember reading in the 'Bo Za Guang Ji': Mix navy blue with thick glue and let it dry. Then, mix in light glue and apply it, let it dry again, then coat with clear water. Once it's completely dry, polish it with agate stone. The cyan you create this way is very smooth and rich, without any roughness."
Sun Shiyi Niang stood there in a daze, completely unable to react.
Ren Shimin laughed heartily, stood up and patted Ren Yaoqi on the forehead: "Alright, stop showing off here, I know you are an expert!" Although he said so, his expression was very reserved and proud. This was his little daughter who he had personally taught!
Sun Shiyi Niang also came back to her senses and said hurriedly, "Fifth Miss is very knowledgeable and insightful. I admire her."
What Ren Yaoqi described wasn't something someone who only knew how to paint could understand. Even she had spent several days deliberating with Master Ren San before she could even grasp the general idea of the materials used in the painting. She hadn't expected Miss Ren Wu to possess such insight. With just a few glances, she could guess the main pigments and even knew how to mix them. This astonished her, and she finally softened her previous contempt.
Ren Yaoqi was so proud of Ren Shimin that he was overjoyed. He waved his hand and made the decision, "Leave the materials to Yaoyao! Just list out what Manager Sun needs and give it to her." Then he said to Ren Yaoqi, "Daddy will send the silver to you later. I'll find it all within five days!"
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