Chapter 233: Face-Slapping Session During The Celebration – 10
Xu Wei could not believe what she had heard. She covered Fu Zhi’s ears and said, “Don’t listen to him, Zhizhi. Common fame is seldom to blame, and leading a simple life is much better than becoming a famous person. Besides, even if you want to be famous, I can help you as well! There’s no need to go to the capital with him!”
Fu Zhi did not know what to comment. After all, she was already very famous, and no people dared to oppose her.
Madam Lu looked at the scene in front of her and something suddenly clicked in her brain. It was only now that she realized how great Fu Zhi was and how much value she had for the Lu Family. A myriad of thoughts flitted across her mind, and her eyes shone brightly. She hastily went forward and shouted, “I can sell you the painting, but she can’t go with you to the capital! She’s my granddaughter, and she has to stay by my side!”
After saying that, she looked at Fu Zhi, offering her a warm smile.
“Okay then.” Even though he could not take Fu Zhi away with him, at the very least he had gotten the painting.
Feeling content, he said, “I didn’t bring my card because I was in a hurry when I came out just now, but you have to give me the painting first. I don’t feel confident letting you guys take care of delicate stuff like this. Anyway, I’ll pay you 50 million yuan afterward!”
‘Fifty million yuan! Does that mean that Fu Zhi’s painting is even more valuable than his own master’s artwork?!’
Madam Lu was a layperson in the realm of art. Therefore, she was greatly amazed by the fact that a simple art piece made by Fu Zhi could actually bring so much profit to her. Not only that, but the Lu Family had even received a promise from the Huang Family, which was the icing on the cake.
She decided that after today, she would ask Fu Zhi to earn money for her by producing more paintings and calligraphy scrolls. This way, she could use the money to take the Lu Family’s business to new heights!
Madam Xu, who was standing on the sidelines, chimed in, “I thought this granddaughter of yours was only good at Physics, but I didn’t expect that she would also excel at painting and calligraphy. I’m certain that in two more years, she will become a force to be reckoned with in the realm of art!”
“Two more years? Are you kidding me? Her skills are even on par with my master’s!”
Lu Jingqing did not know whether he should feel happy or not when Huang Song compared his daughter to a painting master.
On the other side, Lu Chuwan still could not come back to her senses. This was not the scene she had imagined. Why was everyone praising Fu Zhi? Should they not be criticizing her for her impudence and lack of common sense? Why was even Huang Song, the disciple of a painting master, complimenting her and giving her painting a high rating?
Fraught by this sea of questions, Lu Chuwan snapped back to reality and said, “Master Huang, I know you treasure a talented person, but don’t you think it’s not suitable for you to praise a youngster like this to prevent her from looking too bad in public? It’s just too...”
“If you don’t know sh*t, just keep your mouth shut. No one will say you’re dumb if you keep quiet,” Huang Song replied as he stared intently at the painting in his hand. “The reason why Master Fu Jiang is an accomplished master of calligraphy painting is that many years ago, he was the one who brought together the long-lost gilt Flying White Calligraphy Technique of a small country’s imperial family, the oracle bone script, and the regular script to form the Hairpin flower small regular script! When he showed the calligraphy technique to the rest of the world, it made a big splash in the realm of art! And right now, the calligraphy technique Fu Zhi used on this painting is exactly the same technique that Master Fu Jiang showed that year!”
Bai Yao then interrupted. “That means she’s plagiarizing other people’s work, no? Then, there’s nothing to be proud of!”
“The point is that Master Fu Jiang only showed the Hairpin flower small regular script once! If my memory serves me right, that particular art piece was sold for 80 million yuan at an auction that year. Therefore, it’s impossible for the rest of us to study it, and even my master has not mastered this calligraphy technique yet!”
After hearing what Huang Song had said, every guest approached Huang Song to admire the masterpiece. However, Huang Song was not going to give them the chance. He rolled the painting up, caressed it as if it was a baby, and said, “You guys are breathing too much. It’ll speed up the oxidizing process and damage the painting.”
Lu Chuwan and Bai Yao’s faces were grim. Bai Yao wanted to say something again, but Lu Chuwan stopped her, shaking her head at her mother to stop her from bringing more disgrace upon themselves.
As for Huang Song, he turned around and made a call. After a short while, he spun back and told Madam Lu, “Well, right now, you only have to wait for your money.”
The moment he finished speaking, Fu Zhi’s voice rang out. “Hold your horses. You can’t give her the money yet.”
Chapter 234: Surprise, Madam Lu – 1
“I can’t give her the money yet?” Huang Song panicked. “Is the price I offered too low? I’m willing to add 10 more million yuan! Please, Fu Zhi, you have to sell the painting to me!”
Madam Lu frowned at Fu Zhi.
This was the best opportunity for them to expand their network. Lu Chuwan would certainly have made use of this chance and created a new painting on the spot for Song Fang to gain his favor.
When Madam Lu thought of that, she chided Fu Zhi inwardly for her lack of sense. Pulling a long face, she said, “This is my belonging, so I have every right and power to do whatever I want with it. When I said I’m going to sell it, it means I’m going to sell it! Master Huang, just take it. We can leave the rest for later. Fu Zhi is still young and she doesn’t know what is she talking about, so she doesn’t have a say in this.”
“But...” Even though Huang Song liked the painting a lot, the last thing he wanted was to rub Fu Zhi the wrong way. He took a look at her again and asked, “Since I’m the one who wants to buy the painting, why can’t I give the money to Madam Lu?”
“Because this is not the gift I prepared for her.”
“Fu Zhi!” Madam Lu shouted as she stared angrily at Fu Zhi. Sensing her anger, Bai Yao seized the chance and chimed in, “You are the one who said you’re going to give the painting to your grandmother, and now you’re not going to honor your promise after finding out how much the painting is worth? Well, I’d expect nothing less from a country bumpkin. After all, everyone who comes from the countryside is improvident and ignorant. You can only see subtle gains and nothing beyond that.”
After saying that, she paused for a while before adding, “Everything you’re wearing and everything you’re using at school has been paid by the Lu Family, so the person you should be most grateful to is your grandmother. If she hadn’t given you a chance to receive a high-quality education, how is there any possibility you could have come across a rare calligraphy technique like this? If it were not for her, no one would have known who you are. Right now, you’ve finally achieved something great and you refuse to pay back your family? Fu Zhi, you’re really the most shameless and ungrateful person I’ve ever met in my life!”
Lu Chuwan then added, “Zhizhi, respecting the elderly is a traditional virtue of our country. The most important and first thing to do after you’ve made your mark is repay your grandmother, who has been so good to you. One painting is already not enough, and now you want to take it away? How can you be such an ingrate?”
Standing on the sideline, Xu Wei wanted to say something but she found no chance to do so. She was nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. Madam Lu was not happy right now, and it seemed to Xu Wei that she was not going to honor her promise to introduce Fu Zhi to the public again. Just as she was thinking of using Master He’s artwork as a stopgap, she saw Fu Zhi looking at Madam Lu icily.
Fu Zhi did not say anything right away but waited until Lu Chuwan and Bai Yao finished their speeches. Then, she opened her mouth and said, emphasizing every syllable that escaped her lips, “I’ve already donated this painting on behalf of my grandmother.”
“What?!” Madam Lu shouted. “You donated my painting? Who gave you permission to do that, huh? Do you know that your action is considered theft and I can call the police to arrest you?!”
Today was her birthday. Not only had Fu Zhi refused to give her a present, but she’d also donated such a valuable piece to a third party...
‘Just what the hell did she want to do?!’
Fu Zhi could sense Madam Lu’s hatred-laden gaze boring into her, but she paid it no mind. She pulled her phone out and said flatly after about five seconds, “I heard that you’re a Buddhist. Is that right?”
“So? What does it have to do with you donating my painting?” Madam Lu asked in a sharp voice.
“The last thing the Lu Family and you lack is money and expensive gifts, so I don’t see any reason for you to hang onto this, what did you guys say just now, crap of mine?” Fu Zhi replied calmly.
Madam Lu did not know what to say. After she paid Fu Zhi for saving her life, she did not have much money left. Besides, she had to return gifts of the same value to all guests who gave her presents today. However, that was not the case for Fu Zhi. She was her granddaughter, and she did not have to give anything back to her.
Fu Zhi added, “I donated the painting to a charity organization on your behalf. Everyone will praise you for your kindness, and you will end up in heaven at the end of your life.”
Madam Lu, who was speechless, felt as if she was going to explode.
Was Fu Zhi there to celebrate her birthday?
No! She was undoubtedly there for the sole purpose of wreaking havoc!
Chapter 235: Surprise, Madam Lu – 2
Upon hearing about Fu Zhi’s gesture, the president of the charity organization, President Ma, walked up to Madam Lu excitedly, grabbed her hand, and thanked her earnestly. “Madam Lu, you’re the most charitable person I’ve ever met. Were it not for your timely donation, I seriously have no idea how much longer we would have lasted. I sincerely thank you for your support on behalf of all the sponsored children.”
Madam Lu was so shocked that she had already lost the ability to react.
‘What the hell is happening? Who the hell is this crazy man?’
Startled, she quickly took two steps back from the man.
“Take him away! Take him away!” Bai Yao hastily went up to hold Madam Lu and shouted angrily, “What do you mean by this, Fu Zhi? How can you let a crazy person enter the Lu Household and keen as if someone is dead? You’re ruining your grandma’s birthday celebration, do you know that?!”
Initially, since the Huang Family had promised that they would do them a favor, Bai Yao had thought of having them introduce her daughter to Master Liu to be his disciple. However, after what Fu Zhi had done, that would not be happening anymore.
Lifting her eyebrow, Fu Zhi replied in a calm voice, “How can you say he’s keening over the dead, when he’s actually just expressing his gratitude to her? As a person who grew up in the 21st century, how can you fail to differentiate between those two?”
At the same time, President Ma seized his chance and cried even louder. “That’s right! I’m just so happy! I come from a humble background, and this is my first time in Yu City. I often heard that the Lu Family is a bunch of kind-hearted people in the past. I used to think that it was just a rumor, but I realized how wrong I was today. You’re as compassionate as rumor has it, and none of the people here can compare to you!”
Madam Lu did not know what to say. Her brain was a muddled mess, and she could not think straight right now. She had never thought things would turn out this way. Right now, there was nothing she could do but go with the flow. Gritting her teeth, she nodded and said earnestly, “The credit belongs to my children. If I had the chance, I’d like to do something for your organization as well.”
“In that case, let’s do it today. After all, time is a bird for ever on the wing, and if we want to do something, we should get it done right away,” Fu Zhi chimed in. Then, she gestured at President Ma, and he stepped forward with his WeChat open.
“My grandma is a philanthropist. A 50-million-yuan painting is nothing to her, and she’s more than willing to renounce everything she has right now in exchange for a better life for those children.”
“Waaa—” Without waiting for Madam Lu to respond, President Ma cried even louder and said, “I knew it! There’s no way Madam Lu would only donate a painting to us. After all, she’s the wealthiest person in Yu City! Today is her birthday, so I’m sure she will donate a lot of money to collect blessings for her family!”
Madam Lu felt her heart skip a beat when she heard what President Ma had said. She finally knew why her right eyelid had been twitching all day.
If it were a normal day, she would certainly have refused to give him any money. However, President Ma was well-prepared. Not only had he developed the photos of those poor children, but he’d also praised her in front of everyone. If she refused to give him the money right now, people might start to look down on her family as a result.
After she weighed the pros and cons in her brain, she made a decision and said, “Well then, on behalf of the Lu Family, I’ll donate fi...”
“Fifty million yuan?!” President Ma exclaimed. “Thank you! A great, kind, and generous person like you must surely be blessed.”
‘Well, that’s a good move,’ Fu Zhi thought as she shot a glance at President Ma.
Encouraged by Fu Zhi’s gaze, President Ma raised his arm in the air and shouted excitedly, “Let’s give Madam Lu a round of applause for her generosity!”
Then, a pitter-patter of applause began to ring out.
All the reporters attending the banquet filmed the scene as they complimented her. “Indeed, the Lu Family has pledged its heart and soul to charitable activities in the past few years, and I heard that Madam Lu is a devout Buddhist as well.”
“That is the wealthiest person in Yu City for you. Madam Lu’s mind and horizons are truly different from other people’s!”
“Madam Lu is truly a benevolent person with an immense heart. I want to have an exclusive interview with her and make her great deeds known to the rest of the world!”
“Good things come in threes. Don’t they still have two more paintings from famous painters? Why don’t they donate them as well? Considering Madam Lu’s generous heart, I’m sure she will agree with me!”
As she faced the crowd’s fervent gazes, Madam Lu, who had lost not only money but also her painting, did not know what to say.
Things had gone out of control, and there was only one thing on her mind. She wondered if she would be able to survive until the day she gave the interview.
Chapter 236: Genuine Artwork of Fu Jiang
No matter how hard she racked her brain, Madam Lu did not know what she had done for Fu Zhi to do something like this to her.
As Madam Lu was immersed in her thoughts, President Ma grabbed her hand and said, “Even though Fu Zhi came from the countryside, she is aware enough to help people in need. I wonder if your own granddaughter can also donate a painting?”
Madam Lu did not know how to reply.
‘Nope. Impossible. Don’t ask.’
Madam Lu took a deep breath. Then, with a forced smile, she said, “A person of noble character doesn’t seize other people’s institute or love.”
‘Alright then.’
President Ma let go of Madam Lu’s hand and lamented. “Well, I guess it takes all sorts of people to make a world.”
Then, he turned to Huang Song and said, “You can take the painting with you, but remember to transfer the money to me, or I’ll haunt you to the end of the world!”
Lu Chuwan and Huang Song were stumped.
Before they could come back to their senses, Madam Lu went straight up to Mama Liu and whispered into her ear, “Are you sure it’s genuine?!”
Mama Liu replied, “They heard Miss Wanwan talking about wanting to get genuine artwork for you, so they went to look for it.”
Madam Lu’s face shone with delight, and the shade of gloom that weighed on her heart disappeared.
According to Mama Liu, Dong Cun had brought an original Fu Jiang artwork to celebrate her birthday.
“Good job, Wanwan!” Madam Lu grabbed Lu Chuwan’s hand and exclaimed delightedly.
Lu Chuwan was stunned for a moment when she heard what Madam Lu had said. However, she soon snapped back to reality as she replied coyly, “As long as I can make you happy, grandma, I will get you as many paintings of Master Fu Jiang as you want, let alone one.”
“Good, good, good! This is the best present I’ve received tonight! It’s an art piece made by the person who created the Hairpin flower small regular script!”
“Grandma, I’ll go get Uncle Dong Cun and his family.”
Upon saying that, Lu Chuwan walked to the entrance after being encouraged by Bai Yao and caught sight of Dong Cun from afar. He was holding a present.
“Uncle Dong!” Lu Chuwan stole a glance at Fu Zhi before going up to Dong Cun. “Thank you so much for helping me get the painting. If it were not for you, we would never have been able to get our hands on original artwork made by Master Fu Jiang.”
“Don’t mention it. You’re lucky that I had one at home.” Lu Chuwan had given Dong Cun a Valley Orchid. It was the flowering season of the Valley Orchid, and there were a few seeds in the pistil. Therefore, the value of the orchid was immeasurable.
Dong Cun’s father had instructed him to interact more with Lu Chuwan.
At that moment, everyone who heard Dong Cun’s words, including Huang Song, trained their eyes on the box in Dong Cun’s hand.
“This... This is nothing less than a feast for the eyes. Since they were able to get their hands on an original work of Master Fu Jiang, the Dong Family is truly a big family in the capital!”
“The few paintings we saw just now are nothing compared to this one!”
“After all, all Fu Zhi could do is mimic the calligraphy technique by doing her best. It would already be considered very good if she got the gist of it, but the visual impact can’t be as great as the real deal!”
Lu Chuwan led Dong Cun and Lu Ning to the center of the courtyard.
This was the first time Dong Cun gave the Lu Family a present, and Madam Lu was quite awed by his arrival. She knew Lu Chuwan was the main reason Dong Cun was doing this. She went up to him and said excitedly, “Thank you for your help, Xiao Dong.”
“Well, since Wanwan invited me over to your birthday party, I naturally had to come,” Dong Cun replied. Then, he opened the box and let Lu Chuwan take the painting out for Madam Lu to see.
Everyone exclaimed loudly as they began to praise the painting. “This is an early work of Master Fu Jiang, right? It is so artistic!”
Fu Zhi, who was standing not far away, saw the painting as well.
Well, the signature on the painting was indeed Fu Jiang’s name, but it only took her a glance to notice that the scribble on the painting had been written by her when she was seven years old.
Fu Zhi was confused.
It turned out that everyone here had low standards for artwork, just like her father.
Chapter 237: The Valley Orchid Is Fu Zhi’s – 1
As Lu Chuwan stood next to Madam Lu, her posture was beautiful.
The old ladies sitting with Madam Lu beside the main seat just now got up to admire Master Fu Jiang’s paintings.
“Sis, your granddaughter has got a lot on the ball, and so does your niece-in-law. All of them are good granddaughters!” Madam Ma said, her voice thick with admiration.
At the same time, Madam Lu was looking at the piece of art in front of her. Even though she could not understand the aesthetic of the drawing, with a single glance, she could tell that its value was immeasurable.
“Xiao Dong, Ningning, come. Have a seat,” Madam Lu said, offering them a warm smile.
Everything considered, Madam Lu still wanted to maintain an amicable relationship with the Dong Family.
Dong Cun bobbed his head in greeting in return, then took two envelopes out of his pocket and gave them to Lu Chuwan. “It doesn’t really matter if you missed the opportunity to meet Professor He. After all, he has shifted his focus to scientific research over the years, so he might not be able to offer any help to you in the future. These two envelopes contain the opportunities I got for you, so make sure you make use of them.”
Lu Chuwan took the envelopes from Dong Cun. She had no idea what was inside them, so she opened them up one by one.
Inside the first envelope was an invitation to the lecture of the chancellor of Tsinghua University. Only 20 people would be participating in the event.
As for the second envelope, it contained a letter for a meeting session with a professor from the Physics Department of Tsinghua University.
“The chancellor of Tsinghua University only holds this lecture once every three years, and only a certain group of people will be invited. As for the meeting session with the professor from the Physics Department, it’s indeed an opportunity that’s hard to come by.” Madam Xu couldn’t help lamenting. “Chuwan has a good background and good grades. In combination with the help she’s received from the outside world, it seems like she’s going to become the youngest person to receive an award from the government...”
Lu Chuwan had not expected Dong Cun to take such good care of her either. If she attended the lecture class and met Tsinghua University’s chancellor and professor, then there would really be no need for her to hang onto Professor He. After all, regardless of his social status or academic achievements, Professor He was nothing compared to those two people.
She could barely hold back her joy as she said, “Thank you, Uncle Dong. I will certainly do my best not to let you down!”
“Okay,” Dong Cun replied with a smile before taking a seat.
Taking a seat next to Dong Cun, Lu Ning opened her mouth several times and she seemed like she had something to say. She wanted to ask if Lu Chuwan was willing to share the opportunity with Fu Zhi or not. However, before she could say anything, she received a glare from her husband and she fell silent.
“Xiao Dong, your gifts are too precious.” Even though Madam Lu knew her granddaughter loved Dong Cun’s gifts, she also knew the value of those gifts and how difficult it was to get them. Therefore, it was necessary for her to exchange some pleasantries with him.
“Don’t mention it, Aunt Lu.” Dong Cun offered Madam Lu a smile before adding, “No matter how valuable these invitations are, their value is nothing compared to the Valley Orchid Wanwan gave me.”
“The Valley Orchid?” Madam Lu asked in confusion.
“It’s an herb that Uncle Dong needed for his medical research. I happened to know where to get it, so I bought one for him,” Lu Chuwan explained.
It was only then that it dawned on Madam Lu why Dong Cun would go to such an extent for her granddaughter. If her granddaughter had not given him the Valley Orchid, there was no way he would have done this for her.
Madam Lu felt that today was the best day of her life. First, she’d received genuine artwork made by Fu Jiang from Dong Cun, and now, her granddaughter had gotten two chances that other students would not be able to get no matter how hard they tried. There was a wide grin on her face as she looked delightfully at Lu Chuwan. She was supposed to introduce Fu Zhi as her adopted granddaughter during this birthday celebration, but it seemed like she had completely forgotten about that.
“Madam Lu, you already have Chuwan as your granddaughter, so there was no need for you to adopt another one! One is more than enough for you to brag about!”
“You’re really lucky, sis!”
“Fu Zhi is talented at calligraphy and painting, while Chuwan has a bright future and helped get this rare piece for you!”
“Well, Wanwan is truly full of surprises.” Madam Lu felt delighted as her friends showered her with praise.
Chapter 238: The Valley Orchid Is Fu Zhi’s – 2
Lu Chuwan replied, “It’s my duty as a granddaughter.”
Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Madam Lu picked up a cup of tea from the table, pulled Lu Chuwan to Dong Cun’s side, and said, “If you need a Valley Orchid in the future, let Wanwan know. We’re a family, and as a family, we should watch each other’s back.”
Fu Zhi, who was sitting on the sidelines, was left speechless by Madam Lu’s ignorance.
Even though Madam Lu did not know anything about the Valley Orchid, the same was not true for Dong Cun. He waved his hand and said, “The Valley Orchid is rare, and it’s not that easy to get. Wanwan could only get her hands on one plant. Otherwise, our experiments wouldn’t have reached a bottleneck.”
Madam Lu nodded but did not seem to understand. “Then Wanwan, can you get a flower from someone else? Perhaps through some other channel?”
Shaking her head, Lu Chuwan replied, “The person I bought the flower from only had one plant, so there’s nothing I could do either.”
Dong Cun frowned. Just as he was about to say something, Madam Liu, who was sitting beside Madam Lu, finally saw her chance and interrupted. “Doesn’t Fu Zhi know where to buy the flower? You guys can ask her!”
Dong Cun and his group were caught off guard by Madam Liu’s remark.
‘Fu Zhi knows where to buy the flower? I thought she didn’t even know what a Valley Orchid is.’
With that thought in mind, Dong Cun chuckled sarcastically and replied, his voice thick with derision, “Really?”
Madam Liu was not happy with Dong Cun’s inappropriate response. Even though her family was not as prestigious as the Dong Family, that did not mean that her knowledge and insight were inferior to Dong Cun’s.
She then told Dong Cun everything that had happened in the greenhouse of the Lu Family the other day. She patted her eldest son, who was sitting next to her. The man swiftly rose to his feet, looked at Dong Cun, and said, “I am a member of the Capital Chinese Medicine Association, and I know more or less everything about the Valley Orchid. The most important characteristic that can distinguish this angiosperm from other flowering plants is a white grub on its leaves known as the White Devil.”
After saying that, he took out a clear glass box that contained the dead body of a white grub before adding, “This is the specimen that I took to the laboratory of the association. It has been confirmed that it’s the White Devil. This grub can also be used in medicine, and its medicinal value is reflected on...”
“Yes, it is a Valley Orchid.” Fu Zhi interjected as she shot a glance at the man.
Madam Zhao’s son knew too much.
She tapped her fingers a few times on the table before she added, “You don’t have to explain this in such detail to irrelevant people.”
The eldest son of Madam Zhao was stumped. He felt a rush of chillness creeping up his spine, and he had no idea why but he found the girl sitting in front of him a little scary. While sweating bullets, he nodded and sat back down.
Madam Zhao chimed in by exclaiming, “So you know that your plant is a Valley Orchid?”
Fu Zhi did not know how to reply.
‘Of course I know it is a Valley Orchid. After all, I’m the one who gave the plant to her.’
“The people in the laboratory said that there is no White Devil on the Valley Orchid given by Lu Chuwan. That’s why they need to spend a lot of time studying and testing the plant,” Lu Ning added, causing Dong Cun to shoot daggers at Lu Chuwan.
Lu Chuwan sensed his gaze and took a step back out of fear.
The eldest son of Madam Zhao then chimed in again. “If the Valley Orchid is destroyed, the White Devil will find a new host to feed itself.”
Everything clicked into place.
Dong Cun felt as if he was about to explode, and his hands began to quiver slightly from anger. Lu Ning pretended that she could not see this and said, “That means the Valley Orchid Chuwan gave us belonged to Zhizhi? What a nice regift you gave us, Chuwan.”
Dong Cun clenched his fists tightly as he took a few deep breaths. The Valley Orchid was the only reason he had done so many things for Lu Chuwan. Even though she had given him the formula of the anti-cancer drug, there was nothing he could do if he did not have the raw materials to produce it. Therefore, the Valley Orchid meant a lot to him.