The following winter

Snow fluttered in the air like goose feathers, and the roofs, streets, and trees were covered with a thick blanket of snow. A crystal clear snowflake gently fell on the palm of a woman wearing a white peony flower dress with the breeze, perhaps it was the warmth of the woman's hand, or she was fascinated by the owner of this hand, and the snowflake that was reluctant to leave gently melted in her palm.

"Princess, the snow is getting heavier and heavier, let's go inside!"

"It's been more than a year, and you still can't get rid of this bad habit. I'm no longer a princess and princess, and you're not a girl. Here, I am your sister Lan Meng, and you are my sister Ling'er. ”

It was Lan Meng, who had disappeared for more than a year, who had been talking for more than a year, and after escaping from the Purple Departure Country Heavenly Prison, she took Ling'er to a remote town called Ice and Snow City in the Purple Leaf Country. Because the winter time in this town is generally longer than in other places, it is called Ice City.

Lan Meng chose to stay here because this town is located on the border of the Purple Leaf Country, and the people who live here are almost all from the * crowd, which is more beneficial for her to hide her identity. She bought a small shop here with the silver ticket that Cheng Cai gave at the beginning, and started a painting business, and her business is equivalent to a modern photo studio. Because this dynasty did not have a camera, and the portraits were drawn with relatively simple brushes and inks, and the details of the characters could not be carefully depicted. And Lan Meng uses modern charcoal painting techniques, which can completely portray a person's true appearance, so many rich people will ask her to paint portraits, and matchmakers will also ask her to paint portraits of blind dates, and the business in the store is quite prosperous.

"Yes, sister!" Ling'er put on a white coat for Lan Meng and said obediently.

Lan Meng returned to his own shop, looking at the easel, charcoal, paint, and all the equipment related to painting in the store. She couldn't help but sigh, she didn't expect that the basic skills of painting she learned in modern times could support herself here.

"Sister, today Miss Xiao asked you to come to the door to paint a portrait of her, I heard that she was going to send it to her lover." Ling'er couldn't help but cover her mouth and smile after speaking.

Xiao Ya is the only friend Lan Meng has met here. She is the same age as Lan Meng, and her personality is a straightforward and grinning woman. Her family is one of the richest people in Ice and Snow City, I heard that it specializes in royal business, as for what it is, Lan Meng has never asked, nor is she interested, she just wants to quietly take Ling'er to spend the rest of her life in Ice and Snow City.

"Well, Ling'er, then please take care of the store today, when the guest asks him to paint a portrait, you can record it, and arrange it when I come back." Lan Meng said as he packed up the drawing tools he was going to bring.

"Yes, princess!" Ling'er responded casually after listening to Lan Meng's words, and as soon as she finished speaking, she realized her mistake, and hurriedly covered her mouth and looked at Lan Meng with an innocent face.

"You!" Lan Meng glared at Ling'er fiercely, and said reproachfully: "Next time you make a mistake, you will be deducted from your pocket money for this month."

"Yes, sister!" Ling'er replied cautiously. Ever since she came here with the princess, the princess has given her plenty of pocket money every month to buy what she likes, and now she has begun to enjoy the right to happiness that ordinary women have, something she had never thought about before.

After Lan Meng explained the things in the store to Ling'er, he came to the gate of Xiao Mansion with his easel on his back. Although I haven't been to Xiao Mansion once or twice, every time I come here, I will be shocked by the luxurious gate. Not to mention the rest, just the plaque on the top of the gate inlaid with the two words of Xiao Mansion made of pure gold, so that Lan Meng had to calculate its value. Alas, rich people are really willful. Lan Meng sighed, and followed the maid in the house to the courtyard where Xiao Ya lived.

"Lan Meng, come here, how do you see me dressed today? Is it beautiful? Xiao Ya shouted loudly as soon as she saw Lan Meng, who had just stepped into the courtyard. Wearing the embroidered dress of beige silk yarn that was just cut yesterday, he happily came to Lan Meng, spinning elegantly. Xiao Ya's appearance belongs to the pretty category of women, and the current beige dress makes her look even sweeter and cute.

"Well, it's beautiful!" Lan Meng said with a smile.

"Haha, I don't believe anyone who says it's beautiful, it's only what you say, I believe that I'm really beautiful." Xiao Ya winked at Lan Meng and laughed narcissistically.

Lan Meng looked at the person who didn't have the reserved laughter of everyone's ladies, and couldn't help but chuckle himself. Xiao Ya is such a pistachio that can make everyone around her happy.

"I heard that Brother Rin Lie has returned from the imperial city last night. Lan Meng, you must draw me beautifully today, preferably the kind that can seduce his heart. Xiao Yage said with an evil face to Lan Meng.

Rin Lie is the border guard general in charge of guarding the border of the Purple Leaf Country. I heard that in a heavy snowfall the year before last, Xiao Ya's carriage back to his home fell into a snow pit on the way and could not move, and was pulled out of the snow pit with the help of Rin Lie, who passed by. In this way, Xiao Ya has since fallen in love with the helpful spirit at that time. Every once in a while, she would write letters to Rinlie, and it wasn't until Lan Meng moved to town that the letters were changed to her portrait.

"Well, I will!" Lan Meng also learned her evil wink, which eventually caused the two of them to laugh.

In less than a pillar of incense, Lan Meng handed the painted portrait to Xiao Ya, when Xiao Ya saw herself on the portrait, she grinned with satisfaction, and said happily to Lan Meng: "It's good to have you as a friend, the characters on the paintings are more beautiful than real people!" ”

"It's the beauty of people that makes the paintings beautiful!" Lan Meng said with a smile.

"I just like what you tell you to be honest!" Xiao Ya let out a geeque laugh after she finished speaking.

"Lan Meng, I've known you for a year. However, we have known each other for so long, and we haven't had a group photo, otherwise let's draw a group photo while this girl is beautiful today! Xiao Ya didn't wait for Lan Meng to refuse, so she asked her subordinates to bring a large bronze mirror and said to Lan Meng: "Is it okay to draw while taking pictures like this?" ”

Xiao Ya's enthusiasm made Lan Meng unable to say anything to refuse, and she nodded to Xiao Ya.

Because Lan Meng has helped Xiao Ya paint countless portraits in a year, she can silently draw the features on Xiao Ya's face and body, and she herself faces it every day, not to mention, so it didn't take long for Lan Meng to draw a group photo of them. The two women in the painting, one is demure and the other is smart, so that outsiders can't help but want to take the portrait for themselves.

Lan Meng finished packing up the painting tools, and said to Xiao Ya, who was still looking at her portrait and narcissism: "I should go back, the customers in the store are still waiting for me." ”

"Ah, you're leaving so soon." Xiao Ya was silent for a moment, and looked at Lan Meng reluctantly: "Okay then!" I'll ask someone to bring you your reward later. ”

"Then I'm leaving, bye-bye!"

"Bye-bye!"

Xiao Ya looked at Lan Meng, who was leaving, called Xiaohua, who was close to her body, and told her to put the two portraits in an envelope and let the family send them to the General's Mansion.

"Miss, do you and Miss Lan Meng want this too?" Xiaohua looked at Xiao Ya uncertainly.

"Since I Xiao Ya is going to marry the man in the future, of course he has to know every friend around me. Xiaohua, I'm looking for something to eat, you have to remember to send the letter out. With that, he hummed a little song and ran to the kitchen.

"Yes, Miss!"

In this way, Xiaohua handed the letter containing the two paintings to the family and asked him to send it to the general's mansion.