USWHC -Chapter 180 Flirting Lessons (Part 10)

The maids of the Sun family seemed like a squad of highly trained elite operatives. Before anyone could even speak, someone had already brought out brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone. The most astonishing part? The ink had even been ground and was ready to use.

“Please, sister!”

Looking at Sun Shaohui’s expectant face, Zhu Jie felt something was a little off. Something about this seemed… weird.

Although she felt a little uneasy, Zhu Jie still picked up the brush and began to write:

“Dark plums scent the hidden flowers,
Lying branches grieve in secret,
From afar I hear the lying water,
Easily conveying the green of spring.
The bank seems green, the bank seems translucent green,
The bank seems the color of muted jade green.”

As she wrote and read aloud, Sun Shaohui’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. How could the listening experience differ so much from the visual one? The written words were elegant enough, but hearing them… well, that was just a joke!

“This Lying Spring… is really written by Lu You?” Sun Shaohui still didn’t believe it. But as soon as she said it, she felt a little strange herself. Am I… dumb? Why did it feel like she was mocking herself?

“Yeah!” Unexpectedly, Ji Yi nodded with a goofy smile. “You are dumb!”

“Don’t say that!” Zhu Jie hurriedly corrected him.

“Don’t say that?” Sun Shaohui had a mental black line. How did she feel like she was falling into a pit herself?

But she didn’t know! She really didn’t know! Could it be that she was just ignorant?

While signaling the maid to take away the paper Zhu Jie had finished writing on, she changed the topic and addressed Zhu Jie: “I didn’t expect Brother Ji to be so knowledgeable. It seems my own eyes were lacking. I wonder if sister could graciously compose another poem, so that I might also appreciate the style of our Xiangshui Village.”

Hearing this, Zhu Jie’s eyes twitched with a mischievous gleam. Hehe, fine! Let you appreciate it! She lifted her voice and recited:

“Wind and rain send spring away,
Flying snow welcomes spring’s arrival.
Even with a hundred-foot cliff of ice,
Still a flower branch remains proud.
It does not compete for spring,
It simply announces its arrival.
When the mountain flowers bloom in splendor,
It smiles amidst the clusters.”

As soon as she finished, Sun Shaohui’s eyes widened further. “Could this poem be something sister just composed? I’ve never heard it before!”

Zhu Jie said nothing, just smiled proudly. Hehe, please forgive me, Mao Ye, I’m merely borrowing a little here. It won’t be widely circulated, no copyright infringements, and by the time anyone talks about it, they might have forgotten it anyway—you can write it again yourself. How’s that?

Since Zhu Jie didn’t answer, Sun Shaohui naturally took it as tacit approval. Her eyes grew even wider. This poem was nothing like the Lying Spring. Both in rhythm and imagery, it was on a completely higher level. Could such a poem really have been written by a simple country girl?

And she didn’t seem to have agonized over it at all—she just recited it casually? Could it be that people from Xiangshui Village were really different? Were they all gifted, talented individuals?

Sun Shaohui felt an instant sense of defeat. No way. She had always prided herself as a refined young lady, talented and outstanding… and yet she was outdone by a countryside girl?

The more she thought about it, the more disheartened she felt. She seemed enveloped in a cloud of darkness, lying in shadow, unable to crawl out.

At that moment, Zhu Jie, still wearing a flattering smile, said: “Don’t laugh at me, little sister. My brother not only reads and writes poetry, he’s also preparing for the imperial exams. He’s already registered for the county exam next month. With his talent, he’s sure to top the list this year!”

As she spoke, Zhu Jie subtly signaled Ji Yi: “Brother, recite a few more poems for Miss Sun!”

Ji Yi saw her blinking eyes and made a sulky face. “Sister, what’s wrong with your eyes? Are they irritated? Why are you blinking endlessly?”

Hearing this, Zhu Jie stopped blinking and shot him a murderous glare. This guy… has he been professionally sabotaging me for twenty years?

As she was fuming silently, she suddenly realized another gaze was fixed on her. She quickly turned her head—sure enough, Sun Shaohui was staring at her!

“Yes, my eyes are a bit irritated,” Zhu Jie muttered, clenching her teeth, and gave Ji Yi a resentful glare.

But when she turned back, she once again put on a radiant smile: “Little sister may not know, but my brother is the most caring person. I often joke with him that whoever becomes my sister-in-law in the future will surely enjoy great happiness!”