How to Get Your Money's Worth

Every middleman has their own office, which is usually a teahouse. If you need to find a middleman, go to a teahouse. If the middleman happens to be unavailable, you can pay a waiter to leave a message for them.

"Yes." Gao Weiqiang took the purse.

"Once you've finished asking around, go back to your residence. You don't need to come back. I'll be returning to the capital with my senior brothers then," Zhao Ruxi instructed again.

"Thank you, young lady." Gao Weiqiang cupped his hands in thanks, mounted his horse, and turned to leave.

Zhao Ruxi then entered the painting academy.

A person looked up and smiled at Zhao Ruxi, "Xiaoxi."

Zhao Ruxi exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Ruotong, what brings you here?"

"Didn't I say I wanted to learn painting from you? I couldn't come because I was sick a while ago. I was going to come after my grandmother's birthday, but I missed a lot of classes at the academy, so I've been catching up. I finally had time to come this afternoon since I didn't have any classes."

"So you'll have time to draw outside of class from now on?" Zhao Ruxi asked.

Xiao Ruotong nodded. "Yes, that's right. I might have to teach extra classes after the New Year. Madam Cui asked me to take over the calligraphy classes in the North Academy as well. I figured I didn't have anything else to do, so I agreed."

She was originally just in a bad mood, Princess of Zhennan wanted her to cheer up, so she was asked to teach at the Beining Women's Academy. At that time, she only taught regular classes.

"Being busy is good. Look at me, I'm so busy I barely have time to breathe, and I'm having such a great time," Zhao Ruxi said.

These words made Wu Zong, who was standing next to him, laugh.

Everyone was painting and needed quiet, so Zhao Ruxi didn't chat with Xiao Ruotong much. Seeing that Xiao Ruotong had already prepared her easel and other equipment under Kang Shilin's guidance, she started instructing her on how to paint.

The oranges and vase were no longer on the easel in the open study; instead, there were white porcelain bowls, plates, vases, teapots, and several kinds of fruit of different sizes and shapes. However, the original cones and cylinders were placed in another corner, where Gong Cheng was painting alone. Now that Xiao Ruotong had come, she had company.

After Zhao Ruxi left Xiao Ruotong's side, Wu Zong put down his paintbrush, waved to her, and got up to walk towards the garden.

Zhao Ruxi understood and followed him to the back garden.

Zhao Ruxi could see the seriousness in Wu Zong's expression. Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. "Senior Brother?"

Wu Zong, seemingly lost in thought, snapped out of it when she called his name and asked, "Junior Sister, how long will it take us to learn to draw portraits like you?"

Zhao Ruxi blinked, pondering his intentions, and said, "If you're in a hurry, I can speed things up."

The steps involved in drawing a sketch vary from person to person. Some people have six or seven steps, some have two or three, and some don't have any steps at all, doing whatever they feel like. The steps are not important; the final effect of the drawing is what matters.

Those who paid three thousand taels of silver to enroll in painting classes were all selected by Kang Shilin. Given the old man's fastidious nature, no one would be selected if they lacked artistic talent, had a certain reputation in painting, or were prone to nagging.

Therefore, this group of people's artistic talent is undeniable, their painting skills are very strong, and their use of lines far surpasses Zhao Ruxi's. What they lack is only a three-dimensional painting concept and the techniques of using light and shadow to represent light and darkness in Western painting.

Therefore, after drawing cones, cylinders, fruits, and vases, Zhao Ruxi could have directly asked them to start drawing portraits.

But Zhao Ruxi, wanting to show that their 3,000 taels of flower arrangement were well worth it, insisted on having them go through all the steps a modern beginner takes to learn painting.

In any case, few of these people have serious jobs. What they pursue is the ultimate expression of the art of painting. Letting them learn more and more meticulously is in line with their wishes.

Zhao Ruxi had already instructed Liu Quan, the steward of the Earl of Suiping's Residence, to find the most famous sculptor in the capital to carve two human heads out of white marble. He planned to have them draw the white marble statues after they had completed sketches of several objects.

Only after she finished painting the stone statue would she find a few models among her servants to paint portraits.

"No, we're not in a hurry." Wu Zong gave her a meaningful look. "What if we want to take it slow?"

"Hmm?" Zhao Ruxi's little brain worked for a moment. Thinking of the Court of Judicial Review training class that hadn't started for so long, she asked, "Is there some trouble with the class that the Emperor ordered to start?"

Before Wu Zong could answer, she continued, "Taking it slow is fine. Actually, after drawing several objects, we still need to draw the white marble heads. We'll only start drawing the actual heads after we've drawn at least two white marble heads."

"As you know, the skin of the elderly and children is different. Let's draw children first, then the elderly. Then we can find people with different appearances and different types to draw. If we keep drawing like this, our class will have to continue for at least another two months."

In modern times, learning to draw from beginner to expert takes at least six months, and some people may not even be able to draw well in six months. Even if these people have strong artistic talent, have a foundation in drawing, and are so passionate about drawing that they can draw from morning till night, it is not unreasonable for them to learn to draw for three months.

There's definitely a difference between a class that pays 3,000 taels and a class that pays 1,500 taels. What's the meaning of "striving for excellence"? It must be reflected in the class that pays 3,000 taels.

"Three months is a bit long for that class," Wu Zong said, frowning in thought.

This time, Zhao Ruxi finally understood what he meant.

She waved her hand and said, "Senior brother, stop beating around the bush and just tell me how long they need to study before they feel that the 1,500 taels were well spent. I promise to arrange the teaching according to your schedule."

She smiled and said, "Those who are skilled have their methods, and those who are rough have theirs. They don't need to be like us, drawing portraits that can be collected; they only need to draw something that is 80 or 90 percent similar, enough to identify the criminal. What I drew at Court of Judicial Review was actually a minimalist style, which is different from real sketching, the latter being much more refined."

The gloom on Wu Zong's face vanished instantly, replaced by his usual cheerful demeanor. "Then there's no problem. I think you should just focus on teaching them for two months straight."

"Okay," Zhao Ruxi readily agreed.

"Then there's no problem. Get ready, the class will start in about five days. Don't worry about the paper, Dali Court of Judicial Review will provide it. Just make sure you get plenty of charcoal pencils, and you'll also need to prepare the easel and steamed buns."

"Thank you very much, Senior Brother," Zhao Ruxi said gratefully.

Paper was quite expensive in those days, and supplying so many people with paintings was no small sum. This money came from the Court of Judicial Review, which was also a favor done to her by Zhang Changshen and Wu Zong.