Chapter 254 Optimism
Under the scorching sun, a girl was sitting on the ground drawing, and a woman was standing behind her holding an umbrella for her.
This scene was somewhat out of tune with the surrounding environment, and naturally attracted everyone's attention. From time to time, people came over to take a look.
Some people also tried to talk to the mother and daughter, and Lin Qiu occasionally responded once or twice.
Seeing that the girl was concentrating on painting, everyone didn't dare to disturb her. They just stood behind her and watched for a while before leaving.
There is just a constant stream of curious people.
At sunset, Lin Qiu saw clues from the line drawing.
“It turns out that the painting is about removing steel bars!”
Wang Shan was absorbed in painting for nearly three hours. She shook her hands and said, "Once the colors are applied, it will be more obvious."
Then I turned around and realized that my mother was holding an umbrella for me because she was worried that I would get heatstroke.
My mother held the umbrella for as long as I drew.
"Mom." Wang Shan was about to cry.
Lin Qiu put the umbrella aside and ruffled her hair. "You are so old, why are you still losing your hair?"
Wang Shan leaned her head against her mother's shoulder, sniffed, and said in a muffled voice, "It's so hot outside, you should go in and rest."
Lin Qiu smiled and patted her back, "Okay, pack your things and go back to your father's tent."
"Uh-huh!"
Wang Shan lowered her head and wiped the water from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand.
At dinner, Wang Shan specifically asked, "Dad, can I draw the workers on the construction site?"
"If you want to paint, I can ask for you," Wang Xiuren replied.
"Then can I go paint near the construction site?" Wang Shan asked again.
"No!" Wang Xiuren refused flatly. "I know you too well. Once you paint, you will be immersed in it. If there is an aftershock, you probably won't know how to run away. You can paint whatever you want in the camp, but you are not allowed to go to the construction site."
"Okay then!" Wang Shan could only give up.
After dinner, Wang Xiuren took his wife and daughter out to greet the workers they worked with, and also talked to his daughter about wanting to paint them.
Wang Shan was always cautious in front of strangers, and she knew that not everyone would be willing to be in the painting, so she looked at the workers around her and said, "If uncles and aunts mind, I can choose not to paint."
In fact, she wanted to draw them at work, but unfortunately, her father didn't allow her to go to the construction site.
Everyone nodded to show their agreement. After all, it was hard not to agree when the girl was looking at them with such hope.
Especially the men who have daughters at home, they are even more tender and lower their voices: "No problem, draw whatever you want."
Wang Shan's lips curled up and her heart was filled with joy, happy that she had enough materials during her few days in Wisconsin.
An acquaintance who had been working with Wang Xiuren asked casually, "Shanshan, how can you get such a high score in the college entrance examination when you are so good at drawing?"
His own kid didn't have to do anything and still failed the exam just by studying. He was so angry.
Wang Shan was very honest: "Except for eating, sleeping and drawing, I spent all my time studying. In the last few months of my senior year, I went to bed at 12 o'clock and woke up at 5:30 every day."
The worker was amazed, thinking that he was studying so hard!
He felt that his son couldn't do it, but he still said, "I'll tell my son about your study method later."
Wang Shan nodded, took out a sketchbook and pen from her bag, sat on the ground, and started drawing.
Wang Xiuren and Lin Qiu sat beside her and talked in low voices, fanning her with a palm-leaf fan from time to time.
Wang Shan spent a whole day drawing line drawings of the characters.
The next night, before going to bed, Wang Xiuren asked, "Will you still paint the workers tomorrow?"
"No, I plan to draw the surrounding buildings." Wang Shan replied.
"What's so good about this?" Wang Xiuren didn't understand. "The old building is still a pile of ruins, and the new building hasn't even finished its foundation."
"I just want to draw the buildings after the earthquake." Wang Shan pursed her lips.
"Then you must make sure you stay away from those collapsed houses. There are aftershocks every day, and they may collapse again at any time." Wang Xiuren warned worriedly.
Wang Shan also experienced aftershocks for the first time in the past two days, so she nodded and promised: "I promise to stay far away."
"You still have to wear safety helmets! I'll go get two more tomorrow morning." Wang Xiuren was still worried about something unexpected happening. "You two should wait for me to come back before you go out. I'll go around the construction site tomorrow and be back."
Lin Qiu also felt safer with Wang Xiuren around, but was afraid that he would be delayed from work. "Is it going to delay your work?"
"It's okay, I'll let Lao Liu keep an eye on it for one day. Besides, there are many workers who have been working with me, so I'm more confident in their work." Wang Xiuren turned around and explained to her.
"Okay, then Shanshan and I will wait for you to come back before we go out." Lin Qiu smiled at him.
On the third day, accompanied by Wang Xiuren, Lin Qiu and her daughter wore safety helmets and witnessed the disaster scene in person.
Collapsed ruins, shattered rubble, flattened buildings...
The earthquake, casualties, and disaster were horrific and tear-jerking.
Lin Qiu couldn't help wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. He turned his head and found his daughter staring blankly ahead, crying like rain.
After a long time, she wiped away her tears, set up the easel, sat on the ground, and remembered this disaster in her own way.
The fourth day was the day the mother and daughter had agreed to leave.
After breakfast, Wang Xiuren drove the mother and daughter along the highway to Chengdu.
When we were halfway there, we saw an old man carrying a backpack and walking forward with his back hunched.
Wang Xiuren stopped the car, opened the window, and shouted at her: "Grandma, where are you going?"
The old woman raised her head, the years had carved ravines on her face, and she smiled at Wang Xiuren: "Go back."
"Then get in the car. I'll give you a ride." Wang Xiuren pressed the handbrake and got out of the car.
"I live at the bend in front. Don't bother you!" said the old man, pointing ahead.
"It doesn't matter. I'm going that way anyway!"
Wang Xiuren reached out and took the backpack off her back and put it in the trunk, then helped her into the car.
Wang Shan smiled and called out, "Grandma."
"What a good girl!" The old man looked at Wang Shan gently.
It took less than ten minutes to drive to the old woman's home. Wang Xiuren helped the old woman out of the car and carried the backpack to her doorstep.
"You are so kind to people and respectful to the elderly. You will definitely become rich. Your work is doing well!" the old man muttered to Wang Xiuren.
"Thanks to your good words, grandma, I hope you will live a long life!" Wang Xiuren waved his hand and turned to leave.
"Why is this grandma, at such an old age, still coming out alone with a backpack?" Wang Shan was a little confused.
Wang Xiuren sighed, "There's nothing we can do. Now there are only her and two grandchildren who are studying in other cities in their family."
"Ah?" Wang Shan never expected that this old lady who smiled gently all the way would have such a tragic experience.
"This is what I admire about Sichuan people!" Wang Xiuren said with emotion, "Humor and optimism."
"Even though they encountered such a great disaster, they did not complain about themselves. After wiping away their tears, they continued to eat and drink and continued to live a good life with a smile."
"So, I hope we can be as optimistic and open-minded as them, so that no matter what happens, we can get through it!"
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