The Romance of a Young Painter

When Zhou Nianjiu woke up, he was covered in cold sweat. He stared at the water-soaked and dried-up mark on the ceiling for a long time.He touched his right arm carefully, from the elbow to the arm, and from the arm to the fingertips, without missing an inch. He went back and forth twice, and then he breathed a long sigh of relief. Consciously tossing and turning on the bed, the old canopy bed creaked, waking up the roommate.

"What time is it?" Jin Bao rubbed his eyes in a daze.

Zhou Nianjiu replied, "Six forty."

"Oh my god! It's so late?! Morning exercise, morning exercise, and you have to mark it off for being late." Jin Baoteng sat up and grabbed the balled T-shirt next to him and put it on his head. Halfway through it, he suddenly thought of something, "No, it's the weekend .” After speaking, he took off his clothes and lay down again.

"Well, you sleep a little longer." Zhou Nianjiu couldn't fall asleep anymore, he went to wash his hands lightly, a white face was reflected in the mirror on the wall, he turned on the tap and poured a handful of cold water on his face. The bangs of the water stuck to his forehead messily, he stroked them a few times, and then picked up his glasses to cover his eyes.

Zhou Nianjiu packed up and went to the playground. There were not many people doing morning exercises. After warming up a little, he started running along the outer circle. The running speed was not slow, but his breathing rhythm was very steady.Since he woke up, his heart has been in chaos, and only this kind of monotonous and repetitive movement is the easiest to calm his mind. He doesn't know how long he has been running, and when he calms down, his whole body seems to be fished out of the water.He slowed down slowly, and then went to the side bar to do stretching.

Someone not far away said: "... sweating a lot, working so hard, are you a good sportsman?"

"It's true that he is a special student, but he is engaged in art. It is said that he has won many awards, so he is proud."

Seeing Zhou Nianjiu looking over, the two over there were a little embarrassed, and then they pretended to be nonchalant and left.

It seems that one of them knows himself, but Zhou Nianjiu doesn't know them.This is not surprising at all. The No. [-] Middle School in S City has to be divided into classes every school year. Most of the students will be separated before they get to know each other well. In addition, Zhou Nianjiu usually stays in the studio after class, so even the classmates in the same class are in the studio. He didn't recognize them all, only a few people in the dormitory had a little more communication. Among them, Jin Bao, who was in the same class and in the same dormitory for two years, was the one he knew best.

When Zhou Nianjiu returned to the dormitory, Jin Bao was already up. Seeing the breakfast handed over, the little fat man almost narrowed his eyes with a smile:

"Thank you, great artist."

"I told you to call me by my name." Zhou Nianjiu corrected him.

I haven't seen him so serious before. Jin Bao, who was biting a bun, felt that his roommate was a little weird today.

After taking a shower, Zhou Nianjiu didn't go to the studio as usual, but went to the classroom with Jin Bao for two hours of self-study with textbooks and notes.When it was almost noon, he packed his books and went outside the school alone, and then sent a message to his brother Wen Ju'an.

In less than a minute, the phone call came over: "Xiao Nian, what's the matter?"

Zhou Nianjiu said bluntly: "Brother, I don't plan to take the Academy of Fine Arts anymore, I want to take the college entrance examination."

Wen Juan was obviously taken aback: "What?"

Zhou Nianjiu emphasized again: "I won't take the Academy of Fine Arts exam."

Wen Juan quickly calmed down, and just asked, "Are you sure?"

Zhou Nianjiu let out a "huh".

"Humanities or Science?"

Zhou Nianjiu thought for a while and said, "Let's study liberal arts, I don't have much feeling for science and engineering majors."

Wen Ju'an asked, "Have you decided which school to take?"

Zhou Nianjiu shook her head, realizing that she couldn't see it from the other end of the phone, so she said, "It's not decided yet, but I want to take the exam in City B."

Wen Ju'an, who was studying at Q University in City B, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Is it because of Aunt Zhou?"

He was talking about Zhou Nianjiu's mother, Zhou Sulan.Zhou Sulan is from City B. She took her children to City S to work hard more than ten years ago, but she never went back.Three years ago, Zhou Sulan suffered from an emergency and was not rescued. She passed away before she was 40 years old. Her biggest wish at the end of her life was to visit Xishan Qingxue in her hometown again.

Zhou Nianjiu said, "It's not all."

"Then there is another reason?" Wen Juan asked him.

"Brother, when did you become such a gossip." Zhou Nianjiu complained a little.

"Whoever calls me is just a younger brother like you." Wen Juan returned to the subject, "Xiao Nian, if you want to study liberal arts, the most ideal thing is to go to B University of a century-old school."

"University B also has the highest admission score." Even Zhou Nianjiu, who hadn't paid attention to the unified examination before, knew this very well.

Wen Juan said: "I am very aware of your potential. You didn't spend much time studying before, but you have been able to maintain a mid-level ranking in your grades. As long as you arrange your revision reasonably in the next year, it will not be difficult to get into a good school. "

"Well, so I want to enroll in a cram school first." Zhou Nianjiu knew that many students around him were taking extra-curricular tutoring.

Wen Ju'an stopped him and said, "Don't worry, I'll do some research and call you later today."

Zhou Nianjiu agreed: "Okay, then I'll go to eat first, and dad will come over today." After living in high school, he would go home to eat every weekend. This semester will take exams, and his stepfather Wen Wenyuan is afraid that he will run around and delay his studies. Instead, eat at a restaurant not far from the school.

"Go," Wen Ju'an told him again, "Just now you said hello to Dad, it's not a trivial matter, let him be prepared by making it clear earlier."

Zhou Nianjiu nodded: "Understood, brother."

He hung up the phone and walked to the usual restaurant, where Wen Wenyuan was already waiting.

"Xiao Nian." Wen Wenyuan beckoned him to sit over, and then asked the waiter to serve dishes, stewed fish head, roasted beef, fried yam, and a jar of clear tonic, Zhou Nianjiu's favorite food.

"Dad, drink the soup." Zhou Nianjiu first filled a bowl for Wen Wenyuan, then buried himself in the soup.

"Xiao Nian, you look thinner again." Wen Wenyuan picked up a chopstick of beef for him, "Is it because the food in the school cafeteria is not good? If it's not good, come out to eat."

"Nothing, the school cafeteria is pretty good, and I eat a lot, I guess it's all used to grow taller." Zhou Nianjiu made a gesture of growing taller with one hand, and put a piece of meat in the bowl with rice after drinking the soup I ate all of it.

Wen Wenyuan looked him up and down: "Well, he looks like a big guy, do you have a girlfriend?"

Again.

Zhou Nianjiu answered this question for the Nth time: "No."

"That's weird, our Xiao Nian is so good, why isn't there a little girl chasing after him?"

Zhou Nianjiu said helplessly, "Dad, puppy love is not allowed in school."

"It's almost seventeen and it's still called puppy love. The school is still so unenlightened?" Wen Wenyuan shook his head and asked, "Is there enough money?"

"Enough." The meal card was recharged for Wenmingyuan as soon as school started. Apart from buying reference books and painting utensils, he usually has almost no other expenses, and he can save more than half of his monthly pocket money.

"Well, I have to say it's not enough. By the way, when is the holiday?"

"It's still half a month. It will be almost a week after the exam."

"Alright then, Dad will pick you up then." Wen Wenyuan muttered a few more words before concentrating on eating.

When the food was almost wiped out on the table, and both of them were full, Zhou Nianjiu poured Wen Wenyuan a cup of hot tea, and said carefully what he had said to Wen Ju'an: "Dad, I don't plan to take the Academy of Fine Arts exam anymore. , I want to take the college entrance examination."

Wen Wenyuan was taken aback, and it took him a long time to ask with a puzzled face: "Xiao Nian, Dad knew that painting was your favorite thing since childhood, but now you suddenly say you won't take the exam, can you tell Dad why?"

Holding the teacup in his hand, Zhou Nianjiu was silent for a while, and then slowly said: "I have been holding a paintbrush for as long as I can remember. Looking back on these years, I have been painting most of the time except sleeping. I continued to paint, but one day, I suddenly asked myself, would the things drawn in this way have been limited, after all, I didn’t care much about things other than painting, and I knew almost nothing about the outside world. This question I thought about it for a long time, trying to find a way out of this situation, Dad, I think this is a good time, it's time to make a change."

Such remarks surprised Wenmingyuan.

Zhou Nianjiu has been very well-behaved since she was a child. When other children didn't go to the house for three days, Zhou Nianjiu could stay alone in front of the easel for hours.Wenmingyuan sometimes hopes that this child can be as lively as his peers, and sometimes he is satisfied because of this child's calm and concentration.Now this well-behaved son suddenly made such a speech, and he used the attitude of "I am not discussing with you, I have already made a decision", Wen Wenming's mood is a bit complicated.

Wen Wenyuan didn't think about it for a long time. He said, "Xiao Nian, just do what you want. As long as you are happy, Dad will fully support you. I will tell your head teacher at the school."

"Thank you Dad." Zhou Nianjiu felt warm in his heart.

Wen Wenyuan wanted to pat his head a little bit, although Zhou Nianjiu had grown so much taller, the appearance of Zhou Nianjiu at this moment overlapped with the little one who hid behind Zhou Sulan 13 years ago.But he still held back. After all, a half-child who is almost 17 years old will be disgusted if he touches his head casually.

Wen Wenyuan took a sip of hot tea and said, "Do you want to make up the cultural class?"

"Yeah, yes." Zhou Nianjiu hadn't considered taking a road other than the Academy of Fine Arts before, and the culture class was just for passing the exam. "I originally wanted to enroll in a cram school."

Wen Wenyuan thought for a while and said, "The cram schools outside are all one-to-many, and the results may not be ideal. Dad thinks it's best to find someone to tutor. Your brother has always been good at studying. Dad will ask him later."

Zhou Nianjiu smiled: "I've already told my brother about this, and he said to call me later."

Wen Wenyuan showed an expression of apprehension, and asked, "Xiao Nian, what's your father's number in your heart?"

Zhou Nianjiu replied without hesitation: "Father, brother and Huahua are both tied for No.1."

Wen Wenyuan said angrily and funnyly: "You. By the way, you can ask your brother if he will come back to live during the summer vacation."

"Okay." Zhou Nianjiu heard that he wanted Wen Ju'an.

Wen Juan was picked up by Wen Juan, because of a disagreement on the adoption of Wen Juan, Wen Wenyuan blew it away with the person he was talking to at the time, and brought Wen Juan alone to become a single father.Wen Juan was five years old when he was adopted, and he has already remembered things. Because of what happened to him when he was young, Wenmingyuan has always loved his elder son very much. place to play.Wen Juan is now studying in City B, and he only comes back to live for a while during the winter and summer vacations. At the end of last year, he and a few classmates set up a studio in Shangdi. , Wen Wenyuan would say a few words about him in front of Zhou Nianjiu from time to time.

After dinner, Wen Wenyuan bought a bunch of daily necessities and snacks for Zhou Nianjiu, and told him a lot before letting him go back to the dormitory.

Zhou Nianjiu divided up the snacks and put them on the roommate's table, and after a while, he received a call from Wen Juan, who gave an overview of his conversation with Wenmingyuan.

"Teaching in a large class is really not as good as teaching by a special person," Wen Juan agreed with Wen Wenyuan on this point, "Xiao Nian, I will give you a special review plan for foreign language and math, and I will also help you pay attention to the appropriate ones. people."

Wen Juan was the top scorer in the national science college entrance examination back then, and Zhou Nianjiu let go of the last bit of uncertainty in his heart, and couldn't help but smile and said, "Brother, you are so kind."

The other end of the phone laughed too.

Zhou Nianjiu always felt that Wen Juan's laughter was very comfortable, so after listening to it for a while, he asked, "Brother, Dad asked if you would come back to live during the summer vacation. I think he really wants you to stay at home for a while."

Wen Juan teased him: "What about Xiao Nian? Do you want me to come back?"

"Of course I don't want to. Dad doesn't care about me when my brother is here. He just hangs around me." Zhou Nianjiu thought it was funny when he thought of Wen Wenyuan's wholehearted thought of doing something for Wen Ju'an but couldn't do anything. For the sake of helping me with my tutoring, it is better to reluctantly approve brother to come back and live."

"You little brat, you have an itchy scalp. Let's see how I deal with you when I go back."

"Then I'll wait." Wen Ju'an's threats were always thunderous and rainy, but Zhou Nianjiu was not afraid at all, "Brother, when are you going on vacation?"

Wen Juan calculated the time: "July [-]st, but I still have a project on hand, it will be until the afternoon of the [-]th, and I will book a ticket for the morning of the [-]th."

"Okay, then I'll tell Dad to wait for you to go home for lunch."

The two brothers chatted a lot of irrelevant things before hanging up the phone.

Wen Juan stood on the balcony of the studio, waiting for the phone screen to go dark before turning back to the house.

"Who is the boss on the phone with? He's so mysterious and wants to go out to talk, can't it be a girl?" Programmer A sucked on the instant noodles and pushed his glasses obscenely.

"What girl, have you ever seen the boss talk to a girl for more than 1 minute? It must be brother Xiao Nian." Programmer B looked down on your IQ, and then winked at Wen Ju'an, "I guess not?" Wrong, boss."

"Order takeout for dinner, and I'll add a chicken drumstick for you." Wen Juan unlocked the screen, typing quickly on the keyboard with his slender fingers.

"I can add more food when I go here, and there is no one to control the boss." Programmer C showed a puzzled smile, "But this is also good, without such a strong opponent, the girls are all mine hahaha."

"Terrible optimism." Programmer A shook his head, looked at the progress of the task, and decided to get something practical for himself, "Boss, I also apply for a chicken leg."

"Same request." Programmer C raised his hand.

"Okay." Wen Juan didn't lift his head.

Programmer AC exchanged a look—as expected, the boss who was blessed by Xiao Nian's brother was the best at talking.