Rebirth and the Beautiful Soaring

Fang Yimei took a nap, washed her face, and then, remembering that she was going to train her nephew in spoken English that afternoon, she walked toward the east wing with a mischievous smile.

In 1996, English teaching in small county towns was still very backward. Students were only good at written tests, but their oral and listening skills were a mess. There were very few students who could truly master the tricks of speaking.

As a high school English teacher who returned from Wulin City, Fang Yi felt obligated to help her nephew improve his English speaking and listening skills, because for a language, being able to understand and communicate is actually the most important thing.

"Feifei, wake up. We'll play an English conversation game this afternoon."

Yu Fei had just finished painting "The Tree of Miracles" when his aunt came knocking on the door. This seemed to be exactly what he wanted, so he immediately replied, "Auntie, I'm not asleep at all. The door isn't locked, so just push it in yourself."

"What are you doing?" Fang Yi pushed open the door and looked at Yu Fei with a questioning gaze.

Yu Fei deliberately appeared smug and proud, pointing to the painting on the octagonal table and saying, "Auntie, this is my masterpiece from when I didn't take a nap."

"Huh? When did you learn sketching? And you're even using a pen. Didn't you say you didn't want to learn to draw?"

Fang Yi was initially surprised, but when she walked over and saw the full view of the "Miracle Tree", her face was filled with shock and disbelief.

Because this pen sketch is so lifelike, whether it is a withered tree king or a tree king with lush branches and leaves, even the Fairy Peak in the background is drawn like a black and white photograph.

"Feifei, did you really draw this?" I had never heard my second sister mention that Yu Fei had studied painting, but this painting was incredibly skillful. I'm afraid many people who study painting might not be able to paint like this even after more than ten years.

Yu Fei smirked and said, "Of course! Look at the small characters on the left side of the signature. See? Isn't that my name? It's a pity that the seal hasn't been engraved yet, otherwise it would be perfect with a red name seal and a leisure seal."

Yu Fei's grandfather, Yu Hong, was a nationally renowned master of traditional Chinese painting, and his father, Yu Ming, was a world-renowned master of oil painting. As their descendant, Yu Fei felt that his simple sketches were hardly worthy of serious attention, so he did not find them particularly difficult.

Fang Yi took a closer look and found that the signature was indeed Yu Fei, and the painting looked freshly done, with some of the ink not yet completely dry.

"Kid, you're really something! You secretly learned to sketch, and you're doing so well. If your brother-in-law knew, he'd immediately go back to China and drag you out to study oil painting with him..."

Although Yu Fei's parents divorced, Fang Yi still didn't change her mind because she always felt that since their relationship hadn't broken down, they shouldn't have divorced. Besides, they had been separated for so long, one of them hadn't remarried, and the other hadn't remarried either. Why couldn't they get back together and mend their broken relationship?

In addition, Fang Yi has always admired her brother-in-law Yu Ming for his achievements in the world of calligraphy and painting. Moreover, Yu Ming speaks fluent and authentic American English and very pure French, which is a role model she has always wanted to learn from.

Perhaps that's why she learned French in addition to English at university, which is one of the reasons why she later moved to France in her previous life.

"Auntie, let's not talk about these useless things. Anyway, I won't tell Dad, and I will never go abroad with him to study oil painting. Just take a look at the theme of this painting and what I want to express."

“That’s good! Are you trying to test your aunt? Hey, although I’ve never really studied painting, I still have some appreciation skills. The theme of your painting is ‘miracle,’ and what you’ve expressed should be the eight characters on the painting: ‘Old but vigorous, withered trees come back to life.’”

At this point, the aunt seemed to show a different kind of surprise. She glanced at Yu Fei before continuing, "You're quite something, kid. You actually thought of using a painting to advise your grandfather. If he sees this painting, I think he'll reconsider. Although he's old, his heart isn't. He can still contribute his remaining energy to revitalize the orchard that originally belonged to the Fang family. Alright, since you have this idea, let's go now."

“Okay.” Yu Fei nodded happily. He had known all along that his aunt would support his decision.

As Yu Fei and Fang Yi stepped out of the room with the painting, the melodious sound of an erhu came from the side door.

“Grandpa is playing the erhu, it sounds beautiful,” Yu Fei said softly.

Fang Yi chuckled and nodded, then asked, "Do you know what song he was playing?"

Yu Fei nodded and smiled, "Auntie, this is no problem for me. Grandpa was playing 'Honghu Rhapsody,' also known as 'The Wish of the People of Honghu.'"

This erhu piece is rich in thoughts and emotions, with a beautiful and melodious tune. It showcases unique folk performance techniques and style, and is full of the spirit and charm of the Chinese nation. Yu Fei remembers that it was one of his grandfather's favorite solo pieces.

Other examples include "Moon Reflected in the Second Spring," "River Water," "A Pleasant Evening," and "Horse Racing," among others.

Fang Yi nodded approvingly and said, "Not bad, you even know about 'Honghu Rhapsody'."

"What's so special about this?" Yu Fei chuckled. "Auntie, don't underestimate me. I might know more than you think."

Fang Yi teased playfully, "Hey, you really don't know how to be modest. Your aunt just casually praised you like that, and you're already soaring to the sky."

Yu Fei looked up at the sky and said smugly, "Auntie, this is what you call being confident and invincible in youth."

After chatting and laughing as they walked over, they both stopped talking and silently sat down on the bench by the side door.

The double side doors, thanks to their excellent ventilation, made the area feel particularly cool on this hot summer afternoon.

Fang Jianguo naturally saw the two approaching, but he only smiled slightly and did not stop playing. This was a habit of his; he usually wouldn't stop halfway through a piece until it was finished.

As a former pillar of the Fairy Wuju Opera Troupe, Fang Jianguo's erhu skills were quite professional, and the melody of "Honghu Rhapsody" was so beautiful that Yu Fei couldn't help but be captivated by it.

After the piece ended, Fang Jianguo put down his erhu and chuckled, "Feifei, are you interested in learning the erhu?"

"This..." Yu Fei scratched his head, unsure how to answer. At this moment, Fang Yi started to whine to her father, "Dad, they just took on Fei Fei as a good student, why are you trying to steal my business?"

Fang Jianguo chuckled and said, "Si'er, you teach your guitar, and I'll teach my erhu. There's no contradiction, is there? How is it stealing business?"

Fang Yi is the fourth child in her family, so Yu Fei's maternal grandfather sometimes calls her Si'er, sometimes Yi'er, and in formal occasions he calls her by her given name.

Fang Yi pursed her lips and said, "A person's energy is limited. Feifei still needs to study cultural knowledge. He can't be greedy for musical instruments. In short, before he masters the ukulele I gave him, learning other instruments is out of the question."

Fang Jianguo shrugged and smiled, "Okay, then I'll wait patiently."

Fang Jianguo has a very good temper, especially towards Fang Yi, whom he dotes on. So when he argues with his youngest daughter, he almost always ends up losing.