Chapter 11

Huh? This—this doesn't seem to be a complete couplet, but rather two couplets. However, why are there only the first lines and no second lines? Could it be—could it be some kind of prize guessing game?

Li Qi looked at the two scrolls for a while, frowned, and felt very curious.

While others were thinking about how to come up with the second lines, Li Qi was pondering why these two couplets were hung here. Was there some hidden benefit behind them?

Ancient people valued integrity above all, while modern people prioritize benefits.

This might be the most fundamental difference in the thinking habits of ancient and modern people. Li Qi had once helped his father-in-law manage some business affairs, so he understood the principle that there is no early rising without profit.

However, after thinking for a long time, Li Qi still couldn't figure it out. He decided to ask someone. Unexpectedly, before he could open his mouth, he heard the two gentlemen in front of him discussing the matter. Li Qi's heart leaped with joy, and he immediately perked up his ears to listen.

He heard one person ask, "Brother Liu, do you mean these two couplets were really written by White Lady and Scholar Song?"

White Lady? Li Qi was startled. Could it be that Bai Suzhen also time-traveled?

He then heard the other person say, "How could there be a mistake? Didn't you hear what Mr. Cai said? The left couplet was written by Scholar Song, and the right one by White Lady. Moreover, Mr. Cai said that whoever can come up with the second line for either couplet will be treated as a distinguished guest at the Jade Pavilion, with free food and lodging for ten days. Think about it, ten days at the Jade Pavilion would cost a lot of silver. If these couplets weren't written by them, would Mr. Cai dare to be so 'generous'?"

The first person nodded and said, "What you said makes some sense, but I heard that White Lady has never had any dealings with Mr. Cai. Why would she help him this time?"

"You don't understand, let me tell you, it's all about money." At this point, the other person suddenly lowered his voice and said, "I heard that Mr. Cai paid a large sum of money to get these couplets from White Lady."

The first person frowned and shook his head, "This—this is impossible. White Lady is the second most talented woman in Bianjing. How could she compromise her reputation for material gain and help a ruthless man like Mr. Cai? Impossible, impossible, I don't believe such rumors."

The other person snorted and said, "Have you thought about it? If these couplets weren't written by White Lady, would Mr. Cai dare to say so? Don't you remember that a year ago, a tavern owner in the eastern city was beaten up for saying something bad about White Lady after drinking? The tavern was smashed to pieces. When the owner reported it to the authorities, it turned out that the attackers were all famous scholars and young masters. They even counter-sued the tavern owner for defaming White Lady, demanding that the magistrate punish him. In the end, it was only White Lady herself who intervened to resolve the matter. Do you think Mr. Cai would risk repeating such a mistake?"

"Of course I remember that incident. If it weren't for my aunt's visit, I would have been there too." The first person shook his head regretfully and continued, "Even if these couplets were indeed written by White Lady, it doesn't prove that she received any benefit from Mr. Cai."

The other person raised his head and said, "Then tell me, if it wasn't for money, why would White Lady help Mr. Cai? You just said that White Lady and Mr. Cai have no close relationship."

The first person was at a loss for words, stammering for a while before saying, "Maybe—maybe White Lady was invited by Scholar Song to help Mr. Cai write the couplets. It's no secret that Scholar Song has a crush on White Lady."

The other person said irritably, "You say Scholar Song has a crush on White Lady, but White Lady has never shown any interest. It's possible that she doesn't like Scholar Song. I don't believe White Lady helped Mr. Cai for Scholar Song's sake."

The first person snorted angrily, "I don't believe White Lady would help Mr. Cai for money either. I hope Brother Liu won't speak ill of White Lady."

The other person's face turned red with anger. He waved his sleeve and said, "Believe it or not, it's up to you. Goodbye!" He then turned and left. The first person also snorted and stormed off.

Sweat! It's just a couplet, is it necessary to get so worked up? Who cares why they wrote it, it has nothing to do with you. Sigh! It seems that gossip and idols will always be the subjects of people's arguments.

Li Qi was somewhat amused and frustrated by these two gentlemen. He had heard the gist of their conversation and understood it. Although he didn't know who White Lady and Scholar Song were, from their conversation, it seemed they were both very famous, like superstars with fans all over, like Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung.

Regarding their argument, Li Qi was more inclined to agree with the gentleman who was driven away. Writing a couplet doesn't take much effort, and it's not a heinous act. If such easy money isn't earned, then White Lady must be quite foolish.

However, whether it was White Lady or Scholar Song, Li Qi knew that the biggest beneficiary was Mr. Cai. Although he didn't know how much silver Mr. Cai had paid to get these couplets, he was very clear that the popularity and benefits they brought to Mr. Cai and the Jade Pavilion were immeasurable.

This is what is known as the star effect. Li Qi never imagined that the star effect had already shown its power in the Song Dynasty.

In his time, even a somewhat famous celebrity could get a lucrative endorsement deal, let alone international superstars. Businesspeople are not fools; they would spend millions just to have you stand in front of a camera and pose. If you couldn't bring them several times, or even dozens of times, the return on investment, those big bosses wouldn't even bother to look at you.

Of course, there are always unspoken rules.

It seems that Wu Furong and Drunken Immortal Inn lost for a good reason!

Li Qi sighed. Just from these two couplets, Mr. Cai's vision and strategy were several times better than Wu Furong's. As a decision-maker, Wu Furong couldn't even tell Master Zhou to retire. With such a kind-hearted and benevolent owner, how could Drunken Immortal Inn not fail?

Since White Lady and Scholar Song are so popular, the couplets they wrote should not be too bad.

After understanding the situation, Li Qi began to focus on the two couplets. If what the two gentlemen said was true, the left couplet, "A river of wind and moon to linger in," should be by Scholar Song, and the right couplet, "Sipping bamboo leaves, the heart turns green," should be by White Lady.

When it came to couplets, Li Qi was not unfamiliar. In the past, to give his new dishes meaningful and beautiful names, he often referred to ancient texts or the internet to find classic poems and couplets. In his information-rich era, the internet had all sorts of bizarre couplets, and the classics were countless. After seeing so many, he naturally became adept at it.

Sweat! It turns out these are couplets related to the food industry. It seems Mr. Cai really put a lot of thought into it!

These couplets, though not classic masterpieces, are not easy to solve. However, for Li Qi, it's like they were tailor-made for him. The food industry? Ha! That's his old profession!

Li Qi frowned and thought for a while, then suddenly laughed, shaking his head and smiling, "Turns out they are both idols."