The following morning.
Before the Chen hour, Qi Xiu, having packed his belongings, was already waiting at the entrance of Danqing Pavilion.
It wasn't easy to catch the eye of the big boss—he couldn't miss this opportunity by being late.
No sooner had Qi Xiu taken his position than a rather luxurious carriage slowly emerged from behind Danqing Pavilion. An old coachman, wearing a leather jacket and puffing on a long-stemmed pipe, sat at the front, exhaling dense clouds of white smoke.
"Are you Mr. Qi Xiu?"
"I dare not presume, old sir. You can just call me Qi Xiu—I am not worthy of the title 'Mister.'"
Not wishing to slight the man just because he was a coachman, Qi Xiu raised his hand slightly and replied politely.
"HEH HEH HEH, I'm just a coachman. If you don't mind, you can call me Old Guan. It's cold out here; hurry and get in the carriage."
Smiling and nodding, Old Guan leaned aside and lifted the curtain of the carriage behind him, gesturing for Qi Xiu to board.
After expressing his thanks, Qi Xiu climbed into the carriage.
The interior was spacious, with carved ventilation holes in the ceiling and a floor covered in soft, comfortable carpet. Beneath the built-in table, a small heater was placed.
The entire carriage was warm and comfortable.
It felt like a different world compared to the freezing cold outside.
Indeed, the joys of the wealthy are beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
As he was admiring the luxurious interior of the carriage, Qi Xiu felt a slight jolt.
The carriage had already set off towards the Qian Residence.
The journey from Danqing Pavilion to the Qian Residence was not far. After probably less than twenty minutes, the carriage came to a stop.
"Mr. Qi, we've arrived."
Alighting from the carriage, Qi Xiu found himself facing a wide, imposing gate.
The entire estate was encircled by high walls, over which one could glimpse the noble flowering branches of trees, creating a private domain, secluded from the outside world.
This was the Qian Residence, one of the wealthiest households in Baoho County.
At the gate of the Qian Residence, a house servant dressed in a gray-brown cotton robe stood waiting.
Upon seeing Qi Xiu disembark, he approached.
"You must be Young Master Qi, correct? Please follow me."
"Thank you for your trouble," Qi Xiu replied, nodding.
Following the house servant, Qi Xiu walked along a broad, smooth stone-paved path, curiously observing his surroundings.
The architectural layout of the Qian Residence was primarily arranged along a central axis.
It featured three courtyards—front, middle, and rear—interspersed with stone bridges, rockeries, pavilions, and towers, all contributing to an elegant and tranquil atmosphere.
"Young Master, Young Master Qi is here."
Arriving before a separate courtyard in the rear section of the residence, the servant respectfully announced to someone inside.
"Let him in."
Qian Yuzhe's composed voice came from within the courtyard.
"Young Master Qi, please come in."
Qian Yuzhe's private courtyard was even more elegant and refined than the main compound of the Qian Residence.
It was a quaint, antique courtyard, enclosed by red walls.
In the center stood a meticulously crafted pond with a small pavilion in its middle. Inside the pavilion was a round stone table, surrounded by several mahogany chairs.
At that moment, Qian Yuzhe was in the pavilion, conversing with a tall, powerfully built man. Seeing Qi Xiu arrive, Qian Yuzhe stood up and waved him over.
"Second Brother, this is the calligraphy expert I told you about. Qi Xiu, this is my Second Brother, Qian Yuchuan."
Inside the pavilion, Qian Yuzhe briefly introduced the two.
Qian Yuchuan sized Qi Xiu up with great interest for a few moments before asking, "So you're the one Yu Ze mentioned? Did you write this?"
On the stone table in the pavilion lay the piece of calligraphy Qi Xiu had written the previous day.
"I wouldn't deceive Second Young Master Qian; it was indeed written by me," Qi Xiu replied candidly, as it was the truth.
"Good! To possess such skill in calligraphy at such a young age is truly rare. Third Brother, this fellow you've found, could I borrow him for a couple of days?"
Qian Yuchuan rose to his feet, chuckling as he patted Qi Xiu on the shoulder.
His large, solid palms felt like two iron discs, making Qi Xiu's flesh ache from the impact.
Are those even human hands? A bear's paws couldn't pack such a punch!
Grimacing, Qi Xiu felt as if Qian Yuchuan's two pats had nearly dislocated his arm and torn it apart.
"Second Brother, don't be so rough!" Qian Yuzhe said, noticing Qi Xiu's discomfort. He shook his head, stood up, and pushed Qian Yuchuan back a few steps. "Qi Xiu is a scholar. You're so heavy-handed; you might hurt him. Besides, he's not my employee; he's merely borrowing some space in front of my pavilion to make a living. If you want to 'borrow' him, you'll have to ask his opinion."
"Not your employee? That makes things even easier! Come with me. I'll pay you twenty taels of silver a month. How about that?" Qian Yuchuan declared with a hearty laugh, immediately offering twenty taels of silver.
Twenty taels of silver?!
Even though he had mentally prepared himself, Qi Xiu was still startled by the figure.
Twenty taels of silver. That's twenty thousand copper coins! He earns five copper coins for each couplet he writes. Twenty thousand copper coins would be... four thousand couplets! I wouldn't be able to write that many in ten years!
Seeing Qi Xiu's expression, the smile on Qian Yuchuan's face broadened.
As a wealthy man, he had seen such reactions countless times; it was quite normal.
"Alright..."
With twenty taels of silver right before him, Qi Xiu almost agreed without a second thought.
But just then, a calm voice interjected from the side.
"Thirty taels."
"What?"
Both pairs of eyes simultaneously fell on Qian Yuzhe, who had a faint smile on his lips.
"Third Brother, what do you mean by that?" Qian Yuchuan asked, looking at his younger brother with raised eyebrows, clearly displeased.
"Nothing much. Qi Xiu is talented, and I, too, appreciate talent. You wish to hire him, and so do I. Since that's the case, let the highest bidder win," Qian Yuzhe said nonchalantly, a carefree expression on his face.
"Competing with wealth? HMPH. HMPH."
Looking arrogant, Qian Yuchuan snorted twice, then waved his hand dismissively.
"You win! I take my leave!"
"Huh?"
Aren't you being a bit too decisive!
Staring in bewilderment as Qian Yuchuan strode away, Qi Xiu turned to look at Qian Yuzhe, who was smiling faintly, his own head full of questions.
"My Second Brother is obsessed with martial arts," Qian Yuzhe explained. "He spends most of his money on medicinal supplements and hiring tutors. So, he genuinely doesn't have much spare cash. Don't mind him."
After explaining, Qian Yuzhe fetched a heavily worn rubbing from the side.
"Take a look at this first."
"This is... the 'True Relics of Monk Huai'?" Qi Xiu's eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the rubbing Qian Yuzhe presented.
Monk Huai was a great master of both calligraphy and painting from a former dynasty, hailed as a master of both arts. He was exceptionally skilled in cursive script. However, due to the destruction of war, very few of his original works have survived. Despite this, his fame is widespread, a testament to the grand and lofty realm of his calligraphy and painting.
And this Third Young Master of the Qian family actually possessed a rubbing of an original work of his.
This item must be worth at least several thousand taels of silver.
"Sharp eyes. It is indeed the 'True Relics of Monk Huai.'" Seeing Qi Xiu recognize the rubbing, Qian Yuzhe's smile deepened.
"In one month, it will be my father's sixtieth birthday. Monk Huai's secular surname before he became a monk was Qian, and our family shares some notable ancestral connection with him. Therefore, my father is particularly fond of his calligraphy and paintings. I searched for two long years and spent a full three thousand taels of silver before I was fortunate enough to acquire this 'True Relics of Monk Huai'."
"So, Young Master Qian, you intend to offer this rubbing as a gift for your father's birthday celebration?" Qi Xiu guessed curiously.
"Not exactly. While the rubbing is precious, it can be bought with money. The sentiment it carries is therefore limited."
"Then, what Young Master Qian means is..."
"I want you to study and replicate this 'True Relics of Monk Huai,' and then teach me."
"What? Me?"
Qi Xiu looked puzzled at Qian Yuzhe, who appeared quite composed.
"There are so many calligraphy masters in Danqing Pavilion. Why choose me, Young Master Qian?"
The idea of a pie falling from the sky... he didn't quite believe in it. Especially not such a super-sized pie, stuffed full of rich filling and dripping with juice.
"Monk Huai's brushwork is lean and vigorous, its movement natural and flowing, its style spontaneous and free-spirited, embodying 'Thousand Changes and Transformations.' It is exceedingly difficult for ordinary people to emulate its true essence," Qian Yuzhe explained calmly. "The calligraphers in my pavilion have already established their styles and are bound by their own artistic frameworks, making it even harder for them to imitate it. But when I saw your calligraphy yesterday, it was grand and powerful, free-spirited and uninhibited. It bears a spiritual resemblance to Monk Huai's brushwork. That's why I called you here."
For this birthday celebration, my Eldest Brother spared no expense to acquire a man-high white jade Guanyin statue, and my Second Brother also had a stroke of incredible luck, finding a hundred-year-old medicinal ginseng. If I were only to present the 'True Relics of Monk Huai,' I would merely be on par with them. But if I can learn Monk Huai's Calligraphy and personally write a birthday felicitation for Father... HA! How could mere material gifts compare to such heartfelt sentiment?
"This..."
Gazing at the rubbing, Qi Xiu hesitated.
Piecework had turned into a research project. The difficulty of this task had just escalated by several levels. Monk Huai was a calligraphy grandmaster. His brushwork and characters are notoriously difficult to imitate. To capture both form and spirit, and then to teach it to another... I wonder if my calligraphy, at its current realm, is up to the task...
Noticing Qi Xiu's hesitation, Qian Yuzhe simply raised his hand and placed an item on the stone table.
"Once the task is completed, this will be your reward."
Hearing this, Qi Xiu subconsciously glanced at the table.
A silver note, marked with a cinnabar seal, lay flat and perfectly rectangular.
One hundred taels!
"Deal!"
This wasn't just pie; this was a top-tier state banquet dish, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall!