Deng Qingjiang had always told her that she didn’t need anyone else to judge her painting and that she didn’t need to compete for such an illusory reputation. At the time, she actually found some truth in his words.
Now that she thought about it, Chiang Xiao felt she might as well be stupid to death.
She wasn’t really that aloof; she needed money as well.
Competitions were a good way to quickly integrate into the circle and establish fame. Only after she became famous would her paintings attract more attention.
To put it pragmatically, only after gaining fame would her paintings be able to sell for a higher value.
In this life, Chiang Xiao wanted to open her own exhibition, so accumulating fame was essential.
Later, she didn’t want to hide her talents anymore. Therefore, only the good results from competitions could serve as the best resume in her journey of learning painting.
Kuang Yunxian said, "You’re from G Province, right?"
This time the competition was only open to G Province residents.
Chiang Xiao quickly nodded her head, "Of course, I am."
"Then it’s fine, our competition has no age requirements, and moreover, there are no content restrictions."
In this way, the judging would solely rely on the appraisal abilities of the judges.
Chiang Xiao didn’t dare to be complacent. There were real talents hidden among the common folks, and if she didn’t use the Magic Brush, she wasn’t completely confident of achieving a good ranking.
But she still wanted to participate. And moreover, she would paint without using the Magic Brush.
Kuang Yunxian said, "You just have to mail your finished painting to our association within half a month, remember to include the author’s name and contact information. Oh, give me your contact information as well so I can inform you in time if there’s any situation."
Kuang Yunxian hadn’t realized that his attitude while chatting with Chiang Xiao had changed; he had always treated Chiang Xiao as a child, speaking with a bit of a condescending tone, but after talking with her all this way, he unconsciously began to see her as a peer.
Their communication could not have been more natural.
Chiang Xiao nodded, just about to speak, when Meng Xi, who had been ignored all along, finally interjected with a heavy voice.
"If there’s anything, Brother Yun Xian, it might be better to call me, and I can relay it to Chiang Xiao. It’s not convenient to get in touch with her at home."
For some reason, he felt a sour feeling in his heart.
Kuang Yunxian paused for a moment, and Chiang Xiao hurriedly said, "It’s not really inconvenient, Brother Kuang, I do find it a bit difficult to make and receive phone calls, but it only takes two days to mail a letter from here to our town. If it’s urgent, sending a telegram is also possible. I’ll write down the address for you."
They had already arrived at Kuang Yunxian’s dormitory.
Kuang Yunxian just nodded, opened the door, and invited them in. He entered first, and Chiang Xiao followed behind, about to step in.
Meng Xinian grabbed Chiang Xiao’s arm.
Chiang Xiao turned to look at him, puzzled, "What’s wrong?"
Meng Xinian himself didn’t know. He just suddenly felt a strong urge to take her away; anyway, the feeling was not pleasant.
Meng Xinian’s thin lips pressed together, and he released her arm.
Chiang Xiao raised her eyebrows and stepped through the door.
Kuang Yunxian’s dormitory was very plain, with a set of old wooden sofas, a coffee table draped with cloth, on the other side a desk and chair, and a curtain pulled open on the inside, which likely concealed a bed.
However, several paintings and a few calligraphy works hung on the wall.
As soon as Chiang Xiao entered, she was attracted by these paintings and calligraphy, turning a full circle to admire them one by one. When she reached a picture of The Great Wall with red maple, she stopped.