She continued her usual practice, moving directly into the next mission after leaving the previous world. Thinking that two-thirds of the golden water in the bottle had been used, anticipation mingled with a hint of panic.
"Yan Yu, paint me another one. This time, paint a woman of noble status. She heard somehow that I can paint and insisted I create a portrait for her. If she's satisfied, a bright future is within reach." Observing the man's peculiar yearning for power, Wu Caiwei couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly.
Men like him were the most unreliable, willing to sacrifice everything for power. However, she had only just arrived and didn't fully grasp the situation, so it wasn't convenient to voice her thoughts.
She could only clutch her stomach, furrow her brows, and feign pain, saying weakly, "I'm feeling unwell today and am not fit to paint. Let's do it another day."
"What's wrong? Do you need a doctor?" Fang immediately asked with concern.
"No, it's an old ailment. I'll be fine after a little rest," Wu Caiwei bluffed.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jiayang's face immediately turned red. He said shyly, "Then rest well. Make sure to keep your abdomen warm. But you must hurry, her painting is needed very urgently; everything hinges on this."
Wu Caiwei knew he had misunderstood, but she was too lazy to explain. As long as he left, she could receive the memories.
She quickly nodded. He seemed to want to say more before leaving, but finally couldn't resist urging, "You must hurry."
When she was finally alone in the room, she quickly closed her eyes.
After about fifteen minutes, she opened her eyes again, tears streaming down involuntarily. She lamented for the original owner, such a talented woman.
The original owner's name was Liu Yan Yu. Born in Jiangnan, her ancestors were scholars. In her childhood, her parents doted on her like a precious pearl. Knowing her love for painting, they spared no effort or expense to find famous paintings for her to copy. Later, they spent nearly one hundred thousand taels of silver to hire a renowned scholar to teach her.
The scholar had taken the job reluctantly because his son had gambling debts. Unexpectedly, he was stunned by the original owner's skill the moment she started painting. He looked at her with regret, thinking that if she had been a man, she would have shaken the world.
Deeply appreciating talent, he unconsciously changed his attitude and imparted all his life's knowledge to her. The original owner did not disappoint him, surpassing him in many ways.
When the year of instruction ended, the scholar left content, feeling he had nothing more to teach her. Liu's father looked at her with pride and murmured to himself, "As expected of my daughter, so intelligent."
At this point, her mother would usually pour cold water, saying, "To you, your daughter is perfect in every way. But others might not think so. Speak with humility and caution, don't give people reason to laugh."
In the past, the original owner didn't understand and would show a wronged expression, finding her mother's words a damper. Later, after countless reflections, she realized her mother was a dissembler. Although she spoke of not being arrogant, the smile in her eyes betrayed her true thoughts. It was a pity she was too young then and didn't understand. At these times, tears would glisten in her eyes while a smile played on her lips, and she would drift off to sleep, recalling the happy times spent with her parents.
Alas, fate is unpredictable. Just over a year later, her father fell ill with a severe fever and never recovered, eventually passing away. Her mother, unable to bear the blow, also fell ill.
Her maternal grandmother, living in the capital, received the news and quickly sent her uncle to support them, fearing that the servants might take advantage of them.
Her mother did not survive either. The once vast Liu family was left with only her. Feeling utterly lost and dazed, she followed her uncle to the capital.
By the time she came to her senses, it was too late. The old retainers of the Liu family had all been dismissed. Only a wet nurse and her two personal maids remained by her side. Her uncle had initially intended to dismiss them too, but she insisted on keeping them as she was accustomed to them and had grown fond of them.
Her personal savings amounted to only a few hundred taels, which were gifts from her parents during festivals and New Year's, kept by the maids. Her jewelry and clothes were also from her mother's time.
The wealth accumulated over generations by the Liu family, along with her mother's dowry prepared long ago, was nowhere to be found. She dared not ask, only regretting her lack of brothers to support her. Her father's lineage had been single-child for three generations. Apart from the Zhou family, she had nowhere else to turn.
To survive, she had to play dumb. After all, meager possessions stir greed. Living under someone else's roof, she could only pour all her feelings into her painting. Her father had instructed her on his deathbed that if she couldn't control her own life, she should burn her paintings quickly. She obediently followed suit. The Zhou family only knew that Miss Liu liked to paint; they had no idea of her skill level.
One day, Liu Yan Yu was in a good mood. She was satisfied with the painting she had finished. Just as it was about to be put to the flame, she hesitated. She thought she could admire it for a couple more days before burning it; it would be the same. As long as she was careful, no one would discover it.
Having received praise from his tutor, Zhou Jiayang rushed to his mother's courtyard. He instructed the maids and servants he passed not to make a sound, to surprise his mother. As he neared the main room, he heard an argument inside.
Curious, he crept closer and overheard his mother and grandmother arguing about his marriage. Although he felt a bit shy, he couldn't help but eavesdrop.
"I disagree with Yan Yu marrying my son. If her parents were still alive, she would be a suitable match for my son. But now that her family has fallen, she can offer no help to my son's career."
"I know, but we took so much money from the Liu family. If we marry her off, it will require a grand dowry. Yet, we've already spent the money. Where will we get the compensation for her?"
"We can just make up some superficial things then, enough to match the amount."
"You're being foolish! Everyone is shrewd. Our rivals are waiting for us to make a mistake. Last time, the Liu family's money helped us manage things. If another incident occurs this time, you and I will be waiting to die."
A deathly silence followed. Zhou Jiayang quickly left. He felt he had received too much information that day. Previously, like the servants, he thought his cousin was beneath them, a burden to their household. Now, he realized that without the Liu family, the Zhou family would not exist.
He wondered how much money the Liu family had given the Zhou family to cause his parents such distress. After a long while, he came to his senses and realized he had unconsciously walked to his cousin's courtyard.
Since she might be his future wife, and he hadn't interacted with her for so many years, he had forgotten what she looked like and her disposition. So, he decided to go in for a visit.
Upon entering the courtyard, he learned that his cousin had gone out to relax, dismissing her maids. He went alone to her study. Looking at the numerous famous paintings and calligraphy hanging on the walls, he recalled the rumors about her extreme fondness for these items. Wanting to gauge her skill, he searched for a long time and finally found one.