Caught off guard, Shen Jinhua stepped in front of Song Zhiyu, her face stern as she questioned, "When did you learn painting? I had no idea!"
She had inquired long ago and found out that Song Zhiyu knew nothing about music, chess, calligraphy, or painting except for learning medicine in the countryside, which made her feel at ease switching the calligraphy and painting with the Buddha statue.
But now, she's actually going to paint on the spot.
Shen Jinhua swallowed hard, clutching her handkerchief tightly, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart.
"There's a lot you don't know. A good dog doesn't block the way." Song Zhiyu snatched the calligraphy and painting from Shen Jinhua's hand, walked past her, and headed to the center of the banquet.
The inkstone and brush were already prepared on the table. As Song Zhiyu took his seat, the once lively banquet suddenly fell silent. Everyone stared fixedly in one direction, holding their breath.
Song Zhiyu wore a moon-white brocade dress, her hair was tied up in a high bun, and her smooth black hair was spread over her shoulders, falling playfully with her movements. She didn't care at all, and was completely absorbed in painting. Holding a wolf brush, she lightly dipped the tip of the brush in ink. Her every move was as smooth as flowing water, without any sense of incongruity.
The crowd was unconsciously drawn to Song Zhiyu, their eyes following the strokes of her pen, their initial calm gradually turning into shock and admiration.
With a slight turn of his wrist, Song Zhiyu's brush touched the paper, and a vigorous and upright ancient pine tree appeared on the paper, its branches swaying and twisting, its needles dense and verdant, full of vitality.
With a few more light strokes, a crane with its neck outstretched and a crane with its wings about to take flight stands under a pine tree, each with a different posture, vividly brought to life by Song Zhiyu's brush.
Then, she gently put down the brush and blew away the ink scent from the paper.
In an instant, a painting of pine trees and cranes symbolizing health and longevity appeared before everyone's eyes.
"With this painting of pine and crane symbolizing longevity, Zhiyu wishes the old lady boundless happiness and long life."
Hearing Song Zhiyu's clear and powerful voice, they slowly recovered from their astonishment, their admiration growing even stronger.
Even though they were not skilled in painting, they could still see the exquisite technique of Song Zhiyu's "Pine and Crane Longevity" painting. His skill was superb, and every stroke was just right.
"I never expected Miss Song's painting skills to be so exquisite. No wonder she dared to paint on the spot."
"The cranes in the painting look so real. Such painting skills are probably no less than those of Lian Siyi, the former first female genius."
"..."
The crowd was buzzing with discussion, but everyone was praising Song Zhiyu's superb painting skills.
After today, there will be another person to be added to the list of talented women in the capital.
Shen Jinhua stared wide-eyed in disbelief, her heart filled with hatred. She had intended to embarrass Song Zhiyu, but instead, she had paved the way for Song Zhiyu's success, allowing her to steal the spotlight.
She seemed to feel that same fear of being dominated by Song Zhiyu again, and her legs felt weak as if they were noodles.
Her plan was flawless, but she overlooked the unexpected turn of events involving Song Zhiyu, and Shen Jinhua regretted her decision.
"Useless!" Tan Yingying cursed under her breath and downed the drink in one gulp.
She really overestimated Shen Jinhua.
If she had known that Song Zhiyu was not easy to deal with, she shouldn't have trusted that fool Shen Jinhua so easily; she should have kept some backup plans.
Now that her plan has fallen through, it will be difficult for her to deal with Song Zhiyu.
The two were furious, but Old Madam Ling was quite satisfied.
She nodded repeatedly, smiling kindly, "Zhiyu Lu's move is truly eye-opening, and I like it very much."
However, I've never heard you mention anything about painting. If I had known earlier, we could have had a friendly exchange.
Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Old Madam Ling was joking, but her words were an indirect acknowledgment of Song Zhiyu's painting skills.
"Zhiyu's elder brother is a skilled painter, and I've picked up some basic skills from him." Song Zhiyu said modestly. Her painting skills were taught by Pei Qingyan, and although she wasn't exceptionally talented, they were still quite good compared to the average person.
Not to mention her painting "Sending Cranes to Longevity," which has been praised by many literary figures.
It wouldn't be surprising if someone unaware of the details mistakenly thought that Song Zhiyu was referring to Shen Yuzhou as his elder brother, after all, Shen Yuzhou was once a renowned young genius.
With such a skilled master, even if Song Zhiyu only learned the basics, he was still better than most people.
Only Shen Yanxi, who had been sitting in the corner drinking alone, understood that the elder brother Song Zhiyu was talking about was someone else entirely.
He stared blankly at Song Zhiyu, who stood radiantly and confidently in the center of the banquet.
So she can paint.
These words suddenly popped into Shen Yanxi's mind.
She doesn't seem to be as talentless and immoral as they think; in fact, she's more capable than anyone else.
*
Song Zhiyu smiled gently, "It would be my honor if you liked it, Madam. If you don't mind, I will come and bother you if I encounter anything I don't understand in the future."
"Very well, the gates of the Duke of Ling's mansion are always open to you. Come whenever you wish." Old Madam Ling smiled and said "very well" three times in a row, which also showed everyone present her attitude towards Song Zhiyu.
Everyone present was shrewd, and after hearing Old Madam Ling's words, they held Song Zhiyu in even higher regard.
The banquet was lively, and apart from Old Madam Ling, Song Zhiyu was undoubtedly the most popular person.
But some people just love to spoil the fun.
Qin Yue snorted coldly, completely ignoring Ling Suxin's warning look, "Hmph, the old lady's congratulatory gift was just a worthless painting. When did the Chengen Marquis's mansion become so poor?"
No matter how well the painting was done, she didn't see it as having any value.
Seeing that Madam Ling's expression was displeased, Ling Suxin knew things were going badly and quickly interrupted Qin Yue, "The value of a gift lies in the sentiment, not its monetary worth."
She subtly pressed down on Qin Yue's hand under the table, increasing the pressure, which carried a warning: "Miss Song's kindness is the greatest value."
Under her mother's pressure, Qin Yue had no choice but to shut her mouth, no matter how unwilling she was.
But when no one was looking, he glared fiercely at Song Zhiyu.
This woman is truly repulsive; even her own mother favors her.
Seeing this, Song Zhiyu gave a barely perceptible twitch of her lips. "It's a pity, really. I originally planned to give the old lady the golden nanmu Buddha statue I bought at the Treasure Pavilion as a congratulatory gift, but unfortunately, plans don't always go as expected..."
She sighed deeply, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, her hesitant expression leaving much to the imagination.
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