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墨書 Inktalez
Children are children, and as soon as Li Yishu spoke, Wen Ziyu and Wen Zixue immediately became enamored with Sun Wukong.
"Who is Zhu Bajie?" Wen Ziyu asked.
"Zhu Bajie is Sun Wukong's second disciple, and he is a pig. But don't be fooled by this pig; in his previous life, he was the Marshal of the Eight Water Armies. However, due to drunken mistakes, he was demoted by the emperor to the Mortal Realm and unfortunately ended up in a pig's body."
"I don't want to be Zhu Bajie," Wen Zixue pouted in protest.
Wen Ziyu and Li Yishu ignored the child's protest; Wen Ziyu was pulling on Li Yishu to continue telling the story of Journey to the West.
"...In the overseas region, there is a celestial mountain called Flower-Fruit Mountain. At the very top of that mountain, there is a celestial stone. The stone is three zhang, six chi, and five cun high, with a circumference of two zhang and four chi. Three zhang, six chi, and five cun high corresponds to three hundred sixty-five degrees; two zhang and four chi around corresponds to twenty-four solar terms. There are nine holes and eight apertures on it, corresponding to the nine palaces and eight trigrams. There are no trees to shade it on all four sides, but there are orchids on either side. Since its creation, it has absorbed the essence of heaven and earth, basking in the sun's brilliance and the moon's radiance for so long that it gained spiritual awareness. One day it cracked open and produced an egg-like stone about the size of a sphere. When it encountered the wind, it transformed into a stone monkey. With complete features and limbs, it learned to crawl and walk, paying respects in all directions. Its eyes emitted two beams of golden light that shot towards the heavens..."
Li Yishu spoke until Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the palace, his throat dry from talking. Wen Ziyu was very perceptive and quickly handed him a cup of water. After drinking, Li Yishu said, "Let's stop here for today; I need to go home."
Wen Ziyu and Wen Zixue were so engrossed that they couldn't let him leave; one tugged at his arm to keep him from going. Li Yishu glanced over at Wen Zixia, who was sitting nearby with a smile watching their interaction, and decided to shift the focus.
"Brother Wen has also heard my elder brother tell stories about Journey to the West; why not ask him?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Ziyu and Wen Zixue stopped bothering Li Yishu altogether and turned their attention to Wen Zixia. Seizing this opportunity, Li Yishu slipped toward the door, giving Wen Zixia a look that said "take care," before running off.
Wen Zixia looked at the doorway and then at his two eager younger siblings with amusement as he shook his head.
The next day, Li Family members along with Wen Family siblings went to the county town again. This time they didn't need to buy food; the five of them didn’t push the Chicken Cart. However, Village Chief Uncle knew they were heading into town and hitched up his own ox cart to take them there.
"Thank you, Village Chief," they said. Not having to walk was truly wonderful, plus their speed doubled so they could arrive at County D earlier.
The village chief smiled and said, "You’ve helped our village so much; this is just my way of showing gratitude. You all shouldn’t be so formal."
"Alright," Li Yishu replied with a smile. "Village Chief Uncle, once we get to town, I’ll treat you to something delicious."
The village chief smiled and replied, "Alright, I’ll be waiting for Li Yishu to treat us."
After arriving in the county town, the village chief did not accompany them but parted ways at the city gate. He wasn't just making a trip for nothing; he brought a basket of eggs to the market to exchange for money. After agreeing on the time and place to return with a few others, he hurriedly left in the ox cart.
Wen Zixia asked Li Zhoule, "Where are we going now?"
"To Wei An Pawnshop," Li Yishu said. In fact, a lighter could easily be sold at a general store, but the Plastic Bottle Incident made Li Zhoule trust Wei An Pawnshop's reputation. A novelty like a lighter would certainly attract attention from others, including Wei An Pawnshop, but their good reputation meant they wouldn’t engage in any inappropriate actions.
Wen Zixia raised an eyebrow. "Do you have something good again?"
Only then did Li Zhoule remember that Li Yishu had sent over Xuan Paper and white paper but had forgotten to bring a lighter back for the Wen Family.
"It’s something good; when we return to the village, you can take one back."
"Okay." Wen Zixia smiled gently in response, not wanting to be polite with Li Zhoule.
The clerk at Wei An Pawnshop saw the five of them and immediately called for the Keeper from behind. Sun Shopkeeper, upon hearing that the Wen Family had arrived, quickly greeted them with a broad smile and ushered them into the back room.
"What brings you here today? Do you have more good items to pawn?" Sun Shopkeeper asked eagerly.
Li Zhoule took three lighters out of his cloth bag and placed them on the table.
"More glass items! They look much more exquisite than the previous bottles," Sun Shopkeeper exclaimed in surprise. It was astonishing that these young people from the countryside had so many fine things!
Although these three glass items were smaller than the previous bottles, they were incredibly delicate, each in a different color: one green, one blue, and one red. Inside, they contained water for some reason, resembling jewels worn by women.
"This isn’t a Glass Bottle; it’s something called a lighter," Li Zhoule explained, gesturing for Li Yishu to demonstrate to Sun Shopkeeper.
Seeing the flames flickering from Li Yishu's hand, Sun Shopkeeper was left dumbfounded for a moment before recovering his senses. "Incredible craftsmanship! Miss Li, do you really want to sell these three items?"
"Not just sell," Li Zhoule replied. "I want to know if you would be interested in buying them."
"Of course! Absolutely!" Sun Shopkeeper exclaimed, thrilled. Such fine items were too good to pass up.
Li Zhoule, concerned that Sun Shopkeeper might think she was trying to swindle him, pointed out the lighter's limitations. "Keeper, can you see the liquid inside this device?"
Sun Shopkeeper nodded.
Li Zhoule continued, "This liquid is what allows the fire to ignite. Once it runs out, the lighter won't work anymore and will only serve as a decorative piece."
"I see..." Sun Shopkeeper felt his estimated price drop by half, somewhat disappointed. If it could keep igniting fire, it would truly be a treasure. However, this was still quite good. "Can this liquid be refilled?"
Li Zhoule shook her head. "I don't know. But this is a consumable item. My brother knows a master craftsman who can produce about ten of these each year. If you're interested, I can contact him and arrange for the lighters to be sold through the Jiang Family. How does that sound?"
That sounded fantastic! Sun Shopkeeper was nearly jumping with joy; he could already envision the generous rewards from the Jiang Family. If he managed this deal well, his status within the Jiang Family would rise significantly.
"I'll sign a contract with you right away." Sun Shopkeeper moved quickly, and soon two identical contracts were laid out before Li Zhoule. She had Wen Zixia review them; finding no issues, she had the current head of the Li Family, Li Yishu, sign her name.
Since it was a consumable item and not made of glass, the price for the lighter wasn't as high as Sun Shopkeeper initially thought. He purchased them for one hundred taels of silver each. With several silver notes and a few dozen taels of loose silver in hand, Li Zhoule felt more secure.
"Brother Wen, I would like to invite a teacher back to the village to teach Li Yishu, and Ziyu and Zi Jue should also learn from him," Li Zhoule said to Wen Zixia.
Wen Zixia paused in surprise but then nodded in agreement. "That sounds good. Although we don't know when the imperial examinations will resume, it's always beneficial to learn more. I can also consult the teacher about strategies for county and provincial exams. However, this will require some expense on your part."
Li Zhoule smiled. "You should know by now that after my incredible encounter with Li Yishu, money will no longer be an issue."
Wen Zixia smiled lightly, "I don't know anything."
The two exchanged knowing smiles, their understanding evident.
"There are no vacant houses in the village, and if we hire a teacher, there’s nowhere for him to stay," Wen Zixia pondered aloud.
Li Zhoule frowned, "Are we supposed to send all three of them to the city?"
Wen Zixia thought for a moment and suggested, "Why not spend a little more to build another courtyard for the teacher to live in?"
Li Zhoule nodded in agreement, "Then I'll buy more food and use it to pay the workers."
Wen Zixia chuckled, "The villagers will definitely be happy and eager to help you build the house. The village chief just brought a cart of cattle, so we won’t have to make an extra trip to the county."
After walking a few steps, Li Zhoule added, "I want to make the courtyard where the teacher stays a bit larger. We can have living quarters in the back and a lecture hall in the front so that other children in the village can come and learn as well. What do you think?"
Wen Zixia felt a surge of emotion; her future husband was so kind and grateful. When others gave her one minute of their time, she would repay them tenfold.
"That sounds great. When the teacher is busy, I can help teach the children how to read."
Wen Zixia reached out and took Li Zhoule's hand. His hands were rough and calloused from years of hard work, not smooth or soft at all, but she found them incredibly comforting. To her, her fiancé's hands were the most beautiful in the world.
Wen Zixue ran back alone, "Big Brother, Sister Zhoule, hurry up! Brother Li Yishu finished his business and is treating us to something delicious!"
Li Zhoule laughed in exasperation, "This kid gets a little money and starts showing off."
Wen Zixia smiled, "Isn't his money still from you?"
Li Zhoule said, "I gave him money for books and writing supplies, not for snacks."
Wen Zixia replied, "It's normal for Li Yishu to want to eat good food at his age. Besides, he hasn't wasted money just to buy a snack before."
Hearing this, Li Zhoule recalled the days when they barely had enough to eat, and guilt washed over him. He sighed, "Forget it, if they want to eat, let them. At that age, they tend to get hungry easily."
Li Yishu knew they needed to focus on the task at hand and led everyone into the fabric shop. The clerk saw the group dressed in patched old clothes and assumed they were there to buy cheap ready-made garments, so his attitude was somewhat indifferent but not unfriendly.
Li Yishu ignored the clerk's demeanor and scanned the shop. Not recognizing many of the fabrics, he asked the clerk, "What kinds of fabrics do you have here?"
The clerk replied, "We have a wide variety of fabrics. What kind are you looking to buy?"
Knowing he wanted the best and most expensive fabric for the deity's embroidery, Li Yishu said, "Please introduce me to your most expensive fabrics."
Seeing Li Yishu's expression that suggested he wasn't short on money, the clerk couldn't help but chuckle. He didn't believe this young boy could afford high-quality fabrics; perhaps he just wanted to see what was available. Nevertheless, the clerk proceeded to detail the fabrics in the store.
"We have Silk Gauze, Soft Silk, Flower Silk, Dragon Silk, Crimson Silk, Cloud Mist Silk, Cloud Brocade, Song Brocade, Shu Brocade, Woven Gold Brocade, Zhang Satin, Zhang Rong, Zhuanghua Satin, Silk Satin, Soft Smoke Silk, Azure Cicada Wing, Phoenix Fire, Cloud Mist Silk, Cloud Brocade..." The clerk rattled off a long list of names while the three children listened with wide eyes.
"Just tell me about the best few," Li Yishu quickly interjected.
The clerk responded, "Every fabric here is excellent."
Li Yishu insisted, "Then just show me the most expensive ones."
"The most expensive?" The clerk pointed to several rolls of fabric. "These are Soft Smoke Silk; it's an extremely thin gauze available in four colors: one is Rain-soaked Green, another is Autumn Fragrance, one is Pine Green, and the last is Silver Red. If made into curtains or used for window coverings, they look like smoke from a distance; that's why it's called Soft Smoke Silk."
Li Yishu shook his head; this type of fabric was not suitable for embroidery at all.
The clerk pointed to several other fabrics. "This is Woven Gold Brocade, made with gold thread or gold foil woven as the weft. It's also the most expensive brocade in our shop."
So flashy! Li Yishu shook his head again; this kind of satin was not suitable for embroidery backing.
The clerk continued to introduce other fabrics. "This is Shu Brocade. We have a wide variety of Shu Brocade in our store: Rain Silk, Moonlight Brocade, Flowering Brocade, Paved Brocade... you can find them all here. Look, this is Rain Silk, made with white and other colored warp threads. The colors transition from thick to thin, with white gradually becoming thicker, alternating to create a bright contrast resembling strands of rain. Various patterns are adorned on the rain stripes, balancing the strong contrast of colors while highlighting the designs between the colored stripes, creating an artistic effect that enhances the beauty... Isn't it lovely?"
Li Yishu nodded but replied, "It's too flashy; I want satin for embroidery."
The clerk asked, "Are you really going to buy?"
"Of course," Li Yishu finally realized that the clerk thought he couldn't afford the fabric and was just inquiring for fun. He puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. "Why would I ask so many questions if I wasn't going to buy? Hurry up, which ones are best for embroidery?"
The clerk was surprised; could it be that he had misjudged? This young man really had money to spend on fabric. Just as he was about to respond, Li Zhoule walked in and said to Li Yishu, "No need for the clerk to introduce anything; I know what fabric to buy."
Turning to the clerk, she said, "Excuse me, could you please get me a piece of Cloud Brocade, a solid-colored Shu Brocade, and a white Song Brocade?"
So there is solid-colored Shu Brocade! Li Yishu finally understood that the clerk had been playing him earlier and shot an angry glare at the clerk.
However, the clerk was too astonished to pay attention to him and asked Li Zhoule in disbelief, "Miss, are you sure you want these three fabrics? They will cost a hundred taels of silver altogether!"
Li Zhoule took out a banknote. "Brother, please wrap them up for me!"
The clerk's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He had completely misjudged her; she was actually a hidden wealthy patron!
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