114 Li guizhen learns painting
“Li guizhen, so this is the Tiger you drew? it’s ridiculous, Yingluo!”
“You want to sell such a Tiger? are you trying to bully us because we’ve never seen a Tiger before?”
that’s right, how is this a Tiger? it doesn’t look like one. It’s not majestic at all. I think it’s like a dog.
As soon as Xia Pingan opened his eyes, he saw himself on the street. In front of him was a table with a drawing paper on it. On the paper was a drawing of a Tiger. He was holding a pen in his hand, and many people around him were pointing at him and whispering to each other.
Xia Pingan looked behind him again. There was a shelf behind him with two paintings hanging on it. The paintings were of cattle, and the cattle were drawn quite well. They were vivid and lifelike, showing that they had a good foundation.
Xia Pingan immediately understood that she was selling paintings on the street.
Li guizhen had lived in the countryside since he was a child and liked to paint. There were many cows in the countryside and Li guizhen had seen many of them, so he learned how to paint cows. As he drew more cows, li guizhen gradually became famous in the countryside and became a painter. He usually came to Tiantai City to sell paintings at a stall, which was a way to make a living.
Li guizhen was still very young, and his reputation was only at the Tiantai village in Jiangxi. He wasn’t as well-known as he would be in the future, and even Liang Taizu couldn’t help but invite him into the palace for a chat.
Xia Pingan instantly understood her current situation.
In front of the painting stall, a man who was dressed in silk and looked like a Squire pointed at the Tiger drawn on the paper. He glared at Xia Pingan with a face full of dissatisfaction and pointed at the painting with his finger. this Tiger of yours looks like it’s dead. People who don’t know better would think that it’s a dog. I’ve already told you that I’m going to buy this painting and hang it up to show it to people. How can I show this painting of yours to anyone? it’s a hundred dollars. I’m not giving a single cent to ran ran.
The Squire snorted coldly and left with a flick of his sleeve.
Xia Pingan looked at the Tiger in the painting in front of her. That Yingluo really didn’t look like it. Yingluo didn’t even have the spirit of a Tiger. She was soft and weak.
Li guizhen must have seen a Tiger’s skin before to draw such a painting.
From a painting stall nearby, an artist with a goatee who specialized in selling landscape paintings walked over. He stared at the Tiger painting in front of Xia Pingan and sneered. His goatee was raised proudly as he looked at Xia Pingan. kid, I guess you haven’t even seen a living Tiger before. How dare you come and sell a tiger painting? do you know that those who buy a tiger painting will hang it in the living room or the flower Hall’s study room for people to admire? a country bumpkin is indeed a country bumpkin. You’d better go back and draw your cow!”
The people around them burst into laughter.
Since the business was not going well, Xia Pingan resisted the urge to draw another Tiger on the spot. He tore the painting apart and started to pack up his stall silently.
As he packed up the painting stall, a question popped up in Xia Pingan’s mind. If he were to draw a lifelike Tiger again and completely change li guizhen’s historical trajectory, would he be considered to have successfully fused with this realm Pearl?
After thinking about it for a while, Xia Pingan came to a conclusion. Li guizhen’s tiger painting was a historical story that inspired countless people. Without li guizhen’s later experiences, this story would not exist. Then, li guizhen, who could draw a Tiger, would be no different from other painters who could draw a Tiger.
Xia Pingan thought for a while and felt that the level of the Tiger that he had drawn was not enough for li guizhen to leave his name in history. If he did not succeed, the integration of the realm Pearl might fail. Therefore, he would take the process of integrating the realm Pearl as a rare opportunity to pay tribute to li guizhen and improve his painting skills.
Xia Pingan wanted to see how much his drawing skills had improved by following li guizhen’s path.
In this world, especially when Chinese kids talked about drawing, they would always think of the story of da Vinci’s egg drawing. Da Vinci was regarded as the idol of all painters. Li guizhen was an unfamiliar name to many people. What many people didn’t know was that 500 years before da Vinci, there was a young man named li guizhen in China’s fifth generation. He worked much harder to learn drawing than da Vinci’s egg drawing. That was the true spirit of the craftsman and master.
Xia Pingan didn’t know where li guizhen lived, so she could only ask along the way back to her own home.
I’m afraid li guizhen is stupid. He even forgot where his home is, Yingluo! someone who knew li guizhen was surprised when he asked where his home was.
“It’s said that li guizhen made a big joke in the market today and lost his face. It’s normal for him to be a little dejected.”
Li guizhen’s home was in the countryside outside of Tiantai City. He was neither rich nor poor. His parents were still living there, with hundreds of acres of land and a few cows. He had become famous for his painting in the countryside these years, so he had some wealth.
Xia Pingan, who had returned home, looked around li guizhen’s bedroom and found a large amount of money that li guizhen had saved up over the years in a box.
For the next two days, Xia Pingan didn’t go anywhere. She just waited at home and prepared the things to go into the mountain. Li guizhen’s parents knew that li guizhen was being laughed at, so they came to comfort him.
On the 15th day of the lunar month, there was a market in the city. The entire Tiantai City suddenly became lively again. People from all over the country swarmed into the city to participate in the market. Xia Pingan brought some money and the things she had prepared to enter the mountain and returned to the city.
Today, the flow of people in the city was several times more than usual. The streets were bustling with people. All the young ladies and wives, as well as people doing business, had come.
Xia Pingan walked around the city for a while before arriving at the market that sold mountain products.
The people who sold mountain products here were all farmers and hunters from the mountains.
Xia ping ‘an walked around the area and found an old hunter who had a particularly good business. The old hunter was in his fifties and had a strong and energetic body. He carried a vegetable knife on his back and looked honest. The things he sold were a few pieces of leopard skin, two pieces of wolf skin, a few pheasants, and two rabbits. The pheasants and rabbits were kept in two cages, while the rest of the leather goods were directly placed on the ground for sale.
Because the old Hunter’s items were always a few dollars cheaper than the others, many people came to buy his items. They all seemed to be familiar with him, so they didn’t bargain much. Some of the others ‘businesses had just started, but the old Hunter’s items had already been sold out.
The old hunter packed up after selling his things. Then, he went to a nearby shop to buy some salt, a pot of wine, and some cloth. He was ready to go back.
Hello, uncle. Xia Pingan walked out from the side of the street and blocked the way of the old hunter. He bowed to the old hunter.
“What’s the matter, little brother?” The old hunter asked as he hung the wine gourd on his waist.
Xia Pingan smiled. I saw uncle selling things on the street just now. He sold faster than the others, Yingluo.
haha! Haha! Haha! the Hunter laughed generously, ” each item will cost you a few coins. We’re all old customers, so there’s no need to be so calculative. With this time, I can hunt a leopard on the mountain and make up for everything. If you want anything, I can save some money for you the next time I catch one.
“Uncle is a forthright person. I wonder if uncle knows where there are Tigers in the nearby mountains?”
of course, there are some in Mount Dachong. Why do you ask? ” The old hunter was curious.
to be honest, I want to go into the mountains to see what the Tiger looks like and observe it at a close distance. I wonder if uncle can take me to the mountains to have a look. Just treat it as me hiring you to take me up the mountain. I’ll give you a sum of money, uncle.
The old Hunter’s face suddenly became serious. little brother, don’t joke around. If you see that big insect, you might lose your life. Are you tired of living? ”
don’t worry, uncle. I’m not tired of living. I just want to see what the Tiger looks like. I’m an artist, but the Tiger I draw doesn’t look like it. I’ll be laughed at, so I want to go and take a look!
“Little brother is actually an artist?” The old Hunter’s face immediately showed some respect for “intellectuals.”
��This is the cattle I drew. I’ll give it to uncle as a greeting gift!” Xia Pingan took out a mounted picture of a cattle and gave it to the old hunter.
The old hunter wiped his hands on his clothes and took the painting. He opened it curiously and praised, ” not bad, not bad. This old water buffalo is really good at painting. Little brother, your painting skills are not bad. But going into the mountains to see the Tigers is still too dangerous. I’ll be harming you if I take you there.
uncle, listen to me. I don’t want to take a look at the Tiger. I’m not that brave. I just thought of the places where Tigers would appear in the mountains. I built a cabin on the tree and watched it from there. Then, I used something to attract the Tiger. If the Tiger couldn’t get on the cabin, I would be safe!
The old Hunter’s expression changed. He touched his bearded chin and thought for a moment. we can build a shed on a tree and watch from there. That’s fine, but little brother, have you thought it through? are you really going? ”
Xia Pingan nodded her head determinedly. I’ve already made up my mind. I must go!
alright, then follow me. I’ll take you to the crickets, ” the old hunter said forthrightly.
......
Only after 3 days, on a mountain called immortal peak over 30 miles away from Tiantai City, a small treehouse had appeared. It was built on the crown of a tall nanmu tree which was over 10 m high.
The trunk of the nanmu tree was thick and straight, and a Tiger could not climb up.
There were often Tigers around the immortal peak. The Hunter and his son had worked together with Xia ping ‘an here and found a place for Xia ping’ an.
Xia ping ‘an gave the Hunter a sum of money and asked him to send him some food, brush, ink, and other things every three days. If he caught wild chickens and hares, he could also send them over and sell them to him. He would use the wild chickens and hares to attract the Tiger here.
The Hunter agreed immediately. Xia ping ‘an’s request was a piece of cake and didn’t take much effort. Furthermore, Xia ping’ an’s efforts were not in vain.
On the day Xia Pingan moved into the treehouse, the Hunter brought a wild chicken and tied it to a nearby tree. He then sprinkled a little chicken blood nearby, saying that this would attract the Tiger.
After doing all this, Xia Pingan waited on the tree for the Tiger to come and grope him.