Back to high school, Peking University is beckoning me

Lu Youning looked at the old man in front of him with a hesitant look on his face. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "I... didn't have a teacher, so I just practiced blindly on my own."

Actually, it can't be considered blind practice, but she can't say that she learned it in space. Otherwise, she would be captured and sliced ​​up for research.

When Mr. Xiao heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he was full of admiration and praised sincerely:

"You can write like this by practicing on your own? Little girl, you are really gifted." The young man next to her also showed admiration after hearing this.

Lu Youning said modestly, "You're too kind!"

Mr. Xiao smiled and said, "I have also been studying calligraphy, so I can naturally see that you have great potential in calligraphy.

However, there are still some shortcomings. If you trust me, an old man, we can find a place to discuss calligraphy together."

Lu Youning was starting to wonder, thinking to herself, "Could I have been scammed? They think I'm easy to fool, considering my young age."

It’s better to refuse it. After all, there is no such thing as a free lunch. There are not many kind-hearted people these days.

So, Lu Youning politely declined, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, but I don't have the money to pay you for my lessons."

Mr. Xiao was stunned at first, then realized that he was being treated as a liar, and he couldn't help laughing, saying:

"Little girl, you misunderstood, but you are right to be vigilant. My name is Xiao Mushi, you can search me online to see if I am a liar."

Assistant Xiao Xu explained, "Our Professor Xiao is a renowned scholar at Peking University and a leading figure in the field of calligraphy. He has served as president of the Beijing Calligraphy Association for many years and has been dedicated to promoting and inheriting calligraphy culture."

Moreover, his works have been highly praised in major calligraphy exhibitions both domestically and internationally, and he has won numerous prestigious awards. Just search online and you'll find out."

After hearing what the assistant said, Lu Youning was shocked and quickly opened his phone to search.

She looked at the information about Mr. Xiao displayed on the screen, swallowed hard, turned her head to look at Lu Yixiao and Pan Lanfei, and asked nervously, "Did I... say anything bad just now?"

Lu Yixiao tilted her head and thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "No."

But then she added: "But you rejected Mr. Xiao's guidance, does that count?"

After hearing what Lu Yixiao said, Lu Youning hesitated and said, "Um...is it too late for me to agree to him now?"

She never imagined that the old man in front of her had such a prominent identity. It felt like one hundred million flew away from her eyes.

Then, without waiting for Lu Yixiao and Pan Lanfei to respond, Lu Youning walked straight up to Mr. Xiao, bowed deeply, and said with a guilty look on his face, "Mr. Xiao, I'm so sorry. I...I shouldn't have doubted you so much. It was my fault."

Old Xiao smiled and waved his hand, saying gently, "Haha, little girl, don't be so nervous. It's a good thing that you are vigilant. In today's society, you have to be more careful."

Lu Youning's face flushed instantly, and she scratched her head in embarrassment. "Mr. Xiao, I was really confused just now. It's a blessing that you are so talented and willing to teach me. I... I really want to learn calligraphy from you now. Are you still willing to give me this opportunity?"

Mr. Xiao deliberately put on a stern face and teased Lu Youning, "Well... Originally, when I saw you refused, I was going to give up, but since you were so sincere, I reluctantly agreed."

Lu Youning was overjoyed and almost jumped up in excitement. He said excitedly, "That's great! Mr. Xiao, I promise to study hard and do whatever you ask me to do!"

Mr. Xiao said in a gentle voice: "Then let's find a teahouse nearby to sit down."

Lu Youning nodded hurriedly, "Okay, Mr. Xiao, I'll do as you say."

The group walked towards a famous teahouse nearby. The teahouse looked antique from the outside, and the name of the shop engraved on the wooden sign at the door exuded an elegant charm.

Mr. Xiao and his assistant walked in first, followed by the three girls.

Lu Yixiao acted as if she was used to it, while Pan Lanfei seemed rather uneasy. She whispered to Lu Youning, "This place must be quite expensive, right?"

Lu Youning looked around, nodded, and said, "I think so!"

Lu Yixiao said nonchalantly, "It's okay. I used to come here often with my dad. I'm very familiar with the manager here."

As you step into the tea room, you will be filled with the faint fragrance of tea. The decoration is simple and elegant. The tables and chairs are all made of rustic solid wood. There are also several exquisite calligraphy works hanging on the wall, as if silently communicating the beauty of calligraphy with the guests.

Afterwards, Mr. Xiao ordered a pot of scented tea and two plates of snacks, and also asked the waiter to prepare a set of four treasures of the study.

Mr. Xiao said, "Although it's open to the city, it's not too noisy. Let's discuss calligraphy here, is that okay with you?"

Lu Youning bowed slightly, nodded and said, "Sure, it's nice here."

At this time, the waiter came over with scented tea and snacks, placed them gently on the table, and said with a smile: "Sir, Miss, the scented tea has been brewed for you, please enjoy it."

The flower tea was placed in an antique teapot, steam rising from it, and you could faintly see the petals stretching in the water.

The two plates of dim sum also looked very delicate. One plate was a small plum blossom pastry, with layers of pastry skin glowing with a light golden color, just like blooming plum blossoms.

The other dish is soft and glutinous mung bean cake, which exudes a refreshing bean fragrance and is pleasing to the eye.

Assistant Xiao Xu picked up the teapot and poured a cup for Mr. Xiao, and then poured a cup for each of the girls. The girls hurriedly thanked him.

Mr. Xiao pushed two plates of dim sum in front of them and said, "Try these dim sum. You should choose the flavor that the girls like."

Lu Yixiao and Pan Lanfei both took a piece to taste, and kept praising it, "It's delicious."

Lu Youning took a few sips of the scented tea and found it refreshing and sweet with a light floral scent.

Then, Mr. Xiao walked to the desk beside him, waved to Lu Youning, and said, "Come here and write a few words for me to see."

Lu Youning quickly put down the teacup in his hand, stood up, and walked quickly to the desk. "Mr. Xiao, my name is Lu Youning, you can call me Xiaoning."

She stood still, took a deep breath, and calmed herself. Then she picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, and after a moment's thought, began to write on the rice paper. The characters under her pen gradually took shape.

Mr. Xiao stood aside, watching Lu Youning write quietly, and waited for Lu Youning to finish writing.

He pointed at the characters and said, "These characters are well written. Look at the first character. The overall structure is quite good. However, the strokes on the left are a bit cramped, making the whole character look a bit unbalanced..."

As Mr. Xiao was speaking, he picked up a pen, dipped it in ink, and demonstrated it himself. The strokes he made were light or heavy, slow or fast, and the changes in the pen tip were clearly visible under his demonstration.

Lu Youning was fascinated by the painting and secretly admired Mr. Xiao's profound calligraphy skills. He was worthy of being a master in the calligraphy world.

After finishing his comments, Mr. Xiao looked at Lu Youning encouragingly and said:

"Xiao Ning, your foundation is quite good. If you can persist in practicing calligraphy in addition to such heavy studies, your calligraphy skills will definitely reach a higher level in the future."

"Yes, Mr. Xiao, I will definitely practice hard. I will think carefully about what you said today after I go back and try to solve these problems as soon as possible."

Lu Youning responded enthusiastically, his eyes sparkling with passion and determination for learning calligraphy.

Old Xiao looked at Lu Youning gently. The girl seemed to be about the same age as his granddaughter, and the smile on his face became even more amiable.