Chapter 9: 'Tai Si Kong' the Calligraphy Painting of Tranquility Part I
Bai Zhe went over to check on Bai Lian Hua. He pressed his qi-filled fingers to several parts of the woman’s body, pretending to be massaging her. He expected her to recover in a short amount of time.
Bai Qing Yun had not asked about the origin of the large amount of money in the boy’s account yet. He decided to wait until his wife had regained consciousness so they could discuss it together.
Bai Lian Hua regained consciousness a short time later. Then, the interrogation regarding the money’s origin began. Bai Zhe told the truth: Uncle Fu’s client had bought his calligraphy painting.
“You should tell better lies. You did some illegal job, right?” Bai Qing Yun had a scary expression aimed at Bai Zhe. He did not believe that his son was good enough at calligraphy painting to make Uncle Fu’s client pay him this much money.
Bai Zhe did not say much. He took out a pen and wrote a character on a piece of paper, concealing his intention within it. Although it was written with a ballpoint pen, the parents could feel the rays of love from the character “love ” that their son had written. The warmth when they were close, the fire of desire when they slept skin to skin in bed—they had felt all these feelings before when they were newly married.
“Do you believe me now?” asked Bai Zhe.
“Well, if you are this good, why don’t you make money from it?” Bai Qing Yun asked.
“Come on, dad. Don’t be greedy. I don’t know much about this industry. It’s better not to risk it. Some old men are very stubborn and possessive of their positions,” answered Bai Zhe.
“He’s right. Like da… Ahem, just one is enough.” Bai Lian Hua fully supported her son, but it was like she had almost let something slip.
“Fine. But do not waste it, okay?” Bai Qing Yun insisted again firmly.
“Okay. And I withdrew some money for you to pay the rent.” He handed the money he had set aside for the rent to Bai Lian Hua, which made her pull him into a hug.
‘So, the warmth from parents is like this?’ the boy thought and hugged her back. He closed his eyes to absorb this feeling.
Then, he helped Bai Lian Hua make dinner. As for Bai Qing Yun, he was in charge of cooking rice. This was the first time in decades that the Bais’ stomachs were full.
Bai Zhe had already eaten qi food, but he still joined the dinner, so his parents would not get suspicious about his diet—even though he had to waste time cleaning up the contaminants from his body later.
Bai Zhe helped Bai Lian Hua wash the dishes after dinner, while Bai Qing Yun went to watch television in the bedroom. After all the chores had been done, Bai Zhe did his homework and studied as he was waiting for Bai Lian Hua to take a shower.
‘The homework is done. I should start writing the novel in an empty notebook.’ He took out an empty notebook, then used his pen to write down the story of his master who was the greatest swordsman of Da Xian.
Xi Lua Real Estate Company
Xi Lua was looking at Bai Zhe’s painting, his lips repeatedly reciting the poem. No other paintings had ever impressed him this much before.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Come in,” Xi Lua said, giving permission after hearing the knock.
An old man who was the same age as Xi Lua entered when the door opened. He was Xi Lua’s best friend, Meng Dong, and the chairman of Ji Xeng Construction Company.
“Friend, let me see which painting has made you call me to redecorate your collection room,” said Meng Dong.
Xi Lua beckoned with his hand, inviting his friend to look at the painting on his desk that he had just been admiring. Meng Dong’s reaction was exactly what he had imagined; the man was shaking with excitement.
“Which god has created this piece of art? Look at how new this paper is and this highly unique handwriting. At first, I thought it belonged to Master Lua, from whom you have requested paintings, but it is not. The characters’ purposes are so powerful. This is totally different.” Meng Dong did not know how to describe how excellent the poem was.
“Would you believe me if I tell you that the artist is just a fifteen-year-old boy?” said Xi Lua.
“R…really?” Meng Dong looked at Xi Lua; his face showed that he still could not believe what he heard.
“I’ve never lied to you,” Xi Lua assured him.
“Can you make an appointment with him? I want calligraphy paintings from him as well,” said Meng Dong.
“Of course. I will have my assistant contact him,” said Xi Lua. He called his assistant to make an appointment with Bai Zhe for tomorrow if the boy was available.
Meanwhile, Meng Dong was still looking at the painting. He murmured the poem again and again as his friend had done before. Xi Lua was the same. After a moment, his assistant got back to him with the news that Bai Zhe had confirmed their appointment.
“All done, my friend,” said Xi Lua with a smile when he hung up the phone with his assistant.
“Oh, that's brilliant.” Meng Dong was really happy. Xi Lua and he were in the calligraphy painting enthusiast club. They had a lot of friends in this club as well. The members had a measure of power and some connections, more or less, in their careers. Sometimes, they also exchanged business benefits.
“Well, how’s Xiao Qing? I heard that she is an intern at Mr. Tian Peng’s LSA (Legacy Star Agency) company,” said Xi Lua.
“Mm-hmm. She is training in every department, one at a time. After 3 months, the head of each department will decide which department she should be placed in. They pay more attention to the quality of actual work ability than a degree,” said Meng Dong, actually in agreement with the company on this.
“Mm, our grandkids don’t want to rely on our influence, do they? Rather, they are paving their own way. That’s great. So Xiao Qing wants to be a manager, then?” asked Xi Lua.
“Correct. But don’t know if that would be possible,” said Meng Dong.
“Being a celebrity manager, the more connections one has, the greater the chance for success. But Xiao Qing doesn’t want to use the connections that we have. Therefore, there is only one way, which is for her to find a diamond of the first water who is highly talented, which would be enough to make up somewhat for the lack of connections,” said Xi Lua.
“Xiao Mo’s work is going great, right? I heard that he was nominated for best male model this year. And 2 or 3 television series have contacted him. One of them is Chen Feng’s, I believe,” Meng Dong said.
“That’s why I barely get to see him.” Xi Lua suddenly seemed sad because recently, his grandson barely had time to meet him. He rarely even called him.
“Let’s talk about your redecorating this room, shall we?” Meng Dong changed the topic to lighten his friend's mood.
The two discussed what to change to make the painting stand out in the room, which instantly dispelled Xi Lua’s feelings of sadness.
LSA Legacy Star Agency Company, Management Department
“Xiao Qing, is everything ready in regards to the appointment for Ni Fong’s promoter contract signing that you were asked to handle?” a middle-aged female employee asked Qing Qing, who had been an intern at the company for over two months.
“Yes, everything is ready. This is the date, the time, and the place for the contract signing. Oh, I also checked Ni Fong’s schedule with his manager. The dates and time in the document are the days that he is available,” answered Qing Qing, handing the details of this contract to the woman.
That was right. This was Meng Dong’s granddaughter. She had shiny brown hair and peach-blossom eyes. Her lips were covered in nude lipstick, giving her lips a natural pink tinge. Her features, though not strikingly attractive, made her look cute and adorable.
“Mm, great. So, can you take the document to Qi Fong, Xi Mo’s manager? I think they are having a meeting with a television series director in meeting room one.” The middle-aged woman handed Qing Qing a brown envelope.
“Certainly.” She took the envelope, then walked out of the department to the meeting room.
In front of the Meeting Room One
Chapter 10: 'Tai Si Kong' the Calligraphy Painting of Tranquility Part II
In front of the Meeting Room One
Qing Qing waited in front of the meeting room for a short while before the door was opened. Xiao Qing bowed to the television series director, with whom she was very familiar, and the crew as well.
“Hey, Qing Qing. What are you doing here?” A man in a suit with purple-tinted black hair asked. He had a narrow face and his body was tall and distinguished. The man was not only a famous model that teenage girls were obsessed with at the moment, but he was also Qing Qing’s childhood friend.
“A senior in my department had me bring you this.” Qing Qing handed Xi Mo the envelope.
“Oh, has the documentation regarding the new commercial already arrived?” The sound of Qi Fong, who was Xi Mo’s manager, was sounded as he walked out of the meeting room.
“How’s the internship going?” asked Xi Mo.
“Some departments are really hard on me. But I will do it anyway,” answered Qing Qing.
“Hang in there for a bit. My internship was like that, too. They are trying to test our patience. Some people in this industry are even more demanding. A celebrity manager’s duties are to conceal your emotions, control your expression, keep your dissatisfaction inside, and successfully fulfill your duties. Not for themselves, but for the celebrities under their management. Got it?” Qi Fong lectured Qing Qing, as he saw her as his junior.
“I got it. All right. I have to get going.” She acknowledged his words. Qing Qing had dreamed of being a model. But a professional had told her that she could not be a model. After trying many times, she quit and decided to work as a celebrity manager. She thought that if she could not pursue her own dream, she would be someone who helped others successfully achieve their dream of entering the entertainment industry.
“Mm-hmm,” replied Qi Fong.
After Qing Qing had left their sight, Qi Fong turned to Xi Mo. When the man saw his manager’s gaze, he knew the other person had something to say about Qing Qing.
“What?” asked Xi Mo.
“Do you want me to help her get into this business? I’d say that with the way she walks, with a little bit more practice, she could be a model, even though her height is nearly not standard,” Qi Fong said.
“What if Mr. Meng Jia says that she could never be a model? Do you think she can still be a model?” Xi Mo asked. The question made Qi Fond pause.
“Well, there’s nothing I can do if that person says that,” answered Qi Fong. Meng Jia was the owner of the world's number-one fashion brand. It seemed like the man was a relative of Meng Dong, Qing Qing’s grandfather.
“If you want to help her, you better not let her know, because Qing Qing and I don’t like using our granddads’ connections,” Xi Mo said.
“I can see you both are really close. If I didn’t know you, I might think you secretly liked her. But you just didn’t realize your own feelings,” said Qi Fong.
“That will never happen. We know each other inside out. She looks calm and collected, right? Wait until you see her lose her temper. She transforms from a bunny into a skunk in an instant!” Xi Mo said with a smile, thinking about Qing Qing’s puffy cheeks when he teased her. He thought that this kind of feeling was the type that a brother had for a sister.
“…” Qi Fong had never thought that Xi Mo could critique his childhood friend this harshly. It contrasted with the polite and gentle personality that he usually saw.
“Let’s get some coffee. We can read the contract while we are drinking, too,” suggested Xi Mo.
“Mmm, that sounds great,” Qi Fong agreed.
Xi Lua Real Estate Company
There was a room for Xi Lua to relax in or use as his second home on the top floor of the building. The old man had just finished showering. He used his smartphone to upload Bai Zhe’s painting onto the calligraphy painting enthusiast club’s website before going to sleep. Xi Lua did not realize that it would cause insomnia to the members who saw his post.
[Th…this is…] Menn the Monk commented.
[Mr. Xi, how did you get this painting?] Old Imp commented.
[The signature reads ‘Bai Zhe.’ Anyone know this master?] Henpecked Dirty Old Man commented.
[Does anyone feel the power coming from these characters like me?] Cramp or Gout commented.
[The poem is beautiful. The diction the rhythm, and the rhyme are correct. This is clearly a priceless national treasure.] Monk Jumps Over the Prison Wall commented.
[Where is Xi Lua? Hurry, answer our questions.] Menn the Monk commented.
[I think he fell asleep. He likes to post before going to bed.] Chen Feng commented.
[I have emailed him about how I want to see the painting with my own eyes. He might see it tomorrow. He likes to read these emails when he wakes up.] Royal Concubine Jang commented.
After that, everyone asked for Xi Lua’s email. They wanted to see the painting as well. They could feel its power even though it was just the post. They could not imagine how powerful it could be if they saw it in reality.
In the end, they got Royal Concubine Jang to gather all the names of the people who wanted to see Bai Zhe’s painting and email this name list to Xi Lua.
Bai Zhe, who was writing his novel, was not even the tiniest bit aware of the mess created by the calligraphy painting that he had painted for Xi Lua. He stopped writing at 11 p.m. He then cleared everything up before taking a shower and going to sleep.
The Next Day
Bai Zhe woke up and found that it was still dawn. Also, his mother had not woken up yet. Thus, he did what he had said he would do yesterday—cook. He cooked his parents both breakfast and lunch.
When Bai Lian Hua came out of the bedroom, she found a note and the food that had been prepared and neatly wrapped in plastic.
‘Where is he going this early?’ she thought.
Bai Zhe’s Junior High School
At that time, Bai Zhe was already at the building’s rooftop, continuing to practice his qi.
He went to his classroom when the bell rang. Even though his classmates and his homeroom teacher were still uncomfortable with him, they looked rather more relaxed.
After School
Bai Zhe packed his stationery and his books into his schoolbag, ready to head to the Nightfall Antique Shop, in accordance with the appointment he had made with Xi Lua’s secretary. But he was stopped by the head girl.
“Bai Zhe, today is your turn to clean our classroom.” She stood with her hands on her waist, her eyes locked on him. The other kids watched with bated breath. They were afraid that Bai Zhe would curse the head girl.
“It’s already clean.” Bai Zhe had secretly used his qi to clean the entire room. No one had noticed because all of their attention was on the confrontation between the boy and the head girl.
“That blackboard…” Before the head girl could finish her sentence, she saw that the board the teacher had written the lesson on was now clean.
“If there is nothing else, I will go now. Bye.” Bai Zhe stopped paying attention and left, leaving the head girl and the classmates confused.
The Nightfall Antique Shop
Bai Zhe opened the door and walked in. There were three people in the shop sitting at the counter: Elder Fu, Xi Lua, and a man he did not know, who appeared to be close to Xi Lua.
“Xiao Bai, you are quite punctual.” Xi Lua stood up and walked over to Bai Zhe.
“Oh, this is the artist of that calligraphy painting?” Meng Dong got up and followed Xi Lua.
“Bai Zhe, if you are this good at doing calligraphy, are you interested in making calligraphy paintings and sending them to me to sell?” said Uncle Fu.
“I don’t think so. There are many masters whose skills are better than mine in the calligraphy art industry. I am just a bottom-of-the-barrel nobody creating rudimentary works in their eyes,” answered Bai Zhe.
“Most of them are not that narrow-minded,” said Xi Lua.
“I still have to say no, sir,” Bai Zhe insisted.
“Oh, Xiao Bai. I am Meng Dong, Chairman Xi Lua’s friend. I saw your painting the other day. I have to say that it is the best calligraphy painting I have ever seen,” Meng Dong said.
“You praise me too much, Mr. Meng,” said the boy.
“Not at all. I am the one who had Xi Lua make this appointment with you. I want to ask you if you could make me a piece. And of course, I will pay you as much as Xi Lua did,” Meng Dong said.
“Mmm. Yes, sir,” Bai Zhe agreed. He wanted to ease his parents’ burdens. The more money he had, the more he could ease their burdens.
Uncle Fu immediately prepared the equipment. Bai Zhe quickly began wielding the brush with gestures like a master who had had decades of experience in the industry.
Uncle Fu’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he watched a kid that he had been known for years showing this hidden talent. As a person who traded in antiques and art pieces for decades, he could see the ability that the boy was showing.
Meng Dong was excited, too. Though Xi Lua had seen the boy’s creativity work before, he was still impressed.
“It’s done.” Bai Zhe put the brush down.
The three men gathered around the painting. This time, the poem talked about a Chinese monk whom everyone called the Living Bodhisattva of Da Xian.
“…” The three of them did not say anything. After they had read the poem that narrated the tale of Tai Si Kong, they could feel the happiness, the happiness that came from true tranquility.
Yes. Bai Zhe put the purpose [tranquility] into the painting. He thought that it would help relax people who were of an advanced age and worked hard both physically and mentally every time they saw or read the painting.
“The name of this piece is ‘Tai Si Kong,’ isn’t it?” After he absorbed enough of the feelings, Meng Dong turned to ask Bai Zhe.
“Yes, sir. It tells the story of a monk who travels around the continent to seek solitude and help people and animals,” said Bai Zhe.
“Did you take it from somewhere? A book? A historical record? I have never heard of this story,” Xi Lua asked, being a bookworm. He did not think that he would miss a book or a rare historical record that contained such wonderful content.
“I made it up. For certain, it is in the novel that I have been writing. I just adapted it to be a ballad,” answered Bai Zhe.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
18 Power
stone 
Paragraph comment