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Chapter 25: Fragrant Ink
"Sigh..." Song You stood at the entrance of the entertainment district, hands cupped in front of him, exhaling warm breath into them.
It was getting colder day by day.
Yet his clothes remained thin.
In Dayan, cotton had already become available, and people had begun using it to make clothes and quilts. However, it was not yet widespread; currently, only the wealthy and powerful could afford it. Most commoners still relied on clothes and quilts stuffed with paper, needing to find various ways to keep warm. The warmth provided by Song You's robes was even inferior to the paper clothes worn by passersby on the street.
The flow of people was heavy around the entertainment district, as it was a hub of commerce.
Song You glanced at several shops and bought a paper fur coat. This kind of clothing was cheap and warm, with a clean and simple color that was so plain that literati would even paint on it, turning it into their preferred style.
Song You liked simple clothes.
It was also time to start warming up by the fire.
There was no need to buy a stove; there was already one at home.
Unconsciously, he found himself back at the entrance of the entertainment district. Across the street was a shop specializing in stationery. Song You stopped and thought for a moment. The brush he bought before had become a bit rough from use, plus it was slightly bigger. He wanted to buy another brush for writing small characters, with better quality.
Having been out for a while, it was time to write a letter back home.
So he entered the shop.
The brushes sold in the shop weren't particularly good, but he did find excellent ink.
Surprisingly, the shop had "Fragrant Ink" from Yangzhou(阳州).
Fragrant Ink was one of the most famous inks in Dayan, the ultimate pursuit of literati and scholars, its price comparable to that of gold.
Ink was mainly divided into two types: pine soot ink(松烟墨) and oil soot ink(油烟墨).
Regardless of the type, they were made by mixing soot from burning with medicinal materials, some even adding unique fragrances.
Pine soot ink was made from the soot of burned pine wood. Oil soot ink, on the other hand, used the soot from oil lamps, with various oils such as tung oil, hemp oil, vegetable oil, etc. Among them, tung oil produced the most soot when burned, resulting in a deep black ink with a shiny finish that would darken over time, with the writing lasting for thousands of years. Oil with less soot produced lighter ink, with the writing fading over time. Therefore, tung oil ink was the most common and practical among oil soot inks.
Fragrant Ink was tung oil ink.
It used tung oil soot, mixed with dozens of precious medicinal materials to make the ink, and then added unique fragrances. Only after thousands of strikes with a light mallet and several years of drying in the shade, did it become the jet-black, shiny, everlasting ink with a fragrant scent when used.
This was the pinnacle luxury item of this era, representing not only a certain culture but also the pinnacle of traditional craftsmanship and artisan spirit.
Song You wasn't good at painting or calligraphy, but he still had some interest in such things.
Unfortunately, it was extraordinarily expensive, costing a fortune.
Sun You glanced around once more at the ink, but ultimately, he could only offer a regretful farewell.
Money was tight today, but there would be more opportunities in the future. Since his quest was to experience the world, he naturally had to experience the highest level of craftsmanship of this era.
In the end, he only bought a brush, spending two hundred coins.
Across the street, Governor Yu sat in the shed for a while before leaving the entertainment district. At the entrance, he spotted Song You once more. He stood there watching until Song You departed, with an attendant quietly holding a horse beside him.
After much thought, he finally said, "Go and inquire."
Immediately, an attendant responded and went to inquire. After a while, he returned to report that it was Fragrant Ink from Yangzhou.
"How much for one?"
"The asking price is ten thousand."
"Buy one... no, two."
"Yes, master."
Only then did Governor Yu mount his horse and return home.
...
It was quite interesting...
When Song You returned home, he unexpectedly found that Lady Calico had inexplicably passed the hurdle of transformation.
However, contrary to his imagination, he thought Lady Calico was already an adult cat. Even though she had lived in the village temple for a long time and had a pure mind, he thought that after transforming, she would become an adult woman. Instead, she turned out to be a child of a few years old.
Pushing open the bedroom door, the girl was wearing his robe, but it still draped down to the ground, loose and baggy. She sat in the middle of the bed, staring blankly at him.
"Lady Calico has successfully transformed?"
"Lady Calico has successfully transformed." The girl sat in a W-sitting position on the bed, looking up at him and answering seriously.
After transformation, her voice had changed slightly, sounding more human and gendered, but her tone and wording remained the same, serious yet stiff, not the usual way of speaking for ordinary people, sounding somewhat unintelligent.
"How did the transformation succeed?"
"It succeeded on its own."
"Please tell me more about it."
"It's just..." The girl stuttered, unable to articulate anything.
"Alright..." Song You had no choice but to stop. Then he asked, "Wasn't Lady Calico a big cat? How did she transform into a little girl?"
"She transformed into a girl on her own."
"How did Lady Calico know that she should put on clothes?"
"Lady Calico saw you wearing them." The girl stared at him intently, her expression serious. "People without fur on their bodies have to wear clothes."
"I see."
"I see..."
"I should buy you some clothes that suit you."
"I want to wear the same as you."
"That won't do."
"Why not?"
"Because..." Song You took a long time to explain to her.
So he went out again to buy clothes for her.
When Lady Calico put on the fitting clothes, she looked much better, but she still maintained some cat habits, making her movements look somewhat strange.
Later in the evening, there was a sudden knock on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
"Now that Lady Calico has transformed, help me open the door," Song You glanced at Lady Calico, "If it's someone you know, invite them in. If not, ask who they are looking for."
"Okay."
The little girl skipped over to the door.
*Squeak*
Lady Calico looked up. "Who are you looking for?"
Without a single extra word.
"Does Master Dreamcaster live here?" Standing outside the door was a servant, bowing respectfully.
"I don't know."
"Huh? Does Master Dreamcaster not live here?"
"Who?"
"Master Song, also known by his courtesy name Dreamcaster."
Lady Calico suddenly fell silent.
She knew Master Song, but Song You didn't teach her what to do next. It wasn't that she couldn't figure it out; she just didn't want to do anything. So she just stared at him.
Observe this person first.
Until Song You walked over.
"I'm Song You."
"Greetings, Master Song." The servant immediately bowed, respectfully offering a small wooden box with both hands."I've come from Governor Yu Jianbai's residence to deliver a small gift and a message on behalf of my master. He wishes to express gratitude for your conversation this afternoon in the entertainment district and hopes for the opportunity to discuss with you again in the future. So, please, do not decline the gift."
Song You already smelled the scent of ink.
So it was the governor.
"Our conversation this afternoon was just a casual chat. Not only did Governor Yu enjoy it, but I also benefited from it. Why did Governor Yu specially ask you to send me a gift?" Song You said, "Besides, this gift is too valuable. How can I accept it?"
"It's merely a modest gift, however valuable it may be, is still just an ordinary item. Yet the conversation between my master and Master Song is truly rare in this world." The servant paused for a moment. "Moreover, exchanging stationery gifts between scholars is considered refined and cultured, not merely a matter of common etiquette. Therefore, I kindly ask that you do not decline, Master Song."
"You're quite eloquent."
"Please don't put me in a difficult position, Master Song." The servant immediately looked troubled, "If Master Song doesn't accept it, even if my master won't punish me, I won't be at ease in my heart."
"..." Song You smiled, thought for a moment, and then accepted it. "Please thank the governor for me."
"I will, then I shall take my leave now."
Song You then turned around, rubbing the girl's head beside him. "When you transform into human form in the future, I'll say you're my dao acolyte."
"Why?"
"Just to have an explanation."
"Dao acolyte."
"Yeah."
Song You closed the courtyard door and walked into the house.
Opening the intricately carved wooden box, inside was a small strip wrapped in red cloth. After unwrapping the red cloth, it was the Fragrant Ink he had seen in the afternoon, with a weight of two taels, with patterns printed on it.
Lady Calico stretched her neck to stare at it. "It's burnt firewood."
"It's ink."
"Oh."
"Now that Lady Calico has transformed, help me grind the ink," Song You said to the girl again.
"What's grinding ink?"
"It's like when I occasionally write, adding water to the inkstone, and using this ink stick to grind the ink, turning the water black."
"What's an inkstone?"
"It's the one that holds the water."
"Oh."
"Can you do it? Lady Calico."
"Why?"
"Please."
"Okay then."
Although Lady Calico didn't understand why the ink stick needed to be ground, and why Song You wanted her to do it, she still walked over with doubts, took the burnt stick from Song You's hand, and obediently stood in place waiting for Song You to roll up her sleeves to her elbows, revealing her slender and tender arm.
Looking at her clothes and then at her arms, then at the stick held in her hand, she felt as if her hand was not her own, and the world was not the world she originally saw.
Having just been transformed, the little Yaoguai was full of curiosity about everything.
"Add water first?"
"How does Lady Calico know?"
"Lady Calico has seen you doing it."
"I see."
"So do I just move it in circles like this?"
"Lady Calico is very smart."
"Lady Calico has seen you doing it before."
"Despite having only seen it a few times, your ability to learn it so quickly is remarkable. Such wisdom is rare, and I greatly admire it." Song You praised sincerely.
"..." Lady Calico fell silent and continued to grind the ink more seriously.
The Fragrant Ink, without any ink crust, was ground swiftly. Once ground, it emitted a marvelous herbal scent, neither strong nor weak, possessing its own unique allure.
Song You, on the other hand, spread out the paper beside him.
"It's okay now."
"It’s okay?"
"Thank you, Lady Calico."
"No need to thank me."
The new brush was dipped into the ink, and then rubbed on the edge of the inkstone to remove the excess.
Song You thought for a moment before lifting the brush to write.
"In seeing this letter, I hope it brings you as much joy as if we were meeting in person, and may it evoke a smile from you."
The fragrance of the ink was delightful, with the wet characters reflecting light and each stroke exuding exquisite beauty.
The ancient cypress trees of Golden Sun Path, the pits on the green stone slabs, the mundane life of Yidu City, the clouds rolling over Old Eagle Mountain, the greedy monk unable to resist desires, the master with profound skills. With ordinary ink and brush, Song You recounted to his master his experiences, insights, and gains since leaving the mountain, as well as his cultivation achievements.
He also mentioned Lady Calico.
It was quite miraculous, as initially accompanying Lady Calico was merely a whim to stave off the loneliness of the long journey, yet unexpectedly, it resulted in unforeseen rewards. Now, simply being in her company already added much joy to this journey.
Not to be forgotten was also the governor longing for immortality.
Additionally, the ink he used for the letter was renowned as the world's best. He couldn't help but wonder if the old Daoist had ever experienced it and wanted to remind her to savor its fragrance with a sniff.
As he wrote, a soft, fluffy cat paw unexpectedly extended, gently swatting at the dangling cord on the pen. The kitten's claws had a smooth, glass-like texture, adding an endearing touch to the scene.
Song You paused and turned his head.
Only to see the calico cat looking serious, her paws moving back and forth.
Looking around the room for a moment.
The new clothes he bought today had fallen to the ground.
"What are you doing, Lady Calico?"
"Huh?"
The calico cat seemed to just realize that he had stopped writing, turned her head to stare at him, thought for a few seconds, and then said seriously, "You write yours, and I'll play mine."
"..."
So Song You continued to write.
Lady Calico continued to play.
The scene was harmonious and quiet, with the sound of bamboo leaves rustling in through the window.
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