Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 30. Idea

Hua Jin looked at the slightly yellowed and blackened paper and sighed; this must be the worst quality paper, yet many scholars still cannot afford it.

Hua Jin thought and thought, finally folding the paper into several pieces. When she picked up the brush and looked at the barely legible writing she had done before, she put the brush down again.

The paper was too expensive to waste casually, and she also didn’t trust her own hand. How could such a soft brush be controlled by someone who has only been practicing calligraphy for a few days?

She immediately put the brush back where it belonged, suddenly stood up, and ran out.

The sudden movement stunned her two brothers and even the fourth brother, who was scratching his head in frustration.

"Fourth brother, concentrate, you have half a cup of tea’s time left. If you can’t finish writing, you won’t need to sleep tonight." Hua Yunao withdrew his gaze from the doorway and threatened his younger brother.

When he glimpsed at the atrocious handwriting his brother had produced, Hua’s elder brother’s face darkened again.

This kid can’t be allowed to go on like this.

"Big brother..." Fourth brother prolonged his tone, looking pitifully at his brother, feeling on the verge of collapse.

Never mind half a cup of tea, even a full cup wouldn’t help him complete it!

It’s so hard! Even though he memorized it, why do the words seem unrecognizable as soon as he picks up the brush?

"Calling me big brother won’t help, just write." Hua’s elder brother glared at him and said sternly.

Fourth brother: "..."

Even pretending to be pitiful won’t work, big brother has grown wise.

With no other options, he racked his brain, mindlessly writing from memory.

Beside him, the second brother watched his younger brother with schadenfreude.

This kid doesn’t know how lucky he is. In the entire Hua Village, only their family and Meng Qiang’s have the opportunity to study, and who doesn’t seize the opportunity to study and recognize characters?

This kid, on the contrary, doesn’t take it seriously even when he and his brother find time to teach him. Instead, it’s the sister who learns really well, although her handwriting leaves something to be desired.

Second brother’s lips curled into a mischievous smile, pondering how to properly punish the fourth brother later to teach him a lesson.

But... what was the sister rushing out for just now?

Stopping his pen, the second brother couldn’t help but think.

Hua Jin, who was being thought of, ran straight to the kitchen, squatted below the stove, and rummaged through, finally finding a piece of wood suitable for making a charcoal pen. Though it still needed some processing, or else it would leave her hands covered in soot.

Seeing the charcoal strip sparked a sudden idea in Hua Jin’s mind.

If she had time, she could try making a quill pen. Whether it’s good to use is another matter, mainly it’s cleaner.

She just needed some goose feathers, but that wasn’t urgent, they shouldn’t be hard to find.

Holding the charcoal stick, Hua Jin went to find her father. Having the charcoal was one thing, now she needed a penholder, which required her father’s help.

"Grandpa, Dad, can you both do me a favor?" Hua Jin’s cheerful voice interrupted Hua Chengtian and old Hua from their work. The two stopped simultaneously to look at their darling granddaughter (daughter).

"What do you need help with? Grandpa will help you," Old Hua hurriedly spoke first.

Hua Jin quickly turned to her grandpa, "Grandpa, I want a penholder."

"Isn’t it just a penholder? No problem, grandpa will make it for you right away."

Old Hua picked out a large bamboo tube as wide as an arm and was about to start working.

"No... not like that..." Hua Jin burst into laughter and tears, hurriedly speaking to stop him when she saw the large bamboo tube in grandpa’s hands.

"Not a penholder?" Old Hua looked puzzled at his granddaughter; Hua Chengtian also looked confusedly at his daughter.

Raising the charcoal strip in her hand, Hua Jin quickly explained, and the father and son understood that what they had thought of as a penholder was not what she meant at all.

Once they understood, the father and son quickly collaborated to create a holder of the right size, placing the charcoal strip in it. They then meticulously secured it with a string.

"Is this okay?" Hua Chengtian handed the finished product to his daughter.

"Yes, yes... it’s perfect. Thank you, Dad, thank you, Grandpa, you’re amazing."

Hua Jin happily held the charcoal pen encapsulated in the slender bamboo tube; it was much better than she imagined. Her father and grandpa considered even the details, making a small mechanism so that when the charcoal inside the pen was used up, a small bamboo stick on top could be pressed down, preventing sooty fingers.

"Good, now go play."

Hua Chengtian had been worried about not doing it right, but seeing his daughter so happy relieved him, and he patted her shoulder reassuringly.

From start to finish, neither Hua Chengtian nor old Hua asked Hua Jin what she wanted it for, their patience and love for her were evident.

"Okay," Hua Jin nodded without saying more, her mind occupied. She happily ran back to her brothers’ room.

Meanwhile, fourth brother’s good mood had long since vanished. Holding the written draft, he was lectured by his two brothers one after another, his head hung low in despair.

"Go, write this essay ten times. You won’t be sleeping tonight if you miss a single copy."

"Big brother, second brother... how about... how about I write tomorrow? It’s getting dark and it would waste oil." Fourth brother attempted to negotiate, making one last dying struggle.

"No... way."

Mentioning the oil did make the elder brother hesitate for a second, but thinking he must give his brother a lesson today, otherwise he’d remain lazy and not seriously learn his characters, he resolutely refused despite the heartache.

This kid is too cunning; he couldn’t be allowed to succeed, or he’d be even harder to discipline in the future.

"Big brother..."

Fourth brother tried to act spoiled, but his brother’s glare shut him up, pouting as he picked up his pen, eyes shimmering with unshed tears, looking utterly pitiful!

When Hua Jin entered, this was the scene she encountered. Her eyes twinkled with amusement, she glanced over and pretended not to notice.

There was definitely no sympathy; experiencing setbacks in childhood was beneficial. The ability to handle pressure would be stronger when grown.

Paying no attention to the pleading look from fourth brother, she sat back at her original spot... opposite her older brother.

Seeing her elder brothers seriously doing their homework, Hua Jin didn’t say a word. After pondering for a while, she started drawing on the paper with her charcoal pen.

When Mrs. Qi brought in tea, she saw the four children all seriously engaged, a joyful and gratified smile immediately appearing on her face.

She quietly entered and then quietly left the room.

Hua Jin became so immersed in her drawing that she didn’t even realize when night fell, and the room was lit with lamps.

She drew two sheets in one go; if she wasn’t worried about wasting paper, she wouldn’t have stopped her pen.

Once she began, the inspiration flowed in her mind one after another, feeling like she could draw for several more hours without a problem.

Tomorrow, she planned to take her work to town to test the waters; if it worked, she wouldn’t have to worry about wasting paper anymore.

Hua Jin looked contentedly at her creations, her paper filled with various vivid designs.

Drawing was no challenge for her; how could someone in design not know how to draw?

Besides, to become the best designer, she put in significant effort, even seeking out a teacher for systematic learning.

Whether it was sketching or Chinese painting, while Hua Jin wasn’t extraordinarily skilled, her work was definitely more than decent.

In fact, she wanted to draw fashion sketches more; after all, that was her strong suit.

However, knowing she had been in this world for a short time and lacked understanding, her experiences were limited to Hua Village and Qinggu Mountain behind. The clothes she had seen were mostly what farm folks wore, just the few common styles.

Men wore either cross-collared or open-collared shirts with pants, and for women who paid some attention, it was just a knee-length skirt, with colors mostly deep blue and green-black,

Upon reflection, she thought it best not to rush, to understand more when in town. Otherwise, it might not fit this world’s aesthetic, rendering her efforts futile, most importantly wasting paper.