Scum Gong Walks the Career Line in the Crematorium

TL: Moonlit

After moving out of the Qi family, Qi Yuyu only went back on weekends. It wasn’t a weekend today, but he suddenly wanted to go back and take a look.

The traffic was congested the entire way, and by the time he arrived home, the sky was already dim, the perfect time for dinner.

Father Qi, Mother Qi, and Qi Fenghua were sitting at the dining table, enjoying themselves, chatting and laughing. When they saw Qi Yuyu, they all froze for a moment, and the warm and harmonious atmosphere instantly turned cold.

It was Qi Fenghua who regained his senses first. He still harbored resentment toward Qi Yuyu for persuading him to agree to the divorce. His tone was neither cold nor warm. “Why did you suddenly come?”

His tone was too presumptuous, as if this was his home and not Qi Yuyu’s.

Qi Yuyu’s sudden arrival felt like an unfamiliar relative intruding, making the host feel awkward. Mother Qi uncomfortably smoothed her hair and said, “Have you eaten? If you haven’t, sit down and have a meal with us.”

“No,” Qi Yuyu felt a mix of emotions in his heart. “I came for the Spring Breeze Art Exhibition…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Father Qi interrupted him with a beaming smile. “Are you here to choose a painting for your younger brother to submit?”

At the same time, the previously stagnant atmosphere became lively once again. Father Qi, Mother Qi, and Qi Fenghua discussed with smiles on their faces, as if asking for Qi Yuyu’s opinion but paying no attention to his response.

“I think your brother’s painting ‘Mother’ is good. It exudes maternal tenderness.”

“I, on the other hand, think that Fenghua’s painting ‘Volcanic Eruption’ is more impactful and suitable for the competition.”

“Mom, Dad, I want to submit ‘Roaring Waves’ for the competition…”

Qi Fenghua studied oil painting, which was the most traditional and widely appreciated form of art. His artworks were always bright, and only in recent years did he incorporate some elements of sadness, adding depth to his pieces.

From the perspective of a professional art dealer, Qi Fenghua’s painting skills still carried a touch of immaturity. But considering that he was only twenty-two years old, as long as he continued to improve and was given some time, he had a promising future.

Qi Yuyu never denied Qi Fenghua’s talent in painting. He silently ate his meal, the echoes of his parents boasting and expressing pride filling his ears. Suddenly, he put down his chopsticks and interrupted them, saying, “Dad, Mom, I also want to participate in the Spring Breeze Art Exhibition.”

The others paused, and their gazes finally fell on Qi Yuyu.

“What do you mean?” Father Qi furrowed his brows. “Are you expressing dissatisfaction with us?”

Father Qi was somewhat angry. He felt that Qi Yuyu was jealous of his younger brother, resenting that his parents only paid attention to him and not to Qi Yuyu, silently expressing his dissatisfaction.

As he thought about it, his initial anger quickly turned into genuine fury. Father Qi suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, “You’re already an adult. Don’t play these childish games.”

Mother Qi was also displeased. “This is your brother’s important event in life. What are you doing here, causing trouble?”

Qi Yuyu looked at the three of them and let out a soft sigh. He tried to explain as best as he could, “I also enjoy painting. I want to give it a try…”

“If you enjoy painting, just paint for yourself in your free time,” Father Qi said in an extremely open-minded manner. “Having a hobby outside of work is a good thing, and we haven’t stopped you.”

Mother Qi followed up, “The Spring Breeze Art Exhibition is a serious matter. Don’t disturb your brother’s affairs.”

In their words and tone, there was an undeniable indifference.

Qi Yuyu fell silent for a while, then asked, “What if I insist on participating?”

“There are so many artists who have been studying since childhood participating in the selection. You haven’t received systematic training, so even if you participate, you’ll probably be eliminated in the first round,” Qi Fenghua elegantly stirred the chicken soup in his bowl with a spoon, sounding concerned. “Brother, don’t have high expectations.”

No one took Qi Yuyu’s words seriously.

“You should take advantage of the Spring Breeze Art Exhibition to sign a few promising artists and sell some paintings. Don’t neglect your proper business,” Father Qi said finally.

They thought Qi Yuyu would abandon the idea at this point, but they heard Qi Yuyu’s deep voice.

“Painting is a serious matter for my brother, but why is it considered neglecting my proper business when I paint?”

No matter how they tried to persuade him, Father Qi was also getting annoyed. He snorted, “Do you have the same talent as your brother? Without that talent, don’t dream of making a living through painting.”

Understanding his family’s opinion, Qi Yuyu lowered his head and looked at his bowl.

When Qi Fenghua was young, he showed a love and affinity for painting. Father Qi and Mother Qi invited several artists from different schools to teach young Qi Fenghua.

At that time, Qi Yuyu had just been brought back home. His relationship with his parents was neither cold nor warm, and he wasn’t close to his younger brother either. Only when he listened to Qi Fenghua learning to paint did he feel the charm of art.

He didn’t even understand the difference between oil painting and watercolor painting, couldn’t distinguish between Picasso and Monet. But he knew that the discomfort and loneliness he felt in the new environment were captured in his drawings.

For a long time, Qi Yuyu followed Qi Fenghua as he learned, even after starting school. In his free time, Qi Yuyu used drawing as a way to express his emotions.

He hadn’t received systematic training, and only had some basic knowledge from different “teachers” when he was young. He had some understanding of traditional Chinese painting, liked oil painting, and dabbled in watercolor painting… If it weren’t for the limited conditions, he would have been open to sculpture as well.

After graduating, he obediently became an art dealer according to his parents’ wishes, taking over the accumulated connections of the family, and paving the way for his brother’s career as an artist. Only when he returned to his own house did Qi Yuyu have time to paint.

Painting seemed like just a hobby for him, a means to soothe his emotions. But with a few casual words from Lin Hanchuan, Qi Yuyu discovered that his ambition in painting had been stirred.

Qi Yuyu even had some doubts: Was he really a passive person? Why could he tolerate his parents’ neglect and indifference, and still give them his all?

Do I have such a saintly father? Qi Yuyu didn’t understand why he suddenly felt a sense of disharmony. He just didn’t want to endure it anymore.

So he stood up, wiped his mouth slowly, threw the tissue into the bowl, and said, “Whether or not I have a talent for painting is my own business, but I definitely don’t have the talent for being an art dealer.”

“What do you mean?” Father Qi looked at Qi Yuyu suspiciously.

“I quit,” Qi Yuyu smiled. A touch of enchantment appeared on his usually calm and pale face.

Both Father Qi and Mother Qi stared in astonishment as they watched Qi Yuyu clap his hands and leave gracefully. Qi Fenghua also watched Qi Yuyu’s figure and inexplicably felt that his temperament seemed somewhat familiar… He seemed to have seen the same temperament before.

Snapping back to reality, Father Qi and Mother Qi were trembling with anger. Qi Fenghua brought his thoughts back and comforted his parents, not dwelling on Qi Yuyu’s figure or the question of who he resembled.

As he leisurely walked out of the Qi family’s home, the sky had already turned completely dark. Qi Yuyu looked up at the starless night sky and unexpectedly let out a sigh of relief. It felt as if a person who had been imprisoned for a long time had finally walked out of the prison.

Even though it was the same sky, and the same air, Qi Yuyu felt a sense of lightness throughout his body, as if he had shed some shackles.

With a thought, Qi Yuyu took out a business card and dialed the number on it. His voice carried a hint of a smile, “Boss Yi, I wonder if your words still hold true.”

When Lin Hanchuan received the call, he was negotiating renovation issues with workers at the gallery. After hearing Qi Yuyu’s words, he was stunned for a moment before smiling and saying, “My words hold true.”

He drove to the intersection near the Qi family’s home to pick up Qi Yuyu. Lin Hanchuan spoke with a smile, “Are you going to sign with me?”

Artists generally don’t personally sell their own paintings. They might not understand the market prices and end up underselling their works, or they might not have many channels for sales.

Most artists choose to sign with a gallery, giving the gallery the rights to represent their works and find channels for sales, with both parties receiving a share of the proceeds.

More powerful art galleries can even turn unknown artists into emerging masters and sell their works at prices several times or hundreds of times higher. With the professional operation and channels of a gallery, even renowned artists can find the right collectors and sell their works at even higher prices.

Art is the art of the few, and it is also the art of the wealthy.

Qi Yuyu is also an art dealer, and he is well aware of this. Logically speaking, he doesn’t lack channels himself, and his accumulated connections are even stronger than those of Lin Hanchuan, a fledgling art dealer. But he simply said, “If we sign a contract, how do you want to split the proceeds?”

The two joked and laughed as they arrived at their destination, Qi Yuyu’s own home.

Lin Hanchuan had only been there once but remembered the address.

When they got off the car, Qi Yuyu casually invited, “Would you like to come up for a drink?”

Lin Hanchuan hesitated for a few seconds. There were still gallery matters waiting for him to attend to, and he also needed to learn about the Spring Breeze Art Exhibition. Looking at Qi Yuyu’s eyes, Lin Hanchuan unbuckled his seatbelt and said, “I can’t refuse your hospitality.”

Qi Yuyu’s home was just as he remembered, filled with a strong collector’s atmosphere. Lin Hanchuan glanced around and noticed that Qi Yuyu had already put away his own paintings.

Qi Yuyu took out a few cans of beer from the refrigerator and handed two to Lin Hanchuan.

The two men sat side by side on the sofa. With a snap, they opened the pull tabs on the beer cans. The air was filled with a faint smell of alcohol mixed with wheat fragrance. They clinked their cans in unspoken agreement.

“To freedom.”

Lin Hanchuan didn’t ask about Qi Yuyu’s family matters, and Qi Yuyu didn’t mention why Lin Hanchuan suddenly gave up painting and became an art dealer.

The cold beer entered their mouths and flowed into their stomachs. Lin Hanchuan remained composed. “Have you decided which painting to enter the competition with?”

Qi Yuyu, more than the average participant, understood the taste of the judges. He took a sip of beer and muttered, “Although each judge scores according to personal aesthetics, and everyone’s taste is different, but…”

“Paintings that are more rich and impactful, creating an immediate impact, are more likely to win favor from the judges.”

Since he had decided to participate, Qi Yuyu didn’t plan to just go through the motions. He had a suppressed anger in his heart that needed to be released through his artwork.

Lin Hanchuan tapped his beer can against Qi Yuyu’s beer can and made a muffled sound. “Good luck.”

The gloom in Qi Yuyu’s eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a hint of an unsearchable smile. Jokingly, he said, “After winning, I’ll hang it in your gallery as the centerpiece. You’ll have a treasure to showcase.”

“Sure,” Lin Hanchuan readily agreed, also smiling. “I’ll hang it in the most prominent position.”

“If someone asks, I’ll tell them it’s my prized possession, not for sale.”

 

Author’s Note:

The Spring Breeze Art Exhibition is fictional but inspired by national art exhibitions.

I have no knowledge of painting. If there are any cute readers who understand it and find it outrageous… well, it’s all fiction, muah!