Daming's Bizarre Story: Painted Skin

The turning point in Wen Zhigeng's life began when he heard a sentence.

At that time, Wen Zhigeng was holding the scroll in his hand, and outside the window was the breeze, green bamboos and grass like green silk, and the book boy Sijiu stumbled in from the misty falling cherry blossoms, shouting hysterically: "Young Master, Master is dead!"

Before the age of 13, Wen Zhigeng was a humble scholar, good-looking, sage-minded, knowledgeable about etiquette, righteousness, wisdom and trustworthiness, he was praised by everyone, envied by everyone, and he would be thrown into the car when he went out.

However, from the sentence Sijiu ran in, everything became different.

Ever since Wenfu received the news of the master's death, they have been so busy that they entertained the master's colleagues who came to report the news, prepared the funeral ceremony, and reported to the clan.Even though he didn't see the master's body, since there was already an order from the palace to appease him, then the master must be dead.To put it bluntly, there is a decree of entreaty, even if the master does not come back from death, he will quietly wipe his neck. How can a life of the master be so precious?

Master Wen was a Jinyiwei during his lifetime, he was not bad at his errands, and he was also a shrewd person, but unfortunately he looked fat and big-eared, making him annoying.Jin Yiwei, a close minister of the emperor, if he is not born with a dignified appearance, where does he have a future?Therefore, Master Wen has been a tester all his life, and he also does some errands that are difficult to fail.If the appearance of the master was like that of the young master, I'm afraid that this official would have known where he was promoted to. They, who are current people, wouldn't have worked in Wen's family for so many years, and didn't have much surplus money in their hands...

The butler of the Wen Mansion hung a white lantern for offering sacrifices, and turned his head to take a look at Wen Zhigeng, who was kneeling in front of the coffin. He was dressed in white mourning clothes, kneeling upright in front of the coffin. The young man's thin figure was like a poplar in the snow. , that is tall and straight and romantic.

Even though Wen Zhigeng had cried several times, as long as his father Wen Yinong's voice and smile appeared in his mind, his tears would still flow uncontrollably. He raised his hand to wipe away the tears, and suddenly saw the There was a smudge on the white flag of the mourning hall, and he couldn't help but change his face and shouted: "Ho Steward! He Steward!"

Butler He was thinking of his own future from the master's future in his heart, full of worries, and waited for Wen Zhigeng to call him a few times before coming in: "Young master, what are your orders?"

"Well, these white banners are old things! I remember this stain, I accidentally got it on the scriptures copied on my grandmother's coffin!" Wen Zhigeng pointed at the white banners.

Butler He glanced at Wen Zhigeng's finger, didn't care, and just sighed: "Master, I also want to use a new streamer for Master! But, Master, you don't know how much money we still have in our account?! "

"How much money is left?" Wen Zhigeng asked involuntarily.

Steward He raised a hand, Wen Zhigeng frowned and said in a low voice, "It's only 50 taels of silver."

"It's not fifty taels of silver, it's five taels."

Wen Zhigeng said in surprise: "How is it possible?! Didn't Zhuangzi send Qiujin last autumn? Besides, besides, father still has a monthly salary."

Steward He sighed for a long time: "Master, you also said that it was last year, and now this is the time when there is nothing left. What's more, the master paid a large sum of money to Commander Wan to celebrate the new year. It has been beaten for thousands of years..." He gestured with his hands to look like such a golden bowl, "As for the master's salary, after digging out the mansion for food, there are only a few stones left, and no one from this clan can eat it. If you want to chew it, you can’t sell it all to the grain store for white flags, so that the clansmen who came to the funeral will go hungry?!”

Zhigeng, who had seen and heard about it, remained silent, and asked again: "Young master, do you think so?"

"Butler He is right..." Wen Zhigeng knelt back, but he caught a glimpse of the stain and shouted again, "Four nine, four nine!"

Sijiu hurriedly ran into the mourning hall, still holding the half-folded ingot in his hand, Wen Zhigeng ordered: "You go and pawn the seven-star inkstone in my study, and give it to Steward He to exchange for a new one." .”

"Seven Star Inkstone, then, isn't that what the master prepared for you to give to the teacher?"

"I need to keep my filial piety, and I'm not in a hurry to take the scientific examination. I can take a while to send the gift to the teacher." Wen Zhigeng instructed, "Hurry up, and replace everything with new ones before the guests come to the door!"

Seeing Wen Zhigeng's insistence, Steward He had no choice but to say nothing, Sijiu got the order and went down. Before noon, all the things were bought back. Wen Zhigeng replaced the things with his own hands. Looking at the completely new mourning hall, he felt the depression in his heart. The air dissipated a lot.

"A guest is here!" With Steward He's shout, Wen Zhigeng hurriedly knelt back to the mourning hall.

Soon there were footsteps outside the hall, and the visitor walked into the mourning hall.Steward He yelled, but no name was called, and Wen Zhigeng didn't know who it was. It's just that Master Wen has planted more thorns and fewer trees in the past few years as a royal guard, offending many people. No matter who Wen Zhigeng is, he will not neglect.

The visitor entered the mourning hall, lit an incense stick, and said "Sorrow". His voice was vague and greasy, slippery and careless. Wen Zhigeng bent over to answer the salute. Butler He took a few steps ahead and lowered his voice: "Master , This is Lord Wan, you hurry up and pay your respects."

After Steward He finished speaking, without waiting for Wen Zhigeng's reaction, he stretched out his hand to help him up and smiled apologetically, "My young master has been deeply saddened since he heard the news of the master's death, and he has neglected your lord. I hope you will forgive me."

Wen Zhigeng raised his head, and saw a big fat man standing in front of him, his face was as greasy as his voice.This is Jin Yiwei's commander, Wen Zhigeng thought in his heart, but he has grown up to be a commander, why is his father disliked by others because of his appearance, and can only be released?

The trace of resentment in his heart just passed away, and he bent down to salute again, "I have seen Mr. Wan."

"Hey, you have filial piety, so don't be too polite." An abrupt voice sounded, the voice was sharp and feminine.

Wen Zhigeng raised his head slightly, only to find that there was a middle-aged man standing beside Commander Wan. He was wearing a brocade round-neck blouse. The incense, as well as that white and beardless face, all showed his identity.

The middle-aged man's gaze was glued to Wen Zhigeng's face, his eyes filled with astonishment, while Commander Wan's round face next to him was full of a smile that was not a smile, his eyes looked up and down at Wen Zhigeng, with nothing to show for it. An unabashedly up for grabs calculation.

"Master, this is Eunuch Liang who announced the decree to us, pass him a stick of incense." Steward He said as he took out three sticks of incense and stuffed them into Wen Zhigeng's hands.

Wen Zhigeng felt chills down his spine when he was stared at by Eunuch Liang. Under the urging of Steward He, he reluctantly handed over the incense in his hand, and the next moment his hands fell into Eunuch Liang's hands. The father-in-law smiled and said: "You don't have to worry, everything is in our house."

But when he said these words, Wen Zhigeng evaded like a snake and slammed his hand back, and the three incense sticks fell out of his hand, falling into pieces for several years.

"My young master usually only studies and doesn't know how to do things." Steward He took out three more incense sticks and stuffed them into his hands, complaining in a low voice, "Master, Eunuch Liang is a noble man, how do you do things?! Do not pass another three sticks of incense to the father-in-law."

Three more incense sticks were stuffed into Wen Zhigeng's hands. He slightly raised his head, and seeing Eunuch Liang's warm smile, Commander Wan still had a half-smile, and Wen Zhigeng looked down at the three incense sticks in his hand again. He turned his head to look at Butler He.

"Master, you still don't..." Butler He winked and waited to be persuaded.

But before he finished speaking, Wen Zhigeng kicked him to the ground, kicked him hard several times in a row, and said: "You bastard, your young master is also something you can sell?! My father approached for Sheng Junyi Wei, is to die for the country, there is heaven to listen to, earth to look after, and the emperor's grace in the middle, the descendants are upright, and the king of heaven and earth can rely on him!"

Steward He was kicked to the ground by Wen Zhigeng, Wen Zhigeng seemed still puzzled, ignored Steward He's yelling, just kicked him all over the ground, and waited for other servants to come in and drag Steward He away, Butler He is already half dead, with more breath and less breath.

At this time, Eunuch Liang and Commander Wan had already left, and Wen Zhigeng was panting slightly. He clearly remembered that when Commander Wan left, he gave him a meaningful look.

The big deal is that he will never enter the examination room or be an official for the rest of his life. He has no desires and desires and is afraid of being coerced by others. Wen Zhigeng straightened his back and thought.He beat up Butler He, which made the servants below him a lot more honest. Even if Butler He got up the next day to take care of the housework, he stopped pointing fingers.

After two days like this, the people of Wen's funeral finally arrived.

Wen Zhigeng greeted him at the door, but his uncle in mourning clothes brushed past him and strode in. He also led a chubby child in his hand, and walked straight to the front of the mourning hall. The fat boy pointed at him and said: "Xiaoqi, kowtow to your father."

"Sugar, sugar." Xiaoqi said vaguely.

"Kowtow to your father first!" The uncle glared at him.

"I want candy! I want candy!" Xiao Qi twisted his body and refused, and the uncle had to ask the woman next to him to stuff him with a piece of candy, and Xiao Qi was willing to kneel down on the futon with the sugar in his mouth.

And it was only at this moment that Wen Zhigeng woke up. He stepped forward and said, "Uncle, what do you mean?!"

"Are you talking to an elder?" the uncle asked back.

Wen Zhigeng took half a step back, bowed his head and said, "Uncle, although my father's heirs are few, but there is still me, the only son, why is there no reason for uncle..."

"For no reason..." the uncle snorted, "Look at the faces of our Wen clan members, and then take a look at your appearance in the mirror, do you still think you were born by your father?"

Wen Zhigeng glanced at the members of the Wen clan in front of the hall. Most of them were plump, with round faces and thick noses. He pursed his lower lip tightly: "I look like my mother, so what's so strange? Uncle, you are an elder , my father has never suspected that I am not his child!"

"Okay, it seems that you won't give up if you don't speak clearly!" The uncle raised his voice, "Butler He, come and talk to him."

Steward He limped out from behind, bowed first and saluted before saying sadly: "Originally, I promised that the master would not tell the young master's life experience, but I really can't bear to have a real confession after the death of the master." There are no descendants who are connected by blood to sacrifice."

Wen Zhigeng pointed at Steward He and said angrily, "You, do you hold a grudge because I taught you a lesson the day before yesterday, so you talk nonsense!"

"Young master..." Steward He sighed faintly, "You were born in the winter of Yiyou year in Chenghua, but that year the master went away on business and didn't return for a whole year. I found out that the salary I have received over the years can also be found on the list of true colors. Young master, this is ironclad proof..."