Xia Mingzhong’s hand paused as he trimmed the branches, gazing at the cherry tree with a hint of sadness.
Yes, Shu Meng was already gone.
The cherry tree’s current size was merely an accident, but more importantly, it was due to his meticulous care. In truth, this tree shouldn't have existed.
“I’m sorry, Grandpa.”
Xia Lingxuan knew he had said something he shouldn’t have, his eyes filled with guilt.
The old man said nothing, simply put away his tools and sat in the lounge chair beneath the cherry tree.
This tree was the old man’s most treasured possession.
“Grandpa, tell me about Auntie. What kind of person was she?”
Xia Lingxuan knew he had done wrong. He squatted beside the old man and said softly.
“Your auntie, she was a cultured and sensible girl…”
Meanwhile, Ye Longlin’s family, having entered the city, first found a guesthouse to stay in before going out for a meal.
The little girl had been bored on the highway. Fortunately, they had downloaded cartoons for her beforehand, otherwise, it would have been quite troublesome, likely causing them to be driven mad by her noise.
“The old man’s calligraphy and painting exhibition is free, and there are even souvenirs. I estimate this exhibition won’t be simple. Just for the souvenirs alone, many people will go.”
“Not necessarily. Think about it, the old man isn’t an ordinary person. This exhibition is his final work before retiring from the brush. Many industry bigwigs will attend. Furthermore, the old man’s calligraphy and paintings are already hard to come by. I’d wager many business magnates will be there.”
“That makes sense. After all, the Bu Zhou festival is fast approaching, and the Xia family has a lot to be busy with. Also, haven’t you heard? The Zhou family seems to have some different opinions about this exhibition. I suspect the Zhou family will cause trouble, as the conflict between these two families isn’t new.”
“You’re right. But if anyone wants to cause trouble at the old man’s exhibition, hmph, I’ll be the first to disagree.”
A group of people were discussing animatedly, their opinions on the matter seemingly quite serious.
Ye Longlin walked over, offering a cigarette to each person, and asked curiously, “What exhibition are you talking about?”
One of them looked up at Ye Longlin, finishing his last bite of noodles, and said, “Brother, are you from out of town?”
Ye Longlin nodded. “Yes, I just arrived from the capital. I heard about a calligraphy and painting exhibition. I’m not particularly skilled, but I have some knowledge, so I’m quite curious.”
The man nodded and began, “Our Chang’an was once an imperial city, so it has its humanistic history. And in modern times, the Xia family is at the forefront!
The Xia family’s old man is a master of calligraphy and painting. He has participated in national exhibitions and competitions, winning accolades such as the Golden Brush Award and Master of Ink Wash Landscape Painting. The old man’s third son is a web novel author and also the president of the Chang’an Writers Association, as well as one of the executive directors of the Great Xia Writers Association.
Recently, the old man is holding a free calligraphy and painting exhibition. He’s preparing to retire, so this exhibition is considered his final brushstroke, his final retreat. Therefore, many important figures will attend. Although it doesn’t concern us common folk, we still have to go and join the excitement for the old man’s exhibition.”
Ye Longlin feigned surprise. “Just a family, and you all praise them so highly. It seems the Xia family has significant influence in Chang’an.”
“Hey, brother, you’re thinking too much. The Xia family doesn’t have influence; this is all voluntary. The Xia family has an excellent reputation…”
This brother was also very talkative, detailing everything the Xia family had done in recent years. Ye Longlin listened with surprise, never expecting the Xia family to have such a good reputation among the common people of Chang’an.
“Then, what about this Zhou family you mentioned earlier?”
Ye Longlin grew more curious, sitting down directly to listen.
He then spoke of the love-hate entanglements between the Xia and Zhou families, which further helped Ye Longlin understand the dynamics of Chang’an.
Simply put, Chang’an had countless families, big and small, but among the most powerful were only six. Of these six families, two were scholarly families, thus they could be disregarded, leaving only four.
Among these four families, two were martial arts families, and the remaining two were merely merchant families.
This, roughly, was the structure of Chang’an.
“Alright, thank you, brother. Boss, the bill for this table is on me.”
Returning to their own table, they finished their meal, paid, and then left with his wife and child.
“The Zhou family will likely cause trouble at the exhibition. For scholars, a good reputation is paramount. So, the question is, how will the Zhou family act to ruin my grandfather’s reputation? Only by knowing the opponent’s methods can we prevent it.”
Ye Longlin spoke slowly, lighting a cigarette.
The little girl looked at her father and imitated him, exhaling.
“Daddy, daddy, what delicious thing are you eating? Yi Yi wants to eat too.”
Seeing smoke coming from her father’s nostrils, the little girl was very curious.
Mu Hanqi rolled her eyes and said unhappily, “You’re curious about everything. That’s a cigarette, you can’t eat it!”
The little girl pouted, “But Daddy is eating it.”
Mu Hanqi playfully spanked her little bottom, pretending to be angry. “If you don’t listen, I’ll hit you!”
“Actually, there’s no need to prevent it. Since they want to ruin Grandpa’s reputation, why don’t you expose them at the exhibition? The Zhou family is also a scholarly family; they also care about their reputation. If their scheme is exposed like this, they will be scorned by others.”
Ye Longlin’s eyes lit up. Right, this was called fighting fire with fire.
Excellent.
“My wife is truly amazing. I’ve found such a good wife.”
Mu Hanqi rolled her eyes and glared at him, but the smile that curved her lips betrayed her inner feelings.
“The exhibition starts the day after tomorrow. We still have time anyway. Since we’re here, let’s explore Chang’an first. I heard Chang’an has many interesting places.”
Ye Longlin secured the little girl in her child seat before getting into the car.
Then he opened the map to see if there were any fun places nearby.
“Chang’an has many fun places. Before, we only saw the vast landscapes and didn’t visit the city attractions. Let me see.”
“Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, Mount Li, Chang’an City Wall, Tang Dynasty Huaqing Palace, Big Wild Goose Pagoda… and many more. Let’s visit them one by one. We have plenty of time, we’ll probably stay here for two months.”
Mu Hanqi chuckled. With Ye Longlin’s temperament, two months would likely be too short. Besides, they had to accompany the old man for a while.
“That’s fine. Let’s go to the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor first to see the Terracotta Army. I wonder if Yi Yi will be scared.”
“Yi Yi isn’t scared, Yi Yi wants to go too!”