Chapter 20 I think I've been too harsh on her.
When Yang Shengxuan saw Shanlai, the first thing Liu Min noticed was not the dark circles under her eyes, but her pine-green gauze shirt, white-blue silk skirt, and cloud-blue satin shoes embroidered with various flowers and plants.
She was indeed beautiful, with a snow-white oval face, a pair of large and well-proportioned eyes, the whites of her eyes being the pale blue of a duck eggshell, the deep folds of her eyelids sweeping straight into her temples, a straight and prominent nose, and bright red lips shaped like flower petals.
With a face like that, you'll look good in anything.
But she's an artist, so dressing like that is really inappropriate.
"Young master, what should I do today?"
"You paint... a peony! Paint me a peony!"
Although Shanlai did not understand the meaning, she had no choice but to obey her master's orders, and painting peonies was not a difficult task for her.
Choose the color, place the water basin, lay out the paper, and moisten the brush.
Before putting pen to paper, ask yourself: "Should I use meticulous brushwork or freehand style?"
It's not like we're testing her painting skills, so of course it's freehand.
"For freehand painting, one branch is enough."
Shan Lai nodded, dipped his brush in water to mix the colors, and with a flourish of his brush, a masterpiece of beauty appeared on the paper in an instant.
The stamens are dotted with pale yellow, and the petals are made of vermilion. The brushstrokes are rounded and layered, with the inner part heavier and the outer part lighter, creating a rich and elegant effect. The green leaves complement the design, and the branches are outlined with dry brushstrokes, making them look withered and vigorous. Overall, the colors are rich and intense, combining strength and gentleness.
It's really good.
The color scheme is also fine.
Why did you end up wearing this outfit?
While I was wondering, I suddenly noticed her neatly tied cuffs and it all became clear.
She had just arrived and hadn't had her clothes made yet, so of course she would wear whatever was given to her. Her choices were really limited. Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice, so it's really not her fault.
The facts were indeed as Liu Min had imagined.
Because everyone called her the young mistress, the housekeepers were all eager to curry favor, giving her the best clothes—silk, gauze, damask, satin—in bright, eye-catching colors, lest the young mistress think they were being disrespectful. Today's outfit was the result of Shan Lai's painstaking efforts; though not particularly brilliant, it was still passable. It was all because Liu Min was a demanding person that this whole commotion occurred so early in the morning.
After this commotion, Liu Min felt relieved and thought about praising her. But when he looked down, he saw the jade-colored butterfly that had just been drawn on the paper.
Alright, now we've made some noise.
"You're really great."
Looking at her face, I praised her with utmost sincerity.
Then I noticed the deep lines under her eyes.
Liu Min comforted Shan Lai a lot, and Shan Lai, wanting to be a good person, was very unwilling to disappoint him, so he told him about being called in for a talk last night.
Upon hearing this, Liu Min opened his mouth to scold her for being stupid, but then swallowed his words after a moment's hesitation. He remembered that she was ostensibly a servant, while the young lady was a lady. She had her own circumstances and couldn't really be blamed.
Ultimately, it's just that some people are too annoying.
He no longer blamed her; in fact, he felt a little sorry for her. He pointed to a couch opposite him and said, "Go and sleep there."
Shanlai was indeed having trouble keeping her eyes open, but she hesitated to go and sleep there. "Is it really okay?" she asked. "What if someone found out?" She shook her head. "I can still manage." And she deliberately straightened her back a little more.
In Liu Min's eyes, this person was not only stupid but also ungrateful and didn't appreciate her blessings. She believed that good fortune wouldn't favor her and that she would never enjoy any blessings in the future. Fortunately, Liu Min was kind-hearted and had a heart that cherished talent. He couldn't bear to see such a person was wasted.
So he grabbed her arm and shoved her toward the low couch. "I told you to go sleep there! I'm the young master, do you dare disobey me? Hurry up, or you'll be yawning nonstop and make me sleepy too!"
Having gone this far, it would be unreasonable to push any further, especially since I was genuinely sleepy.
She wanted to say thank you, but it was really hard to say "thank you, young master." "Thank you" is a good word, and saying "thank you" often is considered a virtue, but adding the suffix "young master" made Shan Lai feel a little embarrassed. The embarrassing thing was not the young master, but herself. She still hadn't been able to overcome her pretentious aloofness. She was pitiful, and her self-esteem was pitiful too.
The words "Young Master" are omitted, and only "Thank you" is used.
Liu Min was very satisfied. He nodded his chin to indicate that he understood, and then waved for her to hurry over.
Shanlai lay down on the short couch. She was a very good sleeper, always sleeping very neatly, her head and neck straight, her legs together, and her hands in their proper places—very mature for her age. But there was someone not far away, and sleeping like this meant that person would see her face. She felt it wasn't quite right. After thinking for a moment, she decided to sleep on her side, which would be much better.
Yang Shengxuan wasn't a good place to sleep; there were too many books, the smell of pine resin lingered, and even more noticeable was a musty odor that had been there for years—it was very unpleasant. But for some reason, Shanlai felt relaxed all over, as if he were in an extremely peaceful place, and he quickly fell asleep.
Liu Min, on the other hand, looked down at the painting.
Such a beautiful peony is a pity to leave unused. But if you frame it, it's just a bunch of flowers, a few leaves, and a branch, which looks too empty. It would be nice to use it as a fan surface for writing inscriptions. This slanted branch is perfect for a folding fan. Write a couple of lines of poetry, put a seal on it, and pair it with ebony fan ribs. Even if no one uses it, it will still look nice when displayed.
That would be perfect.
The poem is already written: When the verdant thickets stretch for miles in solitude, the first red flower blooms.
Although I don't have great poetic talent, having read so many books, I've managed to cultivate a certain level of refined taste.
He was very pleased with himself and picked up his pen to write.
However, his handwriting wasn't good. It wasn't that it was bad, just not very good. It wasn't that it was not very good either, it was actually quite good, just slightly inferior to hers.
Not everyone has such beautiful handwriting. His handwriting is passable, but such refined pursuits naturally demand perfection. Perhaps he should wait until she wakes up and have her write it for him, or wait until he has achieved a certain level of skill in calligraphy before inscribing it. But how many years? At his advanced age, inscribing on a child's drawing would be even more embarrassing… He can't do it! He'll have her write it for him. If he loses, he loses; he won't necessarily lose to her forever!
Having made up his mind, he put down his pen and began to study.
After watching for a short while, someone outside the door called out; it was Sister Shanlai.
Without a second thought, Liu Min put down the book and went outside.
"What's up?"
A young maid with her hair in two buns clutched a food box tightly in her hand, her eyes darting around.
“My mother told me to bring food to a sister named Shanlai.”
Liu Min asked her, "How old are you?"
The little girl answered crisply, "Ten years old."
Why did I ask you to bring the food?
"My mother sent me."
"Who is your mother? Is she the one in the kitchen?"
The little girl nodded.
Liu Min took the food box and said to the little girl, "You're only ten years old, you can't do this job. Go back and tell your mother to find someone else."
The little girl looked confused and simply nodded.
The one inside is supposedly only nine years old, but this one is really ten?
Or are all ten-year-old girls like this, but she's different?
Upon closer reflection, it seems to be true. Even my older cousin, who had gone to school, looked rather foolish when she was around ten years old.
I really don't know how it grew.
The little girl was still standing there, which made her look even more foolish.
Why aren't you leaving yet?
They only leave after being urged again.
Liu Min carried the food box into the house, casually put it down, and continued reading his book. It wasn't that he was indifferent, but he felt that Shan Lai definitely wouldn't eat the food in the box. He wondered how long she would sleep, and when she woke up, it would be cold and inedible. If the person who brought the food had been an older maid, he would have told her to take it back the way she came. She was just a child, and her family didn't seem to care about her. They sent her here at such a young age to seek fame and fortune, carrying such a big food box; weren't they afraid she would drop it?
Shanlai didn't wake up until around noon.
Between waking and waking, she mumbled for her mother.
Liu Min vaguely heard it, and his hand, which was turning the pages of the book, suddenly stopped.
She herself said that she had forgotten everything that happened before the disaster, and her mother died in that disaster, so she didn't remember her mother at all.
I don't remember anything, but I still call out for my mother when I'm in a daze.
She is, after all, her mother.
When she was still alive, we must have had many happy times together.
Fully awake, Shanlai slowly sat up.
She realized that she had called out "Mother" countless times, and felt an indescribable sadness in her heart. She sat there, filled with endless melancholy.
After an unknown amount of time, a voice rang out from outside, "Is Lian Si there?"
Liu Min woke up with a start and responded.
Then the voice outside said again, "Lian Si, the old lady is asking where you're having dinner."
Liu Min said, "Tell the old lady that I will go and keep her company later."
After the person left, Shanlai got up, straightened his clothes, and then tidied his hair.
She slept for a long time, her face flushed and her eyes tired, which inexplicably reminded Liu Min of the sliced peaches he had seen last night, probably because of their similar color.
But Liu Min wouldn't compliment her on looking like a peach. He said, "Your complexion right now looks like the skin of a newborn pig. Have you ever seen one? A small, white pig that's only a few days old, without any hair."
Shanlai had certainly seen them; there were many in the countryside. She frowned, cupped her face in her hands, and gently patted it. "Are they really that red?"
When Liu Min saw that she really accepted it, he burst into laughter. It was the first time he had ever seen someone so willing to be called a pig!
Shanlai had just woken up and was still a little dizzy. She had no idea why Liu Min was laughing, and just stared at him blankly.
Seeing her like this, Liu Min suddenly felt that he had bullied her too much, so he immediately stopped laughing and decided to let the matter rest.
"Come here and write a few words for me."
When Shan Lai walked over, Liu Min had already spread out the painting and pointed, saying, "Write it here."
Shanlai blurted out, "Making fan paintings?"
"You think it's good too, don't you!" Liu Min was overjoyed; this was truly a kindred spirit!
Shanlai smiled and said, "Very good." Then he asked, "What should I write?"
Liu Min recited the two lines of poetry and asked her, "How was it?" His expression couldn't hide his pride.
"Of course it's good, it's really timely, did you make it?"
"I did it."
"That's wonderful." With that, he wrote several lines of delicate characters in a flash, the ink rich and bold, quite elegant, which matched the peony quite well.
Liu Min smiled and said, "Indeed, it's better than what I write." As he spoke, he picked up the book and gently fanned it, and the ink dried in no time.
Liu Min rolled up the painting, then pointed to the food box from before and said, "Someone will come to bring you food later. Don't forget to tell her to take that box with her. I'm leaving now!"
They left without warning and disappeared in a matter of moments.
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