Ci Jinzhi

It is not difficult to hide your identity from the people around you if you are prepared, but it is easy to reveal your secret when someone is watching you without realizing it.

Now that He Qingxiao had made a discovery, Xin You took advantage of the situation and asked: "Why is the painting like this?"

"It's not clear yet." He Qingxiao was used to being cautious and did not want to influence Xin You's judgment based on mere speculation.

Xin You thought for a while and said, "I'll go to the meeting to draw and wait for the imperial edict."

Judging from the light in the picture, the incident happened in broad daylight, and it can almost be concluded that it was a holiday, which is today.

“Did Lord He’s men tell me what to wear after the imperial edict to disguise themselves?”

"Wearing a washed gray robe and a pair of black cloth shoes with holes..."

 After hearing He Qingxiao's description, Xin You gave up the plan of further confirming it by drawing the clothes to be ordered.

 With such a tight budget, I’m afraid I’ll have to wear this outfit every time I go to a stall...

"He Yushi has been reading books frequently recently. Did Miss Kou ask anything from Shopkeeper Hu and others?"

Xin You smiled: "I probably know why He Yushi came."

 “Why?”

"It has nothing to do with the matter we want to investigate. It is He Yushi's private matter, so I won't talk about it."

 Private matters?

He Qingxiao was confused.

　Besides being short of money, what other personal matters do you have?

 “Let’s go.” Xin You smiled and patted the table, interrupting the man who was lost in thought.

He Qingxiao raised his eyes and looked at the smiling girl.

 After becoming Xin Daizhao, she seemed to be much more relaxed.

If one day she can be her true self, the girl named Xin You will smile better, right?

With this thought, He Qingxiao quickly lowered his eyes and stood up silently.

 The two of them walked out of the reception room one after the other.

 It was almost noon, Liu Zhou wiped the counter and asked, "Master, are you having dinner in the bookstore?"

“No, I have been taking medicinal food to recover recently, and I have to go back to eat.”

"The little man will take you out." Liu Zhou walked over and couldn't help but look at He Qingxiao.

He Qingxiao said calmly: "I'm leaving too."

 Shopkeeper Hu: “…”

The sun was shining brightly outside, the cicadas were chirping noisily, and the horses tied under the trees flicked their tails in boredom.

He Qingxiao stopped and whispered: "There are some of my people around Hua Daizhao. If Miss Kou needs help, she can go to them."

This kind of stalking is usually done in groups of at least two people. He Qingxiao had a good memory and detailed the appearance and clothing of his two men.

"Thank you very much. Mr. He, please go and do your own business."

He Qingxiao hesitated for a moment and said softly: "I said before that I would treat Miss Kou to crispy duck, but I still haven't had the chance."

“Is this the crispy duck made by Aunt Gui?” Xin You asked, raising her head slightly under the leafy tree.

 The man's eyes were like transparent ink jade, which looked clean and gentle: "Well, it's the crispy duck made by Aunt Gui."

“I’m afraid I can’t do it today, so I’ll try to get it on the next holiday.”

Xin You watched He Qingxiao ride away, returned to another house near the bookstore, changed into men's clothes, and went to the street where the painting stall was set up.

It was noon, and the stall owner in gray clothes and cloth shoes was drowsy in the shade of the tree, and there was no one in front of the stall. There are also sparse pedestrians on the street, far less lively than in the picture.

Xinyou simply went to the teahouse and looked out the window at the street. Until the sun was covered by wisps of white clouds, a gust of wind started, and there were gradually more and more people on the street.

Hua Daizhao seemed to have woken up, rubbed his eyes and walked towards the stall.

Xin You looked far away from a high place and saw two people running towards this place one after the other.

coming.

Xin You immediately paid the bill and walked out of the teahouse quickly.

The two men ran closer. The one running in front swerved left and right to avoid the pedestrians, and the one chasing behind followed suit and knocked over the painting stall like in the picture.

"Stop!" Hua Daizhao saw the two of them continuing to run and hurried to catch up. He stepped on a rolling pen and fell forward.

A hand stretched out to support him: "Be careful." Hua Daizhao calmed down, and when he saw the young man holding him, his expression suddenly changed: "Xin - thank you!"

 He changed his words in time, his heart beating wildly.

 Why does Xin Daizhao appear here?

Xin Daizhao discovered that he was selling paintings secretly in disguise?

At that moment, Xin You saw shock, alertness, and panic in Hua Daizhao's eyes.

Seeing Hua Daizhao's reaction, Xinyou somehow felt that he couldn't get involved in those things.

　　It was too unsettling to face the truth.

Of course, whether it is about He Yushi or Hua Daizhao, this is only a judgment based on contact. Before the identity of that person was completely confirmed, she would not put down the investigation of the two people based on inferences.

“Uncle, are you okay?” Xinyou let go.

"It's okay, it's okay." When Hua Dizhao saw that the young man had only concern on his face, he calmed down a lot, "Thank you just now."

This time my thanks are much more sincere.

“They all fell to the ground.” Xin You looked at the things on the ground with a look of pity, and bent down to pick them up.

"Don't get your hands dirty little brother, I'll do it myself." Hua Daizhao hurriedly picked up the pen and ink cups and bowls that fell on the floor.

The spilled paint stained the painting's hand, but he didn't care. He just whispered: "It's all broken..."

Xin You silently helped Hua Daizhao pack away the things that could still be used.

The suspicion Hua Daizhao had at the beginning that his colleagues would see through the disguise was completely dispelled, and he thanked him profusely.

 “Is uncle a painter?”

"yes."

 “What is uncle good at painting?” Xin You saw that the paint was stained on his hands and he wanted to wipe it on his body but gave up, so he handed over a handkerchief.

The muslin handkerchief was folded squarely, and it looked new at first glance.

 “It can’t be done, it can’t be done.” Hua Daizhao waved his hand and threw the paint onto Xin You’s sleeve.

 Hua Daizhao was dumbfounded when he saw it.

 He can’t afford to pay!

"It's okay." Xin You wiped his sleeve with the handkerchief and handed it over, "Uncle, please wipe your hands, otherwise it will be everywhere."

Hua Daizhao accepted it, and while wiping his hands, he answered Xinyou's question: "I'm good at painting figures."

 “Then uncle, please draw a picture for me.”

"Little brother, do you really want to paint?" Hua Daizhao looked at the good-tempered young man and couldn't connect him with the late empress's status as the adopted son.

Xin You blinked: "Isn't it because a painting is expensive?"

 “It’s not expensive, a painting only costs one tael of silver.”

With one tael of silver, it can be said that the painting skill of waiting for the imperial edict is too cheap, but setting up a street stall is different.

 For ordinary people, this is a sky-high price.

Worried about scaring Xin You away, Hua Daizhao said cautiously: "One tael of silver is really not expensive anymore."

 This is the bottom line that he can no longer lower, otherwise he would rather starve to death and die of poverty!

“Uncle’s painting is so good, one tael of silver is really not expensive.”

Hua Daizhao thought Xin You was saying polite words, but he saw her picking up a piece of paper and lightly dusting the dust on it.

That is a group of portraits that Hua Daizhao casually sketched while looking at passers-by when he was bored in the morning. Each character's expression is vivid and his skills are profound.

Hua Daizhao suddenly felt hot in his eyes as he watched the young man brushing away the dust on the drawing paper.

“Uncle, please start writing.” Xinyou helped Xiao Mazha and sat down.

Hua Daizhao nodded, spread out the drawing paper and sketched out the boy's appearance bit by bit.

 It didn’t take long for a figure painting to be completed.

"Okay." Hua Daizhao breathed a sigh of relief.

 Ever since setting up a stall to sell paintings, he hasn't been so serious in a long time.

“Uncle, can you give me a message?” Xin You pointed at the blank space on the screen.

Hua Daizhao was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."