I am not a literary giant

Chapter 155 Smoke Locks the Pond and Willows

The wine served was in an unusually shaped bottle, its liquor clear and pure, two grades higher than the official reception wines that Prince Xu was accustomed to. This two-grade difference reflected the high regard for Professor Shi, and also demonstrated the integrity of a scholar.

Upon seeing the wine, Shi Tonghe quickly assessed its value, and his expression softened considerably. Wang Zixu noticed this and realized that he was a man who enjoyed drinking.

And you can drink it too.

Knowing the drinking capacity of both the host and guests at a dinner party is key to success. If you can't estimate their alcohol tolerance after three rounds of drinks, it means you're about to get yourself drunk.

When Wang Zixu was still involved in company activities, every time he attended a social event, the leader would always ask how much alcohol the other company's people could drink, and then arrange the drinking strategy based on the other company's level.

Some people can talk, some can drink. If someone can drink enough to keep the other person drinking, then you can bring another person who can talk. That's the advantage of playing on home turf.

This is a drinking style among acquaintances within the system, where everyone knows each other, has been clashing for a long time, and knows each other's capacity.

What I fear most is encountering strangers.

Wang Zixu recalled an instance where they were attracting investment from a joint venture company. The other party brought two burly Russian men, and the two men completely outdrank their team. No matter how much they drank, they couldn't figure out the other party's limits. The more they drank, the more desperate they became, and they lost the battle of wills.

Therefore, it is very important to determine the drinking capacity of both the host and the guest. You need to drink them well, but not to drink them under the table. If you have a high alcohol tolerance, you should take the lead and drink more. If you have a low alcohol tolerance, you should cooperate with the others in the attack under the cover of the older brother.

These were all little tricks that Zhang Cangnian taught him.

Thinking of Zhang Cangnian, Wang Zixu smiled slightly, then began to complain bitterly: In today's three-way battle, our side can only take the lead in the attack.

This table is Nanjing University's home turf, with the most Nanjing University students at it. Wang Zixu hopes that Nanjing University can focus its main attack on Shi Tonghe and his son, so that he and Ning Chunyan can share less of the firepower.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Nanjing University seemed determined to take care of everyone at the table, attacking from both sides: toasting Shi Tonghe on one hand and urging Ning Chunyan to drink on the other. Ning Chunyan hadn't eaten more than a few bites of food, and his glass had already been refilled twice.

Unfortunately, there was a clueless young man at the table. Ning Chunyan had just finished half a glass with Shi Tonghe when Shi Shuqiu raised his glass again and strode over to her, saying:

"Sister Xiaochun, let me toast you."

Ning Chunyan hadn't even taken a bite of food when she put down her chopsticks and asked, "Who taught you to call me that?"

"Huh? Shouldn't I call her Sister Xiaochun?"

"Fine, fine, whatever," Ning Chunyan frowned slightly as she looked him over. "Eat more food, why are you toasting me? Aren't you afraid of getting drunk?"

Shi Shuqiu chuckled: "Sister Xiaochun is so concerned about me. Once I'm at the table, I'm not afraid of getting drunk, I'm just afraid of not getting drunk enough."

Ning Chunyan was both annoyed and amused: "Who cares about you? I'm only concerned about myself. I can't drink anymore."

Shi Shuqiu chuckled, "What's there to be afraid of? This place is close to Nanjing University, and we're all family here. Why would we worry about not being taken care of?"

Ning Chunyan gave a wry smile: "Who will take care of us?"

"Sister Xiaochun doesn't have a boyfriend yet?"

"This is a secret, I won't reveal it," Ning Chunyan raised her glass. "I'm easygoing."

"No." Shi Shuqiu stopped her. "Sister Xiaochun, look, we hit it off immediately when we first met. We should enjoy this wonderful opportunity to the fullest and not let our cups be empty under the moon. Sister Xiaochun, you should let your guard down a bit."

Ning Chunyan said, "I really can't drink anymore! I can only drink three cups."

Shi Shuqiu ignored her: "How about this, I'll drink two glasses, and you drink one? Look, I even brought a decanter."

He raised the wine dispenser in his hand; there was still at least half a jin (250ml) left inside.

Ning Chunyan was speechless for a moment. Shi Shuqiu was determined to get her drunk, and now someone needed to stop her.

Wang Zixu stood up and said, "Young Master Shi, Editor-in-Chief Ning only has this much to drink. How about this, I'll drink it for her, and we'll both finish it, okay?"

Shi Shuqiu was not happy: "I'll have two drinks, and she'll have one."

"No, no, no, I'll do it if you do it."

Ning Chunyan said, "Why don't you two have a drink? I've drunk so much. You're toasting two people all by yourself, that's already a good deal, okay?"

Shi Shuqiu insisted, "Then I absolutely have to have two drinks."

Without saying a word, he tilted his head back and finished the glass in his hand, saying, "One glass."

After saying that, he poured himself another cup of wine and was about to drink it when Wang Zixu grabbed his hand: "No, drink slowly."

Shi Shuqiu said, "Let go."

Wang Zixu said, "In that case, I'll have two cups too."

After saying that, he raised his glass and drank two glasses in one go.

After a couple of drinks, the world suddenly became bizarre and fantastical.

He didn't see Shi Shuqiu's expression clearly, only noticing that he returned to his seat and ate heartily. Ning Chunyan leaned over and whispered, "Are you alright?"

Wang Zixu shook his head and ate his food heartily. After finishing, he asked softly, "Am I blushing?"

Ning Chunyan stared at him for a couple of seconds, then shook her head: "No. You have a pretty high alcohol tolerance."

"I don't blush easily when I drink. But I don't have a high alcohol tolerance. I'm starting to feel the effects now."

"I don't feel anything? You're not pretending to be weak to fool me, are you?"

Prince Xu was not pretending to be weak to deceive others. In fact, he couldn't even stare at the turntable on the round table. The turntable made him dizzy.

The steam rising from the table mingled with the cool air from the air conditioner, increasing the humidity in the room. He felt as if he were in a rainforest, the soft chair like the seat of a Huey helicopter, the propeller causing the seat to vibrate. He walked through tree after tree, the beat of drums, electric guitars… Some people are born to wave flags, red, blue, and white…

"You're planning to apply for Professor Chung's graduate program, right?"

The big tree beside me spoke.

Upon closer inspection, Prince Xu realized it wasn't the Viet Cong, but Huang Xinghuo.

Prince Xu nodded: "Yes."

Are you interested in classical literature?

"Hmm, I feel like I don't understand this aspect very well, and I want to brush up on it."

Huang Xinghuo laughed and said, "Your line of thinking is wrong. Are you implying that you have a more comprehensive understanding of modern and contemporary literature than of ancient literature?"

Prince Xu was taken aback: "Hmm, it needs to be more thorough."

"Then you should choose modern literature," Huang Xinghuo said. "Graduate school is no longer general education. You shouldn't study it by filling in the gaps in your knowledge, but by delving deeper."

Slightly drunk, Wang Zixu said, "Mainly, I think, in terms of modern and contemporary literature..."

"Not really interested?"

"No, there's nothing more to delve into," Wang Zixu said. "Mainly because I'm a writer myself, when I study modern and contemporary literature, I always feel a kind of... inbreeding feeling."

Huang Xinghuo burst into laughter.

Wang Zixu then said, "Professor Huang, I think your interpretation of The Little Prince is excellent."

He paused for a moment, then added, "It coincides with my thoughts, and even surpasses them."

His evaluation was the highest praise a critic could give, but unfortunately, no one knew he was the Little Prince. Ning Chunyan chimed in from the side:

"Isn't that obvious? Professor Huang has been studying The Little Prince for a long time, ever since it became a hit. Isn't it normal that his understanding is beyond yours? Don't get cocky just because you've become an editor and think you're an authority on The Little Prince. You still have a lot to learn in this area."

Prince Xu was speechless for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry, I was blind to your greatness."

Professor Huang smiled and looked at him: "Which part do you think was well said?"

"I think what you said about the stream-of-consciousness technique in the ending part mentioned something I hadn't heard of before. I went back and checked the book, and it's indeed as you said..."

Wang Zixu and Huang Xinghuo were engrossed in their conversation. Huang Xinghuo was very knowledgeable, and his insights always broadened Wang Zixu's horizons, allowing him to learn more ways of interpreting things. In turn, Wang Zixu's questions always hit the nail on the head for Huang Xinghuo, enabling him to expand on the topic and offer more fresh and interesting perspectives.

When he came to his senses, Wang Zixu suddenly realized that when he hadn't looked for a while, Ning Chunyan had somehow run to Shi Tonghe's side, holding a wine cup in her hand, as if she wanted to offer a toast.

He knew something was wrong and quickly ran over to listen to what they were saying.

It turned out that after drinking two cups of wine, Wang Zixu was already a little confused. Ning Chunyan, however, still remembered the purpose of his visit and wanted to ask Shi Tonghe for one or two connections for Wang Zixu. He went to toast Shi Tonghe alone, but was then pestered by Shi Shuqiu.

Shi Tonghe said, "Ji Xiaolan once said that there is no couplet in the world's books that cannot be paired. This means that as long as you have enough skill, as long as there is a matching couplet, you can definitely match it. But there are many couplets in the world that cannot be matched. Shuqiu, you claim to be unparalleled in your talent and I will admire you if you can match all the couplets in the world."

Shi Shuqiu smiled but did not answer. Shi Tonghe asked again, and he then smiled and said, "If Ji Xiaolan has the confidence to meet him, how could I not have the confidence to agree?"

Dean Li, standing nearby, said, "Does Young Master Shi mean that your talent is already comparable to Ji Xiaolan's?"

Shi Shuqiu said, "It's not about being comparable, it's about surpassing."

Everyone was startled, then impressed.

Shi Shuqiu said, "The reason why Ji Xiaolan couldn't match the couplet is because he hadn't read enough books. As long as you read enough books, you'll definitely be able to match it. In the past, when scholars were bored, they could only play word games. Now it's the information age. What kind of book can't we find? Surpassing ancient scholars like Ji Xiaolan is nothing, I think."

Ning Chunyan couldn't help but say, "Information is indeed advanced in the information age, but that is based on the premise of being able to make good use of information advantages. If you just indulge in fragmented information, you may have a broad knowledge, but your skills may not be as profound as those of ancient scholars, let alone a smart person like Ji Xiaolan."

Shi Shuqiu fiddled with the cup in his hand and snapped his fingers: "Perfect timing! I was just about to toast Sister Xiaochun, but someone interrupted. How about we make a bet? Sister Xiaochun, you can give me any perfect answer. If I can match it, you drink a cup. If I can't, I'll punish myself with three cups. How about that?"

Ning Chunyan immediately regretted speaking out of turn, but at that moment, everyone around her cheered in approval.

Shi Tonghe also laughed and said, "That's interesting, but Editor-in-Chief Ning is a young girl, so we can't let her drink alone. If you're on the same page, you should drink with her too."

Shi Shuqiu said, "Alright, Sister Xiaochun, I guess I'm only qualified to toast you now that I've answered correctly, okay?"

Even though she was being pressured, Ning Chunyan quickly said, "No, no, it's not that I don't want to drink with you, it's just that I really can't hold my liquor. Just treat it as a game."

Shi Shuqiu put his hands on his hips and said, "Fine, go ahead and take the exam."

On the surface, Ning Chunyan backed down, but in reality, she had already planned it out. She was going to come up with a truly decisive challenge to him, make him drink three cups, and then he definitely wouldn't dare to urge her to drink anymore.

So she pretended to ponder for a moment, then looked up and said, "Then I'll give you the first line: 'Smoke locks the willows by the pond.'"

Upon hearing this first line of the couplet, Wang Zixu's heart sank. Sure enough, Shi Shuqiu beamed with joy.

The crowd below, however, cried out that it was unfair:

"Editor-in-Chief Ning went too far, delivering a masterpiece right off the bat. How is Young Master Shi supposed to respond now?"

"Smoke locks the willows by the pond," is a famous couplet attributed to Emperor Qianlong, and is hailed as an absolute masterpiece for all time. These five simple characters contain the five elements of fire, metal, water, earth, and wood, while simultaneously depicting a beautiful and hazy scene, perfectly natural.

To match the first line, the second line must also contain elements related to the five elements, or five other things that can be listed side-by-side and form a radical, such as the "five tones." Furthermore, the lines must rhyme and have the same character element, making it extremely difficult. Therefore, it is considered an absolute masterpiece, and no one has been able to create a matching second line.

However, in reality, this pair of couplets is not absolute, nor was it created by Emperor Qianlong.

This couplet comes from "The Collected Works of Zhongzhou Caotang" by Chen Zisheng of the Ming Dynasty. In that book alone, the author himself composed three matching couplets.

This first line has been passed down for many years, challenged by countless scholars, and numerous second lines have been found. Now, many netizens have even come up with matching second lines, some humorously, such as:

Smoke locks the willows by the pond, Ke Jie blows up the earth, Shenzhen teppanyaki, hot pot with bacon, deep-fried golden bacon, Bancheng liquor, Hancheng wood-fired stove, pot-boiled wild vegetable soup...

However, although the couplet is famous, its origin is not well-known, and the fact that the second line was matched is even less well-known. Therefore, Ning Chunyan only knew that it was an "absolute" couplet, but did not know that this "absolute" couplet was actually not perfect.

Shi Shuqiu smiled and said, "Hey, Sister Xiaochun, we agreed earlier that if we matched, you have to have a drink with me."

Hearing him say that, and seeing his confidence, Ning Chunyan immediately lost her confidence.

Shi Shuqiu then said, "It's not worth it for me to just drink with you like this, with such a difficult couplet. How about we drink a toast together?"

Those nearby cheered, "Drink the nuptial cup! Drink the nuptial cup!"

Dean Li was quite embarrassed. Shi Tonghe remained silent, while Huang Xinghuo, sitting at the lower end, turned his head away, clearly not taking such nonsense seriously.

Ning Chunyan blushed deeply: "You'll have to answer correctly first!"

Shi Shuqiu remained calm and said, "In this couplet, 'Smoke locks the willows by the pond,' the radical of the first line contains the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Therefore, the radical of the second line must also contain the five elements."

"Therefore, for the second line, I also use the radical for 'five stars' in 'cannon guarding the sea city tower,' and the parts of speech are the same, which is perfect."

"But that's not all. I can also match it with 'Lamplight shines on the splendid city,' and each character contains the elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth."

Shi Shuqiu, holding a wine glass, looked at Ning Chunyan with amusement: "How about it? Shall we go?"

Ning Chunyan bit her lip, feeling deeply regretful. Wang Zixu squeezed in and said on her behalf, "Editor-in-Chief Ning really can't hold her liquor. If you make her drink, she'll definitely get drunk."

Shi Shuqiu, slightly drunk, exclaimed excitedly, "No, no, we already agreed on that!"

Wang Zixu said, "How about this, I'll drink it for her."

Shi Shuqiu raised her chin: "Who are you? What gives you the right to speak on her behalf? What qualifications do you have?"

After he finished speaking, the atmosphere became a bit awkward. Realizing that he had said something inappropriate, he added, "This is a bet between me and Sister Xiaochun. I'm not going to meddle in other people's business. Go away, go away."

Dean Li said, "Don't say that, he was just trying to protect her."

Shi Shuqiu said, "Oh dear, then I've become a heartless womanizer. Sister Xiaochun, it's alright. If you get drunk, I'll make sure you get home safely. Everyone can testify to that."

Before Wang Zixu could say anything more, Ning Chunyan snatched the wine dispenser from his hand and said, "It's just two cups of wine, right? Let's drink it! Who's afraid of who?"

After saying that, she tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp. Her face immediately turned red, and her throat bobbed several times before she poured herself another full cup and drank it all in one gulp as well.

Immediately, everyone cheered, and the atmosphere at the banquet became lively and bustling.

Shi Shuqiu had originally wanted to drink a toast with her, but Ning Chunyan drank quickly, so he felt embarrassed to press her. After finishing her drink, Ning Chunyan's complexion worsened, and she excused herself, saying she was drunk, and ran to the restroom.

Prince Xu's face was quite ugly.

After discussing the two couplets for a while, just as everyone was about to return to their seats, Prince Xu picked up the wine cup left by Ning Chunyan, walked behind Shi Shuqiu's seat, and whispered:

"Young Master Shi".

Shi Shuqiu thought he was going to toast her, so she turned around and said, "Let me have some food first."

He had just had a drink with someone and is a little dizzy too.

Wang Zixu said, "Young Master Shi, I'm not entirely convinced by your two lines about Editor Ning."

"What's wrong?" Shi Shuqiu put down his chopsticks, and Shi Tonghe also turned to look at him.

"Cannons guard the seaside city tower, lanterns illuminate the splendid city"—these two lines are well-known and widely circulated; you didn't create them yourself, did you?

Shi Shuqiu pursed her lips: "If it matches, it matches."

"Well then, I'll take over," Wang Zixu said. "I'll stand in for Editor-in-Chief Ning and continue playing with you. I wonder if Young Master Shi dares to agree?"

Shi Shuqiu placed his hand on the back of the chair: "What do you want to do?"

"I couldn't say anything when Editor-in-Chief Ning was here. You just said I wasn't qualified to drink with you, and it seems we haven't actually drunk together. Now that she's not here, of course I have to redeem myself, right?"

Prince Xu smiled and said, "Let's stick to this couplet. Ignoring your previous one, if I get a matching one right, you'll have to drink a cup, how about it?"

Shi Shuqiu wiped her mouth: "Why should I play with you?"

"Then here's the deal: I'll take on two, and you'll drink a cup," said Prince Xu.

Shi Shuqiu pursed her lips.

"Still not brave enough?" Wang Zixu said. "Then if I can beat three, you drink one cup. If I can't beat two, I drink three cups."

Dean Li waved his hand: "Forget it, forget it, don't drink alcohol out of spite, it's bad for your health."

Wang Zixu was still laughing: "There's no fighting spirit involved, just a normal sparring match. Young Master Shi is far more talented than Ji Xiaolan, why would he be afraid of this?"

Shi Shuqiu, feeling the effects of the alcohol, slammed his cup on the table and said, "Alright, then you give me the matching line. This first line doesn't even have three matching lines. Can you come up with three?"

(End of this chapter)