The days in Qingdu were relaxing and enjoyable, and Jiang Chan talked endlessly in his hometown, but he never held back anything he knew.
While he was teaching, a paper crane flew and landed on Jiang Gu's shoulder. Jiang Gu listened to a few words and looked anxious.
"Liao Chi, go and ask Mr. He to help me in class. I have to leave temporarily because of something."
Jiang Yan transformed into Dunguang and was about to leave the Wen Mansion when he suddenly heard the voice of Lao Mo Yan.
"As an evangelist, how can you be so irresponsible? Are you feeling itchy?"
In addition to being strict with students, Old Demon Yan is also strict with teaching. It is precisely because of his existence that although the culture of Wenfu is open and even has no taboos, it still does not fall into evil ways.
"There are special circumstances today. My wife is giving birth."
"Oh? This is a big deal. You should go quickly."
The light traveled through Qingdu and landed directly on Mahuang Lane. When Jiang Yan was about to push the door open and enter, a burst of children's cries could be heard in the room.
Jiang Yan took three steps and took two steps at a time. Lu Daoxuan was dead and he was his wife's relative.
Jiang Yan stood outside the door anxiously, rubbing his hands and wondering whether he should go in, until the midwife came out with a smile.
"Can I go in?" Jiang Yan asked softly.
"You are Jiang Jiaoyu, of course. Congratulations, you are a young master. You are so handsome."
Jiang Yan knew that the midwife was talking nonsense, and how could a newborn baby look handsome, but he still stuffed her with some banknotes.
After entering the room, Lei Hongyi was wrapped in clothes and quilt. The baby in the swaddling clothes may have cried for too long and fell asleep.
Seeing Lei Hongyi's dull expression, Jiang Yan said cautiously.
"Master Wife, why do you look a little unhappy?"
Lei Hongyi looked at the child's face, which was full of wrinkles and red skin.
"When Daoxuan was young, he was one of the few handsome men in Yuling Continent. My appearance is not bad either. Why is Deng'er so ugly?"
Jiang Yan didn't know whether to cry or laugh. He didn't expect his wife to have such a girly side.
"Master Wife, when I look at you, it's your first time to have a baby. Children are always like this when they are born. My little junior brother is already pretty good-looking.
Look at the corners of your eyes. You will definitely have the same peach blossom eyes as my master in the future. Look at this mouth again. It looks like you. When the child grows up, he will definitely be more popular than my master. God knows how many people will want to do it for him.
Widowhood"
Lei Hongyi glanced at Jiang Yan angrily.
"A mouthful of Huchai is as if you had given birth to a child."
But after listening to Jiang Chan's words, Lei Hongyi finally felt better.
"Don't you still have classes in Wenfu?"
"Now that the world is big, you and I, our little junior brother, are the biggest. What can be more important than seeing my junior brother?"
Jiang Yan carefully picked up Lu Deng.
"Master's wife, in a few days we will set up a full moon bar for our junior brother."
"Your master is gone, why do you still hold the Full Moon Wine?"
"You just leave it to me to take care of it. Although the master is gone, life still has to go on. I want to see who dares not to give our family face."
Jiang Yan's tough words were just to comfort Lei Hongyi. How can he have such a big face? But when the time comes, even if he goes door to door to beg, they still have to come. Jiang Yan will never let his mistress feel that he and his children are being treated.
Ignore.
"That's right. My senior brother is such a precious son. If anyone refuses to give you face, I will personally go to their home to greet them."
Wei Changli's voice came from outside the door. Wei Changli did not enter the room rashly, but said a few words in the yard.
Jiang Yan had always been worried that his master's wife would be sad because of his master's death. Now it seems that she is recovering well. I think the birth of Lu Deng has given her some more sustenance.
Jiang Yan would definitely come here to take care of the children as long as he didn't have classes. It can be said that he took good care of the children.
Lu Deng was also very quiet in Jiang Gan's arms, not noisy or fussy, looking at this strange and strange world with his newly opened eyes.
Yaya and Shi Xiaxin squatted next to Jiang Yan, looking at the Lu Deng in their arms. Sometimes they touched their faces carefully with their hands, and sometimes they touched their little hands that had not yet been stretched out. They were having a lot of fun.
"This brother is so cute"
As soon as Yaya finished speaking, she was hit on the head by Jiang Yan.
"This is your master's son. According to seniority, you should call him uncle."
Yaya had a sense of seniority in her heart, and she still couldn't figure out why she wanted to call a newborn baby uncle, but she had no choice but to give in due to Jiang Yan's power.
Seeing how noisy a few people were, Lei Hongyi had a knowing smile on her face.
Before the Half Moon Festival, Jiang Lun had already sent invitations to almost all the great painters in the Qing capital. The news shocked half of Yunzhou. Even the legitimate son of the prefect's mansion did not show such fanfare.
The professors and gentlemen in the Wen Mansion didn't even need invitations. They had worked with Lu Daoxuan for many years, so they naturally wanted to give him such a favor.
Although the well-respected old painters in Yunzhou agreed on the surface, they kept their status and could not save face to celebrate a little baby. Jiang Chan did not force them. Old Wei said that he would come forward, so Jiang Chan was not worried.
However, a place as small as Mahuang Lane certainly could not accommodate so many scribes, so Jiang Yan planned to spend his money to go to Mianyuelou, the largest restaurant in the Qing Dynasty.
Lao Sun, the shopkeeper of Mianyue Tower, looked Jiang Yan up and down, looking around in circles several times.
"You are the youngest tutor in the Jiang Wen Mansion?"
"Isn't it similar?"
Jiang Yan was a little embarrassed by the intense eyes, and even thought in his mind that the old guy might have that kind of hobby.
"It is indeed true."
Lao Sun's vocabulary may not be enough for him to praise the person in front of him. Jiang Yan would have thought that he could at least say that he is handsome and talented, but he didn't expect that Lao Sun was also an honest person. He held it in for a long time before he said
"Sure enough, he is a strange person with different appearances."
This made Jiang Yan feel a little embarrassed and wanted to quickly end the conversation with Old Sun, who didn't know how to chat.
"Boss Sun, tell me, how much does it cost to cover your Mianyue Building?"
"My Mianyue Tower has been open in the Qing Dynasty for six generations. Almost all the painters from Wen Mansion are regular customers of my place. It is absolutely impossible to hire one."
"I'm not short of money," Jiang Yan said hurriedly.
"What a coincidence, I'm not short of money either."
This gave Jiang Yan a headache. People from Qingdu looked up but never looked down, so of course it was not easy for him to force him. Just when he was about to give up, Old Sun said again.
"If someone else wants to rent Mianyue Tower, they won't even have to move a mountain of gold, but who asked you to be Jiang Jiaoyu? I won't take any money. You can use it for as many days as you want," Lao Sun said happily.
"I want to serve the full moon wine to my master's only son. I won't clean up the elegance of this place. I can pay more."
Jiang Yan was also a little worried, but he didn't expect that this would arouse Lao Sun's dissatisfaction.
"What are you talking about? You're so alienated from me?"
"Your master, Lu Jiaoyu, is a frequent visitor to Mianyuelou. Every time Mr. Lu comes here, he will chat with me for a while. We have had drinks with my grandfather, my father, and I. Of course I have to bear with Mr. Lu's disrespect for me.
Mr. Lu was such a good person. Although he is gone, if you ask me for money, you are slapping me in the face." It was obvious that Old Suntou was about to get angry.
"Then it's settled"
"no"
Old Suntou's words suddenly changed directions, which made Jiang Yan unable to keep up with his rhythm. He didn't know what the old man wanted to do.
"Not only can't I give you money, but all the expenses for the banquet have to be paid for by Mianyuelou. I'll ask someone to bring all the best wine from Old Wine Street."
"It still doesn't work. I have to go by myself. The drunkards in Old Liquor Street have mixed the wine with too much water recently. It's not a big deal if they smash my sign if you don't watch it. If it makes Lu Jiaoyu embarrassed, what else can I do?
Live with dignity"
Jiang Yan smiled bitterly and watched Old Suntou stubbornly leave.
Lu Daoxuan not only had a high reputation in the Wenfu, he was also very friendly in the eyes of ordinary people in Qingdu. No matter who talked to him while walking on the street, he could chat for a long time.
On the day of the banquet, scribes from the Qing capital came in an endless stream. All the governors of the twenty-three cities of Yunzhou, except Zhao Guizhen, were present.
Old painters from Qingdu also arrived one after another, and even those who originally guarded Yunlu rushed back.
There were many people whom Jiang Gu didn't even know, but Chen Daoshu introduced them to them.
When everyone arrived, Wei Changli walked in with a smile and a lantern in his arms, sitting on a sheep cart.
"Meet Mr. Wei"
"Why are you begging me? Today this child is our birthday boy."
Wei Changli raised the lantern above his head, and then the old man and the young man touched their foreheads affectionately.
The most important part of the full moon banquet is the ceremony. Wei Changli stood up holding Lu Deng, then dipped his index finger into the prepared inkstone with a little red paint, and touched Lu Deng's forehead.
"With this little bit of vermilion, I wish you no disasters, no disease, and a safe life."
Pointing gifts is a tradition in the Qing Dynasty, and it is the sincerest expectation of the elders for the younger ones.
"Lu Jiaoyu's son will definitely be another doomed one in our Wen family in the future," Fu Baoshan said with a smile.
"Lu Daoxuan's painting skills plus Jiang Jiaoyu's painting skills. If the two schools of painting skills are integrated, I think they can even surpass Lu Daoxuan," Zhong Qingli said.
"Come, let me hug this child"
Lu Lian walked over from his seat on crutches. Lu Lian held Lu Deng in his arms and kept talking about the resemblance. As he spoke, his eyes began to shed tears.
Of course Jiang Yan knew that Mr. Lu had some ridiculous past events when he was young. This old man was the former love rival of his wife Lei Hongyi.
Moreover, after Lu Daoxuan's death, the most saddened person in the entire Qing Dynasty was Lu Lian. Jiang Chan even heard that Lu Lian was holding Lu Daoxuan's portrait and the clothes he had worn, crying all day long, which was worse than his mistress Lei Hongyi.
Be distraught.
Jiang Yan was still secretly slandering in his heart, could this be his first love?
Except for the wrong gender, everything else is correct.
Lu Lian took out a picture album from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Lu.
"I like this kid very much. Since it's his full moon party, I can't come empty-handed, so I'll treat this as a gift."
Jiang Yan didn't know what this scroll was, so he put it away, while Wei Changli on the side said
"Jiang Yan, this thing is too valuable, why don't you return it to Mr. Lu?"
After hearing what Wei Changli said, Jiang Lian hurriedly picked up the scroll with both hands and handed it back to Lu Lian.
"I heard that you passed on your original painting skills to others in the Wen Mansion. It really puts us old guys who cherish our own things to shame. Just give this thing away. If you can learn it, give it to the students. It's considered a blessing.
The Lu family’s contribution to the Wen family has been great.”
Lu Lian waved his hand and turned to leave. Lu Daoxuan passed away and Lei Hongyi was ill and did not show up. Jiang Yan could only express his gratitude on his behalf.
"I'm not as open-minded as Mrs. Lu. I give away my secret painting skills as soon as I ask. Here is a high-quality paint." Fu Baoshan was also generous.
These two people made proofs, and many people later sent heavy gifts. The drawing paper and brushes were all of the highest quality, enough to last Lu Deng half his life.
Jiang Yan knew that this was the legacy of his master Lu Daoxuan. Even though he is far away, the living still remember him.
The banquets in Qingdu are never quiet. As long as there is wine, this group of scribes can push the atmosphere to a climax.
Jiang Yan was holding Lu Deng, sitting at the same table with Su Kou Yaya and the little gardener. He looked at Yaya, who was standing on the chair with a golden knife, fighting with the knife and pen clerk at the next table, and knocked angrily.
The head of this evil female devil.
When the swordsmen and pen officials saw Yaya deflated, they laughed unscrupulously.
Yun Lan was also a little surprised. The scene tonight was a bit too grand. Even if it was the full moon banquet of his master's only son, there would never be so many people coming, including some old painters who had been in seclusion for decades.
The knife and pen official also dropped all the tasks at hand and rushed over. When he saw Meng Dongjiao, Jiang Gu suddenly said.
"Commander Meng, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Master Wei told me that he is your apprentice, right?"
"Well, his enlightenment is somewhat similar to yours. I'm not very good at this. I hope you can give him some advice."
"Do not worry"
Seeing Meng Dongjiao raising his glass, Jiang Yan quickly responded.
"I heard that you had a drinking contest with the Demon King in Xiandu Mountain and won in the end? Why don't I believe it?" Chen Daoshu teased.
"If you don't believe me, you can give it a try. In terms of fighting, I am no match for you guys, but in terms of drinking capacity, I will pick your table today."
"What a big tone, I'll be the first one"
Lu Yun seemed to be doing magic, and two large jars of wine appeared on the table.
While the banquet was in full swing, Wei Changli quietly left Mianyue Tower, and Lei Hongyi stood not far away dressed in red.
"Madam, why don't you go in and take a look?" Wei Changli asked.
"My identity should not be made public, so I won't go. I feel relieved when I see you taking such good care of Deng'er."
Although she did not enter Mianyue Tower, Lei Hongyi's attention never left Lu Deng for a moment, and her eyes were filled with tears at this moment.
"Thank you for leaving a queen for your senior brother and for adding people to our Wen family."
"Master Wei, you are so polite. I should say thank you. Thank you for letting me stay anonymously in Xiandu Mountain; thank you for Jiang Yan, who helped me and his master; thank you for Daoxuan, for allowing me to wait for this life to take root."
"Does it have to come to this point?"
"I have decided, Mr. Wei, please pass this on to Jiang Qian, and ask him to take good care of his little junior brother."
There was something wrapped in a silk handkerchief. Wei Changli took it and stuffed it into his sleeve without announcing it.
"I don't know if such a thing will bring him big trouble or save him. Anyway, it would be a pity to put it on me."
Wei Changli watched Lei Hongyi turn away and disappear into the dusk, and sighed inaudibly.