Chapter 58 The Lie Exposed
Du Min waved his hand first, "I won't be coming tomorrow."
Meng Chun remained silent. Whether he came or not was not up to him; he had to come even if he didn't want to, because he needed to make friends with clients.
“We’ll come when we want to ride the pleasure boat on the river, and we won’t come when we don’t want to,” Meng Qing said.
Upon hearing this, Du Min quickly added, "Me too. I come to sit on the pleasure boat when I have free time."
"Is there anything else?" Du Li asked.
“I’m going back tomorrow and will stay for a day or two before coming back. Second brother, you’re not planning to go back for the New Year this year, are you?” Du Min asked. “I’ll go back and tell our parents so they won’t cause you any trouble.”
Du Li and Meng Qing exchanged a glance, and he chuckled, "So, it sounds like you're not planning to go home for the New Year either?"
Du Min chuckled sheepishly, then moved closer to Meng's father and said shyly, "Uncle Meng, I'd like to go river cruise with you on New Year's Eve. Could I stay at your house beforehand and have a reunion dinner with you?"
"I have no objection, just don't upset your parents," Meng's father said.
"No, I will talk to them properly," Du Min assured him.
Du Li glanced at Meng Qing again. This was it. Du Min had already informed his family, so his parents wouldn't be angry... No, his parents wouldn't be less angry just because Du Min had informed them beforehand. Two of their three sons had come to the Meng family. The old couple were so angry that they couldn't eat, but they couldn't show it.
“My third brother has grown up; he knows to communicate with the family now,” Meng Qing said casually.
Du Min didn't know if she was praising or criticizing him, and he said guiltily, "You learn from your mistakes."
“The Spring Festival is a big event, and I should tell my family if I’m not going back,” Meng’s father said.
The painted boat took the passengers to the Wumen Ferry. When Meng's father disembarked, he told the helpers, "Remember to go to the paper horse shop at the beginning of Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow. Just like today, I'll hire you for one hour each."
Mr. Meng only delivered goods for one hour each day. Firstly, he believed that by making a grand display of his pleasure boat, laden with brass paper horses, touring the various markets, he could convince onlookers on the shore that they would eventually become interested. He reasoned that if they were, they would eventually become customers of the Meng family's paper horse shop. Secondly, it was also convenient for those who disliked crowds to hear the news and come to inform him. There were always discreet people who didn't want to attract gossip, so he avoided provoking them.
After settling the wages of the boatman, drummer, master of ceremonies, and helpers, the Meng family left the ferry and headed to the paper horse shop.
On the way, Du Min looked at the bamboo basket that Du Li and Meng Chun were carrying. The basket was covered with a cloth, and underneath the cloth were strings of copper coins. The ten brass paper horses had collected the remaining payment of fifty-five strings of cash, and the fifty-five strings of cash filled a bamboo basket.
Thinking of this, Du Min looked at Meng Qing again, as he had not yet shared the profits from these brass paper horses with him.
"Second sister-in-law, how much does a brass paper horse cost?" he asked.
Meng Qing immediately understood his meaning. When she returned home for lunch, she took out a thin ledger from her bedroom. "Look," she said, "Meng Chun and I worked together to complete thirty-seven brass paper horses. My parents did the work of making the skeletons, fattening them, and pasting them on. Meng Chun was in charge of drawing the eyes and noses. So you can only get the money for the thirty-seven brass paper horses. I get ninety-two strings and five hundred cash, and I'll give you thirty-seven strings from that. In addition, I also completed the two paper houses ordered by Wang and Li, which made a profit of fifty-eight strings. I got twenty-nine strings, and you got eleven strings and six hundred cash. I'll round it up for you, so the two amounts together will be fifty strings."
Du Min had already calculated her account, and concluded, "It's correct."
"We haven't received the full balance yet. The deposit was used to cover costs, so we haven't split the profits yet. We'll give you the money by New Year's Eve at the latest, and we'll also give you 20% of the store's profits then," Meng Qing explained.
"Thank you, Second Sister-in-law." Du Min handed over the account book and said, "I don't doubt your character. Just give me whatever amount you have in the future. It's better if the account book doesn't exist."
"I'll burn it once the money arrives in the account." Meng Qing took the account book back into the house. After she came out, she went to Du Min and asked, "How do you plan to explain this to your parents? I heard from your second brother that your parents don't want you to be close to our Meng family."
“Do I have to be so honest? How would they know if I didn’t tell them I was spending the New Year at your house?” Du Min said slyly. “I plan to lie and say that Dr. Xu is taking me to meet guests and that I’m going to stay at Dr. Xu’s house for half a month.”
Meng Qing smiled knowingly. Du Min was still the same Du Min, only he had learned from his mistakes and become more cunning.
"The plan is perfect," she praised.
*
The next day.
As the painted boat carrying the sound of drums headed to Tonghuanfang to deliver the paper-made funerary objects ordered by Wang and Li, Du Min boarded a small boat to return to his hometown.
At noon, the covered boat arrived at Dujiawan Ferry, and Du Min paid the fare and disembarked.
"Du Min is back?" The old woman at the village entrance was eating outside her courtyard. When she saw him, she greeted him and said, "Have lunch at my house. We stewed rabbit meat today."
"Thank you, ma'am. I'll go home and eat."
He didn't encounter any more villagers for the rest of the journey, and he slowly breathed a sigh of relief. But as he entered the courtyard, he heard voices coming from the main hall, and the name Du Li was mentioned in the conversation, which made his heart tighten again.
“Old Ding, the New Year is just around the corner. You need to give Du Li a way out so he can come back. Listen to how the villagers are gossiping about him these days. His reputation is almost ruined,” the village chief earnestly advised.
“I’m not going. If he had the guts to leave, he should have expected this day. I’ve already said I’ll consider this son dead. I don’t want him anymore. It’s not like I don’t have sons.” Old Ding Du shouted loudly.
"Third brother? You're back?" Li Hongguo came out of the kitchen and saw that the person eavesdropping outside the main hall looked like Du Min.
Du Min ignored him, pushed open the half-open door and went in, asking, "Eighth Master, what are the villagers saying bad things about my second brother? He hasn't offended anyone in the village, so what bad things are they saying about him?"
"You're on holiday?" the village chief asked. "From what you're saying, you've seen your second brother?"
"I've seen it. I know what happened at home." Du Min looked at Du Laoding and asked, "Father, when did our family become so short of money? We can't even come up with two strings of cash for six zhang of silk?"
Old Ding frowned. "You're still defending him? He's threatening to ruin you."
"What can he use to destroy me? He can't destroy me." Du Min stared at Du Laoding, reminding him to watch his words.
“Eighth Uncle, my second brother is doing well at his in-laws’ home. The three of them are reunited and they don’t plan to come back for the New Year. The village’s gossip doesn’t affect him, and he doesn’t care. So please don’t bother him.” Du Min looked at the village chief.
"Can he stay at the Meng family's house forever? He'll always have to come back," the village chief said with a long face.
"This is his business, and it's our family's business. We can handle it ourselves." Du Min practically said that he didn't need outsiders to interfere.
The village chief felt that his good intentions had been taken for granted, and he angrily turned and left.
Old Du hurriedly followed him out, but a moment later he returned, angrily rebuking, "How dare you speak to your elders like that?"
“I’m at odds with my father, so why would you expect me to obey any elder?” Du Min said calmly.
Old Du choked, his face darkening as he fell silent.
“My second brother came to see me and explained everything in detail. We’ve fallen out. He declared that if any family members cause him trouble, he will ask Dr. Xu to report me.” Du Min used himself to threaten Old Ding, trying to put an end to any thoughts his family might have about causing trouble for Du Li.
Du Laoding's face grew even darker. "You shouldn't have... What did I say back then? You've been blackmailed your whole life."
Du Min chuckled, "Have you forgotten who first threatened my future with me? Wasn't Du Li inspired by you?"
Old Ding was so angry that his chest ached. "Did you come back just to annoy me?"
“If you think I’m making trouble for no reason, I’ll leave tomorrow.” Du Min sat up straight and lied without blinking: “I’m not spending the New Year at home this year. Dr. Xu is going to take me to socialize and meet guests. I’ll be spending the New Year at his house this year.”
Old Du's face immediately lit up with joy. "Does Dr. Xu value you that much? He only invited you?"
"Don't ask around, and don't brag about it outside," Du Min exposed his plan.
Old Ding pretended not to hear and asked with a smile, "Should we send Dr. Xu some New Year's gift?"
Du Min thought for a moment and said, "I'll catch a few chickens and ducks tomorrow."
“Okay, I’ll pick out an old hen and an old duck for you.” Old Du Ding showed no reluctance whatsoever.
Du Min breathed a sigh of relief; this trip was easier than he had imagined.
"Master, the food is ready. Can we eat now?" Jinshu asked.
"Bring out the dishes, your uncle must be hungry after coming all this way back." Old Du patted the dust off his hands and walked out happily. "What did your mother and grandmother cook?"
"Braised pork with pine needles, and fried eggs with chives."
Du Min thought for a moment, then went out to get the food, but before he could even enter the kitchen, his mother chased him away, saying, "Don't go into the kitchen, the fumes will make your clothes smell bad."
Du Min didn't say anything. He returned to the main hall empty-handed and sat down, waiting for the food to be served.
At the dinner table, Du Laoding happily announced that Du Min would be spending the Spring Festival at Dr. Xu's house this year, "His mother, tonight pick out a few old chickens and ducks, tie them up, and Min will take them away tomorrow."
Du's mother readily agreed.
Li Hongguo stared at Du Min for a few moments. She remembered that she had greeted Du Min before the incense stick burned, but he had ignored her. Thinking about the unspeakable secrets between the two old men, the second son and his wife, and Du Min, she felt extremely aggrieved.
"You're not spending the New Year at the Meng family's house like your second brother, but pretending to be spending it at Dr. Xu's house," Li Hongguo deliberately said, trying to disgust the elderly couple.
Du Min's heart skipped a beat, but he smiled nonchalantly and didn't respond to her at all.
Li Hongguo was so angry that she lost her appetite. She slammed down her chopsticks and bowl. "Third brother, aren't your eldest brother and I family? What secrets do you have that you have to keep from us? Second brother and his wife can know, but we can't?"
"What secret? There's no secret." Du Min denied it, quickly filling his stomach with a few bites of chive and egg omelet, and said, "Dad, Mom, if things aren't peaceful at home, I'll leave this afternoon."
Du's mother glared at her eldest daughter-in-law, "If you don't want to eat, go outside."
"Why should I go out when I cooked this?" Li Hongguo cried in anger.
"I'm leaving this afternoon." Du Min didn't want to stay any longer.
"After dinner, your mother and I will go chase a few chickens." Old Du didn't try to stop him, because Du Li had threatened him with Du Min, and he had learned his lesson. He was determined not to let his eldest son and his wife know that Du Min was involved in business. A few days ago, his eldest son and his wife had a big argument with them over this matter, and things had only calmed down a bit in the last two days. Seeing that another argument was about to break out, he thought it would be better if Du Min left sooner rather than later.
Du Min felt a little uneasy. It was one thing for him to leave, but it was another for his parents not to stop him.
The meal ended hastily, and Du Min carried four chickens and four ducks to the ferry to wait for the boat. Old Ding and Du's mother saw him off, and along the way they boasted to the villagers that Dr. Xu from the prefectural school had invited Du Min to his home for the New Year.
Du Min forced a smile with a blank face, his heart filled with inexplicable unease.
After finally waiting for a passing boat, Du Min couldn't wait to board and leave.
Mr. and Mrs. Du watched the boat sail away, then returned to the village with smiles on their faces and gossiped about it. Du Min had gained Dr. Xu's favor, which allowed them to regain their lost face in front of the villagers.
...
In the evening, Du Min arrived at the Meng family's house carrying four chickens and four ducks. Upon seeing Du Li and Meng Qing, he proudly boasted, "It's all taken care of."
"So fast?" Meng Qing asked.
"Yes, not only did I solve the problem of me not going back for the New Year, but I also relieved you of your worries. Eighth Master wanted to play peacemaker; he planned to come and persuade my second brother to go back, but I chased him away," Du Min said, taking credit for his efforts.
"It has to be you; your words carry weight," Du Li said sincerely.
Du Min suddenly felt dejected. "This amount of money is useless anyway. Forget it, let's not talk about these things. It's annoying to talk about them. Second sister-in-law, I plan to go to Ruiguang Temple to study starting tomorrow. If you need anything from me, let me know in advance."
"There's nothing for you to do, just focus on your reading," Meng Qing said.
That evening, when only the three of them were in the bedroom, Meng Qing said to Du Li, "From now on, go to the ferry crossing more often and see if you can run into people from your village. Ask them about their whereabouts and try to find out where Du Min is."
"What if he suspects that we leaked it?" Du Li worried.
"Be careful what you do." Meng Qing patted his hand and said, "Use your brain and think it over."
"Alright."
In the days that followed, Du Min went to Ruiguang Temple every day. After he left, Du Li carried Wang Zhou and ran to the ferry.
On the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, Du Li encountered women from the village selling chickens, ducks, and geese. He learned that they didn't want to sell to the brokers but wanted to set up their own stalls to sell them at higher prices. He casually remarked, "Every morning and evening, both sides of this river are filled with people waiting to buy meat and vegetables. Jiayu Village is far from the main market, and you have to take a boat to get there. The villagers don't want to go to the main market, and they don't even want to wait by the river. They wish the stall owners would deliver the vegetables and meat to their doorsteps."
Those with a sharp mind immediately sensed a business opportunity in Du Li's words. If they took their chickens and ducks to Jiayufang and asked each household, they wouldn't have to worry about selling them, and they would also avoid paying stall fees at the market.
Judging from their expressions, Du Li knew that things had probably gone well. He didn't say anything more. Just then, the delivery boat returned, and he left with Meng's father and Meng Chun.
"Old Du is doing well at his father-in-law's house. He's no longer skinny and looks fair-skinned," said the old woman at the village entrance.
"Judging from his father-in-law's demeanor, his business has grown big, he's rich, and he certainly doesn't have to worry about food and drink. If he doesn't have to worry about food and drink, how can he not be fat?" someone said with a sour look.
"He's lucky to have married a rich woman."
"I'll have my son marry a merchant's daughter someday," someone joked.
“Not just anyone can marry a merchant’s daughter; you also need a son like Du Min to represent the family.”
As they talked, the group walked away.
But a short while later, Sister Yun, Aunt Du, and Uncle Du's two daughters-in-law returned.
"Let's go to Jiayufang and test the waters first. Let's see if we can sell the chickens and ducks. If they sell well, we'll sell our chickens and ducks first, and then tell the villagers in a couple of days," Aunt Du told her daughter-in-law and niece-in-law.
...
In the evening, Du Li went to fetch water and saw a group of people gathered near the well. He asked a familiar face, "Auntie, I heard that some country folk are here to sell chickens and ducks? What's the price?"
"There were a few country women selling chickens and ducks, but I didn't get any; they were all sold out by the time I got there," Aunt Zaohua said. "Two- or three-year-old hens are 23 coins a pound, roosters are 21 coins a pound, and one-year-old chickens, male or female, are 17 coins a pound. The prices are fair, only one coin more expensive than at the market, but at least they deliver to my door, which makes up for the price difference. Do you want to buy some? If you do, I'll call you when they come."
Du Li waved her hand, "I won't buy it. My third brother brought four chickens and four ducks from home a few days ago, which is enough for us to eat during the New Year."
"...Aren't you going home for the New Year?" Aunt Zaohua looked surprised.
"I'm not going back," Du Li said frankly. When it was his turn to fetch water, he carried the buckets over.
*
The next morning, Meng Qing stopped Du Min and said, "I'm going to the Chen residence to deliver goods this morning. Do you want to come with me?"
“Go.” Du Min nodded. “It’s already the 25th today. Why hasn’t Dr. Xu sent the colored silk over yet? We don’t want it to be too late.”
“Even if he delivers it on the evening of the 29th, I can still finish it by the evening of New Year’s Eve.” Meng Qing walked out and said, “Du Li, I’m leaving with my third brother.”
"good."
Leading Da Mao onto the wooden cart, Meng Qing took Du Min to the paper horse shop. She used tung oil paper and alum paper to make two fish-shaped paper effigies, two citrus-shaped paper effigies, and two large copper coin-shaped paper effigies.
Du Min reached his arm through the hole in the coin and discovered that there were words on the coin, but they were not written on; rather, they were raised from the bottom.
"How was this done?" he asked.
"It's very simple. When mounting the second layer of alum paper, use strips of tung oil paper to arrange the characters on the alum paper. After that, for each sheet of paper you mount, apply an extra layer of glue to the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal strokes of the characters. After mounting seven layers of paper, the golden-yellow characters will stand out from the inside."
Du Min picked up the paper-made copper coin and looked at it. He suggested, "Second sister-in-law, the coin-shaped funerary objects are probably more popular than the paper money. You should make more of these funerary objects to sell after the New Year."
"My parents have already started learning how to make copper coin funerary objects. Let's go, once we're done packing, let's deliver them," Meng Qing called out.
Meng Chun went to deliver goods with his father. Only Meng Qing and Du Min went to the Chen residence. The uncle and sister-in-law chatted along the way. When they arrived at the Chen residence, Du Min stayed behind to watch the donkey, while Meng Qing went to knock on the door.
A short while later, Steward Chen came out with three strong servants. He invited Meng Qing and Du Min into the mansion for tea. After a short while, he brought out five strings of cash and said, "The master is busy and asked me to accept the gifts. Miss Meng, this is the final payment. Is it enough?"
Meng Qing declined, saying, "These six paper offerings are small and require little labor. The deposit that Master Yuan paid earlier is already enough, and I've made a profit, so there's no need for a final payment."
"Is that true?" Butler Chen asked.
“That’s right, I didn’t lose money.” Meng Qing stood up and smiled, saying, “The Meng family’s paper horse shop is able to do business today entirely thanks to the master’s kindness in giving us face. We can’t make money by dishonest means.”
Upon hearing this, Steward Chen put away the money. He went out and gave a few instructions. As Meng Qing and Du Min were saying goodbye and leaving, a servant brought two packets of tea cakes and two jars of rice wine.
"These were all sent by the head of the estate; take them back and try them," said Steward Chen.
"You're too kind, thank you so much." Meng Qing happily accepted the gift.
Butler Chen was satisfied with her reaction and joked, "You've gone to all this trouble, I can't let you go back empty-handed."
Meng Qing bowed slightly and said, "There is mourning in your household, so I won't bother you during the New Year. I wish you and your elders a Happy New Year in advance."
"Take care." Butler Chen saw them out.
Du Min watched silently. Meng Qing was really good at dealing with people and things. As the steward of the wealthy man's mansion, many people wanted to see him but could not, but he was not arrogant at all in front of Meng Qing, and even personally saw her off.
As they left the Chen residence, Meng Qing sat on the wooden cart and said, "Third brother, let's go."
"Butler Chen has been very kind to you," Du Min said.
"Yes, he is a kind person."
Du Min glanced at her. A kind person? From the moment he entered the Chen residence until he left, the Chen steward only said two sentences to him: "Scholar Du has arrived too?" "Scholar Du, have some tea." Is this what you call a kind person?
After leaving Renfengfang, Meng Qing didn't rush back. She urged Da Mao to go to the market to buy mutton and pork.
"Hey! Hey! Look, isn't that Du Min sitting on that donkey cart?" The old woman at the village entrance called to the people next to her to look.
"where?"
The old woman at the village entrance looked again, but the donkey cart was already blocked by the crowd. After a few glances, she could no longer see the people on the cart.
"You must be mistaken. What is Du Min doing here?"
"It's him. Besides him, it seems his second sister-in-law is also there. Let's wait and see if the donkey cart comes again."
"Half a mutton, half a rib, and another eight jin of hindquarter meat... Third brother, please sit in the front." Meng Qing led the butcher carrying the mutton over.
Mutton cost 30 coins per catty, pork cost 22 coins per catty, and spare ribs cost 13 coins per catty. Meng Qing spent 132 coins on meat. After paying, she led Da Mao back.
"Look, it really is him." The old woman at the village entrance saw the donkey cart and quickly patted the person next to her.
"It really is him! Didn't his parents say he was spending the New Year at Dr. Xu's house in the prefecture?"
"Who knows? Anyway, one of them will be lying," an old woman in the village exclaimed.
Du Min found the smell of the meat market unbearable. He covered his mouth and nose and complained, "Second sister-in-law, why did you bring me here? It stinks!"
"Stinky? Did it smell good when you ate it?" Meng Qing rolled her eyes at him. "I'm showing you about people's livelihoods so you won't be clueless about rice and meat prices when you become an official."
As he spoke, Meng Qing glanced westward, then drove the donkey cart away.
Back at Jiayufang, Du Li was waiting at the entrance of the market with Wangzhou in his arms. He exchanged a glance with Meng Qing and then handed Wangzhou to Du Min, saying, "You hold him, I'll unload the meat."
Du Min couldn't be happier. He quickly walked away, afraid that he would be dragged away to carry raw meat.
Du Li and Meng Qing blocked the road at the entrance of the village with their donkey cart. The two of them dawdled as they took out knives to cut the meat, unload it, and wash the wooden cart.
"It's Meng Qing and Du Li, a married couple." Sister Yun and Aunt Du came over from the workshop carrying empty baskets.
Hearing the voice, Meng Qing straightened up, looking surprised. "Third Aunt? Sister-in-law Yun? What are you doing here?"
"We're here to sell chickens and ducks."
As if remembering something, Du Li dropped the wooden bucket, said nothing, and quickly ran out of the neighborhood.
Aunt Du and Sister Yun's expressions changed. What kind of attitude was that? They weren't planning to stay here begging for food.
"You all have your business to attend to," Aunt Du said casually, and walked out along the corner of the wall.
Meng Qing looked out of the neighborhood in a panic. Sister Yun sensed something was wrong; it seemed as if she was afraid they would see something. She strode outside and just then saw Du Li hiding someone and heading towards the river.
Sister Yun picked up her basket and chased after him, but after looking around the riverbank, she couldn't find him.
"Why are you running?" Aunt Du came running up, panting.
“I think I saw Du Min,” said Sister Yun. “Wasn’t he at Dr. Xu’s house? What’s he doing here? And Du Li and Meng Qing are being so secretive…”
"He lied to his family? He spent the New Year at the Meng family's house, just like Du Li?" Aunt Du said, catching up on her unfinished question. "Is it really him? You're not mistaken?"
"It looks like him," Sister Yun said, though she wasn't sure either.
"It must be him, otherwise why would Du Li and Meng Qing be so secretive? These two aren't people who don't understand manners." Aunt Du's face revealed a wicked smile, "This is going to be good."
"Mother, what are you planning to do?" Sister-in-law Yun asked, a little frightened.
"Of course, I'll make sure your second aunt doesn't have a comfortable New Year." Aunt Du picked up her basket with high spirits and said, "Let's go back."
Du Li and Du Min sat in the teahouse with Wangzhou in their arms. They waited for Aunt Du, Sister Yun, and the two daughters-in-law of Uncle Du's family to arrive at the ferry one after the other and watched them leave by boat before the two brothers took Wangzhou back.
“I heard yesterday that there were some women from the countryside selling chickens and ducks in the market. I didn’t expect it would be them,” Du Li said first.
"They didn't see me, did they?" Du Min asked with some worry.
"Probably not," Du Li said.
Du Min sighed, "So annoying! So annoying! Starting tomorrow, I won't go back to Jiayufang until dark. I'll stay in the temple and eat my meals there."
"Alright," Du Li nodded.
When the two arrived home, Meng Qing asked, "You didn't run into anything, did you?"
“No, almost. I don’t need to cook for my third brother for the next few days; he plans to eat at the temple,” Du Li said.
"It's good to lay low for a while. I expect more villagers will come to sell chickens and ducks in the next few days," Meng Qing said.
Du Li asked Du Min to coax Wang Zhou, while he went to the kitchen with Meng Qing to cook.
Half an hour later, Meng's parents and Meng Chun returned with a message: around noon, Dr. Xu sent his page to deliver the colorful silk.
"How is the painting?" Meng Qing asked.
"It hasn't been dismantled yet, waiting for you to dismantle it," Meng Chun said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Meng Qing couldn't wait to go to the paper horse shop after finishing her meal, and Du Min, Du Li, and Meng Chun followed her.
Both bundles of colorful silk were in the attic. Meng Qing unwrapped the fine linen covering them, and the linen slipped off, revealing a vibrant stone-blue color, like the sky after the rain. The color was a deep blue, and the silk's sheen made it shimmer and shine. The lotus petals were a deep blue, and the stamens were pale yellow. Above the stamens were lotus patterns like flames, their color also like fire.
The four people worked together to unfold the colorful silk. Lotus patterns of varying sizes floated on the silk, which was as bright as water. They had a solemn and sacred appearance, as well as a dazzling array of colors like flowers.
"This is the first time I've truly felt the weight of a PhD from the State University." Meng Qing was glad she hadn't made a move; her painting skills were nothing compared to Dr. Xu's, not even worth mentioning.
Du Min clutched his chest in distress. The bundle of colorful silk stirred up his deep-seated inferiority complex, and he even felt a sense of fear. Even Dr. Xu, who was skilled in poetry and painting, had failed to enter officialdom. How could he, a poor student from a farming family, have such a fate?
"I'm going to Ruiguang Temple." Du Min left the paper horse shop as if fleeing.
The others ignored him. Meng Qing instructed the apprentices to set up a frame outside the paper horse shop and wrap silk cloth around the bamboo poles to prevent them from snagging. She and Meng Chun personally dyed the colored silk, first soaking it in alum water to form a film that protected the silk and colors, then drying it before soaking it in tung oil.
"Sister, after the colored silk was soaked in tung oil, the white areas of the silk turned yellow," Meng Chun shouted.
Meng Qing ran in to look and saw that after being soaked in tung oil, the color of the silk was not as bright as its original color.
"That's settled then. We'll be making offerings at the Buddhist temple for half a month, so we have to waterproof it." Meng Qing had no other choice.
"Don't touch!" Du Li shouted from outside. "You can only look, not touch. If you touch it and it gets snagged, you'll have to pay for it."
"Young Master Meng, which powerful figure commissioned this? What kind of fine item is this?" Manager Wu asked.
"My father-in-law plans to make two colorful horses to ride on the river on New Year's Eve. The lotus pattern on the silk is the same as the lotus pattern on the pagoda. It was made by Dr. Xu from the prefectural school and will be enshrined in Ruiguang Temple in his name," Du Li explained.
"Another river cruise?" Manager Wu exclaimed, "You guys have quite a few tricks up your sleeve, you deserve the title of the number one paper horse shop in Wu County."
Meng Qing came out holding up a piece of colorful silk soaked in tung oil. Upon hearing this, she laughed and said, "Is there another paper horse shop in Wu County?"
"It will happen," Manager Wu laughed heartily.
Meng Qing spread the colorful silk on the bamboo pole and said to the onlookers, "At Shenshi (3-5 PM) on New Year's Eve, I sincerely invite everyone to come out of your homes and appreciate the lotus-shaped colorful horse jointly created by Meng Family Paper Horse Shop and Dr. Xu from the State Academy."
"I live outside the city, so I definitely won't be able to see it," someone in the crowd said regretfully.
"After the river cruise, the colorful horse will be enshrined at Ruiguang Temple for a full half month, from New Year's Day to the Lantern Festival. You can go to Ruiguang Temple to see it," Meng Qing mentioned.
After saying that, she returned to the paper horse shop to continue her work.
After that day, without Meng Qing needing to think of any more ways to promote it, the news that the Meng family's paper horse shop would be carrying colorful horses on a river procession on New Year's Eve had already spread throughout Wu County. The colorful silks drying in the sun had become almost mystical after being praised by the pilgrims who had seen them with their own eyes.
The entire Meng family worked together, spending two and a half days carefully completing the mounting process for the colorful horse. Ten layers of colored silk, each with its own pattern, were mounted together seamlessly. It was so difficult that not only did their eyes go blind, but their wrists and fingers almost broke.
On the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, the apprentices were all given a holiday, except for the Meng family of four, who stood in the backyard, intently watching the two tall, magnificent horses. The colored silk, soaked in tung oil, had a yellowish tinge, appearing as if covered with a layer of gray compared to its original color. Surprisingly, after the mounting was completed, this imperfection became an enhancement. The tung oil concealed the vibrancy of the lotus pattern, preventing the intricate designs on the silk horses' necks, heads, and hooves from becoming overwhelming; instead, they added a touch of fleshiness, as if the patterns had been carved onto horsehide.
"To have such a silk horse made by my own hands, my life has been worthwhile," said Meng's father, overjoyed.
“My hands didn’t ache in vain.” Meng Chun stroked the colorful horse in front of him and said, “I feel that there will never be another silk horse like this.”
"If I want to see this silk horse again, I'll have to ask Dr. Xu to paint it. I can't paint it myself." Meng Qing said, feeling ashamed of her own inferiority. She greedily examined the finished horse and said, "Meng Chun, go to Ruiguang Temple and ask Huiming to come and take a look. Also, ask Du Min to come back and find Dr. Xu to see if he wants to check the finished product. If he's interested, he can invite his relatives and friends to the pleasure boat to appreciate it."
Meng Chun responded and quickly ran out.
A little over half an hour later, Huiming and Dumin arrived together. When Huiming entered, he was stunned for a moment upon seeing the silk horses covered in lotus patterns. Then he excitedly asked, "Are you really going to enshrine these two colorful horses in Ruiguang Temple? You won't go back on your word?"
“We won’t back out; it all depends on Dr. Xu’s decision,” Meng Qing said, then asked smugly, “Senior, are you impressed by our skills?”
Huiming nodded solemnly, "I'll go back and immediately have someone clean the mountain gate. When will your boat trip end? I'll bring the monks from the temple to greet you."
Meng Qing exclaimed "Wow!" and the rest of the Meng family were also surprised. Could these two colorful horses really have such a high status?
"A boat trip on the river during the Shen hour (3-5 PM) will take about two hours to circle the city, and we should return to the Wumen ferry crossing around the beginning of the Xu hour (7-9 PM)," Meng's father gave a precise answer.
Huiming nodded. He glanced at the colorful horses again. Each of the two horses had a lotus flower pedestal on its forehead, the fiery red mark like the horses opening their third eye, sacred and solemn.
After Huiming left, Meng's father told Meng Chun to go back and call for help. He planned to move the colorful horse home and keep an eye on it day and night, fearing it would be stolen if left in the paper horse shop.
At this moment, Mr. and Mrs. Du disembarked at the Wumen Ferry. After paying the fare, they headed towards Jiayufang with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. Just as they were about to cross the bridge, Mrs. Du hesitated, "Old man, let's go back."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Old Ding Du asked in astonishment.
"I don't want to go. What if the third son is really at the Meng family's house?" Du's mother couldn't accept this speculation. Her proud son had lied to his family without batting an eye just to spend the New Year at a merchant's house. She couldn't stand it.
Old Du fell silent, his breathing heavy. After a few moments, he lifted his foot and continued walking: "I want to see for myself. I want to see whether I raised a son or an enemy."
Upon arriving at Jiayufang, Du Laoding saw Du Li and Meng Chun hurrying out. He glanced at Jiayufang and decided to follow them.
"Come quickly, come quickly! Three people and one horse, let's carry the colorful horse back." When Meng's father saw his son and son-in-law, he gave them instructions.
Silk horses are lighter than paper horses. Meng Qing, Du Min, and Du Li carried one of them. As soon as the colorful horse appeared, everyone in the Mingqi shop fell silent.
Shopkeeper Wu was standing outside the shop. He was the first to see it and exclaimed, "My God! This is so much better looking than the brass paper horse!"
"Will you sell? I'll buy it, any price." A well-to-do man ran over quickly. "I'm the owner of Wu's Salt Shop in Dashi. I'll have someone bring the money right away."
“No, we can’t sell it. Ruiguang Temple has already agreed to take it.” Meng Qing hurriedly brought out the large Buddha statue from Ruiguang Temple.
Du Laoding stood in the crowd, staring intently at the man who was clinging to the horse's leg and whose face was flushed. This son, who should be a guest at Dr. Xu's house, was here with a bunch of lowly merchants. What future could he possibly have?
Du Min felt uncomfortable. He looked up and around but didn't see anything.
Two colorful horses were carried into Jiayufang amidst the crowd. Du Laoding went against the flow of people to the arched bridge. When Du's mother saw his ashen face, the last glimmer of hope she had was shattered.
The two stood silently on the bridge, their conversation consisting mainly of the Meng family's paper horse shop, colorful horses, and pleasure boats.
"Let's go back," said Du Laoding.
"Go back like this?" Du's mother asked, puzzled.
"What do you want to do? What can I do? I've already hit him and scolded him, but in the end, he either threatens to drop out of school or lies and doesn't come home." Old Du was at his wit's end. Unless he could really be ruthless and ruin this son, but if he ruined him, the son would only hate the Du family more.
“We’re also coming to the city for the Spring Festival this year. Since the Meng family likes excitement so much, we’ll come and support them.” Old Du Ding turned to look at Jiayufang.
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