Lin Suqing's painting skills remained at the level of drawing herbs from his childhood when he needed to memorize the appearance of different medicinal plants. More importantly, some herbs looked strikingly similar yet had vastly different effects, so his mother would have him rely on his memory to silently sketch each herb in detail to reinforce his memory.
Thinking back, life as a child was utterly boring, confined to the study all day long, either reading books or memorizing, doing homework, or drawing herbs, waiting for mother to check on him at night. All the activities of that time, devoid of pleasure, were either to pass the time or because of the pressure imposed by his mother.
The past cannot be revisited, and just thinking about it is both heartrending and nostalgic.
He didn't know when he might return, but even if, upon returning, he would be punished by his mother as he was when he was a disobedient child, he would be willing.
