An hour later, Yu Jie finally finished the painting. He put away his brush and began to check his work.
“Mr. Yu, Mr. Shan has come to pay his respects to you and has been standing here for more than an hour.”
Only then did Yu Jie raise his head, see Shan Jindou, quickly step forward, cup his hands in greeting, and say:
"So it's Manager Shan. I have offended you greatly, please forgive me."
"Mr. Yu, you are too kind. It has been more than a year since we last met. I should have come to pay my respects to you long ago, but I have been too busy with business. I have been wanting to visit you, but I have not been able to do so."
I came to Shuixian Village to discuss a business deal, but instead of going directly there, I came to pay my respects to you first.
"I see. Manager Shan, your time is precious. Why didn't you say so sooner? You've wasted so much time. Please come inside and let's talk."
Dan Jindou nodded and followed Yu Jie into the room.
After they were seated, Yu Jie brewed a pot of tea, and the two chatted while enjoying the tea.
After a cup of tea, Shan Jindou took out a gift box, placed it on the table, and said:
"Last time, Mr. Yu gave me a set of paintings of the Four Gentlemen of Flowers, which I treasured. A few days ago, I acquired a stone inkstone, which I have no great use for. I would like to give it to you, sir."
Yu Jie glanced at the gift box on the table. Inside should be a stone inkstone. At that time, it was very common for friends to give each other the Four Treasures of the Study. If an inkstone was given as a gift, it must be a good one.
Good inkstones on the market cost several taels of silver, while most scholars used ordinary stone inkstones, which were worth about one or two hundred coins.
Some scholars, unable to afford an inkstone, would use a piece of tile instead, and the effect was about the same.
Of course, there are also some top-quality inkstones that can be regarded as rare treasures, worth a fortune, and sought after by people all over the world.
As a master of calligraphy and painting, Yu Jie also has expertise in inkstones. Judging from the packaging, this inkstone should be worth several taels of silver.
As a good friend, it was perfectly normal for Shan Jindou to give him a fine inkstone, and he could accept it.
"Manager Shan has gone to great lengths; I, Yu, will gladly accept your offer."
After Yu Jie finished speaking, he opened the gift box. People who love inkstones always want to see it for themselves.
The inkstone was wrapped in a piece of silk. Yu Jie carefully unwrapped the layers of silk, and the inkstone was finally revealed to him.
Yu Jie took a closer look and was taken aback. He never dreamed that Shan Jindou would give him a Duan inkstone.
The inkstone is the most important of the Four Treasures of the Study. There are many varieties of inkstones, mainly because of their solid texture, which allows them to be passed down for generations.
Among the few famous inkstones, the Duan inkstone is the most precious. Its texture is both hard and soft, which has captivated and fascinated countless literati and scholars, and many people are willing to spend a lot of money to acquire it.
A top-quality Duan inkstone is extremely rare and valuable. The Duan inkstone in Yu Jie's hand could not be bought for less than several thousand taels of silver, let alone tens of thousands of taels.
"Manager Shan, this is a Duan inkstone, it's too valuable, please forgive me for not being able to accept it," Yu Jie quickly declined.
“Mr. Yu, you are overthinking this. This Duan inkstone was a gift from a good friend. I am just passing it on as a gift. Besides, I am just a businessman. This inkstone is not of much use to me. Please accept it, Mr. Yu, and do not refuse.”
“That won’t do. If it were an ordinary stone inkstone, I would certainly accept it, but this is a Duan inkstone, and I really cannot comply.”
Seeing that Yu Jie was unwilling to accept the inkstone, Shan Jindou became a little anxious and tried his best to persuade Yu Jie to accept the gift.
And so, the two began arguing over the Duan inkstone, neither able to convince the other.
Just then, Ruan Fang happened to be passing by Yu Jie's house when she heard the arguing inside. She was stunned and quickly stopped to find out what was going on.
Ruan Fang stood in front of the door and listened for a while. She quickly understood what was going on. It turned out that Yu Jie's painting of the Four Gentlemen of Flowers was a gift to a shopkeeper surnamed Shan. In return, the shopkeeper gave Yu Jie a Duan inkstone as a gift.
Ruan Fang was well aware of the value of Duan inkstones. It seemed that the shopkeeper was a man of character, as the gift he gave in return was quite extravagant, indicating that he was not short of money.
After a moment's hesitation, Ruan Fang knocked on the door, which was quickly opened.
Upon seeing that it was Ruan Fang, Yu Jie invited Ruan Fang into the room and introduced her to Shan Jindou.
Dan Jindou was surprised to find that the headmaster of Wufang Academy was a woman, and so young at that, so he quickly stepped forward to pay his respects.
"So you are Headmaster Ruan. It's a pleasure to meet you. Wufang Academy is already well-known. You are truly a woman who is just as capable as any man."
"Manager Shan, you're too kind. The Wu Fang Academy's success today is due to the profound knowledge and selfless dedication of our teachers. I haven't done anything special at the academy."
After exchanging pleasantries, the two got down to business, with Ruan Fang asking them what they were arguing about.
The two then explained the reason, and Ruan Fang couldn't help but laugh after hearing it.
"I never expected that the two of you would argue over this matter. It is truly touching. You two were just strangers who met by chance, and Mr. Yu gifted you his beloved work."
Shopkeeper Shan probably doesn't know what this painting means to the gentleman.
This painting was created many years ago. It was originally completed by Mrs. Yu, who prepared the ink, and Mr. Yu, who wrote the brush.
Mr. Yu had been married for a short time at the time. Unexpectedly, his wife died in childbirth a year later. Since then, Mr. Yu had been depressed for many years in grief over the loss of his wife. It was only a year ago that he gradually emerged from the shadow of grief.
In my opinion, the bond between you two cannot be measured in money; you are true friends.
As the saying goes, a fine sword is given to a hero; Mr. Yu should accept the Duan inkstone that Manager Yu has presented him with.
Ruan Fang's words shocked Shan Jindou. He had never imagined that Yu Jie had such an experience. When Yu Jie gave him this set of paintings, he was indeed reluctant to part with them. It turned out that this painting carried Yu Jie's deep feelings for his deceased wife.
"Master Ruan is right. My friendship with Mr. Yu cannot be measured in money. So Mr. Yu, please don't worry about how much this inkstone is worth. As long as you like it and find it useful, you can accept it."
Having said that, Yu Jie said nothing more. He held the Duan inkstone in both hands and solemnly began to speak:
"Thank you very much, Manager Shan. I will gladly accept this generous gift."
"Mr. Yu, you flatter me. You are a master of calligraphy and painting, and you deserve to own this Duan inkstone so that you can create more and better works."
Seeing that the two had reached a consensus and that Yu Jie had accepted the valuable Duan inkstone, Ruan Fang said:
"That's right. It's lunchtime. If you don't mind, Manager Shan, please go to the restaurant for lunch."
Upon hearing this, Shan Jindou didn't stand on ceremony and said, "Then I'll respectfully comply. Let's have a meal at the restaurant as Headmaster Ruan suggested, and I'd like to have a drink with Mr. Yu."
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