CHAPTER 328: CHAPTER 307: DAMN IT_3

After taking a couple of bites of the pastry, Yu Xiaolian picked up the brush.

On a typical day, she would’ve used the black signature pen from her sleeve, but this ink wasn’t ordinary ink; it was special, prepared by her dear boyfriend for her. She couldn’t let his efforts go to waste, after all, she should make good use of it.

With a swift motion, Yu Xiaolian wrote a poem titled "Early Plum Blossom" by the Tang poet Qi Yi.

The myriad trees freeze to the point of breaking, yet the lone root is uniquely warmed.

In the deep snow before the village, a single branch blossomed last night.

As soon as she finished writing, the paper beneath her brush was snatched away by Teacher Zhao, who had been waiting beside her.

After Zhao Zhiyun read it aloud with great enthusiasm, he praised it highly and then passed "Early Plum Blossom" to Teacher Ying beside him.

Once "Early Plum Blossom" had been passed around and read by everyone, Teacher Zhao carefully tucked the draft away.

Immediately after, everyone began showcasing their own plum blossom poems.

The poetry gathering included both men and women, young and old, numbering perhaps seventy or eighty. Some did not have their own desk and shared with others, eager for the chance to showcase their talents.

So, when Teacher Zhao had finished appreciating and discussing each poem, it was already an hour later.

Yu Xiaolian yawned; had she not come to attend this poetry meeting, she would have taken a nap at home by now.

When Teacher Zhao finally reviewed all the plum blossom poems, Yu Xiaolian thought he would let the topic of the plum blossoms go. But then Teacher Zhao spoke again, saying he would reward whoever could compose an exquisite plum blossom poem in the form of a seven-word quatrain with a thousand-tael blue bamboo screen from his residence.

"Oh, a blue bamboo screen? Isn’t that Teacher Zhao’s favorite screen? How could he bear to use it as a prize?" someone exclaimed.

"You fool, can’t you see? Teacher Zhao is trying to lure Teacher Yu in. Teacher Yu won’t act without ample incentive. Teacher Zhao has no other option."

"Heh... Teacher Zhao is certainly investing heavily."

Yu Xiaolian was indifferent to the so-called "heavy investment" mentioned by the crowd. If it were really his most beloved blue bamboo screen, he wouldn’t offer it! Like the double-sided embroidery screen in her own home, embroidered by Ding Wulang’s mother—she wouldn’t give away what she liked.

Unless she grew tired of it, disliked it, and wanted to replace it with something new, would she give it away.

Besides, a used screen would likely not even sell if she won it back and placed it in the shop.

Who would spend a thousand taels on second-hand goods? It’s not an antique.

A second-hand screen is less valuable than a thousand taels of silver; no, it might not even be worth five hundred taels of silver.

Yu Xiaolian remained unmoved.

What’s that? Honor? A symbol of enormous talent?

Sorry, her thoughts have changed; it’s better not to be too famous.

Fame brings too many troubles, too many.

Now, when Yu Xiaolian goes out, too many people know her, resulting in often being stalked by strange people and being gossiped about behind her back—it has become the norm.

The bizarre part? Even Yu Xiaolian painting her nails red could be rumored to be because Teacher Yu worked so hard on exam papers that her nails turned red.

Fortunately, most rumors about Yu Xiaolian are positive, with only a few negative remarks, but even that made Yu Xiaolian realize the power of public opinion.

Previously, Yu Xiaolian thought that with greater fame, she would hold a higher official position in the future.

But after much contemplation recently, Yu Xiaolian felt she might have been deceived by Dean Ying. In this era, it is incredibly hard for a woman to become a great literary figure.

With talent, a man can ascend instantly.

But for a woman, no matter how many steps she takes, it’s not enough.

She’d rather focus on earning money honestly; as for other matters, she no longer wanted to ponder them.

Life is short; one should live it a bit more easily.

Seeing Yu Xiaolian still not writing, Teacher Zhao anxiously paced around.

Could it be that Teacher Yu is not skilled in seven-word quatrains?

"Teacher Yu, why haven’t you started?" Feng Suyue asked her sister Feng Suyun.

"Seven-word quatrains are challenging; perhaps Teacher Yu is still formulating her thoughts," Feng Suyun remarked while gently blowing on the poem she had just completed.

At this moment, Yu Xiaolian turned to watch Su Jingchen write.

When Su Jingchen finished, the two exchanged a smile, and Yu Xiaolian couldn’t help but give Su Jingchen a thumbs up.

The calligraphy was pleasing to the eye, and the poem was rhythmically pleasing.

Zhao Zhiyun knew of Su Jingchen’s talent and had high hopes for this new student, planning to let Su Jingchen try the Autumn Examination next year!

So, when he saw Yu Xiaolian giving Su Jingchen a thumbs up, Zhao Zhiyun immediately passed the other students’ poems he was holding to Dean Ying for review.

He had no interest in those mediocre poems as he sought only masterpieces. Zhao Zhiyun approached and took Su Jingchen’s newly written poem.

After a round of heated discussion and comparison, Dean Zhao finally awarded the thousand-tael blue bamboo screen to Su Jingchen.

Ma Jingwen gazed at Su Jingchen with an air of discontent; ever since this person arrived in Luocheng, he’d snatched away the limelight that originally belonged to Ma Jingwen. Damn him!