When he returned home in the evening, Li Hehua opened the purse given to him by Mr. He, and found fifty taels of silver in it.
Fifty taels of silver was really a lot of money. Li Hehua expected Mr. He to be generous, but he did not expect him to be so generous.
Even Zhang Tieshan was a little surprised.
After being surprised, Li Hehua put the fifty taels of silver into his savings box, counted the amount inside, and found that it was almost enough to buy a house. He then asked Zhang Tieshan, "Have you found any results for the house I asked you to find out about last time?"
Zhang Tieshan nodded, "I asked someone to find a few, but I'm not sure which one I want yet, and we haven't discussed the price yet. We can't be impatient. We have to hold off and talk about it later."
Li Hehua understands that sometimes buying a house is not as fast as possible, and it is okay to delay it for a while, so that the price can be negotiated. Anyway, there is no rush for this matter, and it is not too late to talk about it after it is confirmed.
"Where is Shulin?" At this time, Li Hehua saw that it was getting late, but there was still no sign of Shulin.
Zhang Tieshan pointed to the painting and calligraphy room and said, "He is still painting in there. He hasn't come out yet."
"Are you still in there?" Li Hehua stood up and went to the calligraphy and painting room. The little guy had gone into the calligraphy and painting room to paint since he came back. It had been almost an hour.
In the calligraphy and painting room, Shu Lin was standing in front of a drawing board with a piece of rice paper spread out on it. The little man was holding a pen and drawing on the paper non-stop, concentrating fully.
Li Hehua and Zhang Tieshan walked quietly behind him without saying a word, cast their eyes on the drawing board, and suddenly their breathing stopped.
On the drawing board, a vivid mountain scenery picture was vividly displayed. Every flower, tree, grass and grass seemed to be picked, as if you were actually there. More importantly, the scenery above was exactly where they were when they went to fly kites today. It was exactly the same. Even the four little people above were clearly her, Zhang Tieshan, Gu Jinzhao and the little guy himself.
So beautiful, and so real.
It has been a very busy period. Li Hehua only knew that Shulin's painting skills had improved a lot under Gu Zhijin's guidance, but she didn't know that Shulin's painting skills were so good now. She still remembered the first time the little guy painted, although it was very beautiful and vivid, the lines were still messy and sluggish, like the work of a student with poor skills. But now, the lines are smooth and lifelike. In Li Hehua's opinion, it is simply the level of a master of calligraphy and painting.
Of course, Li Hehua didn't know much about calligraphy and painting. She just thought it looked very beautiful. She didn't know whether it was good or if there were any shortcomings.
Li Hehua held Zhang Tieshan's hand without saying a word. The two of them just watched Shulin paint quietly. They waited for half an hour until Shulin put down his pen by himself.
Shulin carefully placed the pen on the pen holder, yawned a little, and rubbed his eyes with his little hand. He was obviously tired and sleepy. However, his hands were stained with ink, and the rubbing directly dyed his eyes black, turning him into a little panda.
So cute.
Li Hehua's heart melted. She went forward to pick him up and stopped him from rubbing his eyes. "My little panda, please stop rubbing your eyes. I'll go wash your face and hands."
When Shulin saw his mother coming, he immediately smiled and showed his white teeth. He put down his hands obediently. When he reached the door, he suddenly turned around and pointed at his painting, "Mom——"
Li Hehua patted him on the shoulder and said, "Okay, okay, mom knows. Mom asked dad to put it away for you. Take it to the teacher tomorrow. Let the teacher take a look, okay?"
Shu Lin nodded vigorously, then he put his arm around her neck and went to wash his face with peace of mind.
Li Hehua washed Shulin's face and gave him a bath. After the bath, the little guy was already tired and fell asleep. How could he not be tired? He had played for most of the day and then spent several hours painting after returning. If he hadn't been so devoted, he would have dozed off long ago.
Li Hehua kissed his little forehead and carried him to bed to sleep.
In the calligraphy and painting room, Zhang Tieshan sat quietly on a chair, looking at the painting on the drawing board with extraordinary concentration.
Li Hehua smiled, walked over gently, put a hand on his shoulder, and watched with him.
"He's really great, isn't he?"
Zhang Tieshan curled the corners of his mouth and nodded, his smile filled with pride and satisfaction.
Li Hehua patted his shoulder and said, "In the future, we have to make more money. The little guy is so talented in this area, we must not let it go to waste. We have to support him to continue painting no matter how much it costs."
Zhang Tieshan nodded, his eyes full of emotion, turned around and hugged her waist, buried his face in her belly, and silently said thank you. If it weren't for her, Shulin wouldn't have become so cheerful, wouldn't have discovered his talent for painting, wouldn't have been able to paint as well as he is now, and wouldn't have become such an outstanding child.
It was because of meeting her that the lives of both father and son were completely changed. Perhaps, he had done something good in his previous life, so God gave him such good luck to meet her.
......................................................................
The next day at noon, Mr. He, whom I had just met yesterday, came to the restaurant again. When he saw Li Hehua, he said cheerfully, "Boss, thank you so much for yesterday. My guests were very satisfied with the meal. They didn't even drink much wine. They just ate the food. The table was so clean. I earned a lot of face. All this is thanks to you."
Li Hehua waved his hands embarrassedly, "Mr. He, please stop thanking me. You gave me a lot of money yesterday, and I haven't thanked you yet."
"Okay, okay, no need to thank me." Mr. He laughed twice, then moved a little closer and said, "Boss, I'm not here to eat today, I have something to tell you. I don't know if it's convenient for you. Let's talk for a while."
Upon hearing this, Li Hehua stretched out his hand to call Luo Er, asking him to look at the counter, and then he and Zhang Tieshan went into a private room on the second floor with He Yuanwai to talk.
Li Hehua poured a cup of tea for Mr. He and pushed it in front of him. "Mr. He, have a cup of tea first. If you have anything to say, just tell me directly."
Mr. He took a sip of tea, put down the cup, and said, "It's like this. I have a friend of many years, who is also a foodie like me. Yesterday I invited him to my house to taste the food. After eating, he praised your dishes and asked me about you. I thought you run a restaurant, and more customers are always good, so I told him about your restaurant. Then he asked me if I could tell you about it and invite you to cook a meal at his house."
"Ah?" Li Hehua was stunned. He just finished a meal yesterday, and there is business again today? This...
Li Hehua was a little embarrassed. "Mr. He, you know that I mainly focus on the restaurant business. I don't have time on weekdays. It's not easy to agree to this."
Mr. He smiled and waved his hands, saying, "I know, I know, but this is a dinner party, it won't interfere with your business time at noon, and most importantly, this matter is good for you, I think it's better if you agree."
"Oh? How do you mean?"
Mr. He narrowed his eyes and said, "I won't hide it from you. The people my friend invited to the banquet this time are his two disciples. One of them is no ordinary person. He is the local emperor of our town." As he spoke, he pointed to the southwest, where the prefectural government office was located.
Li Hehua was stunned for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Is it the county magistrate?"
Mr. He nodded and said, "Yes, one of his students is the county magistrate. This is a good thing for you, right?" Although the county magistrate was not a very high-ranking official, he was like a local emperor in this town. The county magistrate had the final say in everything, and no one was more effective than him.
Mr. He also remembered the incident when Li Hehua's restaurant was picked on. As a businessman, how could he not know the principle that a tall tree attracts the wind? His business was too good, so it was inevitable that people would be jealous. There would be no shortage of overt and covert tricks in the future. At this time, he needed a backer, and in this town, the biggest backer was the magistrate.
Mr. He said bluntly, "If you want to run your business safely in the future, it is essential to have a good relationship with the county magistrate. This is a good opportunity. The food you cook is delicious, and as far as I know, the county magistrate is also a gourmet. If he likes your food and your restaurant catches his eye, you won't have to worry about those private matters in the future."
Li Hehua blinked and thought about it. Last time, she was thinking about finding more backers so that she could solve problems in the future. That's why she accepted Mr. He's invitation to cook at his farm. She also wanted to do something good. As a businessman, how can she just keep her head down and do her own business? Without backers and connections, it would be troublesome if she encountered problems.
The county magistrate is indeed the local emperor here, and there is no better backer than the county magistrate. According to Mr. He, if the dishes she cooks can catch the magistrate's eye, or if the magistrate can fall in love with her dishes and her restaurant like Mr. He and Mr. Yan, then it would be great. But I am afraid that the county magistrate...
Li Hehua glanced at Mr. He and expressed her concerns, "Mr. He, I don't know the magistrate's personality, but I believe he is very honest. If he takes a fancy to my cooking skills, he will surely appreciate it like you do, right?" Li Hehua said it implicitly, but any smart person could understand the meaning of her words. She meant that she was afraid that the magistrate would take possession of anything he liked, or treat her restaurant as his own kitchen. Many people in high positions have this kind of personality.
Mr. He certainly understood what Li Hehua meant. He smiled and waved his hand, then lowered his voice and said, "Don't worry about that. I like your cooking so much, and I don't want you to get into trouble. How could I do anything bad to you? I have dealt with the county magistrate many times, so I am familiar with him. I can tell you the truth. The county magistrate is a son of a noble family in the capital. He came here just to gain experience. He will never do the things you are worried about. You can rest assured about that."
Hearing what Mr. He said, Li Hehua breathed a sigh of relief. If that was the case, then this matter would be beneficial to her, so she nodded and said, "Okay, I agree to this matter, but I don't know when it will be?"
When Mr. He saw that she had agreed, he smiled and said cheerfully, "Don't worry, it will be the day after tomorrow. I will be there by then. I will send a carriage to pick you up and take you there."
Li Hehua thought about it, nodded and thanked him, "Thank you very much, Mr. He."
Mr. He waved his hand and said, "It's not a big deal. I just did a good thing. My friend owes me a favor this time."
After Mr. He left, Zhang Tieshan took the lead and said, "I will go with you the day after tomorrow. Let Luo Er look after the restaurant. Then let mother go to the school to pick up Shulin."
Li Hehua nodded. Even if Zhang Tieshan didn't say it, she would ask him to go with her. It was always unsafe for a woman to go alone. She couldn't feel at ease without Zhang Tieshan by her side.
.....................
The next day, when she went to the school to pick up Shulin, Gu Zhijin asked her to stay and talk.
Gu Zhijin didn't say anything else, he just took out the painting that Shulin brought, his eyes full of admiration, he said: "Madam, I saw the painting that Shulin brought, it's very good, I can say that my painting can't compare to his."
"Huh?" Li Hehua opened his eyes slightly.
Gu Zhijin smiled with a hint of shame and said, "Shulin's talent is higher than mine. I have taught him everything I could, and he has mastered it all now. It can be said that there is not much I can teach him now. Continuing to teach him would be a waste of his time."
Eh? What does Master Gu mean by this? Does he not want to teach Shu Lin anymore?
Li Hehua's face changed slightly, and he asked hurriedly: "Master Gu, are you not going to teach Shulin? You know, Shulin is still so young, and we can't teach him. If you don't teach him, we can't find other teachers for him. Master Gu, please continue to teach Shulin."
Seeing Li Hehua's anxious look, Gu Zhijin knew that she had misunderstood. She secretly blamed herself for not being able to speak, and hurriedly explained: "Madam, it's not like that. I don't mean to say that I won't teach Shulin anymore, but I have really taught him everything I can. Shulin's talent is better than mine. I only taught him some basic knowledge. Now he understands it all. My role is not great. What I want to discuss with you today is to find a new teacher to teach Shulin calligraphy and painting."
"Huh? Find a new teacher?" Li Hehua was a little confused.
Gu Zhijin nodded and apologized a little, "I didn't make it clear just now. I wanted to tell you that my teacher thinks highly of Shulin's talent, so I wanted to ask him to accept Shulin and teach him personally. My teacher is a great calligrapher and painter, and he taught me how to paint. But to be honest, I don't have enough talent and I haven't met my teacher's expectations."
Gu Zhijin was a little embarrassed as he spoke, and then explained: "My teacher was originally the dean of the largest academy in the capital. Now he is old and has retired. Then he came here to spend his remaining years. Today he came to my academy and happened to see Shulin's paintings. He praised them very much. My teacher rarely praises people like this, so I asked my teacher to accept Shulin as a disciple and teach him calligraphy and painting. My teacher agreed and asked me to ask you what you think."
So that's how it is.
Although Li Hehua didn't know who Gu Zhijin's teacher was or how famous he was, he thought that since he was the dean of the largest academy in the capital and could teach Master Gu, he must be very capable, otherwise Master Gu would not have asked him to accept Shu Lin as his disciple.
It was certainly a good thing for her that such a powerful person wanted to teach Shulin calligraphy and painting, but she couldn't make a conclusion yet, as everything was still unclear. So, Li Hehua asked, "If Shulin becomes your teacher's disciple, where will he go to study in the future? Will he not come to you? How will your teacher teach him? Will he teach him the Four Books and Five Classics?"
Li Hehua was really worried, so she wanted to ask for clarification. Gu Zhijin could understand and didn't feel annoyed at all. He patiently answered her: "My teacher now lives on Hua'an Street, not far from here. If he wants to teach calligraphy and painting in Shulin, he doesn't have to go there every day. He can go there ten days a month. The teacher will teach him calligraphy and painting. The rest of the time he will stay with me and I will teach him other knowledge."
After listening to this, Li Hehua thought this method was quite good. Shu Lin was still young, and he should not fall behind in other knowledge.
Li Hehua thought for a moment and said, "Master Gu, I need to go back and discuss this with Shulin's father first. I'll give you an answer as soon as possible, okay?"
Gu Zhijin nodded in understanding, "Of course, you guys discuss it carefully and then give me an answer." After saying this, he said, "By the way, there is one more thing. I have some personal matters to attend to tomorrow, and the school will be closed for a day, so you don't have to send Shulin to come tomorrow."
Tomorrow? What a coincidence, she also has to go cook for Mr. He's friend tomorrow. She was originally worried that no one would pick up Shulin, but she didn't expect that now she doesn't have to.
"Okay, Master Gu, I understand."
After returning home, Li Hehua told Zhang Tieshan what Gu Zhijin said. Zhang Tieshan did not express his opinion, but pondered for a long time before saying: "If Mr. Gu's teacher can really make Shulin better, then it's fine, but I still feel uneasy without meeting him. I think we should take some time to visit Mr. Gu's teacher in person and see the specific situation first."
Li Hehua felt that Zhang Tieshan was right. No matter what Master Gu said about his teacher, as parents, they had to meet the person first and find out more. So he nodded in agreement, "Okay, when we send Shulin to the school the day after tomorrow, we will talk to Master Gu and ask him to introduce him to us. Master Gu should agree."
Zhang Tieshan touched Li Hehua's face and smiled, "Okay."
However, Li Hehua did not expect that sometimes things just happened to be so coincidental that the person they had planned to visit in person would not have to wait until the next day.
Appeared unexpectedly before my eyes.
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