Ice is not averse to deception

When Zhang Defa was fifty-one years old, he went to court and became a defendant.

As the studio and Zhang Defa's reputation grew, more and more people came to the studio to study, including many young college students.

Originally, this was a good thing, which could better promote the development of Yanji ice sculpture industry. However, Zhang Defa, who was full of excitement at the time, did not realize that the biggest crisis in his life had quietly descended.

Among the many students was a girl named Xiaoman, who was twenty-eight years old and had a pretty face.

In Zhang Defa's diary, he wrote: "When I first saw Xiaoman, I knew that reincarnation existed."

Whether it's appearance, personality, or even some subconscious actions, Xiaoman and Cuiying are very similar.

She habitually tucks her hair behind her ears, and her eyes are always so sincere, especially when she smiles. Before you even realize it, you're captivated by those dimples.

Xiaoman comes from a rural area and her family is very poor. She used to work as a waitress in a KTV, barely making ends meet.

By chance, during a visit to a client, the client learned that Xiaoman had studied art before and was very interested in ice sculpture. So the client gave Xiaoman a business card of Zhang Defa, saying that the studio was currently recruiting apprentices and that the person in charge, Zhang Defa, was very kind and would provide free room and board.

Upon hearing that there was free room and board, Xiaoman immediately became interested and went to the studio.

Upon first meeting Zhang Defa, Xiaoman noticed something different in his intense gaze.

After searching online for all the information about Zhang Defa, Xiaoman was so shocked she couldn't speak.

Zhang Defa is very famous, with hundreds of students, many of whom earn hundreds of thousands of yuan a year in the industry. What Xiaoman finds even more incredible is that Zhang Defa is 51 years old and still single.

To Xiaoman's surprise, after two rounds of testing, Zhang Defa did not agree to let Xiaoman become an apprentice.

Xiaoman made many efforts to become an apprentice, but all to no avail. What Xiaoman didn't know was that after meeting Xiaoman for the first time, Zhang Defa specifically inquired about Xiaoman's family situation.

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Out of a sense of responsibility towards Xiaoman, Zhang Defa did not think that Xiaoman was suitable to take this path.

First of all, Xiaoman's performance in terms of comprehension and skill is not outstanding, and even somewhat lagging behind. According to Zhang Defa's judgment, it would take Xiaoman at least five or six years to complete his apprenticeship, and it is unlikely that he will have much development after graduation.

In addition, there is Xiaoman's family situation. She has a younger brother who is still in college, and both her parents are ill. If Xiaoman takes the path of becoming a flower-scattering girl apprentice, the pressure from her family will definitely overwhelm her.

Zhang Defa has walked too many paths, and based on his many years of experience, he believes this path is not suitable for Xiaoman.

But Xiaoman did not give up. Whenever she had free time, she would go to the studio to ask Zhang Defa for the qualification to become an apprentice.

This continued for more than half a month until Zhang Defa was finally persuaded.

Zhang Defa put forward his conditions: Xiaoman works at a KTV, almost always on the night shift, so she can earn money at the KTV at night and stay in the studio room after get off work, studying during the day and working at night.

This plan is also intended to maintain Xiaoman's income level to the greatest extent possible. In addition, like other impoverished apprentices, Xiaoman can enjoy free meals at the studio.

And so, Xiaoman became one of Zhang Defa's few female apprentices.

In the beginning, Xiaoman was indeed very serious and grateful for the opportunity Zhang Defa gave her. As time went by, Xiaoman felt more and more that ice sculpting was actually a very simple thing, not as difficult as Zhang Defa had said.

Indeed, because Xiaoman resembled Cuiying, Zhang Defa gave her a lot of extra care, which the other trainees could also notice.

It wasn't until seven months after Xiaoman began learning ice sculpting, in early December of that year, that the person in charge of Yanji Ice and Snow World approached Zhang Defa, wanting him to select some high-caliber apprentices to help them complete this year's ice sculpture theme design.

At first, Xiaoman didn't pay much attention, but she soon learned that the person in charge selected this time could receive a reward of 120,000 yuan.

This sum of money was an astronomical figure that could change Xiaoman's life, but she also knew that she was not capable of handling the ice sculpture project alone, let alone such a large project as the Ice and Snow World.

In order to secure this project, Xiaoman devised many methods and even gave Zhang Defa some subtle hints.

He never married, but in his old age he met a woman who looked almost exactly like his first love. It would be a lie to say he wasn't moved at all.

However, Zhang Defa ultimately held firm to his principles.

At this moment, Xiaoman's complaints also attracted some people with ulterior motives.

Because Zhang Defa often engages in charitable activities and even frequently undertakes large-scale ice sculpture projects free of charge, his actions have infringed upon the interests of many of his peers, leading many to treat him as a mortal enemy.

Xiaoman's appearance made these people realize that things were taking a turn for the better.

Xiaoman initially disagreed. Although she desperately needed the money, she could also feel Zhang Defa's care for her. However, as the offer increased, Xiaoman eventually wavered.

My mother's serious illness and urgent need for a large sum of money for surgery became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

That night, Xiaoman didn't work at the KTV, but went back to the studio. She knew that Zhang Defa was busy until midnight every day, so she took advantage of the weekend when the students living in the dorms went home to visit their families to return to the studio.

After arranging everything, Xiaoman deliberately wore thin clothes and moved back and forth between the room and the bathroom to attract Zhang Defa's attention.

But to Xiaoman's surprise, her so-called tricks had no room to work in front of a focused sculptor.

Finally, Xiaoman could only pretend to fall down in the room and ask for help, which successfully led Zhang Defa into the room.

……

A week later, Zhang Defa became a defendant on suspicion of indecent assault.

This incident caused a great stir at the time.

At first, most people believed that the highly respected Zhang Defa would not do such a morally reprehensible thing, after all, there was a more than 20-year age gap between the two, and the woman was old enough to be Zhang Defa's daughter.

As the trial progressed, the media gradually took notice of the matter, and public opinion began to shift subtly.

Someone provided a bank transfer record from Zhang Defa. Although the recipient's information was hidden, it has been confirmed that the recipient is the victim who claims to have been molested by Zhang Defa.

"Why pay if nothing has been done?" someone asked.

"Why would an old man give money to a female apprentice? And so much at that..."

"It must be very lonely to never get married in one's life..."

"..."

As public opinion intensified, Zhang Defa's reputation plummeted, and public opinion of him underwent a significant shift.

Because the trial was not open to the public, and in order to protect the privacy of the victim, Xiaoman's identity has never been revealed.

Just then, Zhang Defa met a lawyer, yes, this person was Zheng Jie.

Due to public pressure, no lawyer dared to defend Zhang Defa at the time. Furthermore, after being sued, Zhang Defa never came forward to clarify the situation and even refused to be interviewed by the media, which led the public to mistakenly believe that Zhang Defa had something to hide and was afraid to face the situation.

Zheng Jie is an exception. His older brother, Zheng Qiang, was Zhang Defa's apprentice. It was with Zhang Defa's help that Zheng Qiang successfully graduated and became a famous ice sculptor in Yanji, which enabled Zheng Jie to successfully complete his law studies and become a high-earning lawyer.

After the incident, Zheng Jie quickly found Zhang Defa. Although Zhang Defa didn't say anything, Zheng Jie realized that Zhang Defa had been framed, and then resolutely became Zhang Defa's lawyer.

Everyone thought that with the help of a lawyer, things would quickly take a turn for the better. However, to everyone's surprise, half a month after the incident, Zhang Defa lost the case. Because there was no actual sexual intercourse and no rape was committed, Zhang Defa was sentenced to seven days of administrative detention.