Painter

Chapter 209 58: The Guest
Outside the Dongyue Temple, Sao Qingniang led a group of monsters and ordered a few bowls of wontons in a restaurant with fewer people in the alley.It was the first time Qingchi Eryasha showed her face in the crowd, she was still very excited, she pulled Tu Shanxi to ask the fox girl to comment on whose Nuo dance was better.And Hong Yao sipped a few mouthfuls of hot wonton soup, looked at the flying lanterns in the sky for a while, and then turned her eyes to the passers-by.After watching for a long time, she muttered, "Why hasn't Ah Lang come back yet?"

Sao Qingniang said softly: "Mr. Bi summoned him, he should have something to explain."

Hong Yao said: "It's been several hours since I left."

Xu Da glanced to the side, saw that the shop assistant was far away, and whispered: "How about we go back first?"

Hong Yao was taken aback, shook her head and said, "No."

Xu Da hesitated to speak, but finally just smiled.

Hong Yao was puzzled and said, "What are you talking about, tell me quickly!"

Xu Da looked at the red medicine, "It's...it's natural to understand, but it's not convenient for us to talk about it."

Hong Yao grabbed Xu Da and brought it up in front of her, "What's the mystery, will you tell me? If you don't tell me, I'll be angry."

"Goddess has something to say, put us down quickly, put us down." Xu Da returned to Sao Qingniang's lap and coughed dryly, "We thought that Ah Lang would not come back tonight."

Hong Yao opened her eyes wide, "Why?"

Xu Da looked at Tu Shansi again, "The Goddess and the Fox Fairy are both handsome and beautiful, and they have been with A Lang for a long time, but have you ever seen A Lang have something... Hehe... a different kind of thought A Lang is naturally a gentleman among men, a gentleman among men, but A Lang is also a man. There are many beauties in this Yujing city. Standing upstairs with a long-sleeved trick and a few winks, who can stand it? Mr. Bi brought Ah Lang, I'm afraid..." Before he could finish speaking, Sao Qingniang slapped her on the forehead and quickly shut up.

Hong Yao didn't understand at first, but after pondering for a while, she finally understood Xu Da's meaning, "You Xu Da, how dare you arrange A Lang behind his back?"

Xu Da shouted: "Goddess, don't blame me, just ask if what we said makes sense?"

Hong Yao snorted, "There's a fart reason."

Tu Shanxi said quietly: "Ah Lang is at the age of youthful vigor, which is not unusual."

Xu Da proudly said: "What the fox fairy said is true."

Hong Yao let out an "ah" and frowned.

Qing Chi Yacha didn't argue about whose Nuo dance was good, Chi Yacha said: "The Goddess Empress and the Fox Immortal Empress have such looks, and I don't see Alang's heart. I don't know what kind of beauty can make Alang look up to him?"

Qing Yasha said: "It must be no worse than Goddess Empress and Fox Immortal Empress."

Tu Shanxi cast a slanted glance at Qing Yasha.

Xu Da said: "This statement is wrong. Alang will start a family and start a business in the future, and he will have some children... Although the two ladies are beautiful and intelligent, after all, monsters have different paths, and monsters have different paths."

"What the hell is different?" Li Chan came in from the door, put a bag of roasted quail on the table, and said with a smile: "Why, you want to set up your own family, so you won't follow me?"

Hong Yao finally saw Li Chan, heaved a sigh of relief, and gave Xu Da another look, "This guy is the one who wants to stand on his own, Xu Da, Ah Lang is coming back soon?"

"Who said I can't come back?" Li Chan looked at Xu Da.

"Wrong, wrong." Xu Da flattered, "Let's just say that Alang is afraid that he is going to chant the wind and enjoy the moon, and the romance is gone. I didn't expect that Alang still misses us."

Li Chan smiled and looked around the crowd, but he didn't see Mr. Bi, "Mr. Bi hasn't come back yet?"

Tu Shanxi said: "Didn't Mr. Bi go with A Lang?"

Li Chan shook her head, "Mr. Bi and I have been separated for almost two hours."

"An old friend?" Hong Yao wondered, "Is Bi Jun still in Yujing?"

Xu Da shouted: "Goddess, don't make a fuss, Mr. Bi is a monster who has seen the world, what's so strange about it?"

"Mr. Bi has seen the world, but it's not you who have seen the world." Hong Yao said, "Then what has Alang been doing for so long?"

Li Chan hesitated for a moment, and only replied, "I met an acquaintance on the road."

……

Li Chan waited for another quarter of an hour outside the Dongyue Temple, but still hadn't waited for Mr. Bi to return, and when it was approaching Zishi, he brought the monsters back to Guangzhaifang.The night market in Yujing always lasts all night, and the same goes for gatherings such as temple fairs and lantern fairs. Although the little demons at home did not go to the temple fair, they also played and celebrated at home, and the noise reached around Yinshi.The little demon boiled a large bucket of hot water, and after Li Chan took a bath, the sky turned pale.

Since the emperor came back, it has been a rare few sunny days, the bedding on the bed has been dried in the sun, and there is still some warm smell left.Li Chan lay with his arms on his pillow for a while, not feeling sleepy, so he simply crossed his legs, half closed his eyes, and meditated facing the rising sun.

The monsters also rested late, but at the end of the day, the sound of kneading dough and chopping firewood still sounded in the kitchen.Around Si time, Li Chan lifted the mattress covering her knees, got out of bed, and walked around the garden.The red medicine was concocting the chicken bone incense bought last night, Tu Shanxi got a mirror embryo from nowhere and was grinding it there, and the two yakshas boasted to the little demons about the grand occasion of last night.It was still the fourth day of the first lunar month, and the Lantai hadn't opened yet. Li Chan was bored and asked Xu Da to play a game of chess.But maybe it was because he stayed up all night and his mind was not clear-headed. After being defeated by Xu Da in a round, he lost much interest, so he went into the study and reworked "Shan Hai Shi Yi" with Mai Wang.

The contents of this book were originally Li Chan's experience, but since Mai Wang came, some stories have been added, either from Mai Wang's own experience, or from other books.The two of them were sorting out the strange stories about monsters in the Lion Kingdom, an extraterritorial treasure, when the old bookworm asked: "Some of the strange books from ancient times are just records of strange things, some are for metaphors, and some are for enlightenment. I don't know what the original intention of the lord is, Or both?"

Li Chan said: "I'm just recording strange things, but if some strange things are interpreted, they can also be used as metaphors or enlightenment."

Mai Wang said: "Of course, the so-called great sound has no sound, but the big image has no shape. The world's affairs have their own reasons. If you want to deliberately ask for enlightenment, you will be inferior. However, the lord may as well classify these strange things into different categories." , For example, the revenge of the snake girl can be classified as retribution, and the story of the wall girl is also a metaphor and irony."

Li Chan thought for a while, then nodded and said something reasonable.At this time, the master of the town house reported that a guest came to the door, and Li Chan put down his pen and left the study.

When I went outside, I opened the door and saw that the visitor was a middle-aged man, wearing a blue jacket, with slightly dark skin. He smiled at Li Chan and said, "Long time no see."

Li Chan asked in surprise, "Brother Xu?"

Xu Yingqiu looked to the side again, and said with a smile, "Look who else is there."

The man next to Xu Yingqiu with a green beard was Zheng Junshan, the magistrate of Qingling County. He smiled at Li Chan: "We met in a hurry in Qingling County. It's so neglectful. I don't know if Li Langhuan welcomes me."

"Of course you are welcome." Li Chan said with a smile, "Please come in quickly, both of you." He said and led the two of them into the house.When approaching the western kitchen, he called out loudly: "Hongyao, cook a pot of Bijian!"

And Xu Yingqiu looked around after entering the house, and saw a few ghostly shadows peeping behind the wall.After entering the room and sitting down, he saw the white cat nestled under the window, and asked in surprise, "Is this the cat in "Cat Playing Candle Picture"?"

Li Chan smiled and said, "Exactly."

Xu Yingqiu was amazed, and smiled at Zheng Junshan: "I met Li Lang because of that painting, but it's a pity that the painting is not with me. I saw the real thing today, and the painting is exactly the same."

The three chatted and sat by the desk.

After a while, Hong Yao brought a pot of boiling tea, Xu Yingqiu looked at the back of Hong Yao's leaving, and said meaningfully: "It turns out that ghost soldiers return food like this?"

Li Chan asked for red medicine to serve tea when he entered the door, but he didn't intend to hide the fact that he had raised many monsters, so he smiled noncommittally, and poured tea for the two of them with a pot.

Zheng Junshan said sternly: "I was just guessing before, and I can confirm it today. This gift is to thank Li Lang on behalf of the people of Qingling County." He stood up and gave Li Chan a deep bow.

"I just did it easily. Zheng Mingfu has done far more for Qingling County than me. How can you thank me?" Li Chan invited Zheng Junshan back to his seat, "Have you found out about the food?"

Zheng Junshan shook his head, sighed, and only said "difficult".

Xu Yingqiu changed the topic and said: "I heard that the strange incident of the ghost master returning the food was a shock, but unfortunately I didn't see it with my own eyes. Now the two people who witnessed it are in front of me. Both of you, can you tell me the details? Second, let me regret it too?"

Zheng Junshan smiled wryly, "I was detained by Ning Xun at the post station, and I only know what happened afterwards." He said and looked at Li Chan.

Li Chan glanced at the study, his heart moved, and after a few words, he went to the study and took out "Mountain and Sea Supplements".

"Oh, this is it?" Xu Yingqiu had read the Changping Ghost Master, "Is this your book?"

Li Chan nodded, "The writing is all about knowledge."

Xu Yingqiu raised his eyebrows, flipped through a few more articles, and handed the booklet to Zheng Junshan.Zheng Junshan looked more carefully than Xu Yingqiu, and after a while, the two looked at each other.Zheng Junshan nodded, and Xu Yingqiu said to Li Chan: "Although the records in this book are all about strange things, but the writing skills are so sophisticated, especially the skill of refining calligraphy, which is far beyond my reach. If I hadn't been immersed in the sea for decades, Absolutely no such skill, I never thought you would accumulate so much at such a young age."

Li Chan said: "It's not all due to me, I have to rely on my friends for the skill of practicing calligraphy."

Xu Yingqiu smiled and said, "You are modest."

After a while, Zheng Junshan also read a few stories about ghosts, and suddenly saw a section, which was about his aloneness. A look of loneliness flashed in his eyes, and he sighed secretly. What is written in the book is full of monsters and ghosts. In the past, there were very few traces of monsters in Dayong territory, but now there are frequent disasters and monsters ravaging the states. It is far less peaceful than in previous years. If people can read this book, maybe they can also We can avoid disadvantages.”

Xu Yingqiu said: "Yes, it is indeed a good book. Does Li Lang intend to engrave the book? I know some engraving workshops, both official and private. If this book can be spread, it will probably become popular for a while."

Although Li Chan's identity is not disclosed in this book, it is almost all the real things he experienced, so Li Chan hesitated for a moment, shook his head and said: "I haven't considered it."

"You might as well think about it." Xu Yingqiu said, "Don't mention this, would Li Lang lend me this book and write it again?"

If you want to praise a book, no amount of good words can compare to borrowing it and copying it. Li Chan smiled and said, "Of course."

Zheng Junshan said: "Ying Qiu finished copying, lend me to copy it again."

Li Chan said with a smile: "Thanks to the promotion of the two great scholars."

Zheng Junshan thought of the dead Zheng Langjun because of the book, and also remembered the spring exam of Qianyuan Academy, and asked: "I heard that you are going to take the exam of Qianyuan Academy, how are you preparing?"

Li Chan said: "The martial art has not fallen, and the practice has also improved. Even if you study, you can count it as a master."

Xu Yingqiu said: "Who is it that extends your reputation?"

Li Chan shook her head, "No one."

Xu Yingqiu was taken aback, "You don't have a record?"

Li Chan shook her head again.

Xu Yingqiu smiled, "Not bad."

Zheng Junshan said: "Practice the examination paper is really easy to promote talents, but it is difficult to guarantee the integrity of the chief examiner, how can we guarantee the fairness of the Yanyu people? Today's practice of examination paper has become a phenomenon of cliques among the gentry. Means. However, even today's sages can't change the situation, if you refuse to pass the test, this spring test will be much more difficult."

(End of this chapter)