Old Ning gave up his seat, walked to the side, and sat down on the red chair. Fang Zhicheng did not hesitate to walk over, put the calligraphy written by Old Ning aside, then took out a new piece of paper, weighed it with a paperweight, and picked up the pen and dipped it evenly in ink on the inkstone.
When Mr. Ning saw Fang Zhicheng's set of sophisticated movements, his eyes lit up. Calligraphy requires a strong aura from the beginning. Any calligrapher who has reached a certain level will be able to control his luck when he picks up the pen and write with a smooth and satisfying feeling.
Fang Zhicheng's gesture was learned from Chen Yi, free and easy, natural and unconventional, and surprisingly similar to Mr. Ning's calligraphy style, so it successfully attracted Mr. Ning's attention.
Ning Xiangcao took the teapot from the octagonal table, poured two cups of tea, handed one to Mr. Ning, and turned to get another cup, but Mr. Ning stopped her with his eyes, suggesting that she should not disturb Fang Zhicheng. Mr. Ning saw that Fang Zhicheng was thinking about how to complete the test he set beautifully.
Ning Xiangcao smiled helplessly, put the tea back to its place, then tiptoed to Fang Zhicheng's side, picked up the ink stick, and helped Fang Zhicheng grind it at a steady speed.
From the details, one can see the way Ningxiang grass essence is ground. The amplitude is subtle and the speed is slow. The fragrance of ink spreads quickly, which makes Fang Zhicheng suddenly surprised and "amazing".
He glanced at the tranquil Ning Xiangcao from the side, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, expressing his gratitude, and then he wrote down the first word. After the pen tip fully absorbed the ink, Fang Zhicheng then wrote down the second word, the third word, and the fourth word without any pause. When the fourth word was completed, Old Ning couldn't help but stand up, stroked his white beard, and nodded slightly.
Fang Zhicheng wrote the four characters "Dao Tiancheng", which is similar to Mr. Ning's "Supreme Goodness and Supreme Nature" style, but has its own differences. Although it is not as smooth as Mr. Ning's, every detail of the characters has a sharp momentum, expressing the proud intention in his heart.
Elder Ning smiled slightly and said softly, "Please explain it."
"A clear mind is like water, and clear water is the mind. There is no breeze, and the waves are not disturbed. A bamboo grows alone, and a long whistle plays the harp. In the dhyana, the poisonous dragon escapes. My mind is pure, and God rewards the diligent. My righteousness is awe-inspiring, and ghosts are all frightened. My feelings are overflowing, and the world is at peace. My ambition is high, and the wind and water rise! The sky is high and the earth is vast, and the water flows like clouds. Freshness cures the root cause, and the straight path is for a better life. The most natural and kind, the great way is natural!" Fang Zhicheng said humbly, "Old man, the four words 'the most natural and kind' come from the 'Qingxin Jue', and the next sentence is 'the great way is natural. So I added this sentence, and in terms of writing style, it is far inferior to yours."
Mr. Ning sighed with satisfaction, "I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable that you even read such an obscure book as "Qing Xin Jue"."
Fang Zhicheng had to secretly feel lucky. If he hadn't been pestering Taoist Chen Yi to practice calligraphy these past few days, how could he have known such obscure knowledge? Scratching his head, he said truthfully, "It's a coincidence that I know about the "Qing Xin Jue". My calligraphy master is a famous Taoist priest in Yinzhou. I've learned a lot from him, so I can naturally recite one or two sentences."
"Oh?" Mr. Ning smiled and sighed, "No wonder your calligraphy, though your foundation is still shallow, has a sense of freedom and naturalness in your strokes. It turns out you are a disciple of a famous master."
Fang Zhicheng waved his hands quickly and said with a smile: "I am just learning calligraphy from the Taoist priest, I cannot be considered his apprentice yet."
Seeing that Fang Zhicheng answered the questions he had set despite his youth, Mr. Ning's favorable impression of Fang Zhicheng could not help but deepen. He pointed to the mahogany chair next to him and said with a smile: "Sit down, let's have a good chat."
Ning Xiangcao then obediently took the teacup and placed it next to Fang Zhicheng. Fang Zhicheng took a breath and sighed, "Good tea."
Mr. Ning did not take it as an offense. He just felt that Fang Zhicheng was straightforward and natural, and the smile on his face became even wider.
Ning Xiangcao stood by and watched the gradual change in Ning Lao's attitude. She secretly thought that Fang Zhicheng had unique abilities. Ning Lao was not an easy person to get along with. Among the three granddaughters, only Ning Xiangcao dared to say a few words to the old man. As for other relatives, they often felt restrained when they saw the old man.
Fang Zhicheng's performance was very frank and natural from beginning to end, with no sense of restraint at all, as if he regarded this house as his own home. In fact, Ning Xiangcao didn't know that Fang Zhicheng's back had been wet with sweat, but his face didn't sweat much, so it was hard for people to tell that he was just a coward.
"Fang boy, why do you want to come and see me?" Old Ning put down the teacup and asked softly.
Fang Zhicheng analyzed many possibilities, but couldn't make up his mind. He simply pretended to be stupid and said, "Could it be that Sister Vanilla said a lot of good things about me in front of you, so she aroused your curiosity?"
Ning Xiangcao saw that Fang Zhicheng's words were interesting, and a smile appeared on her calm face. She said, "I have never said anything good about you in front of Grandpa."
Old Master Ning noticed that Fang Zhicheng was deliberately changing the subject just to ease the atmosphere. He felt that this young man was quite interesting. He waved his hand and said, "I once told my children and grandchildren a family rule, that is, members of the Ning family must do two things when they are out there." After he finished speaking, he glanced at Ning Xiangcao.
Ning Xiangcao's eyes were filled with a strange light, and her soft voice was filled with determination, "If there is a grudge, it must be avenged, and if there is a debt, it must be repaid."
These eight simple words shocked Fang Zhicheng. The former is the way to treat enemies, and the latter is the way to treat friends. This is a simple and practical family rule.
Old Master Ning glanced at Ning Xiangcao, nodded with satisfaction, and said with a deep gaze: "Ever since you saved Xiangcao, you have been the benefactor of our entire Ning family. In the past period of time, I have also arranged for people to investigate you. You are a young man with great potential and responsibility. I have always wanted to meet you, thank you in person, and make some compensation to you."
Fang Zhicheng waved his hands quickly and said softly: "Old man, in the past few months, I have troubled Sister Vanilla and Colonel Xie many times. If you say that debts must be repaid, then that is enough."
Old Master Ning nodded and sighed, "You are a young man who knows your limits, so I won't beat around the bush with you. Are you willing to become a branch of the Ning family?"
Collateral branch? Fang Zhicheng was not unfamiliar with this term. A large family like the Ning family had direct and collateral branches. The direct branch was like Ning Xiangcao, who was the core of the family. The peripheral branches were the core of the family. As the Ning family focused on cultivating the power, although they had no blood ties, once they were branded as collateral branches, their future would be looked after by other family members, and their potential was limitless.
The strength of a family is actually not directly related to the direct lineage, and the key point lies in the strength of the collateral lineage. Take the Ning family as an example. Ning Lao's son, General Ning, has focused on the military, but the Ning family still has influence in the political arena because there are more than ten ministerial-level cadres in the Ning family, and if they are transferred, they will become a powerful force that can influence national policies.
For Fang Zhicheng, this is a road to success. Once he becomes a member of the Ning family's side branch, he will have access to countless resources, and his career path will be much smoother than that of ordinary officials.
"Can I refuse?" Fang Zhicheng smiled awkwardly and gave an answer that surprised Ning Xiangcao.
"Why?" Old Man Ning smiled. It was obvious that he was not surprised, because Fang Zhicheng's refusal to go to the Central Party School's research class last time had already made Old Man Ning realize that Fang Zhicheng was different from ordinary young people.
Fang Zhicheng stood up, bowed to Old Man Ning, and whispered: "Goodness is the best nature, and the way is natural. I want to be a person with a higher degree of freedom and don't want to be bound by too many rules and regulations."
"Childish!" Even Ning Xiangcao couldn't help but feel that Fang Zhicheng was a little ungrateful.
Fang Zhicheng sighed and said softly: "Maybe it seems childish, but I live freely."
Ning Xiangcao suddenly recalled the situation when her husband first entered the Ning family. She was stunned. If her husband had refused the Ning family's invitation like Fang Zhicheng and lived an ordinary life, perhaps he would not have encountered the car accident
Old Master Ning felt a little regretful, waved his hand, and said calmly: "Since you don't want to enter the Ning family, I naturally can't force you. However, if you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can still find the Ning family and ask Vanilla to help you solve them."
Fang Zhicheng nodded slightly to show his acceptance. He knew that he had missed another opportunity to rise to prominence, but he did not regret it at all.
Joining a big family certainly has its advantages, but there are bound to be various rules and regulations. For the sake of the family's interests, one even has to give up many of one's own beliefs. Fang Zhicheng's behavior is difficult to understand, but this is also the reason why, although he is weak, he can always attract the attention of people like Mr. Ning.
A real man can be free from restraints!
After Fang Zhicheng left the hall, Mr. Ning picked up the four characters "Dao Tiancheng" that Fang Zhicheng had just written. Suddenly, a bright light flashed before his eyes. He saw that the "Gebu" was full of murderous aura, which made his peaceful and free-spirited style suddenly change, like a sharp sword. He shook his head and smiled helplessly, and said softly: "This boy can become a great man."
The second volume is about investment promotion!
Chapter 0164 Dongtai County is not a shallow beach
Song Wendi is destined to become a figure with a name in Yinzhou's history. Under the coordination of many departments of the municipal party committee, Qinhuai Heavy Machinery successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange in November 2005. After listing, the stock price of Qinhuai Heavy Machinery soared by 90% in a single day, raising funds of 2 billion US dollars.