Tranquility

The peach blossoms outside the window are in full bloom, and the pink petals flutter down with the warm spring breeze. Some fall on the ground to form a pink carpet, and some fall on the hair bun of a passing maid like a realistic hairpin flower. One piece swayed through the curly grass-patterned window lattice and landed on the dressing table inlaid with dioramas, greeting the sisters in the white-glazed hollowed-out porcelain plum vase next to it.

The sound of "popping" broken porcelain made the Taohua sisters who were chatting happily tremble at the same time, and fell silent. There was no more warmth of spring in the house.The two sisters looked curiously at the inner room separated by a screen.

"Master, you have been ill for almost two months, you should take some medicine, no matter how uncomfortable you are, you can't make it difficult for yourself." Tian Xiang's words were full of worry.

"It's been two months, and you still can't find it?" It was the same mature voice, but much weaker than that night.

"The carpenter recovered from his illness recently, and our staff took the opportunity to question the child just as he was away. According to the carpenter, he encountered a startled carriage on the way to the town. Master Wan was there at that time. In the carriage, I have already passed out, the carriage was sold by him, Master Wan doesn’t know how to get there, hey, after all, it’s been 12 years, you didn’t find anything back then, now it’s even more difficult.” Tian Xiang sighed.

"Hmph, it's just that I can't find anything. I know it must be that bitch. If I get caught, I will definitely not let her go, ahem..."

Tian Xiang hurriedly brought the spittoon, helped the master to sit up, and patted her on the back: "Master, don't worry, if you have something good or bad, who will avenge Master Wan? Who else knows about Master Wan's grievances?"

"You're right, even her own brother doesn't know, my Wan'er died too unjustly." The people on the bed were full of pain.

Tian Xiang was also a little choked up, but still didn't want the master to indulge in the pain of the past, so he said quickly: "Say, do you want to tell him that he still has a nephew?"

"No, I won't tell him to the death. If he knows, that bitch will know too. It's not enough to make things happen." The mature voice became hard again.

"Then do you want to take that child over to take care of him? He stays in the countryside and is oppressed by his stepmother. His life is not easy."

"A carpenter's son, why should I support him? My Wan'er died because of him."

"Master, after all, he is also the only blood of Master Wan. I heard that he looks exactly like Master Wan, and he is also motivated. Sooner or later, he will go to Beijing to take the exam. Master Wan would rather give birth to him with his life, and he must love him very much. You Do you really have the heart to let him suffer in the countryside?"

The person on the bed pondered for a while: "It's not necessary, the water in the capital is too deep, it would be bad to be discovered. It's better to be in Cangping before he grows up. That kid is a little lucky, and he actually worshiped Cheng Dingru as his teacher and followed him. It’s good to study for two more years, just send someone to watch over it.”

Tian Xiang thinks about it too, and nods in response.

At the same time, in the Lu residence in Cangping County, under the peach blossoms, a young man in Tsing Yi stood leisurely. There was a wooden easel in front of him, and there was a large painting box beside him. Picking and picking among a row of writing brushes, he selected one to be stained with taupe, and carefully traced the pillars of the opposite corridor on the drawing board, with a focused and serious expression.

When Xie Baiyun walked in through the arch at the back, he saw such a beautiful scenery. I have to say that Tang Ning always gave people a strange feeling when he was painting. He was always immersed in his own emotions and put this emotion into his hands His paintbrush, so when he paints, others can always easily perceive his emotions, whether peaceful, happy, sad, or angry.

But at this time, Xie Baiyun could feel that he was in a very happy mood, yes, it was the season of warm spring and flowers blooming, facing such beautiful flowers, even he was rarely in a happy mood, let alone a young man who hadn't understood the world. .

Xie Baiyun stared at the young man's thin back in a daze. He stared at the young man's hands that were exposed from time to time, and the perfectly curved profile that was occasionally turned sideways. He could even see his long eyelashes beating mischievously. Although he had seen countless beauties, But at this moment, he had to say that Tang Ning was the most outstanding one he had ever seen, but then he shook his head again, could it be that he was really a playboy, how could those beauties compare with him.

Xie Baiyun put away his fan and approached quietly. With his height advantage, he saw that Tangning was painting the peach tree opposite. Now that peach tree was finished, he was very surprised that he was able to draw it. With such a resemblance, it is as good as what Mo Yi said, good at painting Western paintings.

He has seen a lot of Western paintings, but they are all exotic scenery or erotic palaces, and most of them are dark and dull in color, unlike this painting, which is local style, bright in color and full of vitality.But that's all. If he came to paint, he would not have painted the corridors and eaves in such detail. He could just brush it over with one stroke. After all, the peach tree is the key point.And the peach branches can't be painted like this, and the beauty of the peach branches can only be expressed with fine brushwork and twists and turns. In this way, he will definitely not paint all the pictures according to the real objects.

Gradually, the sun moved westward, and the sky became darker. This painting of peach blossoms in spring has also been completed. Xie Baiyun lamented that this painting is extremely detailed, even the pillars are cracked. In other words, it is somewhat lacking.Tang Ning put down her pen, carefully looked at the painting in front of her, and fell silent.

Xie Baiyun was about to open his mouth to praise, but Tang Ning picked out another pen and added more color to it. Xie Baiyun saw that he was dipping in pink, but the pen was in the middle of the gray-brown corridor. He was very surprised. Looking at it patiently, it was a magnified petal The petals, with highlights on the top and shadows on the bottom, are very realistic, as if they are really about to fall in front of you.

There was a smile on the corner of Xie Baiyun's mouth, he is a great talent.

Tang Ning looked at it again before she was satisfied with the brush. She bent over and pulled out a small drawer from the side of the painting box, took out a small scraper, scraped the paint from the palette into the small porcelain bottles stuck on the first layer of the box, and added some paint. Oil seal.Then he opened the door of a small cabinet under the painting box, and put the oil pot, easel, stone bowl, steamed buns, etc. inside.

Wait, Xie Baiyun suspects that he has read wrongly. What do Huahua use steamed buns for? Do you eat them when you are hungry?Xie Baiyun couldn't restrain his curiosity, and asked:

"My dear brother, what is the use of this steamed bun?"

Tangning shuddered suddenly, looked up, and saw a face that was so handsome, he lowered his head, let out a long sigh of relief, then stood up, gritted his teeth and said:

"Brother Bai Yun, don't you know that people who scare people can scare people to death? You stood behind me so silently, and suddenly made a sound, didn't you mean it?"

Xie Baiyun chuckled, and cupped his hands, "It's Brother Yu's fault, he scared our little brother."

Tangning waved her hand, thinking of his question just now, she replied, "Before I draw, I always use a thin carbon strip to make a draft. If I make a mistake, just wipe it off with a steamed bun. Next time I draw a draft, you can come and see. "

Xie Baiyun nodded with a smile, and praised: "Your brother's painting has its own style, and given time, it will become a great tool."

Embarrassed by the praise, Tangning said modestly, "It's just a small skill. My paintings only rely on a real character to make them look good in the eyes of the common people. In the eyes of real people, they are really not worth mentioning."

Having been together for more than ten days, Xie Baiyun knew his little brother's character, and he would be really embarrassed to praise him if he knew it, so he joked: "My brother's painting box is unique, and the treasure box is nothing more than that."

Hearing this, Tangning immediately said proudly, "My elder brother made this painting box specially for me. He arranged every grid inside. My elder brother is very skillful. In the future, I will have more and more painting tools. He must be able to make a more detailed painting box."

Xie Baiyun couldn't hold back when he saw Tang Ning rushing to praise my elder brother, so he snatched the drawing board from Tang Ning's hand and boasted, "Your elder brother is really clever, but Brother Ning, your drawing board is too heavy , It’s hard to tell, and it’s not convenient for buyers to collect, why don’t you draw it on paper?”

Tangning was a little distressed, "The paints for Western paintings are specially made with oil. You can't use ordinary paper. You have to paint on wood or linen."

Xie Baiyun asked strangely, "Then why didn't you paint on the cloth?"

Tangning sighed and said, "When painting on wooden boards, you can use linseed oil as the base, but when painting on linen, you need to use animal glue or latex as the base."

Xie Baiyun didn't understand, and asked: "What is animal glue, what is latex? What is the base?"

Tangning was helpless, and said, "It's very troublesome to explain. You don't understand it. You just need to know that I need animal glue or latex to paint on cloth. Animal glue is just my way of saying, maybe there are other ways, For example, fat. In short, it is glue boiled out of animal skin, and latex is resin, just like amber.”

Only now did Xie Baiyun understand a little bit, "For example, donkey-hide gelatin? There are many calligraphers and paintings that everyone likes to make bone glue. Brother Ning might as well give it a try. There is also this peach tree, and some people use peach glue."

"I've heard from my husband before, but bone glue and skin glue are different. Bone glue is suitable for mixing in pigments, and peach gum is also suitable. If it's pine resin, you can try it. Donkey hide gelatin is made of donkey skin, and it's too expensive. Rabbit skin is the best, and the cooking method should be similar, but donkey-hide gelatin is a medicinal material, and the preparation method is passed down from generation to generation, so it is difficult to get it."

Hearing this, Xie Baiyun's heart moved, but he said calmly: "I have a study in Cangping County, which is considered a little famous. If Brother Ning has a proud work, you might as well hang it there and sell it."

Tangning was a little hesitant. His second brother sold his paintings with the help of his second brother. It was really hard work for his second brother to go out hunting, do housework, and run around selling paintings for him. Why don't he sell his paintings at the same time? It's good to send the paintings over for a while, but many studies have to deduct a lot of intermediary fees for consignment of calligraphy and paintings. His paintings cost only one tael of silver when they are dead, and the cost may not be enough if they are deducted.

Seeing Tang Ning's silence, Xie Baiyun thought of the reason, and added, "Since it's a painting by my virtuous brother, how can Brother Yu still charge a consignment fee? All the proceeds from selling the painting should be given to my virtuous brother."

Tangning didn't want him to owe favors. He didn't think that he and Xie Baiyun were really brothers if they called them brothers. The two had different identities and backgrounds, and it was even more difficult to get along with each other on an equal footing. He didn't want to be accused of flattering the powerful, so he insisted: "Brothers will settle accounts , how can the little brother take advantage of the big brother?"

However, Xie Baiyun thought that Tangning was motivated by a book business, so he didn't insist, and continued, "Since that's the case, Brother Yu doesn't force it. It's just that the consignment fee charged by Brother Yu's study is very low. It seems to be only half of it. Brother Yu, why don't you think about it?"

Tangning was surprised and said, "As far as I know, only One Ink Studio in the whole town charges such a low consignment fee. Could it be..."

Xie Baiyun opened the folding fan with a smile, "Brother Yu opened it."

"It turns out that Yimo Studio was opened by Brother Bai Yun. I heard that Brother Bai Yun is very supportive of poor students. I bought all my pens and papers there. I would like to thank Brother Bai Yun. If it wasn't for Yi Mo Studio's support You may not be able to afford a book, but the customers of Yimo Studio are literati and scholars, and they don’t accept paintings by my younger brother.”

"Brother Yu told the shopkeeper that Brother Yu is not running the study for profit, but for the country to have more scholars."

"Thank you so much, Brother Bai Yun, but I still need to discuss this matter with my elder brother at home."

"It's okay, if brother Xian has made up his mind, he can go to the shopkeeper himself."

As the sun set, the two gradually drifted away, their voices slowly disappearing into the afterglow.

The author has something to say: How do I feel that it is awkward for Tangning to call Brother Bai Yun, how about calling Brother Xie?How about brother Bai Yun?

There is also the painting method of petals, which is very common in modern paintings, but Xie Baiyun is an ancient person who may not know this, cough, okay, my little golden finger.

In fact, the wooden board of oil painting can also be brushed with glue. The purpose of brushing the canvas with glue is to make the color adhere to it better, and there is also the problem of oil absorption, which probably means this.As for whether donkey-hide gelatin and animal glue are made in the same way, I haven't found any information, so I guess it's about the same.