The Art of Teasing - Chapter 131

Chapter 131

Old Master Lian and his wife had come to the capital and would be staying for at least over a month. With Lian Xin bustling around attending to them, there was no need for Wen Zhengyu to be at their side constantly. Coincidentally, Ye Ling had a few days free, so Wen Zhengyu took her along to deliver gifts.

Wen Zhengyu told Ye Ling, "These past few days of gift-giving have been to the homes of the elderly gentlemen and ladies I've gotten to know over the years—the ones I really connect with. There are also some middle-aged folks like Lao Zhou, people I get along with well. Truthfully, I just want to see how they're doing." She hesitated slightly, then said, "The studio's operations can still sustain things. Could we not change the payment method?"

Ye Ling asked, "Why?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "When I opened the studio, during those really difficult times, they really helped me out. The studio has been profitable ever since it opened. No matter how I do business, it's always buying low and selling high. Even though it's business, the core of it is... it's all them supporting me. When they sell paintings, who they sell to doesn't matter—why would they go to the trouble of sending them all the way to me from a thousand miles away?"

"To an outsider, a painting is worth this much or that much, or some artwork suddenly sells for an astronomical price, but those are exceptions. Master and Grandfather are among the very top echelon of this industry; it took decades of accumulation to reach that level. Even so, if it were just me and my grandfather painting, our family of two—forget about this large mansion now—even the small courtyard we lived in at Second Aunt's place before wouldn't have been enough to cover our expenses."

"Many painters with some small fame are under enormous financial pressure. Painting isn't like running a printing factory where you can produce as much as you want. Every painter can only produce a limited number of paintings to sell each year. Supporting a family, going out to sketch from nature, holding exhibitions, buying houses for children and grandchildren—everything requires money."

Ye Ling understood. This was a case of someone whose own life was comfortable now wanting others to have it a little easier too. She said, "The way you've been doing it was fine before, but now you're often away from the studio for ten days or half a month at a time. When you're not there, the finance department doesn't dare authorize payments for paintings worth hundreds of thousands—so the artists still have to wait. If you have a fixed payment schedule, with funds transferred on time every month, finance has less to worry about, and the other party won't have their financial plans disrupted because you're not at the studio."

Wen Zhengyu thought it over and felt Ye Ling's point was reasonable.

Ye Ling continued, "Since you're frequently away from the studio now, you can't just leave all the paintings piled up waiting for you to come back and authenticate them. You know so many painters—see if there's anyone suitable and invite a few to work in residence at the studio. It'll save everyone trouble and worry." Wen Zhengyu's interpersonal connections were decent, but when it came to doing business, she lacked a capable CEO.

Ye Ling was quite curious about Wen Zhengyu's social circle.

Most of her own interpersonal dealings were tied to interests and benefits, but given Wen Zhengyu's character, the people she associated with were primarily those she got along with. After the Ye Che incident, Ye Ling didn't dare underestimate Wen Zhengyu's network and was rather looking forward to broadening her horizons a bit. As it turned out, her horizons were indeed broadened.

Wen Zhengyu's acquaintances were all from cultured, well-mannered, and highly refined households. There were calligraphers and painters who had dealings with the studio, professors teaching at universities, retired intellectuals spending their twilight years at home, and collectors she'd met through antique dealings. Their family circumstances varied. Some elderly couples lived in old walk-up apartments built around the nineties—small homes of just over eighty square meters, but immaculately kept, with books filling every corner. A few households even had security guards, with strict access controls at their gates.

Regardless of the family's circumstances, Wen Zhengyu would trot right over with gifts, much like Santa Claus handing out presents at Christmas.

When Wen Zhengyu visited, those elderly gentlemen and ladies acted as if they were seeing their own grandchildren come home, pulling her close and asking about this and that.

When Wen Zhengyu gave gifts, she didn't just deliver them and leave—she made sure the recipients tried them out to see if they were suitable and inquired about any health-related restrictions they might have. If something wasn't quite right, she could adjust for the New Year's gifts. When it came to health maintenance for the elderly, she could talk at length, rattling off information effortlessly: what hypertensive patients needed to avoid, what elderly people with high blood sugar had to watch out for. She knew it all like the back of her hand, and the tonic herbs and ingredients she prepared were all selected according to these requirements. When she gave dietary ingredients, she also included recipes, and any dietary restrictions were clearly noted on accompanying slips of paper.

Those elderly folks also loved to chat with Wen Zhengyu, talking in even greater detail than what Wen Zhengyu had written down. If there was something Wen Zhengyu hadn't paid attention to, they would patiently remind her. They even made requests for the next time she came around with New Year's gifts, for example: "That sugar cake you brought last time was delicious. My blood sugar is under control now—eating a little now and then won't hurt. When the New Year comes, pack me two boxes of those sugar cakes. I don't want too many—you wouldn't give me more anyway. Don't think I don't know you, you little miser."

Ye Ling thought that if Wen Zhengyu hadn't opened an art studio last year, she could have done well opening a senior care center instead.

The gifts Wen Zhengyu gave weren't particularly extravagant, but they were by no means cheap—all were of superior quality, clearly items she had specially sought out. The trinkets and decorative ornaments she gifted weren't priced high, maybe a few thousand or up to ten thousand or so, but each had its unique charm.

Ye Ling was quite astonished. She hadn't seen Wen Zhengyu going out hunting for things—she had no idea where she managed to find all these items.

When she asked Wen Zhengyu, Wen Zhengyu told her where to go to find such things and even explained how to go about finding them. "Sometimes when I have free time or I'm passing by and see something suitable, I just buy it. Other times, when new stock arrives, they'll call and tell me to come take a look and see if there's anything to my liking."

People who could afford to collect antiques rather than making a living by trading them were all from families with substantial means and considerable cultural refinement—not something an ordinary household could cultivate. Take herself, for instance: her family background wasn't shallow. Although her parents had passed away and she had endured considerable hardship, she was still, in truth, a third-generation official's descendant. She had handled plenty of genuine and fake antiques, but if you asked her to distinguish an authentic piece from a forgery, she was just as likely to mistake the fake for real and the real for fake. Those who could speak knowledgeably and expertly about antiques had honed that skill through years of handling, examining, and studying pieces up close. Just like Wen Zhengyu—hand her an antique and she'd first weigh it in her hand, and from that alone, she could list off a whole set of observations.

Ye Ling accompanied Wen Zhengyu for three or four days and met the elderly gentleman who had helped with the Ye Che case.

Entering the door with Wen Zhengyu versus entering on her own—it was like walking into the homes of two completely different families.

Wen Zhengyu was as familiar as if she were going to her own maternal grandmother's house. First, she handed out gifts. After giving gifts, she asked for something in return—she wanted their homemade pickled dried vegetables. The elderly lady had only pickled two jars in total, and one of those jars had been pickled specifically for Wen Zhengyu.

Wen Zhengyu went to Lao Qin's house, got her pickled vegetables, and then noticed the antiques displayed on the curio shelf. She paused briefly, then quietly asked, "Grandpa Qin, is your son working for the Discipline Inspection Commission?"

Old Master Qin nodded and said, "Mm, you only just found out? Haha, so you owe me a favor now, don't you?"

Wen Zhengyu kept a straight face and shook her head. "I don't owe anything." She stared straight ahead, refusing to look sideways.

Old Master Qin said, "I won't make you repay it. Stay for lunch."

Wen Zhengyu shook her head and said, "I have to go to Grandpa Lu's house." After speaking, she noticed Lao Qin's expression shift and said, "Don't be upset. Are you and Grandpa Lu having a fight?"

Old Master Qin said, "His son got into legal trouble. The house and all the family's property have been sealed and confiscated. Several of the grandchildren who had started their careers were also implicated. Old Lu got dragged into it too."

"He had those little decorative items you gave him. They made him explain where he got them. He was afraid of implicating you and refused to say a word no matter what. It wasn't until several of us old fellows heard the news and went over to explain the situation that it was resolved."

Wen Zhengyu's heart immediately sank. She asked, "How is Grandpa Lu now? He's over eighty, you know."

"He was released, but his home is gone, his relatives are all avoiding him, and he's ended up in a nursing home."

Wen Zhengyu asked, "What about little Rongrong? She's not even ten—surely nothing happened to her?"

Old Master Qin said, "She was sent to a welfare institute." He added, "His son was a bit... he offended a lot of people, and his downfall was harsh. No one wants to get too deeply involved in his family's affairs."

Wen Zhengyu nodded, understanding that it wasn't appropriate to ask too much more about Old Master Lu's family matters. Old Master Qin had helped her and Ye Ling; she owed him for that. She said, "Then I'll toast you twice later." She hesitated, and in the end, couldn't hold back. She asked, "Which nursing home?"

Old Master Qin sighed, appearing both troubled and hesitant, but ultimately told Wen Zhengyu the address.

Ye Ling glanced at Wen Zhengyu a couple more times, then swept a look at Old Master Qin, and said nothing.

After finishing the meal at Old Master Qin's, Wen Zhengyu came out and, once in the car, immediately gave the nursing home address to Wen Jing, telling Wen Jing to drive there. She said to Ye Ling, "Grandpa Lu didn't have a good relationship with his son. He always lived alone and even went to live in our area for a few years, renting a house not far from ours. Living so close, we'd always run into each other on walks. The old gentleman was sociable, and through repeated encounters, we became familiar. He was quite good at Go; I often went to find him for a game, and he often came to my place for meals. Then one time he fell ill, and that's when his son took him back." She paused, silent for several seconds, then said, "Last year, at that... where Grandpa Jing lived, two months ago, Uncle Jing called to tell me that Grandpa Jing has passed on. Before the old gentleman left, he was still thinking of me. He told Uncle Jing to let me know—he was afraid I'd go to his house, find no one there, and feel bad."

She paused to steady herself, then said, "Actually, I've gotten used to it. Every year... from time to time... one or two are gone."

Ye Ling pulled Wen Zhengyu into her arms and gently patted her back.

Wen Zhengyu felt deeply sad. When people did those kinds of things, why couldn't they think a little more about their families? Old Master Wen had been the same—in his old age, he was dragged down by his son and had to sell the family house. If not for her Second Aunt, if not for her maternal grandparents' family, it was hard to say what state their grandfather and granddaughter would be in now.

She nestled in Ye Ling's embrace for a while, collected her emotions, and sat up straight. She said to Ye Ling, "It's nothing, I was just sad for a moment."

Ye Ling gave a soft "Mm" and held Wen Zhengyu's hand.

Wen Zhengyu and Ye Ling arrived at the nursing home. The care workers wouldn't let them go inside to visit; they only helped Old Master Lu to the reception area in the front hall so they could meet.

Old Master Lu was so thin he looked like nothing but a bag of bones. He had aged drastically; even walking, he trembled unsteadily, and there was an unpleasant odor about him suggesting poor hygiene.

Old Master Lu had once been very particular about his appearance, always neatly dressed and immaculately groomed.

Seeing Wen Zhengyu, Old Master Lu was both moved and surprised. He asked, "How did you come here? Weren't they told not to tell you? Is someone giving you trouble?"

Wen Zhengyu helped him sit down and said, "My maternal grandparents came to the capital to celebrate an old friend's birthday and brought me along. I thought since I had plenty of time, I'd come see you all. When I went to Grandpa Qin's, Grandpa Qin said you were here, so I came over."

Old Master Lu asked, "You've learned everything?"

Wen Zhengyu smelled the odor on Old Master Lu, and seeing the staff's firm refusal to let them go inside, coupled with what Wen Jing had just reported after checking—that the doors inside were locked and guarded—she knew the environment here was not good. Last year, Old Master Lu's health had still been robust, looking even better than her own grandfather's, and now this year, this was his condition. She nodded and said, "Let me discuss something with you."

Old Master Lu said, "Just you coming to see me—I'm already very grateful. The fact that you could come is wonderful, truly wonderful..." His voice caught with emotion. "You've seen me. Head back now." He started to rise.

Wen Zhengyu steadied him and said, "Hear me out first, see if it's possible? We've moved back into the Old Family Mansion. The house you used to rent is still being leased out. You could take little Rongrong and live there. My grandfather would have you for company. Since my father's incident, his circumstances haven't been what they once were either. With you there, you could still play Go together. Rongrong is so young—with you looking after her, whether it's her environment growing up or the education she receives, it would be far better than a welfare institute. As for the expenses, I'll keep track of everything. When Rongrong grows up and is able, she can repay it slowly."

Old Master Lu said repeatedly, "I appreciate the thought, truly, but don't let this drag you down. As long as you're doing well, that's enough. She..." He wanted to say that everyone has their own fate, but she was, after all, his own granddaughter. Since returning to the capital and moving back in with his son, this granddaughter... it was having this little granddaughter in the house that had made it bearable for him to stay.

Wen Zhengyu smiled. "We've never had any dealings based on interests or benefits—just a bit of neighborly relationship and shared hobbies. You're over eighty, and Rongrong isn't even ten. Who's going to make things difficult for you? Besides, you'll be keeping well out of the way."

Ye Ling looked deeply at Wen Zhengyu, utterly in admiration. She hadn't even inquired what exactly had happened with Old Master Lu's family or whom they had offended, yet here she was, ready to take them in like this. Old Master Qin's words, the fact that Old Master Lu could be placed in a nursing home—there was much here worth pondering.

But then she reconsidered: someone like Wen Zhengyu, acting purely out of naive kindness, helping an elderly man with few years left and a minor child—even if someone took issue with it, they couldn't really use this against her. Who could guarantee that their own family would never fall into trouble or ruin? With a simple-hearted person like this willing to step in and offer help, the old and the young could at least have a path to survival.

Ye Ling sighed softly, tousled Wen Zhengyu's hair, and whispered a sentence into Old Master Lu's ear.

Old Master Lu looked at Ye Ling, surprise flickering across his face.

Ye Ling nodded and spoke in a low voice again.

Old Master Lu said repeatedly, "Then thank you, thank you, thank you..."

Wen Zhengyu looked at Ye Ling, thinking: This won't cause trouble for Ye Ling, will it?

Ye Ling caught the look Wen Zhengyu gave her and tousled her hair again. "If you're going to arrange this, the first step is to get them out and find a place to stay."

Seeing that Ye Ling was leaving her to handle this herself, Wen Zhengyu breathed a huge sigh of relief. Since she knew about the situation and had the ability to help, she still wanted to make things a little better for them. She immediately went to complete the paperwork to discharge Old Master Lu from the nursing home, then headed to the welfare institute to pick up the child.

When Wen Zhengyu found little Rongrong at the welfare institute, she and a girl about the same age were being cornered by several children. The children were shouting abuse, calling Rongrong's father a corrupt official, calling Rongrong a parasite on society, and calling the other girl an ugly freak.

Old Master Lu's tears fell on the spot.

When little Rongrong saw her grandfather, she threw herself into his arms and wailed loudly.

Wen Zhengyu saw that Rongrong's hair had been pulled into a mess like a chicken coop, and her clothes were torn. The children who had been hitting her had all run off. Many people watched them from a distance, and some children ran to call the staff.

Rongrong had been sent to the welfare institute because both her parents had committed crimes and there was no one to care for her. Old Master Lu was her direct lineal relative; their household registration was on the same family register. With these documents, the procedures were completed without much trouble.

Rongrong was very reluctant to part with the girl who had been bullied alongside her. The girl had a large birthmark covering half her face, one of her feet was somewhat deformed, and she walked with a limp. The girl spoke in a soft, gentle voice that was very pleasant to hear. She comforted Rongrong, telling her not to be sad, saying that having her grandfather come to get her was a good thing, that she should be happy, and that she must take good care of her grandfather.

A child ran over and spat at Wen Zhengyu but was blocked by Wen Jing. The child yelled, "Pah! Corrupt official! Running dog!" and ran off.

Ye Ling caught up in a few strides and grabbed the child. She said, "Her maternal grandfather was a revolutionary soldier. His leg was crippled by a bullet defending the homeland. Her four maternal uncles and all her brothers were sent to the borders of the motherland to defend the country—every single one of them, gun in hand, faced down enemies and criminals on the frontier. If all the money I donate to welfare institutes every year goes to raising ignorant, right-from-wrong-can't-tell trash like you, then it's truly been given in vain." After speaking, she spat right back at the child.

Wen Zhengyu, who had been feeling melancholic just moments before, was now utterly stunned by Ye Ling's actions. A grown woman, after being spat at by a little kid, actually spat back.

A staff member from the welfare institute came over, took the child away first, and then told them: this child's mother had run off; the father, after being denied wages he was owed and failing to get results from petitioning, had been beaten, and later sought revenge against society and was arrested. With no one to care for the child, he had been sent here.

Watching these children who had ended up here for all sorts of reasons, Wen Zhengyu, as she left, also made a small donation as a token of her concern.

Having known Old Master Lu for many years, she understood he was someone who valued face and dignity. In his current state of destitution, he would rather live in a thatched hut on his own land than be taken in by another family.

She temporarily settled Old Master Lu in a hotel, loaned him some money, and left two bodyguards with him. She told him to rest and recover his spirits at the hotel with his granddaughter first, and if there were any matters he still needed to attend to, he could have the two bodyguards accompany him and run errands. She called Zhan Cheng and asked him to look into renting the house. Her own home also had guest rooms sufficient for accommodating people. The final arrangement would depend entirely on Old Master Lu's wishes.

After settling the grandfather and granddaughter, she and Ye Ling emerged from the hotel. The sky had already grown completely dark.

Once in the car, Wen Zhengyu leaned wearily against Ye Ling's shoulder and said, "I suddenly feel that I'm actually quite fortunate." Even in her most difficult times, there had been so many people helping her, and she hadn't been bullied either.

Ye Ling tousled Wen Zhengyu's hair again. With someone like Wen Zhengyu, even apart from her feelings for her, she was willing to associate with her and lend a hand when the opportunity arose.

Adding flowers to brocade had always been easy; sending charcoal in the snow was what was hard.

She asked quietly, "Old Lu is so advanced in years, trembling even when he walks—can he manage things?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "Grandpa Lu's constitution used to be quite good. His body doesn't have any major problems—the real danger is his spirit collapsing. For the elderly, once the spirit collapses, it's... like a mountain toppling when illness strikes. With his little granddaughter by his side, that drive of his can somehow hold steady. If not for himself, then for his granddaughter. At his age, he's afraid of something sudden happening to him too. Living close to our family, if anything happens, his granddaughter would have us to look after her. She wouldn't end up too wretched."

After speaking, she leaned against Ye Ling's shoulder, staring vacantly out the car window. She asked Ye Ling, "Tell me, when people do those kinds of things, do they never think about their families and the consequences?"

Ye Ling said, "It's only a matter of what they want to gain, what they're willing to give up, and what risks they're willing to take." Being a little foolish, the way Wen Zhengyu was, had its own merits. She tousled Wen Zhengyu's hair again.

Wen Zhengyu realized that Ye Ling had caught the same disease as Lian Xin—an obsession with tousling her hair. She asked, "Why do you and Brother Xin always like to mess up my hair?"

Ye Ling laughed. Naturally, she didn't dare tell the real reason. She said, "I see how smooth and soft your hair is and can't resist ruffling it." She wasn't lying; that was one of the reasons.

Wen Zhengyu was speechless. After a moment, she suddenly remembered something and asked, "Do you really donate money to welfare institutes every year?"

Ye Ling made a strangled sound, held it in for several seconds, and then said, "I was just scolding a child and blurted it out to sound more convincing."

Wen Zhengyu: "..."

Ye Ling said to Wen Zhengyu, "Why do you take everything so seriously?"

Wen Zhengyu fell silent. She suddenly realized that at some point, without knowing when, she had started taking every word Ye Ling said as absolute truth and had never once considered that Ye Ling might just be making things up on the fly.

The car was too quiet. Ye Ling asked Wen Zhengyu, "More gift deliveries tomorrow?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "Yes, I have to go see everyone before I can feel at ease."

Ye Ling stroked Wen Zhengyu's hair again, thinking: Truly a good child, delivering warmth and spreading love.

Suddenly, Wen Zhengyu jolted upright with a start and said, "Wen Jing, go to Grandpa Qin's house. It's only just past eight—they won't be asleep yet."

Ye Ling, startled, quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "The pickled vegetables. I forgot to take them when we left."

Ye Ling asked, "Are they really that good?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "The way those pickled vegetables are made—it tastes very similar to how my grandmother used to make them. Both the old gentleman and I love them. After Grandmother passed away, I've been fixated on getting them from Grandma Xu."

Ye Ling said, "Going tomorrow would be the same."

Wen Zhengyu said, "If I go tomorrow, they'll find another way to keep us for lunch. Grandpa Qin has the most tricks up his sleeve."

Ye Ling thought: Indeed. Someone was subtly directed by Old Master Qin today. What they couldn't conveniently handle themselves, they left entirely to this warm-hearted, kind child, Wen Zhengyu.

She recalled the Wu family Wen Zhengyu had taken her to today and asked, "How did you and Old Master Wu get to know each other? The Old Wu who lives in Qingshui Garden?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "I went to the Palace Museum to see an exhibition, and the two of us got into a heated argument over the authenticity of a Tang dynasty exhibit—neither would concede. But we couldn't take it out of the display case to examine it up close and settle the dispute. To this day, neither of us has conceded to the other on that issue. Still, out of that clash, we struck up a friendship, and that's how we got to know each other."

Ye Ling was rendered speechless. She discovered that sometimes Wen Zhengyu was truly a piece of work. Running off to the Palace Museum to argue with someone over the authenticity of an exhibit—the only reason they hadn't been thrown out had to be Old Master Wu's considerable influence. Curious, she asked, "How old were you at the time?"

Wen Zhengyu said, "Seventeen or eighteen, I think. In high school... just after finishing the college entrance exams..."

Ye Ling understood instantly. She had also heard about the bizarre incidents surrounding this person's high school and college entrance exams, so she figured Wen Zhengyu had probably gone out to lay low right after finishing them.

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