The biggest feature of Chinese painting is freehand brushwork. What is the difference between freehand brushwork and realism?

The difference between freehand brushwork and realism lies in:

Realism: Describe things truthfully. If you look at things in the mirror, emphasize "image". Even things in the mind must be similar to things in life. Realism pays attention to the spatial relationship of objective objects and the reproduction of the shape and color of the objects themselves.

Freehand brushwork: use concise pen and ink to outline the expression of objects and express artistic conception. It is a painting method of Chinese painting, which does not require meticulous brushwork, but pays attention to expression and expresses the author's interest. Freehand brushwork is opposite to meticulous painting.

For example, the picture below is a freehand painting of Qi Baishi. In the picture, tadpoles in the water are gnawing at the reflection of lotus flowers, which is completely contrary to realism: because it is impossible for creatures in the water to see the reflection of objects in the water.

Why is freehand brushwork the biggest feature of Chinese painting? It is related to the love of ancient poets and literati for painting. Poets and literati both emphasize "artistic conception". After writing, they used ink and paper, lit some grass, an autumn bug and a thin stone, and wrote a few words to make the rest. This habit has influenced the tradition of Chinese painting.