Chapter 28

"Xia Shidi, your sister-in-law's skills are too good. Ever since Brother Xu told me about the taste of this oil-splashed noodles, I have to come and eat a bowl every day. If I don't eat it, I feel that other foods are tasteless." The plump student belched, having just eaten a large bowl of oil-splashed noodles and a scallion oil pancake. He then said contentedly to Xia Hongsheng.

Xia Hongsheng smiled and said, "Liu Shixiong, for your own good, you should restrain yourself. This oil-splashed noodles is very greasy. Although it doesn't feel greasy when you eat it, it's actually a bowl of noodles with a spoon of oil. All this oil goes into your stomach, which is not good for your health. You should try to restrain yourself, change your diet, and come once every ten days."

"Wouldn't that kill me? I'm not afraid to say it, but I have no other interests except for eating. If I restrain myself, life would have no meaning." The student waved his hand, unconvinced.

Xia Hongsheng laughed and stopped trying to persuade him. He said, "Indeed, life is short, and one must enjoy it while it lasts. Drink today's wine today, and worry about tomorrow's troubles tomorrow."

At this, the eyes of the surrounding students lit up. The plump student slapped the table and said, "Good! What a wonderful 'drink today's wine today, and worry about tomorrow's troubles tomorrow!' Ha ha, we should live like this, unrestrained and carefree, living in the moment, without worrying about the future. What a wonderful Xia Hongsheng, your words are like a lotus blooming, and your talent is beyond my reach! Ha ha, if only you were a bit older, I would have dragged you to Yixiangju to drink three hundred cups today!"

Xia Hongsheng rolled his eyes at Liu Shixiong's words. Drink three hundred cups? Do you even want your liver? Alcohol poisoning is a sure thing, and I don't want to die with you!

"Xia Shidi's poetic talent is truly beyond our reach. The poems 'Grass grows and orioles fly in the second month of spring' and 'A true friend is one who knows your heart, no matter how far apart you are' even made Master Yan clap in admiration. Yet, Xia Shidi seems indifferent, not even giving them names. The poem you gave to Wang Xuance is so inspiring that it makes one want to soar to the heavens and fulfill one's ambitions." Another student sighed and said.

"Thank you, Shixiong, I am truly unworthy of such praise." Xia Hongsheng quickly waved his hand. Those poems were all plagiarized. If he had to write them himself, he wouldn't be able to, so of course he felt unworthy.

After chatting for a while, it was time to return to the academy. Xia Hongsheng excused himself, saying he needed to help his sister-in-law clean up before going to the academy. The others didn't insist and left with a group of other students who were also eating, heading back to the academy together.

As soon as they left, a sigh of relief came from the side. A man said, "Ah, just now, with all those scholars around, I didn't dare to slurp my noodles loudly, for fear of my rudeness offending their eyes. Ha ha, but I didn't expect that these scholars eat noodles just as loudly! Their momentum is even stronger than mine. Ha ha ha..."

This man's words caused a burst of laughter from the surrounding people. Xia Hongsheng also grinned and turned to head to Yixiangju. After eating and chatting, the lunch rush was almost over, but there were still quite a few people in Yixiangju, though not as noisy as before. Looking at the counter, the manager was free and was writing something on a piece of paper.

Xia Hongsheng glanced back at his sister-in-law, who was still busy, took a deep breath, and stepped into Yixiangju. Immediately, a waiter saw him and ran over, bowing respectfully and inviting him in. "Young sir, please come in! How many people are you with? Would you like to go upstairs to a private room, or stay downstairs?"

"Go about your business, I'll call you if I need anything." Xia Hongsheng smiled and waved his hand at the waiter.

The waiter responded and hurried off to attend to other customers. Xia Hongsheng looked around at the food on the tables of the diners, then went upstairs, lifted the bamboo curtain, and entered the private room. From upstairs, he could see the distant Laojun Mountain, which was already turning green, like a light green ink painting, a truly beautiful scene.

Upstairs, it was not as noisy as downstairs. People were gathered in small groups, speaking softly and drinking. Some were sitting by the eaves, gazing thoughtfully at the distant Laojun Mountain.

Turning his head, Xia Hongsheng saw a screen on the wall, covered with poems. He walked over and read a few, and indeed, as Master Yan had said, most of the poems were overly ornate but lacked substance, making them hollow. In the early Tang period, the literary world had not yet broken free from the narrow and ornate poetry of the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties. The great poets who would reform the style had not yet appeared, and the Four Great Poets of the Early Tang were probably still reading their启蒙 articles. Although Xia Hongsheng couldn't write great poetry himself, he had a good appreciation for it. The poems on the screen were beautiful, but lacked depth, like a copy of a painting that had the form but not the spirit. The poetry of the Tang Dynasty, after the reforms by the Four Great Poets of the Early Tang, reached its peak in the High Tang period, both in romanticism and realism, with the works of Li Bai and Du Fu becoming timeless masterpieces. The Song Dynasty, unable to surpass the achievements of the Tang in poetry, turned to a different path, leading to the pinnacle of Song poetry, the ci.

Poetry reached its peak in the Tang, and ci in the Song. Later dynasties could not surpass these two peaks, as they had already reached their limits.

"Sir, these are all written by scholars who have visited Yixiangju, some of whom are quite famous. Since you are a scholar, if you are interested, you can leave your name here. I will bring you the ink and brush." As Xia Hongsheng was lost in thought, a voice appeared beside him. Turning his head, he saw that a waiter on the second floor had noticed him staring at the screen for a long time and had come over.

Fine, to ensure that Yixiangju takes care of my sister-in-law, I'll have to be a bit of a scoundrel and plagiarize some poems from the future. Xia Hongsheng looked at the waiter and smiled, "Bring me the ink and brush!"

"Sure thing, may I ask your name, sir?" The waiter bowed respectfully and asked.

"Luanzhou Academy, Xia Hongsheng." Xia Hongsheng smiled and replied.

The waiter immediately turned and called out, "Ink and brush, for Xia Hongsheng of Luanzhou Academy to leave his mark at Yixiangju!"

This call immediately drew the attention of the diners in the private room, who turned to look at the screen. A few got up to see what was happening, while others remained in their seats, watching the scene unfold.

Soon, the manager came up with the ink and brush, saw Xia Hongsheng standing by the screen, and quickly handed them over.

"My handwriting is not good, I hope you won't laugh at me." Xia Hongsheng smiled and picked up the brush. Although he had a foundation from the original Xia Hongsheng, he had been using a quill pen for a long time and was not very skilled with a brush. After saying this, he turned and began to write on the screen. With just a few strokes, the people watching behind him showed signs of surprise, and more diners became curious and came over.

"Fine rain and slanted wind bring a chill in the morning, light smoke and sparse willows charm the sunny beach. The clear Luo River gradually merges into the Huai. Snow foam and milk flowers float in the midday cup, young leeks and wild herbs are tried on the spring plate. The taste of life is clear and simple." Someone behind him recited the poem as Xia Hongsheng wrote, his expression changing from a light smile to surprise, and then to wide-eyed amazement, clapping his hands, "What a wonderful poem!"

This poem was actually not a Tang poem, but a Song ci, with the tune "Washing the Silk." The person's praise drew more people to the screen.

After leaving his name, Xia Hongsheng suddenly changed his brush stroke and wrote in another place, "People come and go on the river, loving the beauty of the perch. Look at the small boat, emerging and disappearing in the waves."

This time, no one called out in praise. Xia Hongsheng signed his name, returned the brush to the manager, and stepped aside. The people watching behind him had a thoughtful look on their faces, some of them were dazed.

After a while, a man stepped forward, "I am ashamed! I am ashamed! We have been enjoying the freshness of the fish, but we have forgotten the hard work of the fishermen. The hardships of the people, while we are well-fed and well-clothed, we have forgotten the toil of the common people. Today, it is Xia Shidi who has enlightened us!"

After saying this, the man bowed deeply to Xia Hongsheng.

"I just saw the cold of early spring, and the fishermen still working hard on the river, which moved me. I don't deserve such praise." Xia Hongsheng quickly avoided the man's bow.

The man straightened up, and the manager, smiling, asked, "I can only read, but you are all scholars. Why don't you evaluate these poems? May I ask, how are these two poems?"

"Of course, they are excellent!" the man said loudly. "The first poem starts with the early spring scenery, then unexpectedly uses clear tea and wild herbs. On the surface, it writes about the mountain's wild flavors being the best in the world, but in reality, it expresses a clear and elegant sentiment, free from the world's corruption. The second poem is even better, with simple and unadorned language, no obscure words or forced rhymes, yet it is deeply moving, reflecting on the hardships of the people and evoking compassion. It is truly an excellent poem!"

Hearing this, the others nodded in agreement and echoed the praise.

The manager looked around, seeing everyone nodding, and walked to Xia Hongsheng, bowing and saying, "Thank you, Xia Shidi, for leaving your mark. We have a rule at Yixiangju: if the person who leaves a mark is praised, they can eat for free for a month. You can come to our shop for free meals for the next month."

"Manager, Yixiangju's food is famous, and I am grateful. However, there is something I want to eat that your shop doesn't have. How about this, can we make a trade?" Xia Hongsheng smiled and said to the manager, "I don't want the free meals for a month. Instead, can you lend me the kitchen and the ingredients, and let me cook a meal myself?"

The manager was taken aback, staring at Xia Hongsheng, "This..."

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