Zhu Tian: A journey of spiritual practice starting from Joy of Life

Chapter 28 Calligraphy Competition
"Thank you, Brother Chu!"

Leng Feibai cupped his hands and asked tentatively, "I wonder what Brother Chu wants to participate in?"

Chu Jiang glanced at a stall not far away where various teas were piled up. He licked his lips and said, "My family runs a tea business, so participating in this competition is perfect for me!"

"See you this afternoon, Brother Chu!"

Leng Feibai smiled and said, "I don't know much about tea, but I'm good at calligraphy! As for the afternoon, we can try the drinking competition!"

After saying that, Leng Feibai said goodbye to Chu Jiang and came to the calligraphy competition arena alone.

The person in charge of the calligraphy competition is an old man dressed like a teacher in a college.

When the old man saw Leng Feibai, he stepped forward and asked, "Young man, are you going to participate in the calligraphy competition?"

"Not bad!"

Leng Feibai quickly said, "Old man, are there any procedures to go through?"

The Master looked Leng Feibai up and down, sighed, and said, "You are probably not a scholar, but a wanderer. Are you sure you want to participate in this?"

Leng Feibai nodded without saying anything. The Master had no choice but to say, "Answer two questions correctly, and you can participate in the competition. First, the four treasures of the study—brush, ink, paper, and inkstone—each have their own particularities. The quality of an inkstone is determined by the interaction between the inkstone and the ink. The most important criterion for quality is its ability to release ink well. Let me ask you, what is the definition of good ink release?"

"The ink in the inkstone shines brightly, fine, even and pure!"

Leng Feibai answered calmly, but doubts arose in his heart. After all, this answer was from his previous life, and he didn't know if he would get the same answer in this life.

A hint of surprise crossed the Master's face as he nodded, "Yes, you're listening to the second question! The eight strokes of the character 'Yong' (Eight Methods of Writing) each have their own unique characteristics, yet they complement each other and flow seamlessly together. Now, let me ask you, what is the name of the fifth, upward-and-horizontal stroke of 'Yong'?"

"A dot is for side, a horizontal stroke is for rein, a vertical stroke is for crossbow, a hook is for leaping, an upward horizontal stroke is for slashing, a long stroke is for sweeping, a short stroke is for pecking, and a downward stroke is for zhe."

Leng Feibai thought quickly in his mind and said quickly, "The fifth stroke is strategy! Like spurring a horse and whipping it!"

The master smiled after hearing this and pointed at the arena and said, "Come on stage, we are still short of three people. Once everyone is here, the competition will begin."

Leng Feibai nodded after hearing this, and leaped onto the stage with the Cloud Step, came to an empty space, picked up the water and ink, and began to grind.

The remaining three people soon took the stage. The old man who was acting as the judge said to the contestants, "Within one stick of incense, write the calligraphy that you think is the best. Then put it on the table and let all the judges pick the best one. The one who wins the calligraphy competition will be the champion!"

After the old man finished speaking, he signaled everyone to start the competition.

Leng Feibai picked up the brush, looked at the thickness of the paper, and began to write in the Slender Gold style.

Although Leng Feibai did not practice calligraphy deliberately in this life, he won the second prize in the provincial calligraphy competition in his previous life, and he was very proficient in Song Huizong's Slender Gold style.

Therefore, Leng Feibai's father in his previous life often gave his calligraphy to his friends.

"Young and ignorant of madness, I dance with my feet high in the sky, unrestrained and unrestrained, laughing at the Five Tombs, my spirit surpassing that of civil and military officials. In the quiet dream, the bright moon invites me to the palace, I lie on the misty waves, my mind is lost, the water runs out and the mountains end in rain."

After finishing writing, Leng Feibai looked at it for a few seconds and sighed inwardly.

"I haven't practiced in a long time, so I've regressed a lot. I'm probably only about 70% of my level in my previous life."

After saying that, Leng Feibai crumpled up the paper on the table and put it aside.

He started writing again, repeating it three or four times.

As the last word "rain" fell, Leng Feibai looked at the characters above, breathed a sigh of relief, and put the pen aside.

"It's done!"

The teacher who was patrolling back and forth saw Leng Feibai writing, then walked over and looked down.

"This is it!" The teacher's face changed drastically. The words on the paper were written with sharp strokes and full fonts, giving people an indescribable beauty.

“Great words, great phrases!”

The Master praised sincerely, "My dear friend, I don't know your name yet?"

Leng Feibai cupped his hands and said, "Fan Bai from Yingzhou!"

"Oh"

The teacher listened to Leng Feibai's words without saying anything. He put down the paper and walked aside.

The time of an incense stick is not very long. Several scholars who serve as judges come on stage one by one and comment on the contestants' calligraphy one by one.

Leng Feibai had a blank expression on his face. He just came to join in the fun anyway. He didn't care whether he won or not in the competition.

Just like the master before, those people were stunned when they saw Leng Feibai's calligraphy, and they kept praising him.

The other contestants looked over upon seeing this, and admitted that they were inferior to them.

As expected, Leng Feibai successfully won the championship in the calligraphy competition and received an inkstone that felt nice.

The inkstone is green in color and has some auspicious cloud patterns carved on it.

“Although it’s not as good as the Duan Inkstone, it’s still a pretty good inkstone!”

After Leng Feibai finished speaking, he put away the inkstone and left the arena.

At a noodle stall around the square, Leng Feibai was holding a large bowl of Yangchun noodles and enjoying it silently.

Although the Yangchun noodles are ordinary, they are also very delicious. Brother Fan has a good appetite!

Chu Jiang, who had met Leng Feibai once before, came out from somewhere and sat down opposite Leng Feibai.

Leng Feibai had also finished his noodles at this moment. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth and said, "Brother Chu, why did you come to see me? Is there something wrong?"

Chu Jiang said with a smile, "I also want to congratulate Brother Fan for winning the calligraphy competition. I wonder if Brother Fan is interested in the competition this afternoon!"

Leng Feibai didn't hide it and said directly, "I plan to participate in a drinking competition!"

Chu Jiang sighed after hearing this and said, "Brother Fan, if you want to participate in the drinking competition, you'd better be careful. After all, the wine provided by Qingshui Winery is not ordinary wine!"

When Leng Feibai heard this, he immediately became interested and quickly asked Chu Jiang about it.

Chu Jiang didn't hide anything and said directly, "During every drinking competition, Qingshui Winery will bring out three types of wine, a total of ten jars. The rule of the competition is that the person who can drink the most within one stick of incense will be the champion. The first type is the multi-grain wine that can be found everywhere on the market. This wine is not intoxicating and can be drunk freely. The second type is a wine called Yingshanhong, of which the average person can only drink two or three jars at most. As for the last type, it is a wine called Yingxiongxue that the owner of Qingshui Winery learned from the then-famous Qingyutang. This wine is made from grapes and is the color of blood. Even if a ninth-grade warrior drinks a jar, he will have to sleep for a full half day. Brother Fan, think it through!"

Leng Feibai showed curiosity after hearing this and nodded with a smile.

Chu Jiang looked at Leng Feibai and sighed, "What a pity! I originally wanted to invite Brother Fan to participate in the chess competition together. But unfortunately, Brother Fan is not interested!"

Leng Feibai smiled awkwardly after hearing this and said, "Brother Chu, forget it. I, Fan, am just a lousy chess player. I'm only good at calligraphy and painting."

The two chatted for a while, and then Chu Jiang said goodbye to Leng Feibai and left the stall.

"Hero's blood, that should be wine!"

Leng Feibai secretly pondered in his heart, "Could it be that Ye Qingmei also brewed red wine? But wine is generally not intoxicating. I am really curious!"

The lunch break was only half an hour long. By the time noon was over, the areas for the other competitions were also crowded with people.

(End of this chapter)