Chapter 20 "Spirit" - "Nerve"?

  It's unclear whether Teacher Tang had a sudden change of heart or if Zhang Qing really made progress, but she finally didn't have to keep drawing straight lines anymore.

  When Teacher Tang said that Zhang Qing could start trying to paint some ink wash paintings next week, Zhang Qing was overjoyed, almost jumping three feet high. So for a whole week, she's been like someone holding a gold medal, ordering her mom around every day: "Mom, Teacher Tang said so, let's buy rice paper. You have to get me the good kind!"

  "Mom, I need to buy an ink box and ink. The ink needs to be of good quality. What about the brush? Should it be wolf hair or sheep hair? How big should it be? Mom, why don't you ask my teacher's wife?"

  "Mom..."

  Listening to Zhang Qing's constant chatter, Zhang Yue couldn't help but feel a little excited. Although she didn't have much talent for painting, trying her hand at writing calligraphy with a brush was still possible, right? So she went over and said to her mom: "Mom, when you're buying paper and brushes, buy an extra set for me too."

  "Go, go, buy, buy, they're really two ancestors." Looking at the two competitive daughters, Mom is still very pleased in her heart. Even spending money feels worth it!

  "Brush, ink, paper and inkstone, have you bought all the things you want? I also bought each of you a woolen blanket. It's better than making a mess in my house." Mom said to the two girls while taking out the things.

  In just one day, Mom had prepared everything the two girls wanted. Although they were not expensive items, in the early 1990s, it was rare to see such things in ordinary students' homes. Zhang Qing held them and jumped with joy in the room. Zhang Yue was also infected by her sister's excitement, picking up one thing after another to look at.

  With nothing better to do, Zhang Yue suddenly felt inspired, spread out the rice paper, arranged his brush and ink, and carefully wrote two big characters: "Spirit".

  "Is she crazy?" Zhang Qing muttered to herself. After finishing, she looked at her sister with a puzzled expression: "Are you out of your mind?"

  "You're crazy!" Zhang Yue "cursed".

  "Mom, mom, my sister is crazy! Look at her, she's writing something normal and then writes a weird character." Zhang Qing called out while laughing and snatched the character written by Zhang Yue to show their mom.

  Listening to his sister's words, Zhang Yue had a black face. Alas, forgive this uncultured person. After studying fine arts for so long, how could he not even know that writing brush calligraphy is from right to left?

  "Oh, don't mention it, it's written quite well." Mom looked at the paper Zhang Qing handed over and couldn't help but praise.

  Hehe, back then, it wasn't popular to give praise and encouragement. Usually, Mom rarely praised the two sisters. Not to mention Zhang Yue, even Zhang Qing was spoiled but also strictly managed in terms of studying.

  Upon hearing Mother's praise, Grandma and Grandpa both came out of the house to take a look. "Yes, Yueyue's handwriting is really good! She hasn't even practiced before, how can she write brush calligraphy?" Grandma specially took out her old reading glasses and carefully examined it.

  "It's good, Yueyue has inherited our family's legacy. Her grandfather and her mother's words are not bad either!" Hehe, Grandpa is self-loving again.

  It's worth mentioning that Zhang Yue's grandfather and mother both have good handwriting. Although they didn't receive any formal training, they are well-known for their handwriting in their units. Grandfather always grumbled that his two granddaughters were not making progress and did not inherit the family tradition of good handwriting, writing a messy script.

  Yuexi was once very unhappy about this. What is true transmission? You guys write well, but you haven't passed on any experience either. Every day, you practice stupidly according to the model characters, without any skills, how can there be any effect?

  Actually, Zhang Yue was clear in her heart that the words she wrote were really ordinary, and it was just a matter of having too much experience put there. Even if she wanted to be reserved, sometimes she would inadvertently bring it out. Taking the writing of a woman who has been writing for decades and making a living from words and comparing it with an eleven-year-old girl's writing, if it's not well-written, wouldn't that humiliate her to death?

  Digression

  Chinese New Year is approaching, I'm curious if anyone still reads articles? If there are, could you please leave a comment to let me know, it's also a kind of psychological comfort.

  At least let me know I'm not talking to myself.

  Thank you all dear ones. Muah muah ~