Chapter 56: Leaving Du Min at the Meng Family Home for the New Year

Chapter 56: Leaving Du Min at the Meng Family Home for the New Year

"I only have one sutra class this morning, which should end around 7:00 AM. You can rest in my dorm for a bit, and I'll come find you after class," Du Min agreed.

Du Li breathed a sigh of relief, "Go eat, it'll get cold if you delay any longer."

Du Min opened the food box; the porridge inside was still steaming. He picked up a spoon, and as he was about to eat, he asked, "Have you eaten?"

"I've already eaten." Du Li was a little unaccustomed to his drastic change in attitude. He walked out the door and said, "I'll take a walk outside. You hurry up and eat."

The students living in the back dormitory were still washing up, while their servants and pageboys were busy running around, carrying water and food. This busyness continued for quite a while until the students carried their books out, at which point the servants slowed down.

"Second brother, I'm going to school." Du Min also came out of the house carrying his book box. He glanced at Du Liqing's swollen black eyes and said, "My class will last an hour, which is quite a long time. If you are sleepy, you can sleep on my bed for a while."

Du Li nodded, "You don't need to worry about me, just go to class."

Du Min then left.

Du Li stood outside for a while longer. He went back inside, picked up the food box, and followed a servant to the well on the west side of the back house. He found two rows of bamboo racks on either side of the well, and a bamboo shed behind the well. Clothes were drying on the bamboo racks and inside the bamboo shed.

"Are you here to wash the dishes too?" a page asked. "My master's surname is Xing, and his given name is Shu."

Du Li felt the name sounded familiar, but couldn't quite place it. He ignored the question and asked, "What's your name?"

"My name is Yun Yan."

"The inkstone from 'brush, ink, paper, and inkstone'? That's a really literary name," Du Li complimented. He pointed to the bamboo shed and asked, "Is this specifically for drying clothes?"

"Yes, on rainy days, clothes are hung to dry in the bamboo shed."

"The prefectural school is really meticulous." Du Li waited until no one was using the well, then he fetched half a bucket of water and washed the food box and rice bowl.

Carrying the food box back to Du Min's dormitory, Du Li took away the dirty clothes he had placed at the foot of the bed, and also removed the quilt cover. He took out a wooden basin from under the bed, found a soapberry, and took it to the well to wash them.

At the end of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Du Min returned from class and found the dormitory empty. The sheets and blankets were gone, and the pile of dirty clothes from the changing season at the foot of the bed was also missing. He immediately guessed what was going on and went to the laundry room, where he indeed found Du Li. However, Du Li wasn't washing clothes; instead, he was standing by the well talking to the servants.

"Second Brother," Du Min called out.

The moment the servants who did the laundry and shoe cleaning saw him, they immediately distanced themselves from Du Li, their faces showing unease.

Du Li then helped fetch a bucket of water from the well before leaving.

Du Min stared coldly at the group of sycophantic servants. As Du Li approached, he asked, "Are they asking you to fetch water for them?"

“I’m strong, so I helped them carry a few more buckets.”

Du Min glared at him. "Are you out of your mind? You've become their servant."

"You're really rude. They helped me too." Du Li shook him off and left first.

"They helped you?" Du Min suspected he had misheard. He followed him and asked, "What kind of help did they give you?"

"Help me wring out your blankets and sheets." Du Li glanced at him and said, "They're hostile to you along with their master, but they're not hostile to me."

"Are you kidding me? You're my second brother, would they look down on me but respect you?" Du Min thought he was talking nonsense.

"It's true that I'm your second brother, but I'm also the son-in-law of the Meng family's paper horse shop," Du Li said with some pride.

Du Min: "..."

"Am I wrong? Even if we don't care about the Buddha, we should care about the monks. With the Meng family's connections, they won't speak ill of me," Du Li said.

Du Min was not happy. "You're my second brother. They bullied me, and you can still joke around with them?"

“Your second sister-in-law is still doing business with their masters. You were the one who facilitated the business. She took a lot of money from them, and you also got a share. Why don’t you keep your distance from their money?” Du Li retorted.

Du Min surrendered, "Fine, you win."

The two brothers returned to their dormitory. Du Li lifted a corner of the mattress and sat on the bed board against the wall to rest.

"Didn't I tell you to take a nap? Why did you take the bedding apart and wash it? So diligent? Aren't you tired?" Du Min sat down on the bench, his back against the desk, facing him.

"I wanted to please you this once, to make you less angry, because I took advantage of you yesterday. When I left Dujiawan, my father wouldn't let me go, and even wanted Du Ming to tie me up. In order to leave smoothly and to avoid them causing trouble for the Meng family, I threatened him with your partnership with your second sister-in-law." Du Li confessed himself; even if he hadn't, Du Min could have guessed it.

Du Min remained silent.

“I have nothing that my parents can be afraid of, including my life. If I threatened them that I would kill myself if they didn’t let me leave, they would probably yell and urge me to jump into the river. They only care about you, and I can only use you to shield me,” Du Li explained.

Du Min knew he was telling the truth. He felt sorry for him, and at the same time, he felt a sense of shared resentment. He shook his head and said, "What they care about is not me, not me as a person, but the glory I can bring them. If I hadn't been successful in my studies, they wouldn't have favored me, much less tolerated my provocations."

"Why do you say that?" Du Li asked, puzzled. "You've always been more favored by your parents since you were little. They never hesitated to send you to school, and it seems like they've never been reluctant to spend money on you. They were even afraid of ruining you. They were wary of your second sister-in-law, and when I used you as a threat, they backed down."

Du Min sneered, "What do you know? You know too little. My parents are afraid you'll ruin me, and they'll compromise for me, but they'll also threaten me with ruining my future. Isn't that ridiculous?"

Du Li sat up straight, a suspicion forming in his mind: "Did Father threaten you? Was it that time in the mulberry field last month?"

“Hmm.” Du Min lowered his eyes. “He scolded me for being unfilial and disobedient, blamed me for being disobedient, and threatened that if I did not change my attitude, he would prevent me from studying and from taking the provincial examination.”

Du Liteng stood up abruptly. "He really said that? This old man, how is he any different from the students who bullied you at the prefectural school?"

Du Minru found a kindred spirit. "When I heard him say that, my heart sank. For a moment, I really didn't want to study anymore. I felt that even if I passed the imperial examination, it would be meaningless."

"Is he heartless? He's worse than a villain. Are we his sons or his enemies? Or does he think we won't hold grudges? So he can stab us in the back without any scruples?" Du Li vented her resentment.

"The world's filial piety is biased towards him; unfilial children are despised by the world. Because all the fathers in the world are biased towards him, he dares to act recklessly." Du Min shared his insights, then said helplessly, "Second brother, I don't understand. How can the law list unfilial piety as an unforgivable crime? The previous dynasty even had a system of selecting officials based on filial piety and integrity. How ridiculous! Can filial people govern a country? Will unfilial people cause a country to perish? If a whole bunch of filial officials were selected to govern the country, wouldn't the country still perish?"

Du Min's eyes flashed with ruthlessness and resentment. "I want to see if I, this unfilial son, will become a treacherous and corrupt official."

Du Li remained silent for a while before saying, "You're really something else. I haven't even figured out how to deal with filial piety yet, and you've already started going after the law and the court."

Du Min looked at him for a couple of seconds, savoring the words over and over. The words pleased him, and he felt a deep sense of comfort and pleasure throughout his body. He couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Du Li stared at him without blinking.

Du Min stopped laughing; his smile was gone, but he became radiant.

“Second brother, this isn’t about how powerful I am. I’ve read a lot and been taught by sages and wise men, so I inevitably have my own ideas. You’re trapped by filial piety and can’t break free because you’ve been taught by the customs and traditions passed down from your village since you were a child. The constraints on you are more numerous and stronger than those on me.” He pointed out the core of the problem.

“You and your second sister-in-law both make a lot of sense. When Wangzhou grows up, I will definitely make sure he studies a lot, so he can be like you, not like me.” Du Li marveled at the power of education. He and Du Min shared the same parents, and Du Li was four years older than him. Before this year, he had never realized the vast difference between them. Regardless of whether Du Min could become an official or not, whether Du Min passed the imperial examination or not, they were no longer on the same level.

“Yes, we must make sure Wangzhou reads more books,” Du Min agreed.

Du Li picked up the kettle and shook it; there was still water inside. He poured half a bowl of cold water and drank it down in one gulp. The cold water calmed him down a bit.

“I’ve already talked to your second sister-in-law. We don’t plan to go back to Dujiawan. Even if we can’t stay at the Meng family’s house anymore, we can rent a small courtyard in the city. In my parents’ eyes, I’m useless and worthless. And with you as a gamble, they’ll probably just have to accept my departure. My reputation is ruined in terms of filial piety, but I’ve escaped that family, which is worthwhile. As for you, you’re capable and valuable. Your parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law won’t let you off the hook. You’ll face a lot of trouble and hardship.” Du Li probed his parents’ and brothers’ attitude towards him.

Du Min's expression darkened. Du Li was just a commoner, and his son was still young. As long as his parents didn't sue him for filial impiety, his reputation wouldn't affect him much. But he was going to be an official, and no matter how unwilling he was, he had to be mindful of his reputation for filial piety and bow to the obligation of filial duty.

“I’ve been supported by my family and have benefited the most from them. I have to repay all the favors I’ve received since I was a child,” Du Min said. “After I pay them back, they will be the ones to benefit from my kindness. Since they have benefited from what I have brought them, they should come and flatter me. If I am still bound by them, it’s because I’m incompetent, and I deserve the trouble and suffering.”

Du Li understood. Du Min was confident that he could control his parents, brother, and sister-in-law. He had no intention of severing ties with his parents, nor did he intend to turn against them or run away. Meng Qing's plan would probably be difficult to realize.

"Second brother, let me remind you, you should be more careful. Parents are very hostile towards Uncle Meng and Aunt Pan. They can accept that their son is not close to them, but they can't stand seeing their son get close to the Meng family." After saying that, Du Min shook his head, "Maybe it's just targeting me. They can't stand me getting close to the Meng family. You might be a little better off."

Du Li suddenly realized, "The reason you and Dad argued in Sangtian was because of my father-in-law's family?"

Du Min nodded, his face completely losing its luster as he recalled that day. "Father treated me like his private possession. He wanted to control me and only allow me to be close to him. I haven't yet achieved enough to allow others to benefit from my good fortune, but he had already started planning ahead, fearing that others besides him would receive my favors without his permission."

“I remember now, when he asked me to serve in his place, he said that only if he lived could I benefit from his good fortune. Now that I think about it, I guess he used that trick to get my older brother and sister-in-law to obey him,” Du Li said.

Du Min gave a sarcastic smile. So you've already used him?

Du Li stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. He said frankly, "I used to be jealous of you, but now it seems there's nothing to be jealous of. You're just like me, a useful ornament at home. It's just that I'm the ox, and you're the face. Come to think of it, you're a little unlucky. You truly benefited from your parents' kindness, and when you suddenly discovered their true colors, you couldn't hate them completely. When you hate them, you even condemn yourself."

Du Min was struck in the heart, and he fell silent.

Du Li picked up the food box, opened the door and went out, gently closing the door behind him as he left.

"You're leaving?" Xing Shu's page greeted Du Li. "Will you still come to bring meals to Du Xuezi in the future?"

"No need to send it. It's cold, the food will get cold quickly." Du Li remembered something, so he turned back, opened the door and reminded him, "Du Min, don't forget to collect the sheets, blankets and clothes this evening. They definitely won't be dry in one day. Remember to bring them back into the bamboo shed to dry, and take them out to air them tomorrow morning. Don't be lazy. If the clothes are half-dry, they will smell bad if they get wet from the mist and dew, and it'll be like you washed them for nothing."

"I understand. Wait a minute, I'm about to go after you." Du Min took out a round hat and two wooden carvings from the wooden box. Passing by the desk, he also took a book from the desk. He handed these things to Du Li and said, "I held a gathering a few days ago, and Dr. Xu also went. When it ended, he gave me a book and asked me to give it to my second sister-in-law. I saw the round hat and wooden carvings when I passed by the market that day. I bought them for Xiao Wangzhou. He's grown up so much, and I, as his third uncle, have never given him anything. He still remembers me."

"When did he start thinking about you? He won't tell you, how do you know?" Du Li didn't believe it.

"Don't worry about it, just give it to him for me." Du Min thought he was being too long-winded.

Du Li thought for a moment, then didn't take it. He said, "You've already bought it, so you should just hand it to him yourself. He doesn't understand anyway, and if I hand it to him, he'll just think it's a gift from me."

Upon hearing this, Du Min immediately put away the round hat and the wooden carving.

"What's the matter with the book? Are you sure Dr. Xu wants to give this book to your second sister-in-law?" Du Li asked.

“Confirmed.” Du Min opened the book, found the folded page, and said, “This is a miscellaneous book. I’ve already read it. This page records the uses of alum. Besides its medicinal uses, alum applied to cloth has a certain fire-retardant effect. It also records the ratio of alum to water. The author of the book may have experimented with it himself. Dr. Xu is interested in paper funerary objects and may have thought about using this in them. I guess he probably wanted to slow down the burning of the brass paper horses, but he didn’t have the time to figure it out himself, so he simply handed it over to my second sister-in-law.”

Du Li took the book. "I'll take it back to your second sister-in-law."

"I'll find some free time in a few days to go see Xiaowangzhou," Du Min said.

"Is there anything you'd like to eat? Duck and eel? I had a braised duck and a stir-fried eel in chili oil at Niu Ji Restaurant the other day. They were quite good. I'll think about how to make them when I get back." Du Min was kind to Wang Zhou, and Du Li wanted to repay him in kind.

“Okay.” Du Min agreed to stay at the Meng family’s house for dinner.

"Then I'm leaving." Du Li went out again.

It was getting late, and Du Li needed to hurry back to cook. He took a boat from the ferry to Wumen, and when he arrived at the Wumen ferry, he went straight to the fish market to buy fish.

When the Meng family returned at noon, Du Li had already cooked a pot of crucian carp and tofu soup, and the rice was also ready.

"Anything else this afternoon? If not, go work at the paper horse shop." Father Meng wouldn't allow Du Li to stay at home and busy himself with household chores. He was the type to become increasingly withdrawn and introverted; he needed to go out and socialize more.

“Okay, I’ll go with you after I finish eating,” Du Li said.

He wasn't the only one who went to the paper horse shop in the afternoon; he brought his donkey and four geese with him, holding the donkey by the hand and putting the geese in a basket.

On the way, Du Li told Dr. Xu about the book donation, "Du Min will be coming over in a few days. Feel free to ask him anything you want to know."

Meng Qing was overjoyed. She jumped up excitedly, "Oh my! Just when I was feeling sleepy, this is the perfect solution! I was worried about the paper lanterns that Master Chen ordered, and now I have a chance!"

"Dr. Xu is such a good man. Qingniang, if you make anything new or interesting with alum, send a few to Dr. Xu as well, and don't charge him for them," Meng's father instructed.

Meng Qing nodded, "Okay, I understand."

Upon arriving at the paper craft shop, Du Li led Da Mao to the back of the house, and also untied the four geese and threw them out. He brought out a large basin of water from inside the house, and with the water, the geese stopped running around and stayed in the back of the house.

Meng's mother followed him out carrying Wangzhou, saying, "This child wants to see the geese. Son-in-law, you comfort him. I'll go inside and help your father and Qingniang."

Du Li took Wang Zhou from him and led him to touch the goose's wings.

Hearing the child's laughter, Meng Qing pushed open a window and leaned half her body out of the attic to look at the father and son behind the house. When the goose made a loud honking sound, she also made a rough "goose" sound.

Du Li raised her head and looked in the direction of the sound. Wang Zhou was still shaking his head, looking left and right.

“There—” Du Li lifted his chin and looked up at the attic.

"Little fat goose." Meng Qing stretched out his arm and waved vigorously.

Wang Zhou also raised his hand in a similar manner.

"Qingniang, where's the ox glue? Quickly bring it down," Meng's father urged from downstairs.

Meng Qing responded and closed the window.

Du Li carried Wangzhou back to the paper horse shop. In the backyard, seven brass paper horses were drying glue, and in the row of houses, there were more than forty straw horses waiting to be mounted. He carried Wangzhou around for a while, and after Wangzhou fell asleep, he went to the paper dyeing shop to dye, dry, and iron paper with the apprentices. When the child woke up, he had to stop what he was doing to hold the child.

When Du Li returned home that evening, he asked Meng's mother for a piece of cloth. He imitated the way the country women did and used the cloth to wrap the boat around his back.

Meng Qing flipped through a book under the lamp. After reading the folded page, she said, "Du Li, go to the pharmacy tomorrow and ask if they have alum. If they do, buy five catties."

“Okay.” Du Li agreed. “Look at me, Wang Zhou is on my back. That way I can keep an eye on him and it won’t interfere with my work.”

"You can do this when splitting bamboo, but don't do it when dyeing and drying paper. Don't bring him into the paper dyeing room; there's a lot of ink, tung oil, and raw lacquer there, and I'm worried he might not like the smell. By the way, when you go to buy alum, ask if there are any harmful effects from long-term contact with alum diluted in water," Meng Qing instructed.

"Oh, okay." Du Li untied the cloth bag and put the boat down.

“At the Paper Horse Shop, when Wang Zhou isn’t asleep, you don’t have to hold him all the time. Just put him in the bamboo bed, and whoever is free can take him out for a walk. This way, you can both soothe him and let the apprentices take a break and get some fresh air,” Meng Qing said.

Du Li suddenly realized, "No wonder I noticed those apprentices glancing at me every now and then this afternoon. I thought they had a problem with me."

Meng Qing laughed, "You're the son-in-law of the Meng family, how could they dare to have any complaints about you?"

"Don't say that. I know what I'm doing. They make a living with their strength and skills. They don't need to curry favor with anyone." Du Li noticed Wang Zhou climbing to the bedside. He picked him up and tucked him into the blankets, saying, "I found out why Du Min and my father had a fight."

"Tell me about it." Meng Qing walked over and sat down next to him.

Du Li told her about his conversation with Du Min, “I tested him. Although Du Min has become estranged from my parents, he has no intention of turning against them. I think that as long as my parents stop causing trouble, he will take good care of them in the future and will not mistreat them.”

Meng Qing chuckled, "Didn't Du Min say that your parents can't stand him being close to our Meng family? It's not hard to make them cause trouble. We won't go back for the New Year this year; we'll leave Du Min here too."

Du Li laughed, "If you really keep him here, my parents will be so angry they'll come looking for you."

"Find Du Min and have another argument with them." Meng Qing already had a vague idea in mind.

*

The next day.

After buying the alum, Meng Qing diluted it with water according to the proportions in the book. She asked Du Li to stir the alum with a bamboo stick, and soon a layer of flocculent foam appeared at the bottom of the water, which was the sedimentation of impurities in the water.

The alum water was filtered twice until it became clear and transparent, but it felt sticky to the touch. After the water dried on the hands, a transparent film appeared on the fingers. Meng Qing took fine silk and mulberry bark paper, soaked them separately, and then dried them.

The fine silk was thin and breathable, and it had dried in the wind in just one hour. Meng Qing took off the silk and examined it closely. The silk felt stiffer, but the color had not changed.

"Bring out a charcoal brazier," Meng Qing called out.

Du Li went to run an errand.

Mencius' father, mother, and Meng Chun came out of the row of houses one after another. The apprentices were curious, but they behaved themselves and did not come over.

Meng Qing cut off a piece of fine silk cloth and threw it onto the charcoal fire. The silk cloth was woven from silkworm silk, and it quickly twisted and shrank when heated. After twenty breaths, black spots of burning appeared on the white silk cloth. After a puff of white smoke, the silk cloth slowly turned into black ash. There was no open flame from beginning to end.

“Paper is more durable than silk. If we paste alum paper on the innermost layer of the paper horse, it can slow down the rate at which the ‘horse skin’ is ignited. Watching the fire burn through the ‘horse skin’ will be even more stunning, especially if the horse skin has colors or patterns.” Meng Qing already had a picture in his mind, and his idea was gradually taking shape. “Father, Mother, I have an idea. I want to make two colorful horses out of brightly colored fine silk. On New Year’s Eve, we’ll rent a painted boat and go boating on the river.”

“That’s not a good idea. New Year’s Eve is a joyous occasion. If you take funerary objects to the river, you’ll be scolded and beaten,” said Mencius’ mother.

"No, not funerary objects, but colorful horses, colorful revolving lanterns, and even taller than a gate. I've asked Dr. Xu and Du Min to jointly design the festive patterns and colors, guaranteeing that no one will associate them with paper funerary objects," Meng Qing assured, patting his chest. "I can even place several suspended candles inside the horses' bellies, using their light to enhance the designs. If Dr. Xu likes, I can even place two colorful revolving lanterns outside the prefectural school, changing the candles every night until the Lantern Festival is over."

Mencius' mother laughed, "You're getting more and more absurd. Changing the candles every night? Do you want to leave a hole in the horse's belly? According to you, if the colorful lantern isn't going to burn, what's the point of dyeing cloth with alum?"

“Just in case.” Meng Qing pointed to the brass paper horses in the yard and said, “Paper dyed with alum can also be used on them; this is called technological improvement.”

"Finish these orders, and then you can do whatever you want," Meng's father supported her. "I'll pay for the rental of the pleasure boat, and you can ask your brother if he wants to split the rest of the expenses with you."

"If we split the profits, and people order custom-made colored revolving lanterns later, the income will..."

Du Li coughed.

Meng Chun realized there were still outsiders at the Paper Horse Shop. He swallowed his words and said, "It's settled then."

*

On the day of Laba Festival, Du Min came to visit the Meng family. He arrived in the afternoon, but no one was home. He then went to the paper horse shop instead. As he approached, he found a crowd of people gathered outside the shop. Thinking something had happened, he rushed over and discovered that the people were looking through the shop door at the brass paper horses in the backyard.

There were even more brass paper horses in the backyard of the paper horse shop, standing side by side in the sun drying glue. Du Min stood in the audience's position and looked at them from a distance. If he didn't know, he would think that these were all bronze horses with copper skin and iron bones.

He admired them for a moment, then stepped inside. When he reached the backyard, he was surprised to find that the brass paper horses had different postures and expressions; some were docile, while others were arrogant.

"Mr. Meng, is it really impossible to rush the work any further? Price is not a problem."

Du Min heard the sound and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a man talking to Meng's father behind a bronze paper horse.

"His third uncle is here? Son-in-law, Qingniang, Wangzhou's third uncle is here." Father Meng called out to greet him. He nodded to Du Min in greeting, then turned to say apologetically, "Master Yan, I'm really sorry, there's no time to make any more this year, the orders are already full. If you can wait, you can place your order next year during Qingming Festival."

"Third brother, let's talk in the attic." Meng Qing walked out of a large row of houses. "Your second brother and Wang Zhou are upstairs."

Du Min followed up, "Second Sister-in-law, business is good! I heard from Uncle Meng that the orders for next year's Qingming Festival are already booked?"

"It's almost Chinese New Year, and many people will be going to Ruiguang Temple to burn incense. Passersby will inevitably be attracted by the brass paper horses in the courtyard, and they'll be tempted after seeing them so many times. It's a pity we don't have time to make more, so we can only advise them to place their orders next year during Qingming Festival," Meng Qing said. "The paper horse shop is also running out of space. In four or five days, apart from the ones secretly ordered by the students of the prefectural school, the rest will all be given away. When do you get your New Year's holiday? If you're free, come and join us on the boat. I'll take you to meet the wealthy merchants and gentry of Wu County."

Du Min was tempted, "I'll take my New Year's holiday on the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month."

"Then I'll wait a couple more days until you come."

“Okay,” Du Min readily agreed.

Upon entering the attic, Du Li was already waiting. Wang Zhou was sleeping, and he was ironing paper inside. There was a charcoal brazier, and it was very warm inside.

Du Min placed the round hat and wooden carving in Wangzhou's bamboo bed and said, "Little Wangzhou seems to have gotten fatter again."

"Yes, he's gained weight. Your second brother is here. He's patient and steams fish and minced meat for him every day. He also has a good appetite, so how could he not gain weight?" Meng Qing sat down next to the charcoal brazier.

"Have your parents come to cause you any trouble during this time?" Du Min sat down as well.

"No." Du Li shook her head.

In front of Meng Qing, Du Min said, "When I go back for the New Year, I will tell them not to bother you."

"Thank you, Third Brother. But I have another urgent matter I need your help with. I'm planning to make two colorful revolving lanterns so we can rent a pleasure boat for a river cruise on New Year's Eve. Since there are already paper lanterns, I'm worried people might be averse to them, so I'm thinking of making silk lanterns. Silk fabric comes in many colors, and deciding on the colors is a problem. Could you perhaps ask Dr. Xu to help me decide on the patterns and colors, focusing on a festive and eye-catching theme?" Meng Qing got up and took a stack of papers from the wooden shelf for him. "These are the drawings I made these past few nights, but I'm not entirely satisfied with them. I'd like you and Dr. Xu to take a look."

"Your second sister-in-law is also planning to put candles inside the horse's belly, so they'll look like lanterns. If Dr. Xu likes them, they can be donated to the prefectural school and placed outside the school gate until after the Lantern Festival," Du Li added.

Du Min looked through the papers in his hand. Each paper had a drawing of a horse with patterns on its body. He could imagine that if the horses in the drawings could be reproduced, the most eye-catching painted boat on the river on New Year's Eve would undoubtedly belong to the Meng family.

"Commoners cannot use silk. It's a pity that Master Chen is in mourning. Otherwise, we could give him the colorful horse, and after the offering, it could be burned as a sacrificial offering," Meng Qing added.

Du Min couldn't sit still any longer. There was more than just Master Chen in Wu County who was an official!