Chapter 33: Red Inkstone

"Mr. Cui, please come this way." Wei Yanqing led the way and said, "This is the warehouse. The best puppets of the Wei family are all in it. Mr. Cui, please take a look. What kind do you want?"

With a creaking sound, the door was slowly pushed open, and a fine dust seemed to rise on the ground. Ming Huazhang and Xie Jichuan stood at the door and looked into the dark room.

The warehouse is cold and damp, with no sunlight all year round. Standing at the door, one can feel the chill. However, in contrast, the room is very lively and crowded.

The walls are covered with puppets. In order to show the flexibility of their puppets, the Wei family moves their joints into various postures and greets guests with a smile.

The puppets are made for the dead, so the paint used is rich and heavy, and their expressions also look particularly exaggerated.

They were smiling and holding some difficult poses without moving, as if they were trying their best to be friendly, but it ended up looking eerie with an over-exertion of effort.

Being stared at by so many sweet-smiling puppets, Xie Jichuan couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine. However, Ming Huazhang just paused at the door and strode into the room.

Walking among the exquisite and gorgeous puppets, the feeling of being watched became stronger. Wei Yanqing was used to seeing these things and did not find them strange, so he introduced them one by one to Ming Huazhang.

Wei Yanqing described the best puppets sold by the Wei family. Ming Huazhang nodded slowly, but judging from his expression, he did not seem particularly satisfied.

Wei Yanqing was unsure and asked, "Mr. Cui, what kind of puppet do you want?"

Ming Huazhang asked, "Shopkeeper Wei, these puppets are all mass-produced, right?"

Wei Yanqing's face froze, and after a moment's silence, he smiled and said, "Each of our Wei family's puppets is hand-carved, and every part is perfect. Mr. Cui can rest assured about this."

"I know." Ming Huazhang said, "But, although Cui is not talented, she is not a scumbag. Grandmother has worked hard for us all her life. If she can only use the most common slaves in the underworld and is inferior to others in every way, wouldn't that be unfilial to her children and grandchildren?"

Wei Yanqing was engaged in high-class business, and even the most ordinary puppets were painted extremely luxuriously. However, the most abundant thing for the rich and powerful is money, and the most taboo thing is to be the same as others.

Therefore, there are many rich and powerful people who come to the Wei family to have their clothes made for them. It doesn't matter whether they are expensive or not, but they must be unique. Otherwise, if they go underground and use the same slaves as everyone else on the street, where will their face be?

Therefore, Ming Huazhang's request was not excessive. It was normal for a noble family to be a little arrogant. Although this order was troublesome, it must be a big order. Wei Yanqing should be very happy. However, Wei Yanqing hesitated for a while before saying, "Mr. Cui thinks highly of the Wei family. It is a blessing for me to come to the Wei family to order puppets. But it takes time to order, so Mr. Cui may have to wait for a while."

Ming Huazhang said, "I just happened to be visiting an old friend in Luoyang, so I can wait for you for a while. These are too ordinary. Where are the puppets you ordered?"

The puppets that were custom-made for the rich and powerful could not be put on display. Wei Yanqing frowned unconsciously: "Those are not finished yet, so they are in the workshop. The workshop is messy and I am afraid it will be a nuisance to you, please wait in the hall. I will get the puppets now."

"No need." Ming Huazhang said as he walked out. "It's a waste of time to move things here and there. I remember you just said that the workshop is in this direction. I can just go and see it myself."

Ming Huazhang's steps were steady and fast. Wei Yanqing was distracted for a moment and Ming Huazhang was already far away. Wei Yanqing hurriedly chased after him: "Mr. Cui, please stay."

"Manager Wei." Xie Jichuan called him from behind, pointed to the warehouse with a smile, "Don't worry about these."

Wei Yanqing looked at the wide-open storeroom and then at Ming Huazhang. He was not confident in handing the key to anyone else, so he could only signal the butler to quickly chase Ming Huazhang while he returned to lock the door. Xie Jichuan watched Wei Yanqing's actions and said, "This lock looks strong. Manager Wei, how many keys are there in the storeroom?"

"I only have this one." Wei Yanqing locked the door skillfully. "This is related to my eating skills. I dare not be careless."

Xie Jichuan said "oh" slowly and asked seriously: "The lock is fine, and the key is with the shopkeeper Wei. How did the puppet get out? Could it be that there is a ghost haunting it?"

Wei Yanqing's hand trembled, and he dropped the key. Xie Jichuan caught it quickly, and handed it to Wei Yanqing with a smile: "Be careful, shopkeeper, hold it steady."

Wei Yanqing looked at Xie Jichuan, who was smiling gently in front of him, and somehow felt that he was more intriguing than those puppets inside.

Wei Yanqing calmed himself down and wondered why he had such an absurd idea. Maybe too many things had happened during this period of time and he was tired.

Wei Yanqing took the key and thanked him with a smile. After this interruption, Ming Huazhang had already disappeared. Wei Yanqing hurried to the workshop and found that the housekeeper was unable to stop Ming Huazhang.

Ming Huazhang stood in front of the closed door, pacing slowly, looking back and asking: "Manager Wei, didn't you say that it had been dealt with? Why is there still a talisman here?"

There was a yellow paper cinnabar talisman stuck on the door. Not only the main door, but also the surrounding doors and windows were hung with peach wood swords, mirrors, and talisman papers. It looked confusing and incomprehensible.

Wei Yanqing sighed. He had only casually mentioned the direction of the workshop when he was leading the way, but he forgot it as soon as he heard it. How come Ming Huazhang remembered it?

But now that everyone was here, Wei Yanqing could no longer hide the truth and said, "My dear, you don't know that death is unlucky after all, and suicide is the worst of all. It is said that people who commit suicide cannot be reborn, and their souls will be trapped in the same place. I was afraid that my second disciple would not be able to reincarnate, so I invited a Taoist priest to help her to be reborn."

"Really?" Ming Huazhang said, "Since the ritual for the salvation of the dead is done, there should be nothing to do inside. Open the door. After I finish choosing the puppet for my grandmother, I still have other things to do."

The reputation of the Five Surnames and Seven Families was too great, and Wei Yanqing wanted to make this deal too much. Even if the other party was forcing him, he had to go along with it: "Okay. Sir, please step back a little. It's been locked up inside for several days, and the taste may not be good."

As he spoke, Wei Yanqing winked at the housekeeper: "Uncover the talisman paper."

The housekeeper trembled, his eyes showing fear: "The shopkeeper..."

Wei Yanqing's expression was calm, but a fierce determination was revealed on his handsome and fair face: "Reveal."

The housekeeper trembled as he tore open the blood-red Taoist talisman with flying dragons and dancing phoenixes, and then hid aside, not daring to look inside. Wei Yanqing was much calmer. He pushed open the door and said, "Look, my dear, this is the puppet workshop. It's dirty and messy inside, nothing special, why don't you..."

Before Wei Yanqing finished speaking, Ming Huazhang had already walked into the workshop. Xie Jichuan followed him in and saw a hastily cleared space with traces of the craft. Many puppets, both formed and unformed, were piled up randomly beside them, with talismans of unknown efficacy pasted on their faces.

To be honest, it looks even scarier.

The puppets of the Wei family are famous for their authenticity. Some of them are still unrecognizable, some have already started to be painted, and some are brittle with arms and legs scattered randomly, like dismembered corpses. Pile them together like a mountain of corpses. Standing in it, it feels as if you are being stared at by countless pairs of empty and strange eyes. Thinking of the fact that someone died here not long ago, a sense of eeriness arises spontaneously.

Ming Huazhang seemed to be unable to feel the coldness creeping up from the ground, and his expression remained indifferent. He looked up at the particularly empty beams and asked, "Master Wei, you said your second disciple committed suicide here. How did she do it?"

The beams of the workshop were deliberately raised to make it difficult for someone to hang himself. So how could that woman commit suicide?

Wei Yanqing sighed, pointed at the tools scattered on the ground, and said, "Use a knife."

Ming Huazhang raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised: "Committing suicide with a knife?"

"Yes." Wei Yanqing said, "Although she is the second oldest, she is actually the disciple who has inherited my true teachings the most. She is very talented in puppetry. I have been busy with business these years, and puppetry has gradually been handed over to her. The eldest disciple is a bit mediocre in this aspect. I have always hoped that they would get married and pass on the Wei family's brand together. Who could have thought... Alas."

Ming Huazhang picked up a carving knife from the ground, looked around, and asked, "Manager Wei, what was the situation when you found her dead? Are you sure it was suicide?"

"I'm sure." Wei Yanqing lowered his head and looked at the ground. "It was the eldest disciple who knocked on the door. When he came in, he saw her lying on the ground with a knife stuck in her throat and blood gushing out. Mo Yuan was so scared that he quickly went to call for help..."

Wei Yanqing paused very carefully and continued, "The second child has always been obedient and is the least troublesome of the brothers and sisters. It's also my fault. After she contradicted me, I was furious and said some harsh words to her, asking her to go to the workshop to reflect on herself. Who could have known that she would be so desperate and do such a thing."

Ming Huazhang asked: "What did the storekeeper Wei say to her?"

"It's nothing more than a marriage." Wei Yanqing said, "It's really a misfortune for our family. She likes the eldest brother, but the eldest brother likes my third disciple. Because of these things, I am neither a good person nor a good person. I don't know how they blame me in private."

Ming Huazhang turned the carving knife in his hand. Such a small knife could only be fatal if it pierced an artery. How could a person who committed suicide have such accuracy?

"Has she always been alone here?" Ming Huazhang asked, "Has anyone come to see her during her confinement?"

"I don't know about that." Wei Yanqing looked puzzled, and looked at Ming Huazhang with a hint of vigilance, "Didn't Master Cui come here to buy puppets? Why are you so interested in my poor second disciple?"

Ming Huazhang knew he couldn't ask any more questions. He calmly put down his carving knife, tapped the table with his slender knuckles, and suddenly asked, "I heard that your most valuable puppet looks like a real person. How real is it?"

Wei Yanqing's smile froze, and his expression changed slightly: "Mr. Cui, that's just an exaggeration. Besides, every puppet in our house is lifelike. Look at this one..."

Ming Huazhang interrupted Wei Yanqing and said, "The Cui family governs the family with filial piety. If the things used by grandma are not the best, then there is no need for them. My uncle is very filial to grandma and is afraid that she will not be used to it in the underworld. Therefore, it is best to have servants who serve her the same as those in the world of the living, so that she will not be used to it."

Wei Yanqing's smile slowly faded, knowing that he couldn't use ordinary puppets to get rid of these two people today. He was silent for a moment, and said, "I know what Mr. Cui said. I have wanted to make a puppet that looks like a living person for a long time, but I have only succeeded in making one so far. This... In the short term, I can't guarantee that I can make another one."

"The price doesn't matter." Ming Huazhang said slowly, "It's better to be good than to be good. Don't worry, the Cui family of Boling is a big family with a big business, and you won't be left out."

Wei Yanqing hesitated for a while, but in the end, he was convinced by the dazzling halo of the Five Surnames and Seven Families. This is the most noble family in the Tang Dynasty, more respectable than the royal family. If he could make a deal with the Bo Ling Cui family, he might be able to pave the way to enter the real upper-class family.

People only live for a few decades in the world, but they sleep underground for thousands of years. When those noble old men and ladies are buried in their coffins, they will all have puppets from his family sleeping beside them. How glorious it will be! Maybe when he goes to the underworld, his family will have become a famous family no less than the five surnames.

Wei Yanqing gritted his teeth and said, "Thank you for your appreciation, I am willing to give it a try. I wonder what kind of puppet you want?"

Ming Huazhang looked at Xie Jichuan calmly and was hooked. Ming Huazhang pretended to think for a moment and said, "Grandmother likes calm and capable girls. They don't need to be pretty, but they must be quick and efficient. She hates those embroidered pillows that are just good-looking but lazy. So, your puppets must be flexible and strong. Grandmother doesn't like noise. She has to do the work of several people by herself."

Every time Ming Huazhang said something, Wei Yanqing's face became more unhappy. He didn't want someone who looked good, but someone who was capable and down-to-earth. This was a common request for a living person, but it was too much to ask of a puppet. Wei Yanqing kept shaking his hand and said, "My dear, your request is too high. I can only try."

Ming Huazhang nodded dignifiedly, and at the end, he reminded him rather unhappily: "Don't delay too long. I can't stay in Luoyang for too long, you can't let me go back empty-handed."

Xie Jichuan looked at Ming Huazhang silently. When Wei Yanqing turned around to get the paper deed, he came over and asked, "Has the Cui family ever offended you?"

"No." Ming Huazhang looked at him in surprise, "Why do you ask that?"

Xie Jichuan clicked his tongue: "I finally understand why the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo is from the Wang family of Taiyuan, but you refuse to use the name of the Wang family and want to pretend to be from the Cui family. You have imitated the arrogant, sarcastic and disgusting face of the aristocratic family vividly."

Ming Huazhang glanced at him and said, "In fact, Wang Xie is more famous among the people, so it's OK to use the name Xie."

"That's not necessary." Xie Jichuan said with a smile, "The Xie family has done enough dirty things, there's no need for you to add to it."

Wei Yanqing quickly brought the contract over and said, "Sir, this is the drafted contract. Please come to the living room and we will discuss it in detail."

"No need." Ming Huazhang glanced at it casually and signed his name happily - it wasn't his name anyway.

Wei Yanqing had not expected Ming Huazhang to be so troublesome just now, but now he signed the contract so happily. He stood aside and felt top-heavy and light-footed for a moment, with a strange feeling.

Maybe this is how the celebrities from aristocratic families behave in order to be unrestrained and uninhibited?

Xie Jichuan walked around the workshop casually. He glanced at the half-finished puppets on the counter and asked, "Manager Wei, I have noticed that all the puppets have extremely realistic facial features. Why are the eyes painted pure black?"

The Wei family’s puppets can even have their eyelashes made to be very detailed, so it shouldn’t be difficult to draw a pair of eyes imitating a real person, right?

Wei Yanqing put away the receipt. Although he had just made a deal, he felt empty inside. He was not happy at all. Wei Yanqing heard what Xie Jichuan said and explained, "My dear, you don't know. There is a saying in our industry that when you paint the eyes of a puppet, you must never paint them like human eyes. Otherwise, the puppet will come to life and harm its owner. No matter how human-like its body and limbs are, as long as its eyes are not human-like, it will ultimately be a dead object."

Xie Jichuan nodded slowly: "It sounds like painting a dragon without adding the finishing touches."

"That's right." Wei Yanqing said, "The eyes are the most spiritual part of a person. You must never paint them on an animal casually..."

Before he finished speaking, a sharp scream suddenly came from outside. Ming Huazhang's face froze. It was a woman's voice. Could it be that Ming Huachang and the others were in danger?

Ming Huazhang turned around and ran out without saying anything. Wei Yanqing's face also changed, and he hurriedly chased after him: "Mr. Cui, wait a minute!"

But he could never catch up with Ming Huazhang. In the blink of an eye, the master and servant of the Wei family were far behind Ming Huazhang. Wei Yanqing stamped his feet on the ground in hatred and hurried after him.

In Wei Zhuyan's room, Ming Huashang watched helplessly as a head rolled to her feet, tears streaming down her face. Before she could say anything, Jiang Ling beside her screamed and kicked the puppet on the head.

He lost control of his strength in shock, and the puppet head hit the wall like a ball, then bounced back heavily. Ming Huashang watched helplessly as a gaudy creature with bloodshot eyes flew toward her face.

Ming Huashang was not afraid just now, but now she was really panicked. She quickly squatted down to avoid the head that was like a cannonball.

If she was hit by this thing, her nose might be broken. She finally realized that dead people and ghosts were not scary, but the teammate behind her was the real scary thing!

Ren Yao was standing on the other side of Ming Huashang. She had not seen anything unusual on the puppet's head at first, but now Jiang Ling kicked the head away. Ren Yao could see very clearly a head of disheveled black hair, bleeding eyes, and a weird smile at the corners of the lips. It even passed in front of Ren Yao's face, and the black and sticky hair scraped the tip of Ren Yao's nose.

Ren Yao's heartbeat stopped for a moment.

Ming Huazhang followed the sound and ran into a courtyard. Before he could look for Ming Huashang, he suddenly saw a black thing rushing towards him.

Ming Huazhang subconsciously moved out of the way. Xie Jichuan who was behind him had just walked in. He instinctively raised his hand to block it. The unknown ball hit Xie Jichuan's arm, fell to the ground and rolled, making his hair a tangled mess, and finally stopped.

Xie Jichuan lowered his head and saw that his spotless sleeves were stained with some unknown red stain, and he took a deep breath slowly.

Ming Huashang stood up from the ground in shock. She looked at Ming Huazhang, who had a cold face, and Xie Jichuan, who was silent in the courtyard, and seemed to feel a tangible anger.

Xie Jichuan looked cynical, but he was a descendant of the Xie family. The so-called five surnames and seven noble families were only nouveau riche in front of the Xie family of Chen County. He grew up in an aristocratic family, and many of his philosophies had been subtly engraved in his bones.

He is actually a person who cares a lot about his appearance.

Now, his sleeves were stained by something unknown, and Ming Huashang felt that he was so angry that he was about to kill someone.

Jiang Ling blinked, not knowing whether to speak or not. Before Xie Jichuan made a move, Ren Yao had already rolled up his sleeves and punched Jiang Ling on the head with his fist: "Are you looking for death?"

Jiang Ling was beaten so badly that he ran away in panic, and Ren Yao chased after him with great momentum, even using his bare hands to strike out with a ten-foot-long sword.

The people from the Wei family were all stunned when they looked at them. Wei Zhuyan forgot to be afraid, Wei Moyuan forgot to comfort his junior sister, and even Wei Yanqing who had just chased in was a little dumbfounded.

How could the behavior of a noble family be so bold and unrestrained?

Ming Huashang looked around and picked up a ruyi for scratching itch from the house. She hooked the puppet's hair and dragged it back to the room.

The Wei family watched the puppet head bang against the steps, and then slam into the door frame with a bang when entering the room. For some reason, they felt a phantom pain in the back of their heads.

Ming Huashang pulled the head onto the puppet's body and returned Ruyi to Wei Zhuyan. Wei Zhuyan took the bamboo stick woodenly, unable to react at all. Ming Huashang looked at her and smiled, saying, "The quality of your puppets is really good. Look at this head, it's so flexible. The hair is also good. I pulled it all the way and it didn't fall off."

Wei Zhuyan reluctantly curled his lips: "Thank you."

Ming Huashang smiled and said, "You're welcome."

Wei Yanqing ran all the way without even catching his breath. He held his stomach and leaned against the pillar of the corridor, and saw a young man running past him screaming, with a girl with her fists clenched behind him. Wei Yanqing thought, maybe his realm was too low and he couldn't understand the extraordinary and otherworldly nature of the family?

Wei Yanqing sighed from the bottom of his heart, "The Cui family of Boling is indeed extraordinary. Each of the disciples in the family... does not follow the ordinary path."