With her face showing admiration for him, Wen Xinya continued gaining his favor. "Please provide guidance to me in the future, Grandfather Zhong."
Zhong Yitian finally understood what a bright child she was, and said with a hearty laugh, "I was wondering why Old Mo sent you to greet me. He must be eyeing this calligraphy art of mine."
Wen Xinya blushed. She had only admirations for his work above the entrance door, and was seeking an opportunity for Grandfather Zhong to give her some guidance!
The smile on Zhong Yitian's face widened. Unlike that Xia Ruya who was full of act, this child was suited to be the successor of the Mo Family.
Just then, the descendant of the Zhong Family brought over the special jade brush pen. It was placed in a box made of red sandalwood with beautiful carvings. One look and anybody could tell how invaluable this jade brush pen made with goat's hair was.
Zhong Yitian took the carved red sandalwood box and handed it over to Wen Xinya.
Wen Xinya reached out for it, and to her surprise, Zhong Yitian pulled it back and said, "Little girl, this special jade brush pen is not something I can give away easily. You have to show me what you are capable of."
Wen Xinya knew immediately that Zhong Yitian wanted to test her calligraphy skills. Although she had only started learning the art of calligraphy recently, she did not lose confidence. She smiled. "Only if Grandfather Zhong does not mind that I am only an amateur."
Zhong Yitian led Wen Xinya to the west corner of the banquet hall, where lay the four treasures of the study — writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper.
Wen Xinya walked towards it and spread out the rice paper properly. Then, she used the carved jade paperweight to flatten the rice paper. From the container, she quickly picked out a suitable brush pen for her work, dipped it in ink, and began writing.
Her every action was breathtaking, with the grace of a master. Watching her, Zhong Yitian nodded with satisfaction.
In just a few moments, they drew the attention of the guests in the banquet hall, and they all gathered around them.
Wen Xinya wrote in swift, precise strokes, with not a trace of smudge. Her words were distinctively straight and bold, undeniably beautiful. Most of the people attending Zhong Yitian's banquet were scholars and relatives. Watching Wen Xinya, they all approved of her in their hearts.
In less than 30 minutes, a scroll consisting of a hundred forms of the word "longevity" was completed. On cloud nine, Old Mr. Zhong took the scroll and nodded continuously, saying, "The words are pretty good, and the forms are distinct. However, the writings are still not matured. You require more practice. The calligraphy style of Liu Gongquan of the Tang Dynasty cannot be learned overnight, it requires training and life experience. But, seeing that you've only been learning for a little over two months, your grandpa was right to call you a talented and bright child."
Wen Xinya humbly replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Grandfather Zhong. I will definitely practice hard."
Satisfied, Zhong Yitian nodded and finally handed the special jade brush pen over to her. "This special jade pen is now yours."
Wen Xinya accepted it with a small smile. Her eyes were bright and clear, without any smugness from receiving such good favor. Instead, she was calm and composed, putting her in a better light in the eyes of the guests.
"Open it and see if you like it." Zhong Yitian said after seeing her self-restraint.
Everybody present was eager to see the present gifted to the young mistress of the Wen Family by Old Mr. Zhong.
Wen Xinya carefully opened the red sandalwood box and saw that inside was a brush holder made of white jade with beautiful carvings, lying on top of a red velvet cushion. On top of it sat a blue brush pen made of goat's hair, with the shaft of the pen glowing gently. It was definitely made of premium quality sapphire.
Those with expertise in calligraphy gasped in shock. "The engravings on the brush are in the style from the Qing Dynasty, while the blue hue on the brush pen is bright and clear. That's without a doubt crafted during the Qing Dynasty."
With those words, everybody began to see Wen Xinya in a new light. She was no longer just the granddaughter of Old Mr. Mo, but also someone who had attained Old Mr. Zhong's approval. Old Mr. Zhong was a straightforward person, and since he thought so highly of Wen Xinya, that must mean that the rumors about her on the news were false and not to be taken seriously.
"It's beautiful. Thank you, Grandfather Zhong. I will definitely make good use of this pen." Wen Xinya did not expect Grandfather Zhong to present her with such an invaluable gift. At that moment, she felt that the red sandalwood box in her hands weighed a ton.
Wen Xinya knew that since she had passed his test, Grandfather Zhong showed his approval towards her in front of everybody in order to raise her profile. After today, nobody in the circle would dare to look down on her, and for this... her heart was full of gratitude.
Just then, a young man in black suit calmly walked up to Zhong Yitian and stood beside him.
Wen Xinya could recognize him with one glance. He was the man greeting the guests at the manor's front gate previously.
She did notice earlier, but after taking a good look at him now, Wen Xinya was shocked by how brilliant he looked. He was exquisite and elegant, just like a sculpture from the Northern Dynasty.
His eyes were clear as spring water, yet warm and gentle as the spring breeze. His thin lips were always slightly curved as if he never stopped smiling. While he stood there quietly, he was poised and graceful.
Zhong Yitian looked at him and a huge grin formed on his face. He immediately introduced him to Wen Xinya. "Xinya, this is my eldest grandson, Zhong Rufeng."
Zhong Rufeng was astonished. He did not expect that his hard-to-please grandfather would think so highly of the young mistress of the Wen Family who had lived on the streets for 15 years. The corners of his mouth lifted as he reached out his elegant hand to Wen Xinya and said, "Hello, Miss Wen!"
Wen Xinya gently shook the tip of his hands for half a second before letting go. "Pleased to meet you, Master Zhong!"
He was actually Zhong Rufeng! Wen Xinya could not help but gasp. In her past life, Zhong Rufeng had already been elected as the mayor of the Capital city when she died. Attaining such a high position at such a young age and establishing himself in the world of politics, he had received tons and tons of praises. In the past, she had only seen him in the newspapers or television, and back then he looked much more mature and experienced. As such, she did not recognize him from the get-go.
Seeing that she was looking at him with an odd expression, Zhong Rufeng asked with a smile, "Miss Wen, you seem to know me?"
Wen Xinya shook her head and said, "Today is my first time meeting you."
Naturally, Zhong Rufeng did not believe her words. The way she looked at him with obvious shock in her eyes clearly showed that today was not the first day she had seen him. His eyes landed on the red sandalwood box in her hands and said with a smile, "Wow, It's the special jade brush pen that Grandpa had been keeping for years. Miss Wen is indeed amazing. I remember pleading Grandpa so much in the past, yet he refused to give it to me."
Wen Xinya laughed. "I guess this brush pen was fated to be with me."
Her words were genuine and sincere that Zhong Rufeng could not help admire her even more. "Seems like Grandpa has chosen a great owner for this brush pen."
Wen Xinya smiled graciously and replied, "I'm but an amateur at the art of calligraphy. Grandfather Zhong is just showing great favor to me."
Zhong Rufeng replied, "That is only because you have the capability. Not just anybody can receive my Grandpa's favor."
Wen Xinya smiled.
Seeing the two of them happily chatting away, Zhong Yitian waved to Zhong Rufeng and said, "Rufeng, Xinya came to the banquet alone today. Please treat her well."
Zhong Rufeng said with a small smile, "Don't worry, Grandpa. I will see that none of your guests are neglected."