Chapter 193 World Eight (Sixteen)
Baoshan's eyes were filled with tears, and her beautiful eyes were full of resentment. She lowered her head, looking depressed and frustrated. It was obvious that she was still upset about Shen Yunshan's words "I can't remember".
Everything around him was blurry, and Shen Yunshan realized he was in a dream. But the beauty before him, even her trembling eyelashes, seemed incredibly real, making him feel trance-like. Shen Yunshan's brows furrowed, and his tone was slightly cold. "I don't want to talk to my classmates about my family's affairs. It's not that I've truly forgotten what you look like."
Even though he knew it was a dream, Shen Yunshan still explained it.
The precious fan in the dream is obviously not like the precious fan in reality, which can be easily coaxed.
Baoshan's eyes were slightly red, and her soft lips were almost pressed into a straight line. "Cousin Yunshan always says nice things to shut me up. But he definitely doesn't mean that in his heart."
Shen Yunshan frowned slightly and said calmly, "Not a single word I say is false."
Bao Shan raised her eyes and met Shen Yunshan's gaze. She moved her feet slightly and threw herself into Shen Yunshan's arms. Bao Shan's body was warm and soft, making her feel unsure of how to move.
A delicate, pale face leaned close to Shen Yunshan. His nose could only inhale gusts of fragrant air. The delicate, warm, and soft woman wrapped her boneless, white arms around Shen Yunshan's neck. Her warm breath bathed Shen Yunshan's chest. Her figure was soft, and her voice was gentle as well.
It was like a clinging flower that could not get away from Shen Yunshan at all.
"That's great. I remember cousin Yunshan's appearance clearly."
Shen Yunshan's heart moved slightly, and he lowered his eyes to look at the precious fan in his arms. He saw a soft light flickering in her beautiful eyes. She had a sad look just now, but now her eyes were filled with joy.
As far as the eye can see, the soft lips open and close gently, like delicate pistils, standing quietly to the side, waiting for others to water and cherish them.
The Shen Yunshan in his dream seemed to have escaped the control of the real Shen Yunshan, becoming a man of his own. Bewitched by the beauty in his arms, that "Shen Yunshan" tightened his arms slightly and leaned towards those soft lips.
Bao Shan, with her beautiful eyes open, didn't know how to evade. As "Shen Yunshan" drew near, she closed her eyelids. Only the slight trembling of her eyelashes betrayed her inner turmoil.
Wake up from the dream.
Shen Yunshan frowned and opened his eyes, only to see that the sky outside was pitch black and gloomy, without even a trace of light.
Feng Wenjing, who lived in the same room, was so sleepy that one could even hear his heavy breathing.
Shen Yunshan had no choice but to lie back on the bed and close his eyes, but the dream just now reappeared in front of him.
I tossed and turned like this and didn't know when I could fall asleep again.
The next day, when Shen Yunshan put on his hat, he could see a faint blue tint under his eyes.
Feng Wenjing did not suspect anything. He just thought that Shen Yunshan was studying too hard and was too tired, so he handed a round silver box to Shen Yunshan.
"Apply some light powder to hide the marks under your eyes."
Shen Yunshan's body stiffened slightly, and he wanted to refuse, but it was also very important for a gentleman to dress properly and have a decent appearance.
Shen Yunshan took the silver powder box and said stiffly, "Thank you."
When Confucian masters teach, in addition to the principles of classics, they also teach the six arts and eight elegances of a gentleman.
Among these, the Confucian master values calligraphy and painting the most. Every time he picks up a brush and puts it down, his elegance and grace are evident. Today's lesson is about painting a picture called "Flowers."
Such objects can be seen everywhere. For example, in Xiangjiang Academy, there are Clivia, iris and other grass plants planted.
However, when literati paint, they do not simply copy, but rather clearly highlight the inner character in the paintings.
Feng Wenjing thought for a long time and finally drew a money tree, dotted with golden flowers, which looked particularly pleasing.
But this really irritated the old-fashioned Confucian scholar. He slammed Feng Wenjing's head, his long beard waving in anger: "How disrespectful!"
"This child is incorrigible!"
Shen Yunshan originally wanted to paint a Clivia, but after he put pen to paper, the appearance of his painting turned out to be an extremely fragile dodder flower, as white as jade, with a soft and boneless posture. It could only grow successfully by clinging tightly to the green vines beside it.
Among the clusters of flowers, this dodder looks slender and thin, nestling pitifully against the green vine.
Shen Yunshan's frown became even colder after he saw the painting he had finished.
The Confucian master walked up to Shen Yunshan, and when Shen Yunshan was staring at the painting in front of him in a trance, he reached out and picked up the thin piece of rice paper.
The colors were vibrant, and while most people only painted one or two flowers, Shen Yunshan filled the entire sheet of rice paper with his profuse painting.
Everywhere there were flowers competing for beauty, but what attracted the Confucian scholar the most was the dodder flower. Although small in size, the way it nestled against the green vine was particularly endearing.
Shen Yunshan bowed and explained, "My humble work is not worthy of your approval..."
The Confucian scholar was quite satisfied. In the past, when Shen Yunshan painted with themes, his brushstrokes were gentle, making people feel distant. Now, there was a warmth to his paintings. Although he didn't know why Shen Yunshan loved dodder flowers, he was finally not as cold as before.
"Very good."
Shen Yunshan pondered for a moment, and finally said, "I originally wanted to draw Clivia."
The Confucian master returned the painting to Shen Yunshan and said loudly, "Although the Clivia is beautiful, you clearly love this Dodder more. Why do you feel so inferior to it?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yunshan was slightly stunned.
Shen Yunshan has been away from home for more than a month.
Every day, Shen Liu would sprinkle clean water into Shen Yunshan's house and open the windows to disperse the foul air. In order to supplement the family income, Shen Liu not only had to finish the work in the fields to ensure that the family had enough food.
In addition, Shen Liu would also go to the embroidery workshop in town to find some embroidery work to do.
Although Shen Liushi didn't know how Shen Yunshan could become a high-ranking official, she heard about it from others.
In addition to taking the imperial examination in Luo County, one also has to go to Beijing, and the best ones can even meet the emperor.
In Shen Liu's mind, given Shen Yunshan's talent and intelligence, he would naturally go to Beijing. At that time, he would be looked down upon in a white robe.
Going to Beijing to take the imperial examinations cost a lot of money, and Shen Liushi had already saved some money.
But she didn't know how the money was spent in the capital, so she always thought that she should prepare more to avoid any mistakes.
Among the embroidery works, the most common ones are handkerchiefs and sachets. The designs are simple, and the finished embroidery is given to the common people in the town or the maids of the wealthy families.
Shen Liushi was cutting a piece of lotus root powder cloth and said, "The ladies of wealthy families even use silk towels to wipe their faces, which are soft and stick to their faces.
Such coarse fabrics would probably hurt the ladies' faces!"
Bao Shan knew some needlework, but she was not very good at it. So, she traced the edges of the embroidery pattern.
She stroked the embroidery frame with her bare hands, her posture was graceful, and she held the needle and thread with a serious look.
Hearing Shen Liushi's words, Baoshan raised her head softly and said, "In the future, when cousin Yunshan becomes successful, aunt will become a noble lady."
The corners of Shen Liushi’s lips curved slightly, and her face was full of smiles.
"Of course. By then, not only the ladies in town, but even the noble ladies of the capital will be able to see him."
Shen Liu thought that after Shen Yunshan passed the imperial examination, he would marry a woman from a wealthy family, and they would be able to completely get rid of these hard and poor days.
After the batch of handkerchiefs was sewn, Shen Liushi took the treasure fan to the town and delivered the handkerchiefs to the embroidery workshop.
Hu Xiu Niang from the embroidery workshop was an old acquaintance of Shen Liushi. Naturally, she knew that Shen Liushi had good embroidery skills and had never made any mistakes in the handkerchiefs and sachets she sewed.
Therefore, the Hu embroiderer only glanced at the handkerchief and said to Shen Liu: "It's done. Come and calculate your wages with me."
The man was clacking away on his abacus.
Hu Xiu Niang asked in a familiar tone, "When did Yunshan leave?"
"About a month."
Hu Xiu Niang raised the handkerchief in her hand and fanned herself gently, her tone half bitter and half envious: "You are so lucky, my sister-in-law's nephew is also in Luo County.
I heard that even if you have gold in your hand, you may not be able to enter the Xiangjiang Academy.
Only a good husband like Yunshan could allow Xiangjiang Academy to waive half of its tuition fees.
In the future, when Yunshan returns home on a tall horse, laden with red flowers and rich clothes, you will become the mother of a nobleman, and I'm afraid you will no longer look down on our small embroidery workshop."
Mentioning Shen Yunshan, Shen Liushi's face was full of pride: "Yunshan still has to call you aunt, how can you look down on her."
The bitterness in Hu Xiu Niang's heart gradually faded away. The handkerchief cost a total of seventy-eight copper coins, so Hu Xiu Niang simply added two to make it an even number, and gave eighty coins.
Looking at Baoshan's slender figure, fair skin, and gentle features, Hu Xiuniang's heart moved: "How can you be so lucky? Your own son Yunshan is a promising man, and even your niece has been raised to be so beautiful. Look at her. She has only been standing in my embroidery workshop for a short while, but she has already attracted so many customers."
Shen Liu looked at Baoshan and whispered, “Baoshan is also a well-behaved one.”
Hu Xiu Niang continued, "Young lady, you are so beautiful, have you ever thought about marrying off?"
"Not yet."
Hu Xiu Niang's eyebrows moved slightly, and she agreed with Shen Liushi that if she saw a suitable man, she would let Shen Liushi bring the treasure fan to see him.
Shen Liushi left with the treasured fan and passed by a busy stall.
Baoshan's beautiful eyes moved slightly, and then she gently pulled Shen Liu's sleeve and said softly, "Aunt, that seems to be Miss Li."
Shen Liu turned around and saw Li Dongran dressed neatly and busy as ever.
It looked like her food stall had attracted quite a few customers. No wonder the Li family at the village entrance were all beaming with joy. However, while the stall was bustling, Li Dongran was the only one there.
If there were other members of the Li family helping out, it wouldn't be so busy.
Shen Liushi asked, “Do you want to eat?”
Baoshan shook her head gently: "I don't like sweet food."
The three members of the Shen family don't like sweets.
In this case, Shen Liushi did not stay any longer and left with the treasure fan.
Li Dongran saw the figures of Shen Liushi and Baoshan. However, due to the urging of the guests in front of him, he had to hand the food to them first.
When Li Dongran turned around, there was no trace of Shen Liushi and Baoshan.
Today's harvest was quite good. Before returning home, Li Dongran took out a handful of copper coins and buried them in the corner of his house.
Li Dongran knew very well that if she didn't hide some money, she would be penniless when she got married and lived alone in the future.
What's more, she was the one who worked hard to prepare all these meals from beginning to end.
When they returned to Li's house, Li's mother took the purse without checking it.
After all, Li Dongran is an honest person, and her mother would not guess that she would do something like hiding copper coins.
Hu Xiu Niang encountered a big job: the son of a wealthy businessman in the town was getting married, and the other party asked for the fashionable styles of the capital and asked the businessman to make them exactly as they were.
The wages paid by the other party were enough, but Hu Xiu Niang was full of worry.
After all, the time was too tight and no embroiderer was willing to take it on.
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