Chapter 98

Zhang Tianyuan planned to bring a gift for Mou Ying's grandfather, but he was at a loss as to what to choose. Later, after hearing Xu Gang mention jade, he suddenly had a great idea.

Mou Ying's grandfather was not short of money, so sending something too vulgar and expensive would definitely not work; he wouldn't even look at it.

However, if the gift was too ordinary, it wouldn't show his sincerity.

What should he do?

Zhang Tianyuan came up with a great idea: monkey wine, along with a piece of Hetian jade he would carve himself.

This way, although the gift might not be expensive, his sincerity would definitely be conveyed.

The monkey wine was a rare and excellent item, with its brewing method almost lost to time. Only the Wumu Daoists on the mountain knew it. Of course, Zhang Tianyuan had also learned it. To thank Zhang Tianyuan, the Wumu Daoist had given him the secret recipe, perhaps not wanting this good thing to disappear forever.

Hetian jade was already of excellent quality, and with Zhang Tianyuan's ancient-style carving technique, it would truly show his sincerity. But whose carving style should he imitate? He still needed to think about it.

"Xu Gang, I heard you say that Mou Ying's grandfather is a Buddhist practitioner?" Zhang Tianyuan asked.

"That's right, the old man became a Buddhist believer in his later years, but he is very devout," Xu Gang nodded and said.

"That makes it easier. Since he is a Buddhist, I'll give him a jade Buddha!"

"Jade Buddha? But there are few fine pieces of jade Buddha here. Won't it devalue the gift if you send one?" Xu Gang laughed.

"There are no fine pieces of jade Buddha, but there is good jade! I heard that during the Tang Dynasty, there was a man named Yang Huizhi who was skilled in sculpting Buddha statues. What if I imitate his carving style and sculpt a jade Buddha for Mou Ying's grandfather?" Zhang Tianyuan smiled and said.

"Yang Huizhi? I haven't heard of him, but your idea is not bad. Even that old man Tu praised your imitation works. I believe Mou Ying's grandfather won't be an exception," Xu Gang nodded and said.

Zhang Tianyuan smiled, "You really should read more books. You only dealt with jade in the past, so it's understandable that you know little. But as you get involved in more things, you can't stay this way. Now, it's easy to get knowledge; you can buy many books online. Read some when you have time, but don't force yourself."

"Alright, alright, I get it. You're more nagging than my mom."

"Nagging is for your own good. Not even knowing Yang Huizhi, how can others believe you are the boss of an antique shop? He was a friend of Wu Daozi," Zhang Tianyuan sighed, "and in terms of artistic achievement, he was no less than Wu Daozi."

"Right, I've heard of Wu Daozi. He was a painter, and even called the 'Saint of Painting.' What about this Yang Huizhi?"

"According to legend, Yang Huizhi and Wu Daozi studied painting together in their early years. Later, Yang Huizhi thought Wu Daozi was better at painting, so he gave up painting and turned to sculpture."

"Hehe, that's interesting. If you can't do it, change your career. Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. I admire that!" Xu Gang laughed.

"Head of a chicken or tail of a phoenix, painting is an art, and so is carving. Yang Huizhi participated in the creation of many temple statues in Chang'an and Luoyang, and was a renowned sculptor of his time. His Buddhist statues were described as 'exquisite and unparalleled, unmatched in ancient times.'"

"Is it that exaggerated? After all, isn't he just a laborer? Nowadays, those who do carving are not as respected as painters." Xu Gang grumbled.

"Ah, what can I say about you? Although there are fewer sculptors than painters from the Republic of China to now, their achievements are no less. In modern times, if you get a fine piece of Tianhuang stone or jade, without the help of an outstanding sculptor, its value would be greatly reduced," Zhang Tianyuan said, frustrated by Xu Gang's lack of knowledge.

"You just said Yang Huizhi was good at sculpting Buddha statues?" Xu Gang, not wanting to be scolded by Zhang Tianyuan, changed the topic and asked.

Zhang Tianyuan nodded, "Yang Huizhi was especially skilled in sculpting Arhat statues, and he pioneered the style of placing figures in a mountainous background—wall sculpture, also known as 'shadow sculpture.' The Song Dynasty Arhat statues in Jiangsu's Jiaozhi Baosheng Temple used this method and were once attributed to Yang Huizhi. Yang Huizhi also achieved high success in portrait sculpture. It is said that he sculpted a statue of the famous Chang'an performer Liubeiting, and people could recognize Liubeiting from the back of the statue."

"That's really impressive. Being able to recognize someone from a sculpture is not easy. Although many experts say certain sculptures are lifelike, ordinary people can't usually recognize who they are, unless they are famous, like Guan Yu with his long beard. If it were Zhang Fei, it might be mistaken for Li Kui," Xu Gang said in surprise.

"Exactly. Chinese paintings differ from Western oil paintings. Oil paintings emphasize realism, so you can easily tell who it is, almost like a photograph. Chinese figure paintings focus more on capturing the spirit, but the problem is, if you put a painting there, no one can tell who it is. The same goes for sculptures. Yang Huizhi's ability to make others recognize someone through his sculptures is truly remarkable," Zhang Tianyuan praised.

"Such a talented person, yet he's not very famous. Did he leave anything behind?" Xu Gang asked.

Zhang Tianyuan sighed, "Yang Huizhi summarized his years of sculpting experience in a book called 'The Art of Sculpture,' but it is no longer extant. However, due to his status in the history of sculpture, similar to Wu Daozi's status in the history of painting, he was later honored as the 'Sculpture Saint.'"

"Wow, to be called a saint or a sage, that's really something. This person must be quite impressive," Xu Gang was finally impressed.

"That's why I chose to imitate his carving style. Fortunately, I had the chance to see Yang Huizhi's Buddha sculptures in the past, and I still remember them vividly. I should have no problem imitating them," Zhang Tianyuan smiled and said.

"Then get to it. They're waiting," Xu Gang said.

Zhang Tianyuan nodded and immediately started. He found all the carving tools in the shop and selected a piece of fine Hetian jade. Although it wasn't large, a gift is about showing sincerity. If he brought a life-sized jade Buddha, the recipient wouldn't have a place to put it. A palm-sized jade Buddha would be better for regular veneration.

Because the jade Buddha was small and not as complex as bamboo carving, the carving took less than half an hour.

When he finished, he noticed that there were onlookers around, asking the shopkeeper when the shop started offering such services and wanting to order one immediately.

The shopkeeper was at a loss. He didn't know his boss had such skills, thinking Zhang Tianyuan was just a wealthy young man who had made money by luck. He had always envied his good fortune, but now he realized his own skills were lacking.

"Without hiding anything, my carvings start at one million yuan. If you add the cost of the material, it's not a small amount. If you really need it, I can hire some more affordable sculptors to make jade items for you. How about that?" Zhang Tianyuan didn't outright refuse the customers but laid out his terms. Clearly, if they wanted him to carve, he needed time, and they needed to pay.

However, the customers' request reminded Zhang Tianyuan that offering custom jade items in the jade shop could be a good business. According to his knowledge, the domestic jade industry was far less developed than the jewelry industry. Why? Because no one was pushing it hard.

If in the future, newlyweds in China started giving jade bracelets and jade rings instead of diamond rings, that would be a success.

Currently, jade in China was mainly appreciated by those in the industry, and most ordinary people didn't get involved. This was a pity.

To be honest, diamonds can be man-made, and so can jade. Jade has many varieties, many of which are more beautiful than diamonds. The reason jade is less prestigious internationally is not due to its value but a lack of promotion and marketing.

However, this was something Zhang Tianyuan couldn't achieve at this stage. He could only start slowly. He knew that Nandu Zhu Ling had many sculptors under her, responsible for various carvings. He could ask her for a few to try out, and if they were good, they could collaborate and train more. This practical skill could be as profitable as other businesses.

"Shopkeeper Hu, take good care of the customers. We have some things to do, so we'll leave first," Zhang Tianyuan, thinking about the jade business, instructed Hu and then left with Xu Gang. They drove back to their residence, brought a gourd of monkey wine, and carefully packaged the jade Buddha before heading to Mou Ying's house.

Upon arriving at Mou Ying's house, they saw her grandfather sitting on the sofa reading a book about Buddhism. Zhang Tianyuan didn't want to disturb the elderly man, who was wearing reading glasses.

However, the old man stood up and fixed his eyes on the small eagle Shen Luo peeking out from Zhang Tianyuan's arms.

The old man, wearing reading glasses, looked at Zhang Tianyuan in a peculiar way, lifting his glasses and tilting his head slightly, his eyes looking up, as if rolling his eyes.

"Wow, you've got a treasure there. That's a Snow Eagle, right?" the old man said in surprise.

This was the second time Zhang Tianyuan had heard someone call Shen Luo a Snow Eagle. He didn't really care what kind of eagle it was, but seeing the old man's interest, he didn't want to disappoint him. "Why do you say that, Mr. Mou?"

"Completely white like jade, and with tricolored eyes, that's the most obvious feature. I've heard that Snow Eagles are very intelligent. How is this one?" the old man asked.

"It's very smart, even understands what I say and knows what I mean."

"That's right. Take good care of it. It's not easy to get such a spiritual creature. If I liked pets, I would have bought it from you."

"Old man, someone offered twenty million for it, but he didn't sell it," Xu Gang interjected.

Hearing this, the old man's body visibly trembled, then he laughed heartily, "Not bad, not bad. To maintain your principles in the face of such money, you're not bad. It seems the young lady from the Liu family wasn't exaggerating when she praised you!"