"Tongtong, tell Grandpa Zhao, does the old man who teaches you to paint have a goatee, always carries a folding fan, and is a bit eccentric?"
Tongtong nodded after hearing this: "Yes!"
"That's him, I can't believe he's actually taken on a disciple," Zhao Dewang was still a little excited.
Liu Yifeng asked with some confusion, "What is it, Old Zhao, you know the old gentleman who teaches Tongtong to paint?"
Up to this point, Liu Yifeng was still completely unaware of this mysterious old man who had taught Tongtong many skills, only knowing that such a person existed.
He actually quite wanted to meet this incredibly capable old gentleman, but unfortunately, he had not left any contact information with Tongtong, only saying that they would meet again if they were fated.
However, from Grandpa Zhao's reaction, it was clear he recognized Tongtong's master.
Zhao Dewang then said, "If I'm not mistaken, Tongtong's master is Master You Li Zi. He is a master of traditional Chinese painting, a world-renowned great painter, and he is also proficient in medicine, astronomy, fortune-telling, and so on. Furthermore, his achievements in these fields are top-notch.
However, he is a low-key person, and all the money he earned has been donated. His whereabouts are elusive, and very few people can contact him.
I had the honor of meeting him once at an international competition. Many young painters wanted to become his disciples and offered very high rewards, but he refused them all, saying he never accepted disciples.
At the time, I felt it was a pity. Such a capable person not taking disciples was a loss to the nation.
Now it seems, he doesn't not accept disciples, but rather those without innate talent.
Tongtong being able to become his disciple indicates that he saw Tongtong's talent.
The facts prove that his judgment is extremely sharp. Tongtong, at such a young age, can paint with such masterful style. It's not just because he teaches well, but because Tongtong has high talent."
After hearing Zhao Dewang's words, Liu Yifeng was surprised that Tongtong's master was so formidable and also possessed such noble character.
In this day and age, how many people could donate all the money they earned?
Such integrity was truly admirable.
If he had the chance to meet him in the future, he would definitely thank him for recognizing Tongtong's potential.
"Grandpa Zhao, is my master very powerful?" Tongtong asked curiously.
"More than powerful, your master is a prominent figure. Not only is his character invaluable, but he has also brought glory to the country many times. It's just that he personally prefers to be low-key, and the national leaders, according to his wishes, did not publicize him, so it's normal for people like you outside to not know him.
But among those in our field, there is no one who doesn't know the title Master You Li Zi." Speaking of this master, Zhao Dewang's expression carried a hint of pride.
He never imagined he would encounter Master You Li Zi's youngest disciple. Wasn't this an honor in itself?
Speaking of this, he shamelessly said, "Mr. Liu, I know your son is naturally intelligent, but he also needs learned skills. Now that Master You Li Zi is traveling far and wide, and Tongtong is so young with no one to teach him, even the best talent will be dulled over time.
Therefore, I would like to teach Tongtong painting and calligraphy. Would you be willing?"
If he hadn't known that Tongtong had been influenced by You Li Zi, he would have felt it an honor for Tongtong to be under his tutelage.
But now it was different. Tongtong's master was someone far superior to him. Now, having Tongtong under his tutelage would be more of a disservice to him.
Therefore, he was not sure if Liu Yifeng would agree.
Liu Yifeng was overjoyed upon hearing this, "Old Zhao, you are really willing to teach Tongtong calligraphy and painting?"
He had no idea who this You Li Zi was, but Zhao Lao's reputation, if not nationwide, was certainly very well-known in their city.
It was rumored that many parents had asked him to teach their children calligraphy and the like, but they were all refused.
Now, Zhao Lao was proactively offering to teach his son, how could he not be excited?
Zhao Lao nodded, "To be honest, being able to teach such an intelligent son as yours is not your son's honor, but mine. I really like Tongtong, so I hope you will agree to this matter."
Liu Yifeng nodded repeatedly, "I agree. As long as Old Zhao is willing to teach my son, the tuition fees are not a problem."
Zhao Dewang waved his hands repeatedly, "I am already very happy that you agree, so how can I accept money?"
"How can that be? Wouldn't you be teaching him for free?" Liu Yifeng already felt indebted because his daughter wasn't charging tuition.
Now, without asking for anything, teaching Tongtong for free, wouldn't that be taking advantage?
"How can this be considered free teaching? If Tongtong wins twice in international competitions in the future, that will be the best tuition for me. Alright, it's settled then.
From now on, Tongtong will come here every Saturday for a day of lessons. He will study calligraphy in the morning and painting in the afternoon. He will have lunch here, and you can pick him up in the evening.
If you're busy and can't pick him up, you can let him stay here. My house has plenty of everything, especially space.
It's just that I, an old man, am quite bored. Having Tongtong as company will make it much livelier."
It could be said that he had never been as attentive to his own grandson as he was to Tongtong.
He usually taught his grandson painting and calligraphy, but none of them had the knack. After two years of teaching, they had only learned the superficialities, which had angered him to the point of giving up teaching.
He preferred his daughter to hire a tutor with her own money, he didn't want to be angered to death.
"Tongtong, why don't you call him Master?" Liu Yifeng urged excitedly.
Tongtong was about to call out when Zhao Deli stopped him, "Calling me Master sounds awkward. Just call me Grandpa Zhao."
"Grandpa Zhao!" Tongtong immediately called out.
Seeing how quickly he responded, Zhao Deli liked him more and more.
"So well-behaved!" he said with a smile, then picked up Tongtong's painting and began to admire it.
Tongtong's paintings were indeed very good, surpassing many painters, but there were still many areas that needed refinement.
"You will have lunch here in a moment. I will first teach Tongtong calligraphy and see what his foundation is like!" Zhao Dewang immediately picked up a writing brush and wrote the character '立' on a white paper.
"Tongtong, can you write?" he asked.
Tongtong nodded, "Yes, I can already read storybooks completely."
"That's good. Copy this character '立' and I'll see how well you write it." Zhao Dewang had actually guessed that Tongtong could write.
Because in the math problems his daughter gave him, there was an equation that required writing the character '解' when solving it.
That '解' character was written by Tongtong, and it was neat and elegant.
Tongtong obediently held the brush and began to write.
His handwriting was indeed very good, even more beautiful than that of many university students.
However, it lacked brushstrokes, making it appear without force, lacking the aesthetic appeal of calligraphy, giving the impression of being beautiful on the surface but hollow within.
But to be able to write to this extent, Zhao Dewang was already very satisfied.
So, he began to teach Tongtong how to land his strokes and where to apply pressure.
At this moment, the nanny walked in and said, "Sir, the young lady just called. She said she'll be back for lunch. What should I prepare for lunch?"
"Stir-fry the vegetables and wild mushrooms brought by Mr. Liu separately, and stew an old duck. For the rest, just make whatever you think is appropriate, but don't make it too light. Mr. Liu and his son will also stay for lunch."
The nanny nodded and went out to prepare lunch.