Chapter 27
An An only saw her mother scribbling with the pen randomly. There was no shape and she had no idea what she was drawing.
But when Zhong Miao changed to a medium-sized pen and gradually outlined the shapes and light and shadows on the background, the little guy's mouth opened wide.
Even though Zhang Weilan was well-informed, she was still surprised by Zhong Miao's skills. It was the first time she had watched her daughter-in-law paint in person.
"Miaomiao, how come you are so good? I have seen masters painting, but they all have to make a draft. You are actually better than those foreign masters."
When Zhang Weilan was young, she was a young lady from a wealthy family. Her family attached great importance to the education of their children. It was not easy to hire a foreign teacher at that time, but her Zhang family was a famous and prestigious family. There were many members of the family who had been sent abroad to study, let alone hiring a teacher.
Unfortunately, she is a girl, and her family is worried about her going abroad. Her parents' old-fashioned thinking is that it is better for their daughter to get married.
She has learned music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but she seems to have no talent in these areas. In the end, she can only write well and play Go, chess and Western chess.
Although she can't play the piano or paint, she can appreciate paintings and music.
She had also seen a man painting oil paintings and had learned from him for a while. Decades had passed, but she still remembered that the foreign man's paintings were very rigid and not as elegant and graceful as her daughter-in-law's.
"Grandma, what you saw back then was actually a classical oil painting, which is different from this gouache. It's much more complicated."
"I don't care whether it's the same or not. I just see that my daughter-in-law has a spirit in her writing."
Zhang Weilan looked at the twenty or so small tubes of paint and couldn't help asking, "Are these enough? Why did you only buy so little? I remember that foreign painters used to have a big box with a lot of miscellaneous things in it, and a big wooden frame with cloth tied on it. They painted on the cloth. Do you need it? Mom will buy it for you."
Zhong Miao was a little amused. Her mother-in-law was so adorable. "No need, grandma. Just use these before the exam. This paint is 60 milliliters, which is enough for a while. People use this for art exams now. You can prepare the oil painting materials after school starts."
Zhong Miao rinsed the brush, wiped the tip of the brush half dry with a rag, mixed the color, and outlined the dry plum tree with a few strokes.
"Okay, when you go to school, mom will buy you the best."
"Yeah, thank you, grandma."
An An didn't quite understand what the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were saying, what about milliliters and big boxes with wooden frames? His eyes rolled around, following the movements of Zhong Miao's hands. He stared at his mother drawing without blinking, and he didn't know what he saw.
Zhong Miao drew a picture in the morning, and in the afternoon she taught An An how to draw. It turns out that this child is quite sensitive to colors. Zhong Miao used paints to teach An An some basic knowledge of the color wheel and taught him some observation methods.
Even after dark, An An was still unsatisfied. "Mom, how did you make the purple color?"
"If you add blue and red, you can make purple. Adding some white will make the color lighter. Try mixing it."
"Which blue and red should I use?" An An was puzzled as he looked at the three blue and three red colors in the box.
"Different blues and different reds can produce different shades of purple. Some are cooler, some are warmer, but they are all purple. You can try them one by one."
Zhong Miao didn't mind An An wasting paint and paper at all, and encouraged him to try more.
In Zhang Weilan's eyes, this situation was rare and heartwarming.
Although An An was adopted by the second son, who treated him as his own son, he could not replace his mother's presence in any way, nor could he always accompany the child.
Although he took on the responsibility of being a father, he had no experience as a father and was bound to be unable to take care of things.
Now that Zhong Miao is born, although An An's face doesn't show much change, she knows that the child has accepted Zhong Miao and likes this mother very much.
Even after dinner, when it was dark, An An was still discussing the color matching issue with her mother in the new house.
Pei Ze felt cold as he pushed the door open and saw the mother and son trying to decide the color.
"Dad, you're back." An An got off the kang and ran over to hug Pei Ze's thighs.
"Yeah, I'm back." Pei Ze took off his coat, bent down and picked up An An. "Are you learning painting with mom?"
"Well, I can mix purple, orange, and green, and I even drew an apple."
"An An is awesome." Pei Ze kissed him on the cheek. "It's getting late. We need to go to bed soon. Let's go find grandma, okay?"
"Okay." An An also kissed his father.
Pei Ze carried An An out of the house and sent the child directly to the main house. Zhong Miao didn't say a word...
As for sending the children away so early, it's only a little after seven o'clock.
When Pei Ze came back, Zhong Miao couldn't help but ask, "Why did you come back today? Isn't it unsafe after dark?"
"You underestimate your man. It's you who's insecure, not me."
"Why did you leave me money this morning?"
"You must have spent all the money Mom gave you last time. Keep these for now."
Pei Ze also climbed onto the kang and sat next to Zhong Miao.
"No, I don't have any money to spend at home."
"You're my wife, so of course you have to help me manage the money. This is just for your reference. It also includes your commission. You can't be completely broke. I'm going to invest the rest into the factory, and when I make money in the future, I'll give it all to you. How about that?"
It was rare for Pei Ze to speak nicely. He spoke softly, as if coaxing a child, with a low voice.
"Ah? Give it to me? Aren't you afraid that I'll spend it all on you?"
"Spend what you need to spend, buy whatever you want, isn't that what I earn money for?"
Zhong Miao just felt a huge pressure. What kind of evil was this? Pei Ze had changed so much recently that she was a little uncomfortable with it.
"Isn't it true that our family background cannot be known to outsiders?"
"You are my wife, not an outsider."
"Don't you have to be frugal?"
"Hey, tell me, are you more diligent or more frugal?"
This question really made Zhong Miao ask, is she diligent? She is not lazy, but she really can't do much work. Saving money doesn't seem to be her strong point either. She was a money-eating beast in her previous life.
"Uh, how can you be so good at poking people in the heart?"
Zhong Miao was unhappy. She rarely spent money now.
"I'm hitting the nail on the head. Don't think about divorce anymore. Let's live a good life together. I'll let you spend all the money my husband earns. How about that?"
"You talk like I'm after your money."
"If you could fool people with money, I would have given it to you long ago. What are you thinking?"
"Aren't you also trying to trick me into living with you by using money? Humph."
"Are you even a little moved?" Pei Ze happily teased her.
"No."
"You're really hard to please."
"My dad always told me since I was little, don't be fooled by the little favors from the outside guys. My dad said, we have our own money, don't take advantage of others."
Pei Ze touched her rosy cheeks and said, "I'm not a kid from outside. We are a legal couple. Just take the flowers if I give them to you."
"We're in an arranged marriage. I can't accept this."
"Don't feel burdened. It was my mom who pushed me to get married, and I got fed up with her. I had no choice but to get married. I'm not going to find fault with you in the future, so don't overthink it. Just let it go."
"Okay."
That night, Zhong Miao tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Pei Ze's recent changes had already put her under a little pressure, and what Pei Ze said today had increased the pressure.
If she was a child growing up in a normal family, she would definitely not think so much. Pei Ze is indeed very attractive, but for Zhong Miao, marriage is far more toxic than sweet.
Her parents' failed marriage was a warning to her. She had read the dozen or so diaries left by her mother, and she could never let go of the contents.
Zhong Miao's mother, the daughter of a wealthy family, met her father, who was then a poor boy. But how could such a headstrong young lady care about being well-matched? She plunged headfirst into love and married her father without hesitation.
She was the worst-married girl in the family, and was inevitably looked down upon. Even her biological parents shook their heads and tried every means to oppose this marriage. Her mother broke off relations with the family from then on.
My mother grew up in luxury. Everything she wore was custom-made, and she ate delicacies from land and sea, some of which were even airlifted in that day. The skincare products she used were at least from a big brand.
Obviously, this was a life that my father could not afford. At that time, he was still a poor boy who could only afford a bowl of spicy hot pot for three yuan.
The willful mother was obsessed with love and never thought that if she only had love, she would not have enough food to eat and would be looked down upon by others. All those who opposed her marriage became her enemies, including her parents and family.
She placed everything on her father. Her father was her hope and the lover she was willing to give everything for.
But the reality is cruel. When she lost her high pocket money and her high-quality life, and her halo as a superior young lady was shattered, what should she do?
The beloved girl married him regardless of everything, which moved and grateful her father. In order to give his wife a good life, he started a business. He gradually became busy and no longer spent much time with his mother like when they were in love.
But how could the love-brained mother bear it? She had paid so much, but in return the man paid less and less attention to her.
When her father was no longer around her, the voices of opposition and ridicule filled her mind, but she was spoiled and did not know what independence was, nor did she feel that she needed to grow up. She never felt that she was wrong.
A mother is like a delicate flower that needs a constant supply of fertile soil to remain bright and beautiful.
She was conflicted. On the one hand, she hoped her father's business would do well, but on the other hand, she could not do without her father's company and love. Until she saw her father walking with a female colleague, she broke down.
She could live a hard life with him, but she could not tolerate the presence of other female creatures around her husband. A terrible possessiveness swept over her.
From then on, she became suspicious and tried every possible way to make her husband pay more and more attention to her.
How terrible it would be if a person pinned everything in his life on another person and wanted the other person to have only him in his life. This is what my mother did.
When love cooled in the daily life of firewood, rice, oil and salt, the father took on the responsibility of the family, but the mother, who was used to a rich life, could not be satisfied. No matter how much he gave, in her eyes, he could not make much money. It would be better for him to go home and accompany her, and be locked in the cage called love together.
The father didn't know how his gentle and beautiful wife became like this, how heavy life was, and how he could bear this burden that transcended love. His wife's love often made him feel suffocated.
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