Making Progress Together

Good heavens! Master Mingcang only gets 100 points for each piece of his writing, but she got 156 points for one! Doesn't that mean she's even more amazing than Master Mingcang?

etc.

She lowered her head and began to count how many characters were in the calligraphy she had just practiced.

If she wrote sixty, then one hundred and fifty-six divided by two would only amount to a little over seventy points for one piece of calligraphy, which is not even as good as her copying of Master Mingcang's calligraphy model.

She counted the characters twice, then finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had just written forty-eight characters.

After letting out a sigh of relief, a new doubt arose in her mind—were the points now calculated based on the number of words written? If so, then she wouldn't have many more points.

She was just about to take out the paper that had been cut to hold only thirty characters to practice when she heard Xiao Ruotong say, "Xiaoxi, I want to write a piece of calligraphy." Her tone was somewhat urgent.

Zhao Ruxi looked up at Xiao Ruotong and noticed that her eyes were surprisingly bright, but her pupils were not focused. Her expression was dazed, yet there was a fervent light in her eyes. She knew that Xiao Ruotong had seen the calligraphy she had just practiced and had suddenly realized something.

She quickly took away the piece of calligraphy she had just written, laid out a new sheet of paper, and made room for Xiao Ruotong: "Come on, write quickly."

Xiao Ruotong didn't say anything, picked up the ink stick, ground it a couple of times, and then picked up the brush to write.

Zhao Ruxi had seen quite a few of Xiao Ruotong's calligraphy works recently and was quite familiar with her style. She immediately noticed that Xiao Ruotong's calligraphy today was different from her usual style. It seemed that she had released her true nature and was more unrestrained and free. The phrase "radiant and spirited" was the most appropriate way to describe it.

She smiled, pursing her lips.

Zhao Ruxi loves the feeling of learning, progressing, and achieving together with her friends.

Very nice!

Zhao Ruxi is currently in her study, which is different from ordinary studies. Because Zhao Ruxi paints, the study is a combination of two rooms, making it quite spacious. Besides the place where Xiao Ruotong is writing, there is a large table on the other side near the window, with large sheets of paper and various paints on the shelf next to the table. That's where Zhao Ruxi splashes ink and paints.

Now that Xiao Ruotong is writing calligraphy here, Zhao Ruxi could easily go over there and write a thirty-character calligraphy piece to verify her guess about the points.

Seeing Xiao Ruotong's state, Zhao Ruxi did not leave.

She had only just grasped her own style through a moment of enlightenment, so naturally she wasn't looking to learn anything more from Xiao Ruotong. She was simply Gao Xing for her friend and wanted to share in her success and joy.

Unlike Zhao Ruxi, who meticulously wrote only thirty characters, Xiao Ruotong wrote over a hundred characters, only stopping when she had completely finished the article.

"Phew." She let out a soft breath, put down her brush, and stepped back to admire her calligraphy.

Zhao Ruxi also stood beside her.

A joyful smile appeared on both of their faces.

"That's wonderful," Zhao Ruxi praised. "You're becoming even more graceful and agile. Congratulations, Sister Ruotong!"

Xiao Ruotong had a big smile on her face, "This is all thanks to you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to understand it."

Unlike Zhao Ruxi, she was young but had long since broken free from the influence of her master and grandmaster, developing her own style, which is why she became a famous calligrapher and was admired by the world.

However, once you develop your own style, like Kang Shilin, you'll stick to that path. It will be quite difficult to change it or make any progress.

But now, Xiao Ruotong has made significant progress. And she feels that her progress goes beyond that. Her mindset has undergone a major change.

Her family provided her with a carefree and undisturbed upbringing, which allowed her to achieve considerable success in calligraphy at a young age.

But after getting married, the constraints imposed on her by her in-laws and husband, and the pressure of not being able to have children, gradually bound her. Although she later chose to divorce, that marriage and the hostility of the world towards divorced women were real and lingering in her heart.

She appears peaceful and happy on the surface, but deep down she is depressed.

But Zhao Ruxi's calligraphy instantly freed her from worldly troubles, bringing her mental relief. Her previous depression dissipated and disappeared. At that moment, she felt an unprecedented clarity and ease, as if her soul had been cleansed and purified, making her completely different from before.

This purity is different from the pure state of mind she had as a child. It is a profound understanding gained through life's experiences, a clarity and transparency that comes from weathering many storms.

This state of mind will not only affect her future lifestyle, but will also have a great impact on her calligraphy.

"Xiaoxi, thank you."

She turned around and hugged Zhao Ruxi, her eyes full of gratitude.

In modern times, Zhao Ruxi not only met Chinese people but also many foreigners. Those people were all warm and outgoing, and they would hug each other as soon as they met. But in ancient times, people were always reserved, and they never experienced such a gesture again.

She was caught off guard by Xiao Ruotong's sudden and enthusiastic embrace.

Seeing the bewildered and adorable look on Zhao Ruxi's usually shrewd and intelligent face, Xiao Ruotong burst out laughing.

"I'd like some tea and snacks." She winked at Zhao Ruxi, revealing a lively, girlish charm.

"... good."

Zhao Ruxi turned and instructed Qingfeng to make preparations, then asked Xiao Ruotong, "Where should we go for tea and snacks?"

"Do you have a heated room in your house? It would be perfect to live in a heated room."

"... No." Zhao Ruxi was speechless.

The Earl of Suiping's Residence was still quite poor, wasn't it? How could it compare to the Prince of Zhennan's Residence, which had spent a fortune building a heated pavilion? In the dead of winter, with the underfloor heating and the fire in the walls, sitting inside felt like spring or summer. Outside the large floor-to-ceiling windows, there was a beautiful snow scene in the garden and plum blossoms blooming in the white snow.

This kind of enjoyment, not to mention in ancient times, is something that only the extremely wealthy can truly experience.

Although there is heating and large glass windows, we can only see the gray sky and the windows of our neighbors' houses not far away through that small window.

In the end, the two sat and drank tea in the main room of Zhao Ruxi's courtyard.

Zhao Ruxi had specially renovated the main room here. She had two long benches made like sofas, covered with thick cotton cushions, and a solid wood long table, which were placed in front of the window with glass installed.

When guests arrive, everyone sits facing each other by the window, brews a pot of tea, and looks at the beautiful scenery outside. This is much more comfortable and relaxing than the formal table and chair arrangements in an ancient hall.

Although the main room lacked underfloor heating and a heated wall, it was still very warm inside with two blazing braziers and the main door slightly ajar, allowing a crack for air to escape.