Chapter 85
After Shen Jiangfu left, time paused, and during this time, Liang He became her.
She was now standing on a podium-like position, looking at the almost empty campus. After a while, Shen Jiangfu went up to the second floor and entered the teacher's office.
The school only offers preschool, first grade, second grade, and third grade. Due to a shortage of teachers, students in fourth grade and above have to go to schools in town.
There are only five teachers here, and the teacher's office is made from a classroom.
Shen Jiangfu packed up her things. She was the last one to leave the office. She locked the office door before leaving, and then checked one by one to see if the lights and doors of each class were turned off and locked.
The school is not far from Shen Jiangfu's home, about a ten-minute walk away. Shen Jiangfu has an electric bike and usually rides it to class.
Her home was originally a yellow mud brick house. Later, Shen Jiangfu saved some money and paid someone to build a two-story cement house. Like any new house built in the countryside, the first floor was a small living room, but it only had a table and chairs.
Shen Jiangfu built a modern kitchen on the first floor, as well as a guest bedroom. There are three rooms on the second floor: one bedroom, one living room, and another used to store daily necessities, like a grocery store.
The house is located halfway up the mountain. There are no other houses on the left or right. You will only see a house if you walk further down.
As they were almost home, Shen Jiangfu parked the car, got out, and pushed the electric bike uphill. After walking for a while, the house below hers came into view—this was the home of the person who first discovered the original owner was dead.
The book does not reveal much information about the other party, only that the owner is a painter.
While pushing the electric bike, Shen Jiangfu glanced at the house of this "distant neighbor".
This man's house was two stories high, surrounded by a low fence. In front of the door was a large courtyard. Shen Jiangfu could vaguely see many roses and cacti planted inside. Others used it to dry rice or peanuts, but he used it to store potted plants.
Shen Jiangfu noticed that the other party's door was closed and wondered if the person had gone out.
In rural areas, doors are usually left open during the day, with iron gates usually locked. If you go on a long trip, you won't close the gate until you return the next day.
They weren't exactly close neighbors. Their houses each occupied a hillside, but they weren't side by side, but rather adjacent to each other, separated by a terraced field. They were actually quite far apart. Yet compared to the people in other villages, they seemed very close.
Shen Jiangfu did not stay for long. At this time, she had already walked to the main road next to her house. At this time, a car came from behind her and stopped under the house.
A middle-aged man in a white shirt got out of the car with a briefcase in his hand. He opened the bolt of the fence naturally and pressed the doorbell on the wall. Shen Jiangfu could hear the "ring-ring-ring" sound even when she was standing there.
After about a minute, the door opened.
Shen Jiangfu didn't see the person inside the door, she only saw the middle-aged man go in. After the man went in, the door was not closed, it was still open, but the iron gate was closed.
Shen Jiangfu stood there for a while, then rode her electric bike back to her doorstep.
It seems that the other party is very vigilant and wants to repay the favor. If I give him a gift directly, it would be too rash. I am afraid that he will think that I have other intentions and will not accept it so easily.
I don’t know what the other person needs.
—
Li Qingsheng followed Xie Jing to the living room on the second floor.
"Your house is located in a remote area. Apart from the other family living upstairs, no one will disturb you here, and you don't have to keep the door closed all the time."
Li Qingsheng looked at Xie Jing's face, which looked like it hadn't seen the sun for a long time. His complexion was pale, and dark circles were obvious under his eyes. It was obvious that he hadn't gotten enough rest. "Did you stay up late painting again?"
Thinking of Xie Jing's condition and Zuo Xiao's last words, Li Qingsheng said helplessly, "The doctor told you to take your medicine on time and to get enough rest. If your father saw you like this, he would probably regret letting you follow his path."
"I have no regrets."
Maybe because he hadn't spoken for a long time, Xie Jing felt a little uncomfortable, his throat was a little itchy, and his voice was a little hoarse.
Seeing his stubbornness, Li Qingsheng thought of his deceased friend who was also like this. Although they were not biological father and son, they were better than biological children.
He sighed, "Hey, every one of them is a painting geek!"
The same was true for Zuo Xiao and his adopted son. They could have lived a wealthy life with the money they earned from selling paintings, but they both preferred to stay in the mountains and live a lonely life.
Li Qingsheng always felt that Xie Jing would follow Zuo Xiao's old path and lock himself up in this village for the rest of his life, spending his life just painting and being accompanied by drawing paper all his life.
Xie Jing poured him a cup of black tea and said, "I only have black tea here, no green tea."
Every time Li Qingsheng came, he would always scold him for not knowing how to deal with people, saying that he had hinted at him so many times, but he still didn't see any green tea every time he came. To avoid being lectured, Xie Jing first explained.
Li Qingsheng didn't think too much about it. He took the teacup and took a sip. "I won't try to persuade you anymore."
"I'm here to ask if you'd be willing to hold an exhibition of botanical paintings. A Miss Xu has just opened an art gallery and is looking for someone to help her find paintings. Her theme this time is 'Plants and Nature,' and I thought you'd be a good fit."
As the agent for Zuo Xiao and Xie Jing, Li Qingsheng was well aware of the painting styles of both father and son. Zuo Xiao primarily painted landscapes, and if multiple paintings of the same genre were placed together, it was immediately clear which was Zuo Xiao's. Zuo Xiao's paintings possessed a unique "spiritual energy" that was difficult for others to imitate. As his apprentice, Xie Jing could only emulate a limited degree of his style.
However, Xie Jing's paintings possess a unique quality: a sense of ethereal beauty, plunging one into a dreamlike state. This isn't about how realistic his paintings are, but rather how they manage to slowly capture one's attention. It's not like when a person in black suddenly appears on a street full of white people, drawing attention and creating a powerful impact. Rather, it's like when a person in white appears among a crowd of white people, wearing something they don't wear. It's hard to detect at first, but it's easily noticeable upon closer inspection.
Xie Jing's works are quite popular among some people, with three parts of spiritual energy, four parts of etherealness, and the remaining three parts of imagination. Although not as popular or beloved as Zuo Xiao's, they are also unique.
"I have no shortage of money."
Xie Jing sat upright in the chair, his head lowered to drink tea, and he slowly raised it when he heard Li Qingsheng's words. The smoke from the teacup smoked his lenses, and the lenses were instantly covered with a fine mist.
He put down the teacup, took off his glasses, and took a tissue to wipe the lenses clean.
Li Qingsheng looked at him like this and said, "I know you're not short of money, but wouldn't you feel happy that so many people can appreciate your paintings and like your work?"
"What do they have to do with me?"
"They are your admirers, and you are the creator. Without you, they might lose a sense of the joy and peace you bring to them in the world. Your paintings can stir their emotions and serve as a bridge of resonance between you and your admirers."
Xie Jing knew that Li Qingsheng was very good at preaching, and every time he came, he would talk to him for several hours.
But lately, he'd grown tired of painting. He was miserable. He'd been almost certain that painting was something he'd never tire of, but now he was. He didn't even want to pick up a brush or look at paper anymore.
The more these thoughts ran through his mind, the more Xie Jing forced himself to pick up his brush. However, the things he drew were also messy, just like the chaotic thoughts hidden in his mind.
Xie Jing put the finished paintings into a book and handed it to Li Qingsheng. These were the paintings that Li Qingsheng had asked him to draw last time. "These are all finished, keep them.
"I want to take a break recently. I'm a little tired and don't want to paint." Xie Jing told the truth.
"Tired? Have you taken your medicine on time?" Li Qingsheng couldn't bear to hear the word tired now. Zuo Xiao just told him that he was tired, and then he jumped into the river.
Coincidentally, Zuo Xiao's son also suffered from depression. Xie Jing had been suffering from depression for five or six years. Since graduating from high school, he had been staying at home painting and had hardly left Ningfu Town.
Li Qingsheng always wanted to take him outside to have a look, but Xie Jing insisted on staying at home. He always locked himself in the house, and he thought that his thoughts were trapped. It would be strange if nothing happened.
It had been over six years since Zuo Xiao's death, and Li Qingsheng felt a pang of sadness as he thought about the past. Remembering Zuo Xiao's instructions, asking him to take good care of Xie Jing, Li Qingsheng said earnestly, "Xie Jing, go out for a walk. Don't box yourself in here. Go out and you'll discover other things. Painting isn't everything in life. There are things in life that you can't get from painting."
"Don't blame yourself for what happened to your father. This was the path he chose."
"He chose his own life, and his life choices are not answers for you to copy. He said he regretted letting you inherit his life. If he had the chance to do it again, he would let you go to college."
Hearing this, Xie Jing reacted somewhat, his amber eyes filled with thoughts. "He didn't force me to learn painting. I also like painting. I hate going to school and interacting with people."
"As for whether or not to go to university—" Xie Jing looked at the sofa to his right, which was Zuo Xiao's personal chair during his lifetime. A phantom emerged in his memory. "I'm very glad that I stayed at home at that time."
Xie Jing was very glad that she could be by his side when he was most helpless.
Li Qingsheng knew that if it weren't for Xie Jing, Zuo Xiao might not have made it to that point. He was worried about Xie Jing, worried that he hadn't learned his skills, and worried about his future life.
"Forget it, just take a good rest. If you have any ideas, call me. If you want to paint, then paint. If you don't want to paint, then don't paint. Just take a rest."
"I'm leaving now. Take care of yourself and call me if you need anything."
Xie Jing sent Li Qingsheng to the door. Li Qingsheng patted his shoulder and said, "I remember that you were so small before you came to me." Li Qingsheng gestured with his hands and placed one hand on his thigh. "You've grown up now."
Xie Jing listened to his words and fell into memories, "It's been many years."
"Yes, it's been many years." Li Qingsheng looked at Xie Jing, wanting to say something but stopping himself. Finally, he said to him, "You still have a long time to live. Take a good look at the scenery."
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