Jian Xiuhuan muttered, "Good heavens, the advertisements have even infiltrated the art exhibition. This connection must be quite solid. Hua Wen Art Studio, this name sounds so familiar."
He noticed many staff members patrolling nearby, but they all seemed to ignore the little old man as they passed by.
This old man was no ordinary person. Jian Xiuhuan took note of his appearance, intending to ask his uncle later who he was.
Though the old man appeared to be of advanced age, he sat on a small stool with an energetic demeanor, his eyes flashing with shrewdness as he looked at Jian Sheng.
However, the moment he opened his mouth, he left everyone stunned and bewildered.
*Old man, are you trying to bully our Sheng Sheng because she's young and hasn't seen movies?*
Jian Sheng, however, was instantly captivated. She trotted over on her short legs, her large eyes blinking with curiosity. "Grandpa, how did you know I have excellent bones and a peculiar constitution? Other grandpas have told me the same thing, but when I asked them to teach me how to see it, they just said things like 'it can only be understood, not expressed in words,' which I don't understand."
"Cough cough cough."
The little old man, just thinking about how to trick her, choked and started coughing violently.
Jian Junruo and Jian Xiuhuan exchanged glances, a simultaneous thought crossing their minds.
*'How many con artists has Sheng Sheng/Little Cousin been fooled by?'*
*'We need to keep a closer eye on Sheng Sheng/Little Cousin from now on, absolutely must not let any scammers near her!'*
With this thought, their gazes towards the old man turned peculiar.
The old man coughed repeatedly. He had merely made a small joke out of amusement, never expecting the child to act so unexpectedly and put him in such an awkward position.
"Cough, cough, just a joke, just a joke. This old man is listed as a teacher at this art studio. I heard they were advertising at the exhibition, so I came to see the situation."
The old man quickly changed the subject, turning to the important matter at hand. "Little one, I saw earlier that you liked that ink wash painting the most. Can you tell me why?"
Jian Sheng tilted her head, thinking seriously. She replied uncertainly, "Perhaps because that painting is somewhat similar to the paintings my other grandpas draw?"
"Oh?" The old man's eyes suddenly lit up. "How is it similar?"
"It's a feeling, I guess?" Jian Sheng recalled the elders in the cultivation world who specialized in painting. "In that painting, I felt the immersive quality that my grandpas achieve when they draw ordinary paintings, as if they could pull people into the painting itself."
The old man found the little girl's words quite strange. 'Ordinary paintings'? Did that mean there were also extraordinary paintings?
However, he didn't dwell on it. His attention was mostly focused on the little girl's description. Her grandpas could also paint in a way that seemed to draw people into the artwork. Few people in this era could achieve such a feat. Could it be that this little girl was from one of those old fellows' families?
If those old fellows knew that their nurtured prodigy had been poached by him, would they be furious enough to go mad?
The old man chuckled sinisterly a few times, making Jian Sheng feel uneasy, wanting to bolt.
Just then, a middle-aged man with a refined aura, leading a group of teenagers of varying ages, approached.
The refined middle-aged man paused upon seeing the unfamiliar faces and bowed to the old man. "Teacher, I've brought these students."
"Ah, you've come at the right time," the old man waved, gesturing for them to move aside so as not to obstruct his view. He then pointed to the other works displayed on the stands. "Little one, continue telling me what you think of the other pieces here."
The refined middle-aged man's heart stirred, knowing that his teacher had discovered another promising talent.
Jian Sheng scratched her head and honestly replied, "They aren't as good as the paintings I saw earlier."
As soon as she said this, the refined middle-aged man's eyes brightened.
These paintings were selected from the most outstanding students across the country. Although they might not match the works of the masters, they were impressive enough to fool many.
Those who see a lot can distinguish good from bad. But for a little girl who looked to be four or five years old to do so, her artistic appreciation talent alone was remarkable.
Seeing his expression, the old man pointed to the seemingly ordinary ink wash painting mixed among the other works. "This little one just said that this was the best painting in the entire exhibition hall."
The refined middle-aged man immediately understood why his teacher was so impressed with this little girl.
In the art world, the value of a work is directly proportional to the artist's fame. This means that even for two works of the same quality, a famous artist's painting and one by an unknown will be vastly different.
Unless one has been immersed in this field for many years, they judge based on fame and cannot truly discern the quality of a painting.
If you show a teacher's and a student's paintings to an outsider, they might say, "Wow, amazing."
But if you ask them where the amazement lies, they wouldn't know.
If you ask them about the differences, they wouldn't know.
If you ask them which is better, they might even think the student's painting is slightly better.
Why? Because it's pretty! It's flashy!
As for soul? Spirit? Unfortunately, unless one reaches a certain level, ordinary people truly cannot tell.
The ink wash painting from earlier was casually done by his teacher.
And who is his teacher?
Cheng Yongtai! A towering figure in the art world!
His works are rare and sought-after in elite circles!
His teacher's last publicly sold work, a "Green Mountain Misty Hideaway" done casually two years ago, fetched a staggering thirty million at auction.
Although this painting was merely a casual stroke by his teacher, at his teacher's level, the spirit contained within his casual brushwork reached heights that countless artists couldn't achieve in a lifetime.
The young girl's ability to single out this painting from the entire exhibition hall, with her sharp discerning eye, was enough to make most insiders feel ashamed.
The refined middle-aged man now looked at Jian Sheng not just as a promising talent, but as a treasure!
Jian Sheng couldn't help but shrink her neck.
Why were these people looking at her with such strange expressions?
The old man was not surprised by Jian Sheng's words and asked with a smile, "Little one, can you elaborate a bit more? For example, if we consider that ink wash painting as a perfect score, what would the other paintings receive?"
The refined middle-aged man shivered at this.
In the entire art world, how many people dared to use this gentleman's painting as a scoring standard?
Jian Sheng's small face was starting to pucker like a bun.
The old man asked, "Is it difficult to evaluate?"
Jian Sheng shook her head, hesitating, "Would it be inappropriate to use this painting as a comparison?"
"Inappropriate in what way?"
"It's... a bit unfair to others."
Jian Sheng frowned, her small brows furrowed in displeasure, clearly implying that the old man was making things difficult for her.
The old man.
"Can you say whatever you want to say?"
"Yes, say whatever you want to say. Just state your first impression."