At this moment, someone next to me spoke up: "Today has truly broadened my horizons. Narcissus Village is indeed a place where hidden talents abound."
Not to mention General Li and Marquis Zhengyang, people with such calligraphic skills are rare.
I wonder if there are any masters of calligraphy and painting in Narcissus Village. I have always wanted to find paintings of the Four Gentlemen of Flowers, but I have never been able to.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Wu, who was standing nearby, spoke up:
"The gentleman who is writing this is a famous master of calligraphy and painting in the Northern Dynasty. If you want to request a painting, you can go directly to him."
"You mean this gentleman who wrote the couplet is actually a master of calligraphy and painting?"
"Yes, that's the gentleman. More than ten years ago, his paintings were widely collected by people around the world."
Upon hearing this, the man was overjoyed. He walked over to Yu Jie and began to scrutinize him.
Yu Jie was still writing couplets seriously, oblivious to everything around him, and unaware that someone was looking him up and down.
"Who are you? Why are you staring at my father like that?" Yu Qianwen, who was holding the couplets beside him, asked.
The child's words made the person feel embarrassed; it was indeed inappropriate to stare at someone like that.
By this time, Yu Jie had finished writing the couplet. He straightened up, handed the brush to Mr. Fang, looked at the newcomer, and said:
"The child doesn't know how to speak properly and may have offended you, sir. Please forgive him."
"Sir, you are too kind. Children speak without thinking. I was unbecoming just now and should not have stared at you like that."
"My name is Yu Jie, a humble teacher at Wufang Academy. I wonder what guidance you would offer me, sir?"
"So you are Mr. Yu. My apologies for not recognizing you. I am a businessman who loves calligraphy and painting. I only learned from this gentleman's words that you are a master of calligraphy and painting, and your works are widely collected by people around the world."
I humbly request a painting of the Four Gentlemen of Flowers from you, sir. Is that possible?
Yu Jie knew that the Four Gentlemen of Flowers refers to four plants: plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. These four plants are used as metaphors for people who uphold moral integrity and have high moral character. Some literati and scholars like this kind of painting.
The Four Gentlemen of Flowers may not seem difficult to paint, but to paint them well is not an easy task. For those with superb painting skills, a few strokes are enough to create a lifelike masterpiece.
Looking at the man before him, Yu Jie noticed that although he was a businessman, his passion for calligraphy and painting indicated that he was also a refined scholar.
"Although Yu likes to paint, his painting skills are mediocre and not worthy of being considered high art."
In previous years, Yu created some paintings, which were indeed collected by some people. However, in recent years, Yu has not created any paintings.
As for Manager Shan's request for paintings of the Four Gentlemen of Flowers, I am unable to do so; please forgive me.
Yu Jie's words disappointed Shan Jindou, and the other elderly gentlemen also found it difficult to understand his words.
Why was Yu Jie a master of calligraphy and painting in his youth, with his works widely collected by the world, yet he did not paint a single piece for many years afterward?
Although disappointed, Shan Jindou did not leave immediately and continued to watch them write couplets.
The calligraphers were all highly skilled, but the couplets they sold were priced very low; they were essentially writing couplets for others for free.
If we really want to price it based on the selling price, even if we set the price ten times higher, it wouldn't seem expensive.
And so, Mr. Fang and Yu Jie took turns writing, and finally finished writing on all the red paper they had brought.
"Finally finished writing. I'll come back tomorrow. I've already earned enough for today's drinks, so I can have a drink when I get back."
The group packed up and prepared to leave, but found that Shan Jindou was still standing there.
It seems that Shan Jindou's pursuit of painting borders on obsession.
Seeing this, Yu Jie hesitated for a moment, then made his decision and said:
"Manager Shan, a few years ago, Yu made a set of four paintings of the Four Gentlemen of Flowers, but they have never been framed."
After I get home today, I'll have it framed and bring it back tomorrow. If Manager Shan likes it, I'll give it to him as a token of my appreciation.
Upon hearing this, Shan Jindou immediately perked up. He hadn't expected Yu Jie to give him a set of paintings of the Four Gentlemen of Flowers.
"Thank you, Mr. Yu. I will be waiting for you here tomorrow." After saying this, Shan Jindou bowed to Yu Jie.
Seeing the elderly men leave, Shan Jindou reluctantly departed from the market.
At Wufang Academy, Yu Jie sat at the desk in the study, staring blankly at a large bookshelf next to him.
After a long while, he stood up, walked to the bookshelf, opened a cabinet under the bookshelf, and found it filled with neatly stacked drawings.
He took out the sketches, placed them on the table, and began to look through them.
Most of these sketches were created in the past few years; he hasn't painted a single picture in the last two years.
As Yu Jie flipped through the pages, he searched for a long time before finally finding four overlapping drawings and unfolding them.
These four paintings depict four plants: plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. These four plants are known as the Four Gentlemen of Flowers and are highly sought after by scholars.
Looking at the four paintings, Yu Jie fell into deep thought, his mind drifting back to seven or eight years ago.
At the time, Yu Jie had been married for a short time, and the couple had a very good relationship, treating each other with utmost respect.
At that time, Yu Jie worked in the government and had a stable income. In addition, his calligraphy and paintings were unique and sought after by people. Many people came to ask for his paintings, so they lived a pretty good life.
When Yu Jie was painting, his newlywed wife would stay by his side and help him grind the ink.
During that period, Yu Jie was full of passion and inspiration, creating a large number of paintings. These four paintings of the noble flower were also completed during that time.
Yu Jie never expected that his wife would suffer a difficult childbirth after ten months of pregnancy. Although the child was eventually born, the mother could not be saved and passed away.
The death of his wife left Yu Jie devastated, and he never recovered.
He lost his job in the government due to excessive depression, but there was one thing he did not forget: raising his children.
As Yu Qianwen grew a little older, Yu Jie's grief eased somewhat, and he began to continue creating. However, his condition was not as good as before, and he was unable to create paintings that satisfied him.
During that period, Yu Jie produced a number of paintings, but these paintings were not sold to the public. As Yu Qianwen grew up day by day, Yu Jie's creations became less and less frequent.
When Wang Zhibo found Yu Jie and asked him to become a teacher in Shuixian Village, Yu Jie was already destitute.
Yu Jie took out the four paintings, intending to frame them and then give the framed paintings to Yu Jindou.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Yu Jie opened the door and found Ruan Fang standing in front of it.
"So it's Headmaster Ruan. I'm sorry, the study is a mess."
Ruan Fang came to invite Yu Jie over for dinner, but seeing the paintings all over the table, she became interested and went inside to take a look.
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