Legacy of the old dynasty

Chapter 34

It was night, and the two stood on the back wall of the Wu family mansion, looking up in unison.

Wu Xie pointed to the crooked-neck tree in the corner, and said to Zhang Qiling, "That's right there. Climb up to the back of the White Crane Tower. Night watchmen don't pass there."

In the darkness, only Zhang Qiling's chuckle was heard.

Wu Xie immediately realized what he had said, and hurriedly changed his words: "I don't know these things, I heard them from Wang Meng."

Zhang Qiling nodded silently, lowered his head and pinned the corner of his robe to his waist, reached out his hand and climbed up the tree trunk, climbed up in two steps, turned over and jumped onto the top of the wall.Wu Xie looked up from below and sighed in his heart.

Sure enough, it was kung fu practiced since childhood, and the bird eggs in those years were not in vain.

The garden was very quiet, because it was winter, not even the sound of insects chirping.Wu Xie twisted his foot when he landed, and let out a low cry that was especially loud in the dark night.He immediately froze, not daring to move anymore, and then felt that it was ridiculous that he was facing a big enemy.Zhang Qiling had already gone far away, as bright and upright as if he had entered through the main entrance.

Wu Xie smiled wryly, not knowing what he was afraid of.It is true that he has come to be a thief this time, but he is still at his own home after all.

When Zhang Qiling bought the "Summer Picture" by accident, Zhang Qiling glanced at it and lost interest, but it hung in Wu Xie's house all the time.He also inadvertently discovered that the fan-wielding maid on the right side of the painting raised her little finger with her right hand holding the handle of the fan.

When he found this place, he was shocked immediately, the movement of holding the fan was so familiar.

Among his father's generation, his father and third uncle were all people in the world. Although they were born in the generals, but in terms of poetry, calligraphy, calligraphy and painting, the second master of the Wu family was the most respected.When Wu Xie was young, he often followed his second uncle, watching him write and draw.The second uncle is good at painting figures, landscapes, flowers and birds, and pavilions, and he inherited the style of the Southern Song Dynasty.In Wu Xie's view, he is no different from the famous masters of the time, but the second uncle has never paid much attention to fame and wealth, and there are very few people who are lucky enough to see his calligraphy.Ever since Wu Xie's father resigned and returned to his hometown, he has gone out and wandered, and he hasn't returned yet.

He remembered seeing a picture of a lady in his second uncle's study. The woman in the picture was holding a round fan and raised her little finger like this.Since I have never seen the authentic work of "Xia Xia Tu", it is only a coincidence.But now that I think about it, there are indeed many similarities in the strokes of these two paintings.

He told Zhang Qiling about this matter, and sure enough, the man pondered for a while. If "A Picture of Shanghe during the Qingming Festival" is to be reproduced realistically, there must be someone with such skill.If this painting can really be produced, at least one Zhang family can be saved.Now they are desperate, just like the saying goes, "a dead horse is still a living horse doctor", and they have the right to give it a try.

It's just that Wu Xie didn't want to go home anyway, so he dragged him to climb the wall in the middle of the night.He knew it in his heart, but he didn't have a position to point it out, so he had to let him.The garden was still the same, and when I walked around to the White Crane Tower, the lotus on the lake hadn't been cleaned up, so it looked a bit bleak.Bypassing the bamboo forest, his former kiln factory was in front of him. Wu Xie couldn't help feeling sorry for his master now that he didn't know where he was wandering.Before leaving that day, the garden was still full of beautiful flowers, but within half a year, it felt like the sea had changed.

Walking all the way to the inner house, Zhang Qiling finally couldn't help asking him: "Are you really not going in?"

Wu Xie shook his head.What Young Master Wang said was right, without Miss Wang, there would be Miss Wang. This seems to be a huge gap between him and his parents, which cannot be bridged.

Only missing.

Although the second uncle was not there, the house seemed to be cleaned and ventilated frequently.The two entered the room, and Wu Xie found a porcelain lamp on the desk in the dark, but it was a lamp that had run out of oil.There was light behind him, and when he turned his head, Zhang Qiling took out a piece of wax from nowhere and lit it.

For fear of falling dust, a layer of cloth was covered on the bookshelves and antique shelves, and the paintings were rolled up and put away.Now they are piled up in one place, and there are quite a few of them. Wu Xie felt a headache at first glance. If he keeps searching like this, he might not be able to find what he is looking for even at dawn.Helpless, the two discussed it, and no matter what the paintings were, they would take a few away first.

Hastily rolled up a few paintings, Wu Xie thought of the "Summer Picture" hanging in his room again, so he wanted to fetch it again.The two walked along the corridor to the depths of the house.Because the second uncle likes to be quiet, the study is also close to the garden, and there are few people walking around, but Wu Xie lives in the inner courtyard, and the two of them are afraid of disturbing others, so they are more careful.

Turning around the corridor, there is another corner door.This time there were no trees around.Wu Xie climbed over the wall, and helplessly said to Zhang Qiling at the bottom of the wall: "It is said in the scriptures that the son and the beautiful woman met under the moon, and that's why he climbed the wall like this..."

"You watch too many plays."

"That's natural," Wu Xie answered, and immediately remembered something, and quickly changed his words, "Where...where, I listened to others..."

Unexpectedly, Zhang Qiling unexpectedly did not have a cold face this time, but instead said: "Oh? Then tell me about it."

Wu Xie wisely closed his mouth.

Seeing her own room, Wu Xie turned her head and said to Zhang Qiling, "Just wait for me", and opened the door.The door creaked softly, and he frowned before taking a step into the room, when a black shadow suddenly popped up on the bed by the window in the outer room, and shouted at him tremblingly, "What..."

Before the third word could be uttered, the man's mouth was blocked by Zhang Qiling who rushed up in an instant, leaving only whimpering.Wu Xie was taken aback, and subconsciously took a big step back, hitting the door with a "bang", causing him another low cry in pain.Then only listening to the other end, Zhang Qiling asked in a low voice, "Wang Meng?"

Wu Xie leaped up, and after a closer look, the unlucky ghost who was almost suffocated by Zhang Qiling was not Wang Meng.

Wang Meng was quite frightened just now, thinking that he had encountered a bandit who was robbing his house, he was covered by the bandit just as he yelled, and almost lost his breath.Fortunately, the man let go of his hand, and he recognized it as soon as he spoke, it turned out to be Mr. Zhang and his young master.I couldn't help but start to slander immediately, it's all right, why do you want to sneak in in the middle of the night to scare people.

I haven't seen you for a few months, but the young master has a good temper, and he asked him when he came up: "Why do you live here! It made me jump!"

Wang Meng rolled his eyes, and said aggrievedly, "Master, have you forgotten? I've always lived here."

"I know, but I'm not at the house, what are you doing here!"

Wang Meng was even more aggrieved: "My wife asked me to live here, saying that I don't know when you will come back, and it's troublesome to move around..."

Wu Xie waved her hands indiscriminately, and said, "Don't hesitate to move your wife out! It's your fault that you scare people in the middle of the night!"

Wang Meng was completely speechless, and turned to Zhang Qiling who was on the side with a mournful face: "Master Zhang, look at my young master, is he so unreasonable?"

Mr. Zhang stood by and watched without saying a word.

Wu Xie slapped him on the head, and said: "You have become more and more courageous recently, and you will call in rescuers... Very good, I will deal with you later..." As he said, he handed over Wang Meng's bed in front of Wang Meng's bed. The lights were on.

As soon as the room was lit up, Zhang Qiling was looking at him with a smile that was not a smile.He touched his face, lowered his head and walked into the inner room, and heard Wang Meng muttering behind him: "This is not what Mr. Zhang taught you in the past..."

Wu Xie came back with a sharp look, and Wang Meng immediately fell silent.

Before Wang Meng put on his shoes, his son rushed back like a whirlwind, grabbed his sleeve and asked, "Where are the paintings in my room?"

"What painting?" Wang Meng was still confused.

Wu Xie patted his thigh: ""Summer Breaking Picture"! It's hanging on the east wall!"

Wang Meng curled his lips and said, "Master, you are so confused. It's the depths of winter, so what's the use of summer! Naturally, it's put away."

"Where did it go?" Zhang Qiling asked.

Wang Meng lowered his head and thought for a while, then said, "Maybe it's stored in the warehouse... ah... what are you doing, young master, by pinching me!"

Wu Xie withdrew her hand, and said bitterly: "I want to strangle you to death. Why bother with that painting! Go find it for me."

Wang Meng was really about to cry: "My ancestor, take a look at what time it is now, and I don't have a key, so it's not embarrassing me..."

Wu Xie was silent for a while, then said: "Is the key in your father's place? You will open a warehouse for me to pick up paintings tomorrow and send them to my little brother's house. Remember?"

Wang Meng seemed to realize something at this time, and was a little incoherent in surprise: "Master, you are not going home... You came back so late... Didn't you come back to sleep?"

Wu Xie nodded silently.After a long while, he said: "Don't tell anyone about this tonight. I have something important to do now and I can't go home. I will come back naturally when the matter is over. I need to use that painting urgently. You can get it for me tomorrow no matter what. Where is your father? Think about it." After a pause, he continued, "Especially my father, my mother, and your mother, don't talk about it."

Wang Meng saw that he suddenly accepted the joke and said these words with a serious face. Although he didn't understand, he could only nod in response. It took him a long time to realize, and asked, "Master, you...are you living in Mr. Zhang's house now?"

Wu Xie nodded.

Wang Meng looked at the two of them, but said nothing.

He said he wanted to leave, but Wu Xie babbled with Wang Meng for a long time, asking about everything in the house, from his father's leg problems that he suffered in winter, to the green hair he raised in the garden. Turtle, in the end it was Wang Meng who said that if he didn't leave, it would be dawn, and Wu Xie got up.

Fortunately, Wang Meng had the corner door key with him, so they didn't have to climb the wall to go back.

However, I haven't seen him for half a year, but Wang Meng's affairs are obviously neat.Before it was dark on the second day, Wang Meng came to Zhang's mansion, and besides the "Picture of Dissipating Summer", he also packed a burden.

When Wu Xie saw it at first sight, he asked, "You are carrying a bundle. Could it be that you are here to join me?"

Wang Meng looked at him with an unteachable sad expression, and said: "I just packed a few clothes for you, and those odds and ends that you keep at home as treasures. You don't want me to take them back."

As soon as Wu Xie heard it, he immediately rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

Zhang Qiling took the painting, displayed it on the table and looked at it carefully again.Seeing his solemn expression, Wang Meng didn't dare to talk nonsense, so he stood aside and followed him, but he couldn't see any way, and soon felt dull.Seeing Wu Xie huddled in the corner and fiddled with his things, he also slowly moved over.

The villain Anu carved for him back then, a rubbing of a Tang stele given to him by his third uncle, and a small bottle left for him by Master Qi are said to be treasures from official kilns in the Northern Song Dynasty.The rest are the things my brother bought for him when he came back from going out these years, a small telescope, a few pieces of jade with leather, a fan, the orchid and bamboo fan painted by Wen Zhengming... Wu Xie rubbed it over again , took out the frozen stone seal from his bosom, and placed it solemnly in the middle.After thinking about it and feeling inappropriate, he took the seal back into his arms.

Wang Meng said at the side: "The things are entrusted to you, now you can keep them by yourself."

Hearing that there was something in his words, Wu Xie couldn't help raising his head and asked, "Then what are you doing?"

It's okay if you don't ask, but Wang Meng blushed before he could answer this question, and said falteringly, "I... am getting married."

Wu Xie was overjoyed at once: "You...whose girl are you going to marry, why didn't you tell me in advance..." After thinking about it again, his voice lowered, "You really should get married..."

"Young master..." Wang Meng was full of words, and he didn't know where to start, "I am the son of the Wu family, and I landed in the Wu family. Although I am a servant, I have played with the young master since I was a child. It is true that I have not suffered any grievances. Now my wife has a bodhisattva heart. She said that my parents have lived in the Wu family all their lives, and that happy events should be carefully arranged. They specially set up a yard on the East Street for my family to move in after we get married. , I'm afraid I won't be able to serve the young master again..." After speaking, there were tears.

Here, Wu Xie thinks that the two of them grew up together when they were young, and they even robbed their mother's milk. It is common for them to be beaten and kneel in the ancestral hall when they get into trouble. It was swollen two feet high, and Wang Meng helped to write the words, but the husband found out and beat them again, and even the younger brother didn't take care of them.Now, Wang Meng is getting married.My heart was filled with emotion and regret all of a sudden.Immediately he stood up and touched his whole body, but unfortunately he didn't have anything long on him, so there was nothing he could give him as a congratulatory gift.

As a result, Zhang Qiling took off the jade pendant he was carrying and handed it over.

Wang Meng was taken aback, and he was at a loss for words: "Master Zhang...this...is too precious," he looked at Wu Xie again, shaking his head like a rattle, "I can't accept...young master..."

Zhang Qiling moved forward and handed it again, saying: "A little heart."

Wu Xie took it and stuffed it into Wang Meng's arms, saying: "It's always a question of whether it's expensive or not. If you don't accept it, you really don't recognize me as a baby brother."

Seeing his appearance, Wang Meng had no choice but to put him in his arms.After thinking about it, he said, "Young master, don't blame me for being wordy. If you are done with urgent matters, go home. Madam is thinking about it every day..."

Wu Xie nodded silently.