The old man came and went at will, not resembling a blind man at all, much more free-spirited than I. Lin Wanrong stared blankly at Uncle Wei's figure. It seemed that Uncle Wei's background was not simple. He moved effortlessly over high walls, familiar with the affairs of the capital, indicating he was no ordinary person.
Reflecting on Uncle Wei's words, they were full of mystery and ambiguity. Assisting the Xiao family, befriending Xu Wei—these could be understood. However, his mention of opponents in the capital left Lin Wanrong puzzled. In the capital, where I barely know anyone, who could be my opponent? This blind old man always speaks in a cryptic manner.
After contemplating for a while without clarity, Lin Wanrong stopped thinking further. In any case, he would enter the capital sooner or later, and by then, he would understand. After a day of running around, horseback riding, and fighting, he was already exhausted. He fell into bed and drifted into a pleasant dream.
He slept soundly until noon the next day, undisturbed. Unlike the previous days when the young lady would wake him early for work, today was an exception. It seemed she considered his fatigue.
Sleeping in was indeed comfortable. Lin Wanrong stretched his arms, got up, and took a stroll in the garden. Passing by the maids and servants, they hurriedly greeted him, "Good morning, Third Brother." Some even dared to throw flirtatious glances at him. Lin Wanrong bantered with them for a while, feeling refreshed and spirited.
Such leisurely days would not last long. The year-end was approaching, and after the New Year, he would head to the capital to start anew. Lin Wan sighed, appreciating the rare enjoyment of this leisurely time as he walked slowly in the garden.
It was now the depth of winter, flowers withered, and leaves scattered everywhere, making the garden look desolate. Lin Wanrong walked a few steps and felt a sense of dullness.
"Spring is not the season for studying, summer is for sleeping. With refreshing autumn and chilly winter, one can wait until next year to study." A clear voice of reciting poetry reached Lin Wanrong's ears. This poetry was truly remarkable; I won't need to study throughout the year.
Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw the young master with his right hand behind his back, left hand holding a scroll, gracefully strolling and reciting poetry. The good poem came from his mouth.
"Young Master, good morning. It's not yet time for lunch, why not get some more sleep?" Lin Wanrong approached with a smile.
The young master was delighted to see Lin Third and held his hand, asking eagerly, "Lin Third, how do you find it? The poem I recited just now, what do you think?"
"One word: excellent!" Lin Wanrong raised his thumb. "Considering the young master's level, this poem is no less than an eternal masterpiece. I wonder where the young master copied—oh, I mean, heard it from."
Guo Wuchang proudly said, "What heard from? I made it myself. I signed up for the poetry competition yesterday, and it got approved on the spot."
Poetry competition? Oh, right, I almost forgot about that. The poetry competition organized by that girl Luo Ning, scheduled to be grandly held at the end of the month. Lin Wanrong glanced at the young master and said, "What about the poetry competition? Do you need to sign up? I thought you could just go if you wanted."
The young master snorted, "How is that possible? The poetry competition is a high-level literary event. Scholars from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, as well as talents from the capital, all have to submit a short poem on the spot to qualify. How can those unknown juniors enter easily? This poem I just recited was the one I submitted yesterday, and it was approved on the spot."
The young master's words were vivid and seemed as if he had personally witnessed it. If there was someone in this world whose bluffs had the potential to surpass mine, it must be the young master. This guy is really wasting his talent by not writing for the newspaper.
Lin Wanrong laughed and said, "Young Master, if Miss Luo can truly choose a husband through poetry, you might have a chance."
The young master said solemnly, "I am loyal to my two younger sisters. How could I entertain such ambiguous thoughts? This time, I signed up purely for the sake of studying, not for any vulgar reasons—oh, Lin Third, do you think I have a chance?"
"If you go, you have a chance. If you don't go, you have no chance." Lin Wanrong teased.
"That makes sense." The young master nodded, "Lin Third, you are quite skilled in couplets. How about poetry? Can you match up to me? Oh, I don't mean those you copied."
Poetry and ** are both skills that require wit; I'm not that crafty. Lin Wanrong shook his head, and the young master lamented, "What a pity, what a pity. Without Lin Third accompanying me, even if I'm hailed as a poetry master, it will be quite lonely at this poetry competition."
Lin Wanrong sweated. This young master seems to have the shameless demeanor reminiscent of my past.
"Third Brother, Third Brother—" Sì Dé's voice came from afar. Lin Wanrong and the young master raised their heads together, seeing Sì Dé holding a large bowl carefully walking towards them.
Seeing his bruised face, the young master said, "Sì Dé, if anyone dares to challenge you again in the future, just mention my name, and I'll ensure your safety."
Sì Dé respectfully said, "Thank you, Young Master."
Lin Wanrong, noticing the precious item Sì Dé was holding, couldn't help but laugh and ask, "What are you holding that's so precious?"
Sì Dé looked at him with a reverent expression and said, "Third Brother is indeed knowledgeable. I tried the method you mentioned last night, and the pain indeed alleviated a lot. So, I went to find some today."
"What did you find?" Lin Wanrong yawned.
"Virgin boy's urine." Sì Dé said.
Lin Wanrong and the young master quickly stepped back a few steps, their faces showing shock. Virgin boy's urine? Are there still virgin boys in this world? Sì Dé, oblivious to their reactions, continued, "Third Brother, Young Master, when I went out just now, I heard that this year's poetry competition is scheduled to start at the end of the month."
The young master covered his nose and said, "Oh, I heard about it. This young master is also qualified to participate."
"Congratulations, Young Master." Sì Dé hurriedly applauded. "I heard people say that this year's poetry competition is extraordinary. Not only are there talents from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, but also young masters from the capital are rushing to attend. Such a grand scene is rare to witness at the end of the year."
Rare or not, the more people come, the more money I waste. Am I some kind of philanthropist? Lin Wanrong, seeing Sì Dé tightly embracing the bowl of virgin boy's urine
as if it were a treasure, couldn't help but find it amusing. "Even if many talented individuals come, they'll only recite a few poems. At most, it will boost the business of the sisters along the Qinhuai River. What else can they achieve?"
"Third Brother, you are not aware. After inquiring from various sources, I finally got hold of a huge piece of good news." Sì Dé mysteriously said, "I heard that Miss Luo, the talented lady, is planning to choose a husband through this poetry competition."