My "academic genius" persona is so convincing!

Chapter 76 Do you know about 'silence'?

Do you know the word "silence"?

Xue Lin was slightly surprised.

"Do you really want this style of interior design?"

Seeing his expression, Qin Xuemei was certain that Xue Lin could design it, so she smiled and said, "Yes, I want to design this style."

"As I said before, this orphanage was left behind by my grandmother."

"My mother-in-law was born in the last century. When she was young, she was a noblewoman from Japan. Her husband went to Japan to do business, and the two fell in love."

"Due to pressure from her family and her parents, Grandma Yuzi eloped with her husband behind her family's back and settled in Zhejiang Province."

"However, after only ten years together, her husband passed away due to illness. He left behind a considerable fortune. The couple had no children. Her mother-in-law felt pity for the homeless children she saw in the last century."

"They spent all their wealth to run this orphanage."

"During the most difficult times, my mother-in-law even went out to sell her blood to support the children in the orphanage."

"In a foreign land, these children became the ones my mother-in-law worried about all her life."

The woman recounted her mother-in-law's life story in detail.

"I don't know how much my mother-in-law loved her husband. Even after he passed away, she still didn't return to her hometown."

"I once asked my mother-in-law, and she said that she liked Japan with its cherry blossoms in full bloom, but here, she liked every inch of the land where she and her husband once lived even more."

"She stayed here because these children were her only thought."

The woman also had a grateful smile on her lips.

"But I know that my mother-in-law still misses her homeland. She is getting old and can no longer run this orphanage. She said that she likes to be alone and daydream now, so I built her a villa. However, the decoration has not been finalized yet. I had already found a designer from Japan."

"But then I saw your minimalist style, and I think my mother-in-law will like it."

"Later I felt that I should add some elements of Japan."

"That is, 'silence'."

The minimalist design, coupled with the sense of solitude, reflects the mother-in-law's state of mind and allows her to find some solace in the design while in a foreign land.

It felt like being back in my old home.

However, the mother-in-law did not want to leave, so the woman found him.

They even read and studied his paper carefully.

"I think Chinese designers should be able to create works of 'silence' that are even more soulful and warm, right?"

The woman looked at Xue Lin.

His eyes were also filled with expectation.

Xue Lin naturally nodded.

"Okay, I'll take this project."

He just smiled, his expression radiating confidence.

The word "寂" is the same as "侘寂".

A leading scholar of comparative literature once summarized Japanese culture into the concepts of Mono no Aware (the pathos of things), Yūgen (a profound and mysterious understanding), and Sakuya (a sense of solitude).

Mono no aware is a flower that blooms in the vibrant spring of the Heian period culture.

Yugen is a fruit that ripens between summer and autumn when samurai, noble, and monk cultures are at their peak.

Loneliness is like fallen leaves, drifting in the late autumn and early winter when China's classical culture is transitioning to modern culture.

Therefore, a tranquil style is indispensable for achieving inner peace.

In Xue Lin's previous world, the wabi-sabi style was a popular retro culture and also belonged to minimalism.

Even Xue Lin mentioned it in his paper.

Xue Lin thought that if he hadn't mentioned the wabi-sabi style in his thesis, the woman in front of him probably wouldn't have come looking for him.

"Really? You can do it?"

The woman was slightly surprised; she had only wanted to try her luck, but she hadn't expected Xue Lin to actually be able to do it.

Even before that, she had only thought of letting Xue Lin give it a try, and if it really didn't work out, then he could come and do some minimalist style architecture.

As for the decorations, we can use some decorations unique to Japan, which would suit the mother-in-law's aesthetic and mood.

After all, although her mother-in-law is Chinese, she still prefers to use Chinese architects for building and interior design.

"The main structure of the building is almost finished, and only now are we considering the decoration and finishing."

"Let me show you."

"OK."

Xue Lin naturally nodded.

Chu Ming, standing to the side, nodded gently, still immersed in the beautiful love between his mother-in-law and her husband.

"My mother-in-law is truly a devoted person."

It's like a very calm emotion, but when placed within the context of the mother-in-law's lifelong perseverance, it appears so great.

Whether she eloped as the daughter of a nobleman or squandered her fortune to run an orphanage.

They are all greatness within the ordinary, like turning points one after another.

During the ten years that her mother-in-law and husband spent together, she must have felt like the happiest woman in the world.

As for Xue Lin, although he was somewhat moved, he also felt that designing the building well was his duty.

Not far from the orphanage, we quickly drove to our destination.

There were still workers bustling about, but they didn't seem to care and walked straight inside.

Xue Lin looked at the villa, which occupied a fairly large area.

"Does your mother-in-law live alone?"

"No, I'll hire an auntie to take care of her," the woman said. "Grandma likes cleanliness and quiet. Even when she was at her lowest point in the orphanage, she always dressed herself impeccably."

As the woman thought of this, a smile seemed to appear in her eyes.

"That's why I felt that your minimalism and your mother-in-law's personality seemed to coincide, which is why I invited you to come and see for yourself."

"I see."

Xue Lin nodded.

"I was adopted by a wealthy family when I was eight years old. They were all very kind people. My mother-in-law found me a good family. Now I have taken over my father's business and have some savings."

"So naturally I should reciprocate my mother-in-law's kindness."

"I had to beg my mother-in-law for a long time before she agreed to move into this villa," the woman said with a smile.

I imagine my mother-in-law must be a very kind person; they just didn't get to see her this time.

"My mother-in-law hasn't been feeling well lately and has been hospitalized, but the doctor said it's a minor issue and she'll be discharged soon."

"Then we'll come and visit her after she moves in."

Chu Ming, who was standing to the side, also spoke up.

"That's also acceptable."

Xue Lin looked around the building and some of the interior spaces.

If you go for the wabi-sabi style overall, the cost might not be less than other styles.

Most minimalism is also extremely complex, because it hides some of the more complicated elements in the shadows.

Wabi-sabi would be slightly better.

"How much budget do you think would be needed to decorate this entire building in this style?"

"About seven hundred thousand."

Xue Lin spoke almost without thinking.