Chapter 150: People from the Traditional Calligraphers Association are here! Guaranteed second place!_1

Translator: 549690339

“Of course,” Qiu Xuezheng came back to his senses. He looked at Bai Lian, seriously explaining, “As long as you’re shortlisted, people will approach you. If you win third prize, the Traditional Calligraphers Association will definitely invite you to become a member, and then you won’t have any trouble applying to local calligraphy associations. The higher the ranking… the better, of course. If you win the first prize, it goes without saying that you might even become a senior member of the Traditional Calligraphers Association…”

At this point, Qiu Xuezheng did not continue.

He realized that Bai Lian was more concerned about Xiangcheng, so he continued to talk about these resources.

Many children in Xiangcheng like to learn calligraphy, but the area is remote and lacks teachers. Very few families like the Ren Family hire famous teachers from Beicheng, so most people are self-taught without any formal instruction.

“By the way,” Qiu Xuezheng suddenly remembered something. He stared at Bai Lian with sparkling eyes, “How old are you this year?”

“Two…” Bai Lian, thinking about the Orchid Pavilion Prize, started to reply instinctively, then hesitated. She lowered her eyes and after a long silence, said, “Mm, nineteen.”

“Nineteen,” the eyes of the head of the Culture and Tourism Bureau shone brightly.

This age, she would still be very young the next time she participates in the Orchid Pavilion Prize.

After making sure that Bai Lian will participate, Qiu Xuezheng and the other person both sighed in relief. He solemnly cautioned Bai Lian, “You should practice your calligraphy more during this time. Your brush strokes are still a bit unsteady. You need to submit your work by next week.”

The deadline for the Orchid Pavilion Prize was drawing close.

After Bai Lian left, the principal turned to the two of them, “Mr. Qiu, Director, shall we go have dinner first?”

“Sure,” the director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau finally showed a smile. As he headed out, he looked in the direction Bai Lian had gone, “Being shortlisted is certain, but I wonder if she and young Mr. Qiu can win the third prize this time.”

“Nineteen is too young an age. I didn’t even ask her what her CCPT score was,” Qiu Xuezheng walked out, knowing more insider information than the other two, and sighed, “And this time, the Orchid Pavilion Prize is like a dragon’s den of hidden talent, just Xie Jinyun and Xu Yajun are too eye-catching. But it’s not a big problem, she’s still young, by the next Orchid Pavilion Prize she is sure to astonish everyone.”

The principal did not understand these matters and listened quietly.

“What if Bai Lian writes an even more brilliant piece during this period? If she could win, a nineteen-year-old third prize winner, then in another three years, she goes on to win the first prize,” the director thought and couldn’t help but chuckle, “By then, our Xiangcheng will also be seen by them. The Traditional Calligraphers Association will definitely allocate resources to us.”

These thoughts were overly optimistic.

Qiu Xuezheng looked at the director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau wordlessly.

Dreaming day by day that Qiu Boqing would win a prize was one thing, but now he even dared to dream of a first prize.

Bai Lian returned to Class Fifteen.

Pu Xiaohan was talking to someone else about Qiu Xuezheng’s lecture from that morning, “Mr. Qiu really is my idol. The meaning of reading is why, to read for oneself…”

Zhang Shize was lying in the back, asleep, while Ning Xiao and Yang Lin were busy solving practice questions.

Bai Lian sat back in her place and slowly pulled out her physics practice book from among a pile of books.

When Pu Xiaohan saw her return, she abandoned her conversation with the others, turned around, and asked Bai Lian in a low voice, “What did the principal want with you this time? Another promotional video?”

“No,” Bai Lian said, casually uncapping a pen with one hand and leaning back in her chair. Then she suddenly looked up and smiled at Pu Xiaohan, “Why didn’t you get good at calligraphy?”

Pu Xiaohan touched her nose and shrugged her shoulders, “Just a little bit I learned from the teacher during big character class in elementary school, then later I learned on my own watching videos online.”

She sounded somewhat proud by the end of her statement.

Everyone studying calligraphy knows that with a teacher’s guidance, one can avoid many detours and lay a good foundation more quickly, making writing much easier.

Calligraphy is profound and complex, and without a teacher, it’s difficult to improve.

Yet Xiangcheng didn’t even have a Calligraphy Association. Those with any amount of achievement all settled in the Beicheng Writers’ Association.

Most of Xiangcheng’s population is made up of ordinary laborers without the means to hire a calligraphy teacher from Beicheng to instruct their children.

Pu Xiaohan was also like that, mostly self-taught.

Opportunities to hear a lecture from Qiu Xuezheng, like today, were almost non-existent.

“Hmm…” Bai Lian lowered her head, her fingertips pressing down on the practice book, lowered her lashes, casually writing on the physics test paper.

Pu Xiaohan wanted to boast to Bai Lian about how she had found many videos to learn on her own.

But looking at Bai Lian with her head down, she inexplicably felt a sense of sorrow emanating from her.

Pu Xiaohan swallowed the words she was about to say and just watched Bai Lian slowly work on physics problems.