The day after Shen Dingzhu came back from Mrs. Xu, she was woken up by an itching on her shoulder in the morning. She walked to the mirror with sleepy eyes and took a look.
Sure enough, there was a faint red rash on the fair skin, but fortunately it was not much.
Shen Dingzhu sighed helplessly. She was so sensitive to musk that she couldn't even smell a little bit.
He took out a box made of oriole and magpie branches, dug out a bean-sized amount of brown ointment with his jade fingers, and applied it to the rash with ease and skill.
When her fingers were applying the medicine, she accidentally touched a small, slightly raised scar on her shoulder blade, about the size of the nail of her little finger and index finger.
This scar reminded her of a year ago...
When she knocked Qi Jingxi off the cliff, they both hit a tree, and the sharp branch pierced Shen Dingzhu's shoulder.
She fell into the water and lost consciousness. When she woke up again, she had drifted to the shore of the lower reaches of the Huai River. She was surrounded by dense forests. Shen Dingzhu dragged his stumbling and weak body forward step by step, only hoping to meet Someone come and save her.
Xu Huaisong appeared at this time. He was on his way with his caravan and saw Shen Dingzhu lying on the ground like a water ghost, so he rescued her and asked the accompanying doctor to treat her.
When Shen Dingzhu woke up completely, he realized that he had arrived at the junction of the Jin Dynasty and the Beiliang Kingdom. He fell from the Huai River and floated all the way, passing Hanzhou!
She was so weak at the time that she could only follow Xu Huaisong into the customs and rest in the fortress city of Baishi City in Beiliang. She planned to go home after recovering from her injuries, but the cost of returning home was too much.
She could only help Xu Huaisong while secretly saving money.
Xu Huaisong had doubts about her life experience, but Shen Dingzhu bluntly said that she had reconciled with her husband's family, and when she was desperate, she accidentally fell into the water and was injured.
Xu Huaisong never asked anything again.
Shen Dingzhu slowly came back to his senses and put on his clothes.
At this moment, a man's calm call came from the door: "Is Miss Xibao awake?"
Shen Dingzhu suddenly became alert and looked back outside. She saw the vague figure of Xu Huaisong through the door and window. She clasped the medicine box and said, "Please wait for me for a moment. I just got up and haven't washed myself yet."
Xu Huaisong understood: "I have something important to entrust you to do. After you finish cleaning it, come directly to my study."
Then, the sound of his leaving footsteps gradually faded away.
Xu Huaisong's study room is filled with calligraphy and painting antiques, and his collection of original books fills three bookshelves, and this is only a small part.
His family has been in the antique business for three generations, and now they are a wealthy family. However, Xu Huaisong is the only son of his generation, so the Xu family chose a well-matched wife for him to help him manage such a large business. Family business.
But Xu Huaisong has a dull personality and rarely talks about business matters with Mrs. Xu. Every time Shen Dingzhu comes to his study, she has to leave the door open, and the servants coming and going outside can see that they are really talking. To prevent Mrs. Xu from overthinking.
When Shen Dingzhu passed by, Xu Huaisong was taking Shen Dingzhu's special tree oil and gently wiping the frame of the painting so that the wood would not rot.
He has just turned thirty. He has been raised by a noble family since he was a child. He has read a lot of books and has a strong family background. Therefore, his whole person has a calm and aristocratic demeanor.
He has long eyebrows, red phoenix eyes, and a face that looks cold even if he doesn't smile.
"Uncle." After Shen Dingzhu came in, she stood up neatly. She was wearing plain and inconspicuous navy blue clothes. Her hair was tied up, making her eyebrows thick and bright, and her whole person had an indescribable neatness. .
Xu Huaisong took out a piece of jade paper from the shelf nearby and gave it to her.
"Put it away. I'll draw up an identity for you so that you can come to Beijing with us when the time comes."
Shen Dingzhu took it and took a look. She didn't know where Xu Huaisong found a false identity for her. Her surname was Lin, she was from Beiliang, and she was a distant relative of the Xu family.
She put the jade certificate paper back on the table: "Thank you for your kindness, sir, but I made an agreement with the eldest lady yesterday. She will arrange for me to go to Beijing with you as a slave of the Xu family."
As the matter has been resolved, Shen Dingzhu does not intend to trouble Xu Huaisong anymore.
Xu Huaisong paused: "Have you already told Madam? Okay, then I'll keep it for you first. If you need it, come to me again."
He put the jade paper back into the shelf and pulled out another scroll.
"Look, can it be repaired?"
Shen Dingzhu took it and took a look, and immediately recognized that it was the last work of the deceased famous artist Ban Gu. It painted a red plum blossom and snow scene.
The most unique thing about this painting is that the red plum blossoms on the painting are stained with snow, which is lifelike, as if there is a faint fragrance coming from it. Now, the painting is dripping with a little trace of brown.
Shen Dingzhu smelled it and frowned: "Broth?"
Xu Huaisong nodded lightly: "This is the collection of a noble man I know. When he showed it to his friends, it was accidentally stained, but he originally planned to give it away, so he knew that we had a painter, so he wanted to Ask if you can repaint it cleverly without others seeing it.”
Shen Dingzhu pondered for a moment.
As she looked closely at the painting, a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted from her body.
Xu Huaisong raised his dark eyes and glanced at her: "If there are any difficulties, it doesn't matter. I haven't promised him yet, I just said to take it back and take a look."
Shen Dingzhu asked: "If I complete it within three days, how much commission will I receive?"
Xu Huaisong was startled, and then he pursed his thin lips into a leisurely smile: "I almost forgot, if you can satisfy this friend of mine, he will spend a lot of money, and your benefits will inevitably be indispensable, so I promise to give you fifty taels first, and then I will give you fifty taels." We may add more depending on the situation.”
Fifty taels, she has saved more than two hundred taels herself. When she helped Xu Huaisong take on this kind of private work, he would give her at most ten taels.
It seems that this noble friend is not simple.
Shen Dingzhu made up his mind, with a fox-like smile in his beautiful black eyes: "What if it is completed in one day?"
Xu Huaisong was silent for a moment: "One hundred taels."
"It's a deal." Shen Dingzhu reached out to collect the painting. She was so happy that even the corners of her eyes and eyebrows were tinged with joy.
After saving enough travel expenses, she can go home as soon as she reaches Beiliang Kyoto. Even if Xu Huaisong's friends cannot take her back to the Jin Dynasty by ferry, there is no need to worry.
As soon as Shen Dingzhu walked to the door, Xu Huaisong's words came from behind him.
"How is Miss Xibao's recovery recently? If you still need a doctor to come and see you, just tell me."
She fell into the water just after her confinement. Although it was summer, she also suffered from some back pain and headache, but fortunately it was not serious.
Xu Huaisong is an extremely gentlemanly and upright employer. He takes great care of Shen Dingzhu but does not overstep his will. He also knows that she smeared yellow powder on her face. After all, when he first saw her, her face was so pale that she didn't look like a stranger. But he didn't ask why.
Shen Dingzhu responded with a faint smile: "Thank you sir, it's almost good."
Xu Huaisong nodded, his figure as straight as a pine tree: "You can slowly mend that painting, your health is important."
After saying that, he asked Shen Dingzhu to go back first.
The employer is tolerant, but Shen Dingzhu will never act arbitrarily just because he is not strict.
She started to make up the painting when she got back. From morning to night, as soon as it got dark, she handed the completed painting to Xu Huaisong's personal servant.
Within two days, Xu Huaisong returned home and said: "The noble man is very satisfied with the painting you made up and asked to see you. You can simply pack up and go to the banquet with me."
