1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 282 Refining Skills Through Uninterrupted Practice
When Da Bao saw his mother raise her glass to drink, he also reached out his little hand to grab the glass.

Lin Xiyu held her wine glass far away, preventing him from reaching it.

Da Bao was unhappy and started to cry again.

"Pingping wants some too?"

Grandma found it amusing, dipped her chopsticks in a little wine, and put it into Da Bao's mouth.

Da Bao stopped crying, smacked his lips a few times, and his little face scrunched up like a bitter flower.

"Hahaha."

All the relatives and friends were amused and couldn't stop laughing.

-

With four little babies adding to the festive atmosphere, the birthday banquet was a delightful experience. As it was about to end, my uncle suggested taking a family photo.

Grandma Gu's camera came in handy. Ever since the babies were born, she has become obsessed with video and photography, and her videography skills have improved dramatically, rivaling those of professionals.

Grandma Gu took out her large camera lens and personally took pictures of the family.

Grandma was very happy and held An'an as she sat in the front row, right in the middle.

Gu Bin and Lin Xiyu sat on either side of her, holding their three children, while the other filial sons and grandsons sat or stood around the old lady.

"Listen to my command, cheese!"

Grandma Gu proudly raised her cannon barrel.

Upon hearing the command, the family members all flashed what they thought were their most perfect smiles at the camera.

"whee."

The babies, guided by their parents, looked at the camera and giggled.

Only the naughtiest of them all was an exception. The moment the shutter was pressed, his little body tilted and he almost fell headfirst off his mother's lap.

"Ouch."

"be careful!"

The whole family gasped in surprise.

"Click."

The camera happened to capture the dramatic moment.

-

After the birthday party, Lin Xiyu was noticeably downcast, unable to muster any interest in anything, and often sat on a small stool, staring blankly at the pomegranate tree.

Gu Bin's unusual behavior did not escape his notice. One afternoon, after the children had taken their nap, he saw his wife sitting alone under a tree, holding scissors and lost in thought. After hesitating for a moment, he closed his laptop and came out of the study.

"Weren't you developing a new game? What are you doing out here?"

Hearing familiar footsteps, Lin Xiyu snapped out of her reverie.

"Sitting for too long makes your back ache and your back hurts. Take a break."

Gu Bin rubbed his arms a few times and swayed his waist, looking quite exhausted.

Did you stay up late again last night?

Lin Xiyu's eyes showed worry: "If you keep doing this all the time, you'll ruin your health sooner or later."

"No."

Gu Bin denied it, saying, "I went to sleep before midnight."

I wouldn't believe you!
Lin Xiyu rolled her eyes at him, her disbelief written all over her face.

"Let's not talk about me, let's talk about you."

Gu Bin grabbed a small stool and sat down next to her: "What's wrong with you these past two days? You've been looking so sad, not smiling at all?"

"Tell me the truth."

Instead of answering, Lin Xiyu asked, "Was the Hanfu I cut good or bad?"

I think it's pretty good.

Gu Bin paused slightly before saying "not bad".

"fraud!"

Lin Xiyu glared at him resentfully.

"hiss."

Gu Bin gasped, "Wife, I didn't do anything to you, did I? Where did you get the word 'liar' from?"

"You clearly think it's bad, but you still insist it's good."

Lin Xiyu was very annoyed: "What else could it be but a lie?"

"I didn't lie to you, did I?"

Gu Bin protested with a bitter face, "I do think it's very creative."

"Besides creativity?"

Lin Xiyu persisted.

"Leaving aside creativity, it's all about the cutting techniques."

Gu Bin said carefully, "For a layman like me, it's already very well cut. Anyway, it's better than me. I really couldn't cut it like that."

That's it.

Lin Xiyu realized, and pointed at his nose to complain: "Grandma is right. That's how you praised me so much that I lost my mind and couldn't see myself clearly. I thought I was so great that I could get everyone's approval for any idea I came up with casually."

"hiss"

Gu Bin took another breath, looking at the finger stretched out to his nose, feeling both amused and exasperated.

"Admit it."

Lin Xiyu complained petulantly, "You're just fooling me."

"Okay, okay, it's my fault, it's my fault, alright?"

Gu Bin's attitude in admitting his mistake was very sincere: "Don't be angry yet. Tell me, who exactly offended you? You just started by criticizing me without even knowing what happened. I feel wronged, don't I? Tell me, I'll go find her and make sure she doesn't get away with offending my wife."

"Grandma."

Lin Xiyu's eyes revealed a hint of resentment.

"Who?!"

Gu Bin's heart skipped a beat: "Your maternal grandmother, or my maternal grandmother?"

"My maternal grandmother."

Lin Xiyu felt wronged.

"let it go."

Gu Bin immediately backed down, losing his previous bravado.

Lin Xiyu laughed in exasperation: "What do you mean, 'just let it go'?"

"Grandma is getting old, so just listen to what she says."

Gu Bin gently advised, "I might dare to say a few words to other people, but I really don't dare to. What if I get angry and something bad happens to me? Then I'd become a sinner to the whole family."

Lin Xiyu's eyelids drooped, she looked listless and lacked energy again.

What did Grandma say to you?

Gu Bin tried to comfort her, leaning forward to get a closer look at her face.

"What are you looking at?"

Lin Xiyu pushed him away in disgust.

"My wife is beautiful."

Gu Bin was used to coaxing his wife; he could say whatever he wanted without hesitation.

"Don't say that again."

Lin Xiyu glared at him, annoyed.

"Can't I even tell the truth anymore?"

Gu Bin was both amused and exasperated: "My wife is beautiful, of course. I can't just lie and say you're a haggard old woman, can I?"

"you dare!"

Lin Xiyu scolded him.

"hehe."

Gu Bin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hmph." Lin Xiyu turned her head away, not wanting to pay him any more attention.

"OK OK."

Gu Bin tugged at her sleeve and continued to coax her, "It was my fault, okay?"

Lin Xiyu shook her arm, shaking his hand away.

"I'm really puzzled."

Gu Bin suppressed a laugh and said, "Grandma seems like a very kind person. What did she say that made you so angry?"

"Don't tell you."

Lin Xiyu's ears burned whenever she thought of her grandmother's scolding.

It's not shame, it's embarrassment.

"If you don't tell me, am I supposed to guess?"

Gu Bin was determined to comfort her, so why would he give up halfway?

Lin Xiyu didn't say anything, so he took it as a tacit agreement and continued, "When I first came here, the first thing you asked me was whether the Hanfu I cut was good or not. Judging from that question, you must have been upset by Grandma. Perhaps she was too blunt and hurt your pride, so you're sulking here, which has also made me unlucky, and I'm being disliked by my wife for no reason."

"You already guessed it, why are you still asking me?"

Lin Xiyu was visibly stunned that he could guess so accurately from just one sentence.

"Just for this?"

Gu Bin asked, puzzled: "He's been sulking for days."

"I'm not angry with my grandma, I'm angry with myself."

Now that he had guessed it, Lin Xiyu saw no need to keep it a secret any longer.

I can understand why Grandma is angry.

Gu Bin feigned confusion: "I understand even less why you're angry at yourself. You've already tried your best; there's no need to be so hard on yourself."

"You're here again."

Lin Xiyu glared at him with dissatisfaction: "You only know how to say nice things. I was just fooled by you, which is why I became so arrogant and thought I was a real talent who could change the rules at will and easily get my work approved no matter what kind of unconventional work I created."

"Okay, okay, I was wrong again, alright?"

Gu Bin was both amused and exasperated: "From now on, I'll say whatever you want to hear, and everything will be done according to my wife's wishes."

"You'll just say whatever I want to hear?"

Lin Xiyu frowned, feeling that there was something awkward about those words: "Isn't that just saying what I want to hear? How is that any different from deceiving me?"

"Is that right?"

Gu Bin stroked his chin, pretending to be deep in thought.

"No, that's a lie."

Lin Xiyu was speechless at his feigned ignorance.

"This won't work, that won't work, this is really putting me in a difficult position. Maybe I should just shut up. At least if I don't talk, I won't get scolded. After all, I'm a father of four kids, and I still have to maintain a fatherly image in front of them."

Gu Bin sighed, feigning grievance like a wronged little wife, his sour expression making Lin Xiyu laugh.

"Come on, stop acting so aggrieved, as if I really bullied you?"

"If you don't tell me, you're bullying me."

Gu Bin continued to feign grievance, speaking in a high-pitched voice, almost as if he were about to make a delicate gesture with his fingers and flick a handkerchief.

Lin Xiyu shook her arm, raising goosebumps all over the floor.

-

Gu Bin was a master at coaxing his wife. A simple, aggrieved expression was enough to melt her temper, and she told him everything about her conversation with her grandmother on her birthday.

I think Grandma has a point.

Having learned the inside story, he had a way to comfort her: "The original intention of intangible cultural heritage is to protect the traditional crafts that have been passed down from ancient times to the present. As long as you do one thing to the extreme, even the most ordinary paper-cut can show unparalleled value. Just like the peony picture that Grandma Hu cut before she passed away, a single peony can be cut into hundreds of overlapping petals. Such exquisite skills would impress anyone who sees it."

I understand what you mean.

Lin Xiyu looked slightly dejected: "I understand that my skills are not yet proficient enough. Thinking about innovation now is indeed a bit too early. Otherwise, Grandma wouldn't have said that I'm naive, thinking about running before I can walk."

"It's not that childish."

Gu Bin turned around and advised again: "Your idea is not wrong either. Ancient traditions also need to keep pace with the times and constantly innovate in order to attract more young people and make more people like this art."

"You're here again."

Lin Xiyu glanced at him sideways.

The subtext is that you've started praising me in a nonsensical way again.

"Listen to me first"

Gu Bin did not argue, but said seriously, "You have a lifetime to do this. I believe that sooner or later, you will be able to perfectly integrate inheritance and innovation and create a masterpiece that belongs to you alone."

A lifetime?
Lin Xiyu's eyes suddenly widened and brightened.

Gu Bin is right. She has a lifetime to study it, so why rush it?

"It seems I didn't waste my feelings; my wife has finally come to her senses."

Gu Bin could tell from her change in expression that her inner turmoil had been resolved, and he smiled with relief: "In that case, may I ask if we can leave the yard and go back to the bedroom? There's some noise inside; the babies must have woken up and are crying for their mother."

"Oh no, I forgot to feed the baby."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Xiyu jumped up from the stool and ran back into the house.

Those who were so fast disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Gu Bin: "."

If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have wasted his breath!

Just say the babies are awake, that's all.

-

Lin Xiyu isn't the type to dwell on things. Once she figured it out, she let it go and temporarily put her dream of tailoring Hanfu behind her, focusing wholeheartedly on honing her skills.

She set herself a small goal: to practice paper-cutting more than 7 times before applying to become an intangible cultural heritage inheritor. That is to say, from mid-July to the end of October, for three and a half months, she would cut paper at least 10 times a day, and the paper-cut ladies' pictures could not be defective.

Gu Bin dotes on his wife, personally designing hand-drawn patterns for her and even contacting a manufacturer to print tens of thousands of copies of the designed portraits of ladies at once.

With the support of her sweetheart, Lin Xiyu felt more confident and strived for perfection in her cutting practice.

As time went by, the image of Li Qingzhao, lounging lazily in a bamboo chair with a book of poetry in her hand, was deeply imprinted in her mind. Even without drawing, she could cut out patterns with lightning speed.

Hundreds of uninterrupted practices every day have left calluses on her fingers, making this Song Dynasty talent from over 700 years ago a part of her life.

Fate is truly wondrous.

Did Li Qingzhao, the poet of yesteryear, ever imagine that her poems would be remembered for centuries and still be talked about more than 700 years later?

In the place where she once lived, there is an equally talented woman telling her story in a different way.

-

One day at the end of July, an unexpected guest arrived at the old house.

Li Ang, one of Grandma Hu's apprentices, visited her home and subtly expressed his desire to apply for the title of intangible cultural heritage inheritor.

"This is a good thing!"

Lin Xiyu was pleasantly surprised: "If you are willing to make paper-cutting your career and pass on this craft, Grandma Hu would be very happy if she knew in the afterlife."

"I don't know if I'm qualified to apply to be a successor."

Li Ang hesitated: "That's why I thought of asking my senior sister for her opinion."

"Why not?"

Instead of answering, Lin Xiyu asked, "We're both Grandma Hu's apprentices. If I can apply, you can too."

"Unlike my senior, I'm not already quite well-known for doing charity work at the Children's Palace."

Li Ang said with a sigh, "I've been doing odd jobs all this time and haven't had the chance to get involved in these things. Is it a bit late to start now?"

"this one"

Lin Xiyu frankly said, "I don't really understand the selection rules either. Maybe they don't care too much about these things and value the personal abilities of the candidates more."

"Sister Xiyu"

Taking the opportunity, Li Ang took out a paper-cut he had brought and handed it over: "What do you think of this piece I cut out? Is there any hope of it being selected?"

"Is this a character from Water Margin?"

Lin Xiyu looked at the figures in the pattern and tentatively asked a question.

(End of this chapter)