Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 44 Overdoing it?

The Xu Mansion was indeed luxurious, and the courtyard was no less large than Zhao Yifu's current one. However, one was meticulously maintained, exquisitely beautiful, while the other had been abandoned for a long time and was just beginning to be tidied up.

Zhao Yifu compared them in his mind and felt that they were like heaven and earth.

For such a wealthy man, of course you can't be soft-handed when making money.

As he entered the door, he met a short and fat old butler. The old butler was quite polite when he saw the two of them coming. He just bowed and led them inside.

As he walked along the road, he said, "The master wants to explain his requirements to you personally. Let me be frank. If you are not satisfied with the performance, the money will be discounted."

Song Jie had completely put aside his identity as a cultivator and the airs of a scholar, and he nodded in agreement.

However, Zhao Yifu still kept these. He said calmly: "I am willing to come here to make a portrait for Brother Tongwen to express my feelings for my friend of the same period. If you want to talk about money with me, then forget it."

Tongwen is Xu Shida's courtesy name, it's amazing that Zhao Yifu still remembers it.

Having said this, he turned around and made to leave.

Song Jie panicked when he heard this. This was twenty taels of silver. Did he really not want it?

He quickly advised, "Brother Junxin, please don't be anxious."

After saying this, he persuaded Zhao Yifu to stop, then came to the short and fat housekeeper and whispered, "Housekeeper Xu, look at what's happened..."

The Xu family's housekeeper, also surnamed Xu, asked in confusion, "What's the deal with this partner you've found?"

He looked dissatisfied and wanted to change people at any time.

Song Jie looked at Zhao Yifu, then sighed and said, "Butler Xu, you don't know this, but my brother's surname is Zhao Yifu. He was a student at the same time as Master Xu and has a bright future."

Butler Xu was stunned for a moment, then said nonchalantly, "So what if he's a scholar? Wasn't your surname Song also a scholar before?"

"It's all very well being a scholar, but how many of them make it through the three-yearly exam? And how many of them actually pass?"

Song Jie said, "But my dear brother Junxin is different. You know that when the great scholar Zheng Fang from Moshan came to Moyang for a visit, he would also bring him along as his attendant."

Butler Xu was immediately moved.

"Also, our state's education commissioner, Lord Haoran, would often assign him homework, which shows how much he expected of him."

Butler Xu didn't dare to be negligent now. He quickly clasped his fists and walked over to Zhao Yifu and said, "It's you, Young Master Zhao. I was not tactful and negligent before. Please forgive me."

Zhao Yifu said calmly, "I painted for Xu Tongwen to fulfill my duty as a gentleman. If your Xu family doesn't welcome me, I will go back."

Upon hearing this, Butler Xu quickly grabbed Zhao Yifu's hand and said, "It's great that Young Master Zhao can come. He was a good friend of the Young Master when he was alive. My Xu family must give him a grand reception."

Only then did Zhao Yifu nod in agreement.

At the same time, he gave Song Jie a look that said "cooperation is a pleasure", which made Song Jie, whose heart was still pounding, feel extremely helpless.

He really didn't want to play this kind of cooperation, it was so nervous.

They were ushered into the main hall, where Butler Xu said solemnly, "The master is still in there, grief-stricken. Allow me to go and inform him so he can have some time to put himself in order."

Zhao Yifu listened and nodded, then made a "please" gesture.

Butler Xu walked in and came out after a while, gesturing to Zhao Yifu and Song Jie to come in.

Zhao Yi Fu clasped his fists and bowed, then walked in.

When he entered the room, he saw an old man with white hair and beard. He looked haggard and withered, and indeed looked very sad.

Zhao Yifu bowed as he entered the room and said gently, "Uncle Xu, I'm so sorry. I'm Zhao Yifu, and I'm honored to meet you."

Is this my uncle?
Song Jie turned around and looked at Zhao Yifu in astonishment, impressed by his shamelessness. He thought to himself, no wonder this guy was so successful. Just based on this determination to climb the ladder, one has to admire him.

Of course, Song Jie couldn't be as shameless as Zhao Yifu, so he could only clasp his fists and say hesitantly, "I'm...I'm Song Jie, nice to meet you, Master Xu."

When Mr. Xu came to his senses, he did not even look at Song Jie, who called himself "little man" and called him "master", but looked directly at Zhao Yifu, who called himself "young man" and called him "uncle".

He asked, "Mr. Zhao, you are my son's good friend? Why haven't I heard him mention you before?"

Zhao Yifu said frankly, "Brother Tongwen and I are just acquaintances, a gentlemanly relationship, that's all."

Seeing Xu Juren's indifferent expression, Zhao Yifu said calmly, "Originally, I was going to go home early today to discuss the political gains and losses of Mozhou over the past five years with Brother Zichang. However, I didn't expect to hear Brother Zitai mention the affairs of the Xu Mansion, so I felt that I had to come here."

Xu Juren's expression shifted to grief. He asked, "Oh? Why is that? You and my son are just acquaintances. There's no need for you to take it so seriously, right?"

Zhao Yifu's face was solemn and he sighed as he said, "Because yesterday, the master saw a bloody disaster in the south of the city from the mountain, so he came to find me early in the morning and went to the dock together."

Xu Juren's face was horrified. He asked, "You were the one who found my son's body?!"

Zhao Yifu nodded.

Xu Juren's face flushed crimson. He could no longer sit still. He stood up and asked, "Do you know the truth about my son's death? Why doesn't that Xu want to say anything?"

Asking two questions in a row seemed to make him seem very defensive.

Zhao Yifu nodded heavily and said, "I know, I know everything."

Xu Juren couldn't help asking, "Can you tell me?"

Zhao Yifu said: "Some things cannot be said openly, but my uncle is also a juren, so he is not an outsider..."

"I can tell you, Uncle Shi, that besides Xu Shida, the twenty-seven people on that pleasure boat, and the eleven people from the three households on Fishing Boat Island, a total of thirty-eight people, all died in the same way."

Xu Juren said arbitrarily: "I don't care about others, I just want to know how my son died!"

His eyes were full of hatred, as if he was determined to take revenge at all costs.

Zhao Yifu felt that this old scholar might have some mental problems. He thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I don't want to reveal such a cruel truth, but since my uncle insists on doing so..."

He sighed again and said, "Alas, Brother Tongwen had his heart's blood taken by a spirited water rat to use in his evil practice."

Xu Juren was stunned, then his face twitched as he said, "You are so good, Zhao Junxin. I am asking you a question sincerely, why do you try to fool me with such irrelevant words?"

Zhao Yifu was slightly surprised. He didn't expect that this old scholar would not believe that there were evil spirits in the world.

Then he asked, "What did Lord Xu say?"

Xu Juren said, "Mr. Xu said that there was a tyrant who took pleasure in killing people and committed such a heinous crime, but he was suppressed by Liang Daru, who came down from Moshan Mountain."

"This old fellow is full of nonsense, and he can only fool the ignorant people. How can he fool me?"

Zhao Yifu heard this and said, "I see. Then the truth is based on what Lord Xu said. I really shouldn't have spoken nonsense."

He apologized repeatedly, then pulled Song Jie away.

But at this time, Xu Juren snorted coldly and said, "Speak clearly before you leave!"

When they walked out of the house and into the yard, they saw a group of strong servants surrounding them.

Song Jie was a little timid, but didn't say much.

He still believed that Zhao Yifu could handle this matter... Perhaps this was also a trust in his master.

(End of this chapter)