Tianzhu: The Record of Foreign Stories in the Republic of China

Chapter 2 Painting and Killing (2)
In the early spring of the second year, there were still snowflakes in the sky, frozen clouds hung low, and the spring was cold.During the first lunar month, people were still immersed in the festivities of the New Year, when suddenly a burst of dense gunfire blasted open the north and south city gates.

Japanese soldiers broke into Xiulin City.

Xiulin City is located in the hub of Hunan and Hubei, and has always been a battleground for military strategists.During the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese army entered and exited several times, and several Japanese troops entered Xiulin City at different times to burn, kill and loot, and the people of Xiulin suffered greatly.

This was the first time that the Japanese soldiers were in trouble in the city. The whole city was in panic and chaos. Sporadic gunshots could be heard all day long on the street, and the sound of artillery fire came from outside the city from time to time.

Mr. Yi was also a little scared, so he closed his studio and stayed at home.The school was closed, and Xiaozhi couldn't go to school, so he closed the door, teaching his daughter how to paint, and painting what he wanted to paint.

The Japanese army imposed martial law in the city, loaded their guns with live ammunition all day long, ran around the city, and killed people everywhere.In just over a month after entering the city, more than 100 people were shot, all said to be from the Eighth Route.As a result, the city was even more bloody and bloody, and everyone was in danger. Even in broad daylight, no one dared to go out to the streets.

On this day, it was raining heavily, and it got dark very early.Mr. Yi commented on his daughter's homework during the day and asked her to go to bed.I spread out the rice paper by myself and wanted to draw a landscape picture that I had already conceived.As soon as he picked up the paintbrush, there was a "bang" gunshot on the street, which startled him. With a flick of his wrist, the paintbrush fell off.Picking it up again, a good piece of rice paper was already dirty, and I no longer wanted to paint, sighed, dropped the paintbrush, walked around the room, had nothing to do, took a book, and read it under the oil lamp .

Just after reading two lines, I suddenly heard "Duk Tuk" twice, and there was a gentle knock on the door.Mr. Yi's expression changed slightly, he walked quietly to the door, and asked, "Who?"

The person outside the door lowered his voice and said, "My lord, Wang Hanhao, if I need to see Mr. Yi, please open the door."

Mr. Yi was startled, and opened the door to see that there was a person with an umbrella outside the door, standing in the wind and rain, it was indeed Wang Hanhao from Guyuzhai.

"Master Wang!"

"Mr. Yi!"

The two bowed hands to each other.Mr. Yi turned sideways and said, "It's windy and rainy outside, wild dogs are running around, Master Wang please sit inside."

Wang Hanhao thanked him and entered the room.Mr. Yi hastily closed the door, and the wind and rain in the city were blocked from the door.Wang Hanhao put away the umbrella and put it by the wall.

Although Mr. Yi and Wang Hanhao live in the same city, have heard each other's name for a long time, and respect each other, but when they meet on the street, they just bow their hands and call Mr. Wang Master Yi. They have no contact, let alone a deep friendship.Wang Hanhao's late-night visit today made Mr. Yi quite speculative.

The two went to the hall and met Li again.Wang Hanhao took out a scroll wrapped in white cloth from his pocket, and said, "Mr. Yi, I have a painting here, I would like you to take a look at it." After speaking, he slowly unfolded the scroll and put it on the case.

Mr. Yi got up and looked, but it was a picture of "Angry Cat Picture". There was a black cat drawn on the rice paper, leaning against the door with his eyes wide open, staring at the door, shooting a cold light, and leaning back slightly. Sitting, about to throw out.There is something outside the door, which is not specified in the painting, but it is conceivable that the one who can make the black cat so angry must be the little mouse.The picture is also written with work. The cat is carefully carved with fine brushwork.The inscription reads "Yongzheng Yimaoqiu July [-], a close friend Wang Shishen wrote it under the shade of bananas in Chaomu Book Hall".

Mr. Yi couldn't help but praised: "Everyone knows that the old man in late spring is good at painting plums, orchids, and bamboos, and he is especially famous for painting plums. However, he is also excellent at painting cats. Look at this "Angry Cat Picture", which highlights the anger of angry cats. , there is movement in the stillness, the atmosphere is tense, and the awe-inspiring power penetrates the back of the paper. The brushwork is refined, the technique is skillful, the layout is rigorous, and both form and spirit are combined. It is really a rare masterpiece handed down from generation to generation!"

Wang Shishen is a great painter in the Qing Dynasty, one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou". Sui Sui was blind in both eyes, but insisted on groping and writing wild cursive with his hands. Later generations commented that "the craftsmanship is better than when he was not blind".

Wang Hanhao clasped his hands and said, "Mr. Yi is admirable. This "Angry Cat Picture" is the treasure of the town house of my Wang family. Especially in recent generations of my Wang family, I have made a living by mounting paintings and calligraphy. Mr. Yi knows that , Mounted calligraphy and paintings are most afraid of rats and insects. If you raise cats to prevent rats, you are afraid that cats will be disobedient and run around to bite calligraphy and paintings, so this painting is hung in front of the hall to deter insects and rats. All the paintings hung The place is quiet and quiet, and there are no rats infesting."

Mr. Yi suddenly realized: "It turns out that Master Wang is a descendant of Wang Shishen, an old man in late spring, a great painter in the Qing Dynasty. Yuting has disrespected him. This cat has piercing eyes, and there is an awe-inspiring aura outside the painting. It’s too late for generations to avoid. With this magical town house, the whole family will be at peace.”

Wang Hanhao looked worried, shook his head and sighed: "When the country is in crisis, how can the family be peaceful? Now that jackals are in power and devils are rampant, this painting was actually taken by robbers, who threatened in every possible way and came to take it within a time limit. Alas, it has been passed down from our ancestors. I am afraid that this "Picture of Angry Cat" will be destroyed in the hands of my unworthy descendant."

Mr. Yi frowned, and said: "In broad daylight, there is such a thing of robbery?"

Wang Hanhao let out a long sigh, and said, "It's an unfortunate family, and it's a long story." Sipping a sip of tea, he continued, "Gu Yu lost his wife in his middle age, and he has only one son named Wen Jin. Fang, who is usually pampered by him, grew up to be ignorant and idle around all day long. Wang found him a job at the police station through a friend, and he spent three days fishing and two days posting on the net. He worked day after day. After the Japanese entered the city, he somehow got involved with Nobuo Yamada, the Japanese army commander, and transformed himself into the chairman of the "China-Japan Friendship Association". Bite people around like a mad dog, causing complaints and everyone looking sideways."

Mr. Yi understood his state of mind, and persuaded him: "Your son is not up to his father, and Brother Gu Yu doesn't have to worry about it. The ghost soldiers are like rabbits whose tails can't grow. Although they are coming fiercely, the anti-Japanese sentiment is rising all over the country. The New Fourth Army is heading towards the Yangtze River." Advance in the middle and lower reaches, I am afraid that Little Japan will not be as powerful for a long time. Once the devil soldiers leave, your son will wake up."

Wang Hanhao said: "I hope so, but right now... Ai, this unreliable bastard, he heard that Nobuo Yamada is a China hand, and he especially likes to collect Chinese calligraphy and painting treasures. "The Picture of Angry Cat" is a rare and famous painting, and it is very valuable. Yamada salivated when he heard it, and wanted to keep it for himself. He ordered him to bring two devil soldiers to inform me, asking me to prepare the painting. Pick it up later."

Mr. Yi was so angry that his face turned pale, and he jumped up against the case, saying: "Son of such a traitor, don't let it go."

Wang Hanhao said with a sad face: "My family is unfortunate. I never thought that our Wang family would produce such a national scum. If this handed down work really fell into the hands of Japanese robbers, what will I, Wang Hanhao, look like a hundred years later? To see the ancestors?"

At this point, he suddenly turned his head, looked at Mr. Yi and said, "So now, Wang has no choice but to be cheeky and come to Mr. Yuting for help." bye.

For some reason, Mr. Yi hurriedly got up and supported him with both hands: "Master Wang is serious. Yuting has respected Master Wang for a long time. When the country is in crisis, one good thing left by the ancestors can be kept. If it can really help Wang Master, Yuting will try his best and never frown. It's just that Yuting is a scholar, with no strength to restrain a chicken, living in a troubled world, and unable to take care of himself, how can he help you?"

Wang Hanhao raised his head, looked at him, with hope in his eyes, and said, "Mr. Yi, to tell the truth, Gu Yu came here because he wanted to ask Mr. to make a copy of "The Picture of Angry Cat" for me. Nobuo Yamamoto, hoping to get away with it.”

When Mr. Yi heard him say the word "copying", his heart moved, and he looked up at him, only to see that his eyes were open, modest and sharp, as if he could see everything.Suddenly realized something, lost his voice and said: "It turns out that Yuting's tricks have already been observed by Master Wang."

Wang Hanhao smiled slightly and said, "Actually, some people showed Wang some such as "Han Xizai's Night Banquet" and "Mao Pavilion Sweeping Dust". Mr. Yi is skilled in imitating several famous paintings so that they look like real ones. , almost even Wang Mou almost failed to discern the authenticity."

Mr. Yi's face was reddish, and his expression was quite unnatural, and he said: "Master Wang from Guyuzhai has a pair of piercing eyes, and he can tell whether it is an authentic work or a fake. , why don't you expose it face to face?"

Wang Hanhao laughed and said: "Although Wang and Mr. have no close friendship, they often buy Mr.'s paintings and mount them in Gu Yuzhai. I have been able to read Mr.'s masterpieces many times. Mr.'s paintings include figures, landscapes, flowers and birds. , especially good at landscapes, Mr. likes to use lines instead of ink, and the line drawing is often drawn to the end with a medium-sized wolf hair brush, which is smooth and sparse. In the use of ink, it changes from thick to light, with thick and light, plus hook cloud, The treatment of hooking water and leaving blanks gives people a feeling of surging winds and clouds, mountains and seas. I have known my husband for a long time, and I know that he has devoted himself to forging his character and is proud. Unless it is an urgent need, he will never do such a thing of deceiving the world. Besides. The copies of Mr.'s works have both spirit and form, they are very lifelike, and are almost the same as the original works. There is a saying in jargon that what is true is not necessarily good, and what is fake is not necessarily bad. Who knows that after a few years, Mr.'s imitations are not necessarily bad. Will it become a treasure?"

"Brother Gu Yu!" Mr. Yi's eyes were slightly red, and he held his hand, his heart agitated, and he was speechless for a while.

"Brother Yuting!" Wang Hanhao also clenched his hand.The four eyes met, and there was a long silence.

"Bang!" There was another gunshot from the street far away, which was particularly frightening to hear on this rainy night.

Mr. Yi pointed to the "Angry Cat Picture" on the table and asked, "When will Nobuo Yamada come to pick up the painting?"

Wang Hanhao said, "Three days later."

Mr. Yi said: "Three days are enough, so please invite Brother Gu Yu to pick up the painting early in the morning after three days. Yuting's insect carving skills cannot be fooled by Brother Gu Yu's eyes, but he has to deal with arty people like Nobuo Yamada. Still more than enough.”

Wang Hanhao gave him a deep bow and said, "Then thank you brother Yuting."

As soon as he left, Mr. Yi immediately unfolded the "Picture of Angry Cat" and observed it carefully.He also took out Wang Shishen's painting album from his collection, and tried his best to figure out the style, brush and ink, color, composition, composition, painting method, seal, paper, mounting, inscription and other characteristics of this great painter, one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou".

Wang Shishen was originally from Shexian County, Anhui Province. When he was 30 years old, he went to Yangzhou to sell paintings. He was funded by famous scholars Ma Yuelu and Ma Yueguan brothers, and he often went to Xiaolinglong Mountain Museum.Wang Shishen's paintings are mainly flowers, especially plum blossoms, and occasionally landscapes, figures, and animals.The flowers are drawn from people in the Yuan Dynasty, and the characters are quite influenced by Shi Tao.The painting method is mainly based on waving, with very little chapping, and the ink color is elegant.The handed down works include "Maoshi Peach Blossom Picture Scroll", "White Peach Blossom Picture Scroll", "Mo Song Picture Scroll" and "Plum Blossom Picture Book".

After some pondering, before I knew it, the wind and rain had stopped outside the house, and the sky was twilight.

Mr. Yi stared blankly at the original work for half a day, and finally had a plan in mind.After lunch, he entered the studio, closed the door, and asked his daughter Xiaozhi to study ink.He first took out a piece of transparent white paper, covered it with the original work, outlined the outline of the angry cat and the background with thick ink, and then covered the white paper with rice paper, so that the figure outlined below could be vaguely seen; then he put the original work in front of him, Carefully compare and write.

The rice paper he used was made old in advance.Mr. Yi's method of making rice paper old is to soak the mounting paper on old paintings and dye it in water.When the mounter uncovers and mounts ancient calligraphy and paintings, the original mounting paper is removed, and they are generally reluctant to throw it away.Mr. Yi spent money to buy these mounting papers.Those mounting papers are dark brown due to time.Soaked in clear water, the resulting color is very black. If the paper is dyed with this kind of water, the rice paper will immediately turn dark yellow and old, and the effect is excellent.

Mr. Yi laid out the rice paper, and after starting the draft, he used a liner pen dipped in heavy ink to draw out the cat's mouth, nose, eyes, toes and other short hairs, and then used the silky method to draw the cat's body. The silky hair follows the cat's body structure According to the growth direction of the fur, a stroke is from shallow to deep, uniform in thickness and density, light in and light out; after the silk hair is dry, apply it wet with a clear water brush, and smudge with light ink.Finally, use a liner pen dipped in white powder to lift the tip of the light hair, highlight the eyes, and draw the beard with white powder.After painting the background, it is engraved with a seal and signed.At this point, the copying process is roughly completed.

The last process is to make the copied paintings old.First use the method of fumigation to make the paper, handwriting and printing color old, then mount it with the same materials as the old style, and finally fume the old again to make the old stain according to the original painting.In this way, a imitation of "Angry Cat Picture" is completed.

3
In the morning three days later, Wang Hanhao came to pick up the painting.Mr. Yi put two pictures of "Angry Cat" in front of him. When Wang Hanhao saw them, the two works were almost identical in terms of painting style, paper, brush and ink, format, decoration, seal, charm, and expression. Even a little stain and crease on the corner of the painting was reproduced vividly without any flaws.If Mr. Yi hadn't pointed out which one was the original work of the old man in late spring, Wang Hanhao couldn't tell which one was the real one in his collection and which one was Mr. Yi's copy.

Wang Hanhao was grateful again and again, hurried back to the mounting shop, put away the real painting, hung the fake painting in front of the hall, looked left and right, and checked carefully until he couldn't find any flaws before he let out a sigh of relief.Wiping the sweat from her head, wiping her face, clamping her throat tightly and pretending to be a heroine, she sang:

I asked where the guest's family lived?

You said that your family lives in Huangzhou, Guifu, Hubei Province.

I asked the guest, Gao Tang's parents, if there is one?

You said that your second parents lost my brother long ago.

I asked the guest how many songs Kin Chung has?
You said that no brother stands alone.

I asked the guest if there is a wife's room?

Lying bastard!
You said that no wife is wandering in the rivers and lakes.

……

This is a piece of singing by Liu Fengying, the heroine of Hubei Huangmei Opera "Xiao Ci Dian". He replayed it, but it is vivid and has a special charm.Hum a word, take two steps, and go to Wangjiang Tower for breakfast.

Before he finished eating a bowl of porridge and two pieces of hair cake, Xiao Zhao came running out of breath, shouting, "It's not good, it's not good, Master, Young Master Wen Jin, he, he..."

"What's up with him?"

"He led the Japanese Army Major Yamada Nobuo and a group of devil soldiers, and surrounded our shop."

"This little bastard, what does he want to do? Let's go and have a look. Hey, shopkeeper, I put the money for breakfast here. This place is reserved for me. I haven't finished eating yet." He went downstairs.

All the way back in a hurry.Passing through a row of ghost soldiers with live ammunition, entering the store and looking up, I saw five short Japanese army commander Yamada Nobuo stepping on a high stool, holding a bamboo pole in his hand, struggling to hook The "Angry Cat Picture" hanging on the wall.

Wang Hanhao's expression changed, and he shouted, "What do you want to do?"

Nobuo Yamada ignored it, tiptoed to remove the painting with great difficulty, took out his glasses and put it on, held the painting in both hands and looked carefully at it with wide eyes, admiring it, his eyes shone brightly, and shot a wolf-like greedy gaze, and said repeatedly: "Yo rare, yo rare, the angry cat stares angrily, the pen and ink are skillful, the bones are strong, and the painting skills have reached the level of perfection. What a painting "The Picture of the Angry Cat", it is really the best in the painting." Taste again and again, like a treasure.

Wang Hanhao rushed forward and said, "This is my painting, why do you take it away?"

Nobuo Yamada raised his head and looked at him, with a sinister smile on his face, speaking in half-baked Chinese, he said: "You, cheating, this painting hides the code for your connection, confiscated, and the imperial army will take it with you." Go back and study." Looking up, he gave a wolf-like smirk, ignored him, put away "The Picture of Angry Cat" in his hand, turned and left.

Knowing that what he took away was only a fake, Wang Hanhao couldn't help feeling righteous indignation due to his arrogance. He stomped on Nobuo Yamada's back and cursed: "Bandits, robbers, what a bunch of robbers!" I secretly rejoiced in my heart, fortunately I had the foresight to replace the real painting with a copy in advance.

Nobuo Yamada was satisfied with the "Angry Cat Picture", and waved his hand to order the troops to withdraw.

(End of this chapter)