Chapter 731: Chapter 261: Visiting Yan Qiuwen’s Home (Part 2)
A censer was placed in the main hall, emitting a curling fragrance.
The furniture was all made of rosewood, giving it an antique charm, and large characters hung on the walls.
"Serenity Brings Focus," "Willingness to Sacrifice," "Calm Heart Leads to Clarity," "The Best is Like Water," "Greatness in Tolerance, Peace in Honesty"...
The styles of these large characters varied, yet all were distinctly characteristic, some free and easy, some fluid like flowing water, others simply elegant and serene... it was evident they were the work of famous artists.
Scholars often have a fondness for calligraphy and paintings, so for this visit, Su Zelin specially spent some money to find a piece of calligraphy and painting by a renowned local Lin’an artist to bring as a gift, catering to their tastes.
After all, if you wish to keep employing someone else’s daughter, you need to put in some effort to please the Yan family’s elders.
Even if, after the internship, Qiu Wen truly doesn’t plan to stay, building connections with her highly respected parents could be beneficial, given their status as honorary members of the Social Sciences Academy.
Contrary to expectations, Mr. Yan didn’t have the appearance of an old academic; he was a suave-looking middle-aged man with a clean-shaven, fair face, exuding an approachable demeanor.
As for Mrs. Yan, she bore a striking resemblance to her daughter Yan Qiuwen, as if cast from the same mold. However, her face was always adorned with a gentle smile, in contrast to her daughter’s aloofness.
Time hadn’t left many marks on this lady professor — not a single crow’s foot was visible at the corners of her eyes.
Standing together with her mother, Yan Qiuwen surprisingly looked more like her sister.
The daughter appeared mature, while the mother seemed youthful, narrowing the apparent age gap.
Some people are like this: more mature than their peers when young, but as they near middle age, they seem to look younger—this mother and daughter appear to be of this type.
Later on, short clips frequently surfaced on Douyin of people trying to distinguish between mothers and daughters. If Yan Qiuwen and her mother were to film one together, many internet users would probably struggle to tell them apart, and the comments below would inevitably include countless lustful comments.
"Hello, Uncle and Auntie!"
Coming before them, Su Zelin simply greeted them.
Addressing them as professors would have been too formal, potentially creating distance.
Given the relationship with Yan Qiuwen, calling them Uncle and Auntie was perfectly appropriate.
"Hello there, young man, we’ve heard a lot about you from Qiuwen."
Yan Shiqian replied amiably.
Tian Jinqiong, pointing at the chair opposite, said with a smile, "Come, sit down, no need to be formal, just make yourself at home!"
"Thank you, Uncle and Auntie!"
After sitting down, Su Zelin presented the gifts he had brought.
The two of them accepted without much hesitation.
They were not ones to put on airs.
The gifts included tea leaves and calligraphy.
When giving gifts to scholars, these two items rarely go wrong.
"The mindful heart, serene as jade hidden in a mountain; the scholarly charm, clear as fish nurtured in water. Excellent phrase, exquisite calligraphy!"
Upon unfurling the piece of calligraphy, Yan Shiqian clapped his hands in admiration.
It seemed that of the couple, he was indeed the one fond of calligraphy and paintings, as he even had Yan Qiuwen hang it in the living room immediately.
The few of them casually chatted in the hall, and Tian Jinqiong was surprised to discover that this young man’s true psychological age was indeed over thirty-five, and he was even more mature and composed than men at that age.
His demeanor, movements, tone, and some unintentional little details revealed a lot, impressively seasoned and experienced.
Despite his humble demeanor, he exuded an air of command subtly present on his person. This air was typical of someone very successful in their career, surveying others from a higher vantage, akin to an unyielding mountain or a deep abyss—discreet and low-key rather than flamboyant.
This was something Yan Qiuwen hadn’t observed, but Tian Jinqiong did, given her deeper insight, although it left Mrs. Yan quite puzzled.
In theory, while Su Zelin’s career had indeed been progressing well, it hadn’t reached the point of standing above all peers, and typically a newly successful individual would be more flamboyant than as firm and deep as a mountain or an abyss.
While drinking tea and chatting, after a while, the mother and daughter went to prepare a meal.
Yan Shiqian asked, "Zelin, it seems you also have an appreciation for calligraphy, do you write yourself?"
"A little,"
Su Zelin nodded.
"Care to show me?"
Yan Shiqian suggested.
"Sure, Uncle, I’ll do my best,"
This philosophy professor would not ask him to write calligraphy without reason, so there must be more to it.
Following Yan Shiqian to the study, they found the Four Treasures of the Study, and a sheet of rice paper was spread on the table.
"Please!"
Mr. Yan pointed to the main seat.
"Alright!"
Su Zelin didn’t hesitate, sat down, slightly adjusted his posture, and held the pen in his right hand.
Yan Shiqian immediately noticed he was different from the ordinary.
Writing calligraphy is an art requiring precision; even before putting pen to paper, one could tell if someone was an outsider or an expert, just like with kung fu tea.
Take the sitting posture for instance, the basic requirement is: head upright, body straight, arms open, feet stable. It sounds simple, but few truly master these eight characters.
Some people might seem to have standard posture, but their limbs are stiff, and their movements are rigid, unable to control the flow of strength freely, thus unlikely to write well.
Su Zelin was different; his posture was standard, yet he looked relaxed and free.
However, his grip on the pen was not entirely standard.
Modern people mostly use the five-finger method of holding a pen, which is the most widespread; all five fingers of the right hand are used, employing methods such as "press, squeeze, hook, support, resist" to hold the pen steadily, allowing each finger to play its part.
Su Zelin’s grip was very casual, yet strangely, it did not appear amateurish but had a hint of a unique style.
He had studied calligraphy before; in a past life, he had been tutored by a well-known calligrapher for a while, and had once shown off during the first class meeting in the financial management department at university, leaving everyone with a deep impression, though he had used chalk then. (Refer to earlier text)