The snowy-white tangyuan [T/N: glutinous rice dumplings] were soft and chewy in texture, with black sesame filling inside. With just a light poke from the chopsticks, the dark sesame paste oozed out, its rich sweetness mingling with the unique fragrance of rice wine, forming a warmth that was even more comforting.
These tangyuan had been handmade by Aunt Cui and the others. Each one was round, smooth, and generously sized. After eating a few, Jiang Yu already felt full. She sipped the rice wine broth, warmth spreading all the way to her fingertips, her cheeks flushed rosy from the alcohol.
Once her stomach was warm and full, drowsiness hit her even harder. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Seeing her like this, Aunt Cui urged her to head upstairs to rest. “Go on to bed once you’re done eating. We’d already prepared a room for you long ago. It’s a pity your grandfather later said you wouldn’t be coming.”
She led Jiang Yu upstairs, opening the door to a room.
The room’s style had clearly been designed with her age and gender in mind. It was bright, youthful, and fresh, with shades of pink and blue dominating. On the bed sat a life-sized stuffed toy.
Aunt Cui couldn’t help but laugh, pointing at it. “That was Mingyi’s idea. He insisted girls like these things… Everything here was prepared just for you, all brand new. Feel free to use anything.”
She smiled warmly. “Alright then, I’ll leave you to rest.”
Jiang Yu looked around the room. There was even a desk. Walking over, she found piles of drawing paper and paints stacked neatly on it, the packaging still unopened. They were all brand new. With the grandfather being a scholar and painter himself, the family was well-versed in calligraphy and art. Naturally, the paper and paints on the desk were of excellent quality.
Jiang Yu picked up a set of watercolours. They weren’t from Rong Yan, but from another brand known for its vivid colours. Compared to Rong Yan’s subtler hues, these were brighter and more saturated. Both brands were highly regarded. Jiang Yu herself had used this brand for a while, but eventually preferred Rong Yan, so she stopped.
All this… prepared for me?
The thought stirred a warmth in her heart.
They weren’t related by blood, yet the Cui family treated her so sincerely. How could she not be moved?
Slowly, she unwrapped the paints. Perhaps it was the rice wine, but her whole body felt a little sluggish, though also light and at ease. That didn’t stop her hands from itching to paint.
Spreading out the paper, she rested her chin on one hand and, in a relaxed, content mood, began sketching the snowy-white tangyuan. The main colour was, of course, white, but it had to capture a crystalline, translucent sheen. A dumpling sat in a white porcelain spoon, broken open so that its dark, sticky filling spilled into the bowl.
The bowl was also white. Since the dumplings were cooked in rice wine, tiny grains of rice floated in the broth, resembling delicate white blossoms blooming across the liquid’s surface.
The whole bowl radiated a sense of sweetness and warmth. Looking at the painting, one almost felt they could smell the fragrant rice wine, tinged with sweetness, enough to intoxicate the viewer into this world of wine and soft, glutinous dumplings.
When the painting was done, Jiang Yu tossed her brush aside without tidying the desk, collapsed onto the soft bedding, and drifted straight to sleep.
Her nap wasn’t long, but when she woke, night had already fallen. Wrapped in the cozy blankets, she felt an unwillingness to get up at all.
In Xu Ruyi’s words: Winter is the perfect time for hibernation!
Switching on the light, she checked the clock – 7:30 p.m. Stretching with a yawn, she went to wash up. Coming back, her gaze fell on the painting on the desk. She had almost forgotten she’d drawn it before falling asleep.
Half-dazed at the time, she remembered vaguely, a bowl of… tangyuan?
When Jiang Yu went downstairs, the Cui family’s living room was bustling with guests. Strangers filled the room, chatting noisily.
Among the crowd, one familiar face caught her eye, staring coldly at Cui Mingzhu, who was glaring right back. It was none other than Rong Xuan, whom Jiang Yu had met once before.
“A-Yu, you’re awake! Come, let me introduce you to someone.” The old master spotted her and beckoned her over.
At once, all eyes turned to Jiang Yu. Most gazes were filled with curiosity and scrutiny. After all, it wasn’t a secret that the old master had taken in a new student and doted on her. But since few had ever seen her in person, of course everyone was curious.
Across from the old master sat another elder, silver-haired, holding a cane, his expression kind and amiable.
“This is your Grandpa Rong, an old friend of mine. Just call him Grandpa.”
Elder Rong’s gaze fell on Jiang Yu. He froze slightly, then murmured, “So this is the little disciple you’ve taken in? She looks… a bit familiar.”
“My A-Yu’s good looks make everyone feel familiar with her!” the old master shamelessly bragged.
Elder Rong chuckled, then noticed the painting Jiang Yu held in her hands. “The painting you’re carrying, did you draw it yourself? May I take a look?”
“When did you paint something again?” the old master asked curiously.
Jiang Yu paused, embarrassed, and handed it over. “I drew it before I slept. I was half-asleep, saw the paints on the desk, and couldn’t resist…”
The old master unrolled the painting, his expression momentarily stunned.
It was such a simple subject — just a bowl of dumplings. Yet under Jiang Yu’s skill, the snowy dumplings looked irresistibly delicious. The black sesame filling glistened with syrupy sweetness, sticky and gooey. The broth contained soft, exploded grains of rice, showing clearly that it was cooked in rice wine. Even though it was only a painting, you almost felt you could smell the sweet, intoxicating aroma.
“This painting…” Elder Rong’s eyes lit up with admiration as he took it in hand. “Though simple and without much technique, still…”
Still, it brimmed with a sense of life and warmth. The steaming bowl of dumplings radiated a homely atmosphere, the kind of everyday simplicity that was the hardest to capture in art.
Setting the painting down, Elder Rong looked at Jiang Yu with a thoughtful expression. After a long pause, he sighed. “Cui Guosheng, you’re truly lucky to have taken in such a student.”
In truth, the simpler the painting, the more it tested one’s foundation. To express meaning with just a few strokes, that was the real skill. And in the small details of this work, Jiang Yu’s solid basics were undeniable.
Her fundamentals were rock-solid. After all, in her past life she had forced herself to draw a hundred sketches a day, without fail, for three straight years.
With that kind of practice, how could her foundation not be strong?
The old master was inwardly proud, but on the surface he remained modest, saying: “Eh, children can’t stand too much praise. She still has plenty of room to improve.”
Elder Rong shook his head, sighing again. “Compared with your disciple, the children in my family…”
He didn’t finish, but the disappointment in his tone was obvious.
“Come now, why think so much? I think Rong Jue is quite good,” the old master tried to console him.
Elder Rong lifted his eyelids slightly. “What use is ‘quite good’? It’s just picking the tallest among the short ones. After all, no matter how you pick, they’re all about the same. And besides, that boy Rong Jue doesn’t even like painting. He prefers music.”
Strangely enough, no one in the Rong family had shown any musical talent for generations, but in this generation there came Rong Jue, who turned out to be genuinely bound to music.
The old master also knew the Rong family’s circumstances. Curiously, in every generation of the Rongs there was always one dazzling genius, someone who shone brilliantly in the world of painting and calligraphy. For instance, Elder Rong’s son, Rong Jin: his Landscape of Rivers and Mountains once stirred up a great sensation in the art world, with countless people praising his work.
Unfortunately, Rong Jin’s life was short. At twenty-eight, he died in a car accident. He was like a firework, brilliant and dazzling, yet vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Elder Rong shook his head. “I shouldn’t have named him Jin (‘brocade’). Flowers on brocade. Flourishing, but after prosperity comes decline…”
The topic grew heavy. The old master didn’t know how to comfort him. Elder Rong’s greatest pride in life had been his son Rong Jin, whom he often kept by his side. But Heaven envies talent. Rong Jin’s death came so early, leaving the elder to endure the grief of a white-haired man burying his black-haired son.
The old master had witnessed all this. Ever since Rong Jin’s passing, the Rong family had grown more and more low-profile, almost disappearing from the public eye. Elder Rong himself had visibly aged faster.
“You, you’re just overthinking. Rong Jin’s death, what does that have to do with the name you gave him?” the old master said with a stern face.
Elder Rong gave a small laugh, patting his own head. “Look at me, talking about such unlucky things at New Year’s. Enough, enough… This child, your name is Jiang Yu, right?”
He turned to Jiang Yu, asking softly.
Jiang Yu nodded.
Elder Rong reached out and touched her head. After feeling around in his clothes, he finally placed a jade pendant in Jiang Yu’s hand.
“I didn’t bring much with me today, so take this as a gift.”
It was a small jade carving in the shape of a writing brush, about palm-sized. At the brush’s tip was a spot of red, as though it had been dipped in paint, a very unique design.
Seeing it, the old master exclaimed, “Isn’t this the thing you cherish most? I remember Rong Xuan asked you for it several times, and you never gave it.”
Nearby, Rong Xuan noticed and her expression grew agitated. This was her grandfather’s beloved possession. She had asked him for it many times, but he never gave it. And now he was gifting it to an outsider?
Hearing this, Jiang Yu immediately tried to return it, but Elder Rong pressed her hand down.
“This has been with me for decades…” Elder Rong smiled, again patting Jiang Yu’s head. “You have talent in painting. Don’t waste it. I’m giving you this so you’ll always remember your true heart. Don’t lose yourself in the distractions of the world and let your skill regress. Always remember, you love painting. Never forget that burning passion in your heart.”
In terms of monetary value, the jade brush wasn’t worth much. What mattered was its symbolism. It had always hung on Elder Rong’s person, representing far more than its material worth.
“Keeping it is useless for me now…” Elder Rong shook his head. Originally, he had thought to pass it to the most gifted child in the family, but who could have guessed? In this generation, not one of them was up to the task.
So, if he left it to Rong Xuan and the others, it would only be wasted.
The old master sighed, understanding Elder Rong’s meaning. He told Jiang Yu, “Hurry and thank your Grandpa Rong. This is his most cherished treasure.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yu had no choice but to accept. She looked seriously at Elder Rong and said, “Grandpa Rong, don’t worry. I will never forget my true heart, nor my love for painting and calligraphy.”
Elder Rong nodded in satisfaction. “I believe you will. The future lies in you children.”
He had once thought Rong Jin would be the next brilliance of the Rong family, but who could have known that would be their last flare of glory.
After leaving the Cui residence, once the car started moving, Rong Xuan couldn’t hold back her anger any longer. She snapped, “Grandpa, how could you give that jade brush to her? She’s just a stranger!”
“Rong Xuan, how are you speaking to your grandfather?” scolded Rong Tian sternly.
Shouted at by her own father, Rong Xuan immediately felt wronged and turned her head away.
Elder Rong closed his eyes slightly, looking tired. After a while, he suddenly spoke, “Rong Tian, don’t you think that little girl just now looked very much like Rong Jin?”
Hearing this, Rong Tian froze, his expression tinged with sorrow.
Rong Jin was his younger brother, the most brilliant of their generation. His death had been a blow to the entire Rong family. Such a peerless talent, like the rising sun; even after so many years since his passing, people still remembered him vividly. At the mere mention of his name, they couldn’t help but sigh, Heaven truly envies the gifted.
Suppressing the ache in his heart, Rong Tian smiled faintly. “Now that you say it, she really does look a bit like A-Jin. Especially her eyes. As for Xuanxuan, her brows and features resemble him even more. She looks the most like him.”
Rong Jin had been strikingly handsome, his most remarkable feature his brows and eyes. Just as the phrase goes, features like a painting, perfectly so.
Elder Rong shook his head, sighing once more, his voice weary. “That child doesn’t just look like your brother. Even her talent in painting is like his. If Rong Jin had had a child, it would probably be just like that…”
Then he shook his head again, muttering as if to himself, “No, not necessarily. Perhaps the child would have no talent at all.”
Seeing this scene, Rong Tian felt a pang in his chest.
Cui Family.
Cui Mingzhu looked at the jade brush in Jiang Yu’s hand and said, “You’re really amazing. After only one meeting, you’ve already made Grandpa Rong like you so much that he even gave you this jade brush… I once heard Rong Xuan say that this jade brush was meant for the most outstanding child in their family, she wanted it very much.”
This jade brush was essentially a form of recognition from Elder Rong, a kind of symbol.
Jiang Yu had already guessed that this object carried deep meaning for Elder Rong. Now, hearing Cui Mingzhu’s words, she felt as if the item in her hand was burning hot.
“This thing, that old fellow Rong treats it like a treasure. But honestly, this stone is just the lowest-grade jade, not worth much!” At this moment, old master Cui spoke up. He recounted the past one detail at a time. “Back when Old Rong was young, he bought this piece of stone with the money he earned from selling his very first painting. When it was cut open, it only had this one small piece of jade inside. He had someone carve it into this, saying that one day he would give it to his most outstanding son. But later…”
Elder Cui shook his head, then looked at Jiang Yu and said, “He gave it to you because he likes you. Just accept it. It represents his expectations for you, so you must cherish it, understand?”
“Mm!” Jiang Yu nodded firmly. “I’ll treasure this jade brush well.”
Elder Cui picked up Jiang Yu’s painting and smiled: “This painting of yours is interesting, unlike your usual style. It carries a sense of joy… You know, even your paintings usually have a steadiness to them. It’s rare to see you paint something like this.”
The painting was very simple, but precisely because of its simplicity, the lightness and warmth within it moved people even more deeply. To be able to imbue such a simple painting with that kind of atmosphere, that was Jiang Yu’s skill.
On the second day after New Year, Jiang Yu slept the whole day. It wasn’t until the third day that she finally had time to go out. Han shixiong invited everyone out for a meal. Among their master’s disciples, only Teacher Shen was in S City; the other five were all in B City. This had left Teacher Shen wailing in the group chat for a long while.
Since Jiang Yu was the youngest in their sect, the others inevitably treated her with a bit of “looking-after-the-child” mentality, especially since she was so well-behaved, which only made them like her more.
“When do your classes start?” Han shixiong asked, picking up a piece of food for her.
Jiang Yu looked at her bowl, already piled so high it was about to overflow, and stopped them from adding more as she answered, “School starts on the 10th, and real classes begin on the 11th… Enough, Ning shixiong, don’t put any more food in my bowl, it won’t fit!”
Ning shixiong: “…”
He silently withdrew his chopsticks.
Han shixiong said, “The 10th? Then you won’t even get to celebrate the Lantern Festival? That’s a shame. If you stayed, I could take you to see the lantern fair. B City is really lively then.”
Pang Yu added, “Well, nothing can be done. She’s in high school, after all. High school studies are strict. This concerns her whole future.”
“Our shimei is in her second year now. By the second half of the year, it’ll already be her third year…” Han shixiong shook his head.
“Once you hit your final year, time gets even tighter. By the way, shimei, which university do you want to apply to? I think Changqing Academy of Fine Arts is pretty good. All of us brothers and sisters graduated from there. Back then, even Teacher taught there.”
Ning shixiong said, “Changqing Academy really is great. Junior Sister, you should consider it. But their entrance scores are very high. You’ll need to work hard on your academics too, don’t let them slip.”
At this, Pang Yu couldn’t help laughing, “You guys don’t know, our shimei is actually second place in her entire grade at school! She’s not only good at painting, but her academics are excellent too.”
Han shixiong bit his chopsticks and gave Jiang Yu a thumbs-up, “Awesome!”
“Shimei really is amazing. Geniuses like her are just on a different level from ordinary people.” Du Song spoke, smiling brightly, but somehow, when the words came out of his mouth, they didn’t sound so pleasant.
Ning shixiong suddenly said, “People are different to begin with. If a genius were the same as an ordinary person, how could they be called a genius?”
Du Song bit his lip and sighed, “True. I’m not like you all. I don’t have your talent. All I can do is work diligently for others, unlike you, who can casually sell a painting for hundreds of thousands, even millions.”
Pang Yu and Han shixiong exchanged a look. Pang Yu quickly laughed and said, “Du shixiong, you’re being modest. We all know your company’s boss values you the most. You earn far more than us each month.”
Hearing this, Du Song’s face showed a trace of pride, though he said aloud, “Oh, it’s just small stuff, nothing compared to you guys.”
“Stop talking and eat already, or the dishes will get cold.” Han shixiong added another piece of food to Jiang Yu’s bowl.
“Ah Yu, you eat up, ignore them.”
Pang Yu suddenly remembered something, “Oh, right. Shimei, do you still remember that Mr. Shi? The one at the gallery who offered 700,000?”
At this, Jiang Yu recalled the image of a slightly plump man. She nodded. “I remember. Why?”
Pang Yu said, “Since he didn’t get your painting last time, he’s been regretting it. Recently, he’s been asking me about you again, hoping you’d paint something for him. Oh, and he also asked me whether that ‘A Fleeting Dream’ online is you, and whether the peony painting on Dian Mo was also yours…”
“‘A Fleeting Dream’?” At this, Du Song suddenly looked up, his eyes fixed on Jiang Yu as he asked excitedly: “You… you’re that ‘A Fleeting Dream’ online? The one who painted Feitian?”
Han shixiong bit his chopsticks, stunned as he looked at Jiang Yu: “Feitian… yes, I know that painting. Around that time, all my people were talking about it, wondering which bigshot had painted it. So, it was you, shimei?”
Under their burning gazes, Jiang Yu felt her scalp go numb. She wanted to shake her head, but since they’d find out sooner or later, after thinking it over, she finally nodded.
“If you mean Feitian, then yes, that was my work. I go by ‘A Fleeting Dream.’ The peony painting on Dian Mo was mine too…”
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