My surname is Xie
"You're so generous, young lady." Jiang Jingshu stretched out her hand, and the woman in front of her gestured to her maid to put the silver into Jiang Jingshu's hand.
Having purchased so many of your paintings, would it be appropriate to invite you for a chat?
Jiang Jingshu put away the money and said with a smile, "Of course."
The two entered a private room and sat facing each other. The woman got straight to the point, "Miss, may I remove my veil now?"
Jiang Jingshu also decisively removed her veil. She looked at the person in front of her. She had never left the palace before, but judging from the girl's clothes and appearance, she knew that the other party must come from a wealthy family.
She had no reason to hesitate; her immediate goal was to sell her paintings as soon as possible to earn enough money for her grandmother's retirement.
"You're very beautiful." The woman smiled. "My surname is Shen, you can call me Shen Qian."
As Shen Qian spoke, she looked Jiang Jingshu up and down, "Why are you so calm?"
Jiang Jingshu knew the name Chen Qian.
Although she never left the palace, the name Shen Qian became famous far and wide.
Shen Qian, the only daughter of General Shen Wandai, is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She is also skilled in swordsmanship and business.
Jiang Jingshu admired her very much.
"If I said I guessed the girl's approximate identity, would she believe me?"
Shen Qian slowly raised her teacup. "I don't care."
Jiang Jingshu sat opposite Shen Qian. "Thank you again, young lady, for spending such a high price to buy my painting."
Shen Qian smiled with a rather distant air, "I do have requirements."
"Please speak, young lady."
"I need ten of your works, anything you want to paint. Come find me here at this time tomorrow."
Ten paintings?
“Miss Shen, my painting is of considerable value.”
Shen Qian smiled, "As long as you bring ten paintings tomorrow, I will give you every penny that is due."
Jiang Jingshu still didn't understand Shen Qian's meaning, but she didn't ask any more questions and readily agreed.
"May I ask your honorable name, young lady?" Shen Qian poured Jiang Jingshu a cup of tea.
“My surname is…” Jiang Jingshu paused for a moment, then smiled wryly, “My surname is Xie.”
“Then thank you, Miss Xie. I hope we can continue to work together.” Shen Qian extended her hand. At this moment, Jiang Jingshu suddenly felt that the Shen Qian in front of her was the same as the female figure in the modern world.
Jiang Jingshu hesitated for a few seconds before reaching out and grasping Chen Qian's hand in return.
Upon returning to the palace, Jiang Jingshu began to paint.
Ten paintings—it would take her a long time to paint. She lit an incense stick; it seemed tonight would be a sleepless night.
The nanny brought Jiang Jingshu her dinner. "Your Highness, where did you go today?"
Jiang Jingshu took the dinner handed to her by the nanny. She looked at the nanny and slowly said, "I'm going to find Zhou Mingyuan."
“Your Highness is concerned about Zhou Mingyuan.” The old woman smiled with relief, but Jiang Jingshu shook her head and took the old woman’s weathered hand. “Old woman, my heart is not with Zhou Mingyuan.”
Seeing that the old woman still looked puzzled, Jiang Jingshu thought for a long time before she spoke, "Jingshu has a boy she really likes."
"Your Highness has grown up." The old woman gently stroked Jiang Jingshu's head with her other hand. "Which family's young man has won our Highness's favor?"
Jiang Jingshu's eyes immediately welled up with tears. "He is a very good person. If possible, I really hope that the old lady can meet him."
The old woman was still smiling, and Jiang Jingshu was smiling too. She curled up slightly in the old woman's arms, with a hint of coquetry in her voice, "Jingshu really likes him, but it's destined that there's no future for us."
"Your Highness, this is the first time this old servant has heard Your Highness mention someone you like." The old woman's voice choked with emotion as she spoke.
“Your Highness has been wary of those around you since birth. This is my fault. I am very fortunate that someone has appeared who can make Your Highness lower your guard and make Your Highness smile when you mention that person.”
Jiang Jingshu smiled and wiped away the tears that had rolled down her cheeks. "Granny, if you could see him, you would definitely like him."
The old woman's eyes swept over Jiang Jingshu's painting. Jiang Jingshu pointed to the person in the painting, feeling embarrassed. "Does the old woman recognize who this is?"
"This." The old woman did not answer.
Jiang Jingshu smiled and pointed to the old woman opposite her. "Grandma, you've forgotten, haven't you? This was the winter when I was five years old. Grandma was shoveling snow, and I was running around in the yard. It was cold, and the road was icy." Jiang Jingshu's voice choked up a little. "I accidentally fell to the ground, and Grandma helped me up."
Jiang Jingshu said to herself, "Grandma, you are the first person to give me love."
She threw herself into the old woman's arms again.
"Your Highness, this is what this old servant should do."
Jiang Jingshu shook her head in disagreement. This was not what she should do. She could have left Jiang Jingshu behind and chosen to work somewhere else. Then she would no longer have to suffer the cold looks from the palace servants, and she would not have to live the rest of her life under the contempt of others.
But she didn't.
She never abandoned Jiang Jingshu.
She never chose to let go of Jiang Jingshu's hand.
Jiang Jingshu asked her more than once why she was so good to her.
She said, "I think Your Highness will definitely be a successful person in the future. Following Your Highness will definitely lead to a bright future."
At that time, Jiang Jingshu did not think she was a promising person, but because of her nanny's words, she was determined to make a name for herself.
We must give the nanny a good life.
The palace was filled with cold stares, but whenever Jiang Jingshu turned around, she would always see a warm gaze fixed on her.
—
Jiang Jingshu painted ten pictures, each depicting the love her nanny had shown her from childhood to adulthood.
Jiang Jingshu had made a special inquiry and learned that the old lady of the Zhenguo General's Mansion would be celebrating her birthday in half a month. She also sent Ayu to inquire about it. The only daughter of the General's Mansion, Shen Qian, was raised by the old lady, and the two had a deep bond.
Jiang Jingshu boldly guessed that Shen Qian wanted her to make a painting as a gift for the old lady.
Therefore, most of her ten works focused on family affection.
But she had never experienced any family affection. Her only two emotional connections were with her nanny and Jiang Yuan from modern society.
A work that is imbued with love will always be different.
After finishing ten paintings, Jiang Jingshu collapsed wearily onto the table.
The same feeling washed over her; she felt a warm touch on her forehead, but this time, she woke up.
She couldn't make out the features of the person in front of her, and no matter how many times Jiang Jingshu rubbed her eyes, it was no use.
But that person's voice sounded so familiar.
Jiang Jingshu dared not think about it, dared not recognize it, until she heard a familiar voice calling her, "Jiang Jingshu".
His voice trembled slightly, as if he was holding back something.
Her voice trembled slightly, "Is it you?"
Have you truly found the passage between two eras?
Feeling the other person pull her into their arms, tears welled up in her eyes. She greedily lingered in the warmth of the moment, and said in a sob, "Is this a dream? If it is, please don't wake up. Let me keep this dream a little longer."
I heard a sob nearby.
She heard him say, "Wait for me."
Jiang Jingshu nodded in his arms. She would leave once she had prepared the money for the old woman's later years.
So what if the water in the Imperial Garden is cold?
She wants to leave.
—
The next day, Jiang Jingshu and Shen Qian arrived at the agreed private room. Shen Qian was already waiting. When she saw Jiang Jingshu arrive, Shen Qian poured her another cup of tea.
"Miss Xie has arrived?"
Jiang Jingshu walked over and sat down, gesturing for Ayu to place the painting on the table. Then she said, "I have completed the painting as agreed. Can you fulfill the promise you made to me, Miss?"
Shen Qian stretched out her hand, and there were three hundred taels of silver in front of Jiang Jingshu. Jiang Jingshu glanced down at it, while Shen Qian was already examining Jiang Jingshu's painting.
"Is Miss Xie painting you and your mother?" Shen Qian asked.
Jiang Jingshu shook her head, then nodded as if she had thought of something. "She was my wet nurse, and could also be considered my mother."
"Why did you decide to draw this?" Shen Qian's gaze held a hint of appreciation. "Miss Xie, you know your upcoming task, right?"
Jiang Jingshu smiled, "Please enlighten me, Miss Shen."
“Miss Shen, I like your intelligence.” Shen Qian put away the painting. “There is emotion in your painting, and I like it very much. My grandmother’s birthday banquet is in half a month. I need you to paint a birthday celebration painting. I want this painting to be the most eye-catching.”
Everything went exactly as Jiang Jingshu had envisioned. Jiang Jingshu smiled and said, "As I said before, my painting needs a price to match it. I wonder how much Miss Shen is willing to offer?"
"It seems you already have a plan in mind." Shen Qian smiled. "Miss Xie is truly a clever person. The little maid next to you was the one who deliberately caused trouble yesterday, wasn't she? The two of them, mistress and servant, are working together to make a name for themselves, aren't they?"
Jiang Jingshu remained unfazed. "Miss Chen is quite perceptive." She feigned thought and said, "I want the estate in the west of the city."
Shen Qian smiled, "As long as your painting satisfies me enough, I'll give you not only the estate, but also another three hundred taels of silver."
"make a deal."
Jiang Jingshu couldn't contain her joy. A farm and the money she had saved up were more than enough for the old woman to live on for the rest of her life.
Finally, all we need to do is find a pretext to send the nanny out of the palace, and that will be enough.
She can then return to the modern world.
Jiang Jingshu suddenly felt that the road ahead was not dark, and she seemed to be able to see the dawn of success soon.
Before leaving, she said to Shen Qian, "Thank you."
Chen Qian looked up and said, "No need for thanks. Your painting is unique enough that I would have sought you out."
For an artist, it is an incredibly fortunate thing to have their work recognized by others.
Jiang Jingshu is indeed incredibly lucky; her paintings have an audience in both eras.
But right now, Jiang Jingshu wants to confirm one thing.
Every night, she seemed to feel a warm embrace.
She didn't know if it was a dream, or if that person was Xie Zhijin.
Jiang Jingshu herself didn't believe it, but the sensations every night were so intense that she couldn't help but have doubts.
At midnight, Jiang Jingshu was still sitting at her desk, waiting to see if her guess was correct.
She sat for an hour but did not feel that sensation.
What exactly went wrong?
Her gaze drifted to the painting beside her; she had been painting ever since she noticed Xie Zhijin's presence.
The idea that popped into her mind made Jiang Jingshu excited. Her hand trembled as she picked up the pen, ready to draw.
Ten minutes later, the familiar feeling returned, and warmth enveloped her once again.
She instinctively grabbed those hands.
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