Rebirth: Splendid Marriage in the 80s

Chapter 455: Chapter 455 This is Just Too Unlucky

Even within just one province, nearly thirty people have joined this painting competition, which indicates that G Province’s art scene still has plenty of potential. You see, nowadays it’s not like the future’s advertising-saturated information era; simply being aware of the competition is no minor feat. Among those aware, the fact that so many could produce a work to send to the organizing committee already speaks volumes.

”Yes, so the scale of this competition is quite large. Precisely for this reason, everyone hopes even more to run the competition well and achieve a successful outcome. Unfortunately, such an incident has occurred. Ye Qiuyun created only one representative piece in his lifetime, the ’Autumn Scenery Painting,’ and he could be considered a legendary figure. He truly became famous with a single painting and left his mark with just that one; no other works ever emerged. As for Ye Qiuyun himself, details about his life are scarce. It’s only known that he was from the early Qing period, but where he came from, whether male or female, young or old when he created his work—all these questions remain unanswered.”

Knowing that Chiang Xiao was interested in painting, Kuang Yunxian didn’t mind sharing more, though he was unaware she already knew these details.

”The ’Autumn Scenery Painting’ has also been passed around several times, changing hands numerous times, amazing the art world before its current whereabouts became unknown. However, we all speculate that the original must be in the hands of this artist with the single English character ’Yun’ in his name; otherwise, he could not have replicated it so vividly. Sadly, when the donation was made, no personal information of the donor was recorded, so now it’s impossible to find the person.”

At this point, he sighed lightly.

Chiang Xiao also fell silent.

In the past life, her relationship with Liu Guoying only spanned five years as teacher and student. At that time, the teacher was already in his sixties, and by now, he should be in his forties. He didn’t talk much about that period, and she guessed it was because it wasn’t a happy time. Therefore, she also had no idea where he might be.

She was even less aware of why he decided to donate the painting to a school in G Province back then.

After all, the teacher wasn’t from G Province.

”Why are you being held responsible for this incident?” Meng Xinian asked with a frown, ”Was the painting damaged by rainwater?”

Chiang Xiao looked at the painting hanging there again, still feeling it was a great pity.

It was her teacher’s painting, after all.

Moreover, at that time the teacher had always been fond of this painting, but he heard it had changed hands several times and the painting could not be found. Back then, she hadn’t heard about any painting competition, let alone that the painting had once been used as a prize.

Now thinking back, she guessed that the painting must have been destroyed, which is why the members of the G Province Painters Association later claimed it had been lost after changing hands several times.

After all, an ending in private collection is better than telling Liu Guoying that they had failed to preserve the painting properly a long time ago and had destroyed it.

”Because the painting was in fact transferred to M City University, but when the vocational school principal in Hulin asked to borrow the painting so art students could study it, I agreed to it. So the painting was borrowed under my authority, and now you could say it was destroyed under my watch,” Kuang Yunxian said with a bitter smile.

”The responsibility should fall on that vocational school principal,” Meng Xinian darkened in expression.

It’s astonishing how they had the nerve to not properly safeguard a borrowed painting and even let it get wet from rain.

Kuang Yunxian shook his head, saying, ”Although they are indeed responsible, they also have their own difficulties. Two days ago, Hulin County experienced a sudden storm. The painting studio’s windows were actually closed, but a tree outside was knocked down by the wind, breaking the windows with its branches and allowing wind and rain to sweep in.”