"No way. He split the sun in half? You drunk in broad daylight?"
"Believe it or not, I saw it clear as day. My eyes still water whenever I look toward the sun!"
"I think all three families were dumbstruck. They never expected to lose so cleanly."
"Not necessarily. You didn't go, so you didn't see it. The scholars hired by the three families were writing their hearts out the moment they picked up their brushes. The Earl of Xingyi only had to say a couple of words, and they copied them down so eagerly they practically wrote flowers into the page. They looked like they wished they could hang placards around their necks and parade through the streets."
"Good heavens, how could the gap be so huge?"
"There are always greater people beyond people, and higher heavens beyond heaven. I heard the three families begged and pleaded for this chance to spar, and only got it after no end of groveling! The disaster-relief grain under blue flags in several counties a while back came about the same way. And that mountain closure a month ago—hunters from who knew how many li around weren't allowed in. The three families did so much, yet even then, they still had to watch other people's faces!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Tens of thousands of shi of polished rice—was a word or two really worth that price?"
"Who knew..."
"Fame and profit—where there's fame, there's profit."
"You're always bragging and waving a big banner. Go on, explain it clearly—what profit is there?"
"Isn't that simple? Uncle Liu from the village finished his apprenticeship with no reputation. He had no work for half a year and nearly starved himself to death. Then he did two fine jobs and made a name for himself. Who within ten