Chapter 5, What is the meaning of "奈无才何"?

In the spring of Yangzhou, faintly mixed with the southern tide and the northern cold, this time should be considered the most bleak season of Yangzhou. This ancient city with a long history also inevitably appears quiet, with fewer tourists coming and going, without the colorful colors to set off. This famous city has become a ink-wash painting, revealing a kind of elegance in black and white, and presenting a solemnity of the ancient and the present.

Whoever hears Lu Fangqing's suggestion will be pleasantly surprised, willing to do it a thousand or ten thousand times. However, after hearing Lu Fangqing's words, Li Xiufeng and Chen Shuyao had a strange expression on their faces. They looked at their daughter with strange eyes, as if they had seen something extremely abnormal and funny.

Lycium barbarum pulled Lu Fangqing and said, "My father likes talented people the most. Uncle, you are so good at painting. My father will definitely like you."

Looking at Li Xiufeng, Lu Fangqing wanted to speak but hesitated. Unable to resist, Lu Fangqing turned his head to look at Li Qianling, only to see her turn her head away, avoiding eye contact with him. This made Lu Fangqing have a faint sense of unease. He asked, "How is it?"

Uncle ... ....

What did the gentleman say? With the gentleman's talent, it is truly fortunate for me to catch the gentleman's attention. However, I am afraid that I, as a young lady, might offend the gentleman unintentionally...

Mr. please come in quickly, Madam, please prepare tea quickly!

Lixiufeng sighed and said, "If the gentleman values the young lady, it must be the good fortune she accumulated from her past life. However, I'm afraid the gentleman's talent may not be appreciated by the young lady, because she... She simply has no talent for painting at all. Although she enjoys wielding the brush, every stroke she makes is distorted and discontinuous. There is no connection between any of her strokes. She simply cannot earn the gentleman's appreciation."

The thoughts of Li Qianling are simple, without much consideration. As for Lu Fangqing, he has always been accustomed to being alone and unaffected by the leisurely nature of idleness. He has not reacted to this and allows Li Qianling to pull him into the door.

After listening to it several times, I should have gotten used to it. However, I was amazed by the uniqueness of Li Qianling. It was not until now that Lu Fangqing realized that time flies like a knife, and unknowingly, he has also been called "uncle" by others.

With long hair lightly coiled, accompanied by a splendid attire, the elegant and noble lady glanced at her mischievous daughter with displeasure, then gracefully saluted Lu Fangqing and remained silent.

Perplexed by the gift of water chestnut, I decided to ignore it. Feeling proud and excited, I said to my father, "Do you know, Dad? This uncle is really good at painting. I saw him painting a carp by the river, and it looked just like a real one!!"

Lufang Qing hesitated for a moment, but still spoke up: "I am Lufang Qing."

A soft sigh came from behind Li Xiufeng, followed by a melodious and gentle female voice: "A girl, holding a man's hand, running around on the street without caring about her reputation. When will you grow up, my child?"

The water chestnut spat out its tongue, but it was not so afraid anymore, and it seemed to be gently coquettishly calling out, "Mother!!"

Lufangqing calmly returned the greeting and glanced at Li Xianling, who was standing aside looking aggrieved and pouting. He smiled slightly and walked inside while being warmly welcomed by Lixiufeng. He said, "I happened to meet Miss Ling Qianjin by the river earlier. She was playing with carp while I was painting, so I couldn't help but strike up a conversation with her. It was rather presumptuous of me."

Lufangqing shook his head and looked at Li Qianling, who looked even more aggrieved. He couldn't bear it anymore and didn't let Li Xiufeng continue speaking. Instead, he said, "I, Lu, have seen the young lady playing with carp, which shows that she possesses extraordinary talent and a celestial aura. She must be a talented person. Although I, Lu, only possess mediocre skills, I prefer to be a carefree wanderer and not seek fame. However, I hope that someone can inherit my knowledge. If Brother Li is willing, I hope that the young lady can become my proud disciple."

Seeing them suddenly stop talking and make such expressions, Lu Fangqing frowned slightly, as if he had missed something, and asked, "Could it be that Brother Li has any concerns?"

Lixiu Feng reacted and quickly explained, "To be honest, when Xiu Feng came to the capital to take the imperial examination, he had the privilege of meeting the master at a painting studio. Although it was only a brief encounter, the master's superb painting skills made Xiu Feng admire him greatly. Unfortunately, Xiu Feng is not talented enough to have a proper conversation with the master. However, the master's artworks have always been deeply engraved in Xiu Feng's mind and cannot be forgotten. Therefore, when my daughter grew up, I also let her learn painting, but..."

Lufangqing quickly returned the gesture and said, "Brother Zhu is too polite. It was I who came uninvited and caused trouble for you."

Li Xiufeng stood on the corridor, overlooking from a high position. His cold gaze revealed no emotions, only calmly watching Lu Fangqing and Li Qianling.

Li Xianling had never seen her father lose his composure like this before. She was stunned, staring at her mother who also looked puzzled but remained silent.

Seeing Lu Fangqing, who is knowledgeable and courteous, Li Xiufeng felt a slight fondness. Coupled with the familiar feeling that Lu Fangqing gave him, he felt that the previous encounter must have been a misunderstanding. He then asked, "Brother Lu must be a visitor from afar. I am willing to extend the hospitality of the host, but I do not know how to address Brother Lu."

After speaking, under the gesture of Li Xiufeng, Chen Shuyao stepped forward and bowed, saying, "I have seen Mr. Lu."

... ... Li Xiufeng's body suddenly stiffened, somewhat doubting his own ears. At this moment, the hazy sense of familiarity found its answer, but instead made him feel unfamiliar. It wasn't until he reacted that he lost all his previous calm and composure, hurriedly stepping forward and saying, "Xiufeng has met Mr. Lu!!".

Stinging nettle, do not be rude!!Lixiu Feng quickly stopped Li Xunling and respectfully said to Lu Fangqing, "I did not discipline my daughter strictly. Please do not blame her. This is Chen Shuyao, the wife of Xiu Feng."

Although the Li family is not prominent, they are still a well-known literary family in the city of Yangzhou. As a juren, Li Xiufeng is also a well-respected figure in the city, and his simple and approachable demeanor has earned him a good reputation among his neighbors.

In such a city, watching over a figure, for Lu Fangqing, his pursuit and his expectations should be within this ancient city of Yangzhou.

Shaking their heads and laughing, the two suddenly stopped.

Li Xiufeng ignored Li Xianling's reaction. He was elegant and calm, with only a slight doubt in his heart. He felt that the man in front of him had an extraordinary bearing and made him feel a little familiar. He calmly said to Lu Fangqing, "Brother, you are a guest. Please come in and have a cup of tea in the inner room. I apologize for my inadequate hospitality and hope you won't take offense."

That silence made Li Qianling feel oppressed. It took her a while to react, and she quickly let go of Lu Fangqing's hand.

Long heard of Lu Fangqing's name, now seeing the real person, Li Xiufeng is excited and surprised at the same time. Lu Fangqing's paintings are hard to come by, especially for someone like Li Xiufeng, who is even more covetous of Lu Fangqing's works. However, no matter what, he cannot understand why Lu Fangqing would appear in his home and walk with his daughter.

After entering the door, a refreshing breath immediately invigorated Lu Fangqing's spirit. The courtyard is like a forest, with a subtle natural fragrance wafting in the air. The scent of flowers fills the air, and birds fly away in surprise. The bustling street in front of the gate seems like a completely different world.

When Lixianling led a man in his thirties, it immediately attracted the attention of many people. Although the Lifu family is low-key, its reputation is still well-known. The young lady of the Lifu family is at the prime of her life, and anything she does could potentially affect the reputation of the Lifu family. Therefore, it is not surprising that people who saw this scene were stunned.