Chapter 105

In the end, Captain Han made the decision, “When I have time, I’ll visit Lu’s family and ask about his wife.”

Saying this, he glanced at Han Wei again, “You’ll come along then.”

Han Wei nodded. He harbored a subtle admiration for Shi Tingyu, the art expert.

The next day, when Mrs. Han went shopping for groceries, she overheard people discussing Shi Tingyu.

Just the day before, Shi Tingyu received royalties again from the Beijing Art Publishing House.

It was for Shi Tingyu’s second story, “The Loyal Dog”.

Nobody knew about the first or second story, they just knew Shi Tingyu made money again.

A day had passed, yet people were still avidly discussing it.

Mrs. Han was puzzled and couldn’t help asking, “Are you talking about Captain Lu’s wife? What royalties?”

People were astonished; how could someone in their residential compound not know about Shi Tingyu’s book?

Some recognized Mrs. Han and informed her about the recent move and their lack of knowledge about Shi Tingyu, filling her in on details about her impressive culinary skills, award-winning murals, and press coverage.

They particularly emphasized Shi Tingyu’s publishing achievements.

In a hushed tone, she said, “You don’t know yet? I heard she earned over a thousand just from one story. When the remittance came, someone happened to see it. It’s really something.”

Mrs. Han was greatly surprised; she hadn’t realized how talented Lu’s wife was.

She even heard that the Women’s Federation propaganda office was competing with schools for her.

People with such skills are truly in demand everywhere.

Listening to all these snippets about Shi Tingyu along the way, Mrs. Han was absent-minded while buying groceries.

When she returned home and saw her son still painting in his room, she couldn’t help but sigh. Actually, painting well could lead to a promising future.

In the evening, when Captain Han returned home, he found his wife in high spirits.

After asking, he learned she had heard a lot about career opportunities for those who can paint.

Upon hearing that Lu’s wife earned a lot from a book, Captain Han sighed, “Do you think everyone can achieve such results?”

Unaware of the specifics, Mrs. Han looked eagerly at Captain Han, “What do you mean?”

Captain Han knew a bit about Shi Tingyu’s background; Lu Weiguo had mentioned it during their dinner invitation.

Later, he inquired further into the Shi family’s situation and learned more about Shi Tingyu.

“Lu’s wife and her family were abroad before. She graduated from a prestigious foreign university and even held art exhibitions abroad. She’s a bona fide young artist. How can Xiaowei, with his self-taught skills, compare?”

He knew more, like how Shi Tingyu was involved in drawing portraits of undercover agents for military intelligence, a revelation that still amazed him. Could someone really possess such talent?

Comparatively, Xiaowei’s portraits of their own parents didn’t seem credible.

Of course, the matter of those portraits was classified, so he didn’t tell Mrs. Han. Still, it didn’t diminish his admiration for Shi Tingyu’s artistic skills.

Mrs. Han felt a bit disheartened but quickly regained her spirit, “I’m not asking Xiaowei to write books and make money. I’d be satisfied if he could become an elementary school art teacher.”

Captain Han shared the same sentiment. He didn’t think Han Wei could achieve much through painting, but being an art teacher might be feasible.

Of course, they would need to ask Shi Tingyu about it.

As for why they didn’t ask the principal, it was out of respect for the brotherly bond between him and Lu Weiguo.

That night after dinner, Captain Han took Han Wei to Lu Weiguo’s house in the dark.

Since they might end up eating there if they arrived early, they decided to eat beforehand.

Just as they arrived at the gate, they heard the sound of a dog barking in the courtyard.

They didn’t know the Lu family kept dogs.

At that moment, Shi Tingyu called out to the dog, “Lijian, go and open the door.”

Excitedly, Lijian got up and ran towards the door latch.

It wasn’t that Shi Tingyu was lazy about opening the door; Lijian always competed to do these things on regular days. It was a dog that loved to work.

Lijian had grown to be about as big as a full-grown dog, standing on its hind legs with both front legs on the door, gradually pushing the latch out of its hole with its mouth.

Once the latch was open, it immediately jumped away from the door.

The door was pushed open from outside in an instant.

Captain Han saw the tall and strong Lijian and couldn’t help praising, “What a good dog.”

Han Wei, on the other hand, was somewhat intimidated by this unrestrained dog; Lijian was just too imposing.

With the corridor light casting its glow, Han Wei could see Lijian yawning, revealing its large, sharp teeth, which looked quite fearsome.

Upon seeing the visitors, Shi Tingyu couldn’t help but greet them, “Captain Han and Xiaowei are here, come on in.”

Captain Han chuckled sheepishly and spoke somewhat embarrassedly, “It’s so late, and we’re bothering you. Where’s Old Lu?”

At that moment, Lu Weiguo stood up from beside the courtyard well, “I’m here.”

Captain Han and Han Wei followed the voice and found Lu Weiguo washing clothes by the well in the courtyard.

Lu Weiguo’s clothes were almost washed; another rinse would suffice.

He pressed down on the well lever and said to the two, “Come on in and sit, I’ll be done shortly.”

Soon, the basin was nearly full, he tossed his clothes into it, wrung them out, and hung them to dry in just a few minutes.

Lu Weiguo wiped his hands and entered the main hall, where his wife was preparing tea for Captain Han and his son.

He casually took over, then handed the freshly brewed tea to the Han father and son.

Captain Han had never seen this side of Lu Weiguo before; he looked at him with curiosity.

The Lu Weiguo he knew was a brave and stern military officer on the battlefield and during training, with excellent military qualities. This domestic side was a first for him.

Lu Weiguo didn’t think there was anything to hide; he looked at Captain Han with a questioning gaze, clearly asking, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Caught off guard by his straightforward gaze, Captain Han was the first to concede. He wasn’t one to beat around the bush. After taking a sip of hot tea, he grinned and asked Shi Tingyu, “Younger sister, you’re an art teacher at Jianguan Elementary School. I wanted to ask if your school is still hiring art teachers?”

Shi Tingyu immediately understood his intention and replied, “Are you considering having Xiaowei become an art teacher?”

Captain Han waved his hands repeatedly, “I’m just inquiring. If there’s a vacancy, I’ll let him try at the school. If not, we’ll find him another job.”

Understanding his concerns, Shi Tingyu smiled and said, “Actually, our school does need an art teacher. I currently teach five grades alone. If Xiaowei can join us, it would really help me out. But ultimately, it’s up to the principal.”

In Shi Tingyu’s view, although Han Wei’s painting skills were not exceptional, being an elementary school art teacher would still be suitable for him.