Chapter 135 The Second Rebuke of the Talented Woman (Part 1)

Lin Wanrong was taken aback. ‘What was this old Luo up to? I came to meet him, not his daughter. Even if he wanted to play matchmaker, he shouldn't be so blatant about it. After all, I am a gentleman.’

"So, Miss Luo is also here," Lin Wanrong said with a smile. "Didn't Governor Luo summon me? But why isn't he around?"

Luo Ning nodded and said, "Father just went down to inspect the river embankment. Could you please wait for a while, Brother Lin?"

Lin Wanrong nodded and looked around. It turned out that Luo Min had arranged their meeting at the lower river embankment. It was winter now, the dry season of the Yangtze River, and the water level had dropped significantly. However, the yellow earth and thin mud on both sides still bore the ravages of the flood.

Thousands of ordinary people were rolling up their sleeves, tucking their trousers, wading through the mud, and carrying soil to the riverbank. Another several thousand people were using various tools to fill and fortify the embankment.

This scene reminded Lin Wanrong of the water conservancy projects he used to see in his past life. Growing up by the Han River, he had a clear understanding of the importance of water control. Looking at the scene before him, a sense of familiarity welled up in his heart. These ordinary folks, with their plain clothes and simple meals, were dearer to him than any so-called talented men and women.

Yet, despite the considerable number of people on the embankment, their tools were primitive and their efficiency low. It would likely take an enormous amount of time to elevate the embankment further. Lin Wanrong grew anxious at the sight.

‘What is this old Luo playing at, asking me to come here? Surely, he doesn't expect me to donate silver? Damn it, the old man was crafty, hitting right where it hurt.’

Seeing Luo Ning still standing nearby, Lin Wanrong asked, "Miss Luo, do you know why Governor Luo asked me to come here?"

With a mysterious smile, Luo Ning replied, "Father will talk to you about it shortly."

Seeing her smile so cryptically, Lin Wanrong knew she must be in the know. But her smug demeanor suggested she wouldn't spill anything if asked.

He sighed and didn't attempt to chat with Luo Ning any further, heading straight for the embankment. The solid feel of the soil under his feet stirred something within him. ‘I am a child of the Yangtze River,’ he thought, his eyes getting misty.

Noticing his emotional state, Luo Ning hurriedly asked, "Brother Lin, are you okay?"

Lin Wanrong sniffed and chuckled, "I'm fine. It's just the strong wind, a little discomforting. By the way, Miss Luo, what are you doing here?"

"I came here with my colleagues from the poetry society," Luo Ning replied, pointing to the far slope where a long row of tables was set up. A long scroll of paper was spread out on the tables. The talented men and women from the Jinling Poetry Society were wielding their brushes, apparently working on a large collective painting.

The strong men carrying the soil and sand passed by the table full of scholars, unnoticed. Among the crowd, a woman stood out, dressed in a dark red official uniform that accentuated her delicate beauty. It was Miss Wanying. This woman, sneaking out during work hours, was truly a waste of resources. However, seeing her in that red constable's outfit gave her an inexplicable wildness, Lin Wanrong mused.

He also spotted Hou Yuebai and Yu Wenpo among the crowd. The two men were frantically writing, surrounded by cheers of admiration. Wanying stood beside Hou Yuebai, clapping continuously, her eyes full of adoration.

‘Damn it, while ordinary folks labored and sweated for this embankment, safeguarding the interests of you privileged officials, you have the leisure to come here and paint for fun. Truly wasting your food,’ Lin Wanrong thought bitterly. His strong commoner sentiment couldn't bear such a sight, and he began to walk away.

However, Luo Ning seemed to know his thoughts, quickly saying, "Brother Lin, don't misunderstand. We're not here just for fun."

Lin Wanrong smiled and replied, "Miss Luo, what does your activity have to do with me?"

Luo Ning responded, "Brother Lin, do you remember the charity auction you suggested to me? It went very well and everyone was enthusiastic. Recently, we are running out of funds for the river defenses. My father is deeply troubled. So I thought about your idea. If we gather the members of our literary society and create a collective painting of the river defense, then sell it, wouldn't that contribute to the cause?"

To be fair, Luo Ning was not delicate, she had ambitions, which was quite rare among women of this era. However, she was too idealistic, probably because she had never experienced the life of ordinary people.

Seeing Lin Wanrong's silence, Luo Ning, thinking he did not believe her, sighed, "Brother Lin, you will understand if you come with me."

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Whether I believe it or not doesn't really matter."

But Luo Ning was stubborn. She took hold of his sleeve and led him towards the poetry society. He had known Luo Ning for some time but had never seen her so flustered. It seemed his attitude had genuinely upset her.

Seeing her stubborn nature, Lin Wanrong couldn't help but laugh, saying, "Miss Luo, holding onto me like this might lead to misunderstandings."

Luo Ning retorted, "We have nothing to hide, why should we fear any misunderstanding?" Since you're not afraid, I'm even less so. He let her grab his sleeve and walked towards the poetry society.

Seeing Luo Ning lead Lin Wanrong over, the crowd's expressions changed. Hou Yuebai looked displeased, while the woman named Wanying, burning with anger, questioned, "What are you doing here?"

Lin Wanrong was extremely irritated. Damn it, did they think he wanted to be part of their crowd? If not for being dragged here, when would he have the time to spare for them? Seeing the displeased tone of the young woman, he smirked and asked, "Where did this official come from? It's impressive that patrol duty even reaches this embankment. Oh, by the way, Miss Wanying, where's your white horse?"

Wanying asked, "What do you want with my white horse?"

Lin Wanrong replied, "Nothing much, just that my Little Black misses it."

Their private joke seemed to infuriate Miss Wanying, who understood its meaning. Knowing she wouldn't gain an advantage in this verbal exchange, she snorted and ignored him.

Lin Wanrong took a deep breath. Standing amidst these 'elegant' folks, he felt extremely uncomfortable. How did a mere house servant like him end up with this crowd? It was truly baffling.

Hou Yuebai, having been annoyed by Lin Wanrong yesterday and having just noticed Luo Ning's gesture from afar, was perturbed. Not wanting to lose his composure in front of the beauty, he asked Luo Ning, "Miss Luo, what do you think of my landscape painting?"

The painting depicted distant mountains, majestic and faint, like ink wash. As the view drew closer, there was a deep pool, with its sparkling green waves, surrounded by verdant pines and cypresses. Mist rose slowly amidst the layers of peaks. Hou Yuebai truly deserved his reputation as the most talented scholar in Jinling. His brushwork and ink usage were seasoned.

Luo Ning nodded in approval, "Young Master Hou's brushwork is sharp, and the ink usage is unique. This landscape painting is truly extraordinary."

Feeling slightly triumphant, Hou Yuebai glanced at Lin Wanrong and humbly said, "Miss Luo, you flatter me."

Ignoring Hou Yuebai, Luo Ning turned to Lin Wanrong and asked, "Brother Lin, what do you think?"

Luo Ning had seen Lin Wanrong's unique pencil. She knew that he was a connoisseur in drawing.

Seeing Hou Yuebai's haughty demeanor, Lin Wanrong couldn't help but shake his head, saying, "The mountains are good mountains, the rivers are good rivers." After these eight words, he said nothing more.

Wanying, a devoted admirer of Hou Yuebai, immediately asked, "Lin San, what do you mean by that?"

Hou Yuebai arrogantly responded, "Lin San, are you implying that there's something wrong with this painting?"

Seeing Lin Wanrong's reluctance to answer, Luo Ning had to ask, "Brother Lin, could you please enlighten us?"

"All I see is brush and ink, not mountains and rivers," Lin Wanrong replied casually.

Luo Ning's eyes brightened as she realized what he meant, "Brother Lin, I understand now. You're saying Master Hou focused too much on the technique when painting, overlooking the simplicity and natural essence of these mountains and rivers, right?"

Hou Yuebai's face turned ashen. He knew his own work. To paint this landscape, he had exerted all his skills, used various techniques, and indeed, Lin Wanrong hit the nail on the head with his comment. However, since Luo Ning made this point, he couldn't refute her. All he could do was glare at Lin Wanrong and mutter, "Words are just words."

Damn it, Lin Wanrong had originally wanted to save Hou Yuebai some face, but the young man simply didn't know how to appreciate the gesture. Grinning slyly, he said, "Miss Luo, you're half right. The essence of mountains and rivers lies in the temperament and experience of the beholder. Without a heart set on appreciating all under heaven, how could one comprehend the grandeur and vastness of these landscapes? It's hard to capture mountains and rivers in a painting. Throughout history, how many such paintings have been passed down? That's the crux."

Poor Hou Yuebai, he had poured all his skills into creating this landscape, hoping to win Luo Ning's favor. Who would've thought he would cross paths with his nemesis, Lin Wanrong? Every sentence Lin Wanrong uttered was logical, understood by all, leaving him no chance to refute.

Meanwhile, Wanying huffed, "Your words may sound grand, but painting such a landscape is naturally difficult. Young Master Hou achieving this level is rare in itself."

Deeply moved by Lin Wanrong's words, Luo Ning had a thought. She pulled him towards another painting and asked, "Brother Lin, what do you think of this one?"

The painting depicted a scene of water conservancy work atop the river embankment. An old man in ragged clothes, shouldering a bag of mud, was about to fill a gap. His eyes, however, were fixated on the turbulent river below, reflecting deep worry.

The painting was meticulously done, with every feature vividly portrayed. The old man's expressions and actions were very realistic, especially his worry about the overflowing river, which seemed to jump off the page.

It was clear from everyone's eyes that they highly admired this painting. Its profound portrayal of the character's expressions, actions, and implied meaning could only be described as an excellent piece of work.

Luo Ning looked at Lin Wanrong anxiously, awaiting his verdict.

Lin Wanrong glanced at the painting, gave a slight smile, and delivered his straightforward opinion in two words, "A failure!"