In the study.
Old Yu first briefly introduced the four treasures of the study, then taught Wen Tingxue the posture for holding a brush and the correct points of force.
Finally, he spread out a piece of Xuan paper and held it down with a white jade paperweight.
"I heard your childhood nickname was Yi Yi, so let's start with numbers."
Old Yu thought for a moment and said gently, "Write up to ten. You are a beginner."
"Don't worry about whether it looks good or not. Writing should be bold. You should feel that your own handwriting is the most beautiful in the world."
"Ah?"
Wen Tingxue had never heard such a saying before.
She was a little stunned.
Old Yu smiled and said, "People need to be confident first. Otherwise, how can the characters stand up?
"If you don't believe you can write well, who else will?"
Wen Tingxue nodded thoughtfully.
Then, holding the brush in one hand and her sleeve in the other, she wrote the numbers from one to ten stroke by stroke.
She used traditional Chinese characters.
Old Yu stroked his goatee with satisfaction. "You have good comprehension."
Praise made Wen Tingxue more confident. Her wrist was steadier, and her writing began to take shape.
But after all, she was a beginner, and it was a calligraphy brush. No matter how hard she tried, it still looked clumsy.
Wen Tingxue pouted a little dejectedly, her small face flushed red.
"Grandpa, am I writing very ugly?"
Old Yu smiled and shook his head. "Not ugly. It's better than what Grandpa wrote back then."
"Grandpa, you always tease people."
Wen Tingxue thought he was comforting her and listlessly put down the brush.
In fact, under normal circumstances, she would not speak like this.
But Grandpa Yu, like Yu Wenli, made her feel incredibly kind and at ease.
So she spoke more casually.
Old Yu, with his extensive experience and keen insight into people, naturally saw the clues.
But he liked this clean and pure girl even more.
Unlike his grandson, who had deep thoughts.
She was more likable.
Naturally, he talked more.
"Grandpa isn't lying to you. Grandpa was a poor man who didn't know many characters back then.
"Later, during the famine, in order to have enough to eat, I joined the army."
A sentiment Wen Tingxue couldn't understand flowed in Old Yu's eyes.
Many years later, she vaguely understood that it was nostalgia.
Nostalgia for fallen comrades, something those who had never been to the battlefield could not comprehend.
"After fighting a few battles, my health deteriorated, and I was discharged. It was also at that time that I started practicing calligraphy.
"Girl, think about it, Grandpa's hands can wield a hoe, hold a gun, drive a tank, and race cars, but they just can't hold a brush.
"At that time, many people thought I would give up within a few days, and there were plenty of people waiting to see a joke.
"Even I thought I couldn't last long, but I persisted until now.
"The good calligraphy you see is the result of more than ten years of practice.
"Girl, sometimes, there's no need to care too much about others' evaluations and opinions, no matter who they are, older than you, or higher in rank.
"That's not important. You just need to stick to what you believe is right."
Old Yu picked up the ten characters Wen Tingxue had written and held them at a distance, under the light.
"See? It's not that ugly, is it? Why are you so fixated on the local problems? Sometimes, you have to look at the whole picture.
"Breaking out of fixed thinking, fixed frameworks, and fixed rules is exactly what you young people should be doing, isn't it?"
Old Yu smiled and patted Wen Tingxue's shoulder.
"Do you want to continue practicing?"
"Yes!"
Wen Tingxue's face was full of fighting spirit. "Why wouldn't I? Didn't you say I wrote okay? So why should I give up?"
"Good!"
Old Yu stroked his beard with satisfaction. "Then we'll practice after dinner."
"After dinner?" Wen Tingxue blinked, embarrassed. "Grandpa..."
Old Yu knew what she wanted to say. "I will assign you homework every day, and I will also give you a new set of stationery.
"My first disciple was my grandson, and the second is you."
My future granddaughter-in-law.
Worth it.
Wen Tingxue felt too embarrassed to accept it for free. She was about to talk about tuition fees, but Old Yu raised his hand.
"Don't talk to me about money; it hurts our feelings. And you don't need to formally become my disciple, or what would this mean later on?"
It would mess up the seniority.
Wen Tingxue: "???"
She didn't understand a word.
Meanwhile, in the billiard room.
Que You told Chi Zerui about Yu Wenli's situation, and Chi Zerui laughed.
"You lost, remember to pay up."
Que You hit him with a cue. "It's only a few days less than me, and you have the nerve to ask for money?
"Besides, you're not short of money. What's the point of squeezing a poor guy like me?"
Chi Zerui just smiled and said nothing.
Que You was puzzled. "Aren't you curious about what happened?"
Chi Zerui shrugged. "What does that prove? The real challenge is with Ya He.
"Whether the little girl is just having a whim or has really figured things out, we'll know tomorrow, won't we?"
What happens at home is nothing. It takes courage to do it at school.
Que You tutted. "I never realized before that the great boss has a bit of a love brain."
Give the little girl some sunshine, and he'll be radiant.
"But speaking of which, that little sister is quite ordinary, isn't she? Except for her good personality, everything else is just average?"
Que You looked at Chi Zerui, seeking agreement.
Chi Zerui smiled. "Dare to say that in front of him."
Que You quickly covered his mouth. "I'll give you the money, and you can shut up."
Chi Zerui still smiled. "Then you'd better say less bad things about the little girl."
Que You looked at him as if he had seen a ghost. "You actually speak up for others? That's truly bizarre."
Chi Zerui, on the surface, seemed enthusiastic and easy to talk to, but he was actually cold inside.
He usually only helped his brothers and didn't care about others' lives.
Chi Zerui lazily said, "In a short while, the little girl will officially enter our circle. Do you want Brother Yu to beat you up?"
Que You's eyes widened. "Good heavens, is the ancestor really serious?"
"Otherwise?" Chi Zerui annoyedly hung up the phone.
Que You didn't dare to discuss Wen Tingxue anymore and instead turned his attention to Chi Zerui's girlfriend.
"What's going on? Didn't you just start dating not long ago? Are you tired of her so soon?"
Chi Zerui threw his phone into a glass of wine to soak, and said indifferently:
"Three hundred calls a day. It's annoying, and she won't break up."
-
Yu Residence.
Wen Jin Yan and Yu Xiu Xiu felt their moods lift as they saw their children's spirits improve.
The dishes they cooked were exceptionally delicious.
Yu Wen praised his wife's cooking, subtly expressing his love, which made Wen Jin Yan kick him under the table.
Yu Wen didn't care; he just smiled more happily.
His son had been in low spirits recently, making his wife worried to the point of not eating or sleeping well.
He couldn't even touch her.
He didn't care about his son's happiness or unhappiness, but his wife's mood was not good.
That was a big deal.
So he had spent a lot of effort, but even medicine didn't help.
Today, his son was happy, and his wife finally showed a smile.
How could he not be happy?
He wished he could invite the Wen family girl home and treat her with good food and drink.
Wen Jin Yan ignored him, picked up a shrimp for Wen Tingxue, and said with a smile:
"Only Yi Yi knows how to handle him. You have no idea, this young master of mine has been acting like someone owes him money lately.
"He hasn't even smiled all day. His father and I are helpless."
Wen Jin Yan glared playfully at Yu Wenli, who looked calm.
As if she weren't talking about him.
Wen Tingxue smiled shyly, not knowing how to respond.
Fortunately, Wen Jin Yan was just making a comment and turned to chat with Yu Xiu Xiu about other things.
Wen Tingxue lowered her head and bit into the shrimp, suddenly remembering that Que You had also said that Yu Wenli had been in a bad mood recently.
Was it... because of her?
As she was thinking, a lotus crisp with an appetizing appearance landed in her bowl.
The young man's voice was faint. "Eat as much as you want. Grandpa brought you a lot."
"Oh..."
Wen Tingxue obediently replied, then slowly raised her eyes.
Her eyes, as clear and clean as a fawn's, blinked at him.
Her voice was soft and gentle, like cotton candy.
"Brother Yu, have you been in a bad mood lately?"
Yu Wenli raised his eyebrows slightly, a hint of languid interest in his gaze.
"Yes, little sister Yi Yi, do you want to coax your brother?"