The next day, Fu Yueming finally lived up to expectations and purchased a batch of paints from Tongbao Pavilion that were of relatively low quality but sufficient for medium-grade paintings.
For the rest of the period, Jiang Yan stayed at home and painted for Fu Yueming every day. Although his painting skills had not improved much, his integration of spiritual power and painting skills was more perfect than before.
Minglou's status in the Qing capital also increased, and it even ranked among the top among all painting houses in the ranks of medium-grade paintings. At the same time, the Black Society was also officially recognized by the literary circles of the Qing capital.
However, there are currently only two people in the Black Society, Jiang Chan and Su Kou. Some people have come to Minglou to inquire about joining the club, but Jiang Chan has rejected them all. He just founded the society because he thought it was fun, and he has no intention of carrying it forward.
In two or three months, Jiang Yan had already saved 200,000 taels of banknotes and bought the courtyard in Mahuang Lane in one go.
Su Kou, on the other hand, would go to Xiandu Mountain every now and then to collect herbs and develop new poisons.
Whenever Jiang Qian was painting, Dao Ya from the Pig Roasting Yard across the street would also study next to him. He said he was studying and spent most of his time lying on the table sleeping.
Jiang Yan looked at the drawing papers distressedly. They were soaked with saliva. The papers were all wrinkled. This one was worth ten taels of silver!
The relationship between the two families has become more and more harmonious. Even the arrogant old butcher will smile when he sees Jiang Yan, and even bring some food to him from time to time.
In a few days there will be a major civil service examination, and Qingdu is becoming more and more lively. Only Qian Fuhai was very angry, and the valuable tea cup on the table was smashed directly to the ground.
"What a bunch of trash. After all, you are also in the Mysterious Spiritual Realm. Is it so difficult to assassinate a painter who lives in the Spiritual Realm?"
"Big shopkeeper, there are masters in Mahuang Alley. Every time I haven't passed the exam to where Jiang Chang lives, I feel a suffocating aura."
"Master? What kind of master can live in a place like Mahuang Lane where low-level people live? It's just an excuse."
"I have an idea, Chief Shopkeeper. The Wenfu exam is coming soon. Doesn't he want to enter the Wenfu? Why don't we..."
The smile on Qian Fuhai's face grew stronger and stronger.
"It is better to kill someone than to kill one's heart"
There is less than half a month left before the literary examination, and during this period of time, Jiang Chan's painting skills have made some progress.
Nowadays, with his cultivation in the spiritual realm, he can make excellent or even wonderful paintings, but the paint is still the most troublesome problem.
Low-grade paints can no longer be used for fine paintings, and Qian Fuhai also strictly ordered Tongbao Pavilion not to give out mid-grade paints to anyone related to Jiang Chan. Now Jiang Chan's only hope is Lu Yufu.
The Wenfu Grand Examination invited many powerful people from the Xuan Kingdom to come and observe, Lu Yufu's grandfather Lu Yangzi was among them. Seeing that the time was getting closer and closer, there was no news about Lu Yufu, which made Jiang Yan a little uneasy.
Without pigments, the painting method would be greatly compromised, so Jiang Yan could only temporarily stop writing and watch the old butcher slaughter pigs in the pig roasting yard out of boredom.
The old butcher's method of killing pigs has reached an advanced level. He touches the pig's body with his hand and cuts without changing the knife. The blade cuts smoothly to remove the bones.
Jiang Yan even had the illusion for a moment that Dao Jie, who was immersed in it, was not an old butcher, but more like an artist.
The old butcher was not only an expert at butchering pigs, his roasted pork was also unparalleled. He drank wine while chewing on a pig's foot. The meat was fat but not greasy and left a fragrant aroma on his lips and teeth.
This wine is so strong and spicy that your whole body will be on fire after one sip. In such weather, you can take a sip and feel comfortable all over.
"Master Dao, your wine is good. What's the origin of it?"
Jiang Yan also likes to drink. How can an artist be called an artist without drinking? He can tell the quality of wine as soon as he tastes it. He thinks that he has drunk all the good wines in the Qing capital, but this is the first time he has seen this kind of wine.
The best wine I've ever had.
"Autumn dew white, brewed from the autumn dew of Moyun Cliff in Xiandu Mountain, the output is very small"
The old butcher said and pulled his wine gourd over, as if he was afraid that Jiang Yan would finish the drink.
"Wherever you can buy it, the best wine in Qingdu doesn't seem to be enough in front of Qiu Lubai."
Jiang Yan had endless aftertaste in his mouth. After drinking this wine, any other wine seemed to be bland and tasteless.
"There is a restaurant at the entrance of Ephedra Alley. It has no listings and is only doing business with acquaintances. Just say that I introduced it and maybe we can sell a few taels."
The old butcher looks scary, but after being in contact with him for such a long time, Jiang Gu gradually became familiar with his ancestors and grandchildren.
"That guy with hair all over his body?"
Jiang Yan thought of the big man as strong as an iron tower at the entrance of Ephedra Alley, who was shirtless every summer and exposed his black hair.
"Why do you have time to watch me kill pigs today?"
The old butcher finished his work, inserted the butcher knife on the case, and separated the pork piece by piece.
"There's nothing I can do. I've run out of paint and the people at Tongbao Pavilion won't sell it to me."
I feel a little angry when I mention this matter. The painter's achievements are all made with money, but now he has hundreds of thousands of taels of money, and now he can't buy paint!
You can't buy paint. There is no difference between a pile of banknotes in a book tube and waste paper.
"How can I describe my current mood to you? I just don't like anything I see. For example, I ate your meat and drank your wine. I should have said a few words of thanks, but when the words came to my mouth, I just wanted to
curse"
After hearing this, the old butcher raised his eyebrows and looked at Jiang Gu, and then started operating the knife again.
"This is a disease of yours, and only I can cure it in the world."
Seeing that the old butcher seemed to want to kill someone, Jiang Yan hurriedly shut up. If he hadn't taught Daoya how to paint, the old butcher wouldn't have been so kind to him.
"Have you offended anyone recently?" the old butcher asked.
"It's just those scoundrels from Tongbao Pavilion"
"Recently, there are people with evil intentions hanging around your house every night. At least they have the cultivation level of the Spiritual Realm. You should pay more attention to it yourself."
Jiang Yan's eyes lit up after hearing this. Every day after he went to bed, there would be little paper figures and cranes moving around in the yard. Of course he knew that someone wanted to sneak into his yard.
It's just that these people didn't dare to break in after arriving at the door several times for some unknown reason.
Jiang Yan himself couldn't tell what their cultivation level was, but the old butcher actually understood it so well.
"Master Dao, tell me, have you ever become enlightened?"
Yuling Continent only has extremely high talent or craftsmanship in a certain aspect, and can perceive the existence of spiritual power, which will have the basis for enlightenment.
Since all industries can achieve enlightenment, of course butchers can too, especially the old butcher's method of killing pigs is simply miraculous.
"I'm considered enlightened. I'm just a rough guy. It's enough for a butcher to be enlightened. After all, he's been killing pigs all his life, but Yaya..." Speaking of Yaya, the old butcher had a headache.
"Yaya is also enlightened?" Jiang Yan asked with interest.
The old butcher nodded, then sighed.
"Yaya is a girl who will get married in the future. How can a girl butcher become enlightened?
That’s why I took her all the way to Qingdu to see if she could learn to write and draw!”
Jiang Yan understood in his heart, but the old butcher was destined to be disappointed. For a while, it seemed that Yaya was more interested in killing pigs than writing and painting.
He is so tough at a young age, but he turns out to be a little butcher.