Rain washed over the gray-blue tiles, pooling along the troughs and spilling off the eaves in rivulets.
"After awakening from winter slumber, the weather warms and rains increase. It’s best to use oil soot for grinding ink, not pine soot."
"In the rainy season, the air is damp, and so is the paper. Beginners using pine soot often find it difficult to manage the ink flow. Oil soot is much easier to control."
Inside, a faint scent of ink drifted, mingling with the smell of rain from outside, as if the rain was cleansing not just dusty roof tiles but a person's inner being.
Liang Qu took a deep breath, picked up his brush, and dipped it into the ink.
He brushed the ink three times on the paper, spreading the fragrance across the rice paper.
Si Hengyi stood behind Liang Qu.
Compared to his clumsy attempts two months ago, his progress was impressive.
Liang Qu hadn't expected that his martial talent would help his calligraphy practice too.
His control over finger and wrist strength had become remarkably precise.
Though he hadn’t developed a personal style, his mimicry of classical calligraphy showed rapid improvement.
Anyone who wasn't a calligraphy expert would say that Liang Qu wrote well.
After completing a sheet of calligraphy, Si Hengyi spoke, "I thought you wouldn't come today."