Painting the Soul (short story)

Ye Zi is a well-known painter in the county, often intoxicated and proud in the kingdom of art.

Some friends are not accustomed to his arrogance of self-congratulation, saying that he can count what he can do in a small county town, and if he has the ability, he will go to the capital to show off, that is the fertile soil for producing big painters and big names!

Ye Ziqi went to the capital under the qi, and like many young men and women who flocked here with a longing for art, they became what people called the "Beijing Drifters".

However, the capital is not the heavenly child hall of all the "Beijing drifters", and the god of fate not only did not patronize him, but also greatly hurt his self-esteem.

For more than half a year, he ran around and did everything

A masterpiece presented to the masters of the art world, no

Long appeared in the garbage can.

Ye Zi's thoughts were gray, and the exhaustion of inspiration and the pressure of the economy made him breathless.

This evening, Ye Zi handed the only ten yuan in his pocket to the bakery owner, and then walked along the riverbank while eating, he decided to give up his rhapsody of art, and even life, since he could not erupt in silence, he could only choose to be a lone ghost in a foreign land in silence

finish.

Ye Zi stopped in front of a pavilion, surrounded by silence, only the dim light of the street lamp pulled his shadow long and long.

When Ye Zi climbed up the railing of the pavilion and prepared to draw a sad end to life, suddenly there was a beautiful music behind him, Ye Zi couldn't help but look back, across the road was an old building with mottled walls, just at the window of a room on the second floor, there was a girl dancing to the rhythm of music. Only to see her coiled in a high bun, a pair of long arms soft as boneless, spirit trembling, like a colorful butterfly dancing in the flowers.....

Suddenly, a kind of artistic resonance strongly hit Ye Zi's heart, he jumped off the railing at once, hurriedly took out the paintbrush, supported the easel, and the dragon flew and danced on the paper, although there was a distance from the pavilion to the girl's window, But Ye Zi truly felt that her every movement seemed to be poured with endless enthusiasm, so light, dexterous, let people be fascinated!

Until the light at the window was extinguished, Ye Zi stood up from his intoxication, a gust of evening wind blew, the air was soaked with the fragrance of the night incense, he could not help but take a deep breath, and then looked up at the girl's window reluctantly, and then walked easily to the rented cottage.

The next night, Ye Zi came to the pavilion of last night again with an excited mood. He didn't know if the girl would still appear at the window dancing, but as if there was a magic domination, he couldn't help but come here, holding up his easel and waiting quietly.

At nine o'clock in the night, the lights came on, the girl's figure appeared at the window again, the music sounded, and The graceful figure transformed into a flying elf, and time froze at this moment.

Ye Zi's gaze could no longer leave, and inspiration poured out like a clear spring, gushing out in tears. The girls in his pen are flexible, ethereal and lifelike, almost condensing all his feelings and thoughts about the art of painting for more than 20 years, making him rejoice, intoxicated and amazed!

For several nights, Ye Zi waited in front of the girl's window, immersed in the diligent pursuit of art, and the girl did not disappoint him, and whenever the bell rang at nine o'clock, she appeared at the window on time to present him with a wonderful dance.

On the seventh night, Ye Zi could no longer restrain his feelings, the girl was the angel sent by God to his side, and he decided to visit the girl. "Even though I'm still a penniless poor egg." He thought, "But one day, my artistic life will shine, and at that time, I will buy her a large practice room with mirrors on all sides, so that her wonderful figure will always accompany me." ”

Ye Zi bought three roses with the borrowed money, and then came to the girl's building early, waiting for the moment when the curtains were opened, and then crossed the road to go upstairs.

But nine o'clock passed, the girl did not appear, and ten o'clock passed, and the girl's window was still dark.

Ye Zi walked around the pavilion uneasily, "What happened to her today?" Sick? Or did you go out and didn't come back?"

Until twelve o'clock in the night, just as Ye Zi was preparing to leave, the girl's window lit up, followed by her figure appeared, but waved her hands haphazardly, shaking and turning, turning, and suddenly disappeared.

Ye Zi was shocked, quickly crossed the highway and ran upstairs, knocked on the door to see, the girl collapsed on the ground, foaming at the mouth, convulsing in pain, already unconscious.

Ye Zi didn't have time to think much, and she carried the girl on her back and ran to the hospital.

After some tense rescue, the girl gradually woke up, and when she saw Ye Zi's concerned eyes, she couldn't help but cry with tears in her eyes: "Who are you?" Who let you save me? Let me die!"

Ye Zi shook the girl's hand and said bitterly, "Listen, although I don't know what happened to you, or even what your name is, because you once saved my life, I won't let you die."

"Did I save your life?" The girl opened her mouth wide in surprise.

Ye Zi nodded, told the girl about her disgraceful experience, and finally said somewhat shyly, "You know what? It was your beautiful dancing that rekindled the flame of my ideals, and I even planned that one day I would succeed and buy you a big dance studio?"

Who knew that the girl suddenly lost her voice and cried bitterly, she said that her name was Xu Jing, from a remote town in Guangxi, because she liked to dance since she was a child, she came to Beijing four years ago with a vision of dance art, bent on entering the famous ballet theater, but she failed three times in a row, before the fourth exam, she said to herself, if she could not pass the exam this time, she would die, she did not expect that the sky would not go according to people's wishes, just a few minutes before entering the examination room, she accidentally broke her foot because of nervousness, and the result was abnormal, and once again fell behind Sun Shan.

The down-and-out "Kyo Drifter Girl"!

Ye Zi sighed in his heart, but smiled

Xu Jing said, "It doesn't matter, with your strength you will definitely succeed next time."

Xu Jing shook her head sadly and said, "There is no next time, this is providence, fate is destined that I can't be a professional dancer, or go back to my hometown."

Be an ordinary person with my parents, they have paid too much for me. ”

After Xu Jing recovered from her illness, Ye Zi begged her to stay because his group of paintings named "Dancing Souls" had not yet been completed, and he hoped that Xu Jing would help him complete this work that almost devoted all his efforts and love.

Xu Jing looked at Ye Zi's own pen, and couldn't help but be excited, saying that dance is a flowing painting, and painting is a static dance, but the dance under Ye Zi's pen is flexible and flying, he seems to know Xu Jing's soul and thoughts, each painting can accurately capture her most moving strands, with artistic techniques and psychedelic colors, depicting her vividly, exhaling, feminine in elegance, full of passion in peace.

While lamenting Ye Zi's superb artistic skills, Xu Jing said with some embarrassment: "I don't dance as well as you can."

"No, you're a hundred times, a thousand times better than that!"

As the music quietly sounded, Xu Jing couldn't help but dance, her face rippled with a bright smile, the original loss and sadness had been swept away, as if it was a heart date, she captured appreciation and encouragement from Ye Zi's eyes, so she focused on it; And Ye Zi also saw the trust in Xu Jing's eyes, so she worked harder, the whole world seemed to exist, and in their hearts there was only the fanaticism and passion for art

Soon, a self-funded personal exhibition was held in the West End Open Air Square, which suddenly attracted people's attention, and the people who came to watch it were endless, and people were all fascinated by Ye Zi's real and illusory works, especially the group of works called "Dancing Souls", which was even more amazing.

Ye Zi became famous in one fell swoop!

At the same time, after the director of the ballet theater saw the group of works "Soul of Dance", he immediately sent someone to find Xu Jing, let her perform a dance on the spot, and then admitted her out of the box. Ye Zi and Xu Jing hugged each other tightly and cried with joy.

Author:Xue Ying(Sichuan)