Chapter 815: Chapter 0815: Receiving Letters and Storing Books 2 Chapter 815: Chapter 0815: Receiving Letters and Storing Books 2 The old couple stared at each other with wide eyes, but in the end, it was Lou Shaonong who made the decision.
“We’ll use the camphor wood chests at ho to store the books and paintings. Wrap the books and paintings in moisture-proof oil paper and silk, then put the camphor wood chests inside sealed larger chests. Between the large and small chests, we’ll add a layer of iron sheeting. Bury them deep, and every year around the ti of the Festival for Drying Books, we can take them out to air them and also check whether the books and paintings have been damaged.”
Beyond that, there was no other way.
Lin Yufen sighed, “We’ll have to do as you say. While we’re at it, let’s stuff those antiques that are dispensable in our ho and the jewelry my mother-in-law left in there too. Those things won’t fear dampness or insects when buried underground.”
Because they cherished their collection of books and paintings too much, they didn’t dare take risks.
Lou Shaonong grunted, “I rember there’s still a bit of gold left, isn’t there?” The little they had managed to save.
“Gold?” Lin Yufen paused, “Wasn’t it in that year of famine, when we couldn’t bear hunger anymore, that we exchanged it for grain on the black market? A gold bar for two catties of cornal, it nearly broke my heart, but we had no choice, we needed to survive.”
“I rember there was a little left.”
Hearing what Lou Shaonong said, Lin Yufen laughed, “Have you forgotten? Your son took the rest away.”
Lou Shaonong scratched his head, rembering, “If that’s the case, let’s not ntion it.”
The old couple then got to work. They closed the doors and selected the books and paintings they thought had cultural value. They packed five camphor wood chests full, carefully wrapping and sealing them, filling the gaps with camphor balls, then buried them beneath the floors of the main and side houses.
They were busy with this for over ten days.
Before they even had ti to catch their breath, an old friend ca to borrow books.
This old friend, Zheng Peng, was the vice chancellor of Capital University and had been friends with Lou Shaonong for many years. It was he who had invited Lou Shaonong and Lin Yufen to teach at Capital University. The books he ca to borrow had just been buried underground by the couple.
“Old Zheng, if you had co a few days earlier!” Lou Shaonong complained, half-sincerely, “The books you wanted to borrow have already been lent to soone else, and I don’t know when they will be returned to !”
“What? Lent to soone else?” Zheng Peng was surprised.
Lou Shaonong and Lin Yufen were very protective of their books and paintings. They only allowed borrowers to copy and read them in their ho and did not permit them to be taken away, for fear of damage that would be difficult to repair.
As his wife, Lin Yufen naturally supported her husband’s statent, nodding and saying, “Yes, they’ve been lent out.”
“Who’s got such great influence?”
Lin Yufen thought for a mont and, sohow, her mind went to Xibao. She pursed her lips and smiled, “A particularly endearing child.”
With no other choice, Zheng Peng asked, “But there are still copied versions available, right? I rember Lou used to love copying books. I promised my students that I would explain the contents of this book tomorrow; I can’t go back on my word.”
“If you had said earlier you only needed the copy for the lecture, that would’ve been fine. I thought you wanted to study the original, so I completely forgot our own house rules.” She had indeed spun an unnecessary lie.
After saying this, Lou Shaonong turned and went to the study to fetch the copy and handed it to Zheng Peng, “Here, take it. But let warn you in advance, even though it’s a copy, and it’s one I made myself, since the original has been lent out, this copy is very precious. Don’t you dare lose it!”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I know your temperant well enough!” Zheng Peng replied.
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