Chapter 80 – Can Someone Really Paint So Realistically?

The gift presentation was about to begin. Marquis Xie Jin’s grandmother was helped by her maid to sit in the central position of the hall.

Other respected figures sat on either side. The hall was quite spacious, and Liu Shi along with other madams were seated inside.

As for the younger women like Xia Tian and the others, they could only stand behind their elders or observe the ceremony from the sides outside the hall.

With a shout from the butler, “The gift presentation begins!” Wen Yibo led the way and started presenting the gifts in turn.

Wen Yibo was Xie Jin’s maternal relative.

Wen Yibo presented a large red coral, nearly as tall as a person. As soon as it was revealed, everyone’s eyes widened in astonishment. The coral was not of only tall but also dazzlingly beautiful, making the elderly matriarch smile widely, her mouth unable to close.

Only dutiful children would prepare such meaningful gifts.

Some elderly madams, who were also sisters and matriarchs of other families, couldn’t help but praise the gift.

“Wen Yibo is truly filial; this huge coral is rare to find.”

“Yes, it’s a thoughtful gift, and bringing it here wasn’t easy either.”

“How fortunate your old sister is!”

“Where are you? Which family doesn’t have a filial child? All children are dutiful.”

The matriarch, hearing her sisters’ praise, modestly replied, but inwardly she was overjoyed. Who wouldn’t want their children to earn face for them in such an occasion?

After Wen Yibo presented his gift, the coral tree was carried down.

Next came the second lord from Wen Yibo’s house, who was holding a long box with both hands. He knelt in front of the matriarch, bowed, then stood up and opened the box to reveal a scroll painting.

“Son wishes for the elder to live a long and prosperous life, like the pine and crane of spring,” the second lord said, slowly unfurling the scroll for the matriarch to see.

“Wow~” The moment the painting unfurled, everyone gasped in amazement.

It wasn’t that the Pine and Crane Longevity painting was particularly innovative, but rather, the painting was so realistic it was almost unbelievable. No one had ever seen a painting so lifelike, as though the objects depicted were real.

That’s why everyone exclaimed in awe.

The matriarch was especially delighted when she saw the scroll, “The second son is thoughtful! Quickly, let everyone have a look!”

The second lord was full of pride. Finally, he had earned a bit of recognition in front of others. His elder brother had always overshadowed him, and now it was his turn to shine.

He couldn’t stand the constant comments that the second lord of Wen Yibo’s house was lazy and unworthy.

Hearing the praises from his elders, he proudly passed the painting around for others to admire.

Seeing everyone’s reactions, he knew his five thousand taels had been well spent.

“Who painted this? Their skills are extraordinary!” An elderly admirer of paintings asked.

“It’s a recent sensation, a master called Xuan Ying,” the second lord proudly replied.

“I’ve never heard of this person,” the elder stroked his beard thoughtfully.

“I’ve heard about him. Someone once bought a painting called The Tiger Descends the Mountain, which was painted by this Xuan Ying. They say the tiger in that painting looks so real it seems like it could leap out of the canvas,” another person added.

“I’ve heard of it too, but never seen it.”

“Has anyone seen this Xuan Ying?”

“No, they say this person paints two pieces a month and accepts commissions, but no one has seen them in person.”

The hall buzzed with discussion. Xia Tian, standing outside, overheard everything clearly.

She couldn’t help but wipe her brow in nervousness. If her identity as Xuan Ying was ever revealed, would everyone be shocked?

The second lord, seeing his effect was achieved, finally put away the painting. The matriarch’s maid personally took the painting from him.

Others began presenting their gifts in turn.

After that, no one else’s gift received such praise.

The second lord couldn’t help but glance at his elder brother, who was clearly annoyed, his brows furrowed.

Seeing how highly praised his wife’s painting was, Ning Xue could no longer hold back her laughter and kept looking at her own lady. Xia Tian rolled her eyes, wondering why Ning Xue was so eager to join the conversation.

Ignoring Ning Xue, she turned to speak with Miss Shen.

“Did you see that painting just now, big sister?” Shen Ning asked.

“I saw it,” Xia Tian replied, rubbing her nose.

“Do you think anyone can really paint so realistically?”

“Maybe, didn’t you see it just now?”

“Sigh, I was standing too far and couldn’t see it clearly,” Shen Ning sighed in disappointment.

“Do you like painting, Miss Shen?” Xia Tian asked curiously.

“Yes, I started learning it when I was little, but my painting isn’t that great.”

“Just practice more, and you’ll get better,” Xia Tian encouraged. She wasn’t one to criticize anyone’s painting skills without seeing them, so she refrained from commenting on Shen Ning’s art.

Ning Xue, seeing the ladies talking seriously about their painting skills and pretending not to know how it looked, couldn’t help but laugh.

This earned her several eye rolls from Xia Tian.

When the gift presentation ended, the banquet officially began.

Xia Tian sat next to Shen Ning, while Shen Lan and the others sat with their familiar friends at a different table.

The men and women were seated separately, with a small lake in between.

Since arriving, Xia Tian had been following Madam Zheng and had not seen Shen Nian. Even during the ceremony, they only exchanged distant glances without speaking.

Most of the guests were women, so it wasn’t appropriate for the men to come over. If they were seen, it would have been considered impolite.

At the banquet, many guests continued discussing the Pine and Crane Longevity painting, making Xia Tian feel embarrassed.

Shen Ning, seeing Xia Tian’s reaction, thought she wasn’t used to such banquets and was feeling a bit reserved.

Meanwhile, the second lord of Wen Yibo’s house was surrounded by many guests who wanted to inquire about the painting—where it came from and how much it cost.

The second lord didn’t hide anything and answered everyone’s questions.

By now, everyone knew that the painting had been custom ordered from a fine arts shop and cost a full five thousand taels.

In the current market, a rare and valuable work by a famous artist could indeed fetch that price, but it was surprising that a relatively unknown person like Xuan Ying dared to charge such an amount.

Some people shook their heads, admiring the painting but still thinking the price of five thousand taels was too high.

The second lord didn’t mention that he had inflated the price, doubling the market value of the artwork.

Seeing that everyone liked it, he was satisfied.

Later, when the banquet ended and they were leaving with Madam Zheng, Shen Nian was already waiting outside.

Xia Tian greeted Madam Zheng before getting into Shen Nian’s carriage.

The carriage was driven by Mu Feng, and Ning Xue sat outside, leaving space for the two ladies.

Inside the carriage, there was a small tea table with a teapot and cups. Shen Nian took out a small brazier from below the seat, placed it in a fixed spot, and lit it, setting the teapot on top.

Once the water boiled, she poured tea for the two of them and slowly sipped it.

“Did you see the painting that the second lord of Wen Yibo’s house brought out just now?” Shen Nian casually asked.

“Ahh!”

Xia Tian, caught off guard, choked on her tea. After coughing for a while, she finally calmed down, then looked at Shen Nian with a slightly reproachful glance.