Chapter 535: I’m Sorry, Daddy!

“I’m going to draw a pill cauldron!”

Mengmeng held a crayon in her hand and mumbled as she drew, “Yes, that’s right. It’s the kind of pill cauldron that daddy makes medicinal pills for me.

When I grow up, I’ll ask daddy to give me a pill cauldron so that I can refine pills on my own. I have to refine many pills, like weight-loss pills, pills that make people smart, and pills that make people run faster.

They’re for Er Guozi, Brother Haohao, and Sister Qianqian. By then, they can use them to fish, so they won’t have to steal daddy’s pills.”

The more the girl spoke, the more excited she became. She did not expect to be the center of attention.

A pill cauldron quickly took shape under her brush. There was a dragon head on both sides of the pill cauldron in the painting. There was an opening in the middle, and there was a lid on top…

When the people in the manor at the back of Jinling Gallery saw what the girl was drawing, they looked at each other.

“W-What is that?” Someone could not help but ask.

The theme was science fiction.

They thought that this group of children would draw something like an airplane, a tank, a cannon, or a robot. However, Mengmeng drew something so odd.

An old man walked closer and stared at it for a long time. His hand suddenly trembled, and he almost tore off his beard, “T-That looks like a Taoist pill cauldron!”

An uproar broke out among the crowd.

“What? A pill cauldron?”

The other old man was shocked and confused. He was shocked that a child could draw a pill cauldron, and he was shocked that it did not match the theme of science fiction.

The commotion attracted Wu Wenshan’s attention.

Wu Wenshan opened his eyes slightly and casually glanced at the drawing of the little girl Mengmeng on the screen. It was as if he was taking a stroll in the park.

His face that was initially nonchalant finally changed the next moment, “Spirit. This girl’s painting actually has spirit in it.”

He was a painter, not a Taoist priest, so his focus was on the girl’s artistic level.

“Master Wu, what do you mean by spirit?” An old man asked.

His words caught everyone’s attention.

“The so-called spirit is just an abstract concept. It is an ability to express, a sense of feeling, and it’s a sense for things that cannot be seen with the eyes.”

Wu Wenshan slowly stood up and looked at Mengmeng who was painting on the screen. He said confidently, “A normal person can only paint on the surface. No matter how well you do, a painting is still a painting. You can tell whether it’s fake with one glance.

However, some people’s paintings would have a life of its own. When a normal person sees it, they will be dazed for a moment. In that short moment, it will make you feel like the painting is real.”

Everyone nodded one after another with thoughtful expressions hearing what he said.

Someone took a look at the cute little girl who was drawing and could not help but ask, “Master Wu, since this girl’s painting is spiritual, doesn’t that mean that she is a natural talent in painting?”

“That’s right. Now that I look again, I realized this girl’s skill has already reached the peak of art. With such talent and skills, she can definitely surpass the other participants in the competition.” Another old man stroked his beard and smiled.

Wu Wenshan nodded slightly, “Although this little girl is young and immature, there is a trace of spiritual energy in her. If it was any other time, I might have accepted her as my disciple out of consideration for her talent. But now that I have agreed to the Zhao family, I can only give up on her.”

When he said that, he raised his eyes to look at the little girl Mengmeng who was drawing on the screen. He shook his head slightly. “It’s a pity. You can only blame yourself for not having a background, and those without a background are destined to not be able to elevate higher. No matter how outstanding you are, you just can’t do it. Don’t blame me. This is the law of survival in this world.”

“Master Wu is right!”

Someone chuckled softly and said, “Although this girl has amazing talent, she is just a genius. How can a mere genius compare to the Zhao family?”

The others nodded one after another. They then looked at the cute girl who was painting on the screen with some sympathy while they sighed to themselves.

‘No matter how talented you are, you can’t compare to the person who has been decided to win through shortcuts!

…

When Ye Chen saw that the little girl drawing the pill cauldron that he was refining the medicinal pills with, he was not sure whether to laugh or cry, “This silly girl. I thought you would draw something else, but you drew this.”

When the cameras in the art gallery shone on the works of all the participating children, all the parents except Ye Chen could not sit still any longer. Some of them were amazed by the other children’s painting skills while others mumbled to themselves. They were full of confidence in their children’s works.

Only Li Yongmin remained silent.

This was because the fat boy, Li Erguo, had drawn an odd thing that looked like a juicer or a toilet. The boy had even described it as his greatest invention of the new era.

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However, when everyone saw Mengmeng’s drawing, they were stunned for a moment before they bursted into a series of exclamations.

“Whose girl is that? Her drawing is so good!”

“Not bad. This is not something a child in kindergarten can do. I don’t think even a top art student can draw something like this.”

“It’s over. This girl is definitely going to get the first prize. My child has no chance of getting first prize. Thankfully, there’s still second and third prize.”

“…”

Everyone was talking about it. They all agreed that little girl Mengmeng’s artwork was the best among all the children. Even the art teachers leading the team was no exception.

Listening to the praises around him, Li Yongmin looked at the little fatty who was still drawing the toilet bowl, and his face turned grim.

“Brother Ye, I really envy you for having such a daughter. She’ll definitely win the first prize in the competition. Remember to treat me to a meal later.”

“Definitely, definitely!”

Ye Chen nodded while smiling. Everyone wanted their children to be praised and liked by others, including him.

Half an hour soon passed, and all the children stopped drawing. The teachers carefully packed the pieces and sent them to the judges’ table to receive their marks.

Cang Shuxue walked out with Mengmeng and the rest. She said excitedly when she saw Ye Chen, “Mr. Ye, I’ve seen Mengmeng’s work. She’ll definitely get first prize this time. Congratulations!”

“Thank you, Ms. Cang.”

Ye Chen smiled. He could not help but kiss his daughter after picking her up. He praised, “Good job, my darling daughter!”

“Daddy, if I get first prize, what will you reward me with?” The little girl hugged his neck and giggled nonstop.

“Daddy will give you whatever you want.”

Ye Chen patted her head.

Compared to the little girl’s heroic treatment, Li Erguo was much worse off. Li Yongmin pointed at his nose and scolded him endlessly.

Half an hour later, the result was finally announced.

“First prize winner: Zhao Yang!”

“Second prize winners: Qian Hao!”

“Five third prize winners go to: Chen Xiaohai, Li Erguo, Jiang Chun, Ma Junjie, Feng Nana!”

“10 consolation prizes go to: Ye Mengmeng…”

“…”

Some people were sad and some were happy about the result. However, everyone was shocked that the first prize went to Zhao Yang. Although Zhao Yang’s work was a futuristic car, everyone knew it was not good.

“First prize actually goes to Zhao Yang instead of Ye Mengmeng. That’s impossible, right?”

“If Ye Mengmeng doesn’t get first prize, she should at least get the second prize. However, she merely got a consolation prize. What is this? Also, it’s impossible that Zhao Yang’s painting would get the first prize, right?”

“It’s definitely a conspiracy!”

“…”

Cang Shuxue was caught off guard by the outcome. She could not help but say by instinct, “Perhaps there’s a mistake. Mr. Ye, don’t worry. I’ll go ask.”

“M-Ms. Cang, d-don’t… go!”

Mengmeng called out to her before she left. The little girl held back her tears and looked at Ye Chen while sobbing, “Daddy, I-I’m sorry. Mengmeng has disappointed you.”

The little girl did not want to cry.

However, tears poured uncontrollably.

It was not easy for her father to accompany her to the competition. She only wanted to prove her hard work and talent to him, as well as winning his praise.

In the end, she only won a consolation prize…

“It’s fine. Daddy has never been disappointed in you.”

Ye Chen held her in his embrace and reached out to wipe away the tears on her face. His expression gradually turned cold.

‘It’s fine if my daughter doesn’t do it, but if she’s doing it, she has to be first. What’s with this consolation prize? Are they trying to get rid of us?’