Two-in-one

As soon as Xu Sihan said this, the people who heard it had different expressions. Some looked at Xu Sihan as if he was a fool, some were surprised and doubtful, some were amused, and some were just looking forward to the show.

Her voice was neither loud nor soft, and many people turned their eyes to Qin Yao.

Everyone finds this kind of occasion boring, and no one cares about the pretty words. However, "quarrels" have been something Chinese people have loved to watch since ancient times. In the hospital, even if a patient has a lame leg or is on an IV drip, they will still go to watch people quarrel.

Xu Sihan's words were clever. The first part seemed like he was looking up to Qin Yao, but then he changed the subject and said frankly that he had observed it carefully, and also said that others "had loopholes" and "the logic was not smooth"... These words were really brilliant.

Qin Yao, the other heroine in the conversation, is she "humbly seeking advice" or "angry out of humiliation"?

Many famous authors have such beautiful stories. For example, a certain reader pointed out that his article had problems, but he humbly sought advice and repented, and was not ashamed to ask questions. This kind of story became a "beautiful story", appeared in various writing materials, and became a celebrity anecdote.

Qin Yao sat next to He An to attend the tea party. Many people had noticed her a long time ago. She was fair and beautiful, had a good temperament, could write articles, and was the daughter-in-law of the Gu family. Her husband was handsome and had a bright future. The couple was talented and beautiful, and they were in the limelight and envied by others.

This young woman, who has achieved such success in her early twenties, probably can't stand being criticized in person - that's going to be fun to watch.

If Qin Yao gets furious, it will not be Xu Sihan who will be embarrassed, but Qin Yao. Others will only laugh at her for being young and impetuous.

The truly shrewd ones are the best at hiding their shortcomings and pretending to be good at asking for advice humbly, so that others cannot find any fault with them, making people like Xu Sihan who "do not hesitate to provoke" regret it.

But can Qin Yao have such magnanimity?

Most young people don’t have it!

That would only make her a laughing stock...If she becomes famous in the future, this would become a dark history that she would never be able to get rid of.

"What's going on over there?"

"Hush, maybe there's something interesting to watch? What did you say over there?"

"It would be great if there was a show to watch. I'm so bored."

…

The news spread from one person to another, and then to three. Many people heard about the commotion here, and the situation became out of control. Everyone was bored to death, and all their eyes turned here, to Qin Yao, waiting for her reaction.

He An looked at his younger brother and sister-in-law with a worried look.

In full view of everyone, Qin Yao picked up an orange, without even looking at Xu Sihan, and just said "Oh" lightly.

Everyone was shocked, including Xu Sihan. She thought Qin Yao was so young that she would be furious and lose face just by such a provocative remark, but she didn't expect her to be so calm.

Qin Yao's nonchalant look made Xu Sihan's face turn pale. This was a situation she had never expected.

"Thank you for reading my work. I will have more works to publish in the future. You can go to Xinhua Bookstore and buy a few more copies." After saying that, Qin Yao showed a confident and pleasant smile.

It would be the most embarrassing to curse at such a troublemaker. Besides, Qin Yao didn't feel any pain at all when she heard Xu Sihan's words. The most unpleasant thing would be the online comment wars in the future. It's just saying that your article has "loopholes" and "illogical". What does that count as?

There is no second in martial arts and no first in literature. No matter how great an author is, his articles will be criticized for one problem or another. In the eyes of future netizens, the poems written by Li Qingzhao are also rambling and illogical... Why bother about these things?

A well-known essayist may also be accused of writing like an elementary school student, simply because he uses simple and vivid words without any obscure characters.

In the eyes of many uneducated people, books that make them feel "confused" or "incomprehensible" are the books that are profound and meaningful.

This is often because he is uneducated and has a low level of aesthetic taste.

Many people didn't know Xu Sihan, so they didn't need to give her face, and didn't care about her reaction. They just thought she was crazy. The people around couldn't help but praise her and liven up the atmosphere:

"He An, your sister-in-law is really amazing and generous!"

"He's quite good at choosing a wife."

"He looks like a cultured person, unlike some people who think ugly people are weird."

…

Few people here care about loopholes or logic. No matter how good an article is, it cannot be foolproof. Excessive criticism is nothing but nitpicking and a joke, especially in an occasion like today.

To discuss book writing, go to a literary discussion group.

Xu Sihan was sullen. All the prepared speeches did not work. Since Qin Yao herself did not take her seriously, she could not cause any trouble. Not only that, what happened just now actually added to Qin Yao's limelight.

Regardless of how the article is written, the author is indeed magnanimous and tolerant, which attracts everyone's praise.

At this time, Mrs. Kang pulled Xu Sihan aside. Xu Sihan had helped her before, and she thought this woman was a good person. But today she was crazy and went looking for trouble.

He is just looking for trouble because he has nothing to do.

If the other party doesn't take the bait, Xu Sihan will just be a clown no matter how much he jumps around.

She used herself as a stepping stone, which actually increased Qin Yao's reputation. Many people on the field began to talk about Qin Yao, and most of them praised her. To be fair, Qin Yao was able to achieve such results in her early twenties, and it was not an exaggeration to say that she was a young talent.

"Rui An, it seems that the daughter-in-law of the Gu family is not inferior to the talented girl of your family."

"She's young and beautiful."

"She is even prettier than Xue An. What a beauty! Her appearance alone is enough to make people unable to take their eyes away."

"Xue'an is a talented woman, but not beautiful."

…

Hearing the praises from the people around her, Zhang Rui'an, who originally didn't get along well with He An, felt like she had eaten rat shit. Qin Yao was just a cook's daughter, how could she compare to her talented and versatile sister.

How dare he be compared with her sister?

Her younger sister Zhang Xuean also looked unhappy.

Zhang Ruian, who was proud of her status, couldn't swallow this. This was too much. If she didn't distinguish who was better, when she talked about Zhang Xuean in the future, she even brought a cook's daughter with her. Ugh! This won't work. It's just giving others credit for nothing.

Thinking of this, Zhang Rui'an stood up, walked to He'an, and said with a smile: "He'an, your sister-in-law is really good. Do you want to compete with my Xue'an in talent? There is no need to decide who wins or who loses. We are just having fun. It's New Year's Day. We can make couplets, play flying flowers, or write a modern poem to suit the occasion."

Someone nearby immediately said, "That's great! It's just right for some fun! Let's have some fun."

Several people said this in succession, and the scene immediately became heated. There was nothing wrong with it. Xue An was a well-known talented woman, and it was normal that he could not beat her. Besides, Qin Yao was so magnanimous just now, so even if he lost, the scene would not be ugly.

As for other things, many people know that Zhang Ruian and He An don't get along well, precisely because their names contain the word "An", and Zhang Ruian's relationship with her husband is not very good, and now she is even more desperate.

He An's face turned unhappy on the spot. She thought that this Zhang was really shameless. She and her husband had a huge scandal, but she was still pretending to be ignorant. She looked at Qin Yao and regretted bringing her to this party.

"Compare talents? You can!" Qin Yao had just heard that Zhang Ruian and her sister-in-law were not on good terms, and the man who provoked her just now was probably related to Zhang Ruian.

Qin Yao is not a person who is afraid of trouble. If she wants to make the two sisters lose face, she will let them shoot themselves in the foot.

"You agreed!" Zhang Ruian and Zhang Xue'an didn't expect Qin Yao to agree so quickly. Is this guy illiterate? She thought she could win over Zhang Xuean, especially the guy named Qin. She was too generous.

Others were also shocked.

"It's too boring to compare those old-fashioned ones. We don't have any literary experts to judge here, so we don't know who has better talent. Since ancient times, hasn't it been 'no one second in martial arts, no one first in literature'? How about this? I heard that the talented girl from the Zhang family can recite Dream of the Red Chamber, so today we will compete in reciting Dream of the Red Chamber. We can pick a random one. If someone recites too much, recites too little, or can't recite at all, everyone can hear it, and we can also have a quantitative standard."

Qin Yao turned from a guest into a host and proposed a talent contest. Many talented writers would brag that they have read Dream of the Red Chamber thoroughly, or that they can recite the entire text. They would even brag a little more and say that they can recite it backwards.

No one asked him to recite the entire text to confirm whether he could recite it.

This talented girl from the Zhang family once boasted that she had read A Dream of Red Mansions by heart at a very young age and could even recite the entire book by heart.

"What a good idea! Then recite it to us."

"That's right. Don't these talented women say they are familiar with Dream of the Red Chamber? Just recite it and try it out."

"This competition is so exciting!"

In recent years, the four great classics have been renamed and identified as cultural treasures rather than cultural dregs. They have been restored to their former status and have been collectively reprinted.

Qin Yao's proposal of such a competition made everyone present look at her with a higher regard.

The fact that they dare to propose such a competition shows that they really work hard in private and their talent is not fake.

You have to know that in the cultural circle, many young talents are created, not necessarily because of their own abilities, but because of the abilities of their family members. The elders help to revise (write) articles just to gain fame.

It is very easy to publish articles and poems by asking others to write them for you.

"Compared to this?" Zhang Ruian was confused.

"Don't you dare to compete? Hasn't the great talent ever recited it?" Qin Yao said with a smile. You were the one who started the trouble first, so don't blame her for being rude.

Who told you to brag that you have memorized Dream of the Red Chamber!

"That's right. Doesn't Xue'an dare to compete? I think I heard before that she can recite Dream of the Red Chamber." The people nearby watched the fun and didn't mind making trouble.

"It's possible that I can't recite it. It's so long."

"This kind of thing is just bragging. Few people can memorize a whole book."

"The daughter-in-law of the Gu family is really smart. Apart from anything else, her brain is quite flexible and she is a smart person. I don't believe that she has no talent. It's really interesting to propose this competition."

"She is beautiful, interesting, and a wonderful person. Her husband has married a good wife."

…

"Okay, let's have a competition!" Zhang Xue'an agreed to the competition, but then her head seemed to be filled with blood. She was too impulsive. She was familiar with "Dream of the Red Chamber", but she couldn't recite it word for word in public.

But she believed that she couldn't do it, and Qin Yao certainly couldn't do it either. In terms of familiarity with Dream of the Red Chamber alone, Qin Yao was definitely not as good as her.

Qin Yao said enthusiastically: "We will randomly choose which one to recite."

"Only the first eighty chapters."

"OK."

In full view of everyone, after writing on the paper balls, the two people still drew numbers. They would recite the chapters based on the two numbers they drew. This was fair, but since one could not recite the same chapter, it would be unfair to the person who came later.

Qin Yao picked the 50th chapter, and Zhang Xue'an recited the 34th chapter. Before reciting, they could have spent 20 minutes reading it to familiarize themselves with it, but it was too late to cram now.

Zhang Xue'an heaved a sigh of relief when she read the 34th chapter. She was more familiar with the previous chapters. Holding the book, Zhang Xue'an quickly flipped through the shorthand notes. After all, she had to save face for herself and at least memorize half of it.

But it's a pity that the more nervous she is, the less she can remember. Zhang Xue'an couldn't help but look at Zhang Ruian with resentment. It was all her fault for looking for trouble.

Zhang Ruian was calm and watched Qin Yao's movements. She didn't believe that Qin Yao could beat Zhang Xue'an.

Qin Yao flipped through the book slowly, feeling confident in her heart. She opened the favorability gift given by her husband and memorized it on the spot.

In order to increase the effect of the competition, Qin Yao wondered if she should play a role in the tense scene?

"Who will carry it first?"

Zhang Xuean said first: "I'll recite it first!"

Things like memorizing something test one's mentality. Many people have short-term memory and may only remember it for a few hours and forget it the next day. Those who memorize first have an absolute advantage. The longer you procrastinate, the faster you forget.

"Then I'll be second. To ensure fairness, I won't read anymore." Qin Yao said and put down the book in her hand.

Zhang Xue'an's eyes were stunned. She chose to recite first. Although she got the advantage, Qin Yao also got the advantage. During her recitation, Qin Yao could have recited for a while longer. Now Qin Yao's behavior made it seem that Zhang Xue'an got the advantage.

Even if Zhang Xuean carried more in the end, it was still an unfair victory.

"Chapter 34, Love..." Zhang Xue'an began to recite, starting with the chapter title. She recited the first few paragraphs relatively smoothly, but then she started to get stuck. However, she managed to recite the entire chapter haltingly.

Others applauded: "Good, you have talent."

Zhang Xue'an curled her lips and smiled, feeling relieved. Even though she didn't recite it fluently and there were some typos and omissions in some words, she at least memorized the general outline, which was already quite remarkable for most people.

Qin Yao couldn't do that, she had already won.

"Qin Yao has started to recite now. It has been a while. Qin Yao, do you want to take another look at the book?" Zhang Ruian said hypocritically. She was also very proud at the moment, thinking that Zhang Xue'an had a sure win and Qin Yao would be embarrassed no matter what.

You wouldn’t have thought that the talented girl from the Zhang family could actually recite it.

Qin Yao stood up and smiled calmly: "Then I will start reciting, the 50th chapter..."

Qin Yao began to recite at a steady pace. The surroundings were extremely quiet. Everyone was listening to her. Three temporary referees held books in their hands, confirming what Qin Yao was reciting.

Zhang Ruian was one of the judges, and so was He An, both of them holding books in their hands.

Qin Yao recited steadily at the beginning and Zhang Ruian didn't think much of it until she finished reciting the entire passage word for word. Zhang Ruian was dumbfounded.

He An exclaimed: "Every word is correct!"

One stone can cause a thousand ripples.

"It's amazing! She recites it so fluently!"

"He recited this in front of everyone. It's really a skill. He must have put a lot of effort into it."

"Much better than Zhang Xuean."

"Yeah, that's amazing!"

…

Many people have not read Qin Yao's works, but when they heard her recite the book word for word, they could be sure that she had solid skills and was not just a half-baked person. If she had no knowledge, how could she recite the book so easily?

"He An and her sister-in-law won. What a beautiful victory!"

"A talented woman! A very talented woman!"

…

Zhang Ruian and Zhang Xuean's faces turned pale, they were both extremely upset. How could it be possible? Did she cheat? But how could Qin Yao cheat? This happened in full view of everyone.

Zhang Xuean was not convinced: "Best of three, let's compete again and recite three different chapters."

Qin Yao raised the corner of her mouth and said, "Okay, no matter which chapter you recite, I'll accompany you to the end."

"I--"

The people around them quickly advised: "Don't compete anymore, don't compete anymore. Qin Yao has already won. There is no point in competing anymore."

"I told you, don't take it too seriously, it's just for fun."

"If you lose, you lose. Don't lose."

"It is true that there are always people who are better than you. There are so many talented people in our country."

"Yeah, yeah, that's a good thing."

After hearing these words, the expressions on Zhang Ruian and her sister's faces became even worse, especially Zhang Ruian, who not only failed to gain attention, but also became a stepping stone for He'an and her brother and sister.

Now everyone is sure that Qin Yao is a genuine talented woman.

"Yaoyao, you are so amazing!" He An looked up at Qin Yao, thinking of Zhang Rui'an's stinky face, and he laughed: "Sister-in-law, you are really a hidden talent."

"Thank you so much, I just have a better memory."

Qin Yao was in the spotlight and got to know several family members. She picked out a few kind ones and talked to them, and they had a great time chatting.

Qin Yao and her sister-in-law returned home happily.

Back at the Gu family, Grandpa Gu also heard about this and laughed from ear to ear: "Our Ruirui and Mingming's biological mother is really amazing. These two little geniuses will write books and biographies for Grandpa in the future."

His own son Gu Zhuyong silently complained: "I'm afraid it won't be your turn."

These two grandsons are almost writing books and biographies for their grandfather.

Mr. Gu's face darkened: "Are you rebelling?"

"My son was serious when he was young, but he became rebellious when he got old."

…

Liu Shuqin knew that her youngest son Gu Cheng had a good memory, but she didn't expect that her daughter-in-law also had such a good memory. Could the baby born to these two be a child prodigy? If he is a child prodigy, we cannot delay his development. Should we send him to the junior class?

Ruirui was playing with building blocks seriously at this time, and his younger brother Mingming was hanging next to him and squeezing his brother.

Liu Shuqin: “…”

Mingming is a two-year-old child and he doesn’t look like a child prodigy yet. He sometimes acts silly and looks innocent and cute.

Compared to a precocious child prodigy, an innocent and cute baby is more likable.

Liu Shuqin did not forget to remind her son Gu Cheng: "You don't have much time at home, but you should also pay close attention to your two little grandchildren and see if they are child prodigies."

"So what if he's a child prodigy?" Gu Cheng said with a smile, but he was thinking woodenly in his heart: The child prodigy who splashed his father's foot washing water in his face?

Qin Yao said: "A child prodigy also needs a childhood, and we can't force him to grow."

Qin Yao couldn't be sure how high her two sons' IQs were, but she was sure that every mother had a biological mother filter. When her children were young, she thought her children were smart and cute.

By the time children reach third or fourth grade and have become more stable, it’s no longer necessary to show off in the circle of friends.

"Our Yaoyao is really amazing." As a husband, Gu Cheng knew Qin Yao's achievements and praised her sincerely. He did not feel surprised in his heart because his own memory was incredibly good. If it were him, he would be able to memorize it quickly without training for too long.

Gu Cheng has always known that memory is something that becomes more useful the more you practice it. The more you persist in reciting, the better your memory will be. Gu Cheng also insists on memorizing some complex and disordered symbols every day to keep his brain active.

"The more you use your brain, the more flexible it becomes. It seems that I won't have a spouse suffering from Alzheimer's disease in the future." Gu Cheng guessed that Qin Yao read a lot of books in the cultural center, came into contact with ancient cultural books, and probably recited "Dream of Red Mansions" at this time.

Qin Yao teased him: "I remember quickly, but forget quickly too. What should I do now that I have forgotten?"

"We can recite it tomorrow. Anyway, we won." Gu Cheng smiled and raised his hand to pinch his wife's face. Every time she was playful, she looked like a little girl.

"No matter what method, as long as you win, that's fine."

Qin Yao laughed. This was called kicking against a rock. Qin Yao was not afraid of offending the Zhang sisters. She would be leaving after the New Year anyway. A writer's fame did not depend on anything else but on his works.

Besides, she has no great interest in traditional literature.

There were too few cultural and entertainment activities in the 1970s, and the Xinhua Bookstore published even fewer books. There were only a few that were worth reading. The only foreign novels in the library were all worn out, and there were even fewer movies.

The movie attendance rate at that time was very high. Well, I can't describe it that way, but once a movie was made in China, almost 80% of the people had seen it, only because there were so few movies at that time. They were shown on TV, in movie theaters, and in major communes in the countryside during festivals. But there were only a few movies, and they were shown over and over again.

It was quite boring and lacked entertainment. I wanted to read some fantasy novels, but there were none available in this era, so I could only read Investiture of the Gods. Qin Yao was a novel lover and even thought about opening an author club in the 1980s, recruiting a group of authors, and writing in a small dark room.

Zhang Xue'an is indeed a talented woman, but Qin Yao feels that she may not be able to write good works. By the 1980s, many grassroots authors had produced works with more vitality.

Many authors observe life and people, but there are definitely many authors of fantasy novels who observe animals!

For example, the dragon in mythology is made up of different parts of several animals, and the templates of various mythical beasts can also be found in real animals.

Including xx baby, xx elf, these kinds of battle setting games and animations are definitely inspired by animal fights. Those settings and moves do not come out of thin air.

The human world is not necessarily more exciting than the animal world.

Thinking of this, Qin Yao wanted to go to the zoo to see her fourth brother, and take her two little cubs around the zoo and take pictures of them. Maybe she could even take a picture of feeding the red pandas, or of the red pandas lying in the snow.

"Let's take some time to take the children to the zoo. Neither of them has ever seen a panda."

"Even if you see me now, you may not remember me when you grow up."

“There are photos as evidence.”