Chapter 1
Words:1088Update:22/06/29 07:26:23
Opening the Coffin and Drawing the Bones
In the 20th year of Qi Zhen's reign, Jinjiang, Beiliang.
The weather of the first month changed without warning. Just a moment ago, it was clear and boundless, but in the blink of an eye, it was raining cats and dogs. Lightning flashed and thunder roared. The bluestone path seemed to be covered in a layer of slippery silver water.
Ji Yunshu held an umbrella and a beautifully carved sandalwood box in her hand as she walked from the Ji Residence to the entrance of the Zhou Mansion.
In the first month, every family was in a festive mood, but the entrance of the Zhou Mansion was filled with white satin and several white lanterns.
It turned out that yesterday, the young miss of the Zhou Family had a sudden accident and died!
Ji Yunshu put away her umbrella and brushed away the rainwater on her shoulders. Then, she carefully examined the sandalwood box in her bosom.
This was the treasure she used to make a living. She absolutely couldn't let it get soaked!
If the magistrate hadn't begged her, she wouldn't have come.
Working in the first month was indeed a bit unlucky.
"Teacher, you're here."
The manservant in the mansion ran over and called out anxiously with his back hunched.
It wasn't strange for him to call her teacher. Ji Yunshu was dressed in men's clothing and looked very simple and elegant.
Ji Yunshu nodded and followed the manservant to the mourning hall in the backyard. The maids and manservants of the mansion were kneeling on the ground with their heads bowed and tears streaming down their faces.
Inside the hall, Lord Zhou was dressed in a long purple satin robe. His hair was tied up in a bun, and his expression was solemn. His lips were pursed into a thin line, and his eyes were bloodshot and full of exhaustion.
Beside him, Madame Zhou was sobbing uncontrollably. She was in so much pain that she didn't want to live. Yesterday, when she found out that her daughter had suddenly died, she fainted on the spot. Even now, she still hadn't recovered. If it weren't for the maids supporting her, she would have fallen to the ground again.
Ji Yunshu was used to seeing this kind of scene in her daily life.
When Lord Zhou saw Ji Yunshu, he glanced at his wife and pulled her to the side.
"Teacher Ji, I'll have to trouble you. When my daughter was alive, she loved to wear pink and dress up. When she was free, she would go to the courtyard to admire the plum blossoms. Because of her poor health, she didn't go out often. But yesterday … she fell from the attic and hit the rockery. Her complexion …"
"Don't worry, Lord Zhou. I understand."
She placed down the sandalwood box she brought and opened it. It was filled with exquisitely crafted painting tools. The box was divided into three layers. The first layer contained seven or eight silver-inlaid brushes embroidered with luan clouds. The second layer contained a concave sink. The third layer contained forty-eight small pigments, all of which were of an authentic and uniform color.
Although the box was small, it had all the essentials.
The maids looked inside curiously. They had never seen such a style of painting before.
The servant fetched a roll of silk and spread it on the table, then led Ji Yunshu to the side of the coffin.
Inside the coffin, Miss Zhou's complexion was festering. Her skin was lacerated and her flesh was exposed. Blood vessels were connected to her tibia. Her cheeks were slightly protruding, exposing her white bones. Her eyeballs had popped out, one hanging above the other in her eye sockets. Although her lips and teeth were intact, her nose was broken.
Who wouldn't be disgusted by his appearance?
However, falling off a building should also look like this.
She then looked at her hair and attire. Her pink embroidery was neat and tidy. Her hair was as black as ink, blending in with the gold and silver jewelry buried with her.
This Zhou family was worthy of being called a wealthy family. No wonder the magistrate begged and prayed so many times to let her come here.
Ji Yunshu looked at it carefully before returning to the table. She mixed several kinds of pigments and picked a number three pen. She began to draw lines on the silk. In a short while, the shape was formed. Then, she colored them one by one. She slowly carved, dyed, and adjusted …
The surrounding people were stupefied and tongue-tied.
It was said that Jinjiang had a famous painter who worked in the yamen. She specialized in painting the dead. Regardless of whether it was a bloody corpse, a charred corpse, or a pile of bones, she was able to paint the appearance of the corpse when it was alive.
A pair of skillful hands and a sandalwood box. It was simply a miracle.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
