A stick of incense was lit on the stone table, and the smoke slowly dispersed.
Everyone dispersed, frowning and thinking hard. Some people got inspiration quickly and quickly wrote down quick poems with ink.
Shen Zheng raised his eyebrows proudly. Ever since he decided to invite people to enjoy the flowers yesterday, he had begun to think about poetry for appreciating the flowers. After thinking hard all night, he did not believe that he would not get the first prize this time.
He wrote the seven-character quatrain on the paper, then turned to read Zheng Wangfeng's poem.
This guy has actually written three sentences, each one reciting lotus flowers, but there is no lotus in every word. Even if he writes about scenery, it is still expressive and meaningful.
He took another look at his poems and found that they were too thin. Compared with Zheng Wangfeng, they looked like limericks.
Zheng Wangfeng smiled slightly: "Brother Shen didn't have urine escape today, which is already a big improvement."
Shen Zheng: "..."
He snorted, "You can make fun of me again better than Brother Cheng."
He walked to Cheng Zhao, but saw that Cheng Zhao had not started writing yet. He was a little anxious, "There is only a quarter of this incense stick left. It's too late."
Cheng Zhao looked at the scenery in the distance and said quietly: "There's no hurry."
He stood tall and tall, not impatient or impetuous, and when the wind blew his robes, he looked aloof and independent.
The incense burned away bit by bit, but he still didn't make any move.
"It seems that Brother Cheng has exhausted his talent as a gangster." Zheng Wangfeng raised the corners of his lips, "We are just having fun as classmates. There is no need to compete for first or second place, right?"
"If you are lucky, then you have to fight for the first place!" Shen Zheng was extremely anxious, "Brother Cheng, stop inking, any poem you compose is better than Brother Zheng, hurry up, hurry up!"
He handed the ink-stained pen holder to Cheng Zhao's hand.
Cheng Zhao looked at the last bit of incense, put down his brush and said, "Cheng is willing to give in."
Zheng Wangfeng laughed loudly. He finally won once, but he still looked modest: "Although I have written it, it may not be a good poem. Today, I will ask Brother Cheng to be the judge to comment."
Cheng Zhao nodded and paced while appreciating the poems. In all the poems, he could point out the good points as well as the shortcomings. Those literati who had not become scholars felt that they had benefited a lot, and some of them would also Ask one or two questions.
After his review, the literati evaluated each other and selected the first, second, and third place. Zheng Wangfeng naturally won the first place.
Shen Zheng looked regretful: "This is my godmother's hairpin. It would be great if I win."
Zheng Wangfeng was very generous: "Then I will give it to Brother Shen."
"No." Cheng Zhao said quietly, "If you want to win, you have to rely on your own ability. Brother Shen, you have to read more."
Shen Zheng said dullly: "I know."
A large group of people surrounded Zheng Wangfeng, taking turns admiring the lotus hairpin.
"The workmanship is really amazing. Even the most expensive gold hairpins in Huzhou Jewelry Shop don't have this craftsmanship."
"Didn't the imperial court reward Suiru with a lot of gold, silver and jewelry? Maybe they are jewelry from the capital."
"Sui Ru is so generous. He even uses the rewards from the court as bonuses."
"Brother Zheng is still outstanding and got the hairpin without any effort."
"..."
Seeing a group of people over there surrounding and fawning over Zheng Wangfeng, Shen Zheng snorted and looked unconvinced: "Brother Cheng, you are obviously more powerful."
Cheng Zhao said quietly: "Then do you know why I gave up this lottery today?"
Shen Zheng's eyes lit up: "Give in? Does that mean you're hiding your clumsiness? Hey, I knew you wouldn't lose to that guy Zheng Wangfeng! Tell me quickly, why did you let me in? What a good girl, why did you let me out? ”
"First, do you know why Second Aunt agreed to your invitation to these scholars to come to Dahe Village? This lotus pond has a plank road, a flower-viewing pavilion, a lotus-viewing pavilion in the middle of the lake, a rain-listening terrace, and a fishing platform... Obviously, The second aunt wants to build a place similar to Yunxi Xinghua Garden, a place for literati or young masters and ladies from wealthy families to play. Today's poems and that Chai Zi are all building momentum for this. If Chai Zi falls into a poor family like mine What’s the meaning in the hands of a scholar?”
Shen Zheng was stunned.
He didn't expect his godmother to have this intention at all. Is he so stupid?
Cheng Zhao continued, "Secondly, Brother Zheng is a narrow-minded person. When he was at Nanfu Academy, he was always my enemy. When he came to Huzhou Official Academy, he openly made friends with me, but in fact he formed cliques to isolate me... ...If you overpower a person like this, he will try to overpower you ten times, so it is better to give in. The teacher said, restrain your sharpness and blend in, and you must not make any mistakes before the provincial examination."
"It turns out, it turns out that's what it is..."
Shen Zheng reacted and sighed quietly.
Brother Cheng, it’s really not easy.
Just as he was talking, Qian Hui waved his hand and said, "It's already noon and I'm so hungry. You can order whatever you want. I'll treat you to this meal."
He turned around and told Wei Hongying, who was guarding the side, "Take us to a place to eat."
"yes."
Wei Hongying led the way and took a large group of people to the Dahe Canteen in the market.
Because of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, there wasn't much business in the canteen, but there were people in the store guarding the business, namely Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Wen.
The shop is not decorated very much, and the tables are just ordinary tables. They have no advantages except being clean.
Some people looked disgusted: "Isn't this place too shabby?"
"This is the only place to eat in Dahe Village. If you don't like it, take a carriage and go back to the city." Shen Zheng said coldly, "It's easy to go, I won't send you off."
Qian Hui said in a low voice: "I had a banquet hosted by the Sui Ru family a few months ago. Anyone who ate at that time didn't say a word of praise. Even if they are from the village, these village women are top-notch in cooking. Okay, okay, hurry up and sit down." Get off."
After saying this, everyone remembered that at that time, Sui Ru's family was having a wedding, and many wealthy families from nearby counties and towns came to have a banquet. I heard that the banquet was comparable to the most luxurious banquet in Zuixian Tower, which made people talk about it.
An Eight Immortals table can only seat eight people, but more than a dozen people sit at two tables.
Mrs. Zhao came out with a kind face: "Young gentlemen have come from afar. If you want something to eat, just ask."
Qian Hui was really rude: "Exquisite pickled fish, Sixi meatballs, roasted whole lamb..."
All the dishes he ordered were from the banquet that day.
Mrs. Zhao's face turned green. These dishes were made by Dashan's daughter-in-law and the eldest daughter-in-law together. The second daughter-in-law didn't have this ability.
She smiled again: "I didn't tell you in advance before you came where to find the ingredients at this hour and a half... Now that you have come to our Dahe Village, you can actually do as the locals do and try the unique delicacies of our Dahe Village, my old lady Guaranteed, you’ve never eaten some of them.”
Cheng Zhao nodded: "Then I'll trouble Grandma Zhao."
"No trouble, no trouble."
Mrs. Zhao immediately went down to prepare.
Yesterday, the eldest daughter-in-law came to talk to her about food and brought up a lot of new ideas. Today, she will just follow the eldest daughter-in-law's ideas.
