While Li Family Village was celebrating Christmas, on the other side, Ning Heng flew to France.
Xu Qiulai had just sat down when a waiter came over and said, "Someone is looking for you, claiming to be your son's friend. Their surname is Ning."
Xu Qiulai guessed it was Ning Heng, but wasn't he supposed to be filming a show in Li Family Village?
"I'll go see them," Xu Qiulai said as she went to the reception room.
When she saw who it was, she was shocked.
The young man sitting in the reception room was wrapped in a filthy leather jacket, covered in black, white, and gray mud splatters. The jacket was bulging underneath, with unknown objects stuffed inside.
He looked like he had just been caught shoplifting, beaten up, and then ran here.
"How did you end up here?" Xu Qiulai frowned and asked, "Were you robbed?"
Ning Heng looked up, revealing a pair of bright eyes: "Auntie! I brought my artwork to exhibit!"
Ning Heng made a pitiful face: "My parents don't believe me. They say I must have painted another nude man and that my art should stay far away from them. It's too offensive..."
"So you came to see me because..."
"Auntie! You're a pillar of the art world! Please, please take me to exhibit with you!"
After all, he was her son's friend, and the Ning family had a good relationship with the Sheng family. Xu Qiulai said diplomatically, "Isn't it easy for you to exhibit?"
"I know what you mean. The exhibitions where you can just pay to get in, or the ones that welcome me happily because of my parents or my cousin. Those exhibitions aren't legitimate! Anyone can get in, I don't want that!" Ning Heng said resolutely.
Xu Qiulai: "..."
You want to be in a legitimate exhibition, but the legitimate ones don't want you.
Ning Heng continued talking to himself: "Auntie, I know the Louvre has organized a big exhibition recently. As a special guest, you have the qualification to recommend works... Please look at mine, please!"
As he spoke, he suddenly opened his leather jacket like a flasher on the street.
Xu Qiulai's mouth twitched, about to turn away, but her gaze suddenly froze.
"This thing... you made it?"
"Yes, Auntie! I worked day and night, no technique, all emotion!"
"The technique is not bad either. Which teacher did your father hire for you?"
"Dai Yufan and Chen Zao."
"Both top-tier masters." Xu Qiulai stood up. "Come with me. ...By the way, what's your work called?"
"'Little Duck.'"
"What?" Xu Qiulai was stunned for a moment.
"It's called 'Little Duck.'"
"The name and the work... don't seem related."
"But isn't naming the artist's freedom?"
"...Right." Xu Qiulai nodded slightly. "Go take a shower first."
Ning Heng was touched: "Auntie, you're like a real mother to me!" Then he happily followed Xu Qiulai to the suite.
The waiter behind them couldn't help but mutter: "So it really was young master Ning! We almost threw him out thinking he was crazy..."
The next day, an international art exhibition named "Lively" opened at the Louvre.
Works by Vermeer and Monet were also on display, representing the classical style.
Among the emerging artists, Xu Qiulai was at the forefront.
Multiple famous artists and works attracted the attention of many art lovers, and even the media flocked to the event.
Ning Heng was a complete newcomer among them, and he even encountered his teachers when entering the exhibition hall.
As soon as they saw him, his teachers instinctively pretended not to know him and walked away.
Xu Qiulai asked in confusion: "Aren't they your teachers?"
Ning Heng, not at all embarrassed, said: "Oh, they told me to never say I'm their student when I go out. They can't bear the shame."
Xu Qiulai: "..." "How terrible were your previous works?"
"Not... not that bad?"
Xu Qiulai was truly kind to Ning Heng; she gave him the center position at her exhibition booth.
This unusual behavior quickly attracted a lot of attention.
First, the media came over, trying to figure out the reason for this anomaly.
Then Ning Heng's teachers came over.
Ning Heng's teachers could be considered world-class artists. They came over with the intention of not letting Ning Heng embarrass them. But as they moved, the media followed.
Why did those two teachers go there?
What was so special about that spot?
More and more people gathered around.
— Ning Heng became an overnight sensation at the art exhibition.
By the third day of the art exhibition, Ning Heng's work had been bid up to ten million dollars.
A young artist from Hua Country gaining such high attention at a Louvre exhibition was certainly a matter of national pride. When the news reached home, it immediately trended on social media.
At a time like this, Ning Heng should have stayed in France for media interviews, but he suddenly flew back home.
"Good news shouldn't be heard by just me alone."
"Mm, you should tell your parents."
"No, no, not telling them. I'm going to Li Family Village!"
Xu Qiulai thought for a moment. Had her son and Ning Heng's relationship reached this level?
It shouldn't have.
Xu Qiulai remembered: "'Little Duck,' is it Li Xiaoya?"
Ning Heng turned back in surprise: "You know?"
So it really was.
"Your inspiration..."
"Came from her!" Ning Heng said emphatically.
Xu Qiulai tilted her head, suddenly feeling curious about meeting Li Xiaoya too.
"I'll go to Li Family Village with you."
"What?" Now it was Ning Heng's turn to be shocked.
At this time, Wei Lin had just finished dealing with his affairs.
Wei Xuanming was a very traditional person. After falling ill, he returned to Hua Country, wanting to return to his roots. But their family had left the country long ago, and now to find where their ancestral grave was located would require tracing back their origins.
Wei Lin said he was going to search for their ancestors on behalf of his master, and left temporarily.
The stretched Lincoln and Rolls-Royce thus drove into the small county town.
Before entering Li Family Village, Wei Lin specifically went to meet with the local police.
Meanwhile, Xu Qiulai and the Ning family's cars were also on the road.
"Sir, why are there other luxury cars on the road?" Wei Lin's assistant asked in confusion.
Wei Lin frowned and sighed: "Such a backwater place has become so popular. Our little miss is really something!"
The assistant didn't dare to respond after hearing this.
Li Family Village was once again in an uproar.
The villagers watched in amazement as several luxury cars drove towards Li Xiaoya's house...
"Why are more people coming?"
"How come there are so many rich people?"
"Brother Song, Brother Song, do you know what's going on?"
"There's more, look, those are county police cars behind."
"There are police cars, they're not coming to arrest someone again, are they?"
Arrest someone?
Li Song's eyes lit up, suddenly interested. He immediately took large strides forward.
The crowd moved towards that direction, commenting as they went: "Oh my, the road is so crowded. I never thought our village would one day not have enough space for luxury cars to park..."
What was Li Xiaoya doing at this time?
She was sitting by the fire, warming herself.
The rich kids were glumly helping to scoop manure, to prevent the manure pit from freezing over.
After finishing one round of fertilizing the fields, someone suddenly realized: "Damn, didn't we bring money? Can't we just use money to hire local villagers to help Li Xiaoya fertilize the fields?"
"..."
"That would work, but Sheng said the villagers here aren't very nice. They used to bully Li Xiaoya a lot, so we shouldn't give them money even if we have it."
"If we can't hire local villagers, we can hire people from the neighboring village!"
"Shit, you're right! Why didn't we think of this earlier?"
"Isn't it because our brains are frozen?"
"How did Li Xiaoya get through winters here in previous years? I feel like my brain stops working as soon as it's below zero."
The rich kids dejectedly sniffed their clothes.
[Young masters who normally eat with royal cutlery are actually obediently helping to scoop manure.]
[Hilarious, this show might as well be renamed "Happy Comedy People".]
[Thanks, I can briefly stop hating the rich today.]
As they were talking, the sound of cars approaching could be heard.
The police got out first, quickly ran to Li Xiaoya, and said in a low voice: "Are you Li Xiaoya? Your relatives have come to find you!"
The police officer paused, then said solemnly: "According to your relatives' description, your mother was very likely trafficked to Li Family Village. We will now strictly supervise this case!"
[Holy crap?]
[The police have confirmed it! It really was trafficking!]
The villagers approached and happened to overhear this conversation.
Li Song's expression instantly became extremely strange.
