These past few days, the landlord has been staying in the academy, reading nothing but books. Although the village is very lively, he doesn't want to go out and join in the fun, preferring to stay in the academy.
Aside from cooking and eating at the academy, Madam Fang spends the rest of her time playing in the village. She has now become close with some of the village women and enjoys listening to their interesting stories and everyday gossip.
The women were happy to associate with this Mrs. Fang from the capital. After spending a few days together, they made an appointment to go to the town to visit the temple fair.
The women left without notice, and the trip lasted all day. Mrs. Fang went back to prepare and told her landlord, Liu, that she was going to the temple fair and wouldn't be back for lunch, leaving him to take care of his own lunch.
"Then go ahead, be careful on the road, and come back early tonight," the landlord instructed his wife.
"Okay, I understand. The food is all ready; just heat it up and we can eat. Leave the pots and pans there after you finish eating, and I'll wash them when I get back." After saying that, Madam Fang left.
The landlord read in the room for a while longer, then felt a bit stifled and wanted to go out for some fresh air. He didn't want to go to crowded places, so he decided to go to the countryside and find a quiet spot.
With that in mind, he decided to go out for a walk; this would be his first time leaving the village since arriving in Narcissus Village.
He found his drawing board, slung it over his shoulder, and walked outside.
"Mr. Fang, are you going out?" the old man at the gate asked.
"Yes, I want to go out for some fresh air. I've been cooped up for so many days, I'm going crazy."
“You should go out for walks often. Staying at home for too long will make you sick. I’ll open the door for you. Drive carefully.” The old man said, and then opened the gate.
Since arriving in Narcissus Village, the landlord Liu had never left the academy and was not familiar with the village. However, he knew that to go to the wilderness, he only needed to leave the village.
Soon, he left the village, and what came into view was an endless expanse of fields.
The landlord felt much better; he should have gone out for a walk a long time ago.
Because it was during the Lunar New Year, there were no people working in the fields. Occasionally, a few people would hurry past along the paths in the fields; they were probably visiting relatives.
Although there are some green plants in the wild, most of them are withered and yellow, which is perhaps a unique winter landscape.
The landlord, Liu, wasn't in the mood to paint yet. Since he had come out for a rare trip, he decided to take a walk first.
As he walked, he admired the beautiful scenery of the countryside. Before long, he arrived at a field farther from the village, where the greenery was even more lush.
Finally, he saw a large expanse of farmland ahead, planted with winter wheat and a variety of vegetables, lush and green, a truly magnificent sight.
Next to the farmland, there is a farmhouse with blue bricks and tiles, which, together with the distant layered mountains, create an extremely beautiful picture.
The beautiful rural scenery was so captivating that the landlord, Liu, didn't hesitate any longer. He quickly unfolded the easel on his back, chose a good angle, and began to paint.
Half an hour later, the outline of the painting had emerged, and the landlord began to color the painting. Gradually, he felt that something was missing from the painting; it lacked vitality.
If you add a few farmers working in the fields to this painting, the mood will be different, and the whole painting will appear more vibrant.
He looked around, but couldn't find a single farmer working in the vast fields. He didn't know how farmers worked in the fields, and he was afraid that adding information blindly would make him a laughing stock.
He gazed at the fields, hoping someone would walk by and perhaps inspire him.
He stared at the field for a full half hour, but didn't see a single person, and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Suddenly, he saw a water buffalo grazing on dry grass by the edge of the field, slowly approaching him.
There seemed to be a boy lying on the cow's back, reading a book, and a small creature perched on the cow's horns. I don't know what kind of animal it was, but its fur was bright red and looked very vivid in the sunlight.
The landlord suddenly perked up. If the painting included a grazing ox with a cowherd reading a book on its back, it would be perfect.
He picked up his paintbrush, gazed at the ox, found the best angle, and painted the ox and the boy reading a book on its back.
As the oxen drew closer, a man and an ox appeared in the picture, and the painting immediately came to life.
It was only then that the landlord realized that the creature perched on the ox's horns was a small red fox. The ox was grazing very gently, afraid of dropping the fox.
A man, a cow, and a fox—the scene was so harmonious that the landlord was amazed. He never imagined that humans and animals could coexist in such a way in nature.
With a few strokes, the little fox leaps onto the paper, sleeping soundly on the cow's horns.
The landlord made the final touches on the painting, and finally the painting was completed.
Looking at his masterpiece, the landlord was very satisfied. As he looked at it, he suddenly burst into laughter.
The boy lying on the back of the ox reading a book was Li Guang. He was so engrossed in the book that he paid no attention to the ox and let it go wherever it wanted. Before he knew it, the ox had arrived in front of the landlord Liu.
The landlord burst into laughter, startling Li Guang, who was engrossed in his book, so much so that he almost fell off the ox's back.
Li Guang sat upright on the ox's back, and the ox stopped grazing and raised its head. The little fox Yu Hong became even more alert, watching the landlord Liu closely.
At this moment, Li Guang and the landlord Liu looked at each other, both stunned.
Before Li Guang's incident, his landlord Liu taught in the palace and had been Li Guang's teacher for nearly ten years. Their relationship was like that of father and son.
Later, Li Guang was framed by Li Hui, who accused him of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country. How could Fang Dongliu possibly believe this? Besides being knowledgeable, Li Guang was also concerned about the well-being of the people. It was obvious that Li Hui was framing him.
Although somewhat worried, the landlord was not too anxious. He knew that the emperor favored Li Guang greatly and would not let him suffer an undeserved disaster. He believed that this matter would soon pass.
But to his utter surprise, news came from the palace that Li Guang had committed suicide out of fear of punishment.
This devastating news completely devastated Fang Dongliu. He never expected things to turn out this way. Unable to bear such a blow, Fang Dongliu was utterly broken.
Fortunately, thanks to the meticulous care of his family and friends, he was finally pulled back from the brink of death. From then on, he was heartbroken and aged more than ten years in an instant.
With Wu Hao's help, the landlord gradually got out of his predicament and accepted Wu Hao's invitation to become a schoolteacher in a remote village.
To his surprise, while sketching today, he encountered a rural lad who looked exactly like Li Guang.
But from the other person's eyes, he had already confirmed that the dark-skinned young man in front of him was none other than the little prince he had been longing for.
"Master, is that you?" Li Guang jumped off the ox's back and ran towards the landlord.
The landlord threw down his paintbrush, feeling his legs go weak and unable to stand, and collapsed to his knees.
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