Chapter 2
1598 Words
Su Hua was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions, unsure how to respond.
She slowly turned her head to look at Gu Beixian.
He rarely smiled, but when he did, it was captivating, like a gentle spring breeze carrying tender affection. His dark, clear eyes sparkled like a sea of stars.
He must be very happy to soon be with the one he loves.
Su Hua also smiled, a smile borne of a shattered heart.
“I wish you happiness.” With that, she turned and got into the car.
As soon as the door closed, her tears flowed uncontrollably, the fresh wounds mingling with old pains, making her want to curl up in agony.
The driver loaded the suitcase into the trunk, got in, and started the car.
Watching the car speed away, the smile on Gu Beixian's lips froze, and the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
Returning to the Su family home.
Su Hua pulled her suitcase inside.
Su Peilan saw her swollen eyes and the suitcase, and was shocked, “Daughter, what happened to you?”
Su Hua changed her shoes, trying to remain calm, “Mom, I'm moving back.”
Su Peilan shot up from the sofa, “Are you separating from Gu Beixian?”
“Mm, his ex-girlfriend has returned.”
Su Peilan immediately flew into a rage, “Three years ago, Gu Beixian had a car accident, and the doctor said he would be in a wheelchair for life. His ex-girlfriend abandoned him and ran away! You were the one who stayed with him, seeking treatment at home and abroad, massaging his legs, helping with rehabilitation, caring for him day and night like a nurse! Now that he can walk and run again, that woman returns? Shameless! And Gu Beixian, giving up on you for such a heartless woman! Is he blind?”
Su Hua bent down, took out the check from her suitcase, and handed it to her, “This is his compensation.”
Su Peilan stared at the long string of zeros on the check, her eyes widening.
Counting the zeros, there were eight!
Her expression softened slightly, “It's not about the money. Can money compensate for such treatment?”
Su Hua lowered her eyes and said softly, “Many couples divorce, and the man gives nothing, even trying to cheat the woman. Some men even kill their wives to avoid sharing property. Compared to that, Gu Beixian is quite fair.”
“But can you swallow this?”
Su Hua gave a bitter smile, “What else can I do? Make a scene, threaten, or act irrationally? Making a fuss won't help. If his heart isn't with me, forcing it is meaningless and futile. Mom, I'm tired. I want to sleep.”
“Go ahead.” Su Peilan looked at her with heartache and sighed.
This child was too considerate, making it all the more heartbreaking.
Su Hua turned and went to the bedroom.
She slept for two days and nights.
Su Peilan was so scared she kept coming in to check her breathing.
In reality, Su Hua didn't sleep much; she just didn't want to move. She didn't feel hungry, her whole body felt weak, and her heart seemed to be missing a huge piece.
The pain was overwhelming, as if the sky had fallen.
On the third day, Su Hua forced herself to get up.
After freshening up, she called Gu Beixian, “Is the divorce agreement ready? When should we go handle the paperwork?”
Gu Beixian was silent for a moment, “I'm on a business trip. We’ll discuss it when I return.”
“Alright, I’m going to work now. Call me in advance when you’re ready.”
“Have you found a job so quickly? Where?” he asked, concerned.
“At an antique shop. They’ve been asking me to join.”
“Don’t overwork yourself. If you need money, just let me know.” His voice was low and gentle, like moonlight, deeply tempting.
Su Hua’s heart ached, and she replied distantly, “I won’t. Thank you.”
After breakfast, Su Hua took a cab to the antique shop.
She was greeted by the shop’s young owner, Shen Huai.
Dressed in a light blue shirt and khaki trousers, he was tall and slender, with a clean and gentle demeanor.
After introducing Su Hua to everyone downstairs, Shen Huai took her upstairs to meet the shop’s senior appraiser, Cui Shousheng.
“Mr. Cui, this is Su Hua, the successor of the ‘Restoration Master’ Mr. Su. She specializes in restoring ancient paintings and calligraphy. From now on, she will be our shop’s artifact restorer. If you have any doubts, you can consult her.”
Cui Shousheng, nearly sixty, peered at Su Hua through his reading glasses.
A girl in her early twenties, a restorer of artifacts?
At her age, he was still an apprentice.
Yet, the young owner praised her so highly and suggested consulting her!
He agreed politely, but inwardly, he was skeptical.
As soon as Shen Huai left, he asked Su Hua, “Miss Su, you’re so young. How long have you been in this field?”
Su Hua smiled faintly, “More than ten years.”
Cui Shousheng was incredulous, “How old are you?”
“Twenty-three.”
Cui Shousheng thought, this young girl is quite boastful. She’ll get a reality check soon enough.
In this field, skill is paramount. Talking alone won’t suffice.
Just then, an employee came up to invite them downstairs.
Su Hua and Cui Shousheng went down.
A man in his thirties was holding a dirty, old painting, asking if it could be restored.
Cui Shousheng glanced at it.
It was hardly recognizable as a painting, blackened, tattered, wrinkled, and full of wormholes.
Such extensive damage could only be tackled by top-notch restorers with a slim chance of success.
He looked at Su Hua with glee, “Miss Su, everyone’s watching. Don’t let them down.”
Su Hua walked over, examined the painting carefully, and told the customer, “It can be restored.”
The customer was overjoyed, “Who will restore it? How long will it take?”
“Me, three days.”
“You?” The customer eyed the youthful Su Hua suspiciously.
“This is an authentic work by Wang Jian, one of the ‘Four Wangs’ from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties! Its auction value is in the millions. Don’t mess it up!”
Everyone looked at Su Hua with doubt. Three days?
That was too bold.
Cui Shousheng clicked his tongue, stroking his beard, “Miss Su, it’s good for young people to be fearless, but you must know your limits. If you ruin the customer’s painting, it will damage our shop’s reputation. Even top restorers wouldn’t dare promise to fix such extensive damage in three days. They spend months or even years on a single piece.”
The implication: Don’t bite off more than you can chew!
Su Hua said firmly, “Three days is enough. If I ruin it, I’ll pay double the market price.”
The customer, who wanted to restore it for auction, immediately agreed, “Let's sign a contract.”
“Alright.”
After estimating the value and signing the contract, Su Hua took the painting to the restoration room upstairs.
Opening the door.
Inside were two large redwood tables, half a man’s height.
Brushes, hoof knives, towels, goat hair brushes, Xuan paper, and other restoration tools were all in place.
The restoration of ancient paintings primarily involves four steps: washing, uncovering, patching, and completing.
Su Hua had someone boil a pot of water and began washing the painting with a brush dipped in hot water.
Each stroke was meticulous.
She needed to clean the stains without damaging the fragile paper fibers of the ancient painting.
It sounded easy, but was incredibly challenging in practice.
Fortunately, she had been restoring ancient paintings with her grandfather since childhood, making her adept at such tasks.
Gu Beixian’s grandparents also loved collecting antiques, and she had spent the past two years restoring their ancient paintings and calligraphy.
She had restored pieces older and more damaged than this one.
With time pressing, Su Hua busied herself for the next few days, barely lifting her head.
Being busy was good.
Being busy helped her temporarily forget Gu Beixian.
Even the sadness was diluted.
Three days later, the customer came to collect the painting.
Su Hua brought the restored painting downstairs.
The customer was stunned, “Is this the painting I brought in? Did you swap it?”
Cui Shousheng, the manager, and the staff all came over, equally astonished.
The painting now depicted lush, vivid mountains and trees, lifelike and vibrant.
Was this the same dirty, tattered painting?
Su Hua calmly said, “You can use instruments to verify its authenticity.”
After verification, the customer gave Su Hua a thumbs up, paid, and left satisfied with the painting.
Word spread quickly.
The entire antique street soon knew about the young and talented restorer at Gu Bao Zhai.
Barely in her twenties, her skills rivaled those of national-level masters!
At dusk.
Gu Beixian called, “My car is parked in front of your shop. Come out.”
Hearing his familiar voice, Su Hua’s heart ached.
She checked the time and softly said, “It’s almost dark. It’s too late to go to the civil affairs bureau now. Can we go tomorrow morning?”
Gu Beixian paused, “Grandma wants to see us. She says it’s very important.”
- Writer
