Give her pleasure

Chapter 1: Miss Jiang, have you seen enough?
Haicheng, a study by clear water.

There are forest corridors, flower houses and gurgling water.

Accompanied by the pleasant melody of wind chimes, Jiang Li opened the curtain and stepped into the tea room.

"Sorry, Mr. Xie, I kept you waiting."

She was just in the backyard boiling medicinal herbs to restore ancient books.

When Xie Huaichu came, she asked him to sit in the tea room first.

"No problem." Xie Huaichu responded in a deep voice, and then placed a brown paper bag in front of her.

Jiang Li opened the bag and carefully took out the contents.

It was an ancient book, or to be more precise, an ancient medical book.

It's just because of the passage of time that the medical book has turned yellow and old.

In addition, due to the lack of proper storage, the entire book was almost stuck together and had many damaged parts.

And she is an ancient book restorer.

Her job is to restore this book to its original state.

After careful observation, Jiang Li looked up at the person opposite her with a faint smile on her lips.

"It's not a big deal, leave it to me."

"However, we should not rush to repair ancient books like this. I hope Mr. Xie can understand."

"Yes." Xie Huaichu nodded, "If there are no other questions, then I will take my leave."

After saying this, Xie Huaichu stood up, nodded to Jiang Li again, and left the tea room.

Jiang Li was distracted for a moment, then quickly got up and chased after him. "Mr. Xie, please wait a moment."

Hearing the voice, Xie Huaichu paused, turned to look at her, and waited for her next words.

Jiang Li slowed her breathing, took out her cell phone from her pocket, and spoke tentatively.

"Can you let me take a picture?"

"Huh?" Xie Huaichu didn't quite understand her behavior.

Is it necessary for this girl to be so wild to take photos with a stranger when they first meet?
"Well, I—"

Just as Jiang Li was about to explain, a ringing sounded.

Xie Huaichu: "Sorry, I have to answer the phone."

"it is good."

Xie Huaichu took out his cell phone and answered it.

Jiang Li's eyes followed his hand from beginning to end.

My God, who knows the value of this hand.

The knuckles are distinct, the phalanges are long, and the fingertips are a faint crimson color.

For her, a top hand control freak, it was simply a fatal "seduction".

She had just spotted his comic hands in the tea room.

That's why I chased after him and asked for a photo as a souvenir.

Xie Huaichu didn't say much. He hung up the phone and looked up casually.

But he found that Jiang Li was staring at him without blinking.

His eyes were fiery and explicit, which made him uncomfortable.

"Ms. Jiang, have you seen enough?"

As the cold words sounded, Xie Huaichu raised his hand and pushed the silver-rimmed glasses on his nose.

There was a hint of coldness in his eyes, and the air pressure around him dropped significantly.

"Not yet." Jiang Li was completely conquered by his hands, and somehow she spoke out her true feelings.

When she came to her senses, she felt terrible. "Mr. Xie, please don't misunderstand me. That's not what I meant."

"Ms. Jiang's behavior makes it hard for me not to misunderstand." Xie Huaichu questioned in a cold voice, with coldness in his eyes.

"No, listen to my explanation, I—"

"Miss Jiang, girls should be more reserved."

"Xie has something else to do, so I'll leave first."

After saying this, without waiting for Jiang Li to speak, Xie Huaichu left resolutely.

Looking at the figure disappearing at the gate of the courtyard, Jiang Li sighed in frustration.

"What? I'm not unreserved at all."

"You don't even listen to what others say. How rude."

But that hand really hurt her.

Jiang Li glanced at the empty courtyard gate again, then turned around and went to the tea room in disappointment.

***
After noon, there was a light rain. After the rain, a rainbow appeared in the sky.

The air is also filled with the unique sweet smell after the rain.

Inside the studio.

Jiang Li changed into a goose yellow cheongsam.

The most basic style makes her look even more gentle and peaceful.

The long black hair was casually tied up and fixed with a plum blossom hairpin. A few strands of hair hung down by the ears, making her look more playful.

On the desk in front of him was the ancient book that Xie Huaichu had brought.

The medical books have been steamed in the steamer, and the next step is to separate them one by one.

She sat in the old-fashioned nanmu armchair.

The slender hands took the medical book out of the sealed bag.

Then he took a bamboo piece and separated the pages of the book bit by bit.

This book is badly acidified and has many damaged areas.

Therefore, when separating them, Jiang Li was extremely careful.

Even breathing became very tense.

It was difficult to peel off one piece.

She calmly placed the page of paper on the papers that had been laid out next to her.

Then take a fine-bristled brush and apply a layer of alkaline water to neutralize the acidity of the paper.

Then roll up the towel dipped in water and gently roll it over the page of paper like a rolling pin.

This can not only wash away the alkali water, but also make the ancient books flatter.

The next step is to repair the damaged areas.

She soaked the bottom layer of paper with water.

Then press the peeled paper a little bit to make it stick to it.

Next, use small bamboo pieces to thin the damaged edges and remove the burrs.

Then use a brush to apply the diluted paste on the damaged area.

The paste is specially prepared with alum, making it milder and more durable.

After applying the paste, put the matching paper on.

Repair along the damaged outline little by little.

Place another layer of paper on the creases to reinforce them.

The next step is to color the repaired area with pigments made from boiled medicinal herbs.

If there are missing characters, you need to trace them bit by bit until they are complete.

This was just the first one, and Jiang Li spent more than an hour on it.

Looking at the final result, she curled her lips in satisfaction.

Then place the page of paper on another desk and let it dry naturally.

She came back and began to separate the second page.

Restoring ancient books requires great patience and perseverance.

The reason why I chose this profession.

It is not for the purpose of making money, but for the purpose of tempering one's own character.

After all, my former self...

Jiang Li shook her head, threw away all the unpleasantness, and devoted herself to work again.

A whole afternoon passed, and Jiang Li only repaired a few pages of paper.

The afterglow of the setting sun shines in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

It was as if a layer of golden gauze was put on the cold white floor.

Jiang Li carefully put away the ancient book, placed it next to the desk, and put away the tools one by one.

Then he raised his hand to rub his sore shoulders, and got up to go to the kitchen in the backyard.

Bishuihuai Study is a stand-alone small courtyard.

The front yard is the tea room and studio, while the back yard is the kitchen, living room and bedroom.

There are two bedrooms, one for her and one for her grandmother.

The reason I bought this place was because of its unique structure.

Secondly, the environment here is quiet and far away from the downtown.

Firstly, it is suitable for her to restore ancient books; secondly, it is also suitable for her grandmother's retirement.

The neighbors around are very enthusiastic.

Every night when it comes, everyone lights a lamp and hangs it at the door.

It's like lighting the way home for family members far away, full of the flavor of fireworks.

Stepping into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator, and looking at the only bucket of instant noodles left, Jiang Li rubbed her temples helplessly.

During this period of time, she was only focused on the restoration work and completely forgot about her meals.

It seems necessary to go to the supermarket, otherwise the landlord will have no food left.

Fortunately, grandma has joined a tour group for the elderly these days, otherwise I would have to nag her for a long time.

He took a coat, walked to the small garage and drove his mini jeep.

When they were about to leave the hospital, Jiang Li called out to a corner nearby.

"Mango, come here."

(End of this chapter)