After lunch, Zhou Kefa borrowed an old bamboo hat from Luo Hanyan. He did not hitch the carriage, but led the good horse without a saddle and bridle, and prepared to go to Dongyin County with Mr. Xun. Luo Hanyan was puzzled. The sun was shining brightly, so how could he use a rain hat? Could it be that this old gentleman had some astronomical skills? But when asked about this, Zhou Kefa just shook his head and laughed at himself, saying how could a poor man from a remote country know such magical powers. The woman didn't know why, but she still lent the bamboo hat to Mr. Zhou.
Zhou Kefa's riding skills are excellent. Even without a saddle and a halter, he can still pull the horse's mane lightly and control it as steadily as a mountain. But Xun Yuantuo was not so calm. His riding skills were poor, and he had never ridden such a bare-backed horse before. In an instant, he didn't know where to move his hands and feet, and he was very embarrassed. He happened to be spotted by the two girls playing in the courtyard, and he was afraid of being angered by the richly dressed young man, so he had no choice but to purse his lips and try his best to look serious.
Under the guidance of his husband, Mr. Xun took a long time to sit the horse firmly. He accidentally caught a glimpse of the funny expressions of the two girls, ignored them, and sat up straight on his horse to go out.
Luo Hanyan just walked out of the backyard, holding the washed wild vegetables in his hands, and tiredly wiped the sweat off his face. The common name of this wild vegetable is Maojin. It looks similar to wild grass, but its rhizomes are covered with velvet. It is extremely difficult to clean and difficult to store once picked. It happens to be midsummer, and if the tiny fuzz on this brocade rubs against the skin, it will cause severe itching, so few people pick it. It is precisely because of all these that the market price of this brocade has skyrocketed. The wealthy families in Dongyin County are used to eating chicken, duck and minced meat, and they are always looking for a change of taste. So they always go to the market to sell it, and they can always make money. A few coppers to make ends meet.
Otherwise, this family of three would have starved to death on the streets.
After scratching her unbearably itchy arm, the woman heard the two girls laughing and was puzzled, so she suddenly raised her head.
At the door, I saw Mr. Xun sitting upright on his horse, turning around for some reason, baring his teeth and making a face at the two girls.
The warm sunlight slowly came from behind the young master, making him feel like a fairy in the sky.
"You can teach me," Mr. Zhou said with a smile.
The two walked in tandem through the official road. The sound of horse hooves was clear and sweet, stirring up the birds that were hiding in the grass on the roadside to avoid the scorching sun.
"The teacher taught well."
"If you don't learn well at a young age, why should you learn to be so flattering?"
"From the bottom of my heart." Mr. Xun also had a smile on his face.
"Do you remember the four treasures I told you to bring with you earlier?" "Of course."
Dongyin County is the largest city nearby, and its size is not just a fraction of that of Qingchai, but several times larger than the latter. The name Dongyin can be traced back to before the founding of the Qi Dynasty. This place is located on the choke point from west to east. The terrain is quite high, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack in wartime.
The chief military attaché in the DPRK once said that if most of the troops and horses came from the west of Shiwanshan Mountain to invade, even if they were several times the number of defenders in the city, there would be blood flowing under the city. From this we can know one or two of the dangers of danger.
It's like a tiger's mouth during war, but during peacetime, there is an endless stream of people, and the long streets and alleys are busy, making it a prosperous scene. At present, the two of them rode straight into the city without being interrogated by the defenders at the gate, and without being blocked.
The affluence in the city was indeed beyond expectation. Even though Xun Yuantuo was well-informed, he could not help but sigh.
The houses are scattered, the buildings are stacked one after another, and most of the pedestrians on the road are well-dressed. Although not all of them are wearing gold and silver, when viewed equally, they are generally richer than Qingchai. Even in the hottest season of midsummer, the street is still bustling with people selling herbal tea and selling all kinds of food for money. The whole long street is very lively. There are also many officials, wealthy businessmen, and their children, who are accompanied by maids and servants. They talk loudly in small groups, and their jade fingers shine brightly, giving them a very literati style. The entire Dongyin County is like Qingchai, no matter how rich it is.
The two came to a tea stall, tied up their horses to the stall owner, ordered two bowls of tea soup from the stall owner, and picked a seat anywhere to sit down.
"Yuantuo, get the four treasures of the study from your package." Mr. Zhou sipped the tea lightly, feeling very comfortable. People in Rigao are thirsty for tea. A bowl of herbal tea in midsummer can really make your internal organs feel soothed and refreshing.
After Xun Yuan finished rubbing the ink, the old man spread out the rice paper and wrote several lines of handwriting on the rice paper with a big stroke of his pen.
When passersby saw this scene, many people gathered to carefully comment on the quality of the writing. After all, writing and writing on the streets of Dongyin City requires a state of mind that is not something ordinary people have.
It would be fine if the calligraphy is excellent, but if the penmanship is poor, you will inevitably be ridiculed by discerning passers-by to arrange a few sentences. Losing face in public is even more humiliating for a literati than receiving a few beatings. People often run away from the library with their faces flushed with shame. Most of them say that their writing skills are weak, they have no calligraphy style, or they only know how to copy blindly, but they just hit the mark.
It has to be said that Qi Di's writing style was really popular for a while, and any pedestrian who picked it out would be able to make a very penetrating and pertinent comment on the quality of the writing.
When Zhou Kefa started writing, four or five pedestrians dressed as scribes came up to look at the old gentleman's writing. Experts can often tell the roughness of a person's writing skills when he writes, but what these people are looking at is not the gesture of writing, but looking at the brush.
The scribe in front of the head murmured in a low voice: "Look at the texture of the pen and the fullness of the ink on the pen tip. Ninety-nine percent of it is a pen."
There was a shorter scribe next to him who looked at it carefully and said, "It's true, even Zhang Shengxuan is very particular. Judging from the color alone, I'm afraid it's the work of a famous person in the capital. I didn't expect this man who looks simple in clothes." Sir, my family is very wealthy."
Na'an brushes come from Na'an, the capital city, but not all brushes that come from Na'an can be called Na'an brushes. They must refer to the six arts residences. It is rumored that the imperial brushes used in the palace were also purchased from Liuyiju. The weight is similar to the tributes. It has been popular for decades and has not seen any decline. It is difficult for peers to match it.
This Na brush is the most valuable among folk brushes. It is made from catching an autumn rabbit from the barren mountains and using a few hard hairs on its back to make the tip of the brush. Only then can it be called sharp and round. The inscription and writing are strong and strong, with the folded edge and side pecks yet still full and round. From this, we can see that this writing style is exquisite and has attracted countless literati to pursue it.
The two are also well-known calligraphers in Dongyin City. The shorter one is named Hua Qing, and the other is Qiao Daoquan. With these two people here, no one around them said a word, waiting for their comments.
