noveldrama
Chapter 569: 569: A Pleasant Surprise
Chapter 569: 569: A Pleasant Surprise
Chapter 569: Chapter 569: A Pleasant Surprise
“Great Grandfather, Grandfather had me practice Yan’s style,” Luo Ziling answered very respectfully. “He said Yan Zhenqing’s characters have the greatest vigor and are the most neat. He told me to be like the Yan brothers, to have integrity and to conduct myself with dignity and uprightness.”
“Sir Luo is right,” Ling Jinhua said with a smile as he made another request. “Then write me a piece in regular script. When it’s done, I will have someone mount it and hang it in my room to enjoy.”
Ling Ruonan was so surprised by Ling Jinhua’s words that she was stunned for a moment and then overjoyed, almost bursting into tears.
Even as one of the parties concerned, she realized from Grandfather’s words that Luo Ziling was very much adored by the old gentleman, or he wouldn’t have made such a gesture.
Ling Qirui and Ling Mingrui were also very surprised. They knew that many calligraphy masters had given the old gentleman their works, but he only admired those works and had them stored away. Never had anyone’s calligraphy or painting been mounted and hung in his room; Luo Ziling was the first to receive such an honor.
They knew the old gentleman was highly skilled in judging people; for many years, he had never misjudged anyone. Moreover, he often drew conclusions about someone at first glance.
Ling Ruonan had been favored by the old gentleman since she was young, and he had said early on that the girl would certainly achieve great things when she grew up.
Although a major incident occurred later, Ling Ruonan was not punished in any way and eventually gained control over the Northern Group, the Ling Family’s most important asset. Without the old gentleman’s approval and support, Ling Ruonan would not have been able to achieve this.
Now, upon meeting Luo Ziling for the first time, the old gentleman had shown such generosity. They could imagine what kind of treatment Luo Ziling would receive in the Ling Family in the future.
Among the old gentleman’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren, none had received such treatment as Luo Ziling.
After the shock, Ling Mingrui and Ling Qirui both appeared to be deep in thought.
Hearing Ling Jinhua’s instructions, Luo Ziling immediately walked back to the writing desk with a beaming Ling Ruonan.
As usual, Ling Ruonan laid out the rice paper for Luo Ziling and stood silently to one side after laying it out, watching him write.
Unexpectedly for Luo Ziling, Ling Jinhua, who was lying in bed, asked Ling Qirui and Ling Qiqing to help him get up; he wanted to watch Luo Ziling write. Ling Mingrui and Ling Qirui dared not refuse. With the two brothers working together, they helped Ling Jinhua out of bed and then supported him to the writing desk to watch Luo Ziling write.
As the brothers helped Ling Jinhua stand by the writing desk, they couldn’t help but feel once again that this kid, Luo Ziling, had really struck it lucky to receive such treatment from the old gentleman.
And Ling Ruonan was so happy she wanted to cry, thinking how fortunate it was that her son had the skill of calligraphy, which had touched the old gentleman’s heart.
It was a blessing in disguise!
Luo Ziling didn’t expect Ling Jinhua to personally get out of bed to watch him write, and he couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous. But he quickly adjusted his breathing and entered a certain state of mind. After giving it some serious thought, he then began to write.
He chose to write a famous poem by Li Bai, the great poet of the Tang dynasty titled “The Road is Hard”:
Gilded goblets of wine for ten thousand gold, A jade dish of delicacies for an equal sum.
Setting down his cup, unable to eat, he draws his sword and looks around in a daze.
The Yellow River’s ice blocks the ford, and the Taihang Mountains snow covers the paths.
Leisurely fishing on the azure creek, all of a sudden he dreams of the edge of the day.
The road is hard! The road is hard! There are so many turnings, where are you today?
With the long wind breaking the waves, someday I’ll hang my cloud sail to cross the sea.
Writing in regular script, the speed was far slower than running script, and Luo Ziling was being very meticulous, so it took over twenty minutes to finish the poem.
Many had read this poem, but most of them had already forgotten its content. When Luo Ziling wrote the first few lines, Ling Mingrui and Ling Qirui did not understand what Luo Ziling was trying to express.
But upon seeing the last two lines, which had become classic lines of inspiration, they immediately had an epiphany.
Luo Ziling still wanted to express his own feelings when he substituted for the old gentleman in writing.
“When the strong breeze breaks the waves, there will be a time, sailing straight on the cloud sail to cross the endless sea.” These two lines of poetry, as long as one sees them, most people understand what the writer wants to express.
Not fearing difficulties, confident in overcoming all obstacles to reach the victorious shore. Upon the strong winds, one breaks through ten thousand miles of waves, crossing the vast sea to achieve one’s goals.
“Good words, good poem,” Ling Mingrui rushed to praise in front of his own father.
Ling Qirui did not say anything, but his eyes, though calm, betrayed a complex mood.
“Better than I thought,” Ling Jinhua approached the desk after Luo Ziling finished writing and moved aside, looked at the words seriously, even personally picked them up to read over slowly and then smiled, “Both sets of words are good, I am very satisfied with this birthday gift, I will treasure it.”
He then instructed Ling Ruonan, “Nannan, go and have these two sets of words framed and hang them in my hall today.”
Ling Ruonan naturally agreed without hesitation, saying that once the ink dried, she would immediately have someone go out to frame it, hoping to hang it in the hall by the afternoon.
She was truly too happy, having been worried before her visit about encountering various difficulties from family members and the grandfather’s cold treatment. She had not expected things to turn out this way.
Although Ling Ruonan was pleasantly surprised, she still hadn’t fully understood why her grandfather was treating Luo Ziling with such generosity.
She was aware that the grandfather would not treat him this way just because Luo Ziling wrote two good pieces of calligraphy; there must be other reasons.
But as for what the specific reason was, she couldn’t figure it out at once, and she could not ask.
After admiring the words written by Luo Ziling for a while, Ling Jinhua had Ling Mingrui and Ling Qirui help him back to bed.
Once he had laid down again, he called Luo Ziling to his bedside.
When Luo Ziling came to the bedside, he asked in a low voice, “Besides calligraphy, do you have any other specialties?”
“Chess, zither, calligraphy, and painting are all within reach, but my strongest skill is in medicine,” Luo Ziling answered honestly.
“This old man is burdened with a serious illness that grows heavier by the day, and I’m aware that my time is running out. Many doctors have looked at me, but there are no good measures,” Ling Jinhua said, revealing a child-like innocence in his eyes, “How about you treat this old man?”
“I will do my best to treat Great Grandfather,” said Luo Ziling as he went over to fetch a stool, sat down by Ling Jinhua’s bed, and then opened the bag he had brought to take out some items.
Noise came from outside, and footsteps were approaching.
Just as Luo Ziling was getting ready, a group of people burst into the room.
The ones leading were Ling Haining and Ling Haijun, who Luo Ziling had met before; behind them followed a group of youngsters ranging in age from their teens to their twenties. Seeing such a group enter, Luo Ziling paused, stopping his actions.
The newcomers were clearly not expecting this “stranger” to be in Ling Jinhua’s room, and they were all surprised.
Especially Ling Haining and Ling Haijun, who were utterly dumbfounded.
“What are you doing here?” Ling Haining was the first to snap back to reality, forgetting to greet the four elders in the room. He stared blankly at Luo Ziling and blurted out a question instinctively.
Luo Ziling smiled and replied, “I have come to wish Great Grandfather a happy birthday, and to treat his illness.”
“What kind of joke is this? Just with you, a freshman who has just started university, you know how to treat sickness?” Ling Haining was a bit annoyed and couldn’t help but ask out loud in front of everyone.
After saying this, he then realized something was amiss.