Li Jing said, "Yes, that's what I think too. The gift must be able to impress the other party. We can't make them roll their eyes again. They already look down on Qingyang. If we give them some local specialties that are not presentable, they won't even look at us."
Li Rui asked half of her and half of himself, "But what kind of high-end gift can we give them?"
Li Jing said blankly, "I don't know. Why else would I ask you?"
Li Rui said, "When giving a gift, we have to cater to their interests. If we really don't know what to give them, we can ask about their hobbies. Starting from their hobbies is the easiest way to make them accept us."
Li Jing said excitedly, "I just did some research. According to the introduction on the official website of Qingyang Agricultural University, the principal seems to like calligraphy and painting. He is one of the vice presidents of our Qingyang Calligraphy and Painting Association …"
Li Rui shouted when he heard this, "This is not good!"
Li Jing asked curiously, "Why is it not good?"
Li Rui said, "If he likes calligraphy and painting, it means that he is very scholarly. People like him are usually aloof and difficult to deal with. Besides, he is prejudiced against us. Alas, it will be more difficult to meet him tomorrow morning."
Li Jing sighed and said, "Even if it is more difficult, we still have to meet him. Xiao Rui, do you think we can start from his hobbies? He likes calligraphy and painting. Why don't we give him a set of good brushes, ink, paper and inkstone? "
Li Rui said, "Sure. Do you have any?"
Li Jing said, "I don't."
Li Rui was so angry that he laughed and said, "Sister, if you don't have any, why are you talking about it? Of course, it doesn't matter if you don't have it. As long as you know where it is, we can go and buy him a set of good ones. "
Li Jing said, "I don't know where to buy it either. There must be some in Qingyang, but I don't know which store sells good ones in such a short time. Besides, it's late now. The shops must be closed. We're leaving so early tomorrow morning. I'm afraid we won't have time to buy anything. "
Li Rui knew that this trip to the provincial capital was very important. It was directly related to the realization of his boss, Song Chaoyang's "Five One Project". Therefore, he had to overcome any difficulties and could not be perfunctory. If he slacked off this time and became tired, his overall execution ability would be reduced in the future. What could he do then? Right now, Li Jing said that it was not easy to buy, but there was always a way. If they didn't try, how would they know that they couldn't buy it? He said, "How about this? Let's separately ask around and see if there are any shops that sell the four treasures of the study. Then I'll go and take a look. I don't think all the shops are closed. Maybe we can find one or two that are still open."
Li Jing said, "Alright, then I'll have to trouble you to make the trip. Thank you in advance. I'll ask around and let you know if I have any news later. "
After making the call, Li Rui didn't put the phone back. He filtered through the friends he knew in his mind one by one, wondering who would know the shops that sold the four treasures of the study in the city. While he was thinking, a taxi slowly drove along the side of the road in front of him. He suddenly had an idea. Oh, why did he still need to ask his friends? Couldn't he just ask the taxi driver? As everyone knew, taxi drivers were not only a walking map of the city, but also a know-it-all. There was nothing they didn't know, from the Municipal Party Committee to the small restaurants and salons. Thinking of this, he hurriedly stopped the taxi. After the taxi stopped, he opened the door and got in. He threw the question to the driver.
After listening, the driver thought for a while and said, "I haven't seen many shops that specialize in selling brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, but I know that there are several calligraphy and painting shops on the small street south of Nanhu Park. They sell calligraphy and painting. They should also sell brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Why don't I take you there to take a look?"
Li Rui was desperate. As long as there was an opportunity, he wouldn't let it go. He nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll have to trouble you."
The driver turned on the left turn signal, turned around, and drove south. Nanhu Park was directly east of Li Rui's house. Following the current Zhengyang North Street, they turned left at the first intersection. Going west for a while, they passed through Chaoyang North Street. After a while, they arrived at the south gate of Nanhu Park. Outside the south gate was a small street, which wasn't far.
Ten minutes later, the driver brought Li Rui to the small street. Although it was a small street, it was actually very wide. There were four lanes in both directions, and the road was relatively secluded. There weren't many pedestrians and cars. The buildings on both sides of the road were relatively low, and there were many old houses from the last century.
"We're here!"
The driver turned off the meter and turned to look at Li Rui.
Li Rui looked at both sides of the road and said, "Where? Where's the calligraphy and painting shop? Bro, don't you scam me. "
The driver laughed and said, "Why would I scam you? There are quite a few calligraphy and painting shops on this street. Just walk forward and you'll definitely see them. But if they're closed, don't blame me. I don't know if they're closed at this time."
Li Rui said, "How would I know how far ahead I have to walk to see them? Continue driving. Drive slowly so that I can observe them. Don't use the meter. I'll give you an extra ten yuan later. "
When the driver heard that, he didn't say anything else and continued driving.
"Look, there's one here. Unfortunately, it's closed!"
After driving for less than fifty meters, a calligraphy and painting shop appeared on the right. It was called "Guoying Calligraphy and Painting Art Museum." The driver stopped the car and pointed to Li Rui.
Li Rui sighed and said, "Drive forward."
"There's another shop here. This one is the biggest. Hey, it's still open. You're lucky …"
After driving for another hundred meters, a shop appeared on the left side of the road. It was an antique two-story building with four rooms. It had overhanging eaves and red pillars for wooden windows. There were even two stone lions at the door. At first glance, it looked like a small building from the Ming and Qing dynasties that had been transmigrated to the present. The lights in the shop were on and the door was wide open. There was a plaque hanging on the door with the name of the shop written on it: Fragrant Ink Garden! On both sides of the door was a pair of wooden couplets with gold characters on a black background. The words on the couplets were lively and elegant. It was very beautiful.
Li Rui was overjoyed when he saw it. He took out his wallet, took out thirty yuan, and handed it to the driver. He said, "Keep the change." He pushed the car door open, crossed the road, and ran towards the shop. Before he entered the shop, he could already see that the walls of the shop were filled with calligraphy and paintings. There was a row of bookcases on the east wall. There were scrolls of paintings, rice paper, and so on. He didn't know if they were for sale or for use.
Li Rui walked to the door and smelled a faint sandalwood fragrance coming from the shop. After smelling it, he felt refreshed and comfortable. He thought that the owner of Fragrant Ink Garden must be an elegant person. He walked in with a smile on his face.
The shop had a strong classical atmosphere. The furniture, whether it was the bookcases, bookcases, desks, or chairs, were all made of mahogany. The four walls were filled with calligraphy and paintings. The staircase to the second floor was also a wooden ladder. Even the lampshade on the roof was made of white silk tasseled palace lanterns. Coupled with the serene sandalwood fragrance that wafted into his nostrils from time to time, it really made him feel like he had returned to ancient times.
Li Rui looked around and saw a large painting on the floor on the west side of the shop. A young and slender woman wearing a gray spaghetti strap T-shirt, blue cropped jeans, and bare feet was kneeling on the painting. She was so engrossed in her painting that she didn't even notice that a customer had come in. Her eyes were fixed on the brush in her hand.
Li Rui's gaze swept past her face. From his current angle, he could only see the side of her face. He saw that her cheeks were thin, her eyebrows were clear, her nose was straight, and her lips were beautiful. She was a beautiful woman. Her skin was also very white. At first glance, she looked like a person made of jade lying there.
Li Rui's gaze shifted to the curves of her body. He saw that her waist was so small that he couldn't hug it. Her buttocks were high, and under the cover of her jeans, it was even more prominent. Below that were a pair of slender and charming legs. At the end of her calves were a pair of snow-white, slender, and beautiful feet. She didn't wear shoes, so white and thin, it was very attractive.
"Eh!"
Li Rui took in her appearance and figure. He was secretly amazed. He didn't expect to see such a beauty when he randomly came to a calligraphy and painting shop. However, he still remembered his mission. He was here to buy the four treasures of the study, not to look at a beauty.
He walked over, intending to say hello to her and ask if she was the owner of this shop. He also wanted to admire her painting while he was at it.
As he got closer to the beauty, Li Rui could see more details. The woman's long hair was tied up behind her head. Her hair was as black as ink, and the hair was straight and dense. It could be seen that the quality of her hair was very good. Her neck was very white and thin, just like her slender body. Her feet were slender, and the curves were exquisite. It was like a piece of art made of white jade. These physical characteristics were very attractive, but what was more attractive was her quiet and focused temperament. In this impetuous and chaotic society, it was rare to see a woman with such temperament.
Li Rui looked at her and suddenly thought of the scholarly beauty Fang Zhitong, whom he hadn't contacted for a long time. How similar was her temperament to this beauty? It had been a while since she went to Beijing to inherit her father's inheritance. He wondered how she was doing now.
He secretly sighed and turned to look at the painting that this beauty was drawing. He saw that she was concentrating on painting an ink landscape. The painting showed a distant mountain range, layers upon layers of mountains, a nearby river flowing, a small boat stopped in the middle of the river, and the people on the boat were fishing. There was a small path in the bamboo forest by the river, and at the end of the path was a small courtyard with a firewood door. The people in the courtyard were looking up at the mountains behind the house … It was only a piece of rice paper, a brush, and a thick ink, but under her hand, she actually painted a beautiful scenery like a paradise, which made people involuntarily yearn for it. It was really admirable.
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