Chapter 430 Zheng Wangfeng Wins First Place
A stick of incense was lit on the stone table, and the smoke slowly drifted away.
The group dispersed, each frowning and deep in thought. Some, however, were quick to have inspiration and promptly dipped their brushes in ink to write down their poems.
Shen Zheng raised his eyebrows triumphantly. Ever since he decided to invite people to appreciate the flowers yesterday, he had been thinking about poems for admiring lotus flowers. He racked his brains all night long, and he was determined to win first place this time.
He wrote the seven-character quatrain on the paper, then turned to look at Zheng Wangfeng's poem.
This fellow has already written three lines, each one praising lotus flowers, yet not a single word mentions lotus flowers. It's one thing to describe scenery, but he's also expressing his feelings and conveying profound meaning.
He took another look at his own poem, which was far too thin and seemed like a doggerel compared to Zheng Wangfeng's.
Zheng Wangfeng smiled slightly: "Brother Shen, you didn't make a show of urinating today, which is already a great improvement."
Shen Zheng: "..."
He snorted, "You think you can compare to Brother Cheng before you try to make fun of me?"
He walked over to Cheng Zhao, but saw that Cheng Zhao hadn't started writing yet. He was a little anxious, "There's only a quarter of the incense left. We're going to be late."
Cheng Zhao looked at the scenery in the distance and said calmly, "No rush."
He stood tall, neither anxious nor impatient. The wind blew up his robe, making him look independent and detached.
The incense burned out little by little, but he still didn't make a move.
"It seems Brother Cheng has run out of ideas." Zheng Wangfeng curled his lips. "We're just having fun among classmates, there's no need to compete for first or second place, is that right?"
"If there's a prize, then we have to compete for first place!" Shen Zheng was extremely anxious. "Brother Cheng, stop dawdling. Any poem you write is better than Brother Zheng's. Hurry up!"
He handed the ink-stained pen to Cheng Zhao.
Cheng Zhao looked at the last bit of incense, put down his brush, and said, "I, Cheng, concede defeat."
Zheng Wangfeng laughed heartily; he had finally won. However, he still maintained a humble demeanor: "Although I have composed it, it may not be a good poem. Today, I would like to ask Brother Cheng to be the judge and offer his comments."
Cheng Zhao nodded as he strolled around, appreciating the poems. He could point out both the good points and the shortcomings of all the poems. The scholars who had not yet become scholars felt they benefited greatly, and some even asked further questions.
After his comments, the writers evaluated each other and selected the first, second, and third place winners. Zheng Wangfeng naturally won first place.
Shen Zheng said with a regretful look, "This is my godmother's hairpin. I wish I had won."
Zheng Wangfeng was very generous: "Then I'll give it to Brother Shen."
“No,” Cheng Zhao said calmly. “If you want a prize, you have to rely on your own abilities. Brother Shen, you need to read more books.”
Shen Zheng said sullenly, "I know."
A large group of people surrounded Zheng Wangfeng, taking turns admiring the lotus hairpin.
"The craftsmanship is absolutely amazing. Even the most expensive gold hairpins in Huzhou jewelry stores don't have this level of craftsmanship."
"Didn't the imperial court bestow many gold and silver treasures upon Lady Sui? Perhaps these are jewelry pieces from the capital."
"Madam Sui is so generous; she even uses the imperial rewards as prizes."
"Brother Zheng is truly outstanding; he obtained the hairpin without lifting a finger."
"..."
Seeing a group of people fawning over Zheng Wangfeng, Shen Zheng snorted, looking unconvinced: "Brother Cheng, you are clearly more capable."
Cheng Zhao said calmly, "Then do you know why I gave up this prize today?"
Shen Zheng's eyes lit up: "Give way? So you're hiding your skills? Heh, I knew you wouldn't lose to that bastard Zheng Wangfeng! Tell me, why did you give way? It's such a fine hairpin, why did you just give it away?"
"First, do you know why your second aunt agreed to your invitation to these literati to come to Dahe Village? The lotus pond has been equipped with boardwalks, pavilions for flower viewing, a pavilion in the middle of the lake for lotus viewing, a rain-listening platform, and a fishing platform... Clearly, your second aunt wants to create a place similar to Yunxi Apricot Blossom Garden, a place for literati or young masters and ladies from wealthy families to enjoy themselves. Today's poem and that hairpin are both building momentum for this. What meaning would a hairpin have if it fell into the hands of a poor scholar like me?"
Shen Zheng was stunned.
He never expected his godmother to have this intention. Was he really that stupid?
Cheng Zhao continued, "Secondly, Brother Zheng is a narrow-minded person. Back in the Southern Academy, he was my enemy at every turn. When we arrived at the Huzhou Official School, he outwardly befriended me, but in reality, he formed cliques to isolate me... If you try to outdo him, he will find a way to outdo you tenfold. It's better to yield to him. The teacher said to keep a low profile, blend in, and absolutely not to cause any trouble before the provincial examination."
"So that's how it is..."
Shen Zheng reacted and couldn't help but sigh.
Brother Cheng has really had a tough time.
Just then, Qian Hui waved his hand casually and said, "It's already midday, and I'm starving. Everyone, order whatever you want to eat. This meal is on me."
He turned to Wei Hongying, who was standing guard beside him, and instructed her, "Take us to a place to eat."
"yes."
Wei Hongying led the way, taking a large group of people to the Dahe Canteen in the market.
Because of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, the canteen didn't have much business, but there were people watching over the business in the shop, namely Old Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Wen.
The shop wasn't decorated much; the tables were just ordinary tables, with no redeeming qualities other than being clean.
Someone said with a look of disdain, "Isn't this place a bit too shabby?"
"This is the only place to eat in the entire Dahe Village. If you don't like it, you can take a carriage back to the city yourself," Shen Zheng said coldly. "Goodbye, and don't bother seeing me off."
Qian Hui said in a low voice, "I had a banquet at Sui Ru's house a few months ago. Everyone who ate there praised it. Don't underestimate the food just because it's from the village. These village women are first-rate cooks. Alright, alright, everyone, sit down quickly."
Upon hearing this, everyone remembered that when Sui Ru's family held their wedding, many wealthy families from nearby counties and towns came to attend the banquet. It was said that this banquet was comparable to the most luxurious banquet at Zui Xian Lou, which was a topic of much discussion.
An octagonal table can only seat eight people, but more than a dozen people were crammed into two tables.
Grandma Zhao greeted them with a kind smile: "Gentlemen, you've come from afar. Please let me know what you'd like to eat."
Qian Hui really didn't hold back: "Delicious pickled fish, four-happiness meatballs, whole roasted lamb..."
He ordered all the dishes from that day's banquet.
Old Mrs. Zhao's face turned green. These dishes were made by Dashan's wife and the eldest daughter-in-law together. The second daughter-in-law didn't have this ability.
The old lady smiled again: "You all came without telling me in advance, so where are we going to find ingredients in such a short time... Since you've come to our Dahe Village, you can actually do as the locals do and try our unique Dahe Village delicacies. I guarantee that some of them you've never eaten before."
Cheng Zhao nodded: "Then I'll have to trouble Grandma Zhao."
"No trouble, no trouble."
Grandma Zhao immediately went down to prepare.
Yesterday, my eldest daughter-in-law talked to me about food and came up with a lot of fresh ideas. Today, we'll just follow her suggestions.
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