Almighty painter

Chapter 573: Exhibition Paintings (Part )
"The check is real."

Koko noticed her aunt's eyes and whispered that she once again handed over the check in her hand.

Dan Minming stared at his daughter.

Koko also stared at her father stubbornly without any hesitation.

The father and daughter looked at each other in silence.

Under this kind of eye contact, verbal communication seems pale and powerless.

In that instant, a kind of anger towards life that was almost boiling appeared in Dan Minming's eyes.

He raised his hand heavily.

In a trance.

He seemed to have become the important official with the ivory-handled pistol and the uniform of a senior police officer again.

He wanted to tear up the check, slap Koko in the face, tell her not to worry about family matters, and then go out with a gun to fight someone.

Dan Minming didn't know who he should fight with.

Find some old man.

Find the gossipy aunt next door.

Find Brother Hao.

Or... find something, even if it's just yourself.

This intense, heart-pounding feeling of hesitation made Officer Dan feel like he was going crazy.

If he, as a father, couldn't vent his anger by fighting someone else, he would want to pick up a gun and shoot himself.

But in the end.

The anger dissipated dejectedly, like a wildfire that did not have time to spread across the prairie, and was blown away by reality and turned into smoke.

Koko was right what Gu Weijing said.

Her father had never really been a brave fighter.

After a while.

Dan Minming became the weak, powerless, fragile middle-aged man who needed his daughter to take care of him.

The slap on her daughter's face turned into a hug.

He held Koko in his arms and burst into tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Dad is not good, Dad did not give Koko a good life, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, this is my daughter's 18th birthday, this is my daughter's 18th birthday..."

He was heartbroken and cried hysterically.

Koko reached out her hand, hugged her father in her arms, and patted his back gently.

It was as if she was the adult and the other was the child.

"it does not matter."

A sentence came to Koko's mind.

"Love means never saying sorry." - This is the most classic line from the old movie "Love Story" that was playing in the car just now.

"It's not what you think, no, it's the best birthday your daughter has ever had, really."

She patted Officer Dan on the back and coaxed him softly.

Clang, clang, clang.

There were three gentle knocks on the door in a rhythmic pattern.

Dan Minming's crying was interrupted. The door here was very thin and the sound insulation was not good.

He was just so emotional that he just wanted to cry.

But at this moment.

He realized that the sound of his crying, as a grown man, could be heard outside the building and might even be heard by his neighbors.

Officer Dan immediately felt embarrassed again.

He wiped away his tears heavily, walked to the door with a stern face and opened it.

"Huh? You are."

unexpected.

The person standing outside the door was not the angry neighbor he thought, who had come to his door angrily because he heard him howling in the house in the middle of the night.

But it was a young man who was smiling at him.

The other person looks very clean and his clothes are clean too.

Even in the hot summer, he would wear a formal jacket with a peaked collar, a white shirt and tie, and polished leather shoes.

He looked so well-dressed, as if he had just walked out of some formal meeting.

He looks like a good, well-behaved kid.

Dan Minming gave him a score of over 8 based on his first impression.

8 points.

It's not the 8 points according to the standard for visitors to the Little Dove Cove here, but it's the standard for visitors to his previous official residence, which can also get 8 points.

The young man was not that handsome, and the clothes were not the kind of custom-made formal suits that fit the body closely and were made stitch by stitch by a tailor.

But it's very disciplined.

The clothes are very proper and the people are very proper.

She's dressed like this in the middle of summer.

If he is not a psychopath or a pretentious person who thinks he is immune to cold or heat, then it can only mean that either he thinks the occasion he attends is very important, or he thinks the guests he visits are very important.

Policemen like well-behaved guests.

Especially when officials gain great power, many of them feel that they can break away from the rules, and they encounter many domineering people.

There are also people who believe that God is the boss and God is the second.

Fewer people are willing to follow the rules.

What's even more valuable is.

This young man had a calm aura. He stood quietly in front of her and smiled at her.

Very respectful without being fawning.

This made Dan Minming like her even more.

but.

He immediately came back to his senses with self-mockery - how could he deserve anyone's flattery now?

The next moment, Officer Dan discovered that he actually knew who was outside the door.

He was stunned.

"You are, that, that..."

"Gu Weijing. Uncle, we have met before. You even invited me to come to your house to play on Koko's birthday, didn't you?"

The young man handed over the box in his arms, "I'm sorry, I took Koko to celebrate her birthday today, so I was late in sending her home. Koko said there was no need to send it up, but I felt that since we were already at the doorstep, there was no point in doing so. It's just that this is my first visit to my uncle and aunt, so I definitely shouldn't come empty-handed. I didn't prepare any gifts, it was really too late, and I looked around but couldn't find a place where I could buy a suitable souvenir for my aunt."

"I hope you don't mind."

Gu Weijing handed over the cigarette in his hand.

It's not a lie.

He really couldn't find any good gifts, so he used old materials and searched for an unopened pack of Winston cigarettes from Uncle Alai's trunk.

I took it up with me.

Uncle Alai has almost no expenses in his daily life.

Most of the pitiful salary of several hundred dollars he paid the other party was spent on cigarettes.

Uncle Alai’s cigarettes are not bad.

The Burmese version of American Winston cigarettes costs 20000 Myanmar Kyats per pack. Based on the current exchange rate, a whole pack of these cigarettes would cost around US$60.

They are not particularly expensive cigarettes, but they are not shabby either.

Neither high nor low.

It is a perfect gift for meeting classmates or elders for the first time or visiting their homes.

Uncle Alai told him to take as much as he wanted since he couldn't finish smoking them all. Of course, Gu Weijing didn't have the nerve to take advantage of Uncle Alai.

He decided that when he returned, he would give all the Marlboro popping beads stocks that his classmate Gu had stockpiled from foreign customers to Uncle Alai.

He is over sixty years old.

Now I still want to have a second spring in my career, so I am not very active in practicing painting every day, but I smoke a lot!
Gu Weijing made the decision and he made the final decision on behalf of Mr. Gu to quit.

Well, don’t draw until your Chinese painting level breaks through the second professional level.

Mr. Gu, you don’t need to thank him.

……

In the bedroom on the second floor of Gu's Book Gallery, Gu Tongxiang, reeking of alcohol and licking his big belly filled with food from the extravagant welcome banquet, had fallen into a deep sleep.

I don't know if he was recalling the feeling of showing off successfully today when he was on the podium in front of his fellow artists sitting in the audience.

Even in my sleep.

Old man Gu's mouth was still filled with a happy and sweet smile.

suddenly.

"Ah!"

Gu Tongxiang sneezed violently.

Old Man Gu did not wake up from his dream. He just smacked his lips subconsciously, rubbed the corners of his mouth, and muttered: "I, a great painter."

Then he turned over and fell into a deep sleep.
-
The pigeon house is small.

The kind of layout that has one bedroom and one living room, and shares the kitchen and toilet in the corridor with others.

There is no such thing as a living room or a sitting room.

The bedroom belongs to Dan Minming and his wife.

The folding table in the living room can be unfolded to become a dining table for the whole family.

After putting it away and putting the bed next to it down, it becomes Koko's bedroom.

Dan Minming probably didn't expect to meet his daughter's classmate here, whom he had met once when he accompanied the big boss Chen Shenglin to inspect a business project.

He had never expected this.

It turned out that he was the one who took out this check.

The status changed so quickly that it was a bit shocking.

and so.

After letting Gu Weijing into the room, he remained silent and just stared at the young man from head to toe.

Dan Minming was amazed at the changes in Gu Weijing.

Gu Weijing was also impressed by Dan Minming's changes.

There is a saying on the Internet that may be crude but true: career is a man’s aphrodisiac.

I watched my grandfather put on his suit, apply hair growth product, and twist his waist. He looked radiant and gradually looked like he was rejuvenated.

But Koko's father no longer had his official uniform.

It began to age and become hunched at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning into a big tree that withered due to lack of nutrients.

It was only a few months ago when he saw him next to Boss Chen. At that time, he still had a secretary following him around, and he looked like a big shot with many servants following him around.

But now it is covered with frost.

According to legend, Wu Zixu's family fell into poverty. In order to avoid the search of the King of Chu, he hurriedly fled through Zhaoguan, and his hair turned white overnight.

Koko's father looks similar.

But the aunt seemed very enthusiastic.

She doesn't know Gu Weijing.

The thoughts in her mind were not as complicated as her husband's. But since the man Koko brought to her house was a boy who looked gentle and well-mannered, and not some old man who she thought was older than her.

She was already chanting Amitabha Buddha in her heart.

I heard that he is a classmate of Dulwich College and his academic performance is also good.

Okay, this is better, they are a perfect match. Um... nowadays, even if we can’t say they are a perfect match, we can still say they are a talented man and a beautiful woman.

After chatting casually with Gu Weijing.

The woman still wanted to find out whether the check was real or fake, but she was not so concerned about it anymore.

Whether he was just impulsive and wanted to show off in front of the girl, or his family really had some money, he secretly took an elder's checkbook and signed a check.

Why do we have to expose it?
It’s a good idea to have this intention. Let Koko take the gift.

Whether it's true or false.

The heart is always true.

So, she invited Gu Weijing to stay for dinner, and her tone was cautious about whether such a "birthday party" would embarrass her daughter.

Gu Weijing agreed without any hesitation.

The woman took the dishes and ran to the public kitchen to reheat them on the stove. Gu Weijing helped Koko clean the table and put on the tablecloth.

The food is ready, serve it.

A few more candles were lit on the table.

Dan Minming and his wife sat on one side, and Koko and Gu Weijing sat on the other side.

It was a shabby power outage scene, but it was because it was a birthday party.

A few simple dishes and a soup.

It looks unexpectedly more charming than a candlelight dinner.

"Try this duck... Auntie is very good at making salted duck. She learned it from a master chef." Mrs. Dan picked up a big piece of duck meat for Gu Weijing.

"Did Koko accompany you out tonight? Where did you take her?" the woman asked tentatively.

"Yes, Auntie, don't worry, but it's not Koko who accompanies me, it's me who accompanies Koko. I'm the younger brother, and she protects me."

Gu Weijing said with a smile.

The woman also smiled and narrowed her eyes.

"Koko took me to the Tidal Market. But, Auntie, Koko was so stingy that she didn't even give me a chance to please her when I bought something. She wouldn't even let me pay for clothes that cost only a few dollars. The vendors in the market looked at me strangely."

Gu Weijing reported on others.

Koko glared at Gu Weijing, which was very cute.

"Koukou has always been a good child." Auntie said gently, "Gu... Little Gu, you like our Koukou."

"like."

Gu Weijing pursed his lips and said, "I like it very much. Who wouldn't like it?"

Auntie continued laughing.

"Xiao Gu, can you please tell me what your parents do?"

"Aunt!"

Koko couldn't help but interrupt gently.

"It's no harm to ask. Maybe I knew him before."

The woman did not give in to her stepdaughter this time.

At this point, she wasn't thinking about considering the other party's family background, she just wanted to do some more screening for the girl.

"My father went abroad, and I lived with my grandfather since I was a child. Maybe you did see him at a parent-teacher conference. My family runs a painting shop."

Painting shop?

The woman racked her brains but could not imagine that there was such a powerful family in the local art world.

"In Thailand, Dongxia, or Japan..."

"It's in the tourist area on the other side of the Yangon River. The shop is not very big. You can go and have a look when you have time." Gu Weijing replied.

A moment of disappointment surged in the woman's heart.

but.

She is not the kind of person who has to compare family backgrounds.

It was not like that before. She herself came from a humble family and rose to the upper class. It is too boring to still be here and be snobbish at this point.

"Okay, okay, I'll definitely go when I have time."

The smile on her face did not change at all, and she picked up another piece of food for the young man with her chopsticks.

"that--"

The woman wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by her husband.

"Okay, stop beating around the bush here. You're being petty and making Koko laugh at her friends. I know what you want to ask, so I'll answer it for you."

Dan Minming knocked on the table impatiently.

"Since he wrote it, the check is real."

The man glanced at his daughter opposite him and the boy next to him.

He returned his gaze to his wife's face and concluded simply and rudely, "Okay, let's end the topic here and concentrate on eating."

"Go, get two bottles of beer. Xiao Gu and I are going to have a drink today." He instructed his wife.

"If you want to drink, I'll drink with you. If you want to smoke, go out and smoke by yourself. Gu Weijing doesn't smoke or drink. Dad, don't come here to cause trouble for others. And we don't know if the wine you sent is reliable or not."

Koko kicked Officer Dan lightly under the table.

"I'm protecting you now. Girls are born with bent elbows." Auntie laughed. "But it's better not to smoke or drink, Xiao Gu. You're such a good kid."

Dan Minming still stood up and went to the windowsill to get a bottle of beer.

People here are poor.

But almost everyone drinks here.

When we first moved in, the souvenirs our neighbors gave us were usually one or two bottles of beer.

Except for Muslim countries due to religious prohibitions, slums in almost all countries in the world have serious alcohol problems.

It is not the case that the poorer a person is, the less self-disciplined he is and the more wasteful he is.

It’s because life is already too hard, and if I don’t find something to numb myself, I won’t be able to go on.

During the Industrial Revolution, workers and alcohol were almost tied together in many European literary works.

But think about it from another perspective. The poor at that time generally had to work 12 to 16 hours a day, suffering from severe physical injuries and muscle pain, coupled with the average winter temperature of only a few degrees.

Without these cheap consumer goods, it would be almost impossible to fall asleep at night without drinking two bottles of wine.

Dan Minming ignored Koko who tried to stop him.

He still opened a bottle of wine, stood up with the bottle in his hand, and toasted Gu Weijing.

Gu Weijing also hurriedly stood up with the bowl of soup.

"Thank you for your money, young man. Thank you. Here's a drink to you. I'm... grateful..."

"Uncle."

"Let me finish what I am saying." Dan Minming waved his hand. He seemed to have made up his mind: "But I have to say something in advance. I will find a way to pay back the money. I, Dan Minming, have not achieved anything remarkable in my life, nor am I a good father. I can sell anything, but our family will not sell our daughters. Koko is a good girl. She cannot be measured by any amount of money. If you like her and she likes you, that's great. Uncle owes you a huge favor. But if you think you have bought our Koko, then take the money back now. I would rather sell my blood or my life than sell our daughter."

"dad."

Koko's eyes were a little red again.

"Yes, I don't have the money to buy Koko, I just hope I can help a little." Gu Weijing bent down.

The only two men in the room clinked their glasses.

Bowls and bottles clinked together, and the wine and soup were gulped down.

"This money."

Koko thought about it, then she took out the check and gave it to her stepmother.

"I thought about it on the way back. Now I'll make it clear. Please go check the urgent debts at home and the loans from financial companies and pay them off. Don't touch the rest. I'm sorry to inconvenience you to continue living here for a few more years. I'm going to use this money to go to college."

Koko seemed to have thought it over carefully on the way back.

"I won't drop out of school. I will continue to complete my studies. I want to go to university, a good university, and go out. I have been studying in an international school for so many years, and it would be a pity to give up at the last minute. I don't want to be a counter clerk and live a life that you can see the end of at a glance."

"I want to live a different life. I want to go out to a bigger stage, a bigger world, and witness a better life. So, this is my money."

Koko looked at Gu Weijing with her eyes.

I'm the coolest.

you said.

The woman hesitated a little.

When it came to forging checks, she didn't mind.

But if this money is real...it's actually $100,000 in real cash.

She wondered if, in this case, the money could be used for something more urgent.

The husband slammed the table heavily and said, "Well said, let's do it."

The family had a not-so-lively birthday party late. Dan Minming seemed to have only drunk one bottle of wine, but he seemed to be drunk.

Lying on the table, drunk and unconscious.

After Gu Weijing had dinner, he said goodbye and left. Koko went to help her stepmother clean up the dishes.

As she walked out of the room carrying the tray.

The father behind him seemed to open his eyes suddenly: "Gu Weijing, is he... the one you chose?"

He asked in a low voice.

A simple sentence seems to be able to expand into countless questions.

Is he reliable?
Is he able to protect you?

Will he be like me, when faced with difficulties, just point the gun at his head and try to escape? Or will he raise his arms and block you?
And - does he love you? No matter how painful the process is, can you tell yourself that I don't regret it?

It is probably the experience accumulated by the old policeman over the years.

It’s probably just that no one knows a daughter better than her father.

Dan Minming seemed to have noticed the secret that Koko hadn't told her.

Koko still didn't explain.

She held the plate, turned her back to her father, and nodded.

"Okay, then go and take him downstairs and give him a hug or something." Officer Dan also nodded.

Koko put the plate aside and ran downstairs to chase after him. The hem of her floral dress hit the peeling paint on the stair railing.

It's like a fluttering butterfly.
-
"If I give you something and you give me something in return, it will never end."

When Gu Weijing opened the car door, he looked at Koko who was running towards him and said helplessly.

Koko didn't say anything.

Just look at him and smile.

She once thought that today was endless, but now it feels like it will be endless until the last second of the universe.

Also good.

"What I just said upstairs is true. I'm going to college. I'm not going to work part-time at the bar anymore. There's only a little over a month left, and I'm going to apply to at least a top 100 school. I'm going to work hard, and I want you to help me."

Gu Weijing gave Koko a thumbs up.

"Awesome."

Koko looked at the boy in front of her with bright eyes.

"I want to hug you." Koko said in her heart, "No, I want to kiss you, but I know you like Miss Sakai. I promised that I won't cause you any trouble."

So she just smiled and waved.

"Yes, we will be friends for life, and I will protect you in the future."

(End of this chapter)