I'm in the Red Mansion

Chapter 22 Incredible Skills
Hearing the whispers of the people around him, Jia Cong couldn't help but laugh.

It turns out these people haven't discovered the trick with the font yet.

Everyone thought that the seven words he wrote were really one foot high!
If it was really piled up with ink, how much ink would be needed to write so high?
At this moment, someone couldn't help but come forward to ask.

"Young man, did you write this? How did you write so high?"

"Yes, yes, how did you do that? This is amazing!"

"I wonder how much ink it took to write this?"

Hearing everyone's questions, Jia Cong smiled and said, "This word is not actually written, but drawn."

"This is a new painting technique I have figured out. Whether it is a person or an object, it can be painted vividly and it is difficult to tell whether it is real or fake."

There is such a folk legend among the people, that there really are painters who can paint to the point where it is difficult to tell the real from the fake.

It is said that once upon a time there was a carpenter and a painter, both of whom had reached perfection in their skills, and neither of them was convinced of the other.

One day the painter went to visit the carpenter's house, and they both drank a few glasses of wine and got drunk.

After the carpenter got drunk and went back to his room to rest, the painter began to flirt with the carpenter's beautiful maid.

After teasing her for a while, he finally discovered that the maid was actually made of wood and was not a living person at all.

The painter felt humiliated and retreated to his room in shame.

The next day, the carpenter proudly went to the painter to show off.

However, he discovered that the painter had hanged himself with a rope from the beam of his house.

The carpenter was frightened and rushed in to rescue the man, only to find that it was just a painting.

This legend is widely circulated among the people, but in fact, no one has ever seen such a realistic painting.

As for the idea that a carpenter could use wood to create a lifelike maid who could speak and was difficult to tell whether she was real or fake, that was even more ridiculous.

Someone immediately asked, "Young man, please don't brag. I just want to ask you, what if your painting doesn't look like the real thing?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "My fellow villagers, please listen to me. I can guarantee that my portrait is lifelike. If it is not lifelike, I will not charge you a penny. If you think it is lifelike, you only need to give me one or two taels of silver."

At this time, a middle-aged man wearing a black official's hat and a silk gown walked out.

He couldn't help but say, "Young man, draw a portrait for me. If it looks like me, I will definitely reward you. If it doesn't look like me, I will have someone destroy your stall."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I will definitely not let you down."

Jia Cong asked the middle-aged man to sit on the stool in front, then he took out a piece of drawing paper and fixed it on the drawing board.

He picked up his brush and started painting.

Before his sketching skills improved, it would take him half an hour to draw a portrait.

Now that my sketching skills have been elevated to such a high level, it only takes me a quarter of an hour to draw a portrait for someone.

A quarter of an hour later, Jia Cong calmly put down his brush. When the paint on the painting was slightly dry, Jia Cong picked up the painting and handed it over.

"Excuse me, is this portrait like the real one?"

Suddenly, the crowd around gathered around.

Everyone couldn't help but look at the portrait, and the next moment, everyone was shocked by the portrait.

They only saw that the middle-aged man in the portrait looked vivid and lifelike.

The nose is raised, the eyes are sunken, and even the eyes look vivid. The nose hairs in the nostrils are clearly visible.

Even the clothes he wore and the patterns on the hat he wore on his head matched exactly.

Everyone looked at the middle-aged man, then at the portrait. For a moment, they tried to find any faults but couldn't find any.

Everyone immediately burst into amazement.

"It's exactly like the real person!"

"How could this be painted so like?"

"Hey! This young man's painting skills are truly amazing!"

"This painting skill is truly amazing!"

"I'm afraid this young man has created a new school of painting!"

The middle-aged man in silk was also amazed at the portrait and was very satisfied.

He couldn't help but wave his hand and said, "Reward!"

"Yes, sir."

Next, a man who looked like a housekeeper took out a silver ingot weighing five taels from his bag and threw it in front of Jia Cong.

Jia Cong calmly bent down to pick up the silver, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for the reward."

"Come on, young man, draw a portrait for me too."

"Give me one too!"

“I draw too, I draw too!”

"I was here first! Draw me first!"

With just one painting, Jia Cong proved himself, causing many people to scramble for his portrait.

Jia Cong smiled slightly, and first asked everyone to line up and not quarrel.

Next, Jia Cong began to paint quickly.

Jia Cong painted very quickly. As his painting skills became more and more proficient, it would take him less than a quarter of an hour to finish a painting.

But he came out late after all, and only finished ten paintings before it was completely dark.

Once it gets dark, I naturally can't continue painting.

Those who didn't get in line were very disappointed and asked Jia Cong if he would come tomorrow and when.

Some people also asked him if he could come to their homes to paint, but Jia Cong decisively refused.

Then, after Jia Cong said he would come the next afternoon, he packed up his stall and quickly returned to Rongguo Mansion.

In about an hour today, he completed eleven paintings and earned fifteen taels of silver.

Although it was impossible for him to paint every day, even if he only came out for ten days or half a month, he could still earn one or two hundred taels of silver in a month.

If he continued like this, not only would he be able to pay off his debts, but it would also be enough for him to study and supplement his family expenses.

Now that he is of low status, he does not need to earn too much money, otherwise he will not be able to keep it.

As soon as Jia Cong returned to the study, Cai'er came to him.

"Third Master, Auntie is doing needlework again. Go and persuade her. Auntie won't listen to me."

Jia Cong frowned and stood up reluctantly. Just as he reached the door, he thought for a while, then came back, picked up the drawing board, brush, ink and paint, and went to Aunt Mei's yard with Cai'er.

Seeing Jia Cong coming, Aunt Mei hurriedly hid her needlework.

He said helplessly, "It was Cai'er who complained to you, right? I'm much better now. I have nothing to do anyway. I know how to take care of my body. I only do a few things every day and won't tire myself out."

Seeing that Jia Cong didn't say anything, but just looked at him without blinking.

Aunt Mei said helplessly: "Why are you looking at me like that, kid? We owe Miss Lin two hundred taels of silver, and we have to pay it back."

"Now I need money to recover from my illness, and you also need money to study. We can't just sit there and do nothing. Always think of the days when you have time, and don't wait until you have no time to think of the days when you have time. What about the future?"

(End of this chapter)