“Let’s sell it to Teacher Qiu for just 100,000 yuan,” Shen Jiaru suggested, his smile tight as he observed the oil painting that Qiu Yuan was holding. “Although the last painting sold for 120,000, after all, he is our senior in the painting world. For his appreciation, a discount is worthwhile.”
“…” Hua Jie: ?
When did she ever sell a painting for 120,000 yuan?
Teacher really knows how to talk!
She had never realized before—Shen, who always seemed so devoted to his art, turned out to be such a cunning adult!
Bai Qingquan couldn’t help but remark on the changes in Hua Jie’s brushwork as he looked at her oil painting. It seemed that influenced by the historical and cultural essence of the Forbidden City, she did not adopt the unrestrained strokes of “The Youth Waiting for the Bus to Return Home”. The color scheme was also not as wildly free-spirited.
This painting’s strokes and color palette were conservative; although somewhat stern, it succeeded in creating an interesting composition, which still conveyed a dynamic beauty.
Moreover, Bai Qingquan liked this calm palette.
The combination of turning red and cream on the stair handrails, along with the gray-white floor tiles, felt very sophisticated.
With some variation added to the shadows and pigeons, and mottling and peeling paint on the walls, the painting, though simple, still revealed new details upon each viewing.
This kid is really brilliant. Why didn’t she choose oil painting, instead opting for watercolor?
With this question in mind, he turned to ask Shen Jiaru:
“Why did you let this kid choose watercolor? Do you want your students to excel in all types of painting?”
Shen Jiaru shifted his gaze from the oil painting to Bai Qingquan, shaking his head with a smile:
“Do I look like someone who’s that bored?”
Using students’ artistic lives as his playthings?
“Why then?” Bai Qingquan now regretted not having learned oil painting himself.
In this era, traditional Chinese paintings do not sell as well as oil paintings, especially in terms of breaking into the international market—it’s truly enviable.
“There’s no particular reason, she just likes it,” Shen Jiaru said casually, with a light smile.
Bai Qingquan paused, then suddenly chuckled.
It seems that although Hua Jie’s painting style may not seem as extreme as Qian Chong’s, her unrestrained personality might even surpass his.
She took a deep breath, catching a glimpse of Shen Jiaru’s smile from the corner of her eye.
Reflecting on his departure from the capital years ago, it was undeniable that his life back in his hometown had relaxed him significantly, imbuing him with a leisurely and loose aura that she couldn’t help but envy.
“No, no, it’s alright. I shouldn’t take advantage of the younger generation.” Qiu Yuan took the bait and, after a quick laugh, stepped aside to make a phone call.
As soon as everyone exited the Forbidden City, one of Qiu Yuan’s students was waiting at the gate with a car.
The young man took the oil painting, carefully wrapped it in waterproof oilcloth, exchanged a few words with Shen Jiaru, and then invited Hua Jie to get into the car to go deposit some money.
Qian Chong, agile as ever, hopped into the car right after Hua Jie.
“I know Beijing well, I’ll take her. We won’t need this brother to take us out to eat later.”
Thus, the bodyguard Qian Chong went with Hua Jie and Master Qiu’s disciple to deposit the money.
Hua Jie, with her ID in hand, thought it a good opportunity to open a bank account so she could also deposit her own private savings later.
…
Fang Shaojun stood behind Teacher Shen, watching as Hua Jie drove away, her hand holding the painting, suddenly feeling a pang of sourness.
Even though she was the champion, she always had the illusion that Hua Jie was the real winner.
Books are never missed until needed; she wished she could immediately start learning watercolor and oil painting, and maybe even traditional Chinese painting, to surpass Hua Jie.
She sighed deeply.
Suddenly, a large hand landed on her head. She turned, looking directly into Teacher Shen’s penetrating eyes.
“Teacher…” For the first time, the usually proud and stern girl’s voice carried a hint of confusion and vulnerability.
“Hua Jie has chosen a path that is incredibly challenging. To make a name in the current market with watercolor is very, very difficult.”
“Behind her current achievements, you can’t imagine how much hard work she has put in, and the mental pressure she’s under is equally immense.”
“If you see her as a rival, she is indeed a worthy one.”
“However… you still feel competitive now, but in a few years, you will each take different paths. When you look back then, it will only bring sighs of what could have been. So, cherish the time you have together now, because soon, you may each take different paths to chase your own goals.”
Shen Jiaru withdrew his hand from her head as the girl fell into thought, then turned his gaze to another one of his students.
Lu Yunfei often went unnoticed due to his quiet demeanor.
Shen Jiaru had been making an effort not to ignore others, but Lu Yunfei was just too quiet. At a time like this, when everyone’s minds were agitated, easily disturbed by the sights and experiences of the past few days, Lu Yunfei remained as quiet as a mouse.
Upon seeing Lu Yunfei, Shen Jiaru paused slightly.
While everyone was waiting for cars at the entrance of the Forbidden City, chatting idly or lost in thought, there stood Lu Yunfei alone, intently sketching the group.
Worrying that Lu Yunfei might feel left out, or that he might be downhearted from not placing in the top three, not receiving much attention or praise, seemed unnecessary…
This child was truly obsessed with painting.
…
Dinner was arranged by Wang Jian at a large barbecue restaurant, famous for its authentic Beijing meat skewers.
Thinly sliced lamb and beef were slathered with plenty of oil and grilled until crispy on the outside and tender inside, sizzling with grease, then sprinkled with cumin, five-spice powder, and sesame.
Served piping hot, everyone eagerly reached for the skewers, not minding the scalding heat as they stuffed their mouths, the corners of their lips smeared with sauce. Those who liked it spicy added extra chili.
Skewer after skewer, the grilling barely kept pace with their eating—it was delicious and refreshing!
The men held bottles of liquor directly, guzzling it down noisily.
In this era, the petit bourgeois sensibilities had not yet entered the country, and the old northerners still lived life unrestrained and free of petty formalities.
Gorging on skewers and guzzling down liquor, all for the sheer joy of it.
It was a bold and hearty way to live.
Hua Jie also ate with great pleasure, and although she didn’t drink alcohol, guzzling down Beibingyang soda was equally satisfying.
Everyone was enjoying themselves, and soon the conversation flowed freely—talking about the international art market, discussing Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, sharing their own dreams of painting, and venting about how some were clearly not as talented but just luckier…
Boasting men are the same in every era.
Shen Jiaru drank little and conversed with restraint.
Initially focused on eating and drinking, he gradually began observing the people around him, noting each person’s movements, expressions, and the unique features of their bones and faces.
Observation was a habit of an artist; after half an hour, not only had he recognized the physical characteristics of everyone at the table, but he also noticed some interesting dynamics.
Ju Lei’s four disciples, Sun Qian and others, acted like mice in the presence of cats when facing him.
Qian Chong, in front of Sun Qian and the others, was like a mob boss, bossing them around—asking Sun Qian to fetch skewers one moment, and having the other disciples of Ju Lei fetch hot water the next. A single glare from him, and none of Ju Lei’s four disciples dared to compete with him for skewers.
What was going on here?
Looking over at Hua Jie, whenever she reached out for something to eat, even if Ju Lei’s four disciples also wanted it, they would immediately retract their hands in fright.
Even simple actions like standing up to go to the restroom—if one of his students stood up, Ju Lei’s four disciples would dodge them like the plague, and even if they had already stood up, they would sit right back down and hold it until his student returned.
What was happening?
Had Hua Jie and the others beaten up Sun Qian and his group without him knowing, and beaten them thoroughly into submission?
After observing for most of the meal, Shen Jiaru was beginning to lose his patience.
He turned to ask Bai Qingquan, who was sitting next to him, if he had noticed anything unusual, but to his surprise, Bai Qingquan spoke first:
“Teacher Shen, are Ju Lei’s four disciples afraid of your students? Do young people today have such a strong sense of hierarchy? Are those who rank lower in competitions so timid and deferential to those who rank higher?
“Young people today… they really lack backbone, don’t they?”
Shen Jiaru and Bai Qingquan exchanged glances, hesitating before Shen responded:
“It wasn’t like this before. At the award ceremony, I saw Sun Qian glaring at Qian Chong, haha, probably something happened that we don’t know about?”
Just then, a somewhat tipsy Qiu Yuan suddenly laughed and said:
“Teacher Shen, you don’t know yet? Hahaha, Hua Jie and the others were provoked by Ju Lei’s four disciples, so the kids got together for a painting showdown.
“Sun Qian thought Hua Jie and the others couldn’t paint with oils and arrogantly threw down the oil painting materials, claiming he’d use the more difficult medium of oil to win. Turns out, Hua Jie can also paint with oils.”
“Hahaha… and what happened? Hua Jie’s oil painting had better composition, better color matching, and she won fair and square.”
“Qian Chong’s performance was stable too; he captured the loneliness and chill of the imperial city under the shadow of the Forbidden City perfectly.”
“And Lu Yunfei’s painting, well, he practically turned his painting into a photograph, the detail was so impressive, his patience is truly innate.”
“And Fang Shaojun, hahaha, her personal style is becoming more mature; her painting of the Forbidden City was like a woman who has weathered many hardships—elegant and proud, but also bearing unmistakable marks of the years.”
“The Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts competition system is fair after all. These rankings aren’t just made up on a whim. How could it be that they lost in the official competition one day and then won in a private match a few days later?”
Qiu Yuan had drunk a bit too much and spoke without any regard for others’ feelings.
His gaze swept over to Sun Qian and a few other kids, all of whom had faces filled with a deathly pallor, looking awkward and pained as if they were eating not skewers, but raw iron and hard wood. He chuckled, then turned his attention to Ju Lei:
“Ju Lei, it’s good for the kids to be a bit wild and spirited. Don’t scold Sun Qian and the others when you get back.”
“Winning and losing are common in warfare. You used to always lose to Shen Jiaru, always a step behind, but aren’t you now one of the renowned painters in the country?”
“Look at the bigger picture, gradually refine their temperament, slowly find their style, and cultivate their aesthetic sense. They are still young, they have four more years of university, by the time they enter society, they’ll surely surpass us old folks.”
As soon as Qiu Yuan finished his long speech, Ju Lei’s face turned instantly dark.
The expressions of Sun Qian and the other kids grew even more anxious; they all knew that their teacher hated most being compared to Shen Jiaru.
The person their teacher most respected and wanted to surpass was also Shen Jiaru.
Now not only had they lost the competition, but their private attempts at painting had also been disastrous, completely embarrassing their teacher.
And now, at the dinner table, all these old wounds were being ruthlessly reopened. The teacher must be furious by now.
Sun Qian and the others didn’t have the talent of Fang Shaojun and couldn’t study under Shen Jiaru. Being able to learn from Ju Lei was already a rare and fortunate choice. If Teacher Ju stopped teaching them as well…
In an instant, the four kids felt as if they were sitting on hot irons, each of them looking extremely uneasy.
The youngest one looked as though he might burst into tears at any moment.
Bai Qingquan saw Ju Lei’s expression and the fearful look on the children’s faces and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.
She had always detested how these men, whenever they gathered, would start comparing and undermining each other as soon as they drank a bit, even if they were mature artists, showing no improvement whatsoever.
Men’s competitions were matters of life and death.
And when it came to competing, they were utterly merciless.
Bai Qingquan, not waiting for Qiu Yuan to continue ‘remedying’ the awkward and stiff atmosphere, raised her glass and smiled:
“It’s rare for us all to gather in the capital, let’s talk less about work and more about lighter topics.”
“Teacher Bai, how long have you been growing your hair?” Hua Jie immediately raised her Arctic Ocean soda, clinking glasses with Bai Qingquan, and asked a question that completely exceeded everyone’s expectations.
“…” Bai Qingquan paused for a moment, then smiled: “It’s been this style for decades, just trimming it occasionally. To grow it from your length to waist-long, it would take about two to three years.”
“I’ll be eighteen by then,” Hua Jie nodded seriously, as if discussing something profoundly significant with Teacher Bai.
“Preparing for the college entrance exam with such long hair must be inconvenient, right?” Wang Jian has a daughter, and he once had to wash and comb her hair when his wife was not around, which was really strenuous.
“What’s this about convenience? Is putting on and taking off clothes every day convenient? Do capable girls have to cut their hair short and spend all their time dressing up studying and painting? Why are you men so superficial?” Bai Qingquan’s ability to retort was still extremely strong, leaving Wang Jian speechless in an instant.
But this diversion quickly dissipated the earlier awkward atmosphere, and everyone chatted and laughed about various topics for a while before circling back to discussions about painting and their past, present, and future.