Chapter 59 Hui'an Shadow Sculpture

After the fish uncovered the layers of cloth, he found that it was wrapped in a dark gray stone slab that looked like marble and rectangular, and there seemed to be something carved on it.

The lame mother-in-law had sold such a big barrier before, which inevitably made the curiosity in the fish's heart be aroused. Her heart was naturally full of expectation and curiosity about a series of things wrapped in several layers of cloth, but at present, the fish was inevitably a little disappointed when she saw a not very gorgeous stone slab, and she didn't look at the stone too much. He looked at the lame mother-in-law with a few eyes and a puzzled face.

The lame mother-in-law saw the disappointment of the fish, but the faint proud look on her face did not fade. She still said to the fish with a loving smile, "Fish, you take the stone plate and look carefully at the light. As long as you look carefully, you will find its strangeness... This, It's not an ordinary stone slab."

The lame mother-in-law's words aroused the fish's curiosity again, making her quickly follow the lame-law's prompts to the window, lift the marble board in front of her and straighten it, and carefully looked at the marble board with the faint light coming in from the window.

No matter how precious this marble board is, it can't change its essence as a stone. Therefore, although the fish was curious, he looked at the stone with a careless look, but when she saw the things engraved on the marble board through the light, her face gradually appeared shocked...

Seeing the fish put in the right position, the original plain marble board suddenly became a shadow relief, and those shallow or deep shadows slowly formed a painting. The fish fixed his eyes and saw a Hui'an woman in a flower hat and short clothes and fat trousers carved on the stone slab. The Hui'an woman was tall and shouldered. There is a pole on his arm, two fish baskets hanging on both sides of the pole, and behind him is a sea view and sunset...

Although this scene is only black and white, it is more vivid than the painting with multiple colors in the eyes of the fish, especially the satisfaction of Hui'an's woman's face, which is carved vividly, like a lively real person standing in front of her.

If the fish is looking at a painting or an embroidery, the fish will never be shocked by it, but what she is looking at now is a picture, a picture drawn on a smooth stone surface! Just thinking that this painting was chiseled with a thick chisel, the fish felt very incredible!

The reason why Yuer was shocked by this small shadow painting is that she once accidentally learned about the practice of shadow painting and knew that it took a lot of thought to carve out this small picture painting. Even in the 21st century, she learned from advanced tools and carved out a picture painting with her efforts and effort. It is by no means comparable to painting or embroidery.

Yuer knows that the so-called "shadow painting" is also called "shadow sculpture", which is generally made of pure stone such as ink jade and Shanxi black. However, these stones cannot be used at once. In modern times, these stones can only be used after water grinding and polishing.

In ancient times, due to the limitations of technology, the shadow sculptor could only put the stone found in the flowing stream first, so that the stone could be washed out of the smooth side by the stream for a long time, so as to achieve the effect of polishing the stone surface. Only when the world is washed smooth can it be used to carve pictures.

When the stone is washed smooth, the shadow sculptor will depict the outline of the image to be carved on the polished side. According to the principle of black and white light and dark imaging, he uses a special needle-like small alloy steel head tool or an ancient chisel to adjust the needle point density by using wrist force. Changes in thickness, depth and dashed lines to represent the image.

This picture has the same artistic effect as photography and optics, but also reflects the brush stroke technique, which has a unique artistic charm. The effect of carving is no worse than that of painting, and even more unique than traditional painting, and shadow painting also has a great advantage...

Hui'an's paintings have overcome the shortcomings of being painted for a long time and will turn yellow and fade. Because the materials used are stone, they can be permanently preserved. In addition, it is very time-consuming, laborious and laborious to carve out a pair of pictures. Therefore, good pictures and paintings are not only very precious in modern times, but also difficult to find in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Before crossing, the fish heard that Hui'an was very famous in addition to the women of Hui'an, and the unique skill "shadow sculpture" around Hui'an was also very famous. Because the fish did not deliberately go to find the shadow sculpture to appreciate it in her previous life, she never knew where the shadow sculpture was. It was precisely because of this that the fish could see the lame mother-in-law before. She was given a pair of shadow sculptures.

However, although Yu'er has not seen the shadow sculpture works with her own eyes, she has seen a lot of information. Therefore, when it is confirmed that what she is holding in her hand is the legendary Hui'an, Yu'er can't help confirming with an excited face: "Grandma, is this the most famous shadow sculpture in Hui'an? This is a very successful sculpture, isn't it?

The fish has stayed in Xiaoqi Village since she was a child and has not been far away, so she could recognize the shadow sculpture at a glance, which surprised the lame mother-in-law very much, but the lame-law quickly changed her surprise into a surprise and introduced it to the fish with a serious face: "Yes, this is the world-famous Hui'an shadow sculpture, which is also our unique Hui'an."

"Grandma, did you carve this shadow sculpture?" When the fish saw that the lame mother-in-law left this shadow sculpture by her side, she naturally came up with this idea.

"No, this picture was not carved by me, but by my great-grandmother."

The lame mother-in-law said that her face was a little gloomy, and she was depressed for a while before saying, "This is what my great-grandmother gave me before she died, because I have shown an extraordinary talent for sculpture and painting since I was a child, so my great-grandmother gave me her most proud work, and my great-grandmother gave me this picture. I hope I can pass on the stunt of shadow sculpture.

The lame mother-in-law's words made the fish immediately show admiring eyes and said with surprise, "Grandma, do you know this stunt? You are so awesome! I heard that if you want to learn the unique skill of shadow carving, it will take at least six years to lay the foundation. Only when the foundation is solid can you carve a painting on the stone..."

"In fact, it's not as difficult as you think, but learning shadow carving is indeed necessary to learn basic skills from an early age," the lame mother-in-law said for a pause, and then looked at the fish meaningfully and said, "If you want to learn the unique skill of shadow sculpture, you have to learn painting for three years, and then learn sculpture for three years after learning painting for three years. Six years can you can officially integrate painting and sculpture. Together, carve pictures.

After listening to this, the fish spit out her little tongue and sighed, "There is really no craft that can be learned without hard work. This shadow sculpture must have taken a lot of effort when looking at such fine and carving..."

The fish said and rubbed the bumps on the picture in her hand with her fingers. After touching the shocked face, the lame mother-in-law asked, "Grandma, are there so many small points on the head of this picture painting, are they all cut out with an awl? This force is not easy to grasp, is it? Will there be a big hole in the stone if it is smashed heavily? If that's the case, won't this stone be destroyed?

"This painting is naturally chiseled, and what you said is absolutely right--if you are not sure about the strength and a big hole is chiseled on a heavy stone surface, not only the whole painting is chiseled, but also the whole stone is useless, so you have to practice carving the chisel. "

I heard that it is not easy to carve shadow paintings. At present, when I heard the lame mother-in-law say this, I feel that the pictures and paintings in my hand are very precious. No wonder in my previous life, I heard that a CD-sized shadow sculpture had to be sold for hundreds...

The lame mother-in-law beside her saw that the fish seemed to be very interested in shadow carving, so she moved and pulled the fish and asked, "Yuer, do you want to learn the stunt of shadow sculpture from grandma? You are not very old now, and it's too late to start the basics now.

"Learn film sculpture? Me?" Yuer was stunned at first. After coming to his senses, he asked incredulously, "Grandma, this craft of carving shadows should be your family's unique skill, right? How can I learn casually if I have a foreign surname? Isn't that a little inappropriate?"

Although the lame mother-in-law's words make the fish a little moved, she can't cove other people's family skills when the lame mother-in-law is in trouble, can she?

So Yuer quickly shook her head and gently refused, "Yuer thanked grandma for her kindness, but Yuer can't learn grandma's family stunts."

When the lame mother-in-law heard the words, she touched the fish's head with a loving face. The fish refused to learn the shadow sculpture without greed, which made her feel that she had picked the wrong person. At the same time, it also made the lame mother-in-law more determined to pass on the stunt of the shadow sculpture to the fish.

After making up her mind, the lame mother-in-law took the fish's hand and slowly persuaded her patiently, "Yuer, carving shadows and paintings are indeed a stunt handed down by women and men. Grandma has only two unfilial sons in her life, so she can't pass this stunt to them due to the rules set by her ancestors..."

"Grandma originally planned to pass on this stunt to her daughter-in-law after her son married his daughter-in-law. Unexpectedly, the two daughters-in-law of the mother-in-law were so unfilial. Since the daughters-in-law were unfilial, the grandmother would not pass on this stunt to them. The grandmother originally wanted to bury it in the loess with this stunt, but she always felt I feel sorry for my ancestors, and I also feel that it's a pity to bury this stunt..."

The lame mother-in-law looked at the fish with a sincere face and said the following words in a begging tone: "Fish, grandma knows that you are a good child. You must not bear to let grandma die with regret. You must be willing to help grandma pass on this stunt, right?"

"Grandma, I..."

The lame mother-in-law waved her hand to signal the fish to stop talking, and opened her mouth to express her concerns for the fish: "Are you afraid that after I teach you the stunt of shadow sculpture, you think that you are actually trying to plotting on the stunts in grandma's hands... right?"

Yuer was really afraid that others would say that she had ulterior motives, so she nodded and said, "I'm afraid that others will misunderstand that I have ulterior motives to save my grandmother, and I'm also afraid that my grandmother will misunderstand Yuer's sincerity."

"Silly child, if grandma misunderstood your sincerity, how could she offer to teach you the craft of shadow sculpture? Since I am willing to pass on the stunt, even if I have seen your sincerity, you don't need to feel bad to your grandmother. It was my grandmother who took the initiative to pass on this stunt to you..."

The lame mother-in-law said and stopped to take a breath before slowly said, "Yuer, if you really want to make grandma happy, you agree to grandma's proposal and learn sculpture and painting well. Only when you agree to grandma's request can you really be good to grandma."

The lame mother-in-law has said this, how can the fish not be moved?

In addition, Yuer has long known the value and preciousness of a good shadow sculpture, and even knows that if he really learns this stunt, he will be able to improve the life of the Yang family in the future... After all, this Hui'an shadow sculpture is much more precious than the embroidery that can be seen everywhere!

So after thinking about it again and again, the fish finally couldn't stand the desire to learn and the advice of the lame mother-in-law, and agreed to learn to carve pictures and paintings with the lame mother-in-law. As soon as the lame mother-law saw the fish agree, she was immediately happy to see her teeth and did not forget to mutter to herself: "My old lady can receive such a fish in her later years. What a good apprentice, God's blessing!"

Before, Yuer only wanted to learn how to eagle with the lame mother-in-law, but he didn't expect to worship the teacher, so the lame mother-in-law's words stunned Yuer, but Yuer was soon relieved - the lame-law took the initiative to teach her family skills, and it was not too much for her to call her a master.

Thinking of this, the fish immediately poured a cup of tea to the lame mother-in-law and respectfully called her, "Master."

"Well, the fish is so good," the lame mother-in-law saw that the fish was going to kowtow to herself, so she quickly stretched out her hand and said, "We don't pay so much attention to it. As long as the fish has me in your heart and are willing to learn the art of sculpture and painting. Nothing else is important."

The fish is actually not used to kowtopping, so it took the opportunity to take the lame mother-in-law's hand and said, "The fish is not used to kowtowing to others, but you can rest assured that even if the fish does not kowtow to you, it will be as filial to your grandmother in the future!"

The lame mother-in-law touched the little face of the fish with a touching face, and then pointed to the shadow sculpture and said, "Fish, you have called me a master. I have to teach you some skills quickly. Today, I will tell you the origin of this shadow sculpture first."

The fish immediately sat down obediently next to the lame mother-in-law and said sweetly, "Master, please tell me. Yu'er must listen carefully."

"Our carving art in Hui'an originated from the Yellow River Basin and originated in the Han Dynasty, and has a history of nearly a thousand years. Hui'an carving art has a long history and has always been known as the 'hometown of stone carving'. The carving art has a long history and enjoys a high reputation. It has formed tens of thousands of varieties in six categories, including round carving, relief carving, shadow carving, line carving and tablet stone..."

So the lame mother-in-law slowly told the fish what she knew about the shadow sculpture. She planned to slowly let the fish have a comprehensive understanding of the shadow sculpture, and then began to teach the fish to draw.

After the fish came back from the lame mother-in-law, she immediately told Liu the good news. Liu was a native of Hui'an and naturally knew the preciousness of Hui'an shadow sculpture. As soon as she heard that the fish could have the opportunity to learn this stunt, she immediately agreed to thank God for such a blessing.

Seeing that Liu's reaction was a little exaggerated, Yuer couldn't help saying an anger: "Mom, isn't our Hui'an the hometown of shadow sculpture? If your daughter really wants to learn film sculpture, it should not be difficult to find a teacher, right? It's just that we have to find a teacher's ceremony to worship. The fish continues to be just missing a formal teacher worship ceremony. How can we get such a great blessing as you said?

Liu Shi shook her head with a smile and slowly explained, "You are still young and don't know how precious the unique skill of carving shadow painting is. Although Hui's Hui' is known as the 'hometown of stone carving', we can really carve shadow paintings and carving amazingly, but there are only people in the 'shadow sculpture village', and people in other villages. Even if you were born in Hui'an, you may not have this craft.

When the fish heard the words, she spit out her tongue and said, "I thought that as long as she was from Hui'an, at least eight of the ten could carve pictures, but I didn't expect that it was not the case!"

"Isn't that true? Didn't you hear the lame mother-in-law say that this shadow sculpture is a stunt that can be passed on to women but not men? Since it is not easy to spread, how can everyone in Hui'an County know it?

Liu first gave a helpless look at the fish and pointed to the stone plate brought back by the fish and said, "I guess the lame mother-in-law must be from the shadow sculpture village. People in other villages also have shadow carving masters, but they can't carve such an excellent shadow sculpture..."

"Yuer, you not only worshipped a good master, but also got a great blessing this time. My mother heard that the people in Yingdiao Village never easily accept foreign names as apprentices. What is the great blessing that you can be accepted as an apprentice by the lame mother-in-law?"

Liu's words made Yuer feel happy while feeling a little sorry for the lame mother-in-law, a good master, so after twisting for a long time, the fish still said, "Mother, although my daughter worshipped the lame mother-in-law as her teacher, she gave her a cup of tea hastily, not to mention not kowtowing. I didn't even give a teacher's gift..."

After the fish reminded him, Liu suddenly patted his thigh and said, "Such a rare good master, our family should send a good teacher's gift. We can't take such a big advantage of others for no reason!"

Seeing that Liu also agreed with his idea, Yuer immediately asked with a happy face, "What is your mother going to send to the master?"

"send..."

Liu only said the word "send" and there was no follow-up. After stopping for a while, he continued awkwardly, "Our family has just sent a bunch of gifts to your brothers and gentlemen. At present, we really can't find anything that can be sent to your master. Why don't we slow down the gift to the teacher first? When our family has Send it after the rest of the money?"

Although Yuer was a little disappointed, she still accepted Liu's proposal sensiblely and took the initiative to say, "You can send the teacher at any time. Our family's situation has not been very good. My daughter should not have been a teacher. It was her daughter who caused trouble to her mother."

"Stupid child, it's too late for mother to be happy with such trouble!"

Liu said while pinching the little face of the fish with a doting face, and then came up with a compromise method: "At present, although we don't have the ability to send your master a gift, we can send her some food for three meals a day. Although we can't send any big fish and meat, at least it's a heart, isn't it?"

Liu's words made the fish look at each other and applaud him, "This is a good way! Just do what your mother said!"