The Young Master of the Jia Family in the Red Chamber

Mattia's tone was so firm that Jia Hu was stunned at the time, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses, and asked weakly, "How did you find out?" For safety's sake, Jia Hu's words were He stumbled and asked in Italian, which he had almost forgotten. If their performance was so obvious, outsiders who had never had anything to do with him could tell at a glance. After returning to Beijing this time, he would be able to go home to study or for other reasons Situ Jing resigned, otherwise other people in the palace would find out, that would be fine.

Mattia blinked in confusion, as if he didn't understand why Jia Hu asked such a strange question, but he still said truthfully: "That's how I can tell, because you and His Royal Highness look at each other's eyes. The same way Chris looked at me."

"Who is Chris?" Jia Hu has heard this name for the third time, and he has a vague feeling that things may not be as bad as he thought. Mattia is an artist, and his observation skills must be better than ordinary people. If they are still the same kind, things are easy to explain.

"Chris is the person I like. Of course, he also likes me." Sure enough, when talking about his sweetheart, Mattia's blue eyes sparkled, and recalled: "Chris is also a student of my teacher. He is younger than me and got started later than me, but he is the best painter among all of us. Those beautiful ladies and ladies are willing to ask him to help them paint. When I came to China, I had no travel expenses, but Chris borrowed For me, but I asked him to come with me, but he refused, saying it was too far."

Listening to Mattia's narration with a bit of regret, Jia Hu's mood was no longer so flustered. He was sure that Mattia could see through his and Situ Jing's feelings for each other at a glance, mainly because of his career and experiences, not what they did wrong.

Jia Hu thought for a while, then asked in a deep voice: "Matia, can you change this painting?" Jia Hu suddenly felt very lucky that Mattia came to find him first, otherwise he would directly submit the painting to the Going up, let alone other people, even if Situ Jing saw it, it would not be very appropriate.

"How do you want to change it?" Mattia wasn't surprised by Jia Hu's words, he let him read it in advance for this purpose.

Jia Hu clenched his fist with one hand and murmured, "Make it more subtle, especially the eyes of the characters, they can't be so revealing."

"Why?" Mattia blurted out. He felt good about himself and felt that he had a good grasp of the emotions of the characters.

Jia Hu coughed lightly, and explained: "Because your way of expressing doesn't fit the character of an oriental person, so you have to change it." Seeing Mattia's blank expression, he added: "Also, you don't know anything. I know, please don’t bring up your unfounded facts in front of anyone, otherwise—” At this point, Jia Hu paused, his hands turned into knives, and he made a threatening gesture near Mattia’s neck , Fang continued: "I will make you disappear without a trace, and I will never see your Chris again."

Mattia felt the obvious murderous intent, nodded quickly and said, "Don't worry, I don't know anything, but this painting..."

"What's wrong with the painting? Is there no way to change it?" Jia Hu asked, with a hint of worry faintly flashing between his brows.

Mattia wondered: "It's not impossible to change it, but after changing it, this painting may become very strange."

Jia Hu frowned and thought about it, and suddenly said: "How about this, you don't have to move this painting, just draw another one, remember to draw the characters' expressions and eyes with subtlety. If you paint, you don’t need me and Your Highness to be models anymore, right?”

Mattia thought for a while, nodded and replied: "It's okay to draw another one, I'll just draw it. But you have to tell him about the completion of the portrait, and it will probably be delayed by half a month. And there is my wages, can you give me two copies?"

Jia Hu took out a small silver ingot from his sleeve pocket and threw it to Mattia, and said with a smile: "Just draw well and don't think too much. If His Royal Highness is satisfied with your painting, he will let you give it to the saint and the old saint." Portrait, at that time, you will still lose your reward."

After listening to Jia Hu's words, Mattia immediately got motivated and ran back to the studio to paint.What a glorious thing it is to paint portraits of the emperor and the emperor's father. After he earns a lot of money, he can go home and pay back the travel expenses that Chris lent him.

Jia Hu told Situ Jing about asking Mattia to draw another picture. The reason is very simple. After all, it is a common portrait of the two of them. I wanted it, so I asked Mattia to make another copy.

Situ Jing did not express any objection to this, but just smiled and said that he knew, and the matter was over.

Compared with conceiving a new painting, copying must be much faster. In the first two days after Situ Jing and his party arrived in the capital, Mattia finished two paintings.Because the first painting was used as the basis, the second painting had to be more refined, but at the same time it lacked some charm.

Jia Hu put away his painting first, and then asked Mattia to submit the new one.

Situ Jing was very satisfied after seeing it, and felt that Mattia's portrait fully met his requirements.He even asked Mattia if he could draw a portrait of that person if he saw someone who looked like him instead of the person himself, and then described that person's appearance.

When Empress Jian passed away, Situ Jing was only three years old. He had a very weak impression of his mother and couldn't remember her face clearly.Jian Ming's elder sister, the second girl of the Jian family is considered to be the one who looks most like her aunt, but even if Situ Jing is facing her, he can't outline the appearance of Queen Jane.

Mattia understood Situ Jing's meaning, but after thinking about it carefully, he shook his head and said frankly: "Your Highness, I'm sorry, but I'm not good at this kind of painting. Whom I drew, It’s a portrait of someone, you can’t paint someone else’s.”

Situ Jing was a little disappointed, but he still asked without giving up: "You are not good at it, have you ever seen someone who is good at it?"

Mattia immediately nodded and said: "Chris is very good at it. A few years ago in Florence, he helped an old man who was widowed in his early years draw a portrait of his wife, and his model was that old man's. Granddaughter, they look somewhat alike."

"Really?" Situ Jing just asked casually, unexpectedly there really was such a superb artist in the world, so he quickly asked, "Where is he?"

"Eh?!" Mattia hesitated for a moment, and said uncertainly: "It should be in Milan, Chris is a very family-loving person."

Situ Jing frowned and didn't say anything more. That Chris was too far away, so he couldn't invite him.But since Chris can do it, there must be other Western painters who can do it, so he just inquires slowly, there is always a chance.

Situ Lv was also shocked when he saw the portraits of Situ Jing and Jia Hu. He had seen the painting of the fisherman girl, but he had never seen the comparison between the real person and the painting, so at this moment, he was really shocked. He also said that after returning to Beijing, He also wanted Mattia to paint him a picture.

Situ Jing replied bluntly, he wanted to get a portrait, but he had to wait in line slowly, with his grandfather and father in front of him.Situ Lu said unconvinced that Mattia is not the only painter in the world, and he sent people to invite a few more, so there is no need to wait.

Jia Hu gave Mattia a wink, and lowered his voice to tease him, saying that there will be competitors in the future, so let him work hard.

Mattia said that it doesn't matter, those who really draw well are all in Europe, and there is an endless stream of people who ask them to paint every day, how could it be possible to venture out to sea, only those who can't get along like him will want to come out and try , what if it succeeds.

Jia Hu patted Mattia on the shoulder, telling him to take care of himself and not to be so straightforward when speaking Chinese next time.

Situ Jing and the others set off at the beginning of August. The round-trip journey lasted more than two months, and they spent less than a month playing in the south of the Yangtze River. I drank it all.

The prince and the prince were traveling, and the fleet was quite large. Jia Hu also brought back all the annual gifts that Jia Min gave to her natal family.And his painting was mixed with it and moved back home, otherwise it would be impossible not to be seen by such a large painting that cannot be folded.

The Lin family is rich, and Jia Min is the head of the house, so the gifts for the new year are naturally rich. Shi Taijun smiled from ear to ear when he received his daughter's heartfelt wishes, and repeatedly told Mrs. Zhang that the gift to Jia Min should not be taken lightly. At that time, she will pass the purpose.

Mrs. Zhang smiled and nodded, even if Shi Taijun didn't say anything, she would not take Jia Min's courtesy lightly.Some time ago, Jia Lian lived in Lin's house for nearly two months. When she left, she took away countless bags and bags. Before she could thank Jia Min, her things came first.

In fact, Shi Taijun is not worried about Mrs. Zhang, she made Mrs. Wang make trouble and left sequelae.It is true that Jia Min was never stingy in giving gifts to her natal family, but Shi Taijun's gifts in return were also quite generous, and she never said that she would make her daughter suffer.

In the past, Mrs. Zhang was in charge of the family affairs, and she never cared too much about money, so Shi Taijun let her prepare with confidence.But when it came to the Wang family's housekeeper, not only did she rack her brains to dig out the corners of the long house, but she never let go of the married aunts.

Mrs. Zhuo and others are fine, they are concubine daughters, they are not close to their aunt and brother, so they won't say much, but Jia Min is different, she was spoiled by others since she was a child.The things her natal family gave her were not enough, the key was that they were not to her liking. This Jia Min couldn't bear it, so she must write to Shi Taijun to complain.From then on, if the Wang family returned gifts to the Lin family, Shi Taijun would supervise him personally, and even his own sister would be harsh. She was no one, if it wasn't for Jia Zheng and Yuan Chun's sake, she wouldn't bother to give her a good face.

Although the new year is coming, Situ Jing and Situ Lv's life is not easy after they return to the palace.Needless to say, Situ Jing, a hydraulic loom and a Zhen family are enough for him and Situ Yan to talk slowly.Situ Lv was forced by Queen Mother Chu to prepare for his marriage.

When Situ Jing talked about asking the officials of the Lifan Academy to learn more foreign languages, Situ Yan told him that he had an idea. He planned to add an exam to the new subjects after the Spring Festival next year, and then decided that they would have to learn more foreign languages ​​in the future. Which department to go to, can no longer be crowded in the Hanlin Academy in general.What's more, the low-level officials of the six departments should also increase the corresponding professional examinations, so that people who don't understand anything can occupy their positions and give directions blindly.

Situ Jing was puzzled and said, "Why did my father suddenly have such an idea? When I discussed with Jia Hu before, didn't you say that the time is not yet ripe and you can't adopt it for the time being?" The concept of professional counterparts was first proposed by Jia Hu. When it was mentioned, Situ Jing agreed.

Situ Yan frowned, and said with a wry smile: "Isn't it because you asked someone to send back a hydraulic loom, discussed it for many days, and finally decided to add a patent office under the Ministry of Industry, which will be in charge of similar things in the future? , who would have discovered that no one could understand it after mobilizing people.”

Situ Jing suddenly realized that the officials of the Ministry of Industry were all obtained by the imperial examination, and they were proficient in all the Four Books and Five Classics. They must not understand the water conservancy and farm tools, but the officials above knew nothing about it. Guess.

After discussing the matter of facing up for a while, Situ Yan changed the subject and asked suddenly: "Jing'er, what's the matter with that painting of you and Jia Hu? Why did you draw it together?" The portrait that Situ Jing brought back to the palace , Situ Yan thought it was very realistic, and Mattia has also painted the portrait of the Supreme Emperor now, but Situ Yan couldn't understand why Situ Jing and Jia Hu painted together, even if each person had a picture, it should look normal. It happened that two people had to draw together, and the poses were so intimate, at least he saw it, and felt it was a little subtle.

"You're talking about painting, but I just thought it was fun, so I asked someone to paint it." Situ Jing hesitated, his eyes dodging a little.

Situ Yan frowned slightly, and said seriously: "Jing'er, you are no longer a child, you can't just think about playing, you know?"

Situ Jing bowed his head slightly, and said in a low voice: "Father, don't worry, I know about it." It was because he knew that he had someone paint that painting capriciously. He was going to get married, and Jia Hu might not be far away. In the days to come, they may never have such an intimate moment again.