Chapter 4, The Eight Principles of the Character 'Yong'

I can pay the tuition fees

Ji Xiaomin pouted and said, "I am talking about my dad. My dad is a typical example: third-rate calligraphy skills, second-rate certificates, and first-rate pretentiousness. His calligraphy level is not particularly high, but he is quite adept at deceiving local bosses.

This is not writing at all; it is simply printing money!

The character for "sell"

After the demonstration, Ji Xiaomin handed the brush to Meng Yan and taught him how to hold it properly

Meng Yan was instantly filled with excitement

Guiding Meng Yan step by step, Ji Xiaomin wrote the character "永" three times, then released her hand and said: "Just write it like that."

Such a beautiful girl, it would be a pity if she had a mental illness. My father would definitely not agree to me bringing a girl with mental issues into our home, so, sister, you need to make sure to seek treatment as soon as possible

Meng Yan completely relaxed his arms and wrists, carefully sensing Ji Xiaomin's brushwork. The confusion he once felt suddenly transformed into a multitude of vague and indescribable insights.

How can someone who has just started practicing calligraphy make such rapid progress

Curiously, Meng Yan asked, "Why don't ordinary works require effort? If every piece of writing is crafted with care, wouldn't it earn more?"

Meng Yan glanced at the more than one meter long Xuan paper in Ji Xiaomin's hand and thought to himself, how can one write on such a large sheet? Then he looked at the small piece of Xuan paper on the desk and asked, "Do we need to cut it down?"

With the book "Perhaps, I am a genius." Meng Yan felt a bit pleased with himself

At the beginning, the characters written are naturally quite ugly

Ji Xiaomin sighed: "The so-called fame is merely the result of flattery within the circle. To be honest with you, the calligraphy community is actually quite chaotic. Many so-called calligraphers are simply inflating their own worth, obtaining various certificates, and finding ways to deceive wealthy local bosses and those pretentious individuals who feign sophistication."

This topic cannot be continued

Ji Xiaomin: "Selling characters is simple in some ways and difficult in others. As long as you meet two criteria, your characters can be sold for money"

Curiously asking. Meng Yan is very concerned that this is a source of income

Ji Xiaomin found it hard to believe

"Which two points?" Meng Yan asked

Meng Yan: "Uh, I don't know"

Since you have talent, you should practice diligently. The brush and the water writing cloth cost a total of 30 yuan. Ji Xiaomin packed the water writing cloth and the brush together and handed them to Meng Yan

I do not understand rice paper; I just want to practice calligraphy, Meng Yan said candidly

No. This is the first time; previously, I didn't even know how to hold a pen

He changed the subject and asked, "What happened to you yesterday? You were in such a hurry that you even left your basketball behind!"

"My family does not accept students. However, I happen to be bored, so I will teach you for free." Ji Xiaomin picked up the brush and asked, "Do you know the Eight Principles of Yong?"

This is uncertain. It depends on both the size and the level of effort put into it. If it is written casually and is not particularly large, the price is around 3,000. However, if it is a carefully crafted piece, especially one with a quality seal, it can be quite expensive, with no fixed price; my father might not even be willing to sell it for 100,000 per piece.

The girl's hand is soft, and Meng Yan's heart is also soft

The characters look as if they have been chewed by a dog, extremely ugly

My family uses high-quality rice paper, with the cheapest costing over twenty yuan per sheet. For beginners practicing calligraphy, it's better not to waste rice paper. " Ji Xiaomin put the rice paper back, then searched around the shelf and took out a few sheets of 'water writing cloth' to hand to Meng Yan, saying: "This is water writing cloth. You can write on it with a brush dipped in water, and once the water dries, the writing disappears, allowing for repeated use.

After taking the brush, Meng Yan's hand began to tremble incessantly. He claimed it was supposed to be horizontal and vertical, yet the "horizontal" he wrote was crooked and twisted like a worm, and the "vertical" was also slanted and askew.

Name: Meng Yan

Is there something wrong with your mind

Meng Yan asked while checking out, "Your studio does not recruit students, and the items sold are niche. How do you make a profit?"

Ji Xiaomin sighed: "It's frustrating, and you wouldn't understand even if I told you. By the way, let's exchange contact information and *pictures* so we can play basketball together next time; playing alone is really too boring."

First, there is competence; second, there is fame

What I mean by putting my heart into it is to create works that embody artistic emotions. When people buy characters, they certainly want them to be written with care; however, being meticulous can only produce good calligraphy, not necessarily good art.

"I really don't understand. On a whim, I wanted to learn calligraphy," Meng Yan candidly admitted

Calligraphy can be learned

It seems you are completely clueless. Ji Xiaomin once again supported her forehead, her gesture charming and quite beautiful

Didn’t you say before that you especially disliked playing basketball? What do you mean by wanting to invite me to play now

Useful

With one hundred thousand for a piece of calligraphy, just writing seven or eight pieces will secure a house; writing two or three more will also provide a car; and writing a few additional pieces will ensure the pension for my parents is taken care of

"Write the character '永', which precisely utilizes the eight fundamental strokes: diǎn (dot), héng (horizontal), shù (vertical), tí (lift), gōu (hook), piě (left-falling), duǎn piě (short left-falling), and nà (right-falling)." Ji Xiaomin explained while demonstrating, "These eight strokes can be used to write the vast majority of Chinese characters, hence they are referred to as the Eight Principles of the Character '永'."

It's fine, writing for three thousand yuan is also acceptable

"Your father is a person in the calligraphy circle; do you think it is appropriate to say such things?" Meng Yan probed in a joking manner

Meng Yan became increasingly excited and asked, "If my calligraphy is good, can it also be sold and published as a book?"

"How much does a piece of calligraphy cost?" Meng Yan asked curiously

However, with each writing session, he experiences improvement, gaining numerous insights each time. Meanwhile, his control over the brush becomes increasingly adept. Gradually, his hand steadies, and his strokes become more nuanced, resulting in characters that are increasingly well-proportioned.

Meng Yan was both surprised and delighted

Energy: 15

Calligraphy is surprisingly profitable

"Raw Xuan paper and cooked Xuan paper mainly differ in their degree of absorbency. Raw Xuan paper has a high absorbency, while cooked Xuan paper has a low absorbency. For practicing calligraphy, a half-raw, half-cooked paper is the best choice." Ji Xiaomin walked over to the Xuan paper rack, took out a stack of Xuan paper, and asked, "How many sheets do you need?"

[Shooting Master: 7 / 400; Hidden Weapon Proficiency: 85 / 100; Calligraphy Proficiency: 1 / 100]

Meng Yan is completely at a loss.

As soon as I finished writing a "永", the data panel in my line of sight changed.

It seems that learning calligraphy was the right choice, as this profession is quite lucrative

"It seems that if I sell you a few pieces of water-writing cloth, I must also take on an apprentice, right?" Ji Xiaomin was both amused and exasperated

"You give it a try." Ji Xiaomin spread the water-writing cloth on the table and handed a water-dipped brush to Meng Yan

Meng Yan does not have a deep understanding of art, but he is aware that artistic inspiration is indeed something that can be encountered but not sought after. In this light, it seems that a piece of calligraphy worth one hundred thousand cannot be produced in bulk.

Take a day off, continue writing, and there is no need to worry about the bride price for marrying a wife

The rice paper, priced at over twenty yuan per sheet, is indeed beyond Meng Yan's means; just now, he almost suggested ordering five hundred sheets first

Otherwise, if I cannot afford the money, the level of embarrassment will be maximized

"Don't shake your hands, relax a bit," Ji Xiaomin reminded.

A single piece of calligraphy is worth 3,000 yuan; if I write one or two hundred pieces, I can easily earn several hundred thousand yuan

Meng Yan was left dumbfounded, thinking to himself: how has Ji Xiaomin grown up without being beaten to death by her father? It is truly a miracle in this world

Fortunately, I did not speak up

Meng Yan took a deep breath, recalling his previous writing technique, and earnestly wrote on the water writing cloth.

Good

This is good, just this one

Beside her, Ji Xiaomin looked utterly astonished and asked suspiciously, "Have you really never practiced calligraphy?"

"Let me teach you. Relax your wrist and arm, and feel my movements with the brush." Ji Xiaomin rolled her eyes in exasperation and simply grabbed Meng Yan's hand, providing a genuine hands-on teaching experience.

"You are a beginner, and you can't even handle a brush properly. How can you have the audacity to say you can sell your writing?" Ji Xiaomin was left speechless

A little energy was lacking, but there was an increase in the proficiency of calligraphy

How do you hold a brush? I don't know how to hold a brush. Meng Yan was a bit taken aback

Meng Yan pondered for a moment; the issue of skill was indeed easy to resolve. With the jade pendant in hand, he would soon acquire the necessary proficiency. However, he was unsure about how to cultivate a reputation. Thus, he inquired, "How can one gain fame?"