The next afternoon, Shen Jing took Su Yourong and Chi Chi to find the culprit who exposed his identity.
Su Yourong originally didn't want to go, but fearing that Shen Jing would act impulsively and beat the painter to death, she decided to follow along and see.
“You really are something. You clearly provoked the Princess yourself, yet you blame others for selling your portrait and exposing your identity.”
In the carriage, Su Yourong looked at Shen Jing with a chiding expression.
“This isn't about who provoked whom!”
Shen Jing said righteously, “He's infringing on my right of portraiture!”
“Right of portraiture?”
Su Yourong and Chi Chi both looked at him, utterly confused.
Shen Jing cleared his throat and explained, “It means, without my permission, he's profiting from my portrait without authorization…”
He meticulously explained to the two women what the right of portraiture was.
“You still have the nerve to talk about the right of portraiture?”
Su Yourong rolled her eyes at Shen Jing and teased, “By your logic, shouldn't Zhao Ying be asking you for his right to reputation?”
Thinking about this, Su Yourong couldn't help but chuckle again.
Even now, Zhao Ying probably still didn't know why he was targeted by the Princess.
Shen Jing shook his head and replied seriously, “That's called divine retribution for Zhao Ying, a just reward!”
“Have some shame!”
Su Yourong rolled her eyes at him again, then asked Chi Chi with a smile, “Has he always been this shameless?”
Chi Chi pursed her lips and said, “Young Master used to be too concerned with his reputation, which is why he was bullied so much by the Song family! This servant thinks it's quite good that Young Master is shameless now.”
Su Yourong smiled faintly.
This girl certainly knew how to speak up for Shen Jing.
Chatting and laughing along the way, they arrived at the place Ye Li had mentioned.
Sure enough, there was a man selling calligraphy and paintings there.
The man looked to be about thirty or forty years old, with a long beard and a somewhat tattered long robe, resembling a down-and-out middle-aged scholar.
However, they weren't sure yet if this was the person.
“Young Master Shen, you… you're still alive?”
Seeing Shen Jing lift the curtain and look out, the painter immediately blurted out in astonishment.
If it weren't broad daylight, he probably would have run away.
“…”
Shen Jing's face darkened.
What an unusual way to greet someone!
Hmm, he learned something new.
From now on, when he saw someone he didn't like, he would greet them like that.
“Who told you I was dead?”
Shen Jing asked as he stepped down from the carriage.
“This…”
The painter awkwardly smiled and said, “Many people are spreading rumors now. I truly don't know who started them…”
Shen Jing stroked his chin, realizing, “Most likely Zhao Ying and Song Lianxin!”
It didn't matter if it was them or not!
Anyway, as long as it was a bad deed or a morally bankrupt one, it was them!
“Mhm, mhm…”
The painter responded perfunctorily, then quickly pulled out Shen Jing's portrait from under his stall and re-hung it.
Shen Jing was speechless.
This guy had absolutely no awareness of portrait rights!
Infringing on his own portrait rights right in front of him?
Wasn't that like selling pirated DVDs right in front of a police officer?
“What's going on with this?”
Shen Jing pointed at his portrait and asked, “Didn't you put it away? Why is it hanging out again now?”
“This… wasn't this a misunderstanding?”
The painter chuckled dryly, “This morning I heard someone say you had passed away from illness, so I thought, this painting definitely can't be sold anymore! So I put it away…”
Since it was all a misunderstanding, this painting naturally had to be sold again!
Portraits of Shen Jing, this extremely lucky fellow, were still quite easy to sell.
Damn it!
He was quite adept at adapting to circumstances!
Shen Jing secretly grumbled, then asked, “Did you paint this?”
“No, no!”
The painter shook his head repeatedly, “How could I paint! I asked someone who knows Young Master Shen to paint it…”
“Is that so?”
Shen Jing became interested, “How much silver did you pay the person who painted it? And how much silver do you sell this painting for?”
“This…”
The painter stammered, his eyes darting away.
Got it!
It seemed this Sunzi was making a huge profit by selling his portrait!
“I'm giving you two choices now!”
Shen Jing stopped procrastinating and said directly, “First, work for me; second, let me beat you up, and the silver you earned by selling my portrait will be considered my compensation for your medical expenses!”
“No, this…”
The painter's face changed, and he looked at Shen Jing miserably, “Young Master Shen, this humble one hasn't offended you, have I? Aren't you deliberately looking for trouble?”
“Less nonsense! Making money by selling my portrait, and you still think you're in the right?”
Shen Jing raised an eyebrow and added, “If you work for me, your monthly salary will be at least thirty taels of silver! If you do well, it's possible to increase it tenfold or even a hundredfold!”
Fang Liuqi's heart leaped.
He automatically ignored Shen Jing's empty promises and only heard the thirty taels of silver monthly salary.
Thirty taels of silver?
What did Shen Jing, this Sunzi, see in him?
He didn't even know what made him worth thirty taels of silver.
Was he sure he didn't mean thirty copper coins?
Or rather, was it thirty taels of silver a year, not a month?
“Monthly salary… thirty taels of silver?”
Fang Liuqi asked Shen Jing for confirmation, his face full of disbelief, then cast an inquiring look at Su Yourong.
No matter how lucky Shen Jing was, he was still a son-in-law.
He was afraid he couldn't make the decision on this matter.
Meeting the painter's gaze, Su Yourong nodded slightly, “What he says is what I say!”
She had figured out that Shen Jing wasn't here to cause trouble for this person.
He probably saw this person's business acumen and wanted him to help manage the white sugar business.
But a monthly salary of thirty taels of silver was indeed too outrageous!
“Oh, I knew it, Young Master Shen is the luckiest and most fortunate person in our Luochuan Prefecture! Look, just by selling Young Master Shen's portrait, I've benefited from Young Master Shen's good luck and fortune! It's my honor to work for Young Master Shen…”
Upon receiving Su Yourong's confirmation, the painter immediately changed his demeanor and relentlessly showered Shen Jing with flattery.
Shen Jing's lips curved slightly, and he nodded secretly.
With this Sunzi's mouth, he was definitely good material for business.
“What's your name? How old are you this year?”
Shen Jing asked.
“This humble one is Fang Liuqi, just turned twenty this year.”
Fang Liuqi replied.
“Twenty?”
Shen Jing was astonished, “You don't look like…”
Before Shen Jing could finish his sentence, Fang Liuqi began pulling at his beard, then rubbed his face vigorously with his sleeve, gradually revealing a youthful face.
Shen Jing was surprised and teased, “Did you offend someone? You have to disguise yourself to sell calligraphy and paintings?”
“No, no!”
Fang Liuqi shook his head repeatedly, chuckling dryly, “Since this humble one is selling calligraphy and paintings, I must have the appearance of a down-and-out scholar, mustn't I…”
Listening to his words, Shen Jing and Su Yourong couldn't help but laugh softly.
He was quite thoughtful!
It seemed he really was good material for business!
Shen Jing looked at Fang Liuqi with satisfaction, then inquired about Fang Liuqi's family situation.
He intended to heavily rely on Fang Liuqi, so he needed to understand Fang Liuqi's specific circumstances.
Fang Liuqi's family lived in Mud Water Alley, and he also had a younger sister and an ailing old mother.
He originally had an elder brother, but a few years ago, his elder brother joined the army for service and had not been heard from since, not even knowing if he was alive or dead.
Shen Jing pondered for a moment, then instructed, “Alright, you go back and pack up first. Tomorrow morning, bring your mother and sister to Su Manor to find me. I will find them a place to live near Su Manor!”
Fang Liuqi's heart swelled with joy, and he quickly expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, Young Master Shen!”
Mud Water Alley was the slum of Luochuan Prefecture.
It was dark and damp, always muddy even without rain, hence its name.
Moving his mother and sister out of Mud Water Alley had always been his wish.
“Shen Jing!”
Just then, a startled cry suddenly rang out in their ears.
Shen Jing turned to look and saw Li Zhao and a few others standing not far away.
Confirming it was Shen Jing, Li Zhao immediately stepped forward quickly, examining him up and down from a distance of half a zhang.
“You… you're not dead?”