Suddenly remembering something, he took a kraft paper bag entrusted to him by his dad from the desk and slapped it on her desk.
“My dad sent this for you.”
“What is it?” Hua Jie’s attention was instantly diverted. She untied the twine around the kraft paper bag and opened it to find a painting and a note.
She first pulled out the painting to examine it—a not-too-difficult watercolor still life with a ‘Shen’ signature at the bottom, apparently a demonstration painting specifically made for her by Shen Jiaru.
After carefully examining the painting, she then pulled out the small note inside:
【The mid-term exams are coming up, so review at home this weekend.
If, as you say, you want to get into a top university’s Chinese Language and Literature program without taking the art exam, please make it into the top ten in your class on this test.】
As she read this, Hua Jie’s expression became solemn.
Although Teacher Shen’s tone was gentle, she sensed an unmistakable attitude within.
This wasn’t a discussion; it was a demand.
Biting her lip, she felt her chest tighten.
Although there were no rankings in the entrance exam, Hua Jie knew she should have been last.
Despite her diligent efforts since the start of school and her high accuracy in assignments, achieving top ten status…
Taking a deep breath, she continued reading:
【At the same time, please carefully copy this painting. It is required to submit the painting by Saturday, November 4th, and reach the same level as your previous copying of my painting in the studio.
Also, you need to demonstrate your proficient technique in the painting.】
“…” Hua Jie was shocked.
!!
She had copied Teacher Shen’s painting in the studio last time, and it was a watercolor painting.
That was a technique she had been practicing for nearly twenty years across two lifetimes.
Teacher Shen actually wanted her to copy this watercolor painting to that level!
She hadn’t even started learning watercolors yet; she was just following along in the book she had bought earlier.
How could she reach nearly twenty years of experience without even starting?
Even if her foundation in sketching and quick sketching is strong, she’ll have to copy it several times, redraw it repeatedly, to possibly achieve it, right?
And, the painting is due next Saturday?!
It’s Wednesday now, and there are only 10 days until next Saturday. Besides, she has a midterm exam next Wednesday and needs to review intensively to reach the top ten in the class as Teacher Shen demands.
Taking a deep breath, she bit her lip even harder.
Continuing to read:
【And use various watercolor techniques used in the painting to complete 200 glass spheres with a diameter of 3 centimeters.
Requirement: The colors of the 200 glass spheres must not repeat.
Attachment: The back of the painting contains examples of several basic techniques, encouraging the discovery of watercolor techniques beyond these examples.
– Shen, October 24, 2000】
“…” Hua Jie flipped the painting over and indeed saw several basic technique demonstrations on the back:
Dry brush technique, wet-on-wet technique, blending…
The difficulty of this, whether academically or in painting…
Teacher Shen truly regards her as a genius.
Or perhaps, a supreme genius…
…
In the Shen family villa, Shen Jiaru was walking in the yard wearing a down jacket.
He brushed off the snow accumulated on the pine branches in the yard, scratched his face, and fell into deep thought.
He wondered what reaction that little girl would have when she saw his note, whether she would be scared to tears by those assignments?
Hmm, it’s possible… After all, some of them are quite heavy and the requirements are high enough.
Was he too impatient?
At the thought of this, Shen Jiaru furrowed his brow again.
But it’s not really impatience.
Since she has such aspirations, not only wanting to paint but also aiming for the Chinese language and literature major at a top university.
There’s more to it than just poetry…
He recalled the expression she had when discussing her plans with him; that yearning wasn’t a joke.
The steps she takes mustn’t be taken lightly either.
She needs to realize immediately whether she can handle both painting and studying.
He also needs to test her, to see if she’s just talk.
If she can’t handle such difficulty from the first step, should she put aside studying this stuff and just focus on painting?
Talking about wanting to experience more emotions from literature and see a bigger world. Ideas are always good, but if you can’t achieve them, it’s better to switch aspirations.
It’s also good to take the arts entrance examination. Why pursue something so high?
At the thought of this, Shen Jiaru looked up at the sky.
The sky in Jinsong City was always so blue, crystal clear.
The clouds were always so dense, white and transparent.
How many of those who used to paint with him are still struggling for a living, anxious to sell their paintings?
The reason he can think of retiring and returning to his hometown Jinsong, the reason he can paint when he wants to and take a few years off to find inspiration, is all because he has put in enough effort and climbed to a high enough level.
In this process, he has put in so much hard work that others can’t imagine, and even sacrificed so much…
To gain today’s freedom.
If you want to pursue more, you have to put in more effort and sweat than ordinary people.
Hua Jie, because you have this talent, I will give you more pressure to bring out your potential.
At the same time, if you want to pursue higher things, look at yourself first and see how much you can achieve.
Withdrawing his gaze, Shen Jiaru took another step, walked around the yard again, before returning to the house.
He still headed straight for the studio, still buried himself in thought and painting, day after day, year after year.
How many people can endure the loneliness of constantly doing one thing?
…
On this day, apart from going to the restroom, Hua Jie stayed seated at her desk.
During break time, she wanted to settle accounts with Bian Ying, but found that the other person seemed to be avoiding her, running off as soon as class ended and only returning when class began.
There’s always tomorrow, Hua Jie could only let it go for now.
In order to better fulfill Teacher Shen’s tasks, she meticulously created a schedule, recording every hour of her time between now and November 4th.
Then, holding Shen Jiaru’s demonstration painting, she kept looking at it, continuously.
She looked at it after every class, during all her free time.
While looking, she took notes in her notebook.
The intricacies of composition, the relationship of light and shadow, the colors of still life, the perspective relationship.
Her notes were filled with analytical diagrams, clearly dissected.
Then, she began analyzing the painting sequence, starting from the basics, which colors were applied in one go, which colors were layered.
Which areas needed the paper to be wet before painting, and which didn’t.
Every blank space, every pore, every detail…
She analyzed and recorded them one by one.
Every additional minute of observation brought another layer of understanding.
Copying isn’t just about replicating what you see, there’s too much rational and knowledge-based content involved.
These are all things she must understand and what Shen Jiaru wants to teach her through this painting.
When she came back to her senses again, the sky had darkened, and the last self-study session was almost over.
She took a long breath, today’s homework was finished.
The observation and analysis of the demonstration painting were almost done, the rest needed to be discovered and resolved during the painting process, accumulating experience and learning.
She stretched lazily, looked up at the blackboard, then turned to look at her classmates.
Some were dozing off on their desks, some were whispering to their desk mates, and some were diligently writing at their desks.
She glanced back at the several pages of notes she had written today, touched the sketches and notes on them.
Suddenly she felt a swelling in her chest. Immersing oneself fully in an activity, engaging in focused and immersive exploration and learning, was also something that could make one feel exhilarated.
Especially looking at the results in the notebook, even though she hadn’t started painting yet, she already had such a strong sense of accomplishment.
How wonderful.
The feeling of running towards a goal like this, it’s truly blissful.
She carefully put the painting back in the leather bag, along with her notebook.
At the end of the day, she felt she had taken another step closer to her goal.
Two months into her rebirth, she set out again, heading towards higher peaks.
…
…
As the school bell rang, Hua Jie slung her backpack over her shoulders and ran out, almost as eager as yesterday.
It was just for money yesterday, but today, it’s for dreams.
Shen Mo watched the girl’s departing figure, frowned slightly. She was too busy to talk to him today, and why was she so hurried and flustered after school?
Taking out the earmuffs she bought for him, carefully putting them on, feeling the warmth enveloping his ears, he licked his lips, then grabbed his backpack and strode out of the classroom.
…
When she rushed into the bike shed, Hua Jie found Bian Hong was already there.
Not only him, but also their neighbor, Zhou Wei, who usually didn’t go to and from school with them, was there, currently in his senior year.
“Huh?” Hua Jie raised her eyebrows. “Zhou Wei is here too~”
“I called Zhou Wei over. Didn’t that person yesterday say to wait for us? It’s safer for us all to leave school together for a while.” Bian Hong said.
“Ah!” She almost completely forgot about Bian Ying’s matter, turned her head and smiled foolishly at Zhou Wei, then looked at the several tall and sturdy boys standing next to Bian Hong, and the several male classmates standing next to Zhou Wei who looked particularly fierce:
“And these senior students?”
“I heard my sister was being bullied, so these big brothers insisted on coming to help you out.” Zhou Wei put his hand on a classmate’s shoulder.
“These are the guys I play ball with. You’ve met them before when you waited for me to go home together last time.” Bian Hong also briefly introduced the several male classmates standing beside him.
“…” Hua Jie looked at the row of tall and burly boys in surprise. If she were walking on the road after school and suddenly encountered such a group of fierce and unfriendly boys, she would be scared stiff too.
“Thank you, seniors.” She hurriedly thanked each one.
“Let’s go, let’s go. If those people really dare to come and block you, don’t let them wait too long.” A male classmate standing next to Zhou Wei urged eagerly.
“Alright.” Hua Jie quickly unlocked her bicycle.
So, amidst the crowd of students leaving the school, there was a scene of power and arrogance.
A delicate girl, followed by a group of tall and strong senior students who looked the most formidable, surged into an alleyway.
This group, with their fierce gazes and imposing stride, left an impression.