After breakfast the next morning, Shen Luzhu handed his fat son to Chu Yi and hid in the house to draw sketches.
In half the morning, she drew and sold all the six stories she and Chu Yi selected together last night. After showing them to everyone in the Chu family, Shen Luzhu made some slight modifications.
After that, all these paintings were transcribed on the coffin. It took five full days. This custom-made green sandalwood four-corner painting longevity hall was finally completed.
The whole body is made of four thick green sandalwood. The coffin body retains the green and yellowish brown color of the green sandalwood itself. The coffin lid is painted with a huge picture of cranes and auspicious clouds, and in the middle is a gold-plated dedication word, black and white. The cranes are flying around it, surrounded by some blue-white auspicious clouds.
There are two pictures on each side of the coffin, and one on each end of the coffin. There are six pictures in total based on the well-known stories of the six filial sons in Daqian. They are either black and white or colored lines, and are painted on a yellow-brown board. Stretching and spreading, it is like opening a picture album that has gone through many years of vicissitudes but is still well-preserved.
After the coffin was finished, the young couple liked it very much. After some discussion, they placed the coffin in their shop. Although they had already decided on a home, it was still okay to display it in the shop.
Three days later, Sun Zhang sent someone to take away the coffin. The leader was a master craftsman from the Sun family's coffin workshop. He had seen many exquisite coffins in the Sun family over the years, but when he first saw this green sandalwood coffin, When Mu Sijiao was drawing the longevity pavilion, I was amazed by the ideas and craftsmanship of Chu Yi and his wife.
Before the old master went out, Sun Zhang had told him: "If you think your work is not bad, give me more money, make a good relationship, and then quietly move to another courtyard. When I have time, I will go and have a look. If it is neither fish nor fowl." Then just give me some less silver and just take it to a deserted place and burn it."
So when faced with Chu Yi's request for twenty taels, the old master handed over fifty taels directly. Facing Chu Yi's astonished expression, he only said: "My master is very satisfied with this coffin. The extra ones are for the boss." Please don’t waste your hard-earned money.”
Seeing that the other party was sincere and not pretending to be flattery, nor did he mean to be contemptuous. It seemed that he was really satisfied with the coffin. Chu Yi did not make any excuses. After thanking the other party, he handed over the fifty-tael silver note. The tickets were collected.
Sun Zhang specially sent this old master who rarely appeared in public, and chose to pick it up in the evening when the shop was about to close, just because he didn't want anyone to know that he had bought a coffin from Chuji.
But despite all calculations, he was defeated by God's will. As soon as the old master and his team carried the coffin and walked down the steps in front of Chu's shop, they met Ding An, who had come to visit with Yaya after getting off work.
Ding An, as the county government's chief catcher, has naturally mastered the skill of identifying people. Although the old master failed to recognize Ding An, Ding An recognized him at a glance.
Ding An walked into the shop full of suspicion, and while helping Chu Yi close the shop, he asked: "Why did the Sun family come here to buy a coffin?"
"From the Sun family?"
Chu Yi was confused by Ding An's question: "Brother Ding, are you talking about the old man who just went out?"
"Yes, that's him. Isn't the coffin they moved away the same one that was in the shop a few days ago? That man is the master coffin maker of the Sun family. Why would he come here to buy a coffin? Logically speaking Even if he needs it himself, the Sun family will provide it."
Only then did Chu Yi realize which Sun family Ding An was talking about.
"It wasn't bought by the old master. Master Gao said that it was made by a young man of about twenty years old. These people just came to pay the money and move the coffin. Brother Ding, do you know what young man Sun Ji is? Junior, are you in this county?"
Ding An shook his head and said: "Most of the Sun family's property has long been moved to Fucheng. Naturally, the young descendants of the family have also followed them to enjoy the blessings in Fucheng. I have never heard of any young descendants in their twenties staying here. ah."
"That's weird."
"correct!"
Ding An suddenly remembered something, clapped his chin and said: "President Sun's nephew is staying here to guard the ancestral property. He is thirty-six years old this year, but he looks very young. Maybe he is Master Gao Mistook him for someone in his twenties
He is a young master, but what is the purpose of his behavior? "
Chu Yi was also very puzzled by this. It seemed that the incident with the third son of the Yang family had just passed, so why did another member of the Sun family come here? He just wanted to do business quietly, so why was it so difficult.
After dinner, the young couple returned to their room. Before Zheng Zheng went to bed, Shen Luzhu let him play with Li Hua.
Chu Yi told his wife what happened in the evening in detail, and took out the fifty-tael silver note.
"I don't know what the purpose of this Sun Ji is, but he came here specially to customize a coffin."
Shen Luzhu was very optimistic about this: "Didn't Brother Ding and Brother Lin both say that the Sun family is of good character, and I haven't heard of any dirty tricks being used against their colleagues. I guess it shouldn't be a big deal. Just to target a small shop like ours.
Chu Yi, you don’t need to worry too much. It must have been something about the Yang family that made you too worried.
Besides, just looking at it now, we sold the coffin and earned an extra thirty taels of silver. We should be happy. If outsiders knew that even the Sun family came to buy coffins from us, wouldn’t our shop be completely destroyed? It’s popular, otherwise I’ll go out to promote it tomorrow? "
Chu Yi knew that Shen Luzhu's words behind her were just teasing him, but he was indeed relieved by his wife, and his previous worries seemed to have faded a lot.
In the next few days, as Shen Luzhuruo said, nothing bad happened. Shen Luzhu also took advantage of the free days before the twelfth lunar month to sketch out the twenty-four filial piety and the twenty-four stories. , planning to use it on his own coffins in the future. ..
In mid-November, just as the Chu family was preparing for the last wave of the twelfth lunar month and the peak season of paper money trading, the Yang family, who had been silent for a long time, appeared again in Chu Ji's funeral shop.
Yang Fangsheng learned to be smart this time. He knew that he was no match for the Chu family. After escaping from this place last time, he kept a low profile and kept a low profile. He secretly observed for a long time without making any move. He just kept asking people to inquire about the Chu family. Regardless of whether it is related to paper money trading or not, you should inquire about everything no matter how big or small it is.
Facts have proved that this approach is correct. When Yang Fangsheng's people were inquiring about information from the neighbors near Changqing Street, they discovered the Yu family who seemed to have some trouble with the Chu family.
After Yang Fangsheng heard the report from his subordinates, he asked someone to take the Yu family out of the shop. He threw a bulging purse over, and the Yu family told them all the truth and lies, what should be said and what should not be said. out.
"Hey, boss, you don't know. None of the Chu family is good! If they hadn't helped the Lu family, how could we have lost our shop for no reason and been kicked out?"
After hearing what his mother-in-law said, Yu Fugui also hurriedly helped: "Well, you see what benefits the Nalu family has gained. They were kicked out. Now both houses belong to the Chu family."
Everyone in the county didn't know about the Yu family's occupation of the Lu family's shop. When Yang Fangsheng heard what they said, he immediately felt that he had been deceived and said angrily: "Fart, do you think I'm stupid? That house was originally He's from the Lu family, do you fucking know about the Chu family's affairs? If you dare to lie to me, be careful that you won't be able to get away with it!"
Ms. Liu was immediately startled, and said tremblingly: "The big boss is wronged. I, we... that shop does belong to the Lu family, but we signed the lease."
Seeing that Mr. Liu wanted to talk about something trivial about their family, and that he was not talking about the main topic, Yang Fangsheng stepped forward and tried to grab the purse in the middle of the table, but Yu Fugui and Mr. Liu pushed it down.
Mrs. Liu was afraid that Yang Fangsheng would take the money back, so she said honestly: "I won't talk about the house. Boss, don't be angry. I'm talking about the Chu family. I'm talking about the Chu family."
Yu Fugui also said: "Yes, let's talk about the Chu family. The Chu family has occupied two houses of the Lu family. The Lu family doesn't even dare to say anything. It's not because their family has found a big backer in the Yamen."
"That's right, that's right, it's the head catcher Ding An. He runs to the Chu family every once in a while when he has nothing to do. I even saw him talking and laughing with a young lady from the Chu family while going shopping. It must not be a legitimate relationship. !」
Yang Fangsheng was stunned. This statement was similar to what the old man of the Yang family had said before.
Certain words seem to correspond to: "Seriously?"
Ms. Liu nodded repeatedly and said, "Seriously, seriously!"
The couple of the Yu family talked a lot with Yang Fangsheng that day, but they could sum it up with two things. One was that the Chu family occupied the Lu family's house, and the other was that Ding An was the Chu family's backer.
Later, Yang Fangsheng sent people to find the original heads of households in the East and West courtyards, the old couple of the Lu family.
I also learned about the entire process of buying and selling a house from the Lu family's elders, and also learned that the Chu family came from a mountain village below Changshui Town.
The Chu family had opened a shop in the village, and Yang Fangsheng originally thought that it would be easy to find out some information about them, but he didn't expect that his men met the fat aunt as soon as they entered the village.
Based on Fat Aunt's relationship with the Chu family, she would naturally pay special attention when someone inquired. As soon as she realized that the person's purpose was impure, she stopped the villagers who wanted to talk to them in a few words and drove them out of the village.
After Chu Ping and Zhao Cheng found out, they also felt that something was wrong. While they sent Jiang Quan to the county seat to explain the situation, they also came up with an idea so that those people would not be able to ask questions in the village.
Chu Ping took advantage of the large number of people coming in and out of his shop every day and made up a lie to warn everyone in the village.
"Auntie, have you heard that someone in the village recently inquired about my cousin's family?"
"I heard, I heard, those two foreigners were hanging around under the big willow tree at the end of the village yesterday, and they were talking to my old man."
Chu Ping had a look of hatred on his face and advised: "Oh my aunt, please give me some advice when you go back, but don't talk to them!"
The aunt was a little puzzled and said: "What's wrong? Your Chu family's affairs are not a secret in the village. Besides, the shame is over there. What can't be said?"
Chu Ping seemed to have heard some joke and said: "Auntie, you have already told me that no one in the village knows about my family's affairs. Why should I stop you from doing this? I am afraid that you will be deceived and call Tiantian Yingying or Didi It doesn’t work!
That group of people are liars. They come here to ask questions about things that everyone knows. The purpose is clearly not to inquire about my family's affairs, but to talk to you and get close to you, so that they can defraud your family's money! "
