Chapter 97: Chapter 097: One for Ten Yuan_1
Having had a dreamless night, Nan Fei washed up and, with a sketch board on her back, went downstairs to have breakfast early the next morning. When she passed the cashier, Sister Chen was not there anymore, a girl with a slim oval face was.
Despite her polite smile, the girl responded with a cold huff from her nose, giving her a look that felt like a prickling needle.
Nan Fei was completely puzzled. She once again confirmed that she wasn’t seeing things wrong; this girl was hostile towards her.
It was utterly baffling.
The public square was bustling in the morning. There were tourists from other places and also locals taking a leisurely walk.
Nan Fei sat down on a bench in the square’s park, propping up the paperboard she had prepared the night before. With a charcoal pencil, she wrote beautiful artistic letters on it.
Portraits, ten yuan each.
In the nineties, the price set was significantly high. Nan Fei was aware of that, yet she was unwilling to lower her price.
If her teacher from the previous life knew she was only charging ten yuan for a portrait, he would probably be livid.
She had waited all morning, and many people came to look. But as soon as they saw the price, they all retreated.
Until noon, she hadn’t made a single sale!
“Ten bucks? Why don’t you just rob people!”
A scornful voice echoed overhead, it was the hostile innkeeper’s girl. Nan Fei curled the corners of her mouth upward, smiling as she said, “Do you want a portrait?”
“Who would be insane enough to get it from you? I wouldn’t take you seriously anyway,” Mi Yuezhen said, looking disdainful.
“If you can’t afford it, don’t make reckless comments! ” Nan Fei retaliated, “Don’t you know that art is priceless? Random criticism only reveals your lack of culture and vulgarity.”
“You… you’re just so sharp-tongued.” Mi Yuezhen’s face and neck turned red and she snapped, “Don’t think that you can get close to our young master just because you are in good terms with our boss. I’d advise you to give up that thought!”
Nan Fei finally realized where this so-called hostility came from!
“Thank you! I’m married and don’t need your reminder.”
“You’re married?” Mi Yuezhen asked, doubtful.
“Yes!” Nan Fei responded, grinning, “We’ve been betrothed since we were kids.”
“That’s wonderful.” The girl, who had been glaring at Nan Fei just a moment ago, changed her tune. “Hmph! Given your pitiful situation, I’ll get a portrait done. Consider it charity.”
“Thank you for your patronage!” Nan Fei was not upset, swiftly grabbing her sketch board and pencil.
Having been an apprentice of the grand master of traditional Chinese painting, Yu Jingyi, in her previous life and with a decade of brush skills, Nan Fei’s strokes were divine. From sketching to painting completion, it only took her half an hour. Once her pen hit the paper, she entered a profound trance-like state.
She even forgot the outside world; all her thoughts were absorbed in her drawing. Composition, highlights, mid-tones, boundary of light and shadow, shadow, reflection, expressions of the characters, naturally appeared in her mind, and it all naturally flowed without struggle.
Looking at the finished portrait, Nan Fei trembled with excitement, eyes welling up with tears.
She could hardly believe it was real!
In her previous life, she had invested all her energy into painting out of sheer despair, yet despite her hard work, her teacher only remarked that she had no spirit or talent.
Even her acceptance as a disciple was brokered through Huo Beijiang’s connections, and her teacher reluctantly agreed.
To prove herself, she had invested so much effort, but in the end, she still had to bow to fate.