Tongbao Pavilion doesn't look big from the outside, but it has a lot of space inside, with magnificent decoration and a faint fragrance floating in the air.
People coming in and out of Tongbao Pavilion are all wearing brocade clothes, jade ornaments and sachets, and the fragrance is flowing when they walk.
Jiang Yan looked at himself and saw that he was still wearing clothes made of coarse linen. Because Fat Tiger was on the road with him, his hair was a little messy from the wind, and he looked a little out of place standing here.
There are seven or eight huge counters in Tongbao Pavilion. In addition to displaying pens, inks, paper and inkstones for sale, there is also a place to sell calligraphy and paintings.
Things here are also shockingly expensive. The most common piece of drawing paper costs one tael of silver, but the best clear paper actually costs a thousand taels of silver per roll. The price is simply staggering.
"No wonder I was asked to find a way to make money."
Jiang Gu was horrified when he looked at the prices of these things. If his dead grandfather knew that he bought a piece of paper with the money saved by generations of painters in the Jiang family, the old man's coffin board would probably explode.
There are dozens of brushes hanging behind a counter in front of you. Some are made of bamboo, wood, and even one carved from jade. From the appearance, each one is exquisitely shaped and of high quality.
The cheapest pen is equivalent to a year's income of a wealthy family, and the most expensive one costs ten thousand taels of silver, which is a sky-high price.
Jiang Yan didn't even dare to look at the paints placed on the cabinet. When he saw these various paints, he realized that "inches of gold" is not an exaggeration but an adjective.
Lu Daoxuan said before that painters are made of gold and silver, and now Jiang Yan finally has some understanding.
Jiang Yan, who has studied painting for so many years, certainly knows what kind of brush is good. The waist of the brush is strong, the hair is as round as a jujube stone, and the tip of the brush is sharp.
I obviously stood in front of the counter for a while, but the shopkeeper didn't take the initiative to greet me. Instead, he sat behind the counter and sipped tea.
"Shopkeeper, please let me see that pen." Jiang Yan pointed to the one he liked more.
"That's the cheapest pen in Tongbao Pavilion, sixty taels."
The shopkeeper didn't get up to get the pen but still sat leisurely. His tone was a bit condescending. He had developed a pair of poisonous eyes after working in this business for so many years.
The painter is the most noble person in Yunzhou, but the person in front of me is wearing ordinary clothes and looks a little poor. Because he has been traveling through mountains and ridges for a long time, and there are still a few hay sticks in his hair that have not been cleaned up. This kind of desolation
It’s strange that scholars can afford it.
"I want to see it first before buying it," Jiang Yan said.
Some scholar-looking people frowned and started talking after seeing Jiang Chan, and then walked away from a distance, which made Jiang Chan feel a little unhappy.
"Why does anyone dare to come here?"
No wonder the previous owner of the painting stall said that even if he had money, he might not be able to buy it. Most of the people who could be painters or scribes were from rich families. Tongbao Pavilion had also become a place where the upper class people of Lin'an City gathered.
The young man in brocade clothes wears gold and jade, but Jiang Lun's robe and clothes are always a bit out of place here.
"Qian Tong, has Tongbao Pavilion been reduced to a street stall now?" said a young man.
"How can we buy things when people like this are here?"
"You two gentlemen, calm down and I will let him leave now."
Qian Tongqian smiled and appeased the two of them, then his expression dropped. He stood up and pushed Jiang Yan to the door.
"Let's go, let's not delay my business..."
"Snob"
"What did you say?"
When the shopkeeper heard this, he became angry, and the guards of Tongbao Pavilion also came over one after another, with the intention of taking Jiang Yan down if they disagreed.
Jiang Yan's hand was pressed on the bookcase. He didn't want to cause trouble, but when things happened, he didn't mind giving them a funeral ceremony for free.
When the situation was tense, a man walked in from the door. He was wearing a scholar's crown and holding a folding fan. Just by looking at his temperament, you could tell that he was no ordinary person.
"Qian Tong, you are smashing the Tongbao Pavilion sign."
"It turns out to be Mr. Lu Jinglu. There is always no shortage of buyers for things in Tongbao Pavilion. Scholars can come here to select treasures. At the same time, we will also select customers who I am willing to sell to.
So Mr. Lu must not speak nonsense, not to mention this is not Zanzong City but Lin'an City." Qian Tong looked respectful on the surface, but his words were very rude.
"I'm a fast-talking person. If I don't like it, I have to take care of it. I want this pen."
"Okay, two hundred taels of silver"
There seemed to be some grudge between Qian Tong and Lu Jing, so they refused to give in to each other. The pen originally worth sixty taels directly increased to two hundred taels.
"Is this a special price for me?" Lu Jingxiao asked.
"Yes, who told you that you are not short of money, or I will put this pen back?"
Qian Tong has a traitorous look on his face, and Lu Jing has a good reputation in Yunzhou, so Qian Tong is secretly happy that he can make him suffer.
"Wrap it up"
Lu Jing changed hands and handed the pencil case to Jiang Gu.
"Meeting is fate, this pen is given to you"
"Although I'm not a big shot, but after this experience, I think it's impossible for me to have anything to do with the garbage in Tongbao Pavilion."
After all, Lu Jing was still young and suffered a hidden loss at the hands of Qian Tong, but Jiang Yan's words were undoubtedly a slap in Qian Tong's face.
"Boy, do you know what you are talking about?" Qian Tong looked unkind.
"You heard every word clearly, do you need me to repeat it?"
When I was working as a color tie maker, I always adhered to the concept that the customer is God. I never expected that when I was a customer, I encountered a shopkeeper like Qian Tong who bullied customers and had a contemptuous attitude.
"Looking at you, you should be a scribe. Do you know what will happen to a scribe who offends me, Tongbao Pavilion? You simply don't know how high the sky is.
Almost all the top-grade pens, inks, paper, inkstones and pigments in Yunzhou are provided by Tongbao Pavilion. Being on Tongbao Pavilion's blacklist is equivalent to jeopardizing your future."
Qian Tong looked at Jiang Yan coldly. If Lu Jing hadn't been here, he would have cut Jiang Yan into pieces.
"You think too highly of yourself. Tongbao Pavilion cannot cover the sky with one hand."
"Since Mr. Lu gave me a pen, I will handle it myself."
Jiang Yan took out the pen, broke it with both hands in full view, and threw it to the side of the road. Although he was short of money now, it was not difficult for him to make money based on his painting skills.
"The quality of this item is too poor. Mr. Jiang accidentally broke it."
Seeing Lu Jing's proud smile, it was not a loss for him to lose two hundred taels of silver. Qian Tong's face turned red and he wanted to get angry, but he didn't dare to get angry easily due to the other person's status.
"I have a new pen here. If you don't mind it, please accept it."
Lu Jing's origin was unknown and he met by chance. Jiang Yan was not willing to accept his pen, but at the moment he really didn't have the pen in hand so he had no choice but to take it.
Lu Jing's pen is dark black, decorated with red tassels and has engravings on the bottom. It is round and medium-weight in the hand. When you twist the pen with your fingers, the tip of the pen is even. Only this kind of pen can achieve the same force when writing.
“Good pen”
"Master Jiang seems to be an expert."
Lu Jing was a little surprised to see Jiang Yan's skillful movements in holding and testing pens. He could tell the good and bad at a glance. Among the people he met, only the old scribes who had been immersed in painting for decades could be so sophisticated. When an expert took action,
Knowing if there was one, Lu Jing concluded that the seemingly poor and downtrodden scholar in front of him was not simple.
"I have nothing to offer as a gift, so just give Mr. Lu a painting." Jiang Yan did not want to owe anyone a favor.
"Okay, I have paint paper here."
Lu Jing said as he took out a number of items from his gold-encrusted bookcase and spread the paper on the counter.
Generally, painters would make a draft before starting a painting and think about what to paint, but Jiang Gu started painting as soon as he picked up his brush, and the painting was done smoothly and smoothly.
Originally, Qian Tong just watched with a cold eye. Nine times out of ten, the paintings made by teenagers of eighteen or nineteen years old were not of good quality. It was considered good to be able to draw low-quality paintings at this age.
The more Lu Jing looked at it, the more frightened he became. Jiang Lian's skill in writing without any stagnation was not a proficiency that could only be achieved at this age.
Out of curiosity, Qian Tong stood on tiptoe and took a look. He was a little stunned after just one glance. On the drawing, there are mountains and green mountains, tall pines and rocks, clouds and mountains, smoke and trees, and Shading cottages. Even if it was written by a gentleman from Lin'an City Academy, it might not be better.
.
Even if a painter is extremely talented, he still needs a huge amount of wealth to support the purchase of paints to improve his proficiency. He really can't figure out why a poor painter has such superb painting skills and is still so young.
In order to show his goodwill, Qian Tong quietly placed a lamp next to Jiang Chan. Jiang Chan was painting without noticing, and Lu Jing was also immersed in it until Jiang Chan stopped painting.
After blowing on the wet ink, Jiang Yan handed the painting to Lu Jing.
"These are the scenery I saw along the way when I came to Lin'an City. I painted them all into this painting. This painting of Nanping Spring Scenery is a big thank you to Mr. Lu for donating the pen."
"The layout of this painting is dense and varied, with clear brushwork and simple artistic conception. It vividly expresses the vast and continuous landscape. It can be said that the mountains and rivers are thick and the vegetation is lush."
Lu Jing is also a painter, so of course he understands the mystery of this painting.
"Fantastic Landscape Painting"
The painting spirit of landscape painting is not offensive in any way. Its greatest value is that it can be used for people to study and learn the fine brushwork, ink layout, etc. Most of the teachers at Chengjun Academy teach landscape painting.
Qian Tong is not a painter, but as the shopkeeper of Tongbao Pavilion, appreciation is a necessary skill. Just now, the brushes made by Jiang Yan were sent to Ruzui Huasha, which was transported by Ni Feng Zang Feng freely, especially since Jiang Yanxin had not used up all his strength. If it were not hindered by
With the paint, cultivation, and paper, this painting might even be of medium quality.
"Mr. Jiang, to be honest, your painting is more valuable than my pen," Lu Jing said.
"You also said that we met by fate, so you should consider it as repayment for the gift of the pen. Mr. Lu, dare I ask where I can buy paint and drawing paper?" Jiang Gu asked.
"There is no better cultural treasure than our Tongbao Pavilion."
Although Jiang Yan didn't look at him from beginning to end, Qian Tong still jumped out in a hurry, even wanting to slap himself in the mouth. How could he offend a painter who could easily create ordinary landscape paintings and he was still so young, but Jiang
Greed ignored him at all.
"There are many shops in the city that sell them, and the quality is not much different from Tongbao Pavilion. As for pigments, if you don't feel hard, there is a Shimen Mountain outside the city that is rich in pigments," Lu Jing said.
"Thank you very much"
Jiang Yan handed over to Lu Jinggong and left without even looking at Qian Tong. Qian Tong wanted to stop him and make friends again, but after all, he was a prominent figure in Lin Ancheng, the shopkeeper of Tongbao Pavilion. Due to his own face, he could only watch.
Follow him and leave.
Regardless of these people's attempts to stay, Jiang Yan left Tongbao Pavilion, ending this irritating experience.
"Lu Jing, do you dare to ruin my business?" Qian Tong's eyes were unkind.
"It's obvious that you look down on others. If the big boss of Qingdu City finds out, I don't know if you can still hold on to your position." Faced with the threat, Lu Jing didn't care about the slight waving of the folding fan.
"A painter has to rely on money to make a living. Even if he is extremely talented, he may not be able to reach the Qing capital even if he looks so poor."
There was a cold light in Qian Tong's eyes. Even the prefect in Lin'an City would have to sell him some thin noodles. Without him, no one in Lin'an City would dare to sell him an inch of paint. Even if he was extremely talented, so what? In the end, he would be begged for it.