Chapter 42 Part 2: Seeing the Character
Artists and calligraphers leave no inkstone unturned | Shanghai Daily
Jiang Yuanbai was stumped.
He considered deeply whether Jiang Li was given directions by other people. He cared about the Jiang family being humiliated, yet he forgot about keeping on Emperor Hong Xiao’s good side.
“This is one thing, the other thing, father, we the Jiang family, with four daughters, aside from third sister, the fourth and fifth sisters also attend Ming Yi Hall. But against reason, I stay at home, first it’s unfair, second, trying to hide it will make it more conspicuous. Human nature is like this, naturally unfolding to let others see. Others still disdain to comment, but the more it is concealed and hidden, the more others want to investigate. Father thought by hiding me at home others won’t talk about me. But that’s wrong, the more it is done this way, the more happily they will discuss.”
When Jiang Li said all these, she didn’t carry any special mood, seemingly talking about someone else’s matters. But in Jiang Yuanbai’s ears, those words were completely reasonable. Moreover, the third branch’s Jiang Yuan Xing brived people with some gifts for Jiang Yu’e and Jiang Yu Yan to attend Ming Yi Hall, let alone them from the main branch.
“Father,” Jiang Li lowered her eyes: “the matter at that time was my mistake. However, people are not sages who wouldn’t do any wrongdoings, if you don’t correct your mistakes, you can’t do anything good. I was young and not sensible, now that I’m bigger, naturally I understand logic. Since young I had no mother to guide me, after taking a step in the wrong direction, don’t tell me I have to use my whole lifetime to repay? I am willing to do so, but I am a daughter of the Jiang family and I am not willing to become the Jiang family’s burden.”
The sentence, “since young I had no mother to guide me”, hit Jiang Yuanbai right in his heart. His heart shook as he said: “Li’er, but you…….”
“Father, when I was in Mount Qingcheng’s nunnery, it’s not as if I didn’t practice writing characters. I know my father is the Chief a.s.sistant in court and must not be a commoner who only smiles magnanimously. So I asked a small teacher in the nunnery who knows how to read to teach me how to write. Even though the writing is not good, I’ve read the books of enlightenment and can write many characters.”
She unexpectedly walked towards the table where Jiang Yuanbai just now wrote the word “quiet” and moved it to the side before spreading a blank paper. Jiang Li’s movement startled Jiang Yuanbai, who subconsciously looked at Jiang Li.
Jiang Li lifted her sleeve and slowly rubbed the ink with an ink stick. Her wrist was slim, her actions gentle and soft, producing an unusual sense of beauty, warming the hearts and delighting the eyes of others. She seemed to have done this thing countless times and looked very natural.
After the ink was rubbed well, she took up a brush and dipped it in ink before she started writing. While writing, she softly said: “Father, even though Ming Yi Hall is a school, there are many people inside who could be friends. As long as I don’t make any mistakes there, make many good friends, it can be said that it’s always beneficial and harmless for the Jiang family. My surname is Jiang, so I always wish the Jiang family will become more and more prosperous.”
Her writing wasn’t the same as Jiang Yuanbai’s writing. Jiang Yuanbai’s writing was slow but deep, each stroke took especially long to write. However, Jiang Li wasn’t the same, she appeared gentle and elegant, polite and amiable but when she wrote, there was a feeling of being in the middle of a battle. It was similar to a soldier taking up a blade, rushing to the scene of killing, the feeling of fighting thoroughly until daybreak.
Jiang Yuanbai looked at Jiang Li’s profile, an elegant beauty, graceful like jade, yet ferocious, bold and heroic.
The brush stopped, Jiang Li put it away with a valiant movement at the side then said: “Done.”
Jiang Yuanbai raised his eyes to take a look and was shocked at first glance.
The character was extremely beautiful, vigorous and powerful. This kind of writing needed at least ten years of hard practice to succeed. Compared to Jiang You Yao’s writing, it was much, much better. Also, the character really wasn’t the flowery girly pattern that females usually used, rather it was broadly joined together, neat and smooth.
The square had vigor, the meeting point at the edges appeared sharp.
Seeing the character was like seeing through a person. Actually a straightforward and upright, tough and tenacious person,
Jiang Yuanbai sized up the girl in front of him like a stranger. Jiang Li looked at him all smiles and asked: “Now do you agree for me to go to Ming Yi Hall, father?”