Poor but talented scholar

Chapter 49 Couplets

Lu Chuan dropped the withered branch in his hand, stood up, and gently patted the snowflakes that his father had shaken off his shoulder.

Looking at his father's face, flushed with excitement, and then at the list of books tucked in his sixth uncle's arms, he felt both warmth and heaviness in his heart.

"Father, Sixth Uncle, the Four Books are the foundation of the imperial examinations. It's inevitable that they cost money, but the principles in the books are the real gold." Lu Chuan pointed to the marks he had drawn on the mud and explained softly, "I was just calculating that if the pinellia from our village can produce good quality next year, and I can also find a job copying books in the county, we can actually save a lot of money."

"Nonsense!" Uncle Liu glared at him. "Is that your business? The teacher said you're the best, your hands are for holding the pen and taking the imperial examinations, not for earning a few copper coins. Go back to the village!"

Lu Chuan smiled helplessly and stopped arguing.

When I left the school, the sun was already starting to set.

The north wind in December was strong, creeping up your neck and into your eyes, while the remaining snow on the official road rushed straight into your eyes.

But at this moment, Lu Dehuang and Lu Shouye did not feel cold at all; on the contrary, they felt a heat emanating from their bones.

The two sat on the oxcart, their hearts trembling, not from the cold, but from joy.

Lu Shouye cracked his whip hard, the ox's hooves pounding on the frozen ground. His voice was hoarse with excitement: "Sixth Uncle, did you hear that? The teacher said that our Chuan'er is studying the Four Books. Our Lu family's ancestral graves are probably really emitting auspicious smoke and about to burn down."

Lu Shouye rubbed his calloused hands, his face flushed with excitement: "Sixth Uncle, did you hear that? We'll be studying the Four Books at the beginning of the year. Those are the serious books for those who want to become officials and go to the capital for the imperial examinations. The teacher even said that Chuan'er is the best and the most outstanding."

Lu Dehuang's voice was loud and clear, filled with barely suppressed joy: "We must hurry back to the village and gather our relatives. We need to prepare enough money in advance for tuition, ink, and paper money. Even if we have to eat less meat, we absolutely cannot let Chuan'er suffer from a lack of education. Since the teacher said there is great potential, our Lu family might really produce a master in official robes."

"It's more than just passing the preliminary examination." Lu Shouye said with great pride, his hands, which were used to holding a hoe, swung them forcefully. "Judging from Chuan'er's appearance, he might even become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination) in the future, and he might even be able to build a memorial archway when he returns to the village."

Lu Chuan sat on the haystack behind the car, listening to the two elders' hopeful conversation and watching their excited and lively backs.

He could feel the weight behind it; it was the ultimate goal of an entire family.

Upon returning to Lujia Village, the news spread like wildfire, instantly causing a stir throughout the entire Lu clan.

Master Zhao was known for his strictness, and a single word from him, "outstanding," was a tremendous joy to the villagers.

Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, even the usually stingy men were patting their chests, discussing how to cultivate two more acres of wasteland next year and how to take better care of the medicinal herb field.

Lu Deshou rang the bronze bell in the ancestral hall that very night. Before the ancestral tablets, he solemnly addressed the able-bodied men of the clan sitting in a circle:

"The village's money should be prioritized for Chuan'er first. Every penny of the rest must be used wisely."

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the Little New Year.

The market in Lujia Village was bustling with people. Lu Chuan followed his father and sixth uncle, pulling a cart full of frozen fish into the city.

As I passed the writing stall at the entrance of the market, I saw a large crowd gathered around it.

"Mr. Zhou, your words are beautiful, but my master renovated the house this year, hoping for prosperity and good fortune. Your phrase 'The flowers bloom the same every year' is a lament about the passage of time and the fading beauty of women... If my master sees it posted on the Zhang family's front door, he'll probably sigh for a whole year."

The speaker was the steward of Zhang Fugui's household.

This man was usually considered a respectable figure in the county, but now he wore a bitter smile, clutching the red paper in his hand, caught in a dilemma.

The old scholar was stubborn. He put down his pen, raised his neck, and said, "The art of writing has its own ancient meaning. You common people only seek fame and fortune, which is a waste of my masterpiece."

Lu Dehuang frowned as he listened from the side. He was about to pull Lu Chuan away when he saw Lu Chuan stop and glance at the couplet. The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

This smile was seen by the manager who turned around to ask for help.

Manager Sun was slightly taken aback, then his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly stepped forward, bowing slightly and beaming with a genuine smile.

"Oh! Isn't this Young Master Lu? What a coincidence, to run into such an important person here."

Manager Sun addressed him as Young Master Lu with exceptional warmth.

He strode forward, first bowing respectfully to Lu Dehuang and Lu Shouye, before turning to Lu Chuan with a beaming smile:

"Oh! Young Master Lu, what a coincidence. From afar, his bearing is just like yours."

"Ever since my young master came back from the academy after the holiday, he has been talking about your name non-stop. He keeps praising you as the God of Literature descended from heaven. Not only did you give him guidance in calligraphy class, but you also steadily and solidly achieved the only first-class ranking in the entire academy during the most difficult year-end assessment."

He pointed to the couplet that was giving him a headache, lowered his voice, and leaned closer to Lu Chuan with a pleading look on his face:

"Young Master Lu, you are an educated man, so your perspective is naturally different. Although this old gentleman has excellent writing skills, this word... My young master said that renovating the house this year is a big deal, and it needs to have the kind of meaning that can bring order to the house and show both literary and financial elegance."

"Old sir, your words 'the flowers are similar' are too much for a rough man like me to bear. Could you please do me the trouble of giving me, your errand boy, some advice? If we could get guidance from someone as outstanding as you, the Sun family would truly benefit from it."

Seeing that Steward Sun spoke sincerely, Lu Chuan did not refuse any longer.

The old scholar was still somewhat unconvinced, but upon hearing that the young man before him was actually the top-ranked student in the academy's examination, he loosened his grip on the inkstone.

In the eyes of scholars, academic performance is the ultimate measure of success.

Lu Chuan first bowed to the old scholar with the respect due to a junior, and said in a gentle voice, "Mr. Zhou's calligraphy is vigorous and upright, with the spirit of the Wei and Jin dynasties. I have read it with great respect."

"It's just the beginning of the year, and the Sun family is a business family, so they believe in 'ambition and renewal'."

"The old gentleman's writing style is rather delicate. If it were replaced with a couplet with a grander scope, it might better complement his excellent calligraphy."

Seeing Lu Chuan's exceptional eloquence and the considerable respect he showed him, the old scholar stroked his beard and said, "Since you are a talented young man, then tell me, how should it be revised?"

Lu Chuan looked at Steward Sun and smiled faintly: "If paper and ink are readily available, I may add a few strokes?"

"Convenient! Convenient! Quick, make room for Young Master Lu and get him the best new pen!" Manager Sun hurriedly called out.

Lu Chuan rolled up the sleeves of his blue cloth shirt.

In the blank space on the red paper, his brush suddenly turned, and his strokes fell like thunder:

First line: The door welcomes blessings from spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

The second line reads: "The household receives wealth from all directions."

Horizontal scroll: All things in the universe