Chapter 24: Completing the Painting

Chapter 24: Restoring the Painting

◎With light, delicate strokes, he carefully brushed away the greenish mottling on the paper.◎

After seeing her two cousins off, Li Ci instructed Xiuchun to retrieve all the paintings from her collection, especially the one by Cang Yunzi that she had brought from Shanxi.

This painting was originally intended as a gift from her father to her maternal grandfather when she first arrived in Yingtian. However, at her mother's strong insistence, it was replaced with another generous present, and the painting remained in Li Ci's care.

The consequence of her custodianship was all too clear. When Xiuchun carefully carried the brocade box out of the storeroom and unrolled the scroll before her mistress with bated breath, she couldn't help but gasp twice in surprise.

"Wow..."

"Ah?!"

Even after many viewings, Li Ci was still captivated by the painting's brushwork and said proudly, "How about it? Isn't it beautiful?"

"Of course, it's exquisitely beautiful," Xiuchun nodded, pointing to a patch of rock in the lower right corner. "But, miss, why is there a green patch here?"

"Perhaps it's moss?" The painting hadn't been unrolled for a long time, and Li Ci couldn't be sure.

Xiuchun tentatively asked, "Could it be that we forgot to air the painting during this year's rainy season and it grew mold?"

Li Ci immediately widened her eyes, leaned in for a closer look, and then reluctantly nodded. "It seems so."

"What should we do now?" Xiuchun panicked. Although the master doted on his daughter, this painting was different from other objects—it held significant meaning for him. If he found out it had been damaged to this extent, the young miss would surely be punished.

Though just as worried, Li Ci kept her composure and even comforted her. "It's alright, we'll definitely find a solution."

Xiuchun looked at her mistress with hopeful eyes as Li Ci said confidently, "Since Master Xie knows how to paint, why not ask him to take a look?"

Such a big matter—could Master Xie handle it?

Though half-doubtful, Xiuchun hurried off to invite him. Afraid that her words might scare Master Xie away, she only told him half the story when Nan Xuan asked about it.

-

Xie Zhenchuan was visiting Li Ci's Jiahe Garden for the first time. As it was a temporary residence, the garden wasn't as grand as he had imagined—it was no different from the rest of the estate, without vermilion tiles, jade railings, or carved pillars. Only a rare patch of golden-edged purple orchids was planted in the courtyard. Their fragrance was even more captivating than osmanthus, and their stems were sturdy like bamboo. As dusk approached, the golden edges reflected the twilight, dyeing the orchids a brilliant purple-gold.

When he entered the room, Li Ci was leaning listlessly against the desk, chin propped in her hand, a painting spread out before her. Seeing him, she seemed to have found her savior and immediately stood up, waving her hand excitedly.

Her bean-green soft gauze sleeves slipped down, revealing a section of her radiantly white wrist. "Master Xie, you’re finally here!"

Xie Zhenchuan averted his gaze slightly.

The last time he'd seen that look in Li Ci's eyes was at the flower appreciation banquet when she was flustered and unable to compose a poem.

It seemed this matter was far from simply being about selecting a painting. He wondered what trouble she had gotten into this time.

Xie Zhenchuan didn’t rush forward but paused at the doorway, saying coolly, "It’s getting late. To avoid damaging Li Ci’s reputation, I won’t enter. Whatever you have to say, say it here."

Li Ci’s raised hand fell immediately, her eyes like those of a wounded fawn. "I wanted to ask Master Xie to take a look at this painting by Cang Yunzi."

Cang Yunzi?

Xie Zhenchuan became somewhat interested. He walked over to the desk, looked down, and then scrutinized it more intently, unwilling to believe what he saw.

Cang Yunzi’s brushwork was fluid and natural, and he was especially skilled in depicting Buddhist and Taoist themes, deities, ghosts, and figures. The divine figure in this painting was rendered with bold, unrestrained strokes, its robes fluttering as if in the wind, its posture ethereal and lively—a level of artistry that many could never achieve in a lifetime.

Li Ci watched curiously as Xie Zhenchuan’s expression shifted unpredictably. "Master Xie, what do you think of this painting, 'The God of Wealth Under the Money Tree Inquiring of the Golden Toad'?"

Though it was hard to believe, Xie Zhenchuan tried to respect the facts and managed with some difficulty, "...It is indeed Cang Yunzi’s work."

A money tree grew from a rock, beneath which stood the God of Wealth holding a gold ingot, while a three-legged golden toad crouched at the base of the tree. Such an indescribable scene, when painted by Cang Yunzi, seemed to breathe with divine energy, evoking a sense of sublime vulgarity that broke free from convention.

He couldn’t help but ask, "This painting... was commissioned by your father from Cang Yunzi?"

"No, Grandpa Cang painted it as a gift for Father," Li Ci shook her head and explained the backstory. "Father and Grandpa Cang were close friends despite their age difference. Later, when Grandpa Cang grew older and retreated from the world to live in seclusion, Father bought him a tranquil place with beautiful scenery. The two often drank together on the mountain. Once, after drinking, Father discovered a gold mine on the mountain. Moved by the moment, Grandpa Cang painted this."

...

Looking at the dazzling, awe-inspiring painting before him, Xie Zhenchuan’s feelings were complicated—roughly similar to how he had felt when he saw the set of stationery Li Ci had gifted him.

He silently repeated to himself, "Great vulgarity is great elegance," and took a deep breath.

Li Ci added sentimentally, "Look at the God of Wealth’s expression—doesn’t it seem like he’s asking the golden toad how many gold ingots it has stolen?"

...It really did seem that way.

Xie Zhenchuan had no energy left for lamentation. He turned his attention to a greenish stain in the lower right corner. "And what happened here?"

"Master Xie, you truly have a keen eye," Li Ci bit her lip, looking at him pitifully with moist eyes that made it hard to refuse. "The south is humid, and during the rainy season, I was on the mountain recuperating and forgot to air the painting... I know I was wrong, but this painting is Grandpa Cang’s final work. If Father finds out, he’ll surely punish me."

Xie Zhenchuan raised an eyebrow and glanced at her, uttering a single word lightly, "Deserved."

Li Ci obediently stretched out her hand to him. "Then punish me, Master Xie, as long as you help me restore the painting. Otherwise, if Father finds out, he’ll be heartbroken."

Her fingers were slender and pale, like fresh spring onions just emerging by the riverbank. They looked so delicate that even a breeze should treat them gently, let alone enduring a punishment.

"Fine," Xie Zhenchuan’s gaze shifted from the delicate fingers to the greenish patch on the rock, his tone casual. "First, go fetch a willow branch."

Master Xie was so ruthless.

Xiuchun, listening nearby, couldn’t bear it and was about to defend her mistress when she saw Li Ci nod and signal her with a look: bring a shorter, softer one.

Though no willow trees were planted in the garden, willow branches for cleaning teeth were always kept on hand. Xiuchun had no choice but to fetch one.

The willow branch was less than five inches long, its top treated to splay into soft fibers.

Surely this wouldn’t hurt too much to be struck with?

Pursing her lips, Li Ci handed the willow branch to Xie Zhenchuan, though her large, bright eyes couldn’t conceal a hint of smugness.

Xie Zhenchuan, however, seemed to have expected this. He took the willow branch, leisurely testing the softness of the splayed fibers with his fingertips, and said solemnly, "Close your eyes."

Those sparkling eyes obediently closed, and a timid, soft voice asked, "How many strikes will it be?"

But after waiting for what felt like several strikes, Li Ci felt no impact on her palm. Gathering courage, she opened her eyes to find Xie Zhenchuan already bent over the desk, using the soft end of the willow branch to gently clean the greenish stain on the painting.

Li Ci blankly lowered her hand and looked up, just in time to see his refined face, as beautiful as carved jade. The corners of his phoenix eyes tilted slightly upwards, and his raven-black eyelashes were long and curled, obscuring his serious expression. The twilight glow fell upon his brows and eyes, as if a layer of honey-colored frosting had melted onto the crystalline jade.

His hand was steady, his excessively long, clean, and well-proportioned fingers. At that moment, he held the willow branch, lightly and meticulously brushing away the greenish mottling on the paper.

The room was extremely quiet, where she could almost only hear her own breathing. Even though she didn’t understand the technique, she could see that Xie Zhenchuan’s movements were exceedingly gentle, as before and after each stroke, the mark on the paper showed no visible change.

He repeated this tedious action hundreds of times without complaint until the green on the paper finally disappeared, leaving only a faint indentation.

"For now, this will do," Xie Zhenchuan set aside the willow branch and returned to his earlier demeanor, leaning back lazily in his chair. He examined the painting carefully once more. "If you trust me, I’ll take the remaining part back to Fangze Court to restore. I’ll return it to you intact in ten days."

"Then I’ll trouble you, Master Xie," Li Ci calculated the timing—it would coincide perfectly with the painting banquet. "In ten days, Sister Ying and the others are hosting a literary gathering for painting appreciation at the estate. This painting will be the highlight. Thanks to your help, I’ll make sure to properly promote your skills, Master Xie."

"That won’t be necessary," Xie Zhenchuan’s expression became indescribable again. "But are you sure you want everyone to appreciate this... 'The God of Wealth Under the Money Tree Inquiring of the Golden Toad'?"

"Is there something wrong?" Li Ci batted her long eyelashes and quickly asked, "Could it be that the restored scroll cannot be exposed to light or wind?"

"That’s not it." Xie Zhenchuan gazed into those crystal-clear eyes with distinct black-and-white contrast, and suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

It’s just that people in this world rarely possess such a clear-minded nature, and are often prone to resentment and envy. Even if they learned the truth, most would likely assume the Li Family is greedy and money-grubbing, having coaxed the refined Cang Yunzi, who upheld elegance his entire life, into leaving behind such a vulgar and garish work.

Xie Zhenchuan sighed softly, hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a tone that remained calm and natural, "It’s just that I see the clouds hanging low, swirling and gathering from all directions. I fear a stretch of continuous rain is approaching. Within ten days, I’m afraid it may not be completed."

A flicker of disappointment crossed Li Ci’s face, but her expression quickly returned to normal. "Cang Yunzi also painted a *Sunlight Over the Golden Mountain* during that period and gifted it to Father. If necessary, I can send someone to fetch that painting as well?"

"Was that also painted on the day the gold mine was discovered?"

"No."

Just as Xie Zhenchuan was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard her add, "It was the next day, when Cang Yunzi was inspired by the morning sun shining over the gold mine's summit."

…

For others, a "golden mountain" might evoke lines like "from the book corner, willow catkins blow, at Jinshan, horses risk the perilous passage" or "Jinshan suddenly quakes, the pagoda bells chatter endlessly," but for the Li Family, known for their mining background, a golden mountain simply meant a gold mine.

Xie Zhenchuan rubbed his temples—it was, after all, aptly named.

"Even with ten days of hard riding from Shanxi, it would be difficult to reach Yingtian in time," he made one last effort, his clear voice now carrying a hint of laziness. "The Xie family is fortunate to possess a painting by Master Cang Yunzi, which I’ve brought with me to Yingtian. If Li Ci doesn’t mind, perhaps we could use this one instead?"

*Author's Note*

*"From the book corner, willow catkins blow, at Jinshan, horses risk the perilous passage" is from Zhang Yuniang’s *Joining the Army*. *"Jinshan suddenly quakes, the pagoda bells chatter endlessly" is from Gu Yanwu’s *Jinshan (Written under the Year Yafeng Dunzang)*.