The Sweetest Marriage Ch.294

Chapter 294 – National Day Holiday

In the blink of an eye, the National Day holiday arrived. Chen Li’s themed art exhibition was also scheduled for this National Day and arrived as planned.

Despite being organized by the National Cultural Department, Chen Yunlan and Zhuge Yu found themselves extremely busy for about a week due to this exhibition. After all, it was Chen Li’s first art exhibition, something both, as a father and as a teacher, considered highly important.

In the days leading up to the exhibition, the two held several admission tickets. Leveraging their connections, they distributed these tickets to many influential figures in the industry, extending invitations to numerous art magazine critics.

Given Chen Yunlan and Zhuge Yu’s standing and reputation in the industry, those who received their personally sent invitations naturally respected them. Even amidst their busy schedules, they made time to attend this exhibition.

The first day of the exhibition was not open to the public; it required an invitation for entry. It wasn’t until the following day that it became freely accessible to everyone interested.

The exhibition took place in a renowned art gallery in Beijing. The day before the National Day, the gallery underwent a complete transformation, with covered paintings displayed prominently.

Chen Li was aware that his exhibition was approaching. Until that National Day, he hadn’t inquired much about the exhibition. Only on that day did he start feeling a hint of reality settling in.

“Are you going tomorrow?” Wei Chen tousled Chen Li’s hair and asked.

Chen Li nodded, “Yes.”

The theme of this exhibition was painted by Chen Li with great passion. Even now, when he recalled the emotions he had while creating these paintings, those feelings still surged within him.

Though Chen Li hadn’t been actively involved in the preparations, he valued the exhibition. He even wanted to witness the impact after its conclusion.

“Alright, then I’ll go with you tomorrow. We’ll bring Qiuqiu along,” Wei Chen said. Since it was the opening day and required admission tickets, and considering the limited crowd, taking Qiuqiu along wouldn’t pose such significant security concerns.

“Okay,” Chen Li replied, reaching out to gently tap Qiuqiu’s sleeping, chubby face.

…

The next day, during the National Day holiday, the capital experienced a tourism peak. Every tourist spot was bustling with crowds.

The art gallery hosting Chen Li’s exhibition was no exception. However, when hoards of tourists arrived, they were informed that the gallery was closed for the day and would officially open the next day.

Tourists came with excitement but left disappointed, wondering what significant event caused the usually open-for-365-days art gallery to suddenly close for a day.

Without admission tickets, the visiting tourists naturally remained unaware of the answer. However, those from various sectors who held the tickets were already inside the art gallery.

Soon enough, these individuals encountered an issue: the security measures for this exhibition were extremely robust. Upon entry, they had to pass through security checks with armed guards stationed every few steps, giving the impression that some important figure was about to arrive.

The exhibitors found themselves perplexed. Yet, facing the heavily armed guards, they had no choice but to comply with the security checks, down to having even a small lighter thoroughly inspected.

Was this still an art exhibition or some high-level meeting?

Once they passed through the security checks, a thought involuntarily crossed their minds: “Is this an exhibition or a gathering for leaders?”

At exactly nine in the morning, when most exhibitors had arrived, the staff unveiled the displayed canvases. Twenty pieces by Chen Li appeared before the audience.

At this moment, the attendees were informed that several cameras were positioned in the exhibition hall, recording everything and streaming it live online—a strategy employed by the Cultural Propaganda Department to promote the exhibition using credible media platforms.

The attendees, being semi-public figures, weren’t concerned about exposure. Some even struck poses when the cameras turned toward them.

Initially, while some pondered how to present themselves better on camera, as soon as their gazes fell upon the exhibited artwork, they became captivated. They were immediately drawn to the exhibited paintings, feeling as if some emotions were about to surge within them.

Amidst this, there arose a commotion at the entrance.

Many struggled to tear their eyes away from the paintings, redirecting their attention to the doorway.

Upon seeing, everyone gasped collectively, realizing why the security for this exhibition was so stringent—because a truly important figure had arrived!

As this notable figure entered, almost every camera focused on them. In the entire country, it would be hard to find someone more significant than this individual.

Yes, the person entering now was the current leader of the country, surnamed Zhao.

What stunned everyone further was the presence of an elderly figure beside President Zhao—someone who had withdrawn from public life for years, Old Master Qu!

Following these two prominent figures were several other elderly individuals. While some appeared stern, others seemed amiable. However, some recognized these elders instantly—they were the founding veterans of the nation! Despite retiring, just a stamp of their feet could shake the entire country!

What kind of exhibition was this? How did it manage to attract so many prominent figures?

The audience present was left dumbfounded, and even those watching the mind-blowing scenes through the live stream online were equally stunned.

They couldn’t help but wonder about the organizers of this exhibition. What kind of background did they have to invite such influential figures?

After a moment of silence in the barrage of comments on the live stream, a flood of “666666” began scrolling across the screen. However, even these endless “666666”s couldn’t express the depth of their astonishment.

Regardless of what these people were thinking, the presence of these significant figures was an undeniable fact. All eyes were fixed on them, unable to shift away.

President Zhao strolled in, exchanging greetings with those around him before standing in front of Chen Li’s artwork. The elders accompanying him also focused their gaze on these paintings and couldn’t seem to look away.

Many things could only be understood after experiencing them personally. These paintings seemed to encapsulate all the emotions and experiences of these elders from their youth.

As if imbued with a soul, these works condensed the turbulent times of warfare into a single canvas. The painting, titled “Defend,” depicted the brutal scenes of war—a portrayal of defending one’s homeland. It depicted the courage to face sacrifice, to protect the homeland at all costs, even in death.

Although President Zhao had seen scanned versions of these paintings beforehand, the actual appearance of these artworks still stirred something within him.

For the elders who hadn’t seen the paintings before, the impact was even more profound. They felt transported back to that era, their hearts filled with a surge of emotion. For a moment, their spirits ignited with fervor.

The live broadcast brought this exhibition to the screens of all the viewers. The barrage of comments that once covered the screen disappeared entirely at this moment. Every viewer’s gaze fixated on the painting displayed on their screens, feeling a force that struck right at their hearts.

At the art exhibition, President Zhao and his entourage moved slowly. They earnestly examined each painting, one by one. As each piece met their gaze, a strong resonance stirred within them. It was as if their hearts ignited at that moment, as if given a gun, they could charge into battle and fight the enemy a hundredfold!

On the live streaming platform, not a single barrage comment appeared. The audience’s eyes followed the camera, meticulously observing each painting appearing on the screen, feeling the impact of every piece.

When the final vivid and colorful new world presented itself before them, the complex emotions that surged within them just moments ago underwent a drastic transformation. They became incredibly proud. In that instant, a sense of national pride ignited, setting their blood on fire.

In the live stream, President Zhao’s gaze lingered on the last painting for a long time before finally uttering, “It hasn’t been easy.”

Eyes shimmering with tears, Old Master Qu nodded in agreement, “Indeed, it hasn’t.”

While others might perceive profound pride and heart-touching awe, those who had traversed through that era, who had built everything themselves, saw hardship in those seemingly simple twenty paintings. Step by step, they overcame all obstacles, molding a nation into its current form despite the difficult international and domestic circumstances.

The struggles they faced were far beyond the scope of a simple “It hasn’t been easy.”

“President Zhao, it’s time to leave,” said Old Master Qu, pulling away from the emotions stirred by the twenty paintings. After all, President Zhao held an extremely special status and couldn’t linger here for long.

President Zhao nodded. Even though he wished to savor these paintings from start to finish once more, due to his status, he had to depart. There was another crucial meeting awaiting him.

However, before leaving, President Zhao instructed someone to bring ink and brush to propose a theme for the exhibition.

The theme was straightforward, just four words — “Dream of Chinese Nation.”

President Zhao and the group of venerable elders departed swiftly, yet the atmosphere at the exhibition didn’t slacken because of their exit. As people looked at the magnificent three words, “Dream of Chinese Nation,” their gaze returned to the paintings, brimming with a sense of pride.

This intense national pride made them stand tall, heads held high.

The Dream of Chinese Nation, from nothing to existence, will only get better. It surely will!

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**TN

666 – means “Awesome” “Wow” “Good”, usually used in games’ chat