Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 101 Portrait
Abao stared wide-eyed in surprise, utterly bewildered: "Slap him? But how? I'm just a nobody, what right do I have to say that?"

Rong Wanyin glanced at the busy Yan Mingzhang, a smile playing on her lips. After a moment's thought, she said, "Why not study and become an official, protecting the people of your region? Like the adults, what do you think? When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven."

Abao asked in surprise, "It's not that I don't want to study. My father was a respected schoolteacher in the village when he was young. He used to be held on his father's lap and learn to read carefully. But life is unpredictable. In the face of natural disasters, people are really too weak."

After his parents passed away and his sister married far away, he never imagined he would be able to go to school again. Abao lowered his head in dejection, a lump forming in his throat, and said self-deprecatingly, "What school would accept a student like me? Penniless, with no skills..."

Rong Wanyin thought for a moment and smiled, "I've got it! Do you want to study and learn to read and write, and learn the ways of governing a country? Do you want to master the Wuji Bagua Formation? Do you want to learn unparalleled martial arts?"

Abao's eyes lit up instantly, somewhat incredulous, but he trusted Sister Rong, so he nodded solemnly. Could he really...do it?

Rong Wanyin patted Abao's head: "Okay, I'll help you. I'll take you to find your master. I know someone who's a really good candidate! But we'll have to wait a little while."

Abao nodded obediently and emphatically.

Thinking this, Rong Wanyin felt better. She had indeed been away for quite a while and it was time to go back and visit.

"Oh, by the way, this is for you." Rong Wanyin handed over a scroll.

Abao was stunned for a moment. He reached out and took the painting, slowly opening it. He stared at the painting before him in shock, his fingers trembling slightly, his throat tightening, and tears welling up in his eyes: "It's...it's my sister's portrait...Sister Rong, how could there be..."

Rong Wanyin smiled slightly and gently patted Abao's head: "Lord Yan is actually tough on the outside but soft on the inside. He doesn't say many things, but he knows them in his heart, you know? He has a very powerful skill: he can draw what a person looked like in life based on the skeleton of a corpse. Although he has been busy these past few days, Lord Yan has been drawing for several nights. Don't let him down."

Ah Bao hugged the painting to his arms, tears welling in his eyes, and repeatedly thanked everyone: "Thank you... thank you all..."

Ah Bao's vision was a little blurry, and he couldn't see things clearly. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.
-
He lowered his hand from his eyes, wiping away tears with the back of his hand on his clothes. Mo Yun was so sleepy that he kept yawning, and even his yawns brought tears to his eyes. Everyone had been exhausted these past few days, especially their own father, who was constantly busy making decisions.

But now, his adult is still not asleep, but instead drawing. Mo Yun really doesn't understand, and even he and Chang Feng feel embarrassed to go and rest first.

Yan Mingzhang sometimes sketched on the paper, and sometimes closed his eyes, as if recalling something in his mind.

"Go and rest, you must be tired these past few days." Yan Mingzhang didn't even look up, continuing to draw stroke by stroke on the rice paper with his brush. Mo Yun craned her neck to look at the painting; the adult had painted a round-faced woman with delicate features and quite pretty appearance.

"I'm not sleepy..." Mo Yun yawned, feeling a little embarrassed, and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

Mo Yun nudged Chang Feng with her elbow: "What do you think my lord is doing? Has he fallen for someone else?"

Changfeng rolled his eyes at Moyun and said in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense."

Mo Yun continued enthusiastically, "I never imagined that our lord is such a fickle person... I never would have guessed, I really never would have guessed..."

Changfeng tugged at his sleeve, winked, and coughed repeatedly, "Stop talking..." "Hey, Changfeng, what's wrong with your eyes? Why are you coughing? Are your eyes uncomfortable or your throat uncomfortable?" Moyun kept nagging until he saw Changfeng's gaze sweep past him and look towards the door. Only then did he turn around. Rong Wanyin had arrived at some point.

“Miss Rong…you’ve arrived…” Mo Yun deliberately raised her voice, trying to remind Yan Mingzhang.

Unexpectedly, Yan Mingzhang made no attempt to hide anything and instead sped up his writing: "Miss Rong, I'll finish soon, please wait a moment."

Rong Wanyin looked at the painting with curiosity. Why did she feel that the features looked somewhat familiar? It was as if she had seen it somewhere before.

"Ah! I remember now, those eyes look like A Bao's!" Rong Wanyin exclaimed softly.

Mo Yun and Chang Feng both came over to take a look, and indeed they did look somewhat similar.

"My lord, you don't have any unusual fetishes, do you?" Mo Yun muttered from the side.

"Slap!" Changfeng slapped Moyun on the shoulder. "Are you stupid?! The adult should have drawn Abao's sister!"

"Huh?" Mo Yun glanced at it from the side, and the thought that the woman was drawn based on that female corpse made him feel a little disgusted.

Yan Mingzhang smiled and nodded: "Miss Rong, please give this portrait to Abao tomorrow. I hope it will be a comfort to him."

Rong Wanyin nodded solemnly.
-
The Yuexiang Restaurant was bustling with activity, and a large octagonal table in the private room was laden with various dishes. Xiuniang, dressed in a striking red dress, raised her glass to Yan Mingzhang and said, "Lord Yan, Fengxian County has been politically stable and the people have been living in peace and prosperity recently, all thanks to you! I don't know when we will meet again after this parting."

Su Zhan also raised his cup, speaking in a glib tone: "Xiuniang, don't be sad. Although Chengxuan and the others are leaving, I'm still here! I'll come often. If you miss me, you can come to the yamen to find me!"

Xiu Niang rolled her eyes at him. Su Zhan wasn't annoyed and continued drinking his wine; he was clearly a little drunk. "But speaking of which, Rong girl, what's your zodiac sign? How come your nose is so sensitive? You can smell everything? What's the difference between the smell of a dead person and the smell of a dead cow or sheep?"

Rong Wanyin had just picked up a piece of lamb chop when she heard Su Zhan's words, and immediately lost her appetite. She was quite annoyed. Rong Wanyin put down the lamb chop and then picked up a large fish bone and a chicken head for Su Zhan, saying, "These fish and chicken carcasses are particularly fresh! They've only been dead for a few hours, unlike the human bones you got that day, Lord Su. They haven't rotted yet! Lord Su, eat quickly!"

Su Zhan's face turned pale. Rong Wanyin knew that her words had worked, so she put another piece of cured meat on Su Zhan's plate: "Lord Su, look at this cured meat. Although it's dry, it smells very good."

Rong Wanyin deliberately emphasized the word "shriveled".

Su Zhan instantly recalled his experience of carrying human bones to collect corpses that day, and his appetite vanished completely. His stomach churned, and he felt nauseous. Unable to bear it any longer, Su Zhan said, his face deathly pale, "Rong girl, you're ruthless! Where's the water? I need to wash my hands!!"

Su Zhan screamed and ran out. Everyone burst into laughter.

My original intention was to write a sweet story, the kind that's so sweet it'll cost you nothing, but it went awry as I wrote it. Maybe it's not that my story is cruel, but rather that reality is cruel! I'll try to write more sweet and cute little side stories later!