Chapter 370: The last match! Couplets duel!
"Then what next?"
"Isn't it the sa even if they continue competing?"
"Yea, there's no aning to it if they continue to compete based on poetry."
"Why not tweak the rules a little and compete based on so other standard?"
"Master Zhou, let's not keep doing poetry. The opponent's advantage is too unfair. We are in the calligraphy field, so how could we possibly defeat soone in literature studies through poetry?"
"Right, we should change the format."
"As long as it isn't poetry, anything else is fine."
"Right, anything except poetry. He definitely won't be able to do well in other topics."
Everyone was convinced of the literary skills of the youth in shades. Since this was a calligraphy competition, they were unconvinced. Many of the calligraphers were embarrassed by this and were disputing the issue.
Master Zhou smiled, "If you want to continue competing, then please draw a lot from the box. There are still other topics in there besides poetry."
"Alright."
"Co on then."
The tension against the youth was increasing.
Master Zhou announced, "First, let's take a two minutes break before we continue."
Everyone had no objections and so went to get a drink while the others who were a little hungry went to grab so refreshnts.
Zhang Ye went to the toilet which was inside the restaurant premises. Inside the male toilet, another person followed him in. This person appeared to be Master Wei's disciple and was also part of Master Wei's team.
"Wait a mont." Chen Mo called out to him.
Zhang Ye turned around, "What's the matter, my friend?"
Chen Mo looked at him and said, "Aren't you going a little too far today?"
Zhang Ye smiled, "What do you an by that? How did I go too far?"
"It's Master Wei's birthday today. Why are you being such a wet blanket? What's the aning of this? You are also soone from this circle, so don't tell you don't intend to show so respect to the seniors?" Chen Mo did not hold back on his words and tone.
Zhang Ye was stirred. "Sorry, but I'm not from the your circle. I respect my seniors, but my senior is not Master Wei. It is President Wu. My path is also not that of calligraphy, so don't try that on ."
You are even trying to accuse now?
Hur, who do you think you are!
Chen Mo lectured him, "Never push things too far so that we can et amiably in the future."
Zhang Ye replied, "You are the ones who are bullying a woman like President Wu. Why didn't you not push things too far earlier? And I’m not allowed to help her?"
Chen Mo spoke in a well-grounded manner. "President Wu does not truly belong in the calligraphy world. Most of those present today are also on better terms with Master Wei. Since it's his birthday, of course we'd naturally choose to stand by his side. How can you say that's bullying? It's only a friendly competition to make the gathering more lively. No one would be concerned by that. I believe President Wu is not so petty too, but you, you have caused the event to beco awkward!"
Zhang Ye was tickled by his logic, so he said, "You are really amusing. A bunch of people bullying President Wu so as to win the auspicious item. You ntioned that this was just a competition, which is not ant to be taken too seriously. Yet, you don't ntion how your team has so many more people, saying it's for fun only. Yet now when you have lost, you are claiming that we should have left so face for your respected teacher, saying that we disrespected him. Why does it feel like you are right no matter what? As if your team deserves to win just because of the occasion and that's logical? So whatever we do is unacceptable? Other than losing to you, we would be in the wrong regardless of what we do?"
Chen Mo glared with his eyes cold. "You are distorting my words!"
"But that's what you were driving at!" Zhang Ye said, "I'm sorry, but using seniority as a reason does not work on ! I was invited by President Wu and I'm here to wish her a happy birthday. However the others want to think of , they can think what they want. It does not concern . I know how to handle myself, so you can save your effort in telling what I should or shouldn't do." After saying that, he went to use the toilet and did not bother about him anymore.
Chen Mo was angered! This person does not appreciate his advice! He turned around and left.
Actually, winning or losing this competition did not matter to Zhang Ye. He only cared about Wu Zeqing's treatnt. If they wanted to bully Old Wu and leave her embarrassed, then Zhang Ye would not sit back and do nothing. It was that simple. Since he had already helped President Wu by winning up to this point, Zhang Ye was already happy enough. Even if he were to lose the last match, he was fine with it. His thoughts were not in the calligraphy world, so winning or losing did not affect him in any way, but now, soone had actually tried to co up to him to sort him out. He even tried to lecture and threaten him? Then did Zhang Ye still need to hold back?
He was infamous for being a hooligan!
F**k! If you didn't say anything, everything would have been fine. I didn't necessarily have to win every round!
Let tell you, don't even think of winning a single match now! Do you think I'm afraid of threats?
......
In the backyard.
The next match was about to begin.
When it was ti to pick topics, Chen Mo stepped forward, "Teacher, let do it."
Master Wei smiled and nodded. He kindly said, "Sure, Little Mo. I'll leave it to you."
Master Wei did not step forward this entire ti. It was possible that he had never planned on taking part in the competition himself. As a master of the calligraphy world, even if he won, it would not look good since it would be similar to bullying. If he lost, it would look even worse.
Zhang Ye asked, "Who is that?"
Wu Zeqing looked at the man in his thirties who was drawing the topic, "Master Wei's disciple I guess. I don't know him or his na. What's the matter? Why are you so interested in him?"
Zhang Ye shrugged and said, "Just now in the bathroom, he ca to and tried to give a piece of his mind, telling to respect his teacher and stuff like that. What he ant was that I was going too far."
Wu Zeqing asked gently, "Are you going to concede this match then?"
"Of course not!" Zhang Ye said, "I'm not a charity organization! The more he tries to accuse , the more I want to win! Since we are winning, we should win to the end!"
Chen Mo had picked his topic.
He picked a topic that caused a minor uproar!
Master Zhou was also a little stunned as he announced, "There's no need to pick the 2nd part. The next topic is — couplets. According to the rules, both parties will co to a decision on who gets to give the couplet and who gets to match the couplet. If the couplet can be matched, the matcher will win. If the couplet can't be matched, the giver will be the winner. Of course this is not an absolute, even if it could be matched, we will still be looking at the calligraphy writing. As to how the judging will be done, I will be the one deciding. As couplet matching is a little special, the ti given will be 10 minutes. Alright then, will the 2 competitors decide on the sequence now?"
Couplets?
It actually turned out to be couplets?
Couplets and calligraphy were inextricably linked, but this kind of a topic was still a rarity. In past gatherings, there weren't many people who had drawn this topic.
"Haha, we got a good show to watch now!"
"At last we got an interesting topic!"
"As long as it is not poetry, that youth doesn’t stand a chance!"
"Little Mo's luck is quite good. This match is definitely ours!"
"Teacher Su, this is your field. No one is more suitable than you to represent us for this topic. Your accomplishnts in couplets can be considered to be in the top 10 of the country. Not many people would be able to match you."
"Teacher Su, it's yours."
"We can't keep letting Little Wu win, otherwise us old folks would have no face left! Ha!"
Chen Mo also smiled a little. He glanced at Zhang Ye and thought to himself that this guy still wanted to act tough with him? This ti it's not about poetry anymore, let's see how badly you lose!
Su Na's father stepped up, "OK, let do it!"
Master Zhou also shook his head, he knew there would be no surprises. When Old Su showed his hand, not many people in the couplet field would be able to best him, except for those few monsters.
But what left everyone feeling a little strange was how the youth standing opposite him hardly had any reaction at all. He was seated there in a calm manner, occasionally taking a sip of wine.
Master Wei laughed, "Little Wu, will you be taking this round instead?"
Wu Zeqing looked at the topic and laughed, "I don't think I'm needed here."
Zhang Ye had stood up by now, "Uncle Su, who will give the couplet?"
Father Su was very magnanimous. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Young man, you can set the question. Hur Hur."
"Sure, then I won't hold back." Zhang Ye walked up to the front.
The person who had the most animated expression was Su Na. When she saw that the drawn topic was about couplets, she nearly fainted. Seeing how Master Wei's team looked as if they already had it in the bag made Su Na at a loss whether to laugh or cry. Do you think you would win for sure? You guys don’t know fart!
This was Zhang Ye we're talking about!
Poetry, song writing, couplets, essays, novels, and speeches, all of that was nothing to him!
Especially regarding achievents in couplets, Teacher Zhang Ye was one of those monsters!
Su Na could not help but rember the scene at the Beijing Couplet Competition. Every competition would have a champion, but a champion and a CHAMPION were not the sa. The level of asurent was different. Those other champions would usually fight head to head with other competitors until one was finally victorious, but what about Zhang Ye? Su Na had watched the Couplet Competition online back then. She had witness Zhang Ye stand up to more than fifty others and ca out winning comfortably, not even letting his opponents gain a single point. They had all been utterly defeated by Zhang Ye!
What was the reason for that?
The reason boiled down to their levels being too far apart!
Su Na knew her father's specialty was in couplets and was even considered a top couplet master, but even though she knew that her father might co out tops against 10,000 others, he would not be able to outmatch Zhang Ye!
"Dad!" Su Na quickly called him out.
Father Su looked towards her, "Yes?"
Su Na waved her hands quickly and winked her eyes, aning to tell him not to take part.
But Father Su did not understand and instead smiled and nodded his head. He thought his daughter was cheering him on.
Chen Mo and those calligraphers were all looking on in a relaxed mood. They were laughing and smiling as they looked over at Zhang Ye while waiting for him to give the couplet. They believed that no matter what verse he ca up with, Teacher Su would be able to match it perfectly.
Imdiately, Zhang Ye began writing the couplet's verse.
There wasn't a lot of characters and he wrote it very casually, as if he did not even think before he started writing. He gave off a feeling as though as he had already conceded defeated, yet it also felt like he did not take it too seriously.
— 寂寞寒窗空守寡 (jì mò hán chuāng kōng shǒu guǎ, in this lonely and tiny unit as a widow).
Zhang Ye raised his head smiling, "I've finished writing."
"OK, I will match it!" Father Su proclaid confidently while walking over as the crowd cheered him on. He took a look at the first half of the verse.
Then.
Then Father Su plopped down and almost vomited blood!
Damn you to your ninth great-grandmother! What the f**k was this verse?! Do you want to win so badly!?
Zhang Ye was really being inconsiderate. This couplet verse was also a Millennial Impossibility in his previous world. The verse, which he used at the previous Beijing Couplet Competition ,'烟锁池塘柳 (yān suǒ chí táng liǔ, willow pond locked in smoke)' had so matches which could be considered close matches, even if they did not satisfy all the conditions to be considered perfect, but this '寂寞寒窗空守寡 (jì mò hán chuāng kōng shǒu guǎ, in this lonely and tiny unit as a widow)' had existed for hundreds of years without a second half even coming close, it could be said that Father Su did not even stand a chance!
A Millennial Impossibility!
This verse could not possibly be matched by anyone!
Even if future generations would co up with sothing, it would still be a few hundred or several thousand years later!
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