From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 232 Poetry Meeting

It was already past noon.

There is wind blowing in the mountains and forests, and there are no clouds in the sky.

Meng Yuan thought for a long time and realized that he might have written too many doggerel poems, and for a moment he was stumped by Xiangling's topic.

Moreover, Dugu Kang had done a great job before him. Although his poem contains few images, the last sentence has a sense of "all trees will bloom in the afterglow of the dead tree."

Looking up at the sky, Meng Yuan thought carefully.

Xiangling looked at Meng Yuan expectantly, while Dugu Kang picked up a pen and planned to take notes.

After a while, Meng Yuan finally gained something.

"Recite quickly!" Xiangling's eyes were wide open, and it was obvious that she loved poetry very much.

Others are obsessed with poetry, but Xiangling loves poetry but not obsessively, just because she does not seek to understand it too deeply.

"The mountains and rivers are all autumn, and the turtle pit has become a wine cup. Sitting and watching the motionless sky, my heart is intoxicated and I don't feel any sorrow." Meng Yuan chanted slowly.

"Great!" Dugu Kang praised casually. Just as he was about to write it down, he recited it silently a few times and commented, "It really has some flavor."

"Very good!" Xiangling always praised people sincerely. She stood on the bluestone, tilted her head and looked at Meng Yuan, and asked: "Little gelder, when did you become so good at writing poems?"

“Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.” Meng Yuan is not humble at all.

Xiangling was stunned when she heard this, her eyes widened, and she suddenly realized: "My godmother also said that the more you see, the more you understand!"

She looked at Meng Yuan expectantly and said, "When I save up some more money, we can go to Beijing together!"

"Okay." Meng Yuan agreed with a smile.

"It's my turn!" Xiangling straightened the cloth flower on her head so that it was just crooked.

Meng Yuan and Dugu Kang sat opposite each other, waiting for the president to roar like a tiger or a dragon.

Although Xiangling's literary talent was average and she was not very fashionable, she had lived in an elegant and secluded place for a long time and had learned a few basic things from the Third Miss.

Moreover, Xiangling is studious and has some knowledge.

Xiangling was seen walking around Meng Yuan and Dugu Kang, nodding with each step. She did not have the carefree manner of a poet, but rather had some of the demeanor of a teacher.

"Have it!"

Xiangling jumped up happily, climbed onto Meng Yuan's head, and chanted: "The persimmons hit my head, and when I looked up, they looked like lanterns. I picked the persimmons and took them away. Xiangling next door didn't steal them."

While writing poems, she was still thinking about her seven copper coins.

"Wonderful, wonderful!" Dugu Kang has always been generous in praising Xiang Ling. "The president is naturally pure and innocent, and her innocent and sincere feelings can also be seen in her poem. This poem alone has reached a realm that many ordinary and ignorant people will hardly reach in their lifetime!"

"Articles are naturally gifted, and they are created by accident!" Meng Yuan clapped his hands in praise, "The president has made further progress!"

Xiangling had always been looked down upon by Ying Rushi and Hong Doupeng for her literary talent, but now that she saw the sincerity of the members' praise, she finally straightened her back.

"Oh," Xiangling was a respectable person after all, and she waved her hand modestly, "I just write poems when I sleep, when I eat, and when I work, and slowly I get used to it. You two can do it too!"

As she spoke, Xiangling couldn't help but feel happy, "Hey, you two are pretty good friends!"

Meng Yuan wrote Xiangling's poem in a book and blew the ink dry.

"I'll see if Grandma Ying dares to look down on me again this time!" Xiangling looked at the three people's poems with great pride and enthusiasm, "I'll send all three poems from our poetry club to her!"

"What happened between Sister Ying and the president?" Dugu Kang asked curiously.

Meng Yuan then talked about Yingmei's letter, in which she made sarcastic comments about Xiangling's poems and calligraphy.

"She has been smart since she was young. The three of us may not be her match." Dugu Kang actually became worried. "I heard that she is also well versed in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, just like Donor Ying."

Xiangling leaned forward and said seriously, "Let's just compete in poetry!"

She knew her own strengths and weaknesses and didn't intend to compete too much with Yingmei.

"Let's see how she responds." Dugu Kang wiped the sweat off his forehead, "She should use gentler words."

"I'll write it!" Meng Yuan was very confident.

Seeing that it was already mid-afternoon, the three of them went down the mountain again.

The three of them stayed at Muzhuang that night, and discussed for a long time with the poetry book, discussing how Yingmei would reply. Meng Yuan wanted to compete in poetry, Dugu Kang said harmony was the most important thing, but Xiangling wanted to ask in the letter what kind of work in Beijing could make a lot of money. The next morning, Meng Yuan rode again, Xiangling got into Meng Yuan's clothes, and Dugu Kang followed slowly.

The autumn wind is refreshing, and boats are coming and going on the Canglang River.

We arrived at Chongxu Temple together, but there was still not much worshippers here.

Only after I passed through the gate did I see people.

The old acquaintance Yuan Jingfeng was wearing an old Taoist robe. He did not look like a Taoist descendant at all. Instead, he was sloppy and disgraced the Taoist sect.

Yuan Jingfeng was holding a paper bag. He was fine when he saw Meng Yuan and Xiang Ling, but he was startled when he saw Dugu Kang. He looked behind the three of them and was relieved to see that there was no one else. But he still asked, "Just you three?"

"There are only three of us. We are sorry for coming here in such a presumptuous manner, Brother Yuan." Meng Yuan said with a smile.

"You're welcome!" When Yuan Jingfeng heard that there was no one else around, he returned to his normal state. He looked at Dugu Kang and said, "The prince seems to have gained some weight?"

"Putting on some weight!" Xiangling was very serious. She also showed her belly and pinched it with her two little paws. "I'm putting on some weight, too! I'm getting fatter!"

"Congratulations!" Yuan Jingfeng smiled happily, then looked at Meng Yuan and asked, "Are your two brothers and sisters-in-law not here?"

Meng Yuan had brought Nie Qingqing here before to ask for a talisman, and Jiang Tang also came here, as they had both dealt with Yuan Jingfeng before.

"They went to Beijing." Meng Yuan said with a smile.

"What's so good about the capital? Instead of going to the capital, you might as well stay with your uncle. The real masters are all... Oh, I'm going to pay homage to Old Ying Gong on behalf of your uncle." Yuan Jingfeng understood and said no more.

Seeing Xiangling staring at the paper bag in his hand and sticking her nose forward, he took out a roasted chestnut from the bag.

He cracked the chestnut open with one hand and threw the flesh toward Xiangling, who caught it nimbly.

"The girl from my sister-in-law's family doesn't look very smart, but I didn't expect she is so agile." Yuan Jingfeng praised.

"Don't underestimate me!" The roasted chestnuts were still hot. Xiangling tossed them between her paws for a few times before taking a bite. Then, her eyes lit up, "Another one please."

Yuan Jingfeng simply gave the paper bag to Meng Yuan, and Xiangling cracked the chestnuts herself.

"Is Brother Zhao here?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Here. Master is not at home, so he becomes the boss!" Yuan Jingfeng led the way.

"Eat." Xiangling broke open a chestnut and stuffed it into Meng Yuan's mouth. She broke open another one and was about to eat it when she thought of Dugu Kang, who had not spoken since entering Chongxu Temple. She tilted her head and looked at Dugu Kang, who seemed to be a little resentful, and then Xiangling quickly threw the fruit flesh to him.

"Put on some weight for autumn!" Xiangling said seriously.

Dugu Kang took it and swallowed it whole.

Yuan Jingfeng came to the main hall, didn't find anyone, and went to the kitchen.

"Brother, you've been drinking secretly again!" Yuan Jing was furious. "This is all the money I earned from fortune-telling!"

"Stingy!" Zhao Jingsheng boasted as soon as he drank, "I'll give you ten jars of wine later!"

Zhao Jingsheng bowed crookedly towards Meng Yuan and others, then asked them to sit down and poured them some wine.

"Is the prince a good drinker?" Zhao asked quietly.

Dugu Kang shook his head. He and Xiangling cracked chestnuts without saying a word.

Zhao Jingsheng had a drink with Meng Yuan, and then asked about Meng Yuan's recent affairs.

When he learned that Meng Yuan had been to Shenjing, he was also disdainful, and his words and deeds implied that there were no heroes in Shenjing.

"Is your master still in Ping'an Prefecture?" Meng Yuan asked.

Last time, Meng Yuan accompanied the third lady to visit Xuanjizi and learned that Xuanjizi was going to Ping'an Mansion to meet an old friend and participate in some Wuzhe Conference.

"A letter came in a while ago saying that Master had found out where Senior Brother was, so he went to look for him." Zhao Jingsheng looked like he was going to pass out from drunkenness at any moment.

"In the Western Buddhist Kingdom?" Meng Yuan asked curiously.

Dugu Kang also pricked up his ears.

"That's right." Yuan Jingfeng took over the conversation, "Big Brother killed too many people over there, so Master went to persuade him."

"..." Meng Yuan and Dugu Kang looked at each other, neither of them knowing what to say.

(End of this chapter)