From Evil Sect Leader to Doctor-Chapter 373 - 348: Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition

Chapter 373: Chapter 348: Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition

Xu Chunliang chatted casually with Fu Guomin.

Fu Guomin asked him if he had any special skills. Xu Chunliang told him that whether it was massage, bone setting, acupuncture, or cupping, there wasn’t a single skill at Huichun Hall he wasn’t good at.

Xu Chunliang has increasingly realized that in today’s society, few people are modest. Being too humble is considered a lack of confidence; one should be good at promoting oneself, exaggerating one’s abilities from a third of the truth to full marks. It’s not called boasting; it’s called personal marketing.

Xu Chunliang inquired if Fu Guomin had heard of a person named Qiao Rulong. Xu Chunliang came to the Capital City ahead of time to meet Mei Ru Xue. Since he couldn’t get in touch with Mei Ru Xue, he had to look for alternative channels. Mo Han once mentioned that Mei Ru Xue’s elder brother was named Qiao Rulong, and it wasn’t hard to find information on this person.

Fu Guomin said, "Qiao Rulong, huh, he is the boss of Mingsheng Investment. This person is quite something, a new nobility with a deep-rooted background and impeccable pedigree."

Xu Chunliang had searched Qiao Rulong on Baidu, but there was no specific information about him online.

Fu Guomin told Xu Chunliang that people like Qiao Rulong usually act very cautiously, existing in the business world as behind-the-scenes operators.

In the country, there is a group of people you can’t find on the wealth list, yet their assets far exceed those at the top. Some businesses can only be handled by them.

Xu Chunliang understood what Fu Guomin meant: "Director Fu, do you know Qiao Rulong?"

Fu Guomin shook his head: "I’ve seen him, from a distance. People like him are not in the same league as us. I might know of him, but he doesn’t know me. Do you know him?" Fu Guomin felt his question was somewhat unnecessary; there couldn’t be any connection between Xu Chunliang and Qiao Rulong.

Xu Chunliang said, "I don’t know him, but I have some business with him."

Fu Guomin laughed, "I really can’t help you with that, but I do know that Qiao Rulong’s wife is named Ye Qingya. She’s a professor in the traditional Chinese painting department at Shuimu Art Academy, a well-known young female artist in the country. Recently, her personal art exhibition is being held at the Capital Art Museum. If you’re interested, you might try your luck there and perhaps run into Qiao Rulong."

Xu Chunliang decided to try his luck at the Capital Art Museum. Even if he couldn’t meet Qiao Rulong, he could possibly see Ye Qingya. Given her personal art exhibition, there was a high probability she would be present.

On the same day, Xu Chunliang went to the Capital Art Museum, where exhibitions are now free to visit; online appointments are made with an ID card for direct entry.

Xu Chunliang saw a huge billboard of Ye Qingya’s art exhibition at the entrance. Based on the photo, Ye Qingya appeared to be a beautiful woman with a cold elegance. In a family like the Qiao Family, with Qiao Rulong’s wealth and status, he surely needed a woman who balanced both talent and beauty.

Xu Chunliang glanced at Ye Qingya’s profile. She was thirty years old. The paintings on the billboard didn’t reveal the true depth of skill, but one could judge that she wasn’t merely famous by reputation.

The cultural environment in the Capital City was incomparable to that of Dongzhou. Even though it wasn’t a public holiday, there were still many visitors, and lines needed to be queued up to enter. Xu Chunliang moved slowly with the line, taking over half an hour to finally enter the museum.

The museum simultaneously hosted several exhibitions; the famous foreign oil painting exhibition required an additional fee, which Xu Chunliang wasn’t particularly interested in. So, he headed straight to the third floor for Ye Qingya’s personal art exhibition.

The third floor was noticeably quieter. Upon entering the exhibition hall, Xu Chunliang noticed there were few visitors. He looked at the foreword, which mainly introduced Ye Qingya’s artistic journey. From this piece, it was evident Ye Qingya had been awarded countless times from prestigious schools, having won over a dozen national painting and calligraphy awards, mostly first prizes, with the overall summary being full of praise.

Xu Chunliang was more interested in calligraphy. Ye Qingya mainly specialized in the Slender Gold script, which was rarely seen among women.

The Slender Gold script was created by Emperor Huizong of Song, characterized by strong individuality and could be considered a unique creation in calligraphy history, noted for its lively and swift strokes, slender yet robust lines, and graceful appearance, especially in large characters. Due to its relatively slender and hard strokes, the technique is exposed, with visibly obvious traces of lifting and pausing in penmanship, making it a quite distinctive style.

Xu Chunliang believed the standard of contemporary calligraphy generally declined, linked to modern society replacing brush calligraphy with penmanship. In the past, anyone who knew how to write could write with a brush. Nowadays, among people who can write, finding even one in a hundred who writes good brush calligraphy is impressive. The most ridiculous is someone using a pen to write Slender Gold, completely losing its original charm. No matter how well you write, you can never achieve the essence of slenderness without brittleness because the choice of writing instrument is inherently wrong.

The decline of calligraphy is evident as it becomes merely a hobby today. To put it bluntly, any random private school teacher from the past would be considered a great master in today’s society.

Xu Chunliang’s past calligraphy level was just above average, but nowadays he hasn’t seen many calligraphy masters better than himself. He really doesn’t know if history is progressing or going backward—perhaps it can be said that there are pros and cons.

Xu Chunliang stood in front of a piece of calligraphy by Ye Qingya, which was Li Qingzhao’s "Sheng Sheng Man."

Searching and seeking, cold and clear, desolate and sorrowful. The sudden warmth followed by cold, the hardest to endure. A few cups of light wine, how can it withstand the evening’s fierce wind? The geese fly by, deepening the sorrow, yet it is an old acquaintance.

The ground is covered with yellow flowers in heaps. Withered and worn, who can pick them now? Guarding the window alone, how can one endure the dark? The parasol tree along with the fine rain, drips drop by drop till dusk. This sequence, how can a word describe the sorrow?

Xu Chunliang looked at it for a while, feeling that Ye Qingya’s calligraphy did capture some of the essence of thin gold script, reaching nine out of ten in form. She indeed deserves the title of a talented woman.

At this time, a few people came in together. Having seen photos before, Xu Chunliang immediately recognized one of them as Ye Qingya, with her tall figure and noble temperament, making him secretly delighted that he came at the right time today.

He came specifically for Ye Qingya. At her solo art exhibition, she would be here every day, and if important guests came to visit, she would personally accompany them.

Walking alongside Ye Qingya was a man with white hair who looked youthful and wore a ponytail; he was Yue Qianshan, the vice president of the National Calligraphy Association, a prominent figure in the domestic painting and calligraphy world. In the past, masters remained hidden and modest, but now they are eccentric, seeking to stand out in their attire, wishing they could write the words "pretentious" on their foreheads, afraid others wouldn’t know they are cultured individuals.

Xu Chunliang stopped to wait as the group chatted while walking. Yue Qianshan was full of praise for Ye Qingya’s paintings and calligraphy. Xu Chunliang heard it clearly; fairly speaking, Ye Qingya’s calligraphy is outstanding among the younger generation, but not to the extent of Yue Qianshan’s lavish praises, which seemed suspiciously like mutual commercial flattery.

The group led by Yue Qianshan reached the "Sheng Sheng Man." Xu Chunliang didn’t move aside, resting his chin in his hand, with a look of being absorbed in thought.

Yue Qianshan looked at it for a while and praised, "Wonderful! This ’Sheng Sheng Man’ is well done! Slim, brisk, and lively, with slanted strokes resembling orchids and bamboo. Even Emperor Huizong of Song Zhao Ji’s works were nothing more than this. The emotions of melancholy and sorrow are vividly expressed between the lines. Qingya’s piece is definitely a classic."

Even Ye Qingya herself couldn’t bear to listen anymore and hastily modestly replied, "Not at all, Teacher Yue, you overpraise me..."

Xu Chunliang laughed aloud at this moment, which was an extremely impolite act at such a time, leaving everyone stunned. Yue Qianshan pursed his lips, suppressing the urge to reprimand this young man. Ye Qingya, well-mannered and with important guests present, found it unnecessary to argue with a spectator. She made an inviting gesture to have the guests move on to the next piece.

Xu Chunliang said, "This type of script should be completed with a tranquil and calm state of mind, totally unsuitable for expressing melancholic emotions. This is also why Zhao Ji’s classic works all came from his time as an emperor; at that time, being free from worry, with a serene mind, he could write classics like ’Regular Script Thousand Character Essay’ and ’Luxuriant Poems.’ After being captured by the Jin, he could never write such masterpieces again, because his state of mind had changed. This old gentleman only knows part of the story."

Yue Qianshan, being called out publicly by Xu Chunliang, found it intolerable. He acknowledged that Xu Chunliang was right but couldn’t resign himself to being lectured by a young man in front of so many people. Coldly, he looked at Xu Chunliang and said, "Young man, do you know calligraphy too?"

Xu Chunliang smiled at Yue Qianshan and said, "I know a little. Although I’m not talented, I personally think this calligraphy is at a sixty-point level."

Ye Qingya’s pretty face warmed up. Who was this rascal? Was he here to cause trouble? She admitted her calligraphy wasn’t perfect and had room for improvement, but saying it was only worth sixty points was unacceptable. Wasn’t he saying her work just barely passed? In her self-assessment, it should at least be above eighty-five points.

Ye Qingya said, "Sir, please point out the flaws in this piece." You say my writing isn’t good, you ought to specify a reason or two.

Xu Chunliang came all the way here just to meet Ye Qingya, and by belittling her work, he only wanted to get her attention. Judging by the situation, he was already halfway successful.

Xu Chunliang said, "Talking without practicing is fake. Coincidentally, I have also practiced the thin gold script. Are there any tools for writing here? I will write a seventy-point piece on the spot for everyone to critique."

Ye Qingya understood immediately. He was here to stir up trouble. Saying her calligraphy was only sixty points, he wanted to write a seventy-point one on the spot, implying his calligraphy was better than hers. Ye Qingya, having studied calligraphy for many years and conducted dozens of personal exhibitions, had never encountered such a situation before. Her intelligence clued her in that there must be ulterior motives behind his provocation. Smiling calmly, she said, "Mr. Yue, this way please."

Ye Qingya’s action clearly showed her stature, indicating she didn’t care to argue with him, wasn’t interested in acknowledging him. Originally, if she just walked away, the issue could be resolved nicely. But who doesn’t have a few bumbling teammates nearby to help?

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