293 A Couple (1/2)

It was customary to adorn the Seekong altar with a new couplet written in calligraphy on the eve of every New Year. However, this year, the Wise One, Xiao Quanren, had taken ill and was unable to write the couplet. What were they supposed to do?

Xiao Dizhang knitted his eyebrows in a quandary as this was an important custom and would affect the good fortune of the village for the coming year.

”I heard that someone from Chen Village is good in calligraphy as well. Why not invite him over?” a villager suggested.

But someone else immediately refuted his proposal. ”Preposterous! The Seekong altar belongs to the Xiao family. If we invite people from the Chens to write the couplet for us, wouldn't we be mocking ourselves? We can't do that, absolutely not!”

The statement was spot on, and it gained the support of everyone as the Seekong altar had a great significance to the Xiao clan. On many important occasions, people with other surnames were even not allowed to set foot in the Seekong shrine. Therefore an outsider writing the couplet for the altar was out of the question.

”Why not go to town and get someone to print a copy of a couplet using a computer?” someone else suggested.

Xiao Dizhang shook his head and said, ”The couplet must be raised before 12 o'clock tonight. We won't have enough time for that. Besides, it's already so late, and the shops in town are all closed. Which shop would be willing to open and do that for us?”

”Hmm…”

The predicament put the crowd in a somber mood, and many wondered how they would be able to resolve such a significant problem, if at all. Recalling what Xiao Dizhang had said earlier, they realized the importance of continuing the practice of calligraphy. The Wise One would not be with them forever, and when the time came, they couldn't just alter the traditions at the Seekong altar according to their whims and fancies.

”Don't worry, everyone, since Xiao Luo has been to university, he should know how to do everything, and that surely includes calligraphy. Let's ask him to write a couplet in place of the Wise One. That'll solve the problem, won't it?” Xiao Qiudong said.

Xiao Qiudong was a vindictive sort, and his motive was simply to put Xiao Luo in a tight spot and embarrass himself in front of everyone. He was fixated with the idea of proving to everybody that attending university was nothing to shout about. It irked him that the crowd had so many good things to say about Xiao Luo and how knowledgeable he was. Now he saw the opportunity to prove them all wrong.

”Yes, how did we forget Xiao Luo?!”

The crowd came alive again, filled with a sense of hope. They turned to Xiao Luo with a look of anticipation in their eyes.

Xiao Dizhang looked at Xiao Luo doubtfully and asked, ”Xiao Luo, can you do calligraphy?”

Xiao Qiudong deliberately raised his voice above the crowd and patted Xiao Luo on the shoulder. ”My brother, don't conceal your talents in such a moment like this. The clan needs you now,” he said.

Xiao Ping gritted his teeth, knowing what Xiao Qiudong was up to. Since when were university graduates supposed to be all-rounders capable of doing everything? Didn't he call Xiao Luo out so that he would embarrass himself in front of his clansman?”

Xiao Ping tried to find a way out for Xiao Luo and said, ”Xiao Luo, it's okay if you don't know calligraphy. Very few people know calligraphy these days, so this isn't something to be embarrassed about.”

Xiao Qiudong glowered at him and shouted, ”What do you mean by that, Xiao Ping? Do you think that I'm embarrassing Xiao Luo on purpose?”

”Are you not?” Xiao Ping nervously mumbled his reply, but Xiao Qiudong had heard what he said.

Enraged, Xiao Qiudong sneered at poor Xiao Ping, ”What kind of attitude is that?! Do you still want the money?”

”I…”

His stinging statement was deeply humiliating, and Xiao Ping couldn't find the words to reply. He only raised his head and glared at Xiao Qiudong in anguish.

Old man Xiao Quanren coughed. ”A-he-hem… Qiudong, don't talk like that in front of the Seekong altar. We are all like family, and Seekong will be very displeased if he watches this from above,” he said.

Xiao Dizhang echoed him and added, ”Yes indeed, please settle the personal affairs between you in private. Right now, we should be only be talking about the couplet.” He turned his head to look at Xiao Luo and asked again, ”Xiao Luo, can you do it?”

”I'll try.”

Xiao Luo stepped forward with a wry smile on his face.

Xiao Qiudong wasn't done, and in a tone of contempt, he said, ”Xiao Luo, don't force yourself if you can't do it, I only spoke randomly just now. Forget it if you can't do calligraphy, no one will mock at you okay. The Seekong altar is sacred to the clan, and the couplet has to be properly written. If it comes out twisted and crooked like it's been bitten by a dog, it will absolutely not go on the altar.”