This scholar is a bit cruel

Chapter 56 There’s a demon upstairs!
The sun climbed high in the sky.

Outside the peach blossom forest, in a small farmyard near the river, there is a restaurant.

It is called Taoyuan Tower.

The owner of the restaurant is named Liang Ruhai, who is said to be a failed scholar.

This place faces the peach blossom forest and backs onto the Qingshui River, with excellent scenery.

Also, because the owner is a scholar who loves poetry, every time the peach blossoms are in full bloom in March and April, many literati and poets come to visit.

Drink wine, appreciate flowers, recite poems and compose couplets.

In front of the restaurant, there is a poem about peach blossoms written by the poet Du Rubin of the previous dynasty, which has also attracted countless poetry lovers.

Today, Taoyuan Tower is also very lively.

Several waves of tourists have come to the courtyard alone.

There are seven or eight peach trees, a few crabapple trees, and some other flowers and trees planted in the yard. The flowers are in full bloom and the fragrance is everywhere.

The tourists enjoyed themselves quite well while drinking tea, appreciating the flowers, and chatting and laughing.

The students of West Lake Academy decided to have lunch here during this trip.

The day before, Huang Beicheng had someone make a reservation.

However, he was not sure whether the girls from the academy would come today, so he only booked the places for the men.

It was already noon.

The women had brought dry food with them and were not planning to eat lunch, but at the invitation of Huang Beicheng and other men from the academy, they still came to Taoyuan Tower.

The men go out to eat while the women are left starving outside. How shameful!
"It's okay. If there are many customers, we will wait."

"Of course, we can go in in batches. The others can just drink tea in the courtyard and wait for a while."

The restaurant looks lively.

There were already a few people sitting in groups of three or four in front of the windows on the second floor.

There were also quite a few people in the courtyard.

When more than 40 male and female students from West Lake Academy marched into the courtyard, they immediately attracted everyone's attention.

"Hey, they all seem to be scholars."

"Looking at their clothes, they seem to be students from West Lake Academy."

"Tsk tsk, they are actually talented men and women from West Lake Academy..."

In the courtyard, some tourists recognized this group of people and looked envious.

Huang Beicheng and others immediately held their heads high and were quite proud.

Someone on the second floor also looked over.

The restaurant owner, Liang Si, immediately came out with his waiter, smiling widely.

Huang Beicheng hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "Boss, I am Huang Beicheng from West Lake Academy. I sent someone to reserve a seat yesterday."

As he said this, he took out his student nameplate.

Liang Si took a look and said enthusiastically, "Mr. Huang, there are many guests today. The 27 seats you reserved are all on the first floor. Please come in!"

"Are they all on the first floor?"

Huang Beicheng looked up at the second floor and could clearly see a few empty seats.

"Boss, all the girls from our academy are here today. Can you make room for a few more seats? Money is not a problem."

Liang Si glanced at the women behind him and asked, "How many girls are there?"

Mei Yanqiu came over quickly and replied, "There are fifteen people in total. It doesn't matter if we sit a little crowded. Please excuse me, shopkeeper."

When Liang Si heard this, he immediately looked apologetic: "Mr. Huang, I'm so sorry, there aren't enough seats. There are only about 20 seats left on the first floor. Even if we squeeze in, the girls can only sit five at most."

Mei Yanqiu immediately asked, "What about the second floor? I just saw that there seems to be room on the second floor."

Liang Si whispered, "There is a distinguished person on the second floor. He reserved the second floor a few days ago."

"What noble person? Is he more noble than my brother?"

At this time, Wang Dafu suddenly came out from the crowd wearing gold and jade, swaggering around with the jade pendant on his waist and the big ring on his hand.

There was a sudden "puff" sound from the second floor, and a woman's laughter was heard.

Wang Dafu looked up quickly, but only saw a piece of emerald green clothes and several burly men with sharp eyes.

Liang Si hurriedly whispered, "Sir, don't be so careless. The people upstairs are all nobles from the inner city, real nobles."

As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Dafu immediately stopped, muttered something, and retreated back into the crowd.

Mei Yanqiu didn't dare to speak anymore.

Huang Beicheng had no choice but to say, "Manager Liang, how about this? We'll let about 20 of them go in first, and the rest will wait in the courtyard. What do you think?"

Liang Si smiled and said, "That's great. Thank you Mr. Huang for your understanding."

Huang Beicheng turned around and looked at the male students behind him. Just as he was about to ask them to wait in the courtyard, a clear voice like an oriole suddenly came from the window on the second floor: "Mr. Huang, I have long heard of the great names of the talented men and women of West Lake Academy. I, Cui Mo, am here to greet you."

Everyone looked up immediately and saw a maid in an emerald green dress bowing to them from the upstairs window.

"Girl, you are polite."

Seeing this, all the students hurriedly saluted.

The maid named Cui Mo smiled and said, "My lady heard that the students of your academy are all talented men and women. Today, we have the opportunity to meet in Taoyuan Tower and would like to discuss poetry with you. If you have written something good, you can come upstairs for a drink. We will cover all the expenses."

The words just fell.

A middle-aged man in a Confucian robe came out of the restaurant and said with a smile, "Students, if any of you can write poems that win the praise of the young lady upstairs, I will cover all the expenses for the forty or so people today."

Liang Si hurried over, bowed his head, and said respectfully, "Master."

It turned out that this middle-aged man was the owner of Taoyuan Tower, the scholar and shopkeeper Liang Ruhai.

After these words were spoken, Huang Beicheng and Mei Yanqiu looked at each other and then looked at the students behind them.

"Did everyone hear that?"

Huang Beicheng said in a clear voice: "Since the noble upstairs has such a refined taste, we are naturally happy to accompany him. Everyone must do their best and not humiliate the reputation of our academy!"

At this time, the maid named Cui Mo from upstairs said in a crisp voice: "Since we are in Peach Blossom Spring, today we will use peach blossom as the theme. Poetry, lyrics, and songs are all welcome. My mistress said that the talented women in your academy should be given priority."

When Mei Yanqiu heard this, she hurriedly thanked him.

Then he walked to the back and encouraged the girls in the academy.

"Yan'er, you first."

"You can just show us the poem you just composed. Let us show everyone the true power of our West Lake Academy!"

The women all encouraged Sun Yaner to go first.

Sun Yaner whispered, "I have another one."

Knowing that she was going to the peach blossom forest this time, she had already prepared two peach blossom poems in advance.

The men in front all took the initiative to make way.

Mei Yanqiu led the women forward.

Sun Yaner mustered up her courage and walked to the front. She bowed her head and saluted before looking up and saying, "I am Sun Yaner from the West Lake Academy. I have just written a poem about peach blossoms. I would like to ask for your advice." Cui Mo, the maid upstairs, smiled and said, "Miss Sun, please."

Liang Ruhai, the owner of Taoyuan Tower, was also standing at the door, stroking his beard and looking at the girl in front of him with a smile on his face.

At this moment, everything around became quiet.

Sun Yaner took a deep breath and recited in a tender voice: "The spring breeze blows gently, the fragrant dust disperses, the clear water gurgles, and the fallen petals float lightly. I have seen the beauty in my dreams several times, a touch of rouge, drunken and resentful between my eyebrows. Behind the small bridge, the flowing water is fading, the fragrant grass is lush, and the old people are gone. A branch leans alone against the east wind, the branches are filled with pink tears, for whom the flower color fades?"

After he finished reading it, everyone paused for a few breaths and then applauded and cheered.

"Good words! Good words!"

"The girl from West Lake Academy is so talented. I admire her so much!"

Liang Ruhai also nodded with a smile and said, "In this poem by Miss Sun, there are no peach blossoms, but they are all peach blossoms. The process of peach blossoms blooming to withering expresses the sadness of parting, and the blooming and withering of flowers is set against the changes in human affairs. It is subtle and poignant. Wonderful! Wonderful!"

Others also praised it and applauded continuously.

Two blushes suddenly appeared on Sun Yaner's face, and her heart was filled with happiness and satisfaction.

She turned her head unconsciously and glanced at someone in the crowd.

"Why are you looking at me? I won't applaud!"

Luo Zijun immediately turned his head and looked away.

Is there something wrong with this woman?

I looked down on him since the first time we met, and there has been no connection between us for a long time. Why is it that when we met today, something suddenly went wrong?
"Miss Sun, please go upstairs."

At this time, Cui Mo, the little maid on the second floor, invited with a smile.

Sun Yaner thanked him and lowered her head before entering the restaurant.

Then, Mei Yanqiu stepped forward, bowed and said, "I am Mei Yanqiu from West Lake Academy, and I am here to show my ugliness."

As the female captain of this trip, she naturally cannot fall behind others.

"The spring breeze blows the peach blossoms, and the light pink and soft red reflect on the pavilion. The new buds on the branches are as light as a dream, and the light rain dyes the swallows return with fragrance..."

After I finished reading it, I received a lot of praise and was invited to go up.

"My humble self, Wu Yao..."

"My humble self is Zhang Liyan..."

"I am Huang Zhaodi..."

Then, the remaining women came forward one after another and recited their poems.

These poems had already been thought of in the peach blossom forest before. Some of them had been read, and some were still in my mind. I just happened to take them out now.

Everyone has read it, so it would be embarrassing if you didn't.

Moreover, everyone found that anyone who stood up to recite poetry, no matter how good or bad it was, would be invited to the second floor.

It seems that the distinguished person upstairs originally wanted to invite everyone upstairs.

So all the women felt relieved and went out to perform.

Soon, more than a dozen women were invited to the second floor.

The rest were all men.

Although there was enough space in the lobby on the first floor, the male students naturally would not give in at this time.

What would happen if I was outdone by the women?

What's more, these male students all wanted to go up to the second floor to see which noble person from the inner city was visiting there.

If you are lucky enough to be noticed by that noble person...

Zhang Yitian was the first to step forward, straightened his clothes, and recited his favorite poem aloud.

result.

The maid named Cui Mo on the second floor smiled and shook her head: "Although Mr. Zhang's poems are gorgeous, they are not interesting. Let's go to the first floor."

Zhang Yitian's face suddenly turned red.

She wanted to look up and argue a few words, but she saw a few big men with sharp eyes standing upstairs. The maid had bright eyes and white teeth and was smiling. She was afraid of losing her grace and becoming even more annoying, so she had to give up and lowered her head and went downstairs.

At this time, a woman on the second floor whispered, "Sister Tanchun, if there really is a man who can write a good poem..."

"Then let him come up. If he is really a talented person, there is no need to be shy about it. Our Begonia Poetry Society..."

At this time, another man's voice was heard downstairs.

"I am Huang Beicheng from West Lake Academy..."

Seeing that Zhang Yitian had failed, Huang Beicheng was afraid that it would affect everyone's morale, so he had to step forward and read out his own work.

Unexpectedly, just after finishing reading, the pleasant voice of the maid came from the second floor again: "Mr. Huang's poem has a good idea, but the sentence is too simple and clichéd. Mr. Huang, please go to the first floor to sit down."

Huang Beicheng blushed, cupped his hands, lowered his head and went downstairs.

Then, the third and fourth men came out to fight.

Without exception, all failed.

At this moment, everyone realized that the noble man upstairs might not have even thought of letting them, the male students, go up.

The scholar and shopkeeper Liang Ruhai, who was standing at the door, just smiled and twirled his beard without making any further comments.

The meaning was so obvious that the remaining men no longer dared to go out and humiliate themselves.

"Come on, let's go to the first floor. There's enough space on the first floor anyway."

Although everyone was dissatisfied, they did not dare to show it and prepared to go directly to the first floor to eat.

However, at this moment, a weak voice suddenly sounded.

"I am Xu Xian from the West Lake Academy, and I am here to show my ugliness..."

Everyone was stunned when they heard this and stopped.

Cui Mo, the maid on the second floor, was also slightly startled and looked at the young man who spoke.

"Xu Xian, shut up!"

Luo Zijun's face changed and he covered his mouth directly.

This guy Xu Xian suddenly became so bold and active. Could it be that there was something upstairs attracting him?
"Brother Xu, please stop making a fool of yourself. Let's go to the first floor to eat!"

Without waiting for Xu Xian to speak again, Luo Zijun grabbed his neck from behind and tried to take him away by force.

However, Xu Xian suddenly burst out with all his strength at this moment, struggling desperately, "Brother Luo, you... you let go! Let me read! Let me read!"

Seeing that he suddenly became so excited and tough, Luo Zijun felt even more uneasy!
"Believe it or not, I'll beat you up?"

Luo Zijun immediately threatened in a low voice.

But Xu Xian was determined: "I will recite even if you beat me up! Wait until I recite before you beat me up! Let me recite! Let me recite quickly! I can't hold it back any longer!"

Luo Zijun: “…”

Oh no, there really is an evil spirit upstairs!

(End of this chapter)