The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

As it turns out, the old man wasn't bragging.

After the old man wielded his brush and splashed ink freely in front of Zhou Chu, he spat a mouthful of wine onto the painting.

The entire painting unfolds as if it has been unfurled, instantly filling it with an indescribable artistic conception.

"You can actually draw?"

Zhou Chu sighed.

The old man rolled his eyes when he heard this.

"nonsense."

"Aren't you going to add your signature?"

Zhou Chu asked.

The old man shook his head, then took a sip of his drink.

Zhou Chu didn't insist.

They carefully put away the painting the old man had finished.

Zhou Chu had a feeling that the old man's identity was definitely not ordinary.

Even your handwriting is so good.

The painting is definitely more impressive.

We can have the old man sign it later when he's willing.

This painting is probably worth a lot of money.

From that day on, the old man taught Zhou Chu and Mu Yunjin to paint for an hour every day.

Sometimes, if Zhou Chu was too busy to leave home, the old man would take Mu Yunjin to the back of the shop to teach him.

Shen Qing also benefited from this.

I occasionally audit some classes.

The old man didn't care about this.

But Shen Qing realized that the old man was unusual, and she listened very carefully every time she eavesdropped.

As for calligraphy, the old man would often urge Zhou Chu to practice diligently.

As a result, Zhou Chu was busy working non-stop every day.

I often don't get enough sleep.

After all, he still needs to set aside time each day to read and practice martial arts.

Fortunately, Lu Song had taught Zhou Chu a sleep method before.

This sleeping method evolved from the Taoist practice of the Rejuvenating Sleeping Posture.

Also known as the Dragon and Tiger Crouching Formation.

You only need to sleep for two or three hours a day to feel full of energy.

It does not affect my practice at all.

That day, after finishing his early morning practice, Zhou Chu went to the shop for breakfast.

Originally, the shop didn't provide breakfast.

The so-called "meals provided" is nothing more than providing one meal at noon.

However, Shen Qing learned about Zhou Chu's situation, and with Zhou Chu's help in managing the business these days, the daily sales were no less than three hundred taels.

Many times, they are even too busy to keep up.

These guests were mostly there because of Zhou Chu.

For example, the young lady of the Sun family was originally a spoiled and willful person.

But she gradually lost herself in Zhou Chu's sweet words.

In addition, Zhou Chu's handsome face made this Miss Sun come to the shop to buy fabric every few days.

The fabric that this young lady bought is different from the fabric that Chunxiang, a maid, bought.

They are all fashionable and expensive fabrics.

For example, the steward of the Li family was a sycophant who was arrogant at first but obsequious at second.

But Zhou Chu directly promised him that he would receive a 10% commission on the fabrics he bought from their shop.

As for how I got involved with this person? The day before yesterday, this guy took a concubine.

Although there was no grand celebration.

However, they still hosted a few tables of drinks.

Zhou Chu, having somehow gotten the news, prepared generous gifts and went.

Shen Qing finally understood.

Zhou Chu was good at treating people differently based on their status.

Different methods are needed to deal with different people.

For example, those wealthy ladies or women who come in to browse on their own.

Some of them were with their children.

Zhou Chu then took out the maltose he had prepared beforehand and gave it to the children.

In just a few words, I managed to build a close relationship with these people.

Like a friend I've known for many years.

Since Zhou Chu became the manager, the shop's business has been getting better and better every day.

Therefore, Shen Qing was happy to provide three meals a day.

They never skimp on food either.

Meat is served at every meal.

Lamb and venison are also commonly available.

Later, at Shen Qing's request, Zhou Chu simply stopped cooking, and the old man and Mu Yunjin ate at the shop instead.

After all, Shen Qing had learned a lot from the old man.

Shen Qing was born into a wealthy family.

She had learned music, chess, calligraphy, and painting before her mother died.

Because of what she learned, she understood even more how terrifying the old man was.

Unlike Zhou Chu and Mu Yunjin, who were clueless and only thought the old man was amazing, she was completely different.

Shen Qing looked at the old man's paintings as if they were mayflies seeing the blue sky.

The shock he felt at that moment made Shen Qing feel as if he could die content if he heard the truth in the morning.

Therefore, Shen Qing cherished every time the old man gave Zhou Chu a lesson.

She felt like she had hit the jackpot.

In order not to delay the old man's lecture, Shen Qing even hired two waiters.

That day, the old man was teaching Zhou Chu and others to paint in the back room when a waiter walked in.

"Shopkeeper, Miss Sun insists on seeing you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chu had no choice but to put down his pen.

Miss Sun's name is Sun Jiaojiao.

Her father was a fifth-rank official.

In the capital, a fifth-rank official was not considered a high-ranking official; in fact, it was quite common.

Lu Song was previously a centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, equivalent to a sixth-rank official.

However, the real power of a centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard is far greater than that of a sixth-rank official.

Even many fourth-rank officials cannot compare.

However, to ordinary people, they were all high-ranking officials.

Sun Jiaojiao's father is no saint either.

Therefore, the Sun family is very wealthy.

After spending time with Sun Jiaojiao several times, Zhou Chu discovered that she wasn't a bad person.

She's just a bit spoiled.

Zhou Chu naturally had his own ways of dealing with spoiled rich heiresses.

"Weighing instruments".

Sun Jiao was very happy to see Zhou Chu.

"Hengqi" is a term used in the Zhou and Chu dynasties.

The old man gave Zhou Chu this name.

It is derived from the Doctrine of the Mean.

It also implies a vital instrument for a great power, a tool for balancing the nation's destiny.

“You’re going to be extraordinary in the future. You’ll be ambitious and enterprising, but too much rigidity can lead to failure. I gave you this nickname so that you’ll always remember to think things through before you act.”

"In this respect, that old bastard Wang Shouren is far superior to me."

These are the old man's exact words.

After saying this, the old man seemed to recall something, sighed, and then died in a drunken stupor.

"Miss Sun, is there any fabric you like?"

Zhou Chu said with a smile.

"some."

Sun Jiaojiao came to a piece of crimson fabric.

This material is very expensive; it belongs to the high-end silk category.

Silk and cloth are two different things.

The prices of the two differ by more than ten times.

"There will be a poetry gathering at Lord Zhang's house in a few days, and I would like to have a nice dress made."

Sun Jiaojiao said.

"This fabric isn't quite suitable for a poetry gathering. It's a bit too frivolous and doesn't suit Miss Sun's dignified yet lively personality."

Zhou Chu said.

"Moreover, Miss Sun is a bit plump, so this kind of fabric won't suit her well."

Zhou Chu's second sentence was actually aimed at suppressing Sun Jiaojiao.

When communicating with this kind of spoiled young lady, you can't just go along with her all the time.

In that case, she will become more and more spoiled.

For her, everyone around her was agreeable.

If I were to do whatever she wanted, then I would be no different from anyone else.

In fact, Sun Jiaojiao's appearance and figure are both top-notch.

However, when Sun Jiaojiao heard this, a hint of embarrassment still appeared in her eyes.

Others may not know, but she knows it herself.

She often has a gluttonous appetite.

There's some excess fat on my legs and waist.

If someone else had said that, she probably would have immediately turned hostile.

Unfortunately, it was Zhou Chu who said these words.

After spending several hours together, Sun Jiaojiao discovered that Zhou Chu was not only handsome and dashing.

His talent and learning far surpass those of ordinary people.

Putting everything else aside, Zhou Chu's beautiful handwriting alone made her admire him greatly.

Sun Jiaojiao felt that Zhou Chu was almost perfect except for his poor background.

Aside from having a better family background, he was inferior to Zhou Chu in every way.

Therefore, she never showed any arrogance in front of Zhou Chu.

They'll just feel insecure.

"Which material do you think is suitable for the weighing scale?"

Sun Jiaojiao blushed slightly as she spoke.

"This one is pretty good."

Zhou Chu pulled out a piece of milky white fabric with a slight hint of red and said.

"This fabric is elegant yet playful, which suits Miss Sun perfectly."

Sun Jiaojiao's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

"Let me design another dress for Miss Sun. Please take a look and see if you like it."

As Zhou Chu spoke, he picked up a pen, went to the counter, spread out a piece of paper, and began to draw.

In his previous life, Zhou Chu had an elective course on Hanfu design and production.

Zhou Chu had the highest grade in the entire department for this course.

Zhou Chu then drew a horse-face skirt.

The upper part of the horse-face skirt is made of this milky white fabric, while the lower part is made of a different navy blue fabric.

The skirt also features intricate gold-painted patterns.

Sun Jiaojiao's eyes grew brighter the more she looked.

Horse-face skirts were very common in the Ming Dynasty.

But this was the first time Sun Jiaojiao had ever seen such a beautiful pattern and such a nice design.

"What does Miss Sun think?"

After Zhou Chu finished drawing, he looked at Sun Jiaojiao and asked.

"It looks so good, am I going to be too flashy wearing this?"

Sun Jiaojiao said somewhat nervously.

Although she was spoiled, she was not ignorant. Her father was only a fifth-rank official, and if she made too much of a splash, she might be resented by others.

"No, this style isn't too striking, but it looks very nice upon closer inspection."

Zhou Chu said.

"Then let's take this one. You designed it, so I can't just take it away. You can find someone to make it, and I'll pick it up when it's done. How much will it cost approximately?"

Sun Jiaojiao said somewhat insecurely.

Such intricate gold thread patterns would require many female workers to create in a short period of time.

Not to mention the materials.

There's also Zhou Chu's design fee.

“Miss Sun is a regular customer. Consider this style a gift from me. The material alone costs around two hundred taels, but the gold thread is more expensive. As for the labor, it would take seven or eight people to finish it in a few days. How about this, Miss Sun, just give me three hundred taels. That way, we can still make a profit.”

Zhou Chu's words made Sun Jiaojiao feel embarrassed.

She had bought inferior styles of horse-face skirts before, and had seen others buy them as well.

There was no item priced below five hundred taels.

Zhou Chu only asked her for three hundred taels.

"How can that be? You designed this style, so you're entitled to the money. I can't shortchange you."

Sun Jiaojiao said somewhat anxiously.

“I know Miss Sun is considerate of me, but I also have my own selfish motives. I thought Miss Sun could take advantage of this poetry gathering to promote us. However, if anyone asks you how much it costs, Miss Sun, you can’t say three hundred taels. You have to tell them six hundred taels.”

Zhou Chu spoke with a gentle and refined manner. Although he said he had ulterior motives, Sun Jiaojiao felt that he didn't want her to feel indebted to him.

Sun Jiaojiao was deeply moved.

"Weighing Instruments, don't worry, I will definitely promote your products and services."