Chapter 127

Chapter 127: Teach a Man to Fish

In an ordinary house on the Capital Outskirts, not fancy but not shabby either, Yu Zhi Yi stared in surprise. A graceful face like hers rarely showed shock, but now it did.

“This is your plan?” she asked.

In the room facing the courtyard gate, behind half a window, a young man held a brush in his mouth and let the ink flow across the paper. Though he painted with his mouth, his work did not suffer. His brush strength and the feeling of his scenes were both outstanding.

“Both are people who have fallen on hard times. I think they will have plenty to talk about,” said Du Zi Heng. “His name is Su Yuan Lin. He is a famous genius at our academy. My teacher once said his future achievements would surpass most of our best seniors.”

He added: “I gladly admit his talent and skill. I have no jealousy at all.”

He sighed: “Sadly, Heaven envies the talented. A few years ago, he went out to travel and study and was robbed by bandits. He is good at martial arts, but two fists cannot beat many feet. He was injured. One of the bandits seemed to hold a grudge against him and cut off both his hands.”

“Once, he was known for free-flowing calligraphy and bold landscape ink paintings. After he lost his hands, he could no longer lift a brush, and his official career was completely cut off.”

After all, no matter how gifted a person is, a disabled man cannot serve in court. And with no hands to hold a brush, how could he personally handle official papers? He could not ask others to write them for him.

When people learned that Su Yuan Lin had lost his hands, many felt it was a pity. They said people should not shine too brightly, or Heaven would punish them. They believed they would never again see that easy, graceful handwriting or those bold, sweeping paintings.

No one expected that a few years later, Su Yuan Lin’s works would return to the martial world. Compared with his old paintings, his current pieces had a calmness born of hardship and showed details he did not have before. The style was the same, but his skill had clearly grown.

At first, people thought someone was faking his name to sell paintings. Then one day, a former classmate came to visit on the excuse of defending him, and warned him that someone was using his name to cheat. What he saw was Su Yuan Lin painting with a brush held in his mouth. After that, the doubts vanished.

Du Zi Heng said: “Su Yuan Lin’s family is poor. After the accident, many thought his future was over. Besides a few teachers at the academy, only a few classmates still came to see him.”

“I felt sorry for him, so I visited from time to time.”

In truth, he had learned by chance that people were coming to bully Su Yuan Lin. Su Yuan Lin’s fame had once been too big, blocking some people’s paths, so after he fell, they kicked him when he was down, took revenge, and came to watch a joke. If Du Zi Heng had not stepped in, Su Yuan Lin might not be alive today. But Du Zi Heng did not mention that. He felt there was no need to brag.

Yu Zhi Yi said thoughtfully: “If he is willing to help, I am ready to pay him.”

Just then, the door creaked open. Su Yuan Lin came out and smiled: “No need to pay. I am willing to help sister-in-law.”

“You may call me Boss Yu,” said Yu Zhi Yi.

Su Yuan Lin paused, glanced at Du Zi Heng, and seeing that Du Zi Heng only frowned without speaking, he nodded and followed her lead: “All right, Boss Yu.”

From the window, Yu Zhi Yi looked at the painting. The skill and the feeling were both first-rate. She could not help but respect the toughness of life. [Every living being has something worthy of awe.]

Yu Zhi Yi also knew medicine. Zhang Tuwa’s body had been emptied out. He needed careful care to live well even with little movement. She personally wrote a medicinal diet and asked Steward Wu Shan to find someone to cook it for him.

A few days later, Zhang Tuwa’s health improved a bit. He was still very weak, but his face had some color again.

He still had little will to live.

So Yu Zhi Yi made the connection and arranged for him to meet Su Yuan Lin. She did not lecture him about big principles. She simply let him watch from a distance as Su Yuan Lin painted with his mouth.

Zhang Tuwa was deeply shaken.

He had thought that once he became disabled, his life was over. But here was a scholar who had lost both hands, yet could still make a living by painting and even win a name.

If such a noble scholar could do it, why couldn’t he?

He thought about his own father. Old Man Zhang was already very old. He had suffered for years to find his son, and his health was poor. If Zhang Tuwa could not stand up in his heart, how would he take care of his father in the future? If he kept wasting away, Old Man Zhang would not enjoy his old age and would still have to worry about him.

From that day on, the deathly look on Zhang Tuwa’s face faded a lot. At first he had only clung to life so his father would not worry. Now he seriously began to think about what he could do.

He knew he could not paint. He did not have that talent. But he could write a bit. And he had a knack for the abacus.

Back when the family still lived on the estate, Miss Feng had a kind heart and taught the estate children to read, write, and use the abacus for free. Zhang Tuwa could not remember the flowery essays and poems, but he loved arithmetic. He calculated quickly and always got the right answer.

When Red Luan heard this, she discussed it with Yu Zhi Yi and asked Steward Wu Shan to teach him more abacus skills and how to keep accounts. Once he learned, he could help at Yiluan Charity.

It would be paid work.

Yu Zhi Yi agreed. Teaching a man to fish is also a way to do good and pile up virtue.

Old Man Zhang and his son thanked them over and over. Old Man Zhang said he could also work for Yiluan Charity and did not need wages. Yu Zhi Yi would not let him work for free. Chef Fang in the kitchen had been asking for a helper. Old Man Zhang had cooked for himself before, so he could handle it. Yu Zhi Yi placed him in the back kitchen.

With that, the later lives of the Zhang clan father and son were guaranteed. In the friendly air at Yiluan Charity, their spirits grew better day by day. The food there was good too, and their faces turned much healthier.

“Yiluan Charity? Charity!” In a neat house on the Capital Outskirts, Yu Ming Yu smashed a teacup and snarled: “That heartless beast dragged our whole family into this mess, and she dares say she is doing charity!”

Yu Ming Quan frowned and said: “Second Brother, Father’s demotion has nothing to do with Yi’er.”

Yu Zi Xuan, who had been spacing out, snapped back and glared: “Sister Yi is innocent.”

Yu Ming Yu said in a cold, sly voice: “So you two are turning your backs on us? Is it because Father lost power that you plan to run to that wretch, so you can keep living like pampered young masters?”

Yu Ming Quan looked hurt and said: “Second Brother, how can you think that? We are a family. We should face hard times together. I only hope you will stop blaming everything on Yi’er.”

Yu Ming Yu still wanted to speak, but Big Brother Yu Meng Qin said coldly: “Enough. Do not mention that woman again. That’s all. Dismiss.”

Yu Zi Xuan pushed Yu Ming Quan out of the room.

A sharp light flashed in Yu Ming Yu’s eyes as he muttered: “Big Brother sent them away on purpose. Is he planning to deal with that ungrateful wolf?”