"That’s impossible. Just look at the little shrimp in the painting. A few deft strokes, using varying shades of ink, convey a sense of movement in the small shrimp—it’s exquisite. How could it be wrong?"

The crowd speculated widely, yet no one hit upon the true reason.

Old Ren slowly shook his head, then suddenly turned to Wang Guan and asked, "Young man, do you know why this is?"

"This... I’m not sure," Wang Guan admitted, somewhat bewildered. He guessed, "Could it be that Master Daqian’s brush ran out of ink? And so Elder Baishi stopped him, reminding him to pay attention."

"Ha!" Old Ren laughed heartily upon hearing this. "So, you really don't know."

Nonsense!

Wang Guan rolled his eyes inwardly. There was no clue on the painting; how could he possibly know what happened?

One had to understand that the part of the painting on the table covered by a slip of paper was actually the inscription and the signature. The content of the inscription was precisely the matter Old Ren was alluding to. However, the text made no mention of details like Qi Baishi grabbing Zhang Daqian's sleeve, so how could Wang Guan answer Old Ren's question?

"Old Ren, stop being mysterious. Please tell us exactly what happened."

At this point, the others urged him on once more.

However, Old Ren hesitated, saying slowly, "Everyone here should know that Master Daqian was my teacher. According to the ancient rules of deference, one must keep silent about the faults of one’s superiors. This matter ought not be revealed publicly by me."

"What does that mean?"

Many people were utterly confused, though some clever individuals seemed to guess at a possibility. However, considering Old Ren was right there, they felt awkward speaking it aloud.

"Brother Ren, so many years have passed. What is there still to hold back?"

Suddenly, a robust voice rang out from the back of the crowd. Everyone instinctively turned to look and saw an elderly man with white hair, slowly approaching, supported by Qi Qingguo.

"It’s Old Feng..."

Someone in the crowd recognized the elder and quickly called out.

"Old Feng!"

This Old Feng seemed to command considerable respect. Prompted by the announcement, the others hastily paid their respects and then stepped back, clearing a path.

Simultaneously, Wang Guan had an epiphany. No wonder there had been such a commotion without Qi Qingguo appearing—he had gone to fetch this person.

"Brother Feng, you’ve come too. I was planning to visit you after this calligraphy and painting exhibition concluded."

Seeing the elder, Old Ren was delighted and personally walked forward to greet him.

"Hearing that Brother Ren was here, how could I remain comfortably at home?" Old Feng chuckled. His demeanor was also quite excited as he clasped Old Ren’s hand tightly, holding it for a long time.

The camaraderie between old men is something the young cannot fully imagine.

After all, as one enters old age, the number of friends around one inevitably dwindles. Especially for men of Old Ren and Old Feng's age, meeting with a soulmate could be considered a great fortune in life.

With old friends meeting after many years, there were surely endless things to discuss. The two exchanged warm inquiries until it seemed they might never stop. In the blink of an eye, over ten minutes had passed.

Furthermore, their seniority was simply too high. No matter how impatient the onlookers became, they dared not interrupt their conversation and could only maintain polite smiles while patiently listening.

Finally, the two concluded their reunion and turned to the main topic.

Old Feng remarked with feeling, "Brother Ren, I hadn't expected you to bring out this painting. But since you have displayed it, it proves you intend to make this matter public. Why then, when the moment arrived, did you hesitate?"

Old Ren sighed lightly and remained silent.

Seeing this, Old Feng understood Old Ren's concern—fearing damage to Zhang Daqian’s reputation. Thereupon, he smiled faintly and reminded him, "Brother Ren, you are too close to see clearly. Do you remember the matter of the Cao E Stele Rubbing?"

"The Cao E Stele Rubbing? Isn't that Zhang Daqian’s family heirloom? What could possibly be wrong with it?" Someone asked quietly beside him, utterly puzzled.

"No way, you don't even know about this matter?" The person next to him expressed shock and explained in a hushed tone, "When Mr. Zhang Daqian was young, he loved playing mahjong. He became deeply addicted. One time, he was trapped in a scheme and lost everything, forced to use his family's priceless heirloom—Wang Xizhi's Cao E Stele Rubbing—to settle his gambling debt."

"Later, before his mother passed away, she wished to see this treasured heirloom. Upon hearing this request, Zhang Daqian was filled with terror and despair. He could only lie, claiming the item was stored in Suzhou. Having no choice but to console his mother, Zhang Daqian hurried to Suzhou to search for the Cao E Stele Rubbing."

"After extensive inquiries, Zhang Daqian learned that the Cao E Stele Rubbing had been purchased for a high price by someone named Ye Gongchuo. Zhang Daqian immediately visited him. Upon learning the whole story, Mr. Ye Gongchuo returned the Cao E Stele Rubbing intact without a second thought, leaving Zhang Daqian overcome with gratitude."

Hearing this narrative, many people suddenly understood. Even Wang Guan was surprised that the illustrious Zhang Daqian had such an absurd, little-known episode in his youth.

At this moment, Old Feng spoke again with a sigh, "The world only knows of the three family rules of the Zhang family: no smoking, no drinking, no gambling. First offense receives a warning; a repeat offender is expelled. But people do not know the origin of these three rules."

Old Feng stated solemnly, "Brother Ren, you must know that in his later years, Master Daqian wrote a preface for Ye Gongchuo's collection of calligraphy and painting, intending to reveal his foolish youthful mistakes to the public. However, those around Master Daqian strongly advised against it. They believed that since he enjoyed international fame, revealing such matters would only expose his shortcomings to the world."

"Yet, Master Daqian stood firm in his decision and included this anecdote in his preface. Firstly, to let the world know of Mr. Ye Gongchuo's noble character, and secondly, to demonstrate the principle that one learns from mistakes."

Old Feng sighed, "Master Daqian truly deserves to be called a grand master. Even he himself did not dwell on such minor details. Why should we descendants be so secretive?"

"Master Zhang Daqian was not a saint. As mortals, he made mistakes, but he bravely corrected them. Throughout the rest of his life, he maintained his moral integrity: unmoved by poverty or wealth, unyielding under duress."

Finally, Old Feng concluded, "Only such a person is worthy of our reverence. Are we to look down upon Master Daqian simply because he was reckless in his youth and made errors?"

"How could we..."

"Master Daqian recognized his mistakes and corrected them; his character and art were both sublime. We can barely show enough respect; how dare we look down upon him."

The crowd quickly shook their heads, offering their sincere opinions. For some unknown reason, people generally afforded the utmost tolerance to gifted individuals, especially those who were vastly famous and had already passed away.

Looking across all dynasties—the hermits of the Han, the worthy scholars of the Wei-Jin period, the poets of the Sui and Tang, the ci writers of the Song, the literati of the Ming, and the celebrities of the late Qing and Republic eras—it has been a consistent thread throughout history: figures renowned for their arrogance, unconventionality, and even eccentricity.

In almost every historical period, there were one or two people overflowing with talent who were disdainful of common conventions. If such a person were right beside you, you would certainly be annoyed. But when such a person is far away, virtually unattainable, people naturally overlook their flaws and infinitely magnify their virtues.

After all, even Dong Qichang, whose personal conduct was not exemplary, has his calligraphy and paintings sought after by the world. Not to mention Zhang Daqian, who, after making a mistake, not only knew how to correct it but also publicly admitted it honestly. This in no way detracted from Zhang Daqian's reputation; rather, it made him seem more genuine, earning him deeper respect.

"I worried unnecessarily," Old Ren said, having realized his error, and chuckled lightly. "Thanks to my brother Feng’s timely reminder."

"Heh, it had nothing to do with me," Old Feng laughed. "If Brother Ren hadn't already been inclined to reveal it, no amount of urging from me would have been of any use."

"Old Ren, shouldn't you continue now?" At the same time, someone boldly pressed, "When Master Daqian was painting, why did Master Baishi grab his sleeve?"

Instantly, the crowd focused their attention, leaning in to listen intently.

"Perhaps some of you have already guessed what I am about to say," Old Ren sighed lightly and smiled. "Mr. Baishi stopped Master Daqian to remind him that whether the shrimp was large or small, its body must have exactly six segments; one could not draw more, nor could one draw fewer."

"When Master Daqian heard this, he looked down and realized the shrimp he had drawn did not meet this standard. In a moment of quick wit, he added some waterweeds and ripples to the painting, covering the segments of the inaccurately counted shrimp one by one."

Old Ren narrated slowly, "After the gathering ended, Master Daqian returned home. He immediately sent someone out to buy a large basket of river shrimp, poured them all into a big box, and observed them closely. He then personally picked up the shrimp one by one to count the segments, only to confirm that the shrimp bodies indeed all had only six segments."

"From that moment on, Master Daqian was utterly awestruck by Mr. Baishi’s meticulous observation. Afterwards, he even returned to Mr. Xu Beihong's house to retrieve the painting, so he could constantly remind himself that in creation, whether it was landscapes, figures, birds, or fish, he must first possess deep observation and understanding, keep it firmly in mind, and only then begin to paint."

As he spoke, Old Ren reached out and carefully removed the covering slips from the painting.

The crowd eagerly looked on. They saw that the complete painting bore the seals of Qi Baishi, Zhang Daqian, and Xu Beihong, as well as the inscription detailing the incident.

Of course, the text did not reveal the specific details. If Old Ren had not narrated this secret, even if everyone saw the painting, they would only know the story of Qi Baishi and Zhang Daqian collaborating on the work, remaining unaware of the crucial minutiae.

Anecdotes about famous people invariably spark curiosity.

In truth, everyone harbors a slight appetite for gossip, and Wang Guan was no exception. He couldn't help but ask, "Old Ren, how did you come to know about this? Did Master Zhang Daqian tell you himself?"