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墨書 Inktalez
Leaving the Chen Family Old Residence, Qin Yaru felt a sense of relief inside, even though it didn't show on her face. The rain outside was pouring, and she had no desire to go out, so she sat by the window with Da Lang.
Da Lang was sitting at the table tracing characters, while Qin Yaru, rarely in the mood, spread out some paper, ground ink, and prepared to paint the rainy scene outside.
Her painting skills were not particularly good; they were just passable. Such refined activities require talent, and Qin Yaru's talent was quite average. If it weren't for the loneliness she experienced during her time at County Horse Manor, with nothing much to do, she would have spent her idle time reading and painting. The paintings she created back then would probably not be fit to show to anyone.
Yet she had a passion for painting. Back when the Qin Family had not yet fallen from grace, her father and older brother were both around, and the family often gathered together to appreciate famous paintings. When the mood struck, her father would even try his hand at copying them. Qin Yizhi's copies of masterpieces could sell for at least five hundred coins each in art shops, sometimes even being more praised than the originals.
After years of exposure, while Qin Yaru's practical skills were not strong, her appreciation skills were quite remarkable.
Though she had not bathed in incense, Qin Yaru still washed her hands clean and focused her mind before starting to paint. Although her father loved his children dearly, he was very strict in their upbringing. If they approached tasks carelessly, they would inevitably face family discipline. Therefore, whenever she engaged in serious work, she did so earnestly and never took it lightly.
The misty rain fell onto the paper, bringing a hint of coolness into her painting.
She remembered complaining to Gao Feng about her poor painting skills back then. Gao Feng had laughed and said, "There's no such thing as doing something poorly; it all depends on how hard you work."
That person might have just been saying it casually to cheer her up, but Qin Yaru took it to heart and put in great effort. From then on, whenever she had free time, she would pick up her brush to paint—sunny days painted sunny scenes and rainy days painted rainy scenes—practicing diligently. She even followed Gao Feng around everywhere; aside from his surgical tools and medicine kit, he was often accompanied by her painting supplies.
After all these years, however, her paintings still weren't top-notch.
According to those masters' standards, while her technique was proficient, it lacked spirit. Qin Yaru didn't understand what spirit meant, but she knew that Gao Feng's casual doodles attracted more attention from connoisseurs than her serious efforts did.
At that time, she realized that such distinctions truly existed in the world; there was no denying it!
Of course, that person's energy could not be solely devoted to painting. Even if he had a higher talent level than hers, when it came to painting skills, he ultimately could not be compared with her.
The man learned to paint simply because she, Qin Yaru, liked it.
For some reason, perhaps due to Chen Wenyue's appearance, her emotions became increasingly unsettled. In recent days, she often thought of Gao Feng but dared not think too deeply.
She couldn't bear to contemplate whether he was alive or dead after that day of the explosion, nor could she think about the fact that they had not had the chance to meet again.
Qin Yaru understood in her heart that the hope of meeting again was extremely slim. Although that person wanted to hold onto her tightly, she knew better than anyone the cruelty of fate... The occurrence of such a crossing was already a low probability event; how could there be a second chance?
"Is Consort Qin here?"
The sudden shout jolted Qin Yaru out of her reverie.
"What do you want with Consort Qin?" Before Qin Yaru could respond, three cautious voices rang out from outside, leaving her momentarily stunned.
Wang was worried about the safety of Qin Yaru and her child being outside, so she specifically had her husband notify those idle people in the area not to disturb Consort Qin's peace.
In this market area, the most powerful figure was Lai San. Since Consort Qin had saved his brother's life, upon hearing it was for Consort Qin, he didn't need Xu Meng to explain further. He immediately brought people to sweep through Shunlai Inn and its surroundings, even sending a few well-dressed subordinates to the main hall of Shunlai Inn to eat and drink.
The shopkeeper of Shunlai Inn felt a bit uneasy. However, Xu Meng was an officer from the yamen, and merchants were most afraid of offending someone from the official authorities. Moreover, Consort Qin appeared gentle and approachable; these ruffians didn't seem particularly vicious and were unlikely to skip out on paying. The business at his inn improved somewhat because of this, so the shopkeeper relaxed and chose not to concern himself too much.
Zhao Yitan, Deputy Chief Zhao, learned that Consort Qin was staying at Shunlai Inn and hurried over. However, as soon as he opened his mouth to inquire, so many people responded that he frowned slightly, feeling even more displeased. Nevertheless, having spent many years in the Wangfu, he maintained a calm demeanor and put on a gentle expression as he smiled and said, "I am in charge at Xiangyang Wangfu. May I ask if Consort Qin from Chen Family Village is residing here?"
With that, Zhao Yitan took a step forward, intending to bypass these people and ascend the stairs.
Lai San looked Zhao Yitan up and down a few times. He was a rough man, stubborn and not understanding of the subtleties, simply blocking Zhao Yitan's path with his robust body, and said in a deep voice, "I don't care if you are the steward of the Wangfu or the son of the Marquisate. Consort Qin is a woman; my elder brother instructed me that if she is unwilling, anyone who comes will be stopped. We cannot disturb Consort Qin's peace!"
Blocked at the stairway, Zhao Yitan's face twitched a few times in anger, and his expression turned sour. After all, he was the deputy steward of the Wangfu; even in Kaifeng, there were not many who would disrespect him. Now, in this rural place, being humiliated by a ruffian was intolerable. He pulled a long face and coldly said, "You bunch of rascals better not overstep your bounds. If you provoke me, I will make sure you eat prison food for the rest of your lives!"
A few people nearby burst into laughter. Although they were dressed decently, they were not well-mannered at heart. Some reached out to pinch Zhao Yitan's plump body and laughed, "Eating prison food sounds good! We are all suffering from famine; if the chief steward is willing to provide food, we would gladly eat anything."
Zhao Yitan's face turned dark with anger. He immediately turned around and shouted at the few guards standing outside like wooden statues, "Are you blind? Why haven't you taken these people down yet?"
The guards frowned, seemingly reluctant but unwilling to go against Zhao Yitan. They stepped forward together. The shopkeeper of Shunlai Inn turned pale with fear and pleaded, "Please don't start a fight! This business—if my establishment gets damaged, it would be terrible!"
Downstairs was noisy. Qin Yaru put down her brush and led Da Lang to push open the door, whispering, "You really don't know what you're doing. This gentleman is the Chief Steward of Xiangyang Wangfu; provoking him will have serious consequences!"
Lai San had intended to say something more but suddenly noticed a figure, and his expression changed instantly as he forced a smile, "Consort Qin, whatever you say goes. Brothers, let's withdraw."
With that signal, several people quickly dispersed, even bumping into the deputy steward and causing him to stumble. The guards paid no attention to it.
Qin Yaru's gaze shifted slightly—apparently, even the Gentle Blue Princess had her own troubles; her subordinates were not very reliable either.
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