Paintings of Terror

In an ancient city like K City, it is indeed very suitable for holding traditional Chinese New Year activities.

The streets and alleys of the city have been decorated with lights, and various New Year's goods fairs attract citizens who buy New Year's goods. Almost everyone's face is filled with the joy of reunion.

As the Chinese New Year approached, there were fewer and fewer guests in the hotel. Weidong suspected that only ten people from his side might be staying on New Year's Eve.

In order to recharge their batteries for painting on the first day of the new year, everyone went to bed early on the night of New Year's Eve. This is probably the most special New Year's Eve that everyone has ever experienced in their lives.

Because of poor sleep, many members were awakened by the sound of fireworks and firecrackers in the middle of the night, and it was difficult to fall asleep again after waking up. The joy and joy of the world outside the window made people feel even more desolate.

Just like that, half asleep and half awake, mixed with a night of chaotic dreams.

The next day was the first day of the new year, and everyone got up before dawn, Shao Ling looked at the cold and lively dawn outside the window, and murmured to himself: "If you go back to your hometown to celebrate the new year, it's time to get up to pay New Year's greetings. "

Wei Dong felt a little emotional at the side, but he still patted Shao Ling on the shoulder: "Let's have something to eat. Ke Er cooked quick-frozen dumplings. The restaurant in the hotel is closed today, so we can only recruit ourselves."

"For the New Year in the north, it's time to eat dumplings on the morning of the first day of the new year." Qin Ci has already tidied up and is ready to go to Ke Xun's place to eat dumplings.

……

At 10:00 in the morning, the activities of K City Niansu Art Museum officially started.

The "Nine Exhibition Hall" that you are about to enter is located on the third floor of the art museum, opposite to the "Eight Exhibition Hall" where couplets are displayed, and various Chinese New Year paintings will be exhibited there.

Although the Niansu Art Museum did not disclose the contents of the exhibition in advance, Mu Yiran still found a way to know the situation of the "Nine Exhibition Hall" a few days in advance, so everyone spent almost all of these days in City K studying the New Year paintings.

"I'm really afraid that we will enter that classic New Year painting..." Wei Dong walked around the crowd in the lobby on the first floor, and couldn't believe that so many visitors could gather on the first day of the new year.

"Brother Dong is talking about the big fat doll connected end to end? Three heads and six arms riding a carp and holding a lotus... the name is "Fish in the Year of the Lotus", right?" Children who are trying cotton tie-dyeing next to the booth.

The lobby on the first floor of the art museum is ingeniously designed in the form of a temple fair, and each booth displays different works of the New Year—paper-cutting, tie-dyeing, cloth paste painting, kites, dough figurines... Every booth is full of people. People, in addition to appreciating and buying these vulgar artworks, people are also eager to try DIY, which makes this "temple fair" more lively.

The ten members walked up the escalator to the third floor, and then they breathed a sigh of relief. They finally avoided the bustling crowd, and the most important thing was the children.

The "Nine Exhibition Hall" is right in front of you. The exhibition hall doesn't even have a gate, and only a huge New Year painting of Shentu Yulei stands at the entrance as a big screen.

Looking at the two majestic door gods on the New Year picture, the visitors can't help feeling a sense of insignificance and security.

Standing at the door, Ke Xun saw a lady in a wheelchair about to enter the exhibition hall, and hurriedly pushed the lady's wheelchair away from the door.

The lady in the wheelchair did not show a panicked expression, but looked at Ke Xun calmly, and politely asked the other party why he did this—yes, just the eyes were very polite.

Ke Xun's explanation: "We just came out of this exhibition hall. The decoration smell inside is very strong, and the smell of formaldehyde is very choking. It is not suitable for visiting."

"Thank you." The lady nodded slightly.

"Is it convenient for you? Do you need me to push you to another exhibition hall?" Ke Xun asked.

"My wheelchair is fully functional, thank you." After greeting the lady, she turned the car freely and went in another direction.

Ke Xun heaved a sigh of relief. If this lady with handicapped legs were to be included in the painting, the consequences would be dire.

The companions were accustomed to Ke Xun's behavior at this time, and they all stood at the door waiting for him tacitly.

Although everyone is full of curiosity about the paintings in the exhibition hall, they all know in their hearts that no matter how well prepared they are, it is impossible for those who enter the painting to guess the painting that they are about to enter.

After 10 people stood still in front of the exhibition hall, they walked in in twos and threes.

"Everyone must have seen it just now. There is a huge door god painting at the entrance of our exhibition hall. The reason why such a painting is placed in a conspicuous place has a certain meaning." A man's voice sounded in the exhibition hall.

Wei Dong looked at the group of people gathered together in the exhibition hall: "I didn't expect there to be a group to visit... I have been to so many art museums, and I saw a tour guide for the first time..."

"Brother Dong, that's the commentator." Gu Qingqing corrected in a low voice.

Weidong looked at the middle-aged tour guide in the crowd, no, the middle-aged narrator, a flash of light flashed in his mind: "If we ask this person, is there any special New Year picture in this exhibition hall, will it be helpful to us?" Woolen cloth?"

"It's hard to say." Shao Ling expressed pessimism first. "In terms of meaning, every painting has its meaning. The paintings we have experienced before, sometimes just looking at the picture, there is nothing very special about it."

"It's true," Wei Dong's eyes wandered between the colorful New Year pictures, "We can't just ask people which author has passed away..."

"I don't think you need to ask this question, the label here puts the name of the deceased author in a box." Gu Qingqing said from the side.

Luo Yan looked at the paintings one by one, probably a little surprised: "Why... why are they all in square boxes... Could it be that these authors have already..."

Shao Ling's expression is still calm: "Those in the box are the names of the woodblock producers of the woodblock New Year pictures. Most of the New Year pictures displayed here have a certain history. Look at this picture of 'Kylin Sending a Child'. The plate making time is In 1907, the master plate maker must have passed away long ago, and this piece of "Lee Shi Xian Guan" was made in 1931, even if the master plate maker is still alive, he is still a centenarian."

"Looking at it this way, today's New Year paintings are all antiques," Luo Xie stared at each New Year picture. These auspicious and bright colors seemed a bit strange under the premise of "into painting". "Zhong Kui Guanjing" shivered in fright, and turned his gaze to his companions, "This exhibition hall is very large, and there are at least thirty or so people in that group over there, and there may be more people coming in later."

The large number of people in the exhibition hall proves that it is safe for the time being, at least the event of entering the painting will not happen immediately.

"You don't need to look at the New Year pictures that you have known before, and focus on the unfamiliar patterns." Mu Yiran, who hadn't spoken for a long time, finally spoke.

Everyone understood it, so they looked for unfamiliar New Year pictures to study.

The exhibition hall was relatively quiet at this time, and the voice of the explainer was clearly transmitted to the ears of every exhibitor: "This kind of large sheet with gold powder is called 'Golden Palace Point', and there are three sheets of paper. It's called 'Jin Sancai', and the piece of 'Fu Lu Shou' we see now belongs to 'Golden Sancai' according to its type."

Soon a studious visitor asked: "Mr. Hua, you just mentioned the difference between the green version and the autumn version. I see that this piece of 'Fu Lu Shou' is marked as the green version. You just said the green version It is a work before June, is it because the New Year's goods are very popular at the end of the year, and I am afraid that I will not be able to catch up with the work in autumn, so I printed it in advance in spring?"

The guide smiled and said patiently: "Everyone may be a little fuzzy about the concept of New Year pictures, thinking that New Year pictures are only posted during the New Year, but it is not. According to the purpose of New Year pictures, New Year pictures can be divided into many categories. For example, Xihua, which is also a kind of New Year painting, is a festive painting used to congratulate newlyweds; another example is fan painting, which is a supplementary product for the off-season New Year painting business in summer; The lantern screen paintings used during the Lantern Festival are all New Year pictures. Take the "Fu Lu Shou" picture in front of me as an example. This is a New Year picture for celebrating birthdays, and it is usually used by the elderly to set off a festive atmosphere when celebrating their birthdays."

The visitors listened very carefully and felt that they had gained a lot of knowledge.

Luo Wei said in a low voice: "Why do I feel that I have searched the New Year pictures materials for a long time these days, and all the research is in vain... This teacher is talking about new knowledge..."

Mu Yiran's expression was slightly unnatural, and after they exchanged glances with Ke Xun, the two gradually blended into the crowd.

"My brother and my brother-in-law are..." Luo Kuo was puzzled.

Gu Qingqing and Wu You didn't quite understand for a while, Qin Ci said to everyone in a low voice: "Do you feel that this commentator is a bit like a 'chosen man'."

Several people were slightly shocked when they heard this. Although this guess is a bit cruel, Mr. Hua, who is in charge of explaining it, is really suitable to enter the painting with the theme of New Year pictures...

"Thinking about it this way, this person's surname is also quite weird. Why is the surname Hua?" Luo Yu really wanted to ask the other party if it was a single name.

Gu Qingqing couldn't help correcting: "It should be Huashan Hua."

For the rest of the time, everyone no longer analyzed the matter, but raced against time to study the New Year pictures in the exhibition hall.

After about half an hour, the group of visitors left slowly. As the guide, Mr. Hua walked to the door with everyone, and then he didn't intend to move any more.

Ke Xun, who was following in the crowd, stopped: "You... aren't you in charge of this visiting team?"

Mr. Hua smiled: "I am in charge of the exhibition hall of New Year pictures. If you have any questions about the exhibits, you can come and ask me."

Ke Xun had to sigh sadly in his heart: It is simply a fate destined by heaven...

"It is a great blessing for today's visitors that Director Hua can personally come to be the guide." Mu Yiran said politely.

curator?Only then did Ke Xun carefully look at the name tag on Mr. Hua's chest, which read: Hua Jiqiu, Deputy Director of K City Folk Museum.

This person looks to be 40 years old at most, and he has already taken the position of deputy curator.Judging from his explanation just now, he should have a lot of folklore knowledge.

Hua Jiqiu smiled modestly: "Everyone can come to visit our museum during the special festival of the first day of the Lunar New Year. Hua is very touched."

Ke Xun looked at Hua Jiqiu with some pity, but considering the work content of the other party today, I am afraid there is no reason to persuade him to leave this exhibition hall.

"May I ask Director Hua, among the New Year pictures displayed in this exhibition hall today, are there any New Year pictures with special significance?" Mu Yiran asked.

Hua Jiqiu thought for a while: "If you look at the price, there are indeed a few more precious ones, such as the huge door god picture at the door, which is a woodblock made of two whole pieces of wood, and has been collected by a collector. It was collected at a high price; in addition, the row of New Year pictures with gold powder on the inner side of the exhibition hall, whether Gongjian or Sancai, the gold powder used is real gold, so it is also expensive."

"What if it is based on historical significance or other perspectives?" Mu Yiran directly asked what he wanted to ask.

Hua Jiqiu fell into deep thought, his eyes brightened slightly: "There is indeed a unique New Year picture, you follow me."