Tian shi ren shi ri xiang cui, dong zhi yang sheng chun you lai.
The Nine-Nine Cold-Dispelling Literary Gathering was held annually at Leshan Residence, open to all scholars.
Many young talents eager to make a name for themselves had prepared their poems and verses for the event, waiting for this day to shine. It would be even better if they could catch the eye of the county school's instructor and teachers.
"Mother, the master has gone to the county town to see if there are any businesses to be done, to earn some money before the new year. And to let Eldest Lang show his face at the literary gathering. Without Mr. Lin, surely my Eldest Lang can still study!" Madam Xiao Yao's indignant voice was filled with dissatisfaction towards Mr. Lin.
Looking at Eldest Lang Zhan, whose face still bore some bruises, with affection, she thought, "When Eldest Lang becomes an official, I'll see how Mr. Lin regrets this!"
Old Madam Zhan was a bit stunned. The day before yesterday, she had thought that dead girl had died when she didn't return.
Who would have thought that she would return by carriage the next morning, safe and sound, and bring back a lot of things, causing another round of praise in the village, while the Zhan family in the old house was subjected to all sorts of mockery and ridicule.
"Mother, say something!" Madam Xiao Yao urged impatiently. The master and Eldest Lang were waiting for money to go out, and if they delayed any longer, it would be too late.
Old Madam Zhan raised her eyes, her gaze chillingly fixed on Madam Xiao Yao. Her shriveled lips parted, and she said, "Take out the tuition fees returned from the private school first."
The money that had entered Madam Xiao Yao's pocket was something she was reluctant to part with. But seeing Old Madam Zhan, who was radiating a dark aura and had icy, snake-like eyes, Madam Xiao Yao swallowed her retort.
"Alright, you and Eldest Lang go out. I need to rest." Old Madam Zhan stood up and walked towards the main house, her hunched, withered body moving slowly.
"Eldest Lang, your grandmother is a stingy old miser!" Madam Xiao Yao cursed resentfully after Old Madam Zhan entered the house.
Having been expelled from the private school by Mr. Lin, Eldest Lang Zhan was both angry and annoyed. He only wanted to perform well at the literary gathering to show Mr. Lin how blind he was!
"Mother, hurry and get the money!" Eldest Lang Zhan said impatiently. His mother was becoming more and more nagging, truly a village woman, crude and unbearable!
"Don't rush, don't rush, Mother will get it right away. Spend the money sparingly." Madam Xiao Yao took Eldest Lang Zhan back to the bedroom in the north wing.
Pushing open the door and entering the room, Old Madam Zhan intended to lie down for a moment. But her peripheral vision caught a dark shadow. Before she could cry out, she was struck on the back of the neck and her vision went black as she fainted.
The back mountain of Jinlin Village.
It was cold in winter, and the wind was strong in the mountains. The northern Pianzi Mountain, apart from being rocky, had no trees. Therefore, few villagers came here in winter. Zhan Laoda came here before dawn every day to pry stones to build the courtyard wall for Li Shi.
After being unconscious for a while, Old Madam Zhan slowly woke up. Looking at the dark mountain cave, she cried out as she leaned against the stone wall, begging in terror, "Don't kill me, I don't know anything..."
"Tell me everything you know." The deep male voice was filled with terrifying coldness and killing intent. As the voice fell, a sharp sword was pointed at Old Madam Zhan, and any closer and it would pierce her eyes.
She fell to her knees with a thud. Old Madam Zhan trembled like a withered branch in the cold wind. She looked up in terror, her face turning even paler.
The man in the darkness wore a devil mask, with a blood-red mouth and bared fangs, enough to scare anyone to death at a glance. The sword was not retracted, and the man said coldly, "When did you know Zhan Feiyu was not Li Shi's daughter?"
Old Madam Zhan thought that the people from that year had come back. Her lips trembled as she replied, "I asked the village midwife back then, and she said Li Shi was carrying a boy."
Zhan Laoda was the eldest son in the family. After Li Shi married, she didn't conceive for many years. Madam Xiao Yao of the second branch had already given birth to the eldest grandson of the Zhan family.
Four years later, Li Shi became pregnant. Not only were the couple of the eldest branch, but also Old Man Zhan and Old Madam Zhan, very happy. The eldest branch finally had an heir.
It would be best if Li Shi gave birth to a son this time. But even if the first child was a girl, it didn't matter. As long as she could give birth, she would eventually have a son, blooming first and then bearing fruit.
Seeing Li Shi's belly gradually growing, Old Madam Zhan took twenty eggs and a packet of brown sugar and secretly went to find the midwife.
The midwife was already eighty years old and had delivered countless children. After receiving the gifts, she examined Li Shi and then told Old Madam Zhan that it was a boy.
"Li Shi's pregnancy was good, but for some reason, she had a premature birth. The village midwife said it was a difficult labor and ran away. In the middle of the night, Laoda rushed to the county to find a midwife..." Old Madam Zhan still remembered that night when it was drizzling.
It was also Li Shi's good fortune. She thought it would be a double death, but unexpectedly, a carriage stopped at the Zhan family's door in the misty rain. Zhan Laoda had indeed found a midwife, and a female doctor, a woman in her fifties, accompanied her.
"I heard Laoda say that they originally made a living in Nanxuan Prefecture. One delivered babies, and the other treated women. They had no children, and when they got old, they planned to return to their hometown in the north to live out their days. Laoda was almost hit by the carriage. He originally wanted the coachman to give him a ride to the county town, but things just happened to turn out this way."
Perhaps the memory was too deep, even after several years, Old Madam Zhan still remembered clearly, "The child was born at the first quarter of the丑 hour, but it was a girl. Li Shi bled during childbirth, so Laoda and the others took Li Shi to the county by carriage to find a doctor."
The female doctor was skilled in gynecology. Li Shi's postpartum hemorrhage not only required a skilled doctor but also medicine, so she had to go to the county clinic for treatment.
In the middle of the night, the newborn girl cried loudly from hunger. Fortunately, the female doctor had dried sheep milk blocks in her luggage, which she had bought from a traveling merchant from the grasslands.
The female doctor believed that these dried sheep milk blocks were nourishing. The journey back home was long, and it was inconvenient to eat and drink in the carriage. They were both old and not in good health. Drinking the sheep milk blocks dissolved in water could both stave off hunger and nourish their bodies. Who would have thought that Zhan Feiyu, swaddled in the襁褓, would be the first to drink it?
"After dissolving the sheep milk blocks in hot water, there was a fishy smell." Old Madam Zhan was also very anxious at that time. Li Shi had been sent to the clinic unconscious, and there were no women giving birth in the village for half a year. They couldn't find milk, and the sheep milk couldn't be fed.
Old Madam Zhan went to the kitchen to cook rice porridge, planning to feed the rice water from the pot as milk.
The female doctor looked at the crying infant. Finally, she ground some almonds with a small stone mill and added them to the sheep milk, along with a little brown sugar. It was finally less fishy, so she used a spoon to scoop a little.
Who would have thought that after feeding less than half a spoonful of sheep milk, the infant's face would break out in dense rashes?
It was a chaotic scene at the time. During the day, Zhan La'er, the pregnant Madam Xiao Yao, and Eldest Lang went back to the Yao family. Zhan Laoda, Zhan Laosan, Madam Ma, and the coachman rushed the carriage to send Li Shi to the clinic. Old Man Zhan stayed in the house to watch over the sleeping Er Lang. The remaining Old Madam Zhan was flustered.
Fortunately, the midwife and the female doctor calmed down after the initial panic, and after a period of rescue, they finally saved the infant.
"It took more than half an hour from start to finish. At that time, I accidentally saw blood flowing out from under the large bundle the female doctor had placed on the chair..." Old Madam Zhan felt a chill all over her body as she thought about it.
Old Madam Zhan, as if possessed, opened the bundle and saw a swaddled infant inside, wrapped in clothes. The infant was lifeless, still in its swaddling clothes, and it was a boy!
The next day, Old Madam Zhan found a woman from the neighboring village and paid her five hundred wen to bring her six-month-old son to live in the eldest branch's house, so that she could also feed the infant Zhan Feiyu.
Three days later, Li Shi returned from the clinic. Zhan Feiyu's rash had long since disappeared, and she was able to breastfeed the child herself while recovering.
The entire Zhan family, except for Old Madam Zhan and Old Man Zhan, knew that Zhan Feiyu could not eat almonds. Fortunately, the peasant family was poor and did not have the spare money to buy dried fruits.
Because the midwife and the female doctor arrived in the middle of the night and left the village before dawn, and because they didn't want those gossips to say that Zhan Feiyu had jinxed Li Shi from birth, almost causing a double death, the old Zhan family only said that Li Shi had given birth at the clinic due to a difficult labor.
Old Madam Zhan told everything she knew. When she woke up again, she was in the bedroom of the main house.
Her throat felt burning and uncomfortable. Old Madam Zhan was about to ask Old Man Zhan outside to pour her a glass of water, but when she opened her mouth, only a "ah" sound came out.
At the same time, in the mountain cave, Nan Su, wearing a mask, sent Old Madam Zhan away. Yin Wuyan walked out from the deepest part of the cave, "Find an opportunity to check the pulse of Li Shi and Zhan Laoda."
"Seventh Master, you suspect that the couple was drugged?" Doctor Ji understood immediately.
That's right. Li Shi had once carried a male fetus. Six years had passed, and Zhan Feiyu was already seven years old. Li Shi had not had any more children. If it wasn't for her own problems, then she must have been drugged.
...
Leshan Residence.
Zhan Feiyu had no idea that Old Madam Zhan had been abducted by Nan Su. Although she had saved her life, she had been poisoned and rendered mute.
Old Madam Zhan was illiterate and now could not speak. She would likely never be able to tell outsiders what had happened in the mountain cave. Of course, to save her life, she probably wouldn't dare to reveal a single word.
Mr. Lin, along with Zhan Feiyu, Lin Xiuyuan, and four other students, sat at a corner table as usual, not wanting to attract attention.
The seats for Zhao Jiaoyu, the county school instructor, and two teachers, along with several juren from Shangsi County, were set at the main table. After all, they were juren, and if they were to be appointed by the Ministry of Personnel, they could become officials.
Students with Xiucai qualifications sat together. The remaining scholars sat in groups of twos and threes. The main hall of Leshan Residence was full of distinguished guests.
"Father, this tea?" As soon as Lin Xiuyuan took a sip of the tea, he was taken aback.
The tea at the literary gathering was provided free of charge by Leshan Residence. Biluochun, priced at one tael of silver per pot, was only served at the juren table, followed by the Xiucai, and the remaining tables were served ordinary tea.
Of course, even ordinary tea was of much better quality than the tea many people usually drank.
Mr. Lin glanced at Zhan Feiyu and then said in a low voice, "Although the literary gathering is for making friends through literature, all six of you have not even passed the county examination. You are still young students, so listen more and speak less."
"Yes, Teacher." Zhan Feiyu and the other five responded, paying no attention to the taste of the tea.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Old Scholar Tian stood up. He was over sixty years old, with white hair and beard, but his kind and smiling face made people feel close to him.
"From a peasant in the morning, to the imperial hall in the evening." Old Scholar Tian's voice was loud and clear, and he continued, "Today, I, the official in charge, will use the official title as the theme, to congratulate all of you on your future success in the imperial examinations and to serve the people as officials."
As soon as Old Scholar Tian finished speaking, a scholar in a blue robe stood up, bowed to Zhao Jiaoyu and the others at the main table, and said with great spirit, "This humble student is not talented, but I am willing to offer a humble opinion to all the talented scholars, to soar like a dragon and rise like a phoenix, like Scholar Meng's mastery of words; like General Wang's sword, sharp and bright."
"Brother Zhu is wearing a blue robe, which is a hint to us." Another short and plump scholar stood up and said with a smile, "Who among those present sheds the most tears? The Sima of Jiangzhou, with his wet blue robe."
"The general's fox fur coat does not keep him warm, and the protector's precious sword is frozen and about to break."
"The general's horn bow cannot be controlled, and the protector's iron armor is cold and difficult to wear." ...
The literary gathering had just begun, and this "Feihua Ling" (a game of reciting poems) was not difficult. Both those who had studied for a short time and those with average knowledge could join in.
Although the atmosphere in the hall was lively, it was evident that only those without official positions were participating. The students from the county school did not speak and appeared arrogant, as if they disdained to do so.
"Where can I find the Prime Minister's ancestral temple? It is within the cypress groves outside Jin Guan City." Lin Xiuyuan also stood up and responded.
A few more people joined in. Seeing this, Old Scholar Tian stood up and said, "As the saying goes: Learning is not about picking flowers, but about digging at the roots. Simple questions cannot test everyone's knowledge. The next theme will be a seven-character regulated verse with the topic of flowers, starting from the first character and ending with the last."
The first person to issue the theme must start their poem with the character "花" (flower), and so on, until the last person to respond with a poem ending in "花".
Zhang Tianhao immediately stood up and said eagerly, "Flowers fill the silver pond, water flows."
The first to speak was a clever move. Zhang Tianhao cast a provocative glance in Zhan Feiyu's direction. If it weren't for Scholar Zhang's instructions before coming to the literary gathering, he would have already been unable to resist provoking her.
Upon seeing Zhang Tianhao, everyone present immediately thought of the poem "Wo Chun" and silently recited it in their minds, their gazes towards Zhang Tianhao becoming even more peculiar.
"Sit down!" Scholar Zhang suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "This idiot! Standing up now to participate in Feihua Ling is just asking for ridicule! If you want to regain your honor, you should wait until that dead girl Zhan Feiyu's reputation is ruined!"
Scholars without official titles, considering Scholar Zhang, did not dare to mock. However, the students from the county school did not have this concern. They were also Xiucai, and in the future, after passing the provincial examination, they would become juren. What was a scholar who ran a private school like Scholar Zhang?
"Brother Zhang is indeed quick-witted. Then I will take the next line." The round-faced young man stood up with a smile. He looked even younger than Zhang Tianhao, but he was already a Xiucai.
His classmate next to him couldn't help but laugh, "Wen Min, such a simple Feihua Ling can't stump you. If you want to compete, you should let Teacher Dou set the questions."
Teacher Dou was precisely a teacher at the county school, skilled in poetry and songs. He was also a good friend of Magistrate Chen. Teacher Dou was the strictest in the county school, and any question he set was bound to stump many people. He once set an upper couplet, and no one in the county school had been able to provide a matching lower couplet yet.
"My disciples are unruly, making all of you laugh." Teacher Dou said to the people at the same table as the juren, then cast a cold glance at the students from the county school, clearly intending to settle accounts later, which immediately drew a wave of wails.
Seeing their distressed and regretful faces, Zhan Feiyu couldn't help but smile and said in a low voice, "Teacher, I thought they all looked down on people."
The literary gathering clearly had a hierarchy of contempt. Apart from the juren at the main table like Zhao Jiaoyu, the students from the county school looked down on ordinary Xiucai, and the Xiucai looked down on Tong Sheng. Tong Sheng, in turn, disdained the young students who hadn't even passed the county examination.
Before, Zhan Feiyu saw the scholars from the two tables of the county school. Perhaps because they were young and already had Xiucai qualifications, they held their heads high, arrogant and aloof, as if looking at others would demean their status. She didn't expect them to have a mischievous side.
"This is like birds of a feather flocking together," Mr. Lin said with a smile. The spirited students from the county school indeed had the capital to be arrogant.
"The season of falling flowers, we meet again." The round-faced young man responded with the second line.
"Spring river flower morning, autumn moon night." The third line followed.
"The face of a person and the peach blossoms reflect each other in red." The classmate sitting next to him immediately responded with the fourth line.
Before others could think, this round of Feihua Ling was already monopolized by the students from the county school, "Unknowingly, flowers near the water sprout first," "Everyone going out is a flower-gazer."
"The frosty leaves are redder than February flowers," the last line ended with the character "flower."
Although they were reciting poems written by others, their speed showed that the students from the county school had already memorized poetry and songs. No matter how difficult the Feihua Ling was, they could recite it with ease.
Old Scholar Tian cupped his hands towards the students from the county school in admiration and said with a smile, "Tea can intoxicate people, why need wine? This old man will toast you all with tea instead of wine."
Everyone present stood up, and Zhao Jiaoyu and the others also raised their teacups. Although Old Scholar Tian only had the qualification of Xiucai, his age and seniority were respected, and he had a reputation for generosity in Shangsi County, deserving this respect.
After drinking tea, Scholar Zhang stood up. His private school had also trained many scholars over the years. It couldn't be said that his students were all over the world, but Scholar Zhang had some influence in Shangsi County.
"I recently came up with a character-splitting couplet. The upper couplet is: 'Water with insects becomes turbid, water with fish becomes fishing, water water water, rivers and lakes are vast and boundless.'" Scholar Zhang claimed to have come up with it the previous day, but in reality, he had been pondering it since last year and had not revealed it, waiting to present it at the literary gathering today to showcase his talent.
Upon hearing this upper couplet, everyone present began to ponder deeply.
Character-splitting couplets were already difficult, and the upper couplet had four sentences and eighteen characters in total. To create a matching lower couplet with such precision in a short time was extremely difficult.
After a while, Scholar Zhang said with a warm smile, "I wonder if Brother Lin has a lower couplet?"
If Scholar Zhang were to target Zhan Feiyu, it would be an unfair victory. After all, he was older and already a Xiucai, while Zhan Feiyu was only a young student who had been studying for less than half a year. Winning would be dishonorable, and losing would be even more embarrassing.
However, by specifically calling out Mr. Lin, he was openly seeking revenge for Zhang Tianhao. Since Zhan Feiyu was Mr. Lin's student, if her teacher were defeated by Scholar Zhang, then she, as his student, would also lose face.
Mr. Lin was about to stand up when Zhan Feiyu beat him to it.
Everyone in the hall who was still thinking of a lower couplet suddenly sat up straight. Especially the round-faced young men from the county school, their eyes were shining, waiting for Zhan Feiyu to cause trouble.
"Teacher tested me the day before yesterday, and student happens to have a lower couplet. I hope Scholar Zhang will comment." Zhan Feiyu's clear voice still carried the childishness of a child. Today, she was wearing a new yellow cross-collared top and a dark blue wide-skirted dress, making her look rosy-cheeked and charmingly naive, endearing her to everyone.
"Oh, what is little prodigy Zhan's lower couplet?" Scholar Zhang sneered. He had spent nearly a year pondering this upper couplet for fame and revenge, but Zhan Feiyu had come out to stir up trouble.
However, Scholar Zhang's eyes also revealed a hint of disdain. He did not believe that in such a short time, a seven-year-old child like Zhan Feiyu could truly come up with a lower couplet.
After all, so many people present, from juren to Xiucai to other scholars, had not come up with a lower couplet, yet she was going to steal the spotlight?
Zhan Feiyu did not hide her talent and said, "My lower couplet is: 'Square of wood below is root, square of wood above is end, wood wood wood, pine, cypress, camphor are dense and lush.'"
"The couplet is perfectly matched," Zhao Jiaoyu praised with a smile.
Back then, at the Zhan family, she could only recite the Three Character Classic. Who would have thought that in just a few months, she could speak eloquently? It was not an exaggeration for Magistrate Chen to praise her as a prodigy.
Zhao Jiaoyu was considered the leader of the scholars in Shangsi County. As soon as he spoke, his praises rained down on Zhan Feiyu as if they were free.
"I have an upper couplet, also a character-splitting couplet. Little student Zhan, listen carefully." The round-faced young man ignored Teacher Dou's fierce gaze and said with a smile, "An inch of soil becomes a temple, beside the temple, words become poetry, the poem says: 'The bright moon sends the monk back to the ancient temple.'"
This character-splitting couplet was clearly more elegant than the one Scholar Zhang had just presented, but it was equally difficult to come up with a matching lower couplet.
Facing the gazes of everyone, Zhan Feiyu, who was still standing, showed no nervousness. She pondered with her plump, bun-like face, paired with her dark, round, bright eyes. This mature-beyond-her-years, adorably foolish appearance made the older scholars present feel affection for her. If she were their own daughter, their naughty sons would have been kicked out of the house long ago.
"Little student Zhan, you can sit down and think. Take your time, there's no rush," the round-faced young man said gently, for fear of scaring her. However, his overly excited gaze made his classmates next to him roll their eyes in exasperation.
Wen Min could fool others, but he couldn't fool them!
Wen Min had always wanted a soft and cute little sister who would sweetly call him brother. However, Madam Wen had three more pregnancies after that and gave birth to four naughty boys, the last two being twins.
With four mischievous children at home who could tear down the roof, Wen Min wished he could secretly take Zhan Feiyu home as soon as he saw her.
"I've thought of it," Zhan Feiyu grinned, her eyes curved into crescents, and said, "Two woods become a forest, under the forest, a prohibition is shown, the prohibition says: 'Axes and sickles enter the mountains and forests at the proper time.'"