56: Chapter 55 God in the clouds, blinked _1 56: Chapter 55 God in the clouds, blinked _1 The shop’s door was open indicating that Liang Youquan was in today, and it seemed like he had customers inside.
Nanxi led Lu Yinchu in, her heart pounding with nervousness.
Lu Yincu spoke, “Don’t let your uncle neglect his business because of me, just show me around briefly and that’ll be fine.”
Nanxi nodded, “Alright.”
Off to one side, Liang Youquan had already noticed that Nanxi and a tall, well-dressed man had entered.
He looked quite surprised and was about to say something when Nanxi gave him a silencing gesture and a signal to continue serving the customers and ignore them.
Although Liang Youquan was puzzled, he knew attending to his customers was his priority and quickly turned his attention away.
The storefront of Liang Youquan’s shop was not very large, but compared to the other calligraphy and painting shops located on West Street, it was slightly bigger.
The surrounding walls had numerous calligraphic works and ink paintings hung up, most of which were done by Liang Youquan himself.
Some that seemed particularly valuable were created by Nanxi’s grandfather and her departed mother, and even a few were the leftovers of Nanxi’s great-grandfather.
After spending a long time transfixed on a painting left behind by Nanxi’s great-grandfather, Lu Yinchu looked away.
Apart from the works of Liang Youquan and a few from Liang Huiqing, the rest of the art within the shop were not for sale.
Nanxi gazed at the art written by her mother, feeling a touch of nostalgia.
She had known since long time her mother was literate and a talented woman.
Back in Hong Kong when their family was struggling financially, her mother had written calligraphy for others for a period of time.
Once her father’s business started progressing, after few years of struggle, the family finally owned a house in the vibrant city of Hong Kong and their lives became fulfilled.
Nanxi remembered that when she was a child, her mother taught her how to write with a calligraphy brush.
Perhaps, she had inherited her mother’s talent as her calligraphy wasn’t bad.
However, she rarely wrote, feeling that her work was too hideous compared to her mother’s.
Nanxi’s parents were mostly open-minded when it came to her education and would not force her into anything.
They encouraged her to pursue whatever she enjoyed…
For instance, despite demonstrating some talent in calligraphy, she had no real passion for it, and instead enjoyed telling little stories.
When she was in second grade, a 300-word children’s story she wrote was published in a children’s magazine, followed by a number of other small articles.
Nanxi felt she had problems expressing herself verbally, but strangely enough, she had no difficulty writing down her thoughts.
She enjoyed writing, but was not obsessed with it.
She chose Chinese Literature as her major, but not for the purpose of writing.
She had her own dreams and it didn’t include becoming an author.
As for writing internet romance novels, Nanxi had a few reservations on this.
After moving to H City, she started college, and since her family was so Find your next favorite novel on NovelHub today!
As a result, she chose to capitalize on her writing skills.
By doing this, she had a regular income each month which covered her living expenses, a part of her tuition fees, and even allowed her to occasionally purchase something for her grandmother and uncle.
She was quite satisfied with this.
Lu Yinchu suddenly paused his walk.
Catching Nanxi off guard, she unconsciously turned her head to look in the direction he was gazing at.
To her surprise, the sight made her cheeks burn with embarrassment.
The characters written there were her work: “At the river’s end, sit and watch as clouds ascend!”
Nanxi seldom wrote any characters, and she had only written it last year during the lunar new year at her uncle’s insistence.
She had no idea that her uncle would actually display it in the storefront!
With gritted teeth, she felt utterly mortified.
Just as she felt flustered and desired to hide, the man beside her pleasantly voiced, “You write pretty well!”
The interior of the store was lit with incandescent lights that blended softly with the outside sunshine, casting a gentle glow on the man’s shoulders and face, accentuating his elegant demeanor.
Standing there, he seemed indifferent to whether the surrounding environment was noisy or quiet.
This trait made him seem distant, yet at the same time it was not abrasive or offending in any way.
Overwhelmed by his compliment, Nanxi became even more embarrassed.
Lowering her eyelids a bit, she responded in a soft voice, “Thank you!”
She thought he would immediately move on to the next piece, so she was already prepared.
The next piece was written by her uncle during the same lunar new year.
He had explained a lot to her after writing it and even though she wasn’t the best at remembering things, she remembered enough.
At least, to casually swindle this man in front of her, she thought, this won’t be a problem.
But then, she abruptly remembered what Lu Yinchu had mentioned about his interest in calligraphy.
Could it be possible that he not only appreciated it, but could also write it himself?
Lu, do you also write calligraphy?”
Before she even had time to think about it, the question had already slipped out…
The man was taken aback for a moment and then coolly let out a word, “Yes.”
Nanxi instantly regretted her question and lowered her head in silence.
To her surprise, the man continued, “But I’ve not written much, and definitely not as good as you!”
“Ahem!” Nanxi choked, not knowing what to say next.
The man laughed softly, finally moved a few steps forward, and started observing another calligraphic piece.
With a sigh of relief, Nanxi thought, finally he had moved on.
“By the way, is this piece of yours for sale?
Nanxi lifted her head, looking at him in confusion.
“Yep, I would like to buy it!
I love this line of poetry: ‘At the river’s end, sit and watch as clouds ascend!’
So, just because he liked this line of poetry, regardless of how amateurish and third-rate the skills of the author who had written this piece were, he decided to…buy it?
Nanxi felt that she must stop this…
Lu, if you truly like it, I can have my uncle write it for you.
His writing is far better than mine, and also…”
And more valuable for collecting!
Before she could finish, the man waved a hand to decline her offer, “No need, I prefer yours.
You know, I am usually very busy and don’t often have time to come by.
Besides, I am quite capricious when it comes to buying things.
If I were to wait for your uncle to write and publish it, by that time, I might no longer be interested!”
Meanwhile, Liang Youquan, having just successfully sold two pieces of art and bid farewell to his customers, was now smiling and making his way to Nanxi’s side.
He overheard Lu Yinchu expressing his interest to buy Nanxi’s calligraphy and a sense of delight flickered across his face.
Quickly he responded, “Nanxi, don’t belittle yourself.
Your uncle believes that this piece of yours is excellent; it holds much of the charm and grace of your mother’s work!”
Nanxi turned to her uncle with a troubled look on her face.
She thought to herself, Uncle, aren’t you lying through your teeth?
It’s making me feel guilty!
Lu Yinchu simply responded with a slight smile.
Clearing her throat, and with a smile that seemed forced, Nanxi introduced them, “Uncle, let me introduce you.
I brought him here today to get a look at the shop…”
On hearing this, Liang Youquan was taken aback.
At that moment, Lu Yinchu had already extended his hand for a handshake, “Mr.
Liang Youquan shook his hand, “Thank you for coming, Mr.