Extra Nan Luo: 9. The Stubborn Little Girl

After drinking water and eating fruit, only Luo Hao was still weak, and Yu Chuanbei had recovered his strength. He found the courtyard elegant and charming, and with the consent of the kind couple, he prepared to look around. He stood up and accidentally caught a glimpse of a little girl in a bright yellow dress in the studio hidden by the bamboo forest. The little girl was about fifteen or sixteen years old, and when her pretty face tilted towards him, it was filled with a slightly childish anger. She was not sure what had made her angry, but she threw her paintbrush into the wooden box, got up stubbornly and left. Because of the distance and the bamboo forest between them, Yu Chuanbei did not see the little girl's face clearly, but he still felt that she was like a bright and moving sunshine, shining into the cold bamboo forest, and then she was distracted and shuttled away to another place. She seemed to have walked into the bedroom, and he could not follow her. He had to shift his gaze elsewhere and admire the oil paintings hanging on the wall or on the easel. Both his eldest and second sisters were art dealers, and Yu Chuanbei, influenced by them, had developed a certain appreciation for the quality of their work. He carefully admired the paintings displayed in the courtyard and, believing them to be masterpieces, he briefly consulted with Elder Brother Ling and left Yu Jinnan's contact information for future contact. Tong Xiaowei expressed her gratitude, but Lingxu's response was less than enthusiastic. However, no one could have foreseen that the person they met would unexpectedly pass away soon after. The note with the phone number fell off a cliff along with the loving couple, and the phone was never called. Yu Chuanbei noticed that the courtyard was primarily filled with paintings of obvious skill. The signature in the lower right corner, in a custom cursive script, read "lie Ling'er," presumably the work of Elder Brother Ling. However, he didn't understand the use of the word "lie" at that time. Was it a lie? Or perhaps lying flat? Perhaps it was an artist's aesthetic quirk, and he didn't want to comment. But there were other interesting paintings mixed in. They were unsigned, their brushwork a bit clumsy, yet their artistic conception was remarkable, even more uninhibited. These paintings faced the window of the room the girl in the yellow dress had just entered. He stood before the rows of paintings for a long time, admiring them. Ling Ling, working on her homework, caught a glimpse of a tall, white figure at the window, and she couldn't help but look out. It was one of the two boys who had just come in seeking help. Her parents had just called them "little fish, little snail," or even "little shrimp, little crab!" These two impudent little guys had suddenly arrived, stealing her parents' rare time with her. She was furious and blamed them for everything. But looking at the boy's profile...

After drinking water and eating fruit, only Luo Hao remained weak, while Yu Chuanbei had recovered his strength. He found the courtyard quite elegant and charming, and with the kind couple's consent, he prepared to look around.

He stood up and caught a glimpse of a young girl in a bright yellow dress in a studio nestled among the bamboo trees. She was about fifteen or sixteen, and as she tilted her pretty face towards him, a hint of childish irritation filled her. She lost her temper for some unknown reason, threw her paintbrush into the wooden box, and stubbornly stood up and left.

At a distance, separated by a bamboo forest, Yu Chuanbei couldn't quite see the girl's face, but she still felt like a ray of bright sunlight, illuminating the cool bamboo forest. Then, in a moment's distraction, she drifted off to another place. She seemed to have entered the bedroom, and he couldn't follow her. He simply turned his gaze elsewhere, admiring the paintings hanging on the wall or propped up on the easel.

The eldest and second sisters were both involved in the art trade, and Yu Chuanbei, influenced by them, had developed a certain understanding of the quality of paintings. He carefully admired the paintings displayed in the courtyard and believed that they could be considered masterpieces. After briefly discussing the situation with Elder Ling, he left Yu Jinnan's contact information for follow-up communication. Tong Xiaowei expressed her gratitude, but Lingxu's response was not enthusiastic.

But no one could have imagined at that time that not long after, the person in front of them would pass away unexpectedly, and the note with the phone number fell off the cliff along with the loving couple, and that phone number was never dialed again.

Yu Chuanbei noticed that the courtyard was dominated by paintings that clearly showed exceptional artistry. The signature in the lower right corner, in a custom cursive script, read "lie Ling'er." These must have been the work of that "Big Brother Ling." He didn't understand why the word "lie" was used so utterly. Did it mean to lie? Or to lie flat? Perhaps it was an artist's idiosyncratic aesthetic, and he didn't want to comment.

But there were other interesting paintings mixed in. They were unsigned, and the brushwork was a bit awkward, but the artistic conception was quite good, even more uninhibited. These paintings faced the window of the room that the girl in the yellow dress had just entered. He stood in front of those rows of paintings and admired them for a long time.

Ling Ling, doing her homework, caught a glimpse of a tall, white figure by the window. She looked up. It was one of the two boys who had just come in seeking help. Her parents had just told her they were called "little fish, little snail," or "little shrimp, little crab." These two imprudent guys had suddenly arrived, stealing her parents' rare time with her. She was furious and blamed them for everything.

But looking at the boy's profile, he was quite handsome. His white T-shirt and camel-colored overalls made him look refreshing and free-spirited. He lingered in front of her painting the longest, which somewhat dispelled her anger.

The mountain people or businessmen who came to visit before always praised her father's paintings, and no one was willing to take a second look at her paintings. Unexpectedly, this strange boy had quite some taste and knew how to appreciate the wild beauty of her masterpieces.

The boy moved aside again, but he was still circling her drawing area. She couldn't help but put her hands on the desk, straighten her body, and lean her head out the window to see him.

He seemed to have noticed someone was staring at him, and looked in her direction. Their eyes unexpectedly met. Ling Ling blinked her big watery eyes in surprise, and retracted her head in panic. Her little face instantly turned red with shame, and she felt her ears burning uncomfortably.

Yu Chuanbei wanted to take a few steps forward to chase her and ask her a question, but then he realized that it was a girl's bedroom, so he took a few steps back and turned away. However, those sharp autumn eyes staring at him so directly, frightened and then shrinking for a moment, remained in his memory for a long time. So much so that years later, when this memory was awakened by a small painting by Lingxu, the first thing he thought of was those eyes.

After dinner at Ling's, the two said goodbye and prepared to leave. Tong Xiaowei called her daughter out to say goodbye. The little girl, clutching a large bouquet of warm yellow tulips, wore her hair in a high ponytail, revealing a fuzzy crown. She turned her face sideways, said awkwardly, "Goodbye, Uncle," and then ran off into the distance.

It was the first time they were called uncle, and they were at a loss as to how to respond. Fortunately, the Ling family had good manners and apologized on behalf of their rude daughter. The eldest brother even enthusiastically offered to give them a ride so they wouldn't get lost again.

On the way down the mountain, Ling Xu heard the two young men calling him "Brother Ling" one on each side, and corrected them, saying, "My daughter is not much younger than you. She's already a sophomore in high school this year. You two should at least call me uncle."

So they both changed their words obediently, and Yu Chuanbei followed up by saying, "Uncle Ling, if we meet again in the future, don't let your daughter call us uncle. We are only three or four years older than her."

Ling Xu didn't expect that the young man still cared about this matter, and was amused to the point of laughing heartily.

Yu Chuanbei then asked, "Which university is your daughter currently interested in applying to?"

Ling Xu opened up when she mentioned her daughter. "Not yet. That girl has a lot of tricks up her sleeve, and she might not listen to us. But no matter what she does in the future, her mother and I will support her unconditionally. Because no matter how rebellious my daughter is, she's definitely more reliable than her parents. Her mother and I feel the most sorry for her. We only care about pursuing the life we ​​want and always ignore her. I just hope that my paintings can sell better, and that life at home can get back on track, so that we can have more opportunities to spend time with her in the future, as a way of making up for it."

"She will understand." Yu Chuanbei said affirmatively.

Ling Xu was surprised by his confidence and asked, "How do you know?"

"Didn't you just say that she has a lot of clever ideas?" Yu Chuanbei said.

After hearing this, Lingxu burst out laughing.

Lingxu escorted them to a fork in the road and pointed them in the direction down the mountain before leaving. Yu Chuanbei and Luo Hao thanked him profusely and agreed to visit him again next summer. Lingxu readily agreed, explaining that his daughter would be taking the college entrance exam next year and needed their guidance.

The following summer, Yu Chuanbei returned to Linglu, as promised. This time, he went alone. Initially, he lost his way, taking a long time to find his way. But once he did, he began to doubt himself, wondering if he had once again taken the wrong path. The pristine white house from the previous year was now utterly dilapidated. Instead of the tulipwood sign that read "Linglu," it was now locked with a large, rusty lock. He knocked for an eternity, but received no response. So, using scrap bricks as a footstool, he scaled the wall, only to find the yard overgrown with weeds. The abundant summer rains had even grown into the house, and the small, tranquil bamboo forest had been haphazardly cut down. There was not a single painting, not a single ray of color, in the entire yard.

He inquired with the villagers down the mountain, but received no response. Returning home, he repeatedly checked with his second sister, who was also certain that Uncle Ling hadn't contacted her. He gave up on trying, hoping the family had grown tired of the hardship of life in the mountains and moved back to the city.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

That summer, when Luo Hao returned to Yu Chuanbei's home from the mountains of Hebei, he swore a solemn oath that he would never participate in any outdoor activities initiated by Yu Chuanbei again in his life.

Luo Hao said he'd had enough fun, almost losing his life, and packed his bags to return to Shanghai. Yu Chuanbei saw that he was able to make derogatory jokes again, so he thought he had recovered and was ready to let him go.

That evening, Yu Jinnan suddenly called his parents from overseas, and the three of them were chatting animatedly in the living room. Yu Chuanbei and Luo Hao, who had been cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen, stopped what they were doing when they heard Yu Jinnan's clear voice, amplified by the loudspeaker. Yu Chuanbei looked at Luo Hao, who looked at the two elders' phones in the living room.

In order to prevent Luo Hao from feeling embarrassed, Yu Chuanbei went to the kitchen to wash the dishes alone, leaving him sitting alone in the restaurant in a daze.

Luo Hao's heartstrings were plucked when he heard Yu Jinnan's long-lost voice.

He heard Jinnan talk about Melbourne, where a heavy snow had just fallen. She was video chatting with her parents from her hotel room on the top floor, live-streaming the snow and the winter scenery along the Yarra River. She also said her job was just walking to the Art Gallery of Victoria for a few events over the past two weeks, which was easy.

Yu Jinnan asked his parents about Yu Chuanbei, and they asked him to come over for a video chat. Yu Chuanbei wiped the dishwashing foam off his hands, sat on the sofa with his parents, and greeted his second sister. Yu Jinnan couldn't help but tease him, saying, "Look at you, you really look like a good family man! I heard you're in love at school. Why didn't you bring your lover home for your parents to see during the summer vacation?"

When his parents heard this, they immediately questioned their son, making Yu Chuanbei extremely embarrassed: "How did you know I was in a relationship?"

A hint of embarrassment crossed Yu Jinnan's face, and then she released her signature charming smile and said, "I can tell the truth!"

Yu Chuanbei rolled his eyes at her and said, "It's clear there was a traitor betraying you. If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tell my parents about your embarrassing story."

Seeing his younger brother say this, Yu Jinnan had no choice but to keep quiet. He took the opportunity to send him away, continued chatting with his parents, and then hurriedly hung up the video call.

The two elders were still obsessed with the topic of marriage and love. Mother Lin Hua couldn't help but ask again: "Beibei, you are really in love, right? You can tell your parents. You can also bring girls home to play. Your parents will support you."

"Oh my god, I've told you so many times not to call me by my nickname! That girl and I have just started dating, and the relationship is not stable yet. Who knows what will happen in the future." Yu Chuanbei stood up irritably, not wanting to continue this topic.

Yu Langshan added, "But your second sister said she wanted to buy a gift for your girlfriend and bring it back during the Spring Festival. She also asked you what would be suitable."

"She should just give up. She doesn't come back to the country for a thousand years. By the time she comes back, we might have broken up." After saying this, Yu Chuanbei went into the kitchen and closed the door, determined to wait until the topic died down before coming out.