Teacher Shen knew a little about Jiang Yu’s family situation. She was an orphan found and taken in by Grandma Jiang, who raised her single-handedly. When Jiang Yu was in middle school, Grandma Jiang passed away and for the past few years, she had been living alone. Not to mention, what had happened recently made things even more difficult.
What kind of person was Grandma Jiang?
Looking at this painting, Teacher Shen and the others suddenly understood, she was a gentle and elegant old woman. And Jiang Yu, without a doubt, deeply loved and missed her.
For a moment, Teacher Shen didn’t know how to comfort Jiang Yu. She opened her mouth, hesitated and finally said, “This painting… is truly beautiful…”
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt like she was stating the obvious. The painting was indeed excellent, its colour scheme and composition were impeccable. More than that, it was rich with emotion, stirring a sense of warmth and nostalgia in anyone who saw it. It was a deeply moving piece.
The old master took a deep breath. This was the second time he had seen Jiang Yu’s painting in person. Previously, he had only seen them through a screen, but without the barrier of a digital display, the painting appeared even more vivid and delicate.
A painting is said to have spirit and soul when it can truly touch people’s hearts.
And without a doubt, Jiang Yu’s painting achieved this. It was full of emotion, completely immersing her feelings into the artwork. This was a painting with a soul.
“There’s nothing to critique about this painting,” the old master said with a sigh.
While painting, Jiang Yu must have been fully absorbed in it, pouring all of her emotions into her work.
Jiang Yu rubbed her temples, fatigue evident in her eyes. She said, “I didn’t notice the time while painting… I didn’t expect the sun to be up when I finished. I’ll wash up and head to school.”
Hearing this, the old master immediately disagreed. He looked at her disapprovingly and said, “Since you stayed up all night, what you should do now is get some proper rest. Go back to your room, get under the covers and have a good dream. Even if you go to school like this, you won’t be able to focus on anything.”
Teacher Shen nodded in agreement. “Don’t worry about school, I’ll take care of your leave. For now, just go and get some sleep to recover your energy!”
Jiang Yu looked at one, then the other and in the end, she had no choice but to follow their advice and go to sleep.
After she left, the old master turned back to the painting, unable to suppress his admiration.
This painting is truly remarkable. Almost perfect.
It was hard to believe that his student was only seventeen years old.
But then the old master thought, having such a genius as his disciple was truly a stroke of luck! Feeling proud, he immediately took out his phone and snapped several pictures.
Teacher Shen noticed his actions and asked, “Master, why are you taking pictures?”
Without looking up, the old master replied, “I’m sending them to your Uncle Lin and the others. My student is so outstanding, I have to make them jealous.”
His tone was full of self-righteous pride.
“Heh heh heh, that old guy Lin has been searching for a talented student to inherit his craft, but alas, he doesn’t have my luck. What a pity!” the old master added, shaking his head in exaggerated regret.
Teacher Shen: “…”
Before saying ‘what a pity’, could you at least tone down the gloating in your voice?
Jiang Yu slept soundly and even had a dream. However, she couldn’t remember the dream when she woke up. But it must have been a good one, because she felt quite happy.
Despite staying up all night, she felt no lingering exhaustion after sleeping. When she had gone to bed, her body had been completely drained, but upon waking up, she felt fully refreshed.
Ah, the resilience of youth. Staying up all night, then sleeping it off with no consequences.
Outside, it was already dark, though she had no idea what time it was. The warmth of the blankets made her feel as though even her bones had softened and she was reluctant to move.
It wasn’t until her stomach started growling that she finally got up, washed up and stepped out of her room.
The living room was brightly lit. The old master, Teacher Shen and Lu Mingshen were all there. As soon as she emerged, their gazes all turned to her.
“Master, shijie, Mr. Lu,” Jiang Yu greeted them one by one.
Once she walked over, the old master asked, “Did you sleep well?”
Jiang Yu nodded. It had indeed been a great sleep and her rest was high quality.
The old master nodded in approval, but he still lectured her, “You shouldn’t neglect your health just because you’re young. Staying up late is harmful, don’t do it again.”
“I understand,” Jiang Yu answered obediently.
At some point, Lu Mingshen had gone to the kitchen and now he returned carrying a few steaming dishes. “You haven’t eaten all day. Have some food first. Aunt Wu made these and her cooking is quite good.”
Jiang Yu smiled gratefully at him and asked, “Have you all eaten?”
“We did. You were sleeping so soundly that we didn’t want to wake you… Oh and don’t worry about school, I’ve already requested leave for you,” Teacher Shen added.
Jiang Yu nodded, carrying her food to another side of the room to eat, she couldn’t handle being watched while she ate.
After she finished eating, the old master beckoned her over eagerly. “Hurry and take out that painting of Liangshan’s heroes,” he urged. He had seen this painting many times before, but only through a screen during their video calls. The digital display had always made it feel slightly off and he was eager to see it in person.
“This painting is almost finished…” Jiang Yu opened the painting and smiled. “Thanks to shijie. She’s a teacher at the studio and allowed me to skip the afternoon session so I could have more time to work on this.”
Teacher Shen said, “You wouldn’t have learned much at the studio anyway. Staying there is pointless compared to working on this painting… Tsk, I really like this one!”
As she spoke, Teacher Shen furrowed her brows in thought and said, “I’ve noticed something about your character paintings, Jiang Yu. Your figures feel alive, they have a quality that others lack.”
The old master nodded in agreement. “That’s exactly it, alive! The characters in Jiang Yu’s paintings have a spirit to them, as if she’s breathed life into them. Even through the canvas, you can feel their vibrancy.”
This feeling was fully embodied in this painting of the 108 heroes. At first glance, the sheer number of characters could feel overwhelming, yet each one’s personality was vividly expressed through her brush, making them all seem incredibly ‘alive’.
“…From here onward, your painting style changes a little,” the old master pointed at a figure.
Jiang Yu nodded. “You have sharp eyes, Master. From this point, I started using a different technique under your guidance, so there’s a slight difference between the characters. I feel like this method suits me better, it also feels more natural when I paint.”
The old master gave a slight nod. Seeing the painting in person, he could observe the details more clearly. He picked out key areas and discussed them with Jiang Yu.
In truth, Jiang Yu’s work was already exceptional, even better than some established painters in the art world. However, in the old master’s eyes, there were still minor flaws.
As he worked with her, the old master realised just how talented Jiang Yu was. As Teacher Shen had said, she was born to hold a paintbrush.
A child like this, how fortunate that she became his student!
The old master couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. Guiding such a gifted student was a joy for any teacher. Compared to those who struggled to grasp concepts, teaching someone like Jiang Yu, who understood things instantly, was truly a pleasure.
The master and his young student, both passionate about painting, got so engrossed in their discussion that they nearly pulled an all-nighter again. In the end, it was Lu Mingshen who forced them to go to sleep, or else they might have stayed up until dawn.
The next day, when Jiang Yu arrived at school, Xu Ruyi handed her a shaomai dumpling while biting into one herself. She mumbled through her food, “Why didn’t you come to class yesterday?”
Jiang Yu took out her books while answering helplessly, “I got caught up in painting the night before and lost track of time, I ended up pulling an all-nighter.”
Xu Ruyi nodded. “I love your paintings. They feel so full of emotion, way better than some other people’s work.”
Then, as if remembering something, she said, “Oh, I actually have a favour to ask.”
Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”
Xu Ruyi explained, “I have a cousin who recently bought a house and has been busy with renovations. He wants a painting for decoration but hasn’t found one he likes. Since your artwork is amazing, I recommended you. If you’re interested, I’ll give him your number. Don’t worry, my cousin’s got more money than sense. As long as you paint well, you can totally name your price. He’ll pay you generously.”
Jiang Yu hesitated. “…Are you asking me to scam your cousin? Does he even know about this?”
Xu Ruyi replied matter-of-factly, “There’s a saying: ‘It’s better to be scammed by someone you know than by a stranger.’ If he’s going to get overcharged anyway, it might as well be by someone he knows.”
She had absolutely no guilt about setting up her own cousin.
“Last time, he spent over ten million yuan on some so-called ‘realist abstract’ painting. I didn’t get it at all. He hung it up in his living room, saying he wanted everyone to appreciate ‘true art’, and then my uncle beat him up for it!” Xu Ruyi rolled her eyes.
Jiang Yu couldn’t help but laugh. Though Xu Ruyi spoke about her cousin with no filter, there was an unmistakable fondness in her tone, it was clear they had a good relationship.
Thinking it over, Jiang Yu said, “I already have two commissions lined up, so I won’t be available for a while. If your cousin doesn’t mind waiting, I can take on the job after I finish those.”
Xu Ruyi waved a hand. “I already talked to him, he doesn’t mind. His house has been under renovation for two years and still isn’t done. Honestly, he might take another three or four years to finish.”
Jiang Yu was surprised. “Renovating for that long?”
Xu Ruyi scoffed. “He keeps changing his mind, one day he wants a new design, the next he wants a different style. Just the other day, he decided he didn’t like the entrance and had the renovation team tear it down and redo it. At this rate, he might take another ten years.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yu could only sigh. “You rich people sure know how to have fun.”
“Hey, don’t lump me in with him! I may be rich, but I’m normal. My cousin, on the other hand…” Xu Ruyi thought for a moment before deadpanning, “He’s probably the ultimate rich idiot.”
The real problem wasn’t rich people, it was rich people being silly and doing silly things all the time.
Leave a Reply