(The writing had already been revised, so this chapter was posted directly. That was all for today; updates would resume on schedule tomorrow.)
Hearing that a masterpiece had appeared, everyone flocked over to take a look.
Reviewing the preliminary-round submissions just now had tortured them badly enough. They needed something proper to cleanse their eyes.
Seeing too many people crowd over—and knowing she could not afford to offend any of them—Hu Weishi hastily said, "How about we present it to Old Wang first?"
The moment she said that, no one argued further.
Hu Weishi quickly carried the final-round essays over and placed Chen Guiliang's piece on top.
Wang Meng put on his glasses with a chuckle. "Let's see what sort of masterpiece this is."
He bent over the composition sheet. One glance at the opening line, and he froze.
Ge Fei asked curiously, "Old Wang, shall I read it?"
"A literary prodigy!"
Wang Meng sighed in admiration, rose with the paper in hand, and said, "I'd better read it aloud for everyone."
"Voyage of Ying Sea"
In the winter of the Guiwei year, I traveled to Shanghai and came upon a fable, from which I drew its meaning.
It was said that in ancient times, Jingwei carried tiny twigs to fill the vast sea, while the Foolish Old Man struck at rock and earth to move towering mountains. Within heaven and earth, the smallest things could achieve the greatest feats, and the simplest truths often bore the most complex principles.
Now there was a Dark Bird, frail in body and weak in strength, fluttering its hurried wings in vain across the great sea, carrying a dead branch in hopes of crossing the blue waves. Its resolve only grew firmer, its strides only more valiant. Did this not secretly accord with