Chapter 7, Appreciation of Paintings

"My lady, is this acceptable?" The one asking was Ling'er. Her words were no more than those of Xiang'er. It was not that she was disloyal to Ji Yingying. However, as her life contract was in the hands of the Ji family, and they required her to act as a spy, she could only speak the truth.

At that moment, hearing the gate between the courtyards being knocked loudly, Ji Yingying immediately recognized it was her brother. She placed the needle on the embroidery frame and joyfully ran out.

The value of clothing is elevated by embroidery, and silk and satin, enhanced by the skill of five colors and adorned with delicate stitches, truly reveal their preciousness. When paired with brocade, it brings forth a blossoming beauty upon the fabric.

My younger sister is at a blossoming age. Her face is fair and free of blemishes, radiating a healthy flush without the need for makeup. The soft downy hair at her ears resembles the tender peaches on a branch, so fresh and juicy that one can't help but want to take a bite.

The two girls looked at the painting in surprise, but were glared at by Ji Yaoting, who waved his hand to dismiss them.

"Ji Yaoting spoke passionately, and inadvertently turned around to see his sister with tears streaming down her face, which made his heart ache. He gently pulled his sister into his embrace, softly patting her back, at a loss for words in that moment

Ji Yingying's embroidery room occupied the west side room of the main house. Ever since she and Zhao Xiuyuan began to gaze at each other across the street, Ji Yingying's desire to cross the courtyard became more urgent than ever. Aside from eating and resting, three embroidery frames were set up in the room, and Ji Yingying, along with Ling'er and Xiang'er, happily worked with their needles.

The Zhao family is busy with the matter of fighting for the brocade...

"Alright." Ji Yaoting responded, letting out a chuckle. Look, this is his sister; she would never go to such lengths for a man who cannot marry her.

Ji Yingying instinctively shrank back. Based on her understanding of her brother, he would not call her by her name unless it was a difficult matter. Usually, he would say things like "sister," "little sister," or "my dear sister." She raised her chin proudly and said, "I swore in front of mother that I would not enter the dyeing workshop and would not dye anything. You should not come to me for advice. I do not want to be confined at home by mother all the time"

The lady's words are indeed reasonable. Ling'er felt at ease and continued to focus intently on her embroidery work with her head lowered

"Brother, I miss you so much! You haven't come to see me these past few days, I'm about to suffocate from boredom!" Ji Yingying complained, pulling Ji Yaoting to sit on the bamboo chair under the yellow cassia tree, and called out to the embroidery room, "Xiang'er, bring a pot of tea!"

Ji Yaoting strode over, pulling his sister's arm as they approached the first painting: "The young master of Shengji Wood Workshop in Yizhou Prefecture. You know Shengji, right? Their furniture is reputed to last a hundred years. Last year at the Doujin market, you had your eye on a complete set of mahogany dressing boxes, with the larger ones nesting the smaller ones, nine pieces in one box, intricately inlaid with silver threads. You even said you wanted to save up your private funds to buy it. Do you remember? Shengda Lang is seventeen this year, very skilled with his hands. Look at him, he looks quite refined, doesn't he? The most important thing is that he has only two younger sisters, both of whom are already engaged. No one is competing with him for the family fortune. His good temper is well-known among the neighbors. You absolutely cannot bully him and * picture * book you.

It is a proper matter for an unmarried daughter to engage in needlework. In the Tang Dynasty, it was also quite common for daughters to make pouches for their suitors. This aligns perfectly with the saying, "Casually interrupting the embroidery work, I laugh and ask how to write the two characters for mandarin ducks."

In a few days, it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival, and my mother will allow me to go to Huanhua Creek to release lanterns. I will wait for him at the Sending Immortal Bridge. " After finishing her words, Ji Yingying glared at Ji Yaoting and said, "If you don't want me to marry him, let him say it to me in person; I will never cling to him!"

English English which ... ...

This painting depicts Zhu Erlang from our Sandao Yan Zhu family dyeing workshop. Don't you like dyeing silk? The daughters of the family cannot learn it, but once they become wives, it is no problem. You have met Zhu Erlang; when you were young, you once kicked him into the water, and he just smiled foolishly at you. Now he is quite tall, even an inch taller than his brother. His friends praise him for being generous and chivalrous. From a young age, it was evident that in front of you, Zhu Erlang only shows his foolish side. He is definitely a simpleton.

The Ji family did not permit Ji Yingying to learn dyeing techniques, yet they encouraged her repeatedly in her embroidery.

Ji Yao Ting had something on his mind, and his gaze towards his sister held a hint of curiosity.

Ji Yaoting became increasingly excited as he spoke. Among these individuals were those who had previously come to propose marriage, such as Zhu Erlang. There were also candidates he had inquired about from various sources. He had indeed invested a significant amount of his private funds to hire a group of idlers to gather information. Not only was the information comprehensive, but he also commissioned artists to carefully create portraits. Each of the families he considered was well-matched with the Ji family, and their appearances and temperaments were all commendable. He even took into account the parents of the potential matches, selecting only those from generous families. Each of the families he considered was well-matched with the Ji family, and their appearances and temperaments were all commendable. He even took into account the parents of the potential matches, selecting only those from generous families

It is better for her to do more embroidery than to just make a fuss, as she can also earn some household money. The Ji family, being widowed, has to manage the household while raising a pair of children, and even the punishments are exceedingly pragmatic.

Really? Ji Yingying always felt that her brother was acting strangely today. She reached out to grab the drawing paper on the table. Ji Yaoting stopped her, saying: "It looks tiring to look at it this way. It's more convenient to hang it up and view it."

What are you doing

What is elder brother going to do

"Close your eyes and do not look. Wait until I am done, then you can turn around and see, understood?" Ji Yaoting picked up the painting and stood up, calling for Xiang'er to bring Ling'er out as well, to help clip the painting onto the clothesline.

After she finished speaking, she turned around and walked into the room. Ji Yaoting opened his mouth but still could not call her back, feeling dejected as he took down the painting.

Ji Yaoting waved at her, surveyed the courtyard, and instructed, "Bring out some bamboo clips."

"Let him say it to me in person." Ji Yingying pushed her brother away. She pressed her lips tightly together, her eyelashes soaked with tears, her expression defiant

How is it? The matriarch of the Zhao family, Zhao Xiuyuan's mother, clearly seems unwilling. Ji Yaoting looked at Ji Yingying, trying to act as if nothing was wrong, but the shyness that showed on her face made it difficult for him to speak: "On the ninth day of the tenth month, the old master Zhao asked for another tapestry to be woven, and he is quite busy."

Ji Yao Ting scratched his head. He had not seen Zhao Xiu Yuan yet

Xiang'er brought out the tea tray and placed it on the wooden table

In the yard, several clotheslines are strung from the trees to the courtyard wall. What does my brother want to do? Ji Yingying looked down and saw the roll of bamboo paper he had placed on the table: "Brother, it can't be that Mother changed her mind and wants me to embroider door curtains or screens, right? I really don't have the time. Mother mentioned ten rolls of scripture, but she didn't say I had to embroider large items. Of course, it's not that I can't embroider; just let me go out."

Ji Yingying's heart seemed to be pricked by a needle, and she shivered slightly

"Brother, are you ready yet?" Ji Yingying truly held back from turning around. She only noticed that Xiang'er and Ling'er had very strange expressions. The two of them bowed to her, their faces flushed, and then hurried into the embroidery room

Ji Yingying took a few steps, then turned to Ji Yaoting and said: "Save it all for me, don't throw it away!"

She had already guessed it would be like this. Damn Zhao Xiuyuan, he didn't even think to tell Zhao Ping to give her a heads-up, making her go to the back mountain for an appointment, and she even encountered a caterpillar. Just wait until he finishes weaving the brocade, and she'll see how to deal with him. Ji Yingying thought to herself, clearly becoming more lively: "Brother, let me see what painting you brought!"

Ji Yaoting takes great pride in his achievements over the past few days. The hard work has indeed been worthwhile

Ji Yingying turned around happily, but was stunned in place. A long row of meticulous paintings hung on the clothesline. Each painting depicted a man, either standing or sitting, with both full-body and portrait representations.

The Heart Sutra has the fewest words, about two hundred. With the help of two maids, it can be completed in less than ten days. The more Ji Yingying thought about it, the more pleased she became. How could she be so clever?

Sister, come here!

Before reaching the gate of the courtyard, I saw the coarse woman guarding the entrance unlock it, and Ji Yaoting entered carrying a large roll of bamboo paper

Ji Yingying let out a sound, finally understanding what her brother had asked Xiang'er to do with the bamboo clip. She held the tea and took a sip, her gaze drifting sideways towards the distant Zhao family, and she vaguely asked: "Brother, how did it go with the matter I asked you to handle that day?"

Ji Yingying also understood that she could not blame Ling'er and certainly could not like her. Upon hearing Ling'er's question, Ji Yingying looked up and glared at her: "The lady said to embroider ten volumes of scriptures, but she did not say that you cannot help with the embroidery, nor did she say that you cannot embroider the Heart Sutra! If you do not want to embroider, just go tell the lady. If I am punished with house arrest, she must keep her word!"

According to the "Comprehensive Records of Arts and Literature in Shu": "The land of Shu is rich and fertile, producing silk and satin, and the people create ice embroidery and other items, which are renowned throughout the world." Before the Western Han Dynasty, Shu embroidery was already famous alongside Shu brocade. Today, it encompasses 12 major categories and 122 diverse and intricate stitching techniques. It is ranked among the four great embroidery styles of China, alongside Su embroidery, Xiang embroidery, and Yue embroidery.

During the Tang Dynasty, the practice of brewing tea became popular. In the lush and picturesque region of Shu, there are numerous tea mountains, and loose tea had already emerged. Ji Yaoting poured two cups of tea and smiled, saying: "I see you are being suspicious. I merely wish to ask for your assistance in appreciating a few fine paintings."

Tears rolled down Ji Yingying's face without warning. She looked up through the branches of the yellow cassia tree towards the Zhao family's vine garden. She could not believe it. She did not believe that Zhao Xiuyuan, who stood there with open arms towards her, would not marry her

In the city of Furong, the rain falls in March, like embroidered needles in April