A piece of paper

The wind was quiet throughout the twelfth lunar month.

Chen Jianfang clearly heard the sarcasm in Xian Jin's words.

But he could only lower his eyes in silence.

Just like the cold tea, just like the night standing outside the shop in Jingxian County, just like his tossing up and down thoughts and hesitation about gains and losses, just like the golden name on the Chen family tree, just like this painting.

He didn't know how to explain it, let alone where to start.

The three-year period of filial piety is about to pass, and he will emerge from the bottom of the leisurely water. The period of filial piety for his father is like an oil-paper umbrella held over his head on a rainy day. Under the umbrella, he can use sadness as an excuse to do all the things that he usually dare not do and cannot do. There are extraordinary things that he can do but cannot do - such as breaking into a private house at night, such as waiting all night with plain soup noodles, and such as being recklessly close to the dazzling halo.

It will expire in three years.

The Autumn War is about to begin.

His life will return to a dull, lonely backwater full of other people's hopes.

The rules that everyone knows are like shackles.

While numbly wearing handcuffs and shackles, he only hoped that the ripples on the stagnant water could stay a little longer, a little longer.

After a few moments, Chen Jianfang slowly loosened his clenched fists, his fingers numb, and spoke softly, "Mother, she doesn't know that I bought the painting back. She is still immersed in the joy of selling the painting - Mother We are still happy, the hidden dangers have been suppressed at the slightest moment, and no one is lost, isn't this enough?"

Xianjin took a few deep breaths, lowered his head and paced back and forth, clenched his hands into fists, and deliberately lowered his voice, "Yes, yes! You are the best! You weigh the pros and cons - you look at the overall situation - everyone is drunk and you are alone."

"But do you know that you increased the price to buy back the eldest wife's painting - this is embarrassing your mother!"

There are many ways to solve this matter.

Let’s not talk about whether the painting can be sold or not, but only talk about how to restore the impact in a situation where everything is done.
Is it a negotiated settlement to get back?
Or should I ask the eldest lady to give her a pen name instead of her real name?

Or blur the time of painting?

There were so many solutions, but he chose one that revealed gaze and arrogance!
——You should at least inform the eldest wife Duan in advance, right?After all, it is her painting, her idea, and her decision!

Instead of using the banner of "not taking risks" and "not standing under dangerous walls" to dispose of the eldest wife Duan's hard work at will!
Basically, this is disrespect!
Digging a little deeper, this is the "believe me" attitude of Hope Star at work - his opinions and ideas are higher and more correct than others he disagrees with.

So he can make decisions for others without authorization.

Like that cup of herbal tea.

But in this world, it is not what he thinks is good that is good; it is not the truth that he recognizes that is the truth.

Everyone has ideas, preferences, emotions, dreams, goals, and the courage to fight for them—not only you, your beliefs, your ideals, and your cognition are noble.

Xian Jin spent most of her life in a hospital bed. She had no choice but to be persuaded by the disease. When her body and energy could not support her ideals, she could only give up and pretend not to care.

This life is all picked up and relived. Even if her decision is naive and arrogant, it is still hers, her own!
Even if she fails, it is her own fault.

Anyone who disturbs her, please go away.

Mixed emotions emerged from Xianjin's chest. His eyes moved to the back of Chen Jianfang's veined hands, and he took a deep breath, "'Don't take risks.' Please tell me clearly, what kind of risks are you taking? Are you like this?" Be alert, is it because it will ruin the reputation of the eldest wife, or is it because it will hinder the Qingyun Road of Erlang of the Chen family!?"

Chen Jianfang straightened his back and was about to speak loudly.

The bushes outside the window swayed twice.

Chen Jianfang looked out the window warily, "Who!"

The boy outside the door quickly poked his head out and looked, "She looks like a little girl, running to the west!"

To the west is the main hall of the inner courtyard.

Chen Jianfang lowered his head and quickly packed up the inkstone and pens, and said to Xian Jin in a low voice, "Let's wait until today! The people at the banquet are probably impatient."

Chen Jianfang buried his head and walked out.

The appearance of gold is like roots taking root under your feet and standing in place.Chen Jianfang turned around, with a look of helplessness at the corners of his brows and eyes, and his tone was gentle but with a hint of pleading, "Show gold."

Xian Jin lowered his head and didn't know what he was thinking.

After a while, he finally let out a long and slow breath, pursed his lips, picked up the bamboo basket containing the paper, and walked quickly through the window lattice in front of Chen Jian. When he turned the corner, he finally raised his hand and looked sideways. The tears in the corners of her eyes were hidden in the palms of her hands.

There was indeed a long wait at the banquet.

As soon as the two came to the table, Xu, the second wife who played Xiang Yu, shouted that if they waited, the kelp pretending to be a beard would soon turn into dry goods!

Mrs. Qu glanced at the two of them, withdrew her gaze, and asked someone to put the pen, ink, paper and inkstone in place.

Chen Jianfang buried himself in writing Spring Festival couplets.

Xianjin buried his head in eating cold dishes.

Chen Fu raised his right eyebrow and looked at his daughter in confusion - this girl was obviously not in the right mood.

"What's wrong?" Chen Fu leaned over and asked softly.

Xianjin swallowed the rice cake and broad beans, shook his head, "Nothing." Xianjin calmed down his emotions little by little, and smiled, "I just planted a field of chrysanthemums for you. You can enjoy them next fall." Ju writes a new book.”

Chen Fu:?He is no longer too lazy to investigate his daughter's execution and fighting ability, so he can only smash her mouth. Although he likes chrysanthemums very much, due to some cultural factors, it does not seem to be a good thing to be given chrysanthemums?
Chen Fu's focus was easily distracted.

Mrs. Qu is not that easy to fool.

The New Year's Eve bell rang, and the incense smoke curled up from the Wanguo Temple.

Mrs. Qu carefully watched the fireworks by the Longchuan stream.

Qu Erniang walked in a hurry, "The night is dark and the sky is cold, don't stand in the wind."

Mrs. Qu slowly turned around and said, "Did you see everything clearly?"

Qu Erniang nodded, raised her hands and patted her ears, "Come in."

An unfamiliar little girl bowed her head and entered.

Qu Erniang sighed inwardly and said, "Tell me, what happened when Erlangjun and Shopkeeper He left the outer courtyard alone - were they intimate? Did they talk? Did they live in the same room?"

The little girl trembled and opened her mouth, speaking in authentic Huizhou dialect, "The two of them walked in tandem, far apart, and said something. They first went to the warehouse to get paper, and then went to the study room in the outer courtyard to get pens and ink. When getting the paper Mr. Erlang was waiting outside. While I was getting pens and ink, shopkeeper He was waiting outside. We have never lived in the same room."

"What did you say?" Mrs. Qu asked in a deep voice.

The little girl was a little scared, "I heard plum blossoms, peach blossoms, and chrysanthemums when I was far away. In the study, the two of them were talking about a picture of a hundred birds, buying and selling. They were talking in Mandarin. I couldn't understand it, so I leaned closer to listen, and it turned out that As soon as I got close, I stepped on a dead tree branch. I was afraid that I would be discovered and ran away quickly."

Mrs. Qu: Looking at Aunt Qu, why did you send someone to listen to the corner, and you didn’t know to send someone with a higher level of education? !You must at least understand the Mandarin, right? !
Aunt Qu shrank her neck: There are differences in abilities and levels, but the boss must know that it is worth the money! ——She has inquired about how much the manager Zhong beside Shopkeeper He earns five taels of silver a month now!This is called getting what you pay for.

Mrs. Qu turned her eyes and asked, "Are the two of you talking and laughing?"

The little girl shook her head quickly: "No! They don't have any expression! They don't look very familiar!"

Mrs. Qu breathed a sigh of relief and slowly sat back on the wicker chair.

Aunt Qu waved to the little girl, then turned around and poured a glass of water for the old lady, "I told you early in the morning, how could two people so different from each other get together?"

But she remembered the small orchid embroidery on the umbrella handle that she saw in Jixi workshop that day. She happened to see the same orchid embroidery on Erlangjun's sleeves a few days ago.
Aunt Qu opened her mouth to say something, but the words came to her throat, but she swallowed them in the end - if she said these words, Shopkeeper He would lose his skin even if he died.

Why bother?
All poor people.

Aunt Qu handed the hot water to Mrs. Qu, "I told you casually before that you regarded Erlang as an eyeball. I panicked immediately and tried to find a way to verify it. Now it's okay, and everyone is happy."

(End of this chapter)