On the third day after the scientific examination, the county government posted the scientific examination list, and all students on the list could participate in the next Enke Township Examination. As for those students who are not on the list, they can go back and forth wherever they want. Of course, if they are interested in watching other people's exams from a distance, no one will object.
Early that morning, the fat man Xue Chi dressed up like a groom and ran to look at the list.
In fact, this guy came to ask Zhu Pingan to look at the list before dawn, but Zhu Pingan was not interested. He was already firmly on the list, so why waste time looking at the list. But the fat man was very interested. He had been waiting for this day for too long, and he couldn't wait to show off. He couldn't help but want to scream in front of the scholar at the table next to him.
Don't show off, young man.
Zhu Ping'an looked at the fat man's back, and for some reason he always felt like there was faint thunder rolling in the sky.
Zhu Pingan and Fatty parted ways at the door of the inn. Fatty excitedly went to the government office to wait for the results of the scientific examination, while Zhu Pingan slowly walked to his usual woods with a black board under his arm.
Repeating the previous preparations, he sat on a stone with a black wooden board and started practicing calligraphy.
Situation arises from the heart, and the heart is like still water.
When practicing calligraphy today, Zhu Pingan felt that he had entered a very wonderful state. He felt that his calligraphy had entered a new state since Taihu broke through the bottleneck last time. This state could almost be described as superb. The lone sail that was originally riding the wind and waves in the sea seemed to suddenly burst into the sky from the sea and soar in the sky.
How to describe this superb state, it is like the description of swordsmanship in martial arts novels:
When you first learn to practice, you use your hands to use the sword. Sometimes the sword will not obey the command, and you may even hurt yourself. After practicing for a period of time, the hand and sword become one, the sword is wielded with the heart, and the sword moves according to the heart, and the swordsmanship will reach a higher level. The highest level of swordsmanship is the unity of mind and sword, and there is no self without sword. Every move he makes is a sword, flying flowers and picking leaves are all sharp swords. A thin embroidery needle can withstand three swordsman masters. This kind of swordsmanship can be said to have reached a superb state.
Now Zhu Ping'an feels that his calligraphy has reached a state where the mind and pen are one, and there is no pen and no self.
When I first started practicing calligraphy, I used my hands to use the pen. There is a process from the pen not listening to the hand to gradually becoming proficient, and it can further develop to the second state of the pen and hand becoming one. When I write at this time, I feel that the pen is part of my hand. I am not writing with a pen, but with my hand. Zhu Ping'an has reached this state long ago. At this moment, Zhu Ping'an has reached the third state of calligraphy practice: the unity of mind and pen, no self and no pen.
Many famous calligraphers in ancient times were like this.
Wang Xizhi reached this state by watching the posture of the white goose swimming in the water, and realized the unique skill of "floating goose hook"; Zhang Xu reached this state by seeing the bearers fighting for the way, and Gongsun Auntie dancing with the sword, and realized the structural point painting from it. The interweaving relationship and the speed and rhythm of the pen made Kuang cursive calligraphy superb. Huaisu reached this state by observing Xia Yunhaitao and realized the majestic and overwhelming power of cursive calligraphy.
When Zhu Ping'an reached this state, he felt that his calligraphy not only had flesh and blood, but also had spiritual energy. His calligraphy had an aura of riding the wind and waves.
At this time, Zhu Pingan felt that no matter whether he had a pen or not, a good pen or a bad pen, even if he was given a rotten branch or a piece of dogtail grass, he could write wonderful calligraphy.
This feeling is a bit overwhelming.
Zhu Ping'an splashed water and got a little stuck in it, unable to extricate himself.
Until the silky drizzle fell from the sky, waking up Zhu Pingan who was in a calligraphy frenzy.
Well
Is it raining?
Zhu Pingan, who was practicing calligraphy, raised his head and wiped the raindrops from his forehead. Afterwards, he realized that he was almost soaked.
How long has it been raining? I just felt it myself. That’s it for today.
Zhu Pingan shook his head, put away the pen and bamboo tube with some reluctance, got up and walked out of the woods unhurriedly. Looking up at the sky, I saw silky drizzle falling from the sky. The raindrops were so small and the rain curtains were so dense, covering Yingtian City with white gauze like cicada wings.
On the way back to the inn, the rain became heavier and heavier, and the rainwater on the bluestone slabs formed a stream, gurgling forward along the city's drainage system.
Back at the inn, the innkeeper saw that Zhu Pingan was soaked by the rain. He quickly handed Zhu Pingan a dry towel to wipe the rain off his head, and asked the waiter to make a bowl of ginger soup.
"Thank you, shopkeeper. I'll send you a breakfast upstairs if you can." Zhu Ping'an wiped the rain off his head and returned the towel to the shopkeeper to express his gratitude.
"You're welcome, Mr. Zhu. Oh, I almost forgot. Someone came here just now to announce that Mr. Zhu has passed the examination." The shopkeeper took the towel and was about to turn around and tell the shop assistant to send a breakfast upstairs when he suddenly thought Thinking of what happened just now, he hurriedly thanked Zhu Pingan with a smile on his face.
"Oh, it's so early this time?" Zhu Ping'an was a little surprised.
"No, but someone sent someone to tell me that Master Ti Xue Guan had arranged to release the results after reading the papers all night without taking any rest." The shopkeeper seemed to have a good impression of Mr. Zhao, Ti Xue Guan.
"Oh, that's it. Well, thank you to the shopkeeper, please send me another bucket of hot water." Zhu Pingan thanked the shopkeeper with his hands, asked the shopkeeper to send a bucket of hot water upstairs, and then went upstairs.
Soon, several shop assistants brought ginger soup, breakfast and hot water upstairs. Zhu Pingan drank ginger soup and had breakfast, took a simple hot bath, changed into dry clothes, and then sat on the desk in front of the window and continued reading.
But the weather outside seems to be getting worse.
There were violent storms, lightning and thunder, and heavy rain, like a gaping hole in the Tianhe. Zhu Pingan was really worried that the roof would be broken. The strong wind whipped the rain like countless whips, lashing hard at the wooden windows. Rain really got into the cracks in the windows and flowed down the window sill. The lightning flashed one after another, like a giant python leaping on the clouds, a violent burst. Thunder suddenly exploded outside the window...
Zhu Ping'an had to close the window and move the desk several steps back.
"Uh, isn't it because the fat man is overdoing his pretense? He caused so many thunders." Zhu Ping'an looked out the window and cursed. He felt that he was right this morning.
But with the fat man's virtue, he must be able to pretend to be ten points but not nine points! I just don’t know how this guy feels when he sees the lightning and thunder outside, and I don’t know if he dares to continue pretending.
The results were released today, and the Enke Township Examination is not far away. After Zhu Pingan moved the table a few steps back, he continued to prepare for the exam. Reading, writing... The lightning, thunder, wind and rain outside did not hinder him at all. (To be continued.)
