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To save the cost, Li Jin planned to buy a different type of paper for copying and practicing calligraphy.
He wanted to buy a good paper for copying because the purpose of copying was to keep it for a long time and memorize it. So, Li Jin planned to buy a good paper with a smooth texture.
And for practicing calligraphy, he wanted to buy the cheapest paper, because more paper was needed to practice it. So, Li Jin planned to buy the cheapest paper with raw texture.
“One rice paper costs one wen, it is costly. You can buy ten bamboo-leaf paper or forty raw-edge paper for the same price. If you buy paper for a wen or two from my shop, I will give you two rabbit brushes and a piece of ink, free with it. “
The shopkeeper saw that Li Jin was young. Although he was wearing a scholar’s robe, the robe was discolored due to continuous washing.
At first glance, you could look and tell that he wasn’t someone from a rich family.
So the shopkeepers also gave a little discount, thinking Li Jin was someone from a poor family. If this young man became an official in the future, then his store would become popular.
Anyway, he wasn’t going to lose money by giving a small discount.
The raw material used in bamboo leaf paper was bamboo. The texture was smooth but it wasn’t as convenient as the rice paper. It took a while for a bamboo sheet to dry after copying the text on it.
But it was more affordable than the rice paper.
Li Jin knew that the shopkeeper was good, so he bought both bamboo-leaf paper and raw paper.
He put both the papers in his back basket, and wrapped up the brushes and the ink, and put it in the cuff of his robe.
The shopkeeper saw that the young man was still looking at the store. So he prompted the young man and said, “I have both Yan Ti and Liu Ti copybooks here. Does the young man need to see it?”
Li Jin checked the two copybooks and bought both of them.
Although Li Jin had already practiced the Liu Ti style in his previous life, now he lived in ancient times so he wanted to learn another type of font too.
In ancient times, both Liu Ti and Yan Ti were the mainstream fonts for writing articles in imperial examinations.
But because every student was going to write using those fonts, so if you want your answer sheet to stand out, you shouldn’t blindly imitate them.
Li Jin had practiced calligraphy for more than ten years in his past life, maybe, he could use both the fonts to create a new style and use it in the exam.
This was mid-June, and the imperial exam was in February next year. Li Jin could only start now and hoped that before the exam, he could smoothly write in the new fonts.
If the answer sheet was neat and clean, the examiner would surely take a look at the text more.
Li Jin was not a genius who could create a new mainstream calligraphy font, but he could apply his past knowledge and create somewhat clear and unique handwriting.
He intended to put extra time to improve his handwriting in the future.
If talent was not enough, diligence would make up for it.
After purchasing pen and paper, Li Jin decided to buy eggs and vegetables from the villagers.
The youth had just recovered and his body needed more nutrition. Li Jin planned to buy more pork belly, to make braised pork for dinner.
The youth seemed to like meat buns, so Li Jin went and bought two meat buns for him.
The teenager’s eyes would shine looking at those meat buns.
The lady boss selling the meat buns looked at his straight back, again and felt familiar and strange.
This robe seemed quite familiar, why couldn’t she remember this person?
Suddenly, the daughter of the lady boss shouted, “Mother, he was the one who liked to drink and visit brothels! But it seems he hasn’t been there recently.”
There were so many people visiting this town, everyone was not familiar with each other.
Therefore, it took some time for them to remember Li Jin.
With such a reminder, the lady boss also remembered the person.
The lady boss said, “The person is the same, but why does it feel like two different people…”