A song from Chengdu revived a closed-down pub.

The teacher said, "Many of you have probably heard about the recent debate in the calligraphy circle. Today, let's take this opportunity to talk about what constitutes the inheritance and innovation of calligraphy."

The students below the stage immediately became interested, and their discussions rose and fell.

"Let me start with a question," the teacher said, pointing to the new calligraphy style. "The judges gave this piece extremely high praise, saying it was innovative yet grounded in tradition, forming its own unique style. However, some people say it's just a patchwork of styles from Ouyang Xun, Liu Gongquan, and Zhao Mengfu, and doesn't count as true innovation. What's your opinion?"

One boy spoke first: "Teacher, I think this calligraphy is really something. Although it incorporates the brushwork of several masters, the final result is a completely new, harmonious and unified style. It's not a simple patchwork. How much skill must one have to combine the strengths of so many masters so naturally?"

The teacher nodded, then turned to the other side: "What about these? These are works created with mops and water guns. They call them avant-garde art that breaks traditional constraints. What do you think of them?"

One student scoffed, "Teacher, forgive my bluntness, but I really can't appreciate it. Art can be innovative, but innovation doesn't mean abandoning everything, does it? If you can't even hold the pen properly and can't even recognize the characters, can you still call it calligraphy? I think it's more like a performance, which is completely different from calligraphy."

Instead of jumping to conclusions, the teacher guided the discussion, saying, "But some people might argue that art should be diverse and diverse, so why should we say that what others are not art?"

A debate immediately broke out in the classroom.

"Even if a hundred flowers bloom, they still have to be flowers!"

"I believe that the essence of calligraphy lies in the brush and ink; without that, it is no longer calligraphy!"

"But who says calligraphy has to be done with a brush? Maybe that's the future direction?"

……

Seeing the students getting more and more excited, the teacher gestured for them to calm down: "Okay, everyone, please calm down. Actually, this debate is not about whether the calligraphy is good or bad, but a clash of two ideas. One believes that innovation must be rooted in tradition, while the other believes that art should completely break free from constraints."

At this point, someone asked, "So, teacher, what do you think?"

The teacher said, "My personal opinion is that innovation never comes out of thin air. Take that highly praised new calligraphy style, for example. Its novelty is built on a deep understanding of the old traditions. You can only talk about surpassing the ancients if you first understand them. If you don't even have the basic skills, but you rush to break everything, that's not innovation, that's just building castles in the air."

"Of course," the teacher changed the subject, "this is just one person's opinion. There is no standard answer to art. I brought this topic up today not to give you a conclusion, but to hope that you can use this debate to think for yourselves about what inheritance is, what innovation is, and how to achieve a balance between the two."

The students below the stage nodded thoughtfully.

With the involvement of young people, the debate about calligraphy quickly spread from the classroom to the internet.

In a short time, related topics and their popularity soared on major social media platforms.

Someone created a long infographic explaining what's new about that new calligraphy style.

Someone posted a comparison picture, showing a traditional masterpiece with exquisite brushwork on one side and a performance art piece using a mop and water gun on the other, letting netizens judge for themselves.

Some enthusiastic netizens even set up a poll.

The topic of the poll was simple and straightforward.

Where do you think calligraphy can find a way out?

A. Rooted in tradition, yet innovating upon the past.

B. Break free from constraints and boldly innovate.

C. Each has its own beauty; there's no need to force a ranking.

D. Just a passerby, only there to watch the excitement.

The number of participants in the poll was surprisingly high.

The voting results gradually showed a one-sided trend.

Those who chose A are far ahead.

The vast majority of netizens, though not necessarily calligraphy experts, share a surprisingly consistent and simple aesthetic sense.

They value more the visible and tangible skill and aesthetics.

As for those attention-seeking, showy displays, most people don't buy into them.

What's even more interesting is that as the discussion deepened, more and more people began to wonder who wrote that highly praised new calligraphy style.

"After all this talk, who wrote this calligraphy? Why is there no signature and no record of this person?"

"I've heard he's a reclusive master, indifferent to fame and fortune, and unwilling to show his face. This makes me even more curious. Who exactly is this person who can write calligraphy that establishes a new school of thought?"

"I went to see this calligraphy exhibition, and I was immediately struck by how stunning this piece was; it's a pity it wasn't signed!"

……

The identity of the mysterious calligraphy master quickly became a hot topic among netizens.

Su Fan also saw the online commotion, staring blankly at the overwhelming discussions and polls: "Holy crap, what's going on?!"

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, so he decided to go directly to find Grandpa Lin.

As soon as he entered, Su Fan cut to the chase: "Uncle Lin, I have a feeling you're trying to scam me?"

"How so?" Grandpa Lin asked slowly, holding his teacup with an innocent look on his face.

Su Fan handed his phone to him: "Look, the internet is buzzing right now."

"Isn't this great?"

"What's so good about it? The more I think about it, the more I feel like you did this on purpose."

Grandpa Lin put down his teacup and sighed, "These days, the calligraphy industry is getting worse and worse. Young people love listening to music, playing games, and watching short videos. Who has the patience to look at these dark characters? Fewer and fewer people are paying attention every year. When we hold exhibitions, it's mostly us old folks who come and go. If this continues, I'm afraid that the things our ancestors have passed down for thousands of years will really die out in our generation. I was thinking that to revitalize it, we need an eye-catching reason. It just so happens that you wrote those two good pieces of calligraphy that day, and you yourself are a celebrity with your own popularity. So, the timing and the place are all right. I'll use your help to revitalize the calligraphy industry."

"So, you finally admit it, you were just doing it on purpose, using me as a pawn?"

"It's because you wrote such beautiful calligraphy."

"Is this my fault?!"

"The timing is about right. In a few more days, once we announce your identity, people will be curious about who the mysterious master is. Once they see it's you, the hype will surely reach its peak. At that time, the attention given to calligraphy will also rise accordingly, won't it?"

"Why go through all this trouble, sir? You could have just told me directly, wouldn't that have been enough?"

"Let me tell you straight, would you do it? If I had told you beforehand, you would have run as far away as possible by now."

Su Fan straightened his back and said solemnly and righteously, "Uncle Lin, you have misunderstood me. Promoting our traditional arts is my duty, Su Fan."

"Hey kid, you change your tune pretty quickly. Fine, then you better give me a good talking-to and let me see how you fulfill this inescapable responsibility."

"Just you wait and see!"