Chapter 76 Spend Time Together
The days in the ancient town are like moss soaked in the cracks of bluestone slabs, moist, long, and with a sense of tranquility away from the hustle and bustle.
Tang Ximian and his classmates carried their sketchbooks, wandered through the winding and secluded alleys, climbed the lush green mountains, and sat on the riverside to watch the black-sailed boats leisurely pass by.
My time is filled with paint, sketchbooks and ever-changing scenery, and I am so busy that I hardly touch the ground.
However, no matter how busy he was during the day, no matter how weak the signal was at the sketching location, when night fell, Tang Ximian would always find a quiet corner - perhaps the small balcony of the B&B, or perhaps a large smooth rock by the river - and dial the number that he knew by heart.
"Hello?" Si Yankai's voice on the other end of the phone, even with the interference of the electric current, carried a sense of security that could instantly soothe fatigue.
"Hello, it's me."
Tang Ximian's voice usually trails off with a hint of coquettishness. "I'm so tired today. I climbed such a high mountain that my legs feel like they're not mine... But I saw the sea of clouds. It was so beautiful! I took a picture for you!"
He couldn't wait to share it, sliding his finger across the screen to send the photo.
When he was drawing during the day, inspiration would strike, he would see a cloud with a strange shape, or he would come across a lazy cat squatting on the wall basking in the sun, or even he would be pestered by a local barefoot kid with a rosy face chasing him and calling him "drawing brother" to draw a simple sketch... Tang Ximian would take pictures of these small, shining fragments as soon as possible, add a few chattering voice or text messages, and put them all into Si Yankai's mobile phone.
Si Yankai’s response is almost always immediate.
Sometimes it’s a simple “Yeah, I see”, sometimes it’s “The clouds are special”, sometimes it’s “The children are cute”, and sometimes it’s a detailed question:
"Do your knees hurt from climbing up the mountain? Did you bring knee pads?"
"Is the easel heavy? Don't be so stubborn."
"When sketching near a river, watch your step and stay away from the water."
"The stone pavement in the ancient town is slippery, so watch where you walk."
His advice was like spring rain, gentle and silent, but always falling precisely where Tang Ximian needed it.
Tang Ximian always held his phone, with the corners of his mouth curled up, and replied seriously: "Yeah, I know!"
"I have it with me, it's not heavy!"
"I'm watching, don't worry!"
"Yeah, I'll be careful!"
These responses are filled with comfort that touches my heart.
The days slipped to the nineteenth day amid the rustling sound of paintbrushes, the morning bells and evening drums of the ancient town, and the chatter across thousands of miles every night.
It was a sunny morning. The sky was as clear as if it had been washed by water, and cotton candy-like white clouds were floating lazily.
Tang Ximian, Yu Shu and others chose a viewing pavilion halfway up the mountain. The view was excellent and they could overlook most of the ancient town and the winding river.
He set up the easel and mixed the paint, ready to capture this rare transparent light and shadow.
Suddenly, a strong wind blew up without warning, making the drawing paper rustle and almost overturning the paint box.
Tang Ximian subconsciously pressed the easel with his hand and looked up.
The sky, which was clear just now, now looked like an overturned ink bucket. Thick dark clouds rushed in from all directions, quickly swallowing up all the blue and white.
The sky suddenly darkened, as if dusk had arrived early.
Immediately afterwards, "Boom!" A dull roar exploded deep in the clouds, like the roar of an ancient giant beast, shaking people's hearts.
Before the thunder stopped, more dense lightning flashed like silver snakes, tearing through the dark sky.
"Oh my god! What's going on!" Yu Shu screamed, and the paintbrush in his hand almost flew out.
"No way! I just laid the base color!" a girl next to her wailed.
"Didn't the weather forecast say there would be no rain in the near future? Are you kidding me?" Another boy was busy picking up the paintbrushes scattered on the ground.
"It's over, it's over. Tomorrow is finally my day off, and I wanted to go into town for a walk! With this rain, will the roads still be passable?"
Complaints rose one after another, mixed with the increasingly louder sound of wind and thunder.
Complaints aside, running away is urgent.
Raindrops as big as beans have begun to fall sporadically with icy force.
Everyone began to scramble to rescue painting supplies.
Tang Ximian reacted very quickly. He carefully took down the wet drawing paper on the easel, put it into the sketchbook, quickly tightened the paint cap, and stuffed all the brushes into the pencil case.
He packed his things swiftly and glanced at Yu Shu beside him.
Yu's calligraphy and painting box was wide open, with things scattered all over the place. He was now trying to cram everything in with great haste, sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"Give it to me!" Tang Ximian said nothing, picked up the several tubes of paint and a pile of brushes scattered at Yu Shu's feet, stuffed them into the side pocket of his closed painting box, and snatched back the drawing paper that was almost blown away by the wind from Yu Shu.
"Thanks, brother!" Yu Shu gave him a grateful glance.
"Stop talking nonsense and get going!" Tang Ximian pointed to the way down the mountain with his chin, carried his painting box on his back, picked up a folding stool, and against the increasingly strong wind, he and his classmates helped each other and quickened their pace towards the homestay at the foot of the mountain.
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