NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 7 - The Painting is of My Wife
Chapter 7 The Painting is of My Wife
“Pan’er, look at what they’re doing.”
Sun Sanniang tapped Zhao Pan’er, who was busy grinding tea leaves. Startled, Zhao Pan’er hurried over and saw that Gao You was painting. By now, the painting was more than halfway complete.
The artwork depicted the breathtaking Qiantang River, along with a celestial maiden floating in the air. However, the maiden’s face had yet to be drawn. She hadn’t expected that her supposedly foolish husband was actually a painter.
Zhao Pan’er carefully observed the expressions of the onlookers. All she saw were astonishment and admiration. Since no one was ridiculing him, she felt relieved and returned to the kitchen.
Sun Sanniang, now realizing that Gao You could paint, looked completely shocked.
“He hid his skills too well!”
“At first, I thought he was just a fool!”
“Now it seems he’s just reserved, not stupid at all!”
Zhao Pan’er smiled and continued preparing her tea ingredients.
…
Some time later, Gao You finally completed his painting. He reached into his robe and took out a seal that had belonged to his past self, stamping it in the lower right corner of the painting.
“Liu Yun Jushi!” (Hermit of Floating Clouds)
As soon as the name was announced, the crowd erupted into excitement. An elderly man scrutinized Gao You for a long moment.
“Could he be the reclusive Liu Yun Jushi?”
The only professional painter at the scene studied the artwork carefully.
“Judging by the strokes and brushwork, this is indeed the style of Liu Yun Jushi!”
“But it’s far more refined than any of his previous works!”
“This is beyond masterful—it has reached the pinnacle of artistry!”
“And that seal—only Liu Yun Jushi possesses it!”
“There’s no doubt—he must be Liu Yun Jushi!”
With this confirmation, the crowd could no longer stay calm. They had never imagined that Liu Yun Jushi, the esteemed and mysterious artist, was thought to be a fool.
“All of you, be quiet!”
The painter scolded the crowd.
“Liu Yun Jushi’s heart is devoted to nature and the heavens!”
“He simply exists in a world different from ours—he is not truly a fool!”
“Can any of you paint the majestic Qiantang River this exquisitely?”
The crowd fell silent, and their gazes towards Gao You changed. Perhaps he wasn’t a simpleton after all. Perhaps he merely lived in his own world.
As the crowd debated, High Official Gao arrived on horseback, rushing towards Zhao’s tea shop. It was only the second day after the wedding,
yet Zhao Pan’er had resumed her business, as if marriage meant nothing to her.
As Gao You’s clan uncle, High Official Gao could not stand idly by. He had arrived, ready to scold Zhao Pan’er. But when he saw the crowd gathered around Gao You, he paused in confusion.
“What’s going on here?”
“Lord Gao!”
The crowd immediately greeted him with respect. He nodded slightly in acknowledgment and glanced at the painting in front of Gao You.
“Liu Yun Jushi!”
High Official Gao’s composure broke instantly. Unlike the others, he knew that the emperor himself was a great admirer of Liu Yun Jushi’s works.
The emperor personally owned three of his paintings in the palace collection. Now, to his astonishment, he had stumbled upon another one. And this painting was even more refined than any of Liu Yun Jushi’s previous works—truly a masterpiece.
“Who painted this?”
He stared at Gao You. But Gao You couldn’t be bothered to answer. He gently blew on the painting to dry the ink and prepared to have it mounted. This was a portrait of his wife, and he had no intention of letting anyone else have it.
Seeing his reaction, High Official Gao suddenly remembered—his nephew was supposed to be a fool.
Why would a fool answer his question?
“Lord Gao!”
The professional painter spoke up.
“This painting was just created by Liu Yun Jushi himself!”
“Liu Yun Jushi revealed himself?”
High Official Gao couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The emperor had long been curious about the reclusive Liu Yun Jushi’s true identity. If he could report this discovery, it would be a great achievement!
“Where is he?”
Excitement surged through him as he turned to the painter. The painter simply pointed at Gao You.
“Him?”
High Official Gao was utterly dumbfounded. The man everyone thought was a fool—his own nephew—was actually Liu Yun Jushi?
And he was capable of producing such a breathtaking painting?
This must be a dream. Secretly, he pinched his own thigh. It hurt—a lot. So it wasn’t a dream. His so-called foolish nephew was actually a master painter? This was an honor for their family! He had to report this immediately.
“Good lad!”
High Official Gao patted Gao You’s shoulder and reached for the painting. But Gao You blocked him.
“Mine.”
“You brat!”
High Official Gao scowled.
“I’ll present this to the emperor on your behalf!”
“No!”
Gao You shook his head without hesitation.
From the look on his face, it was clear—if anyone dared to snatch the painting, he was ready to fight.
Getting beaten up over a painting?
High Official Gao didn’t think it was worth it. Reluctantly, he gave up on taking the artwork. Instead, he pointed at the celestial maiden in the painting and asked, “Who is this?”
“My wife!”
Gao You shot him an unimpressed look, as if he were the fool. The onlookers examined the painting more closely.
Only then did they realize that the celestial maiden truly resembled Zhao Pan’er. Her clothing and expression were different, but it was undoubtedly her.
“So Lady Zhao is truly as beautiful as a goddess!”
A scholar fanned himself and sighed in admiration. The crowd turned to look at Zhao Pan’er, who was standing at the kitchen entrance. She was staring at Gao You in stunned disbelief.
Her husband—he seemed completely different from what she had imagined!
Liu Yun Jushi.
As a lover of fine art, Zhao Pan’er certainly knew the name.
He was a renowned painter across the empire, with each of his works selling for dozens, even hundreds of guan (strings of cash).