Chapter 732: Chapter 261: Visiting Yan Qiuwen’s Home (Part 3)
His calligraphy teacher also held the brush in the same way, and he had explained this to Hunzi.
Su Dongpo, the great calligrapher of the Song Dynasty, used the brush differently from ordinary people. At that time, when someone pointed out his incorrect method of holding the brush, he replied, "There is no fixed method for holding the brush, it should be held loosely and broadly."
This means that there doesn’t need to be a fixed standard method for holding the brush; as long as the palm remains open and the grip is flexible, it’s fine.
In short, it’s all about feeling; hold it in the way that’s comfortable for you, as this makes it easier to control the brush stroke. After all, everyone’s fingers are different, and so is their strength, so sometimes it might be better to vary the grip from person to person.
Su Zelin’s calligraphy teacher liked Su Dongpo very much and was influenced by him in many ways.
With a slight pause, Su Zelin dipped his brush in ink and started writing.
Before long, a single character appeared on the rice paper, just one character—海 ("ocean")!
This is a word rich in philosophy.
The ocean is vast and can embrace hundreds of rivers, implying a broad mind and far-reaching ambitions.
The ocean is made of drop after drop of water, just as a person’s life must start with small things; only by doing these small things well can greatness be achieved.
The ocean is the source of life.
The ocean is changeable; it can be calm and peaceful, or it can be powerful and unrivaled.
...
This word is also very suitable to summarize Su Zelin’s character.
He has big ambitions and works with grandeur and courage, while being bold and meticulous, paying attention to details.
He is always friendly toward friends, but if someone angers him, they see his thunderous methods.
Apart from that, he is also something of a "Sea King"—put nicely, he embraces all, but put bluntly, he is greedy and fickle in love.
"Great character!"
Yan Shiqian nodded.
His gaze was filled with undisguised admiration.
The calligraphy was elegant and unrestrained, with no trace to follow.
Su Zelin’s brushwork already bore a faint air of a master, though it was yet to fully mature.
"Su Dongpo was a leader of mid-Northern Song literary circles. He learned from various schools from the Jin, Tang, and the Five Dynasties, integrating styles from masters like Wang Xizhi, Xu Hao, Li Yong, Yan Zhenqing, and Yang Ningshi to create his own unique style!"
Yan Shiqian’s insight was indeed sharp.
’My calligraphy, based on nature with no method,’ is typical of Su Shi’s style.
Just like the style of Dongpo Scholar’s character and articles, it is bold and uninhibited, not bound by conventional forms.
"You’ve learned Su-style calligraphy quite thoroughly, well done!"
In this era, there are not many young people willing to learn calligraphy, and even fewer who reach such a level of achievement.
But Yan Shiqian wasn’t too surprised; he had heard from his daughter that Su Zelin was an omnivorous genius who could pick up a bit of everything.
He paused and then continued, "Zelin, there’s something I wonder whether I should say or not!"
"Uncle, please advise me!"
Hunzi hurriedly replied.
"Many people desperately desire to obtain wealth, lovers, status; after enduring countless hardships and just obtaining them, they feel extremely happy, but slowly this happiness diminishes. In economic terms, this is called ’diminishing marginal utility.’ Wanting more sometimes is good, but it might not always be entirely good!"
Yan Shiqian spoke earnestly.
This "ocean" character might look carefree and unrestrained, but in reality, the brushwork was slightly heavy, indicating that this young man is not as easily satisfied and carefree as he appears to be.
This might be related to his personality, which heavily favors novelty.
People with this kind of personality have colorful lives, but they may also encounter difficult emotional obstacles that are hard to overcome.
"If I’m not mistaken, you’ve stood at a very important crossroads in life, uncertain of which choice to make."
Yan Shiqian said slowly, with profound insight.
Su Zelin was startled all over.
Truly worthy of being Qiu Wen’s father, what a master!
He couldn’t help but feel a greater respect in his heart.
"That’s right, Uncle, I’ve had such times, Uncle, please point the way!"
Yan Shiqian replied calmly, "Standing at the crossroads of life, a person may waver and be indecisive. The factors influencing our decisions are often not because things are too complex or our judgment is insufficient, but because we are reluctant to give up the choice we should abandon, wanting both the fish and the bear’s paw!"
Su Zelin was convinced.
Compared to those so-called "experts," this was a true philosopher—so clear-sighted!
In his reborn life, he originally planned to give up Qin Shiqing and stay away from Qing Mei, yet he was never at peace, continuously making excuses for himself, and eventually ended up staying with Qin Shiqing.
"Uncle, then what do you think I should do?"
Su Zelin humbly sought further advice.
Yan Shiqian smiled slightly and wrote two characters on the rice paper—舍得 ("letting go to gain").
"Letting go to gain..."
Hunzi murmured to himself.
Yan Shiqian put down the brush.
"That’s right, life is like this, letting go to gain!"
"The Diamond Sutra once said, ’Having no possessions is to have; therefore, to possess is to have none!’"
"When you tightly clench your hands, what you can grasp is limited; when you open your hands, the world is in your hands!"
"Of course, what can be let go of and what cannot be let go of, one only needs to introspect to find the answer!"
"..."
All evening, even during meals, Su Zelin ruminated carefully over these two words.
Eventually, he had a sudden enlightenment.
Indeed, I do need to give up some things in order to gain more of what I truly want!
Firstly, I can’t be as unrestrained as in my previous life.
Su Zelin had been considering whether to find all the lovers from his previous life after graduation, a matter he had been troubled over for a long time, but now he had made up his mind.