Chapter 24
After Tao Xi finished painting four paintings, she successfully received a reward of 1,200 yuan. One of the boys gave her an extra tip of 200 yuan because he was satisfied with her.
If Tao Jian comes to him again, he plans to give the money to Tao Jian.
Tao Xi couldn't help but think that this way of making money is actually not bad. Art students who study fine arts basically have no shortage of money. If there are any emergencies in the future, they can take some orders for emergency use.
After the National Day holiday was over, the last bit of heat at the end of summer was blown away by the autumn wind that arrived as expected.
Tao Xi and Bi Chengfei finished lunch in the cafeteria and rushed to the classroom. Bi Chengfei was going to play basketball, but gave up after looking at the weather app on his phone: "The weather forecast says it will rain at noon, and it looks like it's going to rain soon."
Tao Xi looked up at the sky. The cumulonimbus clouds in the sky were so dark that they could pour water down with just a slight twist.
The two of them hurriedly ran to the classroom before it rained. As soon as they reached the first floor of the teaching building, they were stopped by Pan Yan who had rushed over.
Pan Yan was anxious and ashamed, and was about to kneel down in front of Tao Xi: "Xi Da! I'm so sorry for you! Teacher Jiang saw that those paintings were painted by the same person, and we couldn't help but expose you. We were just yelled at for the whole morning, and now she wants you to go over..."
The more he spoke, the lower his voice became. He looked at Tao Xi's expression carefully, but Tao Xi was not panicked or afraid at all. He frowned and said to himself, "You actually saw through it?"
It was already this late and he was still thinking about the painting problem. Pan Yan was so anxious that he was sweating profusely.
Bi Chengfei didn't know that Tao Xi helped the art students with their homework, but everyone in Wenhua No. 1 Middle School knew about the reputation of the art teacher Jiang Lei. This female devil once set a record of yelling at students for three hours without taking a breath.
"Brother Xi, you are so miserable. You could have offended anyone else but Jiang Lei." Bi Chengfei patted Tao Xi's shoulder helplessly, his eyes were tragic and his tone was heavy.
"Okay, I'll go." Tao Xi didn't care. He had been fighting wits and courage with the principal in junior high school for three years and was not afraid.
He and Pan Yan went to the Art Department office building as Bi Chengfei saw him off. He heard a high-pitched and loud soprano voice coming from the third floor while he was still on the first floor. When he reached the third floor, his eardrums sounded a level one warning.
As soon as Tao Xi stepped in, a roar came over him: "Get over there!"
The four brothers who came to him to buy paintings were standing on the balcony of the office. One of them was facing a flower pot, with his head hung like the Calabash Brothers, looking very dejected. As soon as Pan Yan entered the office, he hunched over and stood in front of the fifth flower pot.
Tao Xi smiled at Jiang Lei, who was standing with her hands on her waist and looking furious, and shouted, "Hello, teacher!" Then he slowly walked to the sixth flower pot, looked down, and saw a cactus in the pot.
Jiang Lei was startled. This "gunman" who led five people was obviously a habitual offender. She sneered in anger. The five art students stopped scolding and pointed at Tao Xi and began to output sound waves unilaterally:
"You must be Tao Xi from Class 1, Grade 2, right? You've really seen everything when you've lived long enough. This is the first time I've seen a student from Class 1 come to the art class to be a ghostwriter. Is it because they don't have enough homework or are they itching to do it?"
"Do you really think I'm blind and can't tell that this was painted by one person? You weren't even a fertilized egg when I held the exhibition. Do you think you could hide it from me?"
"Are you curious about how I figured it out? Let me tell you, painting is just like writing. No matter how the same person's handwriting is disguised, it's still recognizable. Some handwriting can never be changed after a person gets used to it. The same goes for painting! You think you can play tricks on me with your little talent?!"
"You can paint for them for a while, but will you help them take the art exam?! Will you help them get into the art academy?!"
"I think I should give Zhou Qiang a call and ask him about this. How could a top student in the art class do business? I'll teach you a lesson on his behalf!"
…
Tao Xi kept his head down from beginning to end, nodding occasionally to express his agreement, and his attitude of actively admitting his mistakes was very correct.
But in fact, he didn't listen to it in one ear and out the other. The rain that had been accumulating in the sky for a long time seemed to be pouring down desperately as if to create a nice environment. The sound of rain was hitting the balcony railings noisily and densely, and the cactus in front of him was completely soaked.
He was wondering how he would get back without an umbrella.
After Jiang Lei finished yelling for a while, she saw Tao Xi staring at the cactus in a daze. She was immediately furious and raised her voice a few notches higher, yelling: "I think it's not enough to find the class teacher. I have to find your parents. Your son doesn't study hard in school and does evil things every day. Do you have no father or mother? Do you have to rely on you to make money as a ghostwriter in school? I don't know which game you recharged the money without your parents' knowledge. I think you just need a tutor!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Tao Xi, who had been lowering her head, suddenly look up at her, with a smile on her face, and said, "I'm sorry, I really don't have a tutor."
Jiang Lei was stunned. This fair-skinned and handsome boy was standing against the dim sky outside the balcony. His slightly moist eyes were filled with deep gloom, just like the cactus in front of him, covered with thorns.
Her heart couldn't help but shrink, but the anger of being talked back soon overwhelmed everything. She was about to continue yelling at Tao Xi when there were suddenly three knocks on the door.
Jiang Lei paused and said loudly, "Come in."
The door opened, and a tall, handsome boy walked in with a black umbrella dripping with moisture. The office was dark, and Jiang Lei couldn't see the man clearly for a moment, so she asked impatiently, "What are you doing here?"
The boy placed his umbrella next to the door, walked to the balcony, looked at the person standing in front of the sixth cactus, and said indifferently:
"Come and take him back."
Jiang Lei took a closer look in the light from outside and found that the person who came in was Lin Qinhe. Although she only taught art students, it was impossible for her not to know Lin Qinhe. In addition to his academic performance, she also knew him because of the Lin family's profound relationship with Wenhua No. 1 Middle School. For example, Qiushi Building was named after the two sons of the former municipal party secretary Lin Weiliang, Lin Zeqiu and Lin Zeshi.
Lin Qinhe is the donor of Qiushi Building and the only son of Lin Zeshi, chairman of Ruize Group.
Her husband works for Ruize Group, and has been working there for most of his life but has not yet achieved either high or low status.
Jiang Lei's expression immediately softened, and she even smiled. She asked politely, "Who are you picking up?"
This was obviously a meaningless question, because Tao Xi had already jumped in front of Lin Qinhe. There was no trace of the previous gloom on his face. His eyes were as bright as thousands of crushed stars when he looked at Lin Qinhe.
In fact, Tao Xi didn't jump. Jiang Lei just inexplicably felt that Tao Xi's excitement was very similar to that of a kindergarten kid who sees his parents coming to pick him up.
Yes, find the parents. Jiang Lei suddenly remembered and was about to say something to Tao Xi when Lin Qinhe looked at her and asked, "Teacher, can I take him away?"
This was clearly a question, but the tone did not contain any inquiry.
Pan Yan and the other five art students who were still standing in the corner immediately cast jealous and envious glances at Tao Xi.
Jiang Lei was stunned. She actually didn't intend to let Tao Xi go so easily, but she didn't want to offend the young master of the Lin family who had a strong background, nor did she want to lose face in front of her students, so she said to Tao Xi with a stern face:
"You can go back, but you must recognize your mistakes and apologize for your actions."
Tao Xi lowered his head and whispered, "Teacher, I'm sorry."
Jiang Lei's expression eased a little. This troublemaker became very obedient after Lin Qinhe came in and did not talk back again. She was about to let Tao Xi go, but she heard Lin Qinhe slowly say:
"Since Tao Xi has already apologized to you, shouldn't you also apologize to him for what you just said?"
The whole office suddenly fell silent.
Jiang Lei's face froze when she heard Lin Qinhe continue, "Whether it's a boss to a subordinate, or a teacher to a student, they shouldn't casually slander someone for having no upbringing, right?"
He paused, looked at Jiang Lei, the corners of his lips slightly raised, but there was no smile in his eyes:
"Besides, how much do you know about him?"
Lin Qinhe's eyes were calm, but Jiang Lei could clearly feel the oppression in his eyes.
Tao Xi looked at Lin Qinhe and her eyelashes trembled a few times.
Jiang Lei was speechless, her face turning red and blue. She had never apologized to any of her students in all these years of teaching here.
But Lin Qinhe was obviously determined to protect her to the end. Jiang Lei couldn't help but start to wonder if this student named Tao Xi had any relationship with the Lin family. If so, she really couldn't afford to offend him.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that to you." Jiang Lei finally apologized to Tao Xi, and changed her tone to compliment him a few times, "But I think you have a talent for painting. With systematic training, you will definitely have no problem getting into the best art academy in the country. Why don't you consider transferring from Class 1 to our art class?"
Lin Qinhe frowned and interrupted, "No need." Then he raised his hand to check the time and said coldly, "Teacher, do you have anything else to do?"
Jiang Lei noticed Lin Qinhe's obvious displeasure and impatience, and hurriedly said, "It's okay, it's okay, you can go back first."
She watched Lin Qinhe take the umbrella and walk out of the office with Tao Xi, and suddenly remembered that her husband had told her that he had met the young master of the Lin family in the company. He looked exactly like their taciturn but fearless chairman.
As soon as Tao Xi left the office, he couldn't help but ask Lin Qinhe with a smile: "Why are you here? Did Bi Chengfei tell you?"
When he saw Lin Qinhe coming into the office, he almost thought he was hallucinating. He never expected that Lin Qinhe would walk so far in the rain to take him back.
Tao Xi hadn't experienced the kind of surprise and happiness that made the whole world shine for a long time, so being criticized by Jiang Lei for a long time was nothing.
But Lin Qinhe ignored him. With a stern face, he walked downstairs quickly without saying a word.
Tao Xi hurried to catch up and found that Lin Qinhe seemed to be angry again. Thinking that he had caused trouble for Lin Qinhe, he pursed his lips and said carefully: "I'm sorry, it took you so long to come all the way."
But Lin Qinhe still ignored him, so he had to follow Lin Qinhe nervously all the way to the first floor of the office building.
Tao Xi thought that Lin Qinhe only had one umbrella.
He looked around the first-floor lobby, hoping to find a public umbrella.
Outside the door, the rain was pouring down. Lin Qinhe stood at the door, holding the black umbrella in his hand above his head. Then he looked at Tao Xi and frowned, saying, "Come here."
Tao Xi was stunned.
Does Lin Qinhe mean to share an umbrella with him?
But the rain was so heavy that both of them would get wet.
But the next second, Tao Xi's arm was held by a hand, and he was pulled under the black umbrella. As the distance suddenly got closer, he seemed to smell a very fresh scent, he didn't know whether it was from Lin Qinhe's body or the scent of grass in the rain.
His heart skipped a beat and he hurriedly followed Lin Qinhe, walking into the heavy autumn rain together under an umbrella. The water vapor and the sound of rain from all directions immediately wrapped them in a small space.
The raindrops fell densely on the bluestone road, splashing white steam all over the ground. Tao Xi lowered his head and walked lightly, for fear that the water from his shoes would splash onto Lin Qinhe's legs.
After walking for a while, he heard Lin Qinhe finally speak and asked him in a deep voice, "Do you like drawing for others so much?"
Tao Xi was stunned, not quite understanding what Lin Qinhe meant, but he clearly noticed Lin Qinhe's displeasure when he asked this question. He thought about it and said tentatively:
"I really like painting, but I paint for them not because I like it, but to make money. I can make 300 yuan for one painting."
Lin Qinhe was silent for a moment, then asked, "Didn't the school give you a subsidy? Is it not enough?"
Tao Xi was surprised. He didn't expect Lin Qinhe to know this. He hesitated for a while and said, "It's enough. Maybe I spent too much money. Look, I also bought a mobile phone. I never thought about it when I was in Qingshui County."
"No matter what, don't help others draw anymore. Improving your grades is the most important thing for you now."
Tao Xi could tell from Lin Qinhe's tone that there was no room for negotiation, but he was a little embarrassed. He paused and said, "Can't I paint during the holidays? Painting is the only way I can make money right now. Otherwise, how can I support myself?"
He turned to look at Lin Qinhe and couldn't help but make a joke: "Are you going to support me?"
After saying this, he regretted it so much that he wanted to bite his tongue to commit suicide.
But Lin Qinhe suddenly stopped, turned slightly under the umbrella, and looked down at him.
Tao Xi had to stop and look into Lin Qinhe's eyes, slightly stunned.
He had never seen such a look in Lin Qinhe's eyes. Perhaps it was because the wind and rain made the whole world filled with thick moisture, and Lin Qinhe's always cold eyes seemed to become hazy and unreal.
It was as if... as if Lin Qinhe would agree to answer his question.
The raindrops hit the umbrella densely, like the sudden and loud beating of his heart.
Tao Xi pinched his fingers to drive away his ridiculous thoughts, smiled and said, "I'm kidding! In the future, I will make a lot of money by myself." He blinked, "Rich enough to treat you to dinner every day!"
He also wants to be like everyone else, focusing on studying without any burden, traveling with friends during holidays, taking pictures of beautiful scenery along the way, sharing them on WeChat Moments and giving each other likes.
But his life is destined to be harder than others.
But he didn't want Lin Qinhe to know.
Lin Qinhe was silent for a while, then walked towards the teaching building again and explained, "I'm not saying that I don't allow you to paint. What I mean is that your paintings shouldn't be sold for a few hundred yuan to people who don't value them. They should have a higher value and be appreciated by more people."
He looked at Tao Xi and asked, "Do you understand now?"
Tao Xi was stunned for a few seconds, and then he felt his ears start to feel hot.
He didn't expect that Lin Qinhe had such high expectations for his paintings. This made him feel flattered and confused.
For him, being able to earn a few hundred yuan by painting a picture is already very good. In Taoxi Bay, villagers may only earn a few thousand yuan after working hard on the land for a whole year.
Can his paintings be worth that much? Will it be appreciated by so many people?
Tao Xi didn't believe Lin Qinhe's words at the time, but still nodded obediently and said, "I understand. I won't help them draw in the future."
After that, Lin Qinhe's complexion looked much better. Tao Xi felt relieved and started talking about other things.
"The midterm exam is in early November?"
"Yes, so you are very pressed for time."
Tao Xi found that Lin Qinhe seemed a little anxious about his grades, and he was also anxious: "I have finished all the papers that Teacher Zhou gave me. After checking the answers, I found that I still got a lot of questions wrong. What if I can't get into the top 50 in the midterm exam?"
Lin Qinhe frowned and said in a deeper voice: "Study hard, there is still time in the remaining half month."
After hearing what Lin Qinhe said, Tao Xi seemed to feel more at ease, and then he began to ask for more: "If I make it into the top 50, can you give me a reward?"
When he was a child, if his classmates ranked two or three higher in the exam, their parents would buy them candies and toys. But even though he got first place, Guo Ping never expressed anything.
Tao Xi looked at Lin Qinhe's profile and clenched her fingers nervously, but Lin Qinhe did not give a direct answer:
"First get in."
Tao Xi was unwilling to give up, so she pulled the sleeve of Lin Qinhe's left arm, which was holding the umbrella, and shook it gently. Her pair of eyes, which were misty with rain, looked at Lin Qinhe in the dim light under the umbrella, and she softened her voice and said:
"No, you have to promise me first."
He didn't realize at that time that he was acting like a spoiled brat to Lin Qinhe, which was what he hated the most.
What they don’t realize is that people often act like a spoiled brat because they sense the possibility of being favored.
"What reward do you want?" Lin Qinhe seemed unused to being looked at like this, and asked with his face slightly turned away.
Tao Xi laughed triumphantly and said happily:
"I haven't thought about it yet. I'll tell you when I do!"
The author has something to say:
Thank you all for the starfish! I didn't expect there would be so many 555s. I'm so touched!
I didn't expect that after writing nearly 100,000 words, there are only 24 chapters.
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