Chapter 158 - Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Mr. Feng’s Perception (1/2)
Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Mr. Feng’s Perception
Translator: 549690339
The next day, Tang Baona visited her grandfather before work because she knew he would be up early for his morning walk.
Mr. Feng was very interested upon seeing the palm-sized boxwood carving that his granddaughter had brought him. He put on his reading glasses and examined it closely.
“Grandpa, how is it? Is the carving good?” Tang Baona asked with anticipation.
After observing for a while and gently stroking the head of the carving, Mr. Feng nodded and said, “A very interesting carving, it looks rather new? The details aren’t quite as fine as the one in your picture – looks a bit like a step backward. But the design of this carving is quite interesting. It has a bit of a Buddhist undertone and even a bit of a… animation vibe. The young man who made this really has some creative ideas.”
Tang Baona was surprised and asked, “Grandpa, when did I say that my friend is a guy? And even if he’s a guy, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s young. He could be around your age, you know?”
Mr. Feng chuckled and said, “We always say ‘the handwriting says a lot about the person.’ By looking at someone’s handwriting, you can figure out their personality and their mental state at the time of writing. The same goes for artwork and carvings, these can reveal a lot too. This carving focuses more on overall harmony rather than intricate details. The rugged lines imply strength. The junction of the eight arms and shoulders reflects more of structural rationality than aesthetics. This is obviously a more masculine piece. As for age, based on how you refer to him, he should be around your age.”
Tang Baona exclaimed, “Grandpa, you’re amazing! Can you see anything else?”
Mr. Feng placed the carving in his palm and chuckled, “In Buddhism, many abilities are often embodied as arms and eyes, indicating more capability to see, to understand, and to do. Your friend must be very capable and multitalented, and should be rather confident and outgoing, right?”
Very capable? Multitalented? Thinking of the many talents Xiang Kun had demonstrated in the short span of two months since they met, Tang Baona wholeheartedly agreed.
Each arm of this eight-armed caricature was like a skill mastered by Xiang
Kun.
But confident and outgoing? That didn’t seem to fit well.
Mr. Feng went on to say, “Look at this wood carving’s hands, they are all clenched in fists, showing that your friend is proactive and enthusiastic…”
Tang Baona couldn’t help but whisper, “Isn’t it just because it’s easier to carve fists…”
Mr. Feng was startled, but then pretended not to hear it and continued naturally. “Looking at the expression of this wooden figure, the deliberately exposed sharp teeth, you can see…”
After listening to her grandfather speak for a while, Tang Baona found an opportune time to interrupt, “Grandpa, my friend didn’t mention the price for this carving. What do you think would be a reasonable price?”
“Hmm, although it’s not the work of a famous carver and the wood quality is average, its design is unique, with a considerable level of difficulty, and good carving technique. Three to five thousand yuan would be a fair market price.” Mr. Feng said thoughtfully, looking at the carving in his hand.
Upon hearing this, Tang Baona immediately took out her phone and transferred five thousand yuan to Xiang Kun in front of her grandfather. Xiang Kun had previously given the pricing authority to her, and she knew the grandfather would probably inflate the price a bit, so she felt this would be fair to Xiang Kun.
“Grandpa, don’t forget to give me some more red envelopes for the New Year!” Tang Baona playfully brandished her phone.
“You cheeky girl…” Mr. Feng chuckled and shook his head. “When are you going to invite that young man over? I’m quite interested in meeting him and having a chat.’
“We’ll talk about that later. He just went home for a while. I’ve got to get to work, see you, grandpa.” Tang Baona left cheerfully.