The two dwarf rabbits were temporarily kept at the inn. Chen Yang bought them a large cage and planned to release them after they had a few more litters.
The European Emperor was quite familiar with these two rabbits. It had always been a very competent sheepdog, and had even bred a sheepdog bear, so it took the initiative to take on the guarding job.
But Sanpang was very curious about these two little friends. These two rabbits were chubby, just like him. He seemed to regard them as companions and kept meowing, trying to communicate with the dwarf rabbit.
Chen Yang sent the photos from the micro-world to everyone, then selected a few to frame and hang in the inn.
"Mr. Chen, where was this photo taken? It doesn't look like it was taken in China. Is it in some primitive tribe?"
A regular customer looked at a photo of the Cang'er Snow Mountain and the Xindu Camp and said, "It's so beautiful, I'll go there sometime."
Chen Yang smiled and said, "This is a picture I found online. I don't know where it is."
"Really? What a pity."
The guest didn't think much of it, but glanced at the photos a few more times and sighed regretfully.
Everyone else received the photos and started sharing them in the group chat. Guo Zifeng even changed his wedding photos with Bai Jing to a picture of him and Bai Jing in front of Chenghu Lake, with the Tianyin Mountain Range, which he named, in the background.
Normally, when people discuss the micro-world, it's just a casual discussion. But now that there are physical objects to discuss, it's instantly different. As a result, Chen Yang hasn't been paying much attention to the group chat. It's constantly getting 99+ messages, and he can't keep up with it all.
"Aren't these people all very busy? How come they all have time to chat?" Chen Yang muttered.
As he was muttering to himself, he saw Li Su'er come out of the tea room. When she saw Chen Yang, she was about to run away like a startled rabbit. Then, as if realizing that her reaction was a bit inappropriate, she forced herself to walk past Chen Yang.
"Su'er, why are you so nervous?" Chen Yang said with a helpless smile, then waved to Li Su'er.
Li Su'er hesitated for a moment, but still sat down next to Chen Yang. Chen Yang let her lean on his arm, and the two lay on the sofa together to watch a documentary about extinct animals.
"Chen Yang, you and the landlady are showing off your love so early in the morning. It's a serious blow to a single customer like me." Zhang Jian walked over carrying Sanpang, along with his easel and paints.
"Are you going to paint an oil painting today? You've already brought oil paints."
“Yes, draw this one.” Zhang Jian pointed to the photo of Xindu Camp and Cang'er Snow Mountain that Chen Yang had posted on the wall. “I’ve wanted to draw this for a while, but there weren’t enough paints in the Micro World, and my impression of it faded a lot after I left. Now I finally have a reference.”
Zhang Jian skillfully set up his easel and took out paints, brushes, water buckets, canvases, etc. Chen Yang and Li Su'er lay on the sofa, watching TV while occasionally glancing at Zhang Jian's painting.
Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un went to the window and continued to stare blankly out the window for more than an hour.
In that hour, Zhang Jiancai finished outlining the shape and applying the base color. Even just from that, it was already noticeable that the colors he mixed were beautiful. Although they were just simple color blocks, they already had a great feel to them. Each color was not very bright, but had a grayish feel, which was extremely pleasing.
Chen Yang and Li Su'er stood behind him, watching silently. Zhang Jian switched to a small brush and began to color and outline. He drew stroke by stroke with great patience.
The campsite and the Cang'er Snow Mountain began to take shape under his sketches. At this point, Zhang Jian's skill was evident. Even in the unfinished stage, he could create a vivid picture through simple distinctions between light and shadow.
The photos Chen Yang hung on the wall were just his references; he didn't copy them exactly, but added some of his own subjective ideas.
An afternoon passed, and Zhang Jian still hadn't finished drawing. In fact, he was drawing slower and slower. Everyone would gather around him from time to time to watch, and they would consciously keep their movements quiet so as not to disturb Zhang Jian.
Zhang Jian was still painting even at dinnertime, showing no sign of finishing his meal. However, he casually took out a piece of chocolate from his pocket and slowly ate it, with water next to his painting bag. It seemed he was quite experienced in this situation.
It is precisely because of this amazing focus that he was able to become a well-known painter in HZ.
It was time for everyone to enter the micro-world, but Zhang Jian hadn't finished drawing yet, though he was almost done. He had already switched to a fine-tipped pen and was working on the details.
Chen Yang turned on all the lights in the inn for him, and everyone gathered behind Zhang Jian, watching silently.
What appears on the paper is a scene of idyllic beauty: snow-capped mountains shimmer with golden light under the sun, lush forests abound, the campsite is surrounded by verdant fields, and occasional wildflowers add to the scene's charm. Inside the enclosure, animals bask peacefully in the sun, and a gray-black dog lies by the gate. The cabin is situated precisely at the golden ratio point of the composition. The entire painting is harmonious and tranquil, drawing the viewer in completely.
Everyone was drawn to the scene, and even several guests gathered around. They watched in silence; the inn was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
It wasn't until Zhang Jian stopped painting and put the brush in the bucket that the air around them seemed to come alive again.
"It's so beautiful, even more beautiful than in the photos, yet so real," Jiang Yining couldn't help but say.
Everyone nodded, and Zhang Jian turned around and said, "It's been a long time since I've felt this way. I've been stuck in a bottleneck for a while, but I've finally found that same state again."
Zhang Jian took the painting down from the easel and said, "Let's give this painting to the inn. Chen Yang, you can keep it for now and frame it after the paint dries completely."
Chen Yang nodded and said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Zhang Jian smiled and said, "It's nothing. In fact, I owe you much more than a painting can make up for it."
If Zhang Jian were to auction this painting, it would easily fetch hundreds of thousands of yuan. However, as he said, the micro-world entry code that Chen Yang gave him cannot be simply measured in monetary terms.
Sanpang stretched and walked over to Zhang Jian. Zhang Jian picked him up and said, "You guys go back to sleep first. I've booked a hotel nearby. Chen Yang, your rules are really making me uncomfortable."
Since there were guests present, Zhang Jian didn't say much. He packed up all his things and left, while the guests returned to their rooms and entered their respective micro-worlds.
In the micro-world, those who weren't at the inn had already heard the news through the group chat before entering. Everyone wanted to see Zhang Jian's painting and said they would go to the inn tomorrow. Those like Xu Meng and Tang Jiaqi, who were in the north, wouldn't be able to see it for the time being.
After the mill was built, all the corn kernels were ground quickly. They also had a very limited supply of seeds, so the mill's main function was now as a temporary camp where people could eat, sleep, and live.
However, the peanuts on the other side of the western border river ripened quickly. There were so many peanuts that everyone couldn't eat them all. The excess could be pressed into peanut oil, which would then be put to use again at the windmill.
There's also corn that ripens in the fall, and crops for the following year. A windmill can save a lot of manpower, and it can also be used as lodging and storage for supplies.
(End of this chapter)
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