CHAPTER 79: CHAPTER 79: INSIGHT (SECOND UPDATE)

"Miss Bei, your timing is impeccable; Boss Feng just returned the day before yesterday." Zhou Jiren said with a light smile.

When Beisitian saw this smile, she suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she had seen it somewhere before, but the feeling quickly passed, and she dismissed it as an illusion.

"Timing is everything," Beisitian replied with a smile.

"He informed us as soon as he returned, so we can visit anytime." Zhou Jiren poured a cup of tea for Beisitian, "Have some water first."

Beisitian wasn’t shy about it; she was indeed thirsty from the journey.

"Miss Bei, you’re still so low-key."

Beisitian asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Zhou Jiren chuckled, "Although we have no association with Bao Niang Embroidery Workshop, I’m aware of its influence in the industry. The embroiderers at Bao Niang Embroidery Workshop have high salaries. Even if you’re saving money at home, it seems a bit too low-key."

Beisitian realized he was referring to her clothing when she noticed his gaze on her outfit.

Though the coarse cloth jacket she wore had no patches, it was extremely worn, with some parts faded and even thinning.

Beisitian couldn’t help but chuckle; Mr. Zhou from Jishi Pharmacy certainly was amusing. While it seemed he wasn’t one to meddle in others’ affairs, he always paid attention to these minor details.

"It’s better to prevent a thief’s intent than deal with an actual thief. Dressing this way is just fine," Beisitian said.

She was focusing all her energy on recuperating and earning money, not getting bogged down with Qin Hongmei. In any case, her current appearance wasn’t eye-catching, so whatever she wore looked plain.

Once her vitality was restored, her looks would change, and by then, it wouldn’t be too late to dress up properly.

Another reason, as a woman traveling alone, appearing this way was safer. She didn’t have to worry about being targeted for money or attention for her appearance.

Zhou Jiren’s eyes flickered, as if a thought occurred to him, but he moved on from the topic without further comment.

After a brief rest, Zhou Jiren led Beisitian out of the Jishi Pharmacy.

At the main entrance, Beisitian suddenly smiled and said, "Mr. Zhou, aren’t you driving a donkey cart today?"

She hadn’t forgotten when she first met Zhou Jiren, he was driving a donkey cart. On thinking about it, he wasn’t wearing the traditional Zhongshan suit that day, but a coarse cloth jacket.

Since then, upon meeting him in town multiple times, he’d never again worn a coarse cloth jacket, always dressed neatly in a Zhongshan suit.

Hearing this, Zhou Jiren gave her a deep, meaningful glance, "Not driving."

Beisitian merely mentioned it offhandedly; she had many doubts about Zhou Jiren, which only increased with more interactions.

Even though Zhou Jiren was assisting her, she was always skeptical, as businessmen are typically shrewd; they don’t act without benefit, so she had no reason to trust anyone!

Moreover, Zhou Jiren seemed somewhat mysterious and often did things that didn’t align with his personality, creating a sense of dissonance.

Beisitian didn’t know why she felt this way, but the more they interacted, the stronger the feeling grew.

Thus, Beisitian was very cautious of Zhou Jiren. Even though she was on guard, Zhou Jiren was indeed helping her, she openly offered a small commission, and Zhou Jiren also indicated that he wasn’t interested in such a petty profit.

So, why was Zhou Jiren helping her? And it seemed to be done with considerable effort, which made her even more perplexed and unable to fathom.

The two of them walked together towards their destination, where Beisitian noticed that Zhou Jiren was indeed very tall. The original owner was at least 1.65 meters tall, but Zhou Jiren was still a head taller, requiring her to look up every time they spoke.

Qingzhou Town was not large, with a total population of thirty to forty thousand people, including nearby villages, so the place wasn’t extensive.

Yet, even in such a small area, it was divided into East and West districts. The West District, where Beisitian previously bought steamed buns, was frequented by street vendors, while the East District had many shops.

The shops here were naturally larger establishments, such as Bao Niang Embroidery Workshop and Jishi Pharmacy.

Wenfang Society wasn’t far from Bao Niang Embroidery Workshop, both near the West District.

Therefore, walking took only about ten minutes.

As they approached the entrance, Beisitian caught the fragrance of ink and looked up to see three vigorous characters.

Seeing the characters, Beisitian’s eyes brightened, "Great writing!"

"The young lady has a keen eye." A deep voice emerged from within.

Beisitian glanced over, observing a man in his forties emerging. This man had a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. His initially stern expression softened with a smile.

"Brother Zhang, long time no see." Zhou Jiren said with a smile, his eyes slightly dimming in warmth.

Feng Yunzhang laughed heartily as he approached, "Brother Zhou, your visit brings me immense joy, and it’s thanks to this young lady!"

"Miss Bei, this is Boss Feng of Wenfang Society." Zhou Jiren said to Beisitian, then introduced her to Feng Yunzhang, "Miss Bei is the one I mentioned who wants to sell calligraphy."

Feng Yunzhang nodded, "Our Wenfang Society regularly acquires calligraphy and paintings; however, we do not accept just any. Even if Brother Zhou introduces you, there are no exceptions."

Zhou Jiren smiled without responding. Wenfang Society was indeed impressive; otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought Beisitian here. Besides, he had seen Beisitian’s calligraphy, which should pose no problems.

Feng Yunzhang stated this in advance to avoid offending Zhou Jiren if her calligraphy didn’t meet the standards, as that would be counterproductive.

"What do you think of my calligraphy?" Feng Yunzhang turned back to look at the characters ’Wenfang Society’ and asked.

"Vigorous and powerful! Like ancient pines standing in the clouds!" Beisitian praised the characters, then turned her gaze to Feng Yunzhang, "But this wasn’t written by Boss Feng."

Feng Yunzhang glanced at Zhou Jiren, raised an eyebrow, and said displeasedly, "Young lady, you shouldn’t speak carelessly. If this calligraphy wasn’t done by me, then who else could it be?"

Zhou Jiren also looked at Beisitian.

Beisitian smiled gently, "The calligraphy conveys a sense of integrity and unyielding spirit amidst adversity, with profound meaning. That’s why I likened it to pines and cypress. The person who wrote this must be at least sixty years old, with vast experiences, far beyond the average person’s state of mind. Forgive my candor, Boss Feng, but your current age likely doesn’t allow for such depth."

Feng Yunzhang was slightly moved, as Beisitian’s assessment was spot on!

He had shown displeasure earlier just to test this young lady, fearing she was guessing blindly. Unexpectedly, she discerned the writer’s mindset so accurately!

Leaving aside her calligraphy skills, this keen insight alone earned Feng Yunzhang’s admiration.

"Miss Bei, please have a seat inside!" Feng Yunzhang’s attitude towards Beisitian changed significantly, no longer as casual as before.