Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Tao Yuan walked into the classroom carrying his painting box. There were about twenty long tables in the classroom. He chose the one by the window, walked over and sat down, waiting for the Chinese painting teacher to come to class.
The classroom was clean and bright, with vases decorating the corners, and fresh flowers on the podium and the tables in the last row of the classroom.
Several girls in the classroom were sitting together and chatting quietly. Even though the class had not started yet, it was a rule of the National Academy that students were not allowed to talk loudly or make noises in the classroom.
After Tao Yuan put out all his painting supplies, he supported his chin and stared blankly. The ink painting curtains by the window were tied up and the window was open. He turned his head to look out the window, looking at the scenery outside.
Such fine classrooms, such a wonderful school environment, but the elegance and sophistication behind it all required a substantial financial commitment. Tuition at the National Academy was quite expensive. The original owner, with both parents deceased and a sick brother, was on the verge of owing the tuition. But since Tao Yuan had replaced him, he naturally found a way to secure the tuition and help him realize his dream.
The students gradually entered the classroom. Shortly after the class bell rang, a middle-aged man with a large belly and waist, wearing a modified white shirt with Han elements, walked in. This was their Chinese painting teacher and the class’s head teacher, named Hu Wenshan. He was a middle-aged man with a sturdy figure. Perhaps it was because he was a Chinese painting teacher, so even though he didn’t have any of the ancient style, yet he liked to wear ancient clothes.
Hu Wenshan sat down behind the podium and looked at the students below. “Before class begins, I have something to say. The list of scholarship recipients has been announced. This year’s grade-based scholarship, as well as our class scholarship, has once again been awarded to Xu Shaoyan. Congratulations, Xu Shaoyan. Remember to stay humble and keep working hard to improve yourself.”
“Thank you, teacher. I will work harder.” Xu Shaoyan said with a smile and nodded slightly to the classmates around him who congratulated him.
Hu Wenshan turned his gaze towards Tao Yuan, observing his reaction. He was surprised to find that he was actually quite calm. After waiting for a while, seeing that he still had no reaction, he could only clear his throat and say, “Okay, then… well, let’s start the class.”
Tao Yuan’s calmness surprised the other students, who glanced at him from time to time.
Hu Wenshan pressed the button on the desk, turning on the control screen on the desk, and the screen behind him immediately lit up.
Hu Wenshan looked like he was about to start teaching, but he didn’t formally begin. Finally, he couldn’t help but ask, “Student Du Qingyu, do you have anything to say?”
Tao Yuan knew exactly what he meant by this question, but he looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression and said, “Should I say something? What does the teacher want me to say?”
“Don’t you have anything to say about Xu Shaoyan winning two scholarships again?” Hu Wenshan looked at him and asked.
Tao Yuan turned his head with an indifferent expression, looked at Xu Shaoyan and said, “Congratulations, Xu Shaoyan.”
Xu Shaoyan was also surprised by his attitude. After a pause, he replied, “Thank you, thank you.”
“Is that all?” Hu Wenshan thought to himself, what’s wrong with this person today? Why is he so calm?
“I’ve already congratulated him. What else does the teacher want me to do?” Tao Yuan said.
“Well…, very good. Your current attitude shows that you have grown up.” After Hu Wenshan reacted, he knew that he had been too obvious. In order to hide his guilt, he showed a relieved expression.
“What I’m going to talk about today is the method of painting the combination of mountains and water…” Hu Wenshan finally started teaching, but he couldn’t calm down because he was waiting for Tao Yuan to quarrel with him so that he could give him a third warning on the grounds of disrespecting his teacher.
The person who was even more surprised than Hu Wenshan, and also more regretful that Tao Yuan didn’t make a scene, was Xu Shaoyan, the scholarship recipient. He knew the original owner’s family situation very well, and he also knew that if he didn’t receive the scholarship, he wouldn’t be able to pay the next quarter’s tuition, and if he couldn’t pay the tuition, he would have to voluntarily withdraw from school. So why was he so calm? This left Xu Shaoyan quite confused and puzzled.
Xu Shaoyan wondered if he already had enough money to pay for his tuition. But he’d been keeping tabs on him and hadn’t noticed any other sources of income. Furthermore, he’d recently offended someone at his job and was about to lose it. He also had a sick brother who needed a lot of money for medicine. So why was he so calm now?
If the original owner was sitting here, there was a high possibility that he would quarrel with Hu Wenshan. However, the person sitting here was Tao Yuan. How could he quarrel with the other party when he knew the other party’s purpose?
The original owner had an aloof personality, but a somewhat irritable temper. Especially after his father went bankrupt and died of illness, the pressure of life and studies made him more impetuous, impulsive and irritable.
The original owner had put in a lot of effort to get this quarter’s scholarship, hoping to use it to pay for next quarter’s tuition. He had originally thought that even if he didn’t get the senior scholarship, as long as he got the class scholarship, at least tuition would be covered, and his burden would be reduced. However, his classmate, Xu Shaoyan, who had received the senior scholarship, was certain to receive the class scholarship as well.
If Xu Shaoyan had truly earned the scholarship based on his own merit, the original owner wouldn’t have had much to say; after all, he wasn’t as good as the other person and had to accept his fate. However, the original owner’s scores in academic subjects were higher than Xu Shaoyan’s, and his level of proficiency in traditional Chinese painting was comparable. Yet, his painting scores were always severely suppressed, while Xu Shaoyan, whose painting skills were slightly lower than his, always scored much higher than his.
Because the major score accounted for a relatively large proportion, the original owner’s total score was lower than Xu Shaoyan’s every time, and then Xu Shaoyan took away the scholarship.
This situation had occurred more than once, and the original owner couldn’t help but confront Hu Wenshan twice, but each time he retorted that Xu Shaoyan’s work was more artistic, hence the higher score. After angering the original owner, he then gave him a demerit for disrespecting his teacher.
The original owner had been punished twice. If he was punished a third time, he would not be able to participate in the Youth Cup Chinese Painting Competition being held at the end of this semester.
Hu Wenshan and Xu Shaoyan both knew very well that the original owner’s Chinese painting level was better than Xu Shaoyan’s. Hu Wenshan could lower his score in normal Chinese painting performance, but in such major competitions, the works would be submitted and then judged by master-level Chinese painting artists. It would be difficult for Xu Shaoyan to beat the original owner.
This competition was very important to Xu Shaoyan, so he had his father bribe Hu Wenshan to find a way to prevent the original owner from participating. However, Tao Yuan’s calmness and composure completely exceeded their expectations, and they were secretly anxious. If they missed this opportunity to anger him, they would have to think of other ways.
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