Chapter 54: Paper Figures Have Eyes Painted But Not Dotted

Lin Jingyu wore a look of utter helplessness.

"Having anything at all is a blessing already. I begged old Zhong for the longest time before he finally agreed to try and weave these. Sigh, he pricked his fingers in several places, and I was the one who had to go and scavenge the bamboo."

"Look at this paper carriage. Ah-Biao and I tried making it, and it turned out an absolute mess. As for the paper horses, we honestly couldn't figure them out at all. It's just too difficult."

Su Chen was caught between a smile and tears. "In a city as large as Cuicheng, could there really be no traditional paper artisans left? This craft requires someone who specializes in it."

"My friend, back during the Four Olds campaign, the people with genuine skills either hid deep in the mountains out of fear or were dragged out to be paraded through the streets. No one knows where they ended up afterward. How could anyone still be practicing this trade?"

Su Chen nodded. "Alright then. Paper, bamboo, pigment, and brushes—since I have some free time, I'll whip a few up."

Lin Jingyu and Ah-Biao exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with simultaneous joy. "It's best if you do it! Uncle Ye is going to be overjoyed."

The two of them eagerly began moving the materials over to the fortune-telling stall. Once finished, Lin Jingyu turned to Su Chen and said, "My friend, the funeral wraps up tomorrow, and I'm planning to go find Uncle Ye's wife's grave the day after to relocate it. What do you think?"

"That's fine. Handle it however you see fit."

Lin Jingyu rubbed his hands together. "By the way, my friend, you should draw a few more talismans. Whatever doesn't sell, just leave them at Ah-Biao's shop. That way, if something unexpected happens, the peace talismans can at least offer some protection, right?"

Su Chen chuckled. "Alright, I understand."

Lin Jingyu and Ah-Biao left, but returned shortly after.

They were holding a bag containing two apples, a box of cloud-flake pastry, a pack of candies, and a box of chocolates.

"Here, Honghong, a little welcome gift from your uncles."

Honghong instinctively turned to look at Su Chen.

"Go ahead and take it. Say thank you."

"Thank you, uncles~"

"Good girl!"

After the two men left, Honghong swallowed hard, quickly tightened the bag, and placed it to one side.

Su Chen asked her, "Honghong, do you not like eating these?"

Honghong shook her head. "I want to take them home for Grandpa, Grandma, Little Brother, and Little Sister."

Such a sensible child...

"These were given to you by your uncles, Honghong. Eat them if you want to. As for Grandpa, Grandma, Little Brother, and Little Sister, Dad will go buy some for them later."

Honghong lowered her head. "But..."

"There are no 'buts.' Honghong, even though you're the oldest, you're also Dad's precious girl. Eat when you want to, don't overthink it."

Despite being told this, Honghong didn't dare eat much; she just nibbled on an apple.

Once Su Chen handed her a comic book and read it through for her once, the little one immediately began reading it with great relish.

Seeing this, Su Chen finally started splitting the bamboo.

Old Liao, sitting across from him, stretched his neck and shouted, "Young man, what are you up to?"

"Making some paper figures and horses."

"You know how to make those? Haven't seen anyone weave those in ages."

Su Chen nodded. "You will in the future."

Su Chen was quite rusty at first, but he gradually found his rhythm.

The bustling Chunming Street seemed to be sealed off from him. The bamboo strips in his hands felt like an extension of his fingers, flexing and bending as his hands moved deftly...

Before long, a small wooden frame for a horse was complete.

Su Chen set it aside and began crafting a carriage, followed by a house...

Once everything was assembled, he finally started pasting the paper.

Old Liao had initially just been watching from across the way, but as he watched, he wandered over to Su Chen's side, clicking his tongue in continuous admiration.

"Oh my, this craftsmanship is simply exquisite."

"Even the old artisans from the past couldn't weave them this well, could they?"

He even picked up the finished paper horse, weighed it in his hands, pressed down on it, and nodded. "Sturdy, exceptionally sturdy! It really looks like a horse—so lifelike!"

When Su Chen finished pasting the paper, Old Liao nodded even more vigorously. "Gorgeous, just gorgeous! It looks identical to the real thing."

Just as Lin Jingchun arrived with Ah-Ming, he overheard Old Liao's remark and gave a light cough. "Uncle Liao, someone's here to buy steamed buns!"

"Oh, coming, coming."

Old Liao stood up and took a look. "Hey, who's messing—Ah-chun, why are you here? Not working today?"

"I am, just came by to take a look."

Su Chen's hand paused, and he slowly set down the small brush stained with paste.

"Officer Chun, is something the matter?"

Lin Jingchun smiled, pulled out three hundred-yuan bills, and handed them over. "Master, thank you so much for yesterday. Otherwise, Ah-Ming and I really would have..."

Ah-Ming nodded repeatedly. "Exactly, exactly! Master, if it weren't for your talisman, my life would be forfeit. We can't short you on the price of this talisman, please hurry and take it."

Su Chen smiled. "Don't worry, I don't hate money."

He took the money, carefully studied their physiognomy, and offered a word of caution: "Be careful over the next three days."

"Understood, understood. One of them got away after all, so he definitely holds a grudge, and he has a gun. Both the captain and I are wearing our protective talismans, and I still have three uses left."

Ah-Ming laughed heartily as he spoke. "Master, with this peace talisman, it's like having nine lives just like a cat. No, we're even better than cats—we have ten lives."

"Once I save up enough money in the future, I'll get twenty, thirty..."

Su Chen reminded him, "Prune your arrogance and curb your impatience to remain safe."

Ah-Ming was slightly startled and immediately reined in his expression. "Master, I'll obey."

Only then did Su Chen look at Lin Jingchun. "Anything else?"

"Ah-Ming, go buy me a box of flour tea cakes up front."

After dismissing Ah-Ming, Lin Jingchun lowered his voice. "Captain Zhang said you discovered a place littered with human bones, and it was even built with concrete?"

"Mn."

"He looked into it, but he's too busy to come over in person, so he asked me to pass along a message. Before the founding of the country, that place was a pig farm, but it was later abandoned. The villagers all say it's extremely haunted, and no one dares to go near it."

Su Chen frowned. "Before the founding of the country?"

It had been that long?

Seeing Lin Jingchun nod affirmatively, he acknowledged, "Alright, I understand."

Not long after Lin Jingchun left, Old Liao shuffled over eagerly.

"Young man, what did Ah-chun say to you?"

"Postpartum care for sows."

"...Huh?" Old Liao's eyes widened as his brain tried to process this. "Fine, fine, I won't ask if I'm not supposed to! Say, your craftsmanship is truly top-notch!"

Su Chen smiled and continued pasting the paper.

When mealtime arrived, Su Chen took Honghong over to Old Zhang's stall for a bowl of seafood broth and fried dough sticks, then strolled around the neighborhood with the little girl, buying hair ties, clips, and headbands.

Noticing Honghong staring intently at a scarf, he suggested she pick one out for everyone in her family, and then bought a heavy overcoat for Old Man Su for over a thousand yuan.

When they returned to the stall carrying bags of all sizes, Lin Jingyu was squatting down and touching the paper house.

"Goodness, my friend, your skills are incredible! You actually managed to build a courtyard house out of paper!"

"Too brilliant, simply too brilliant."

"Not yet, it still needs coloring."

Su Chen sat down with a smile, read another comic book to Honghong, and let her keep flipping through it before picking up his paints.

Lin Jingyu scratched his head. "Actually, it looks pretty good just like this. It's not bad without color either."

Su Chen disagreed. "That world is already pitch black and gloomy. If it lacks color there too, it would be too bleak."

He dipped his brush into the pigment and quickly began painting the paper horse. The already lifelike paper horse became even more vivid and realistic once colored.

Lin Jingyu gave him a thumbs-up.

When Su Chen started coloring the paper figures, Lin Jingyu pointed at their eyes. "My friend, wait, you haven't finished the eyes. Where are the pupils?"

Old Liao rolled his eyes from across the way. "Modern youngsters, completely ignorant of any taboos."

"Do not dot the eyes of a paper figure when painting them, do not raise the manes of paper horses when mounting them, ignore the laughter of men and the neighing of horses—if you forget this, expect a summons from King Yama."

Lin Jingyu was taken aback and looked suspiciously at Su Chen. Seeing him nod, he finally understood.

Then he asked cautiously, "My friend, if you paint the eyes, do they come alive, or are they easily possessed by *those things*?"

"Both are possible."

"Oh," Lin Jingyu nodded in realization, then raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you paint the eyes and burn them immediately, that's fine, right?"

"Can you guarantee they'll be burned immediately? Accidents can happen at any moment while you're carrying them."

Lin Jingyu: "!!"

"Good lord, a good thing Ah-Biao and I didn't try making these earlier! Otherwise, without knowing the taboos, we surely would have stirred up trouble!"

After venting his lingering shock for a moment, he turned his head and saw Honghong softly sounding out the words in the comic book. He leaned in closer to take a look. "Wrong, wrong, this character is 'tree'. Come on, Honghong, uncle will teach you. If you want to learn characters, you have to start with pinyin. Hang on, uncle will get some paper and a pen..."