Chapter 375 - Wu Zeqing Sending Him Home! (1/2)
The gathering started once again.
The dishes were served.
Following the birth of ”Ode of Mulan”, the earlier dispute was also settled. No one brought up those irrelevant sideshows. Everyone continued to eat and drink in the backyard, while those who hadn't given their gifts continued doing so.
”Master Wei, I wish you longevity and health.”
”Sister Wu, this is just a little token of mine.”
”Sister Wu, I've written a scroll of words, but it is incomparable to the 'Ode of Mulan' which Teacher Zhang gave to you. But it is also my heartfelt token to you.”
”With 'Ode of Mulan' appearing, I feel quite embarra.s.sed to give a present.”
”Hahaha, me too. It makes me feel like not taking the gift out.”
”Eh, my head is full of those words from that poem — 'The he-hare's feet go hop and skip, the she-hare's eyes are muddled and fuddled; Two hares running side by side close to the ground. How can they tell if I am he or she?' That was really great! In ancient times, there existed Hua Mulan! In modern times, we have President Wu! I have a feeling that this 'Ode of Mulan' would become folklore within a few decades to a century. It will definitely be pa.s.sed on into the ages and after a millennia, we would also be a part of the origin story of 'Ode of Mulan'. When people talk about this folk song poem, they would inherently mention us too. In the past, it has always been us who have been researching the ancients' origin stories, but who would have expected that we would become an example to future generations too!”
”Teacher Zhang is a genius!”
”Yea, there's nothing more precious than that gift!”
”What a great Hua Mulan! What a great 'Ode of Mulan'!”
”If I could compose such a great folk song poem, I would definitely seal my brush and stop writing!”
Everyone continued eating or presenting their gifts while they immersed themselves in the emotions that ”Ode of Mulan” had brought to them.
Master Zhou was a small but fast eater. After he finished and wiped his mouth, ”I'm done, please excuse me.” Then he looked over to Wu Zeqing, ”Little Wu, why did you keep that folk song poem scroll away? Bring it out so that I can make a copy of it.”
Wu Zeqing smiled, ”You want to write it out too?”
Master Zhou nodded, ”My hands are getting itchy. To have encountered such a great poem, to even have witnessed its birth before my very eyes, of course I would have to make a copy of it.” Then he turned to Zhang Ye to ask, ”Little Zhang, may I go through the words of 'Ode of Mulan'? Don't sue me for copyright infringement, OK? Hur Hur.”
Zhang Ye immediately said, ”Sure, it would be my honor.”
After Master Zhou had his disciples to prepare the Four Treasures of the Study, he did not start writing. He first began by appreciating the piece for over ten minutes and then closed his eyes for a long time before he picked up his brush. He wanted to digest all of the content before he even dared to write!
When Master Zhou's version of ”Ode of Mulan” was done, everyone cheered!
”Nicely written!”
”Old Master Zhou's skills are indeed extraordinary!”
But Master Zhou was still unsatisfied, he waved his hands saying, ”It is the content that is good, not my words. Besides, my calligraphy style does not suit the feel of this work. It is too strong and does not complement the meaning well. It doesn't have Little Zhang's carefree style of expression and lacks some of the meaning.”
A lot of people had already gathered around after the meal to take pictures. Some of them were photographing Master Zhou's ”Ode of Mulan”, but even more of them were using their phones to take photographs of Zhang Ye's ”Ode of Mulan”. Indeed, Zhang Ye's writing of ”Ode of Mulan”, in terms of words, thickness of strokes, arrangement, and font were all slightly better than Master Zhou's. Such a conclusion was no surprise since Zhang Ye was the original author anyway. Of course he would have understood the pa.s.sage more clearly than Master Zhou!
Some people had posted Zhang Ye's words onto the internet. Including some of those poems and couplets from earlier. Such beautiful things had to be shared!
Online.
The Calligraphy a.s.sociation's anniversary gathering was suddenly in the spotlight!
”Having crossed the vast oceans, I can no longer take a river seriously”
”If it's not on Mount Wushan, it's not a cloud? What a great poem!”
”Where girls, with no thoughts of a perished kingdom? A Song of Courtyard Flowers?”
”d.a.m.n it! 寂寞寒窗空守寡 (jì mò hán chuāng kōng shǒu guǎ, in this lonely and tiny unit as a widow)? How can there be a second verse to this!”
”Quick, everyone! Read this 'Ode of Mulan'! It's really too awesome! Who wrote it?”
”I would like to know too! These other poems are acceptable even if they were good, but 'Ode of Mulan' was really too shockingly good! These words, this literary style, such a story, who could have told it?”
”Look at the signature on this picture!”
”This....this looks like Zhang something?”
”F**k! It's Zhang Ye!”
”Ah! The signature is really Zhang Ye’s!”
Thereafter, someone called Eastern Being on Weibo, supposedly a person who was at the Calligraphy a.s.sociation gathering and also the original poster of the original articles clarified below, ”Today is the anniversary gathering of the Calligraphy a.s.sociation. It is also Peking University's Vice President Wu Zeqing's birthday. Teacher Zhang Ye was invited to join in the occasion and came up with these poems and couplet. Regarding the finale piece, which was 'Ode of Mulan', it was a gift from Teacher Little Zhang to President Wu for her birthday. When the poem was written, it felt to me as if there would no longer be any other folk song poems anymore. ‘Ode of Mulan' is really the pinnacle of folk song poems!”
The viewers all became excited.
”Aha? It's really written by Teacher Zhang?”
”f.u.c.k, when did Zhang Ye pick up calligraphy?”
”Is there anything Teacher Zhang Ye does not know? How does he know everything?”
”Hur Hur, this sort of poem, I guess only Zhang Ye could have written it. With this kind of literary depth and storytelling skills combined, I'm afraid that in this world, only Zhang Ye has this sort of ability to write that! Not only is he a literary pract.i.tioner, he's even a best-selling novelist!”
”I don't care who wrote it! 'Ode of Mulan' is just too good! It makes my blood boil with pa.s.sion! Mulan is truly a female warrior amongst female warriors! A role model!”
”This is too awesome!”
”Mulan's is too cool!”