Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 947 Exclusive Customization
With this promise made, everyone present is now considered "destined."

For those with a destined connection, Master Qinglian is sure to grant any request.

After removing all the "clutter" such as the computer from the desk, a long strip of Xuan paper was laid out on the table. Zhao Wanru and the others, who had originally left, also came after hearing that Chen Fan was going to write and paint.

Jiang Lili skillfully picked up the ink stick and stood at the corner of the table to grind the ink, truly embodying the ideal of adding fragrance to the ink.

Chen Fan noticed that Zhou Yali's materials included a lot of mineral pigments, which piqued his interest. He then personally mixed several traditional pigments.

Speaking of this stuff, it was a secret recipe that Chen Fan learned from several master craftsmen who repaired the Forbidden City when Zhang Xuansong invited them to paint murals for Chaoyang Temple. It was especially effective in restoring ancient paintings.

Of course, it's also suitable for direct use in ink painting.

After grinding the ink and mixing the pigments in no time, Chen Fan picked up a brush and tested the ink density on a piece of paper on the corner of the table. He then looked up and smiled, "Do any of you believers have a preference?"

They can even offer exclusive custom designs?

Upon hearing this, an old gentleman raised his right hand and asked, "Master, could you please compose a poem titled 'Qinyuanchun: Snow'?"

Before he could finish speaking, Mr. Huo almost jumped up, "You really dare to say that."

That's ridiculous! The poem "Qinyuanchun: Snow" is so magnificent. If Chen Fan were to paint such a picture on the spot, would he still be able to paint for others?
Besides, anyone who knows a little about calligraphy and painting knows the painting "This Land So Rich in Beauty" by the two masters Fu Baoshi and Guan Shanyue, which is displayed in the Great Hall of the People.

With such a remarkable example before him, if Chen Fan were to make a mistake, wouldn't he become a laughingstock?

As soon as Mr. Huo spoke, the old man gave an awkward smile, "Words are fine too."

Chen Fan smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It's alright, but please forgive me if the painting is not good enough and cannot compare to the painting 'This Land So Rich in Beauty'."

The old man immediately waved his hands repeatedly, his face full of excitement, "No, no, as long as it's a real person's handwriting, that's enough."

Time was of the essence, so Chen Fan didn't say anything more and picked up his pen to start writing.

Although Mr. Huo hinted that these people would offer high prices, Chen Fan did not intend to put in too much effort. Otherwise, he would not have brought them all in at once, wanting to get them all done in one go.

Therefore, it's natural not to create overly complex content.

With just a few strokes, the majestic outline of the mountains is outlined, and the large blank spaces become a wonderful snow scene.

See "Snow Clearing Over the Riverbank" for reference.

The grandeur of "Qinyuanchun: Snow" doesn't need much embellishment; just a few more strokes among the mountains and a winding river will leap off the page.

Then came the simple sketching of details.

A few minutes later, a "Snow Scene in the North" was completed. A few strokes were added to the upper left corner, and several eagles were soaring high. Then, the upper right corner was moved, and the entire poem "Qinyuanchun: Snow" was completed in one go from right to left.

Receiving a look from Chen Fan, Jiang Lili skillfully carried the painting to the side, laid it out on the ground, and waited for it to dry.

Fortunately, it's not the humid season now, otherwise we wouldn't be able to work for a month.

A number of people had already moved over with her, their eyes fixed on the calligraphy and paintings, speechless with astonishment.

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, none of them would have believed that this magnificent ink painting, spanning four feet (138×69 cm), was created in just a few minutes.

Chen Fan secretly sighed; he'd been making so many movies that he hadn't practiced calligraphy or painting in a long time, and his skills were a bit rusty. If his experience points hadn't stopped decreasing, he probably would have embarrassed himself just now.

Fortunately, as a hard-working person, I can improve as long as I work hard.

So, in just the time it takes to paint one picture, painter Chen regained his touch and even slightly increased his experience points.

So, next up is the time to swipe... no, I mean, to "pray for blessings" for all the believers.

The wealthy people who witnessed the miracle went completely mad.

“Chen Sheng, I want ‘Qinyuanchun: Changsha’. It has ‘Ten thousand mountains are red’. I’ll add another 100,000.”

"Real person, real person, please give me a copy of 'Lang Tao Sha: Beidaihe'. It doesn't matter if it's by the sea or not. It would be best if it were located east of Jieshi, because my surname is Wei. No, my surname is Cao."

“Is it possible if it’s not Mr. Li? The main thing is that I like Yang Shen. If he could write a ‘Linjiangxian: The Mighty Yangtze River Flows Eastward,’ I would be willing to donate another Laozi Hall to the new Taoist temple.”

As Chen Fan wielded his brush, he grinned from ear to ear. "No problem, no problem. They're all kind-hearted people; we can meet any reasonable request. Um, Mr. Huo, why do you want some too?"

Mr. Huo stood to the side, his face full of smiles. "Brother Chen, isn't the atmosphere just right? I think the atmosphere is quite good today. How about you help me paint another 'Immortal Lotus' picture?"

After saying that, he held up two fingers and said, "In that case, I will add another Chunyang Hall and an Ancestral Master Hall to our Taoist temple."

“Real person, real person, I will add another Zhenwu Hall.”

"No, Mr. Li, Chaoyang Temple is a Quanzhen sect temple. What do you mean by adding a Zhenwu Hall?"

“Wudang Mountain has nine palaces, eight temples, thirty-six nunneries, and seventy-two rock temples. What’s the big deal if our Chaoyang Temple adds a Zhenwu Hall? We must add one!”

Despite the commotion around him, Chen Fan's hands remained steady as he tried to mediate. "Don't rush, don't rush. We'll have everything, everyone gets a share. The Pure Yang Hall and the True Martial Hall are just minor details. We won't force it. Let it be, let it be!"

I wonder if today's opportunity will help Chaoyang Temple earn a hundred acres of land?
Just now, more than a dozen people have said they want to donate palaces. It would probably take dozens or even hundreds of acres to accommodate them.

……

For today's groundbreaking ceremony, Ye Yufeng had arranged for people to purchase all kinds of top-quality ingredients well in advance, and also invited several master chefs from Guangzhou to prepare several tables of fine banquet.

Unfortunately, no one came down after she called out several times, as everyone was afraid of missing any of the calligraphy or paintings created by Master Qinglian.

In the end, we had no choice but to ask the chefs to prepare the food and have it delivered to us so we could eat while watching.

This "creation competition" started at 11:30 a.m. and lasted until 5 p.m., when a total of 37 calligraphy and paintings were completed.

When a master of calligraphy and painting paints a large-scale painting, it takes at least three to five days, and it's not uncommon for it to take ten days or half a month. But he does it like he's doing wholesale, painting one every ten minutes, without making any modifications or additions from beginning to end.

Of course, it is also related to the fact that he draws "simple sketches". With just a few strokes, he fully embodies the characteristics of traditional Chinese painting: "the idea precedes the brush, and the painting fully expresses the idea".

With just a few strokes, a mountain range, a reef, or a stream can be depicted; the large amount of blank space doesn't really look like a work of "care".

However, when paired with poetry, its meaning is immediately clear to the reader, and no one would consider it a hasty work.

After finishing the last piece of calligraphy and painting, Jiang Lili took the Tianhuang stone seal engraved with the two characters "Qinglian" (青莲), first pressed it into the ink paste, and then stamped it on the signature. The calligraphy and painting, which only needed to be framed, was officially completed.

Chen Fan put down his paintbrush, and Zhou Yali immediately handed him a hot towel, whispering, "Hurry up and put it on, or you'll be in so much pain tomorrow."

Then he muttered, "Why don't you just draw one or two a day and deliver them gradually? Why draw so many at once?"

Chen Fan blinked. What hurts?

Then it dawned on me, oh right, the creation time was too long, a normal person's wrist definitely couldn't take it.

He quickly covered his wrist with a towel. "Ah, it really does hurt a bit."

Jiang Lili wiped the stamp clean and looked at him with a puzzled look in her eyes, as if to say, "You only painted for an afternoon, your hand shouldn't hurt, right?"

You even fought all day long, and I didn't see you feeling unwell at all.

Chen Fan received her gaze, blinked, and then his eyes flickered as he glanced at the wealthy people who were carefully putting the calligraphy and paintings into the painting tubes.

Jiang Lili glanced around and instantly understood what her husband meant. So that's it! His exhaustion was all an act for the customers, so they'd be more generous when they spent money. Otherwise, how could he demonstrate how hard he worked?

My man is amazing!

Sure enough, a short while later, Mr. Huo, as the representative, walked up to Chen Fan and said with a serious face, "You have worked so hard today. You have completed so many calligraphy and paintings in just one afternoon, and every piece is a masterpiece. We have all witnessed the hard work of Master Qinglian."

Please rest assured, Your Excellency, we will do our utmost to ensure the success of the new Chaoyang Temple project.

Chen Fan released his wrist, made a Taoist gesture with one hand, and said with a kind smile, "Mr. Huo, you flatter me. It is rare for you believers to have a heart for Taoism. It is just a few paintings and calligraphy, nothing much."

He paused for a moment, then suddenly looked troubled.

Upon seeing this, Mr. Huo quickly asked, "If you have something to say, please speak freely."

Li Shau-kee, Li Ka-shing, and others standing nearby nodded repeatedly, all expressing that they would go through fire and water and die without hesitation if they could do it.

It means, if we can't do it, then we can talk about it.

Fortunately, Chen Fan didn't ask them to do anything that involved going through fire and water.

After a slight hesitation, Chen Fan sighed softly and said, "Originally, my Taoist sect opened its doors wide to welcome believers from all directions. If they seek blessings, we will surely grant them."

Today, I feel a connection with all of you believers, and with a burst of inspiration, I have been able to create thirty-seven pieces of calligraphy and painting.

However, blessings are predetermined. Having prayed for too many blessings today, I fear I will not dare to do so again in the future. If anyone still wishes to seek blessings, I can only say that for the time being, such a person is not destined to receive them.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Huo and the others understood.

Today is an exception. In the eyes of many, if it weren't for the construction of the new Chaoyang Temple, this Master Qinglian wouldn't have been so generous in creating so many calligraphy and paintings all at once.

Otherwise, how could such a masterpiece, which inherently possesses the power to ward off evil spirits, be so easily obtained?!
In Hong Kong, setting up a feng shui arrangement to ward off evil spirits and protect a home can cost anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, including materials and the master's fee. It's time-consuming, laborious, and expensive, and there's no guarantee that it will have the same effect as a live master's work.

Today was pure luck, I made a fortune!

Some might ask, if it's just for building a new Chaoyang Temple, why not just ask his wealthy uncle in the United States to donate generously? Besides, his aunt and cousin are right there; surely they would be willing to give him some money.

This is related to the "unspoken rules" of the construction of temples and monasteries.

Generally speaking, the highest-grade temples and monasteries are those "bestowed by the emperor," meaning they were built with official funding. Famous temples and monasteries that have been passed down from ancient times are usually of this type.

Because of the blessing of "dragon energy," such temples and monasteries, the best of which can dominate their counterparts across the country, and the next best can become local "leaders," which is incomparable to ordinary temples and monasteries.

Secondly, it relies on donations from believers.

In fact, this method is the most "orthodox" way of construction.

The more believers who donate money, goods, and effort, the more people will believe that the temple or monastery is efficacious.

After all, it's a religion, so it's normal for temples and monasteries to compete for incense offerings. The more people participate, the more believers there are, and naturally, the more prosperous the temples and monasteries become. This virtuous cycle ensures that temples and monasteries will thrive for a long time.

However, ordinary people generally have limited ability and financial resources. In the end, they still have to rely on the power of the "powerful and wealthy" to build a large-scale temple.

Therefore, relying primarily on donations from wealthy families, supplemented by the "meager contributions" from believers from all directions, became the most orthodox approach.

If wealthy families contribute money and ordinary people contribute their presence, wouldn't the temple or monastery prosper?

The Qinglian Zhenren is now accepting donations from these wealthy people on behalf of Chaoyang Temple, and this is the case.

However, accepting donations from only one or two people, such as directly asking his uncle to contribute money and effort, is the worst approach.

Temples and monasteries built in this way are mostly "family temples." Regardless of how much incense offerings and merit they receive, they are at least considered low-class by their peers. ...Except for royal family temples, such as the Qianmen Guandi Temple where Master Liu of Beijing used to reside, which was a royal family temple.

In general, building a temple by relying on the power of believers from all directions is the "orthodox" approach.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Master Qinglian is working so hard today.

Once the goal is achieved, isn't it normal that Master Qinglian will no longer "bless" those with affinity?
In the eyes of these Hong Kong tycoons, it is perfectly normal for Master Qinglian to stop writing after today.

Chen Fan didn't need to find any reason; they automatically filled in the blanks in their minds and accepted his decision as a matter of course.

Immediately someone said, "What the Master says is true. Fortune is predetermined. We are already fortunate to receive the Master's blessing today, so we dare not ask for too much."

The others echoed, "No, no, we wouldn't dare."

Faced with such understanding and kind believers, Master Chen was deeply gratified. After saying a few more polite words, seeing that it was getting late, he bid them farewell.

……

After the minibus carrying the wealthy people headed towards the dock, Chen Fan patted his stomach, turned around and said, "I'm actually hungry. Let's go to the cafeteria for dinner. We need freshly stir-fried food with a strong wok hei (wok aroma). It's on me today."

Zhou Yali followed beside him, pouting, and said, "Who told you not to eat lunch earlier? You must be starving now."

Chen Fan: "Not really, it's just that I had a burst of inspiration just now, and I was afraid that if I interrupted it, my emotions would become disjointed."

Zhao Wanru, standing beside him, felt a pang of sympathy and glared at him, saying, "It's just a little over ten million Hong Kong dollars, not even two million US dollars. Just say the word and Yali will transfer the money to you immediately. Why go through all this trouble?"

If your uncle finds out, he'll blame me for not taking good care of you.

Chen Fan quickly laughed and said, "No, no, it's not about money. It's just like the bishops in America. They try to get to know as many powerful people as possible. They often come to support the church, which raises its prestige and encourages more ordinary people to convert."

Zhao Wanru couldn't help but shake her head as she listened, "You too, being a writer, professor, or director is perfectly fine, why do you have to become a Taoist priest? Even if it's to fulfill your master's wish, now that the Taoist temple has been built, why don't you step down?"

Chen Fan knew that his aunt was just complaining because he had worked too hard, and didn't mean to get to the bottom of things, so he chuckled and said, "Let's not talk about that. You rushed over from Hong Kong today, and you haven't told me how things are there yet. Is everything going smoothly?"

Zhao Wanru glared at him, then turned and patted her daughter's shoulder, "You tell your cousin."

In just a few words, they arrived at the cafeteria at the back.

Ye Yufeng arrived in person, and without any prompting, the cafeteria director invited him to a luxuriously decorated private room.

Then, without even ordering, he simply waved his hand and said, "Tell the head chef to quickly prepare some of his signature dishes; we're all starving."

The cafeteria manager bowed slightly. "Okay, it'll be right there."

After he turned on the air conditioner and closed the door from the outside, Jiang Lili offered to pour him tea.

At this point, Zhou Yali said, "It went quite smoothly, basically as you told me. We found a general manager, and also brought along a director with a lot of potential. Then we poached a deputy general manager, and also set up the music department of the branch company."

As soon as they arrived, I handed over all the work to them, only depositing 100 million in the company account, and then I came over.

Chen Fan looked at her with a completely bewildered expression. It was truly a case of hearing a wise woman speak to you. Apart from the hundred million, which was somewhat meaningful, everything else was utterly incomprehensible.

What are these titles: general manager, promising director, deputy general manager, music department? They all sound so confusing!

Zhou Yali thought he was surprised by the amount of 100 million, so she said, "Don't worry, it's not 100 million US dollars, it's only 100 million Hong Kong dollars. But for the Hong Kong film industry, it's still a huge sum of money."

They make a movie for as little as a few hundred thousand dollars. Even so-called blockbuster movies with all-star casts only cost a few million dollars at most, less than ten million.

Even if they lose all of that HK$100 million, it would be enough for them to struggle for five or six years.

(End of this chapter)