Yingtian was really generous. When Zhu Ping'an woke up in the morning, he found that the rain outside the window had stopped and the sky in the east was slightly red, as if the sun was about to come out.
Today's morning is particularly precious. It has been cloudy and rainy for nearly a month, and today it is finally going to clear up.
Zhu Ping'an put on his clothes, washed up, put the linen, bamboo tube, copybook, brush for practicing calligraphy, and a book he had just copied at home some time ago into his schoolbag, slung the bag over his shoulder, held a black wooden board between his legs, and walked out of the room.
Zhu Pingan was not the only student and scholar in the early days. Several students and scholars who were not familiar with him had already gotten up and opened the window, or were holding scrolls to read in the morning, or were writing by the window. Of course, the morning reading was not the wolf-howling one last night, but the kind that was acceptable. Seeing Zhu Pingan going out with a strange cloth bag and a black wooden board slung over his shoulder, they looked sideways and were a little surprised. Zhu Pingan smiled and greeted them. These students and scholars were slightly surprised and nodded in response.
The overall feeling of the academy examination is at a higher level, and the overall quality of the candidates also feels at a higher level than those required for the county examination and the prefectural examination. It is not as mixed as the previous two times. After all, those who can take part in the academy examination have obtained the title of tongsheng, and at least have some skills.
After leaving the inn, Zhu Pingan walked all the way to the Qinhuai River. He didn't feel anything yesterday evening, but today, standing on the bank of the Qinhuai River, he was shocked by the prosperity of the ten-mile Qinhuai River. There is a building every ten steps, a pavilion every five steps, and they are lined up one after another, crowded with tourists, and magnificent.
It has been raining for a long time in recent months, and now it is sunny again. The other side of the river has become lively.
On the other side of the river, there are girls chasing and playing with their skirts in their hands, there are girls singing slow Wu dialect songs while washing, and there is also a fierce girl who curses at the young man on the pleasure boat after being teased... Although she has fallen into the dust, she has more freedom than ordinary girls.
“Jiangnan is a beautiful place, Nanjing is the imperial city”, it is true.
Zhu Ping'an found a relatively secluded river bank, wiped the bluestone slab with the rag in his schoolbag, then sat down, took out the copybook and other things, placed the black wooden board on a high stone step, leaned over and filled a bamboo tube with Qinhuai water, looked at the copybook for a while, then rolled up his sleeves and started practicing calligraphy with his wrist suspended.
When Zhu Ping'an was practicing calligraphy, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen with a fallen horse bun came from the other side of the river. She was pretty and neatly dressed. When she bent over the river to wash her handkerchief, she suddenly saw Zhu Ping'an practicing calligraphy on a black wooden board on the other side of the river, dipping his hands in the river water.
The girl stared at Zhu Ping'an who was practicing calligraphy, giggled, turned around and stretched out her little hand, calling out, "Sister, come and see, there is a middle-aged student on the other side of the river practicing calligraphy with his hands dipped in the river water."
Hearing the sound, a girl of about eighteen or nineteen in a veil came over. She walked gracefully to the girl, glanced at Zhu Ping'an, and couldn't help giggling.
"Hey, that poor scholar, look here, look here quickly, hehe, why are you using our foot washing water to practice calligraphy..." The older girl in gauze made a trumpet shape with her hands, shouted at Zhu Ping'an, and then began to giggle.
It seems that I can’t come here to practice calligraphy in the future. I’ll find another place tomorrow.
Hearing this, Zhu Ping'an stopped writing, looked towards the other side of the river, then lowered his head and continued practicing calligraphy.
"You are such a scholar, have you read so much that all your studies have gone to waste? How rude! My sister is talking to you." The younger girl stood up for her sister and pointed at Zhu Ping'an with her slender little hand and kept nagging.
Zhu Ping'an turned a deaf ear and continued practicing his calligraphy.
"Hey, scholar, are you deaf or dumb?" The older girl in the gauze asked with a smile, "What's the matter with not speaking?"
"Believe it or not, I'll cross the river to argue with you..." Seeing that Zhu Ping'an still ignored her, the older girl in gauze added with a smile.
"Yes, that's right, cross the river..." the younger girl also giggled and echoed.
"Don't look at what is inappropriate, don't listen to what is inappropriate, don't say what is inappropriate, don't do what is inappropriate..." Zhu Ping'an shook his head and said lightly.
The two girls, one big and one small, on the other side of the river burst into giggles when they heard this.
"Oh, you are still a sour scholar..."
"My teeth are so sour, cluck cluck..."
After laughing, the older girl smiled at Zhu Ping'an with all her charm, "Hey, that sour scholar, come to my room today and read me some scriptures. I'll play the flute for you, and we can also make love and watch the mandarin ducks by the window."
"And me, there's me too. I can also play the flute. My sister and I will listen to your preaching together." The younger girl also giggled at Zhu Ping'an.
The banks of the Qinhuai River are full of beauty and romance, but it is not a good place to practice calligraphy. Zhu Ping'an put away the brush and the black wooden board, put the copybook and other things into his schoolbag, casually bowed to the two giggling girls on the other side of the river, and left the banks of the Qinhuai River.
"Hey, don't leave, you half-scholar. Come and play with us."
The two girls behind him were giggling.
Such a beautiful lady in the land of gentleness, no wonder so many scholars indulge in it and forget their life ambitions.
The ten-mile Qinhuai River is full of gold and jade buildings. Zhu Ping'an left the Qinhuai River with a backpack slung over his shoulder and a black wooden board between his legs, walking slowly in another direction away from the Qinhuai River.
Not far away, they saw a remote forest. Zhu Ping'an walked into it with his schoolbag slung over his shoulder. He found a stone to sit down, took out the book he had copied some days ago, and began to read it quietly.
When the sun rose to mid-sky, Zhu Ping'an packed up his things again, slung his backpack over his shoulder and held the black wooden board between his legs, and walked towards the inn.
There are many kinds of snacks in Yingtian, especially in the Confucius Temple Qinhuai District where Zhu Ping'an is now located. Snacks can be found everywhere, but the most delicious and cheapest ones are the pot stickers that can be found everywhere along the street.
Zhu Ping'an ordered a large meat pot sticker, and at the boss's persuasion, he also ordered a bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup, and then he started to enjoy the meal at the table facing the street.
After the big meat pot stickers came, Zhu Ping'an took a bite while it was hot. Maybe he bit too big and the juice flowed down his fingers.
"Hahaha, young man, this is your first time in Yingtian, right?" An old man next to him said with a smile, and then he held the pot stickers between his chopsticks and told Zhu Ping'an, "Eating our Yingtian pot stickers is like eating soup dumplings. If you bite too big with the first bite, the juice will leak out; if you bite too hard, the juice will spray out; if you bite too small, it will not be hidden!"
"Oh, thank you for your teachings, old man." Zhu Ping'an took another bite of the pot sticker as the old man taught him, regardless of the burning mouth. The filling was fragrant and juicy, and paired with the duck blood vermicelli soup brought by the pot sticker owner, it was truly a feast for the eyes.
Pot stickers are a bit like dumplings, and a serving is not much more than that. Zhu Ping'an soon had only two left.
"Shopkeeper, please give me another serving of pot stickers," Zhu Ping'an shouted loudly.
"Okay, wait a moment, sir." The shopkeeper said with a smile, "I guarantee that after you eat this time, you will come back for a second time."
Before the second serving of pot stickers came, a complaint was heard.
"Oh, Brother Zhu, you didn't even call me when you saw this delicious food."
Zhu Ping'an turned around and saw the fat man Xue Chi running towards him. He still had the temperament of a nouveau riche, with a big gold lock around his neck and two big thumb rings on his fingers that were dazzling.