"Heir Jiang, you..."
As Fang Tong listened to Jiang Xiaobai, his irritation deepened.
He opened his mouth, but ultimately could not be bothered to say anything else. He turned and headed into the pavilion.
Jiang Xiaobai initially thought he had driven Fang Tong away in anger.
But when he glanced in the direction Fang Tong was heading, he discovered a long table there.
Brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were all laid out on it, clearly prepared beforehand.
Fang Tong walked up to the table, picked up a brush, and began writing.
Swish, swish, swish!
The brush swept across the paper at remarkable speed.
A moment later, Fang Tong set the brush aside and looked up at Jiang Xiaobai. "Come, Heir Jiang. Please!"
"Oh?"
Jiang Xiaobai raised an eyebrow slightly and walked over, curious.
Tang Ningshuang followed beside him and glanced at the paper.
Written on it were precisely four pairs of couplet lines.
Standing beside the table, Fang Tong watched with a smile, then lightly tapped his folding fan and said casually, "Heir Jiang, your first opening line was..."
"One township, two hamlets, and three teachers, ignorant of the Four Books and Five Classics and six poetic principles, yet daring to teach seven, eight, nine pupils-ten parts audacity!"
At this point, Fang Tong's smile deepened. "And my matching line is..."
"Ten miles, nine villages, acclaim eight scholars, versed a little in seven-character verse, six scripts, and five canons, yet coming to judge fourth-, third-, and second-ranked candidates-first-rate absurdity!"
"Mm, not bad!"
Jiang Xiaobai nodded lightly.
Seeing his reaction, Fang Tong's eyes brightened slightly, and he pointed at the second couplet.
"Your second was: orioles, orioles, swallows, swallows, greens, greens, reds, reds; everywhere, everywhere, warmth, warmth, harmony, harmony."
"And mine is: rain, rain, wind, wind, flowers, flowers, leaves, leaves; year after