Chapter 92: Viewing Paintings and Speaking of Life

“The second reason, naturally, is money. As the saying goes, a person is a hero, and money is courage!” Lin Xiaosu said, “If our families become in-laws, the average wealth between us would exceed five billion yuan. Think about it—how many people in Greater Daxia can reach such a figure? For families with that kind of wealth, their descendants walk with their heads held high wherever they go.”

Ding Ruoshui lightly pressed her forehead and groaned, “You do understand what ‘average’ means!”

The maidservants behind them were dumbfounded.

Madam’s judgment was always precise; this prospective son-in-law’s audacity was truly astonishing—no, rather, his psychological resilience was extraordinary...

Inside the hall, the soft sound of the elevator was heard as a middle-aged man stepped out.

He appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with some gray in his hair, wearing glasses, exuding a refined scholarly air.

Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui both rose to greet him.

“Dad, this is Xiaosu.”

“Uncle, hello!” Lin Xiaosu smiled slightly and shook hands with this legendary figure.

Ding Lizhong gave him a once-over and nodded slightly. “Come, sit over there.”

“Dad, why don’t we sit in the study?” Ding Ruoshui suggested, “He really likes calligraphy and paintings.”

“Oh? Not many young people like calligraphy and paintings these days!” Ding Lizhong said. “I happen to have a painting by Han Shuchun. Do you know Han Shuchun?”

Ding Ruoshui’s heart skipped a beat.

Apparently, there was a lack of tacit understanding with her father.

Can’t you tell I was hinting to discuss things in the study?

The study was the only place in the entire villa where one could speak freely.

And you just casually ask about Han Shuchun?

Han Shuchun was a figure from four centuries ago, not particularly famous in the art world. If one wasn’t an expert, they might not even know him. You casually test him, and if he makes a fool of himself, what reason would there be to discuss serious matters in the study?

Lin Xiaosu replied readily, “I’m not sure if your collection is from his early or late period?”

“Early period!”

“Early period is excellent!” Lin Xiaosu said. “Han Shuchun’s style is unlike others in the art world. Usually, late works are the culmination of a lifetime’s skill, getting better as time goes on. But he was the opposite. His early works were fierce and intense; his middle period was when he fell into personal difficulties and came to understand the fragile nature of life. His style changed dramatically. Though his later works appear more mature, they lost their unique characteristics and blended into the common crowd. This might be the real reason he remained obscure in the art world.”

Ding Ruoshui’s eyes widened...

Could it be that you actually did your homework?

Otherwise, how could you know so much about Han Shuchun?

Ding Lizhong’s eyes lit up. “Let’s go see the study…”

Collecting art was his passion.

But to see his collection required qualification; only those who truly understood could appreciate it.

The study on the second floor opened silently.

Before Lin Xiaosu lay the perfect study.

Two rows of bookshelves, all made from ebony.

Inside were finely bound books and thread-bound volumes. The thread-bound books were extraordinary—some from a specific dynasty where a single page was worth the price of a car.

There were at least twenty or thirty such thread-bound books on his shelves.

If these were not intentionally aged replicas, just these few dozen books alone would be priceless.

In ebony tubes were a dozen scrolls.

Ding Lizhong took out one and unfolded it. The most prominent feature was a long spear!

A blood-stained spear, its tip broken into two, with distinct outlines of stones on the ground.

The sky was gray.

The earth was black.

A general, his face smeared with blood, his clothes tattered; the only half-drawn horse hoof was also broken.

As a painting, it lacked aesthetic beauty and instead conveyed an oppressive atmosphere.

“Do you know which battle this painting depicts?” Ding Lizhong asked again.

Ding Ruoshui frowned.

Painting was her specialty.

She knew Han Shuchun and this “Broken Spear” painting, but when asked which battle it depicted, she couldn’t answer. Even some cultural celebrities her father entertained in this study, masters of the painting world, might not be able to answer.

If he could answer that, it would be truly miraculous.

Lin Xiaosu said, “Han Shuchun’s style has another hallmark: exaggerated brushwork with details that are vividly real. Here, the general wears autumn clothes, but there is snow on the ground and snowy mountains in the distance. It’s not winter, yet the scene is wintry—this can only be the northern frontier in autumn. Among the seven battles that moved him most deeply, only one fits this painting’s time and place: the Battle of Xiaojinchuan!”

Ding Lizhong was genuinely surprised. “Professor Chen Lin from the Art Academy also studied this painting. His judgment was that it could be either Xiaojinchuan or Yongmen Pass. Why did you rule out Yongmen Pass? That was a battle Han Shuchun personally fought in and felt most deeply about, since his elder brother died there.”

“Yongmen Pass does fit all the battlefield scenes, but Han Shuchun once wrote in a family letter that Yongmen Pass was where his brother’s soul was lost and the family’s fortunes declined. Therefore, he was hesitant to paint it and never dared put brush to canvas for that scene. If he never painted Yongmen Pass, then this ‘Broken Spear’ painting couldn’t be of it.”

Ding Ruoshui frowned. “A family letter? Where did you see this letter?”

“At the library where we met, there’s a book called ‘Record of Famous Figures Through the Ages’ that contains this information.”

Ding Lizhong laughed heartily. “If Professor Chen Lin were here today, he might toast you. He studied this painting for a full week but never saw that book, so even he couldn’t conclude definitively... Come, let’s look at the others.”

Lin Xiaosu examined the rest of the paintings, each a treasure. He could talk knowledgeably about every one.

After viewing a whole tube of paintings, Ding Lizhong regarded him as a kindred spirit.

Ding Ruoshui felt an indescribable emotion.

Is this what a detective is like?

Such an incredible breadth of knowledge and memory?

Why is he so proficient in painting?

Could it be because she once mentioned to him her interest in painting?

While looking at the paintings, Lin Xiaosu’s gaze was drawn to a peculiar stone behind the desk...

The stone was oddly shaped, resembling an old man gazing up at the heavens.

On its base were three characters: The Thinker.

Lin Xiaosu circled the stone, his expression slightly unusual.

Ding Lizhong asked, “Do you also study jade?”

Indeed, this strange stone was not only oddly shaped, but was also a genuine jade boulder.

Lin Xiaosu nodded slightly. “A little.”

“Can you tell which mining area this jade is from?”

“Old Junjiang jade. Junjiang jade is special—while other jade fields prize a fine, smooth surface, Junjiang’s must have a coarse, dark sandstone-like rind, a black rice paste texture, representing thorough internal assimilation.”

Ding Lizhong’s eyes gleamed. “Besides that, what else did you notice?”

“The name ‘The Thinker’ is well chosen.”

Ding Lizhong frowned. “It’s clearly looking up at the sky. Is it really appropriate to call it ‘The Thinker’?”

Lin Xiaosu said, “Thinking with your head bowed is thinking, so why wouldn’t looking up be thinking as well? Personally, I prefer thinking while looking up.”

“Why?”

“Because only by raising one’s head can a person realize their insignificance before the boundless universe. Only then can one truly follow the guidance of the distant stars and take one step after another forward.”

Ding Lizhong exhaled softly. “I chose that name! That was my intention when I wrote those three characters!”

Those who research genetic technology tread where no one has before; every step is filled with the unknown. Only by embracing the mindset of ‘the world is vast, and I am but an ant’ can one remind oneself to proceed cautiously and avoid falling into a bottomless abyss...

A constant warning to oneself!

That was the true reason this peculiar stone was placed in the study.

Ding Ruoshui’s heart fluttered...

She had seen this stone before...

She had even asked her father if he had made a mistake writing those characters.

Her father hadn’t answered.

Today, she finally had her answer!

From her fake boyfriend, no less.

With just this answer, he had already passed her father’s test.

This boyfriend’s ability to pass the test was truly remarkable!

Impressive, indeed!

Lin Xiaosu smiled gently. “Uncle, how about sitting on the rooftop?”

“The rooftop? Why?”

“Because from the rooftop, you can look up to the stars.”

Ding Lizhong smiled. “And you?”

“I can enjoy the beautiful view of South Lake. I hear the best viewing platform here is the rooftop.”

“Let’s change the venue—up to the rooftop!” Ding Lizhong was in an unusually good mood today.

Perhaps it was because he found this prospective son-in-law increasingly agreeable.

On the rooftop, there was a tea room.

A sturdy door served as a railing, glass made up the ceiling.

Exotic flowers and plants dotted the space, all common varieties, not genetically engineered.

Ding Ruoshui personally handled the teapot, pouring tea for the two.

She seemed truly immersed in her role, genuinely treating Lin Xiaosu as her boyfriend.

Lin Xiaosu’s eyes swept over the villa’s viewing terrace, admiring it.

In the distance rose towering skyscrapers, displaying the metropolis’s splendor; before them lay a flawless lake of emerald water.

The breeze carried an indistinct scent—was it the bustling city or the lake’s fragrance? Standing there amidst heaven and earth, it was truly a moment of peace amidst the noise.

“Any feelings?” Ding Lizhong smiled lightly.

Lin Xiaosu smiled softly. “Uncle, I’ve heard Ruoshui mention you many times. I thought you were just an old scholar focused on research, but I didn’t expect you to have such a lively spirit—liking calligraphy, paintings, and jade.”

“You were finally wrong once!” Ding Lizhong smiled. “I don’t like playing with paintings or jade. Paintings are for me to feel the breath of history; jade is a warning. As a researcher, I stand amid the flourishing world and observe the blue sea, trace the past and gaze at the stars.”

“To stand amid prosperity and watch the blue sea, to trace the past and look to the stars—that’s beautifully said! Always to remind oneself, even jade is a warning,” Lin Xiaosu said. “...Uncle, where did you get this jade?”

Ding Ruoshui furrowed her brow...

She felt her little boyfriend was beginning to show a weakness.

Why couldn’t you just stick with the grand intellectual topics with my father? Why always bring up jade?

Though jade is valuable among common folk, in front of someone with tens of billions in assets, it’s really not very impressive, you know?