【Prequel to the Good Family Wife Series: The Erotic Serpent's Manual】 (09) Author: Da Bao You Xiang

Author: Da Bao You Xiang
Word Count: 10136

Chapter Nine

: Yu'er is good in every way, except that, as her husband, Steward Zhang, said, she's a little miser. She's rather greedy,
and seeing Old Man Jiang stuff the ten taels of silver that had pained her so much into her hand, she patted her chest with satisfaction and said,
"Hmph, that's more like it. As long as you listen to me, don't worry, I'll put in a good word for you with Madam."

"That's wonderful! My wealth for the rest of my life depends on you," Old Man Jiang said, bowing with clasped hands.

Since Yu'er accompanied Madam Lan to the General's Mansion as part of her dowry, her status has gradually risen. The maids,
servants, and household servants in the courtyard all look up to her with great respect, not to mention after marrying Steward Zhang. Servants often
try to curry favor with her privately, asking her to smooth things over. If anyone is impolite and asks for less money, she absolutely will not help them. Over time, she
has gradually developed a somewhat arrogant and spoiled nature.

She was a perceptive woman. Seeing that Old Man Jiang needed her help, she acted as usual,
thinking about how to squeeze some money out of him, or… Suddenly, an
idea that made her heart race occurred to her. She said, “Uncle Jiang, actually, if you want to gain Madam’s favor, you must first make the young master
happy . If you please him, Madam will naturally think more highly of you.”

“Young master? But I have no chance to see him at all. How can I make him happy?” Old Man Jiang asked, puzzled.

“Oh, Uncle Jiang, you’re so old! I’m always
with , of course I know what he likes. If I just give you a little hint, you can definitely
please him.” Yu’er said seriously.

“Oh dear, Yu’er, look at my memory! If you hadn’t reminded me, I would have forgotten your status. So tell me,
what does the young master like now? Did he like the horse I drew for him last time?” Old Man Jiang asked hastily.

"To be honest, your horse painting is good, but you know children's tastes change. He's past
the stage of liking horses, so he's not interested in your painting anymore," Yu'er said seriously.

"Ah? Then I've painted for nothing? What does he like?" Old Man Jiang asked helplessly.

"Ahem, well... actually... actually he's always wanted to learn some martial arts from Master's personal bodyguard, Tian Cheng,
but Madam doesn't want him to be like Master, playing with weapons from a young age. So she didn't agree to his request. But only
I know how persistent he is! He complains to me every day that he wants to see Tian Cheng every day..." Yu'er coughed
twice and made up a story. In truth, she wanted to use Old Man Jiang's eagerness to please the young master, so she asked him to paint a portrait of Tian Cheng, whom she longed for, in the young master's
name .

"Oh, I understand. You mean you want me to paint a portrait of which Tian Cheng for the young master?" Old Man Jiang
asked Yu'er uncertainly.

"Clever, you get it right away, that's right. Uncle Jiang, you're really quick-witted." Yu'er
praised the old man with satisfaction, seeing that he had indeed fallen for her trick.

"But I don't know Tian Cheng, and I've never seen him before. I wonder where I can see him?" the old man
asked .

"He's not married yet, so he eats all three meals in the back kitchen restaurant. As for how to recognize him, you
can ask Sun Lao Er..." Yu'er suggested.

"I see, that makes things easier. I'll keep an eye on him when I eat tonight. But what style does this young master
like ? Should I just draw a copy of his portrait? Should I also draw him in some martial arts
pose? I guess he'd like that more..." the old man pondered.

"Ahem, well, you'd better draw him like
you ..." Yu'er coughed twice, her face slightly flushed.

"Yes, yes, a man's beauty lies in his strength. Yu'er's reminder is right. I'll finish it in a day or two, I guarantee the young
master will love it. Hehe." Old Man Jiang said confidently.

"Then we'll see how well you paint it. Can I come and pick it up in two days?" Yu'er appeared calm on the surface,
but her heart was already rippled with excitement. She could see Tian Cheng anytime from now on, how could she not
look forward ?

"Sure, I'm sure I can finish it in two days." Old Man Jiang affirmed.

"Okay, then I'll come back then. It's getting late, I should go back." Yu'er said goodbye. With that, she
put the portrait of herself and left. Old Man Jiang saw Yu'er out of the house. Watching her slender figure hurried away, a strange smile

appeared on his face. He muttered to himself, "Tian Cheng?... Heh, I'd like to see what kind of face could make this steward's wives and concubines fall in love? Hmph, little girl, you're still too green when it comes to scheming..." Tian Cheng felt quite uneasy. Ever since he entered the dining room for dinner, he had noticed a gaze stealing glances at him from time to time . He had often encountered this before, usually from shy young maids. However, Tian Cheng already had someone he admired, so why would he pay attention to these common beauties? Therefore, he usually ignored these glances. But today was different, because he realized that the one spying on him was Old Man . "What's going on? Does he know I followed his two sons and even staked out his residence? Impossible. Only Steward Zhang knows, or at most the lord. No one else could possibly know. Could it be…?" Tian Cheng wondered, but pretended not to notice. "Hmm, this Tian Cheng is indeed tall and imposing, full of heroic spirit. No wonder even a married woman like Yu'er is attracted to him. But judging from his features, he's clearly still a virgin." Old Man Jiang, sitting at a table in the corner of the restaurant, was also scrutinizing Tian Cheng, secretly memorizing his features so he could quickly sketch them later. Tian Cheng quickly finished his meal and turned to leave, not even glancing at Old Man Jiang. He didn't want Old Man Jiang to realize he had been watching him. He planned to quietly return and follow Old Man Jiang later to see what the old man was up to. Old Man Jiang, of course, was unaware that Tian Cheng had already discovered him, nor did he know Tian Cheng's thoughts at that moment. He carefully observed Tian Cheng's movements—getting up, turning around, and so on—and secretly memorized them. As soon as Tian Cheng disappeared from sight, he quickly got up and returned to the courtyard. Back in the courtyard, he rushed back to the house without even locking the door, quickly took out his paintbrush and paper, lit a candle, and began diligently sketching a portrait of Tian Cheng from memory. Meanwhile, Qi Zhenpeng noticed in the dining room that Sun Er's behavior today was somewhat unusual; he had even taken the initiative to serve Old Man Jiang his meal.

Not to mention, he seemed distracted during lunch and dinner, each time barely eating a few bites before
rushing back home, which worried him greatly, fearing something was wrong with Sun Er. After finishing his dinner, he thought it over
and decided to go check on Sun Er.

(Author's note: Qi Zhenpeng and Sun Er were childhood friends, both their
fathers serving the Zhang family patriarch. Sun Er's father was the steward, while Qi Zhenpeng's father was just a
kitchen helper. They had played together since childhood and were very close. After growing up, they both became servants to the eldest son,
Zhang Jingde , and were the closest of friends in the general's mansion. Sun Er was two years older than Qi Zhenpeng, so
Qi Zhenpeng usually called Sun Er "Brother Sun Er.")

Qi Zhenpeng, having inherited his father's business, also worked as a cook in the general's mansion.
After lingered until all the other cooks and helpers had left, becoming the last one to stay. After leaving the kitchen
,

Qi Zhenpeng grabbed a jug of wine and secretly cut a large piece of braised beef to eat with it. When he arrived at the stables with the wine and beef, it was already dark. The stable yard was pitch black, except for
a candle in the room where Sun Er was resting. Several horses were already lying motionless by their mangers. The only
sound in the yard was the tireless, annoying chirping of crickets.

Afraid of disturbing the resting horses, Qi Zhenpeng tiptoed to Sun Er's hut
. He gently pushed the door, only to find it locked from the inside. Just as he was about to knock, he faintly heard strange sounds coming from
inside : a sound that was neither a cry nor a groan.

"This is… could it be that Brother Sun is really unwell?" Driven by curiosity, Qi Zhenpeng
moistened his finger with saliva and poked a small hole in the inconspicuous window paper, peering through it. In the candlelight
, a naked man was seen on the bed against the west wall of the room. He held a painting in one hand,
his gaze fixed on the image (though the distance and the dim candlelight made it difficult for Qi Zhenpeng
to see clearly), and seemed to be muttering something to himself. His other hand was gripping his already erect,
dark penis, stroking it back and forth.

Qi Zhenpeng immediately understood what Sun Er was doing. However, the painting Sun Er was looking at
piqued his curiosity: "So this is the culprit that's been keeping Brother Sun so engrossed in his painting? Whose
painting is it that makes Brother Sun so obsessed? I'll knock and go in to find out."

Thinking this, Qi Zhenpeng coughed twice outside the door, then made a few light footsteps to alert Sun Er inside,
before knocking.

"Who is it?" came the rustling sound of Sun Er dressing inside, accompanied by his nervous question.

"It's me, Second Brother. I saw you didn't eat well tonight, so I brought some wine and meat to invite you for a couple of drinks," Qi Zhenpeng
said.

"Ahem, who do we have here? It's Brother Zhenpeng. Wait a moment, I'll open the door for you right away," Sun Er
's voice was much calmer this time.

A moment later, Sun Er opened the door and Qi Zhenpeng came in with the wine and
food. Qi Zhenpeng wasn't in a hurry to ask Sun Er about the portrait. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two set up a table, poured two bowls of wine, and ate and drank with slices of braised beef.

After a few rounds of drinks, seeing that Sun Er's face was flushed, Qi Zhenpeng slowly said, "Second Brother Sun,
why haven't you asked a matchmaker to find you a woman you like? You're already of marriageable age."

"How could I not have asked someone to find me? My old father has asked several matchmakers, but..." Sun Er
said sadly.

"Sigh, no wonder then, Brother Sun, you can't..." Qi Zhenpeng wanted to advise Sun Er to stop
wallowing in self-pity, hiding in his room staring at a tattered painting and doing such lewd things. But the words
caught in his throat.

"Can't what? Brother Zhenpeng, I noticed you've been hesitant today, which isn't like you.
We brothers should speak frankly." Sun Er's slurred speech was a bit thick after two bowls of wine, but he became even more straightforward.

"Alright, since we're on the topic, I won't hold back anymore, Brother Sun. It's okay if you can't find a satisfactory woman.
I can always have some of the kitchen helpers keep an eye out for you. But you absolutely can't let yourself degenerate into
being obsessed with a tattered painting every day, losing your appetite and sleep. You'll go mad if you keep doing that."
Qi Zhenpeng finally said what he had been holding back.

"What did you say? What tattered painting? I... I didn't..." Sun Er stared at
Qi Zhenpeng his tongue slurring as he denied it.

"Brother Sun, I'm doing this for your own good. Stop pretending. I saw everything you did on the bed just now."
Emboldened by alcohol, Qi Zhenpeng earnestly advised.

"Ah? You actually..." Sun Er was initially angry at being spied on,
but then he remembered his lewd behavior and his face flushed red and then turned pale, at a loss for words.

Seeing Sun Er's embarrassed state, Qi Zhenpeng felt a little sorry for him and put his arm around his shoulder, whispering, "
Brother , what's so great about a painting? Why don't we go to the Hidden Spring Pavilion together one day?"

"Hey, what do you know? My paintings aren't ordinary paintings. I don't go to brothels.
If no woman would want to marry me." Sun Er said disdainfully.

"What? Not an ordinary painting? It's just a painting. It can't compare to the real thing. There are some pretty girls at the Hidden Spring Pavilion
, how about..." Qi Zhenpeng started to persuade him again, but he was quickly
interrupted by Sun Er.

"My paintings are indistinguishable from real people's appearances, and I can commission a master to paint any woman I like whenever I want.
How can those dirty women from brothels compare?" Sun Er said smugly. "Indistinguishable from real people's appearances? How is that possible? I 've seen

the portraits by several famous artists in our General's Mansion , and they're nothing special. To be honest, they're far from the real people. I always feel that these so-called famous painters are all hype." Qi Zhenpeng clearly didn't believe Sun Er's words. "Hey, don't be so skeptical. Alright, considering we've been good brothers for many years, I can bring out my treasure to show you." After drinking a few cups of wine, Sun Er had long forgotten his promise to Old Man Jiang. He got up and shakily took out the nude portrait of Yu'er from a small wooden box under the bed. He pushed the wine bowl and braised beef aside, wiped the table with a dry cloth, and then laid the painting on the table . In fact, Qi Zhenpeng had already been curious about the painting when he peeked through the window paper, so he couldn't help but crane his neck to stare at the slowly unfolding painting.

As the painting slowly unfolded, Qi Zhenpeng's expression became increasingly complex: first curiosity, then
astonishment, followed by a burning desire in his eyes. By the time the painting was fully unfurled, he was completely
stunned.

Seeing the changes in Qi Zhenpeng's expression, Sun Er became even more smug and said, "How's the painting? Brother Zhenpeng,
have I ever lied to you?"

Qi Zhenpeng was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses, his gaze still lingering on the painting. He exclaimed in surprise, "This…
isn't this Yu'er? It's so lifelike! How did you get a nude portrait of her? Could it be that you and…
she's Steward Zhang's second wife? You're too bold!"

"Hehe, brother, you're overthinking it. Although I've always secretly liked Yu'er, I've never crossed any lines with her.
This is precisely the brilliance of a master; to be able to paint this nude portrait of Yu'er with just one glance." Sun Er became even more smug
seeing the astonished expression on Qi Zhenpeng's face.

"Is there really such a master? This is so much more realistic than those famous paintings in our General's Mansion
. Brother Sun, could you ask this master to paint a portrait of me too?" Qi Zhenpeng's expression
slowly changed from surprise to envy.

"What's there to say between brothers? No problem, but this master's portrait is very expensive,
probably hard for most people to afford," Sun Er said.

"Money is no problem, as long as he can paint it for me," Qi Zhenpeng said excitedly.

"That's good, who do you want to paint? It's not... it's not Yu'er again, is it?" Sun Er asked.

"Of course not Yu'er, I already know you like Yu'er, why would I paint her? I want a master
to paint..." Qi Zhenpeng hesitated a bit.

"Who are you painting? Why did you suddenly stop? It's just us brothers in this room, so you can say whatever you want, I won't go around
telling ," Sun Er urged curiously when he saw Qi Zhenpeng's hesitation.

"Alright, I'll tell you then, but you have to keep it a secret, Second Brother. I want a master to paint a portrait
of Lady Lan... Lady Lan." Qi Zhenpeng finally stammered out the words, startling Sun Er beside him.

"What? Lady Lan? Brother, you're incredibly bold! I didn't expect you, who seems so quiet, to have
such a big heart. How could servants like you and me dare to dream of Lady Lan?" Sun Er exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, Second Brother Sun, who's dreaming of Lady Lan? I just think Lady Lan is so beautiful, even a celestial fairy
couldn't compare. Besides, I just want a master to paint a portrait of Lady Lan in her finest attire, not a nude portrait like you're doing.
It shouldn't be that serious, right?" Qi Zhenpeng quickly explained.

"Well... that's true, but if people find out, you probably won't be able to stay in the manor anymore.
Let's paint someone else. We have a few rather beautiful maids in our manor; those are the ones we can lay our hands on."
Sun Er advised.

"Sigh, after seeing Madam Lan's portrait, the maids in our household just don't look right anymore. Since we're going to spend
so much money, what's the point of painting those maids we see every day?" Qi Zhenpeng shook his head, disagreeing with Sun Er's point of view.

"Yes, you have a point. Since we're spending money, naturally we should paint the one we admire." Sun
Er was gradually swayed by Qi Zhenpeng's words.

"Brother Sun Er, you haven't agreed to help me yet. Don't worry, I'll treat Madam Lan's portrait
with the same reverence I would show a fairy, and I won't let anyone know." Qi Zhenpeng said.

"Hmm, alright, since you've put it this way, how could I not help you? But if it's Madam Lan
, the price will be considerable." Sun Er said.

"Oh? How much silver?" Qi Zhenpeng asked with concern.

"At least forty taels of silver." Sun Er casually gave a figure; in reality, he estimated that if it wasn't
a nude portrait, it would only cost a dozen or twenty taels at most, the rest being his profit.

"So much?" Qi Zhenpeng exclaimed in surprise. Having grown up with Sun Er, he naturally knew Sun Er's character well
. He just hadn't expected that Sun Er would still try to rip him off so badly after he brought food and wine
.

"Yes, are you still painting?" Sun Er urged.

"Yes, I am. It's worth it as long as I can see such a lifelike portrait of Madam Lan every day. Brother Sun Er,
when ask that master painter to paint it for me?" Qi Zhenpeng said firmly. Although he knew he had been ripped off
by Sun Er, he usually helped in the kitchen and was responsible for buying ingredients at the market, so he had earned quite a bit of money. Forty taels of
silver to him, and since he didn't know any master painter, he had no choice
but to accept the loss.

"But Madam Lan usually stays in the inner quarters and rarely goes out
. She only goes out when she goes to the market or to the temple to offer incense and prayers. If you want to paint it, you'll have to wait until she goes out," Sun Er said.

"Brother Sun is right. However, I'm quite familiar with Madam's personal maid, Yan'er. I
always . I can find out something through her. As soon as there's news of Madam going out, I'll let you know,
and you can tell the expert who drew the portrait to follow and observe her," Qi Zhenpeng said.

"Hmm, alright, that's the only way. I'll wait for your news. When I have definite news of Madam going out,
I'll contact that expert for you," Sun Er said.

The next day at lunch, Tian Cheng discovered that the old man from the Jiang family was bothering him again. He had noticed the same
thing at breakfast that morning, so he just drank some soup, ate a couple of bites, and then disappeared. But lunch was a proper meal, so he couldn't just
disappear ? He could only suppress his anger and pretend not to know, picking at the vegetables on his plate while fiercely munching on the flatbread in his hand.

Old Jiang had actually finished most of Tian Cheng's sketch last night, but the lighting was poor, and
he hadn't been able to see some details clearly. He made a point of arriving early at the restaurant this morning during breakfast and lunch to wait for Tian Cheng
and get a better look. Through these two detailed observations, he was quite certain that Tian Cheng's facial features were deeply
etched into his mind. After lunch, he could go back and fill in the details from last night's sketch.

Meanwhile, Qi Zhenpeng in the kitchen was in a completely different mood than Tian Cheng. He seemed incredibly
excited : he noticed that Sun Er was being much more respectful to Old Jiang today, personally serving him
food and keeping him company with a beaming smile.

"Could this Old Jiang be the painting master that Brother Sun Er mentioned? I'll test him.
If it really is him, then I can directly ask him for my requests, avoiding being exploited by Brother Sun Er again
," Qi Zhenpeng thought excitedly.

After seeing Old Man Jiang finish his meal and leave the restaurant, Qi Zhenpeng hurriedly took off his kitchen apron and followed him out.
He followed Old Man Jiang and Sun Er at a distance. When they reached the intersection, Sun Er went back to the stable, while Old Man Jiang continued
walking .

Old Man Jiang entered his small courtyard and was about to take off his clothes and take a cold shower when he heard the gate seem to be pushed open
and footsteps approaching. However, due to the dense grape trellis blocking his view
, he couldn't see the person's face at first. He assumed it was Yu'er and casually said, "Didn't we agree to pick up the painting tomorrow? Why are you here today?"

The person who came was not Yu'er at all, but Qi Zhenpeng, who had been following him. Hearing Old Man Jiang's words, he was even more certain
of his judgment, so he excitedly took a few steps and came to Old Man Jiang's side, bowing and saying, "Uncle Jiang, it's
me."

Old Man Jiang had thought it was Yu'er, but how could he not be surprised by the sudden appearance of a seven-foot-tall man? The man looked
somewhat familiar, but he couldn't remember him at all, so he asked, "Young man, please forgive my poor eyesight,
may I ask who you are...?"

"Uncle Jiang, have you forgotten? A few days ago when you came to the kitchen to get rice, I helped you get the flatbread."
Qi Zhenpeng quickly said.

"Oh, I remember now, you're the head chef in the kitchen. So it's you. What brings you here?"
Old Man Jiang immediately remembered him after being reminded, and said.

Qi Zhenpeng glanced back at the unlocked courtyard gate, afraid that his conversation with Old Man Jiang might be overheard,
and said, "Uncle Jiang, I do have something to discuss with you. Let's talk inside."

"Alright, alright, come in." Old Man Jiang said, leading Qi Zhenpeng into the house.

After Qi Zhenpeng entered the house and closed the door, he said, "Uncle Jiang, I heard you can paint? And even more
lifelike than the famous painter Xue Ji?"

"You...who told you that?" Old Man Jiang was startled.
Although clearly knew the details, not just something he had heard from his mistaken answer to Yu'er
.

"To be honest, Uncle Jiang, Brother Sun is a good brother of mine. I heard it from him last night."
Qi Zhenpeng was afraid that Old Man Jiang would deny it, so he brought up Sun Er.

"So that's how it is... Sigh, why is he like this? So you came here specifically to have me paint your portrait?"
Old Man Jiang shook his head helplessly.

"Yes, Uncle Jiang, I'm giving you money too, why do you look like this?" Qi Zhenpeng asked in surprise, seeing
Old Man 's displeasure. Judging from his words just now, he clearly paints portraits for others, not just Sun Er,
so why did he react like this when he heard that Old Man Jiang wanted him to paint his portrait?

"Oh, you misunderstand, it has nothing to do with you. Sun Er promised me that he
would never ." Old Man Jiang explained.

"Uncle Jiang, this can't be blamed on Brother Sun Er. I only saw the painting by chance, and he had no choice but
to tell me. Don't worry, I will keep our brotherly relationship a secret." Qi Zhenpeng quickly explained, afraid that
Old Man would blame Sun Er.

"I see. Who do you want me to paint? Sun Er told you all my rules, right?" Old Man Jiang
finally understood.

"I want you to paint..." Qi Zhenpeng paused, glancing back at the
closed . Seeing it firmly shut, he mustered his courage and said, "I want you to paint
a portrait of Madam Lan."

"Oh, Madam Lan? What... Madam Lan? Could it be General Zhang's wife in this mansion?" Old Man Jiang
asked in surprise. He hadn't immediately grasped the meaning, but then realized something was amiss.

"Ahem, yes... yes, Madam Lan," Qi Zhenpeng replied nervously in a low voice.

"Young man, you... you're too bold! If people find out you're painting Madam Lan, how can we
continue working in this mansion?" Old Man Jiang politely declined.

"I only regard Madam as a guardian fairy. There's nothing wrong with painting a portrait of her to bless me, is there?
It's much more aboveboard than you painting a nude portrait of Steward Zhang's second wife, Yu'er, right?" Qi Zhenpeng was afraid that Old Man Jiang wouldn't
paint it for him, so he took out the nude portrait of Yu'er that he had painted for Sun Er to indirectly threaten him. The meaning couldn't
be clearer : if you paint it obediently, fine, otherwise I'll tell Steward
Zhang about your nude portrait of Yu'er.

Old Man Jiang wasn't stupid; how could he not understand Qi Zhenpeng's threat? So after thinking it over, he
sighed said, "Well... alright then, I agree. But I've never seen Madam Lan, so how can I paint her?"

Seeing that he had relented, Qi Zhenpeng was delighted and said, "Don't worry about that. I'll let you know when you meet
Madam Lan. Just take a good look then."

"Sigh, that's all I can do. Just come find me when the time comes," Old Man Jiang said.

Seeing his reluctant expression, Qi Zhenpeng quickly took out ten taels of silver from his pocket and stuffed it into his
hand, saying, "It's not like I'm asking you to paint for free. Here, this is a deposit of ten taels of silver. I'll give you some more after you finish painting."

Old Jiang's face relaxed upon receiving the silver; it was already quite good that he wasn't being asked to paint for free after being caught red-handed
. However, a thought suddenly struck him, and he said, "I've recently painted a few paintings, and I've
used up quite a bit of . It's inconvenient to move around freely in this mansion. Could you please send a message to a shop and ask them
to pre-order some paint from a Persian merchant?"

"Of course, I can. I go out to buy ingredients every day, so it's convenient. Just tell me the shop's name,
and I'll go and pre-order it for you."

"Alright, wait a moment. I'll write down the types of paint I need. Take this slip of paper and go."
With that, Old Jiang took out a slip of paper and began writing with a small brush, filling the entire
slip stopping.

He handed the note filled with writing to Qi Zhenpeng, then said, "Here, take this to 'Zhuangji Leather Shop' on
the street Make sure the clerk delivers it to their manager. Also
, don't let anyone see my oil paint formula, or my livelihood will be in jeopardy."

"Okay, Uncle Jiang, don't worry, I promise I won't let anyone see it, I'll keep it a secret for you.
I need to go to the market around noon, so I'll give this order to that shop for you," Qi Zhenpeng promised. He
then pocketed the note without even looking at it, got up, and left. As usual

, Old Man Jiang saw Qi Zhenpeng out of the courtyard gate, and after closing the gate, a disdainful smile appeared on his face as he muttered:
"A little brat like you dares to threaten me? You really don't know your place. If it weren't for the fact that you often..."
"Going out to buy things makes it easier to pass on messages, humph..." he muttered to himself as he returned to the courtyard, taking off his clothes to
shower and practice. As for Tian Cheng's portrait, he would have to finish it after his shower...

Meanwhile, Qi Zhenpeng left Old Man Jiang's small courtyard, turned a few corners, and returned to the main
courtyard where the servants lived. He hid in his small room and took out the note from his pocket. He was very curious about the oil paint formula
, and Old Man Jiang's claim that it was a secret formula only fueled his curiosity.

But when he opened the note, he was dumbfounded. The note was covered with densely packed characters that looked like tadpoles
, which he couldn't understand at all. He was horrified: "What kind of script is this? Is it Persian?
Does Old Man Jiang know Persian? It seems that Old Man Jiang is truly a hidden master, just as Brother Sun said,
he is no ordinary person."

Since he couldn't understand it, he simply put it away and lay down on the bed for a nap.

As the sun began to set, Qi Zhenpeng, as usual, left the General's Mansion to buy groceries from several familiar shops.
After finishing his business, he remembered Old Man Jiang's instructions and went to the "Zhuangji
Fur Shop" near the West Gate.

The "Zhuangji Fur Shop" was a three-story building, but business was slow, with few pedestrians. However,
he thought to himself, who would buy warm fur coats in early summer? Qi Zhenpeng was secretly curious: "
Why does a shop that sells fur also sell paint? And Old Man Jiang, being new here, how does he know this shop sells paint
? How strange."

Despite his curiosity, Qi Zhenpeng kept his promise, carrying his basket, and stepped into the "Zhuangji Fur Shop."
As soon as his feet touched the ground, a young man dressed as a shop assistant greeted him excitedly, "Sir, come in quickly!
Are looking to buy a leather belt? Or leather boots?" His expression clearly indicated that he hadn't had a customer in a long time.

"No, I'm here to buy oil paints. No, I'm here to pre-order oil paints," Qi Zhenpeng said.

"Oil paints? What oil paints? Our shop only sells leather goods, we've never done oil paint business before," the young shop
assistant scratched his head, looking bewildered.

Qi Zhenpeng was taken aback by the young shop assistant's words, but then he remembered that Old Man Jiang had repeatedly told him to
give the note to the shopkeeper. It was possible that the young shop assistant genuinely didn't know about this business. So he reached into
his pocket and took out the note, saying, "Give it to your shopkeeper, he knows what's going on."

The young shop assistant took the note, unfolded it, looked at it, and then shook his head, saying, "What are these words? I can't understand them.
Okay, wait a moment, I'll go upstairs and give it to our shopkeeper." With that, he hurriedly
went upstairs with the note in his hand.

The shop assistant went upstairs and knocked on a door. A nasal voice immediately came from inside, asking warily
, "Who is it?"

The shop assistant quickly replied, "Boss, it's me, Si Lai."

The nasal voice said displeasedly, "It's you! Didn't I tell you not to come upstairs unnecessarily
? What's going on? Have you forgotten?"

Hearing the boss's displeasure, the shop assistant quickly explained, "Someone specifically asked for a note, and
inexplicably said they wanted you to order some paint for them."

"Order paint? What nonsense! We only deal in leather goods."
The

boss was inexplicably furious. The shop assistant, terrified, said, "I know, I'll ignore him." He turned to go downstairs
, just as a shrill voice said, "Wait a moment, pass the note in."
The door creaked open a crack.

"Yes, Manager Rong." The clerk discreetly slipped the small note through the crack in the door.

A moment later, a high-pitched voice whispered, "Sir, the Master has sent a message."

"Shh, call the manager, I saw it," a nasal voice said.

About half an hour later, the manager's voice came from inside: "Si Lai, tell the messenger
we've received it and will pre-order the paints for him. He can come to us to pre-order whenever he needs more
."

"Yes, manager, I'll go downstairs and tell him right away." The clerk, upon hearing the manager's instructions, hurried downstairs to report to
Qi Zhenpeng .

As the footsteps of the waiter faded away, a voice came from inside the house again: "Sir, I didn't expect this master
to be so bold, actually risking his life to stay at the Hexi Protectorate."

"Rongcuomu, from now on, even when there are no outsiders, you can't call me 'sir' anymore. Call me 'Manager' from now on."

"Yes, sir...Manager. I didn't expect that those two guys last time were actually two
disciples ? It was truly a brilliant plan to deceive everyone, but isn't doing this a bit too risky?" the shrill voice
whispered.

"What do you know? With General Qili Xu's strong support in Guazhou, the authorities will surely find no
flaws. The Master is a man of great wisdom; how could ordinary mortals like you and me comprehend such a long-planned scheme?
However, I truly didn't expect the Master and his disciples to progress so quickly. Not only have his two disciples been successfully placed
in the Chishui Army, but even the Master himself has safely taken up residence in the Hexi Protectorate. In
all 've never seen such progress!" a heavily nasal voice said.

"Mr...Manager. The Master instructed us that he would notify us if he needed our cooperation. Should we halt all our activities in
Liangzhou City to cooperate with him?" the shrill voice whispered.

"Yes, this is also General Bendayan's instruction. From now on, all our operations in Liangzhou City must be under
the Master's command, to cooperate with him," the heavily nasal voice said.

[To be continued]

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