After being exiled to Lingnan, Prime Minister Quan's family collapsed and his people were set u

The three Zhou brothers and sisters distanced themselves from He Yingheng.

The guard came forward with the rope and said respectfully, "Master, I'm sorry. You must go back with us today."

Two guards were holding He Yingheng, and the other two guards tied him up.

Zhou Shiye ignored He Yingheng's eye roll. He finished the candied haws in his hand and took the scroll from Zhou Shitang's hand. When he saw the footprints, he felt heartbroken.

He patted it gently with his hand, but it couldn't be removed, and the faint footprints were still on it.

Zhou Shitang comforted, "It shouldn't matter if it's wrinkled. Only the outermost one is dirty, and the others should still be usable."

Zhou Shiye was still heartbroken. Every painting was his painstaking effort. He would feel heartbroken if it was dirty or wrinkled. Hey, the gentleman didn't seem to mean it and he lost money again, so he had to let it go.

However, he couldn't help it, turned around and glared at He Yingheng, "Why are you staring? I don't care about you, what else do you want to do?"

He Yingheng was so angry that his eyes were on fire, "Humph, if you hadn't stopped me, how would I have been caught?"

Zhou Shiye sneered: "If you hadn't stepped on my painting, would I have stopped you and made you lose money?"

Several guards from the He family looked at Zhou Shiye and apologized sincerely, "Mr. Sir, I'm sorry. Our young master didn't step on your painting intentionally. We will pay for it."

"No need." Zhou Shiye shook his head, "Your young master has already lost money."

After he finished speaking, he stopped caring about his family and walked to his two sisters, "Let's go."

He Yingheng glared at Zhou Shiye's back fiercely, but he was wrong and couldn't scold him any more. He could only look away and looked at his guards coldly, "You guys are the following criminals. Do you think I dare not beat you to death?" ?”

The guard leader lowered his head and remained respectful, "When the young master comes back with us, if you want to beat us to death, we will never resist."

He Yingheng: "..."

The struggle was futile, and he was eventually tied back.

Zhou Shitang and three others came to the bookstore.

Zhou Shiye found the waiter, took out the paintings and handed them to the waiter, "I drew a few paintings, and one of them is really heartbreaking. Please check how much these paintings are worth."

The waiter in the shop had no artistic talent. He couldn't tell how much these paintings were worth, so he asked the shopkeeper to estimate them.

When the shopkeeper saw that the scroll was flat and there was a mark on it, he couldn't help frowning, slowly unwrapped the rattan and opened the scroll.

His originally disapproving eyes changed instantly after seeing the content of the painting. The hand holding the painting trembled slightly, and he looked at Zhou Shiye with an excited tone, "Mr. Sir, did you paint this painting yourself?"

When Zhou Shiye saw the shopkeeper's excited eyes, his slightly nervous heart gradually calmed down, his eyebrows were filled with confidence, and he nodded, "Of course I painted it."

"Okay!" The shopkeeper has been in charge of this bookstore for so many years. He also likes calligraphy and painting, and has also studied painting. He can tell at a glance whether the painting is good or bad.

He carefully took away the top one, then flipped through the remaining three. After reading them all, his eyes turned hot when he looked at Zhou Shiye, but he asked in confusion: "Look at Xiao Langjun too. Why would someone who cherishes paintings make his paintings so dirty?"

He pointed to the stained picture.

Zhou Shiye looked heartbroken, "It's my own fault. The painting accidentally fell to the ground and was stepped on by a passerby."

"The shopkeeper has also read it. How much are these paintings of mine worth?"

The shopkeeper touched his chin and said, "I'll give you one hundred cents for each painting, and fifty cents for the dirty one. A total of three hundred and five cents. What do you think?"

This young man is not famous, and no matter how beautiful his paintings are, they are not worth much.

Zhou Shiye was still thinking.

A man over there heard what the shopkeeper said and came over angrily, "Shopkeeper, why do you pay a hundred cents for a painting? You only gave me twenty cents for my painting."

The shopkeeper calmly raised the painting and said, "See for yourself the gap between the two of you."

The scholar raised his eyes and looked up. He was stunned at the first glance and could no longer express his dissatisfaction. The painting was so lifelike and every detail was drawn just right. His painting looked childish.

He turned to look at Zhou Shiye and found that he was the boy who wrote very well last time. He was surprised, "It turns out to be you. We met last time. I didn't expect that your calligraphy is so good and your paintings are so beautiful." .”

Zhou Shiye raised his eyes and recognized the other person as the scholar who changed his face last time when he heard that they would not take the imperial examination. He did not like to have close friendship with such a person who was full of interests, so he turned a blind eye to the other person's overtures and his eyes were indifferent, " After all, I have worked hard to learn it, so of course I can draw beautifully."

Scholar: "..."

Even though he is dressed so shabbily, he is quite confident.

Zhou Shiye turned to look at the shopkeeper, "I agree."

The shopkeeper immediately took out three hundred and fifty and handed it to Zhou Shiye.

Zhou Shiye accepted it with a smile. From now on, he is also a person who can make money.

Zhou Shitang stood next to Zhou Shiye and remained silent. When she saw the books in the room and the people who came to buy them, an idea suddenly flashed through her mind. She looked at the shopkeeper and said, "Shopkeeper, we have a business idea." Talk to you."

The scholar's eyes fell on Zhou Shitang's face. When he saw her appearance, he was instantly attracted. He then lowered his eyes on Zhou Shiruo's face and found that she was also very beautiful.

He looked at Zhou Shiye and wondered what their relationship was.

"Oh?" the shopkeeper was surprised, "What kind of business do you want to discuss with me?"

Zhou Shitang pointed at Zhou Shiye, "You have also seen my third brother's paintings. I have a better idea. Can you discuss it in detail?"

The shopkeeper saw that Zhou Shitang's confident expression didn't look like he was faking it. He also wanted to know what his thoughts were and nodded in agreement.

He took them upstairs to the private room.

The scholar heard Zhou Shitang call Zhou Shiye and knew that they were brother and sister. An idea came to his mind. After buying the ink, he did not leave immediately, but wandered in the bookshop.

Room on the second floor.

Zhou Shiye was curious about what his sister was thinking. He wanted to ask her several times on the way up, but he kept silent. He sat down and waited for her to say.

Zhou Shitang didn't show off, "Shopkeeper, I wonder if you've heard of the stories that are happening outside?"

The shopkeeper was suspicious, "Are you talking about the story of Journey to the West?"

Zhou Shitang nodded, "Exactly."

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Of course I heard about it. I'm still a little regretful that I couldn't go to Siman Restaurant to hear it in person. I wonder what it has to do with the business you mentioned?"

Zhou Shitang smiled and said, "My third brother can draw the characters in Journey to the West and draw comic strips. Do you think that with my third brother's painting skills and the story, can the comic strips be sold for a good price?"

The shopkeeper became excited instantly, as if he saw a golden mountain appearing in front of his eyes. His breathing was a little disordered, "Can you really draw it?"

Zhou Shitang smiled and nodded, "Seriously."

Zhou Shiye also looked excited, "Tangtang, I've imagined it many times, but I still can't figure out what that monkey looks like. Can you imagine it?"

Zhou Shitang hummed. Zhou Shiye couldn't help but jump around in circles a few times. With Tangtang guiding him, he would definitely be able to draw beautifully.

The shopkeeper who saw Zhou Shiye jumping around said: "..."

He seemed to know why the painting fell to the ground. For such a man who jumped up and down when excited, it was not surprising that the things in his hands would fall to the ground.

The shopkeeper's mouth twitched and he looked away, "If we can really draw it, we will definitely make a lot of money. I wonder how the girl wants to cooperate?"

Zhou Shitang raised his eyebrows, "Excluding costs, our profit is [-]/[-]."

Shopkeeper: "..."

This girl is really a lion with a big mouth! Five to five! Why didn't she grab it?
  Zhou Shitang saw the shopkeeper's expression and smiled lightly, "Does the shopkeeper think I'm a big talker?"

"I read the story of Journey to the West in a book. That book may no longer be found. Today, I am the only one in the world who knows the entire story of Journey to the West. What is circulated today is only the tip of the iceberg."

"If the shopkeeper doesn't want to, we won't force it. We can only say that we are not destined."

"Third brother, let's go talk to other bookstores." Zhou Shitang greeted Zhou Shiye.

Zhou Shiye was stunned. He didn't expect Tangtang to be so talkative about business. He nodded, "Okay, I believe that with my painting skills, there must be a bookstore willing to cooperate."

Zhou Shitang and the others turned around and left without any hesitation.

The shopkeeper was anxious. How could he leave just after a disagreement? He didn't want to miss this opportunity. With the excitement of the story, the painting would definitely be a hit. He couldn't miss it, but the profit was [-]-[-], so he really couldn't make the decision.

He chased after him, "I can't make the decision on this. I need to ask our young master for instructions. Please wait a moment."

Zhou Shitang frowned, as if thinking, and nodded lightly after a while, "Then let's wait. I hope we won't be kept waiting too long."

The shopkeeper nodded with a smile, turned around and went out to ask the waiter to bring some tea and snacks. He took Zhou Shiye's paintings to ask for instructions from his young master. It happened that their young master came to check the accounts today, so there was no need to go to Ren's house.

After hearing what the shopkeeper said, Ren Rui'an, the young master, looked surprised, "Comic book? It sounds interesting."

The shopkeeper bent down slightly and said, "I wonder if Young Master has heard the story outside. I think it's quite exciting, but the profit of [-] to [-] cents is indeed a bit too much."

"I heard it, the story is really exciting." Ren Ruian smiled lightly, "I'll go meet them first, and at least draw the monkey for a look."

Zhou Shitang and the other two sat chatting.

Zhou Shiye pestered Zhou Shitang and asked, "Tangtang, can you describe the characters in Journey to the West?"

Zhou Shitang nodded, "Okay."

"That's great. If the cooperation can be successful, we will have a steady stream of money." Zhou Shiye said excitedly.

Zhou Shiruo held Zhou Shitang's face with both hands and looked left and right, his face full of wonder.

Zhou Shitang was confused, "Sister, why are you looking at me like this?"

Zhou Shiruo gently stroked his sister's face, his eyes burning, "I'm wondering how the seeds on your head grew? Why don't we have these thoughts even though we were born from the same mother?"

Zhou Shitang couldn't help but smile and tilted his head, "Maybe it's because I read more books?"

Zhou Shiruo: "Maybe?"

Ren Ruian opened the door and came in. He was wearing a dark robe and his temperament was as gentle as jade. "I wonder what books this girl has read?"

Zhou Shitang turned his head and looked over, showing a professional smile, "This young master must be the young master. I have read many books, and I can't finish them in a while. Our main business is comic books."

Ren Ruian didn't expect it to be such a young girl. She looked to be in her teens. She was dressed in ordinary clothes but had an extraordinary temperament.

I have read a lot of books, and it seems that my family must have been wealthy before, but now that I am wearing such ordinary clothes and tattered clothes, it seems that my family has fallen into decline.

Ren Ruian walked to one of the seats and sat down, "I'm very interested in the comic strip you mentioned, but you have to draw the first picture first. I'll see if it attracts people first, and then we can continue talking."

Zhou Shitang nodded, "This is natural."

The shopkeeper came in with paper, ink, pen and inkstone and placed them on the desk.

Ren Ruian made a gesture of invitation.

Several people walked over.

Zhou Shiruo naturally picked up the ink and started inking. After polishing it, Zhou Shiye picked up the brush and looked at Zhou Shitang.

Zhou Shitang described a scene in detail, which is a story that is currently circulating outside.

Zhou Shiye seemed to be a different person when he picked up the pen, his eyes were serious, and his whole body had an elegant and refined temperament.

Ren Ruian stood on one side, listening to Zhou Shitang's description. He raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at the painting written by Zhou Shiye.

As Zhou Shitang described, the first painting gradually appeared.

Zhou Shiye's painting skills are very good, and he painted all the scenes described by Zhou Shitang, vividly, and the monkey's aura is compelling.

Ren Ruian was fascinated by it, his eyes were hot, and he didn't care that the painting was not done yet. He walked over directly, picked up the painting, looked at it carefully, and couldn't help but touch it.

His hands were directly stained with ink.

The shopkeeper followed him, and when he saw the content of the painting, he couldn't help but get excited.

If they could sell this painting to the state capital, or even the capital, would they still worry about making money?
  Zhou Shitang was very satisfied with Zhou Shiye's paintings, which were quite spiritual. She looked at them and sat quietly on one side, waiting for Ren Ruian to finish reading. She was very patient.

She talked for a long time and felt thirsty. She poured a cup of tea and drank it in one gulp.

Zhou Shiye saw that his sister didn't speak, so he didn't say anything either. He walked to sit next to her.

After Ren Ruian had admired enough, he found a seat not far from Zhou Shitang and sat down, "[-]-[-], I agree. I want to bind it into a book and sell it one by one, but this man alone may not be able to draw I don’t produce that many paintings.”

Zhou Shitang gave a suggestion: "The young master can ask other painters to copy the paintings, as long as there is a model."

Ren Ruian can also draw, but he thinks that his painting skills are not as good as Zhou Shiye's. Among the young masters he knows, there are very few who can compare with Zhou Shiye's, and he doesn't know who they are. He can draw so well. I heard from the shopkeeper that this young master can also write well.

Ren Ruian smiled and said, "So, the storyteller at Siman Restaurant is also this young man."

Zhou Shiye nodded.

Ren Ruian smiled and said: "My surname is Ren, Ren Ruian, so our cooperation is settled."

Zhou Shiye also said his name and introduced the two sisters instantly.

Zhou Shitang raised his eyes and said, "Then let's draw up a contract."