Volume One, Chapter 21: The Stone’s Journey to the West—Chen Pingchuan’s Surprise Arrives

"Ten times more wonderful?" Zhang Jingzhu’s eyes instantly widened, sparkling with excitement.

To her, getting some pigments from the dyehouse was nothing more than a trivial task—she could simply instruct a servant girl to fetch them.

"Alright! It’s a deal!" She immediately decided, "I’ll have someone get them for you right now! But…"

The little girl raised her small, pale fist in a gesture of warning, "If you dare trick me, I’ll make you pay!"

"A gentleman’s word is as binding as a four-horse chariot," Chen Pingchuan smiled slightly, revealing neat, white teeth.

Zhang Jingzhu still seemed a bit uneasy; her eyes darted as she extended her dainty pinky, pouting, "No, we must make a pinky promise! If you lie to me, you’re nothing but a little dog!"

Suppressing his laughter, Chen Pingchuan cooperated, linking his pinky with hers and giving it a gentle shake.

"It’s a promise."

With this double assurance, Zhang Jingzhu finally let out a satisfied "hmph," turning on her heel like a proud little peacock and darting off to instruct the servants to fetch the pigments.

Watching her lively figure bounce away, Chen Pingchuan’s smile faded.

He bent down, carefully selecting from the pile of river stones his father had sent earlier.

He chose those that were about the size of a child’s palm, rounded or flat, but all exceptionally smooth.

After picking out about ten stones, he carried them back to his modest side room.

Soon, a young maid arrived, carrying a small wooden box filled with various pigments.

"Brother Pingchuan, Miss ordered these pigments to be delivered to you. Please see if they suit your needs?"

Chen Pingchuan took the box, opened it, and found red, yellow, blue, green, black, and white—all the colors he wanted, fine and well-made.

"Thank you, sister. Please thank Miss on my behalf."

Once the maid had left, Chen Pingchuan immediately shut the door tightly from the inside, bracing the latch with a small wooden rod to ensure he wouldn’t be disturbed.

Everything was ready.

"Alright… let’s get to work!"

He arranged the pigments one by one, took a deep breath, and murmured to himself, "It’s been a long time since I painted properly. I hope the skills from my previous life haven’t faded entirely."

Though he majored in Chinese literature, not art,

In his previous life, he had gone to great lengths to pursue a junior who loved traditional painting, secretly enrolling in classes to learn sketching and the basics of Chinese brushwork.

While he never won the beauty’s heart, he unexpectedly gained a decent level of skill in painting.

It was more than sufficient for simple drawings on these stones.

He flexed his small fingers and found a slender bamboo stick, sharpening one end with a knife to serve as a brush.

He carefully ground and mixed the pigments, choosing the smoothest river stone.

Candlelight flickered, illuminating his youthful yet intensely focused profile.

His wrist moved lightly, the sharpened bamboo tip dancing nimbly across the stone’s surface.

Soon, a vivid image emerged: a Monkey King wearing a golden circlet, wielding a staff, with a rebellious expression.

Next came the rotund Pigsy, carrying his nine-toothed rake, his silly charm captured perfectly.

Then, the dignified Tang Priest in his ornate robes.

He recreated classic scenes from "Journey to the West," such as "The Havoc in Heaven" and "Three Attacks on the White Bone Demon."

On the reverse side of some stones, he used neat calligraphy to inscribe lines of poetry for added flair.

"The golden monkey wields the mighty staff, clearing the heavens of dust for ten thousand miles."

"Pray, where can wine be found? The shepherd boy points afar to Apricot Blossom Village."

—Oops, that last line seemed out of place; best scratch it.

He was so absorbed in his work that beads of sweat formed on his forehead, unnoticed.

Only when the third watch’s clapper sounded outside did he rub his tired eyes and lay down his makeshift brush.

Looking at the eight or nine "masterpieces" neatly arranged on the table, Chen Pingchuan smiled with satisfaction.

These stone paintings, if brought to the era of his previous life, would be considered rough handicrafts at best.

But in the entertainment-poor Daye Dynasty, they would be a novel marvel for children—enough to captivate them and make them cherish the stones.

The next day, at noon.

After lunch, Zhang Jinbao and Zhang Jingzhu burst into Chen Pingchuan’s room, as if they had coordinated the visit.

"Brother! Brother! Story! Story!" Zhang Jinbao grabbed his arm in anxious excitement, demanding a tale.

Zhang Jingzhu folded her arms, chin lifted, watching Chen Pingchuan with the air of a little adult.

"Stupid bookworm, where’s the surprise you promised? Hurry up and show us!"

Chen Pingchuan looked at the pair of lively siblings and smiled gently.

He carefully drew out the painted river stones from his sleeves, laying them out in front of the two.

"Ah!"

"Wow—!"

Almost in unison, Zhang Jinbao and Zhang Jingzhu cried out in delight.

Their eyes, like black grapes, widened and fixed on the colorful stones.

Those ordinary river stones now seemed alive.

One bore a monkey scratching his ears, clad in golden armor and cloud-walking boots—none other than the Great Sage, Sun Wukong!

Another depicted a fat monk with big ears and a long nose, carrying a rake and drooling at the mouth—a clever yet honest Pigsy!

On yet another stone was a handsome youth with three heads and six arms, wielding a fiery spear and standing on wind-fire wheels—surely Prince Nezha!

There was also a noble white horse, mane flying, clouds beneath its hooves, carrying a monk.

"This… Is this… Sun Wukong?" Zhang Jinbao pointed at the Monkey King stone with trembling hands, his voice full of incredulous joy.

"Stupid bookworm! Is this the surprise you meant?" Zhang Jingzhu snatched up the stone painted with Prince Nezha, her face flushed with excitement, her eyes shining brighter than ever.

"Indeed." Chen Pingchuan picked up a stone featuring the four disciples in chibi form and smiled, "Today, we’ll use these ‘talking’ stones to continue the tale of the pilgrims’ journey westward for scriptures."

With these lifelike stone paintings, the story truly came alive.

When Chen Pingchuan spoke of Sandy being captured by the river monster, he lifted the stone depicting Sandy.

For the scene where Pigsy carries his bride in Gao Village, he showed a stone with Pigsy carrying a veiled woman, grinning foolishly.

Zhang Jinbao and Zhang Jingzhu were utterly entranced, mouths agape, eyes barely blinking.

Their immersion surpassed anything from simply listening.

When the story reached a pause, the two children lingered, turning the cool, magical stones over and over in their hands, faces full of adoration.

Zhang Jingzhu’s eyes darted quickly; while Chen Pingchuan and Zhang Jinbao were distracted,

She snatched the stones painted with Monkey King, the White Dragon, and Pigsy carrying his bride and stuffed them into her bosom.

Those were her favorites, and the most exquisitely drawn!

"Hmph, these are mine now!" she declared, cradling her treasures in both arms, her voice triumphantly possessive.