The growth system comes at the age of 30

Chapter 300 Teacher Li's Well-Intentioned Efforts (4.7K)

Li Beixing shrank back, not daring to look at him: "I'm sorry..."

"Why should I apologize?" Chen Jingle raised an eyebrow.

Li Beixing glanced at him cautiously: "I took the liberty of making this decision."

"Where did you make the decision on your own? In the end, wasn't it me who made the decision?" Chen Jingle gently stroked her hair and smiled slightly.

Seeing that he wasn't angry, Li Beixing breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I saw in your comment section that every time you post a piece, people are so sarcastic, saying that you're neither a member of the calligraphy association, nor have you won any awards, and you're not even a student in a proper calligraphy class, yet you dare to sell a piece for tens of thousands of yuan, clearly ripping people off. These comments are infuriating, so I thought..."

"You just want to get me a title from the provincial calligraphy association or the national calligraphy association?"

"Hmm... With your abilities, it's a piece of cake if you want to, right?"

"Yeah, if I wanted to, it would be a piece of cake." Chen Jingle chuckled, a hint of emotion in his voice, then added, "They're just being sarcastic, why bother with them?"

A painting or calligraphy piece can cost tens of thousands of yuan; it would be strange if no one was envious or jealous.

The works of many provincial calligraphy and art association presidents are not as valuable as his. Who wouldn't be envious after seeing them?

I wonder how many people secretly create alternate accounts to leave sarcastic or insulting comments in his comment section.

Li Beixing snorted, "I just can't stand it."

She loved Chen Jingle more than herself, so naturally she couldn't tolerate anyone saying anything bad about him.

Chen Jingle pulled her to sit down on a bench by the roadside: "Do you know why I didn't delete those comments?"

"Hmm?" Li Beixing looked puzzled.

Chen Jingle smiled and explained, "It's similar to opening a store on Taobao. A store with all positive reviews seems unrealistic, like they're faked. But if a few negative reviews are left, and these negative reviews aren't about quality issues, but rather because their comments are outrageous, it makes others laugh. Such stores seem much more authentic, and more people are willing to place orders."

"The reason I keep those clowns around without blocking them is the same. Let them jump around; the more they jump, the more they seem to be trying to attract attention. I don't even need to say anything; the people in the comments section who truly understand calligraphy will naturally help me refute them. In fact, it's precisely because of their mutual insults that there's so much traffic."

"Anyone who has seriously studied calligraphy can tell what level I am at and whether my calligraphy is worth the price. As long as knowledgeable people know and buyers can accept it, that's fine. As for those who are like barking idiots on the roadside, let them bark a few words. It won't hurt them. If they won't buy, no matter how much you say, they won't buy. They're not my target customers at all."

"As for your concern about whether they will affect me, don't worry, I will automatically block out bad comments in my mind."

Chen Jingle smiled and pulled her into his arms.

"So that's how it is..." Li Beixing suddenly realized.

She could actually understand what Chen Jingle meant, and had seen others do similar things, but she was just too concerned to think straight.

Chen Jingle rested his head on hers: "To put it bluntly, we live in the era of internet traffic. More or less, we need a few haters, or even worse, just random passersby. There are so many of these people on the internet. There are 11 billion netizens in China alone. Of them, probably less than one-tenth have any critical thinking ability. The remaining ninety percent are scattered all over the internet. So it's not surprising that people say or do anything online."

"Furthermore, teaching online is more difficult than teaching in Africa. It's pointless to have long conversations with strangers. You don't even know if the person on the other end is a human or a ghost. It might just be a dog playing on its phone, let alone helping them develop a basic appreciation for art."

It's important to know that in order to secure more customer orders, Chen Jingle's calligraphy style leans towards the general public, aiming for aesthetic appeal to most people, rather than creating ugly or bizarre works for the sake of so-called art.

In this situation, to say that his handwriting is bad only shows that the other person's aesthetic sense is below the average level.

To put it bluntly, he is not a normal person.

What's the point of arguing with someone like that?
It's better to leave it to other netizens in the comments section to curse him out as a stupid idiot.

"Then I won't read the comments anymore," Li Beixing said sullenly, nestled in his arms.

She couldn't ignore those outrageous comments; they would make her angry, so she simply chose to ignore them.

Chen Jingle chuckled: "That's right. If you don't like them, just don't look at them to avoid affecting your mood. Or you can just report them, and the system will automatically delete their comments. The moderation on Douyin is pretty good."

"Hmm~"

Li Beixing lay quietly without saying a word.

Chen Jingle didn't say anything. He understood Li Beixing's guilty conscience and naturally wouldn't blame her.

Besides, this is not a bad thing in itself. He originally did not want to get involved in the calligraphy association's circle because he felt it was unnecessary, since he did not rely on the calligraphy association to make a living.

Now that there's an opportunity to enter, and it won't cause me any loss or impact, then it's certainly worthwhile.

There might be an unexpected surprise waiting for you.

At the same time, he felt grateful and fortunate that the internet platform gave him the opportunity to showcase himself and gain recognition and income, just like many other previously unknown creators.

It's much better than being stuck in a small, fixed circle.

As for what level he will reach in the future, he himself is unsure.

Let time tell.

……

the other side.

After parting ways with Chen Jingle and Li Beixing, Xie Nanyan and Lin Demin returned home.

Seeing the gifts in the living room, Xie Nanyan slapped her forehead: "Oh no, I forgot to ask them to take the gifts with them."

The two retired elderly people live at home and don't have high material desires. They will buy whatever they want. Their combined pension is more than 20,000 yuan, which is more than they can spend.

Lin Demin rummaged through the bag and glanced inside: "Let me see what I bought. Hmm, there's wine, tea, and nutritional supplements, all very thoughtful. Goodness, there's even a Shanlian Lake brush!"

Xie Nanyan leaned over to take a look: "Yang Songyuan's sheep's hair brush, oh my, these two kids are really... why are they being so polite?"

These calligraphy brushes aren't cheap. For her usual practice, she doesn't need such good brushes at all; a brush costing a few dozen yuan would be quite good.

Lin Demin asked curiously, "Didn't I ask earlier, what did they want to talk to you about?"

Xie Nanyan nodded and then shook her head: "Maybe before, but now I'm the one asking for help."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Lin Demin was confused.

Xie Nanyan sat down beside him, thought for a moment, and said, "Chen Jingle's calligraphy talent is probably the best I've ever seen since I can remember. Do you know how long he's been studying calligraphy?"

"how long?"

"Less than a year! To be precise, just over six months!"

"Isn't that just a beginner's level?" Lin Demin wondered.

"beginner?"

Xie Nanyan rolled her eyes in annoyance and scoffed, "If he were really at the beginner level, would I need to ramble on with you like this? He's definitely at the level of a calligraphy master now! There are no more than two people in the country who can compare to him! Otherwise, why would I say that his talent is terrifying?"

"So exaggerated?"

Lin Demin was taken aback.

Although he is also in the humanities and social sciences, he doesn't really have any talent for calligraphy. It's just that his wife likes it, and he joins in for fun. He's at the level of an average hobbyist, a little better than the amateur style, but not by much.

Xie Nanyan stood up and walked into the study: "Let me show you what someone just wrote here."

Lin Demin followed him inside and saw—

hiss~!

Good guy!
The power penetrates the paper, full of spirit!

Although his calligraphy skills were not high, he had basic appreciation skills. At least he could tell that the characters were unusual and better than those written by his wife.

You're saying this was written by someone who has been learning calligraphy for less than a year and is entirely self-taught?

He was somewhat skeptical.

If that's true, then it's no longer a question of talent.

It makes you wonder if the person on the other end is even human.

This guy is absolutely divine!

Just like someone who was a complete newbie six months ago, now he has stepped onto the world stage and successfully won a medal.

How can those who have practiced for decades bear this?
In the face of such a prodigious genius, all the effort seems like a joke.

Lin Demin pondered for a moment before asking, "What are you planning to do?"

Xie Nanyan said, "First, we'll recommend him to the provincial calligraphy association. Once he wins an award at the provincial exhibition, we'll send him to the national exhibition, and then recommend him to the China Calligraphers Association to compete for the Lanting Award." If he can achieve a ranking at the Lanting Award, he'll basically be a secure director of the provincial calligraphy association, and he might even have a chance to become a vice president.

Anyway, there are plenty of spots available.

Nanjing Normal University has produced several professors who have served as vice presidents of provincial calligraphy associations.

Because the Lanting Preface represents the highest achievement of calligraphy in China at this stage, especially after the rules were changed, it has become increasingly standardized and institutionalized.

If you want to win people's hearts, then go and challenge the Orchid Pavilion.

Whether winning a gold medal will convince the public is another matter. Winning any one of the gold, silver, or bronze awards at the Lanting Competition demonstrates that one's strength at the time was sufficient to place them among the top tier in the country.

Some people just can't grasp that perfect moment, and afterwards they can only use the Lanting Award as a selling point, without making any further progress.

The Orchid Pavilion is both a crown and a shackle.

Xie Nanyan thought to herself, "Beixing brought him here probably because of his public identity and title. Some people care about it, some don't. I think it's okay to keep your identity and title hidden most of the time, but it's best to have them when needed. Especially for a young man like him."

Turning to Lin Demin, he asked, "I saw you chatting so happily with him during dinner, what do you say about that?"

Lin Demin chuckled: "This young man has a wide range of knowledge and his own understanding of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy. If he hadn't retired, I would have liked to have him come here to study for a master's or doctoral degree. But it's hard to say how far he can go."

Compared to calligraphy, his talent in social sciences is not so obvious.

At most, one can say that their writing skills are better than the average person's. But how much better they are, and how far they can go with those skills, all depends on the person and their fate.

Some people go hungry, while others have direct access to the heavens.

There is a big difference.

In Lin Demin's opinion, if Chen Jingle could focus on research into theories related to consciousness, he might very well rise to the top; the kid certainly has talent.

However, judging from his appearance, it seems to be more of a hobby.

Many people have studied Marxist philosophy, but few have even grasped the basics, and even fewer actually make a living from it.

Marxist philosophy is a subject worthy of in-depth study. It may not necessarily make a person noble or pure, but a person who studies Marxist philosophy will know what dialectics is, and will definitely have a brain.

……

After returning to the hotel and resting briefly, Chen Jingle and Li Beixing did not go out again in the afternoon.

One reason was that it was the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, and there were crowds everywhere outside. Another reason was that the weather was a bit bad during the day, both hot and humid. So I decided to rest at the hotel first and go out for a stroll in the evening.

"Hello? Mom, Jingle and I are in the provincial capital now. We've already eaten zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). This morning we visited a retired professor at East China Normal University. Tomorrow? I don't know yet..."

Right now, Li Beixing is on the phone with Liu Yuehua, chattering away.

Yes, it was her mother-in-law, Liu Yuehua, not her mother, Jiang Zhiqin.

Her relationship with Liu Yuehua is now closer than that with Chen Jingle.

After all, girls are better at expressing their emotions.

Teacher Li knows that the key to managing good family relationships lies in getting along well with her mother-in-law. As long as the relationship with her mother-in-law is harmonious, most problems and conflicts can be avoided.

Therefore, whenever she has free time, especially during holidays and rest periods, she takes the initiative to communicate with her mother-in-law.

While I wouldn't say they treat their mothers exactly the same way, at least more than half of them do.

Liu Yuehua wasn't stupid; everyone has a heart. If Li Beixing treated her well, she would naturally treat Li Beixing well in return.

After a while, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have developed a very good relationship.

During the few days Li Beixing was away traveling, she would call her whenever she had free time to share what delicious food she had eaten and what interesting things she had seen.

Just a very ordinary daily sharing.

She also bought some nice things for her parents-in-law that she had seen during their trip, so they could take them with them when they returned. Although they weren't anything valuable, Liu Yuehua was very happy with them.

Chen Jingle is not capable of doing these things; his personality is more introverted.

In a sense, perhaps Teacher Li wasn't entirely willing, but she still took the initiative to do it, which only shows that she truly loves Chen Jingle.

Well-intentioned.

In the evening, they would go out for a lavish meal, enjoying all sorts of top-notch Cantonese cuisine.

When you come to the provincial capital, how can you not try the pinnacle of Cantonese cuisine? I used to be too poor to afford it, but things are different now.

So Chen Jingle chose to eat to his heart's content.

White Swan, Bing Sheng Tianhe, Li Yuan, Guang Yu Xuan, and others are all within Chen Jingle's target range.

"It feels like I'm doing a special chef's visit to a restaurant."

Chen Jingle said to Li Beixing with a smile.

Because he not only had to taste it, but also analyze for Li Beixing what was good and bad about the dish. He wanted to know if there was anything worth learning, and if he could copy the recipe.

Anyway, this trip was all about the food. I've gotten used to eating at all sorts of street food stalls and farmhouses in Fengcheng, so here in the provincial capital, it's basically all about top-notch Cantonese restaurants.

The trip must have cost him a lot of money, but Chen Jingle really enjoyed the food. The key thing is that he learned some new things from those top Cantonese restaurants.

I feel like I got a good deal.

……

The first day of June, although the Dragon Boat Festival has passed, the holiday is not over.

A dragon boat race was underway on the Pearl River. Chen Jingle didn't have to go downstairs to squeeze into the crowds; he could clearly overlook the race from his hotel room.

Because I'm staying at the Ritz-Carlton, which is right across from the Canton Tower.

There are also dragon boat races in Jiangbei, but the smaller places are definitely not as lively or as grand as those in the provincial capital, which directly dominates the top trending topics on the internet.

It feels like entertainment is the top priority right now. With the real economy becoming increasingly deflationary, if we don't promote entertainment and culture more, the problems will shift to other areas.

Deflation has little impact on Chen Jingle because he earns money from the wealthy.

The impact on HONGQI is also limited, because HONGQI focuses on the lower-tier market.

Speaking of which, when Chen Jingle went out for a stroll last night, he made a special trip to Hongqi's physical store in the provincial capital.

From the customer's perspective, the store experience is acceptable.

From the beginning, Chen Jingle proposed that the decoration should be simple and unpretentious, because it was aimed at the general public, and a high-end decoration would deter many people.

On the contrary, if the decoration is not good, people will feel more at ease coming in to buy.

Furthermore, compared to Qian Dama, Hongqi does not sell meat products, and its vegetables and fruits are easier to store.

In today's era of declining consumer spending, Hongqi has quickly opened up the market and successfully captured a certain share of the community fresh food sector by relying on its affordable and accessible concept.

Currently, the development is going well, even better than expected.

At this stage, Hongqi is essentially feeling its way across the river by feeling for money.

From production to processing to distribution to terminal sales, this entire industrial chain, coupled with a timed discount mechanism to try to clear out all stock, means that fruits and vegetables, although easier to store than meat and less prone to spoilage, will still lose freshness over time. Therefore, it is best to sell them all on the same day.

You know what, Qian Dama's influence is everywhere, and the key is that it's effective.

When you don't know how to proceed, the best approach is to imitate your best competitors.

At least in terms of the supply chain, Hongqi is not far behind Qian Dama, and even has an advantage in some aspects.

Chen Jingle wrote a lot in his notebook. All of this was to be compiled into materials to be handed over to his father-in-law, and some of it would also become material for his thesis.

Li Beixing watched quietly from the side without complaining, because she knew that Chen Jingle would never do anything meaningless.

The more you look at it, the more you like it.

Men who are focused on their work are the most handsome.

(End of this chapter)