Chapter 38 - Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Duel Results__1 (1/2)
Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Duel Results__1
Translator: 549690339
Wei Qingwan’s gaze fell on Chu Lan through her veil, lingering upon him for a long time.
The towering stature, the air of nobility, his striking appearance and commanding presence, making it difficult not to notice him.
Wei Qingwan was certain that this man was not from Xingshan County. His attire was far from ordinary, if he were a local noble, they, the Wei Family, would have surely known about him.
“Young master, please.” The shopkeeper smiled and asked the shop assistant to lay out a fresh sheet of paper for him.
Chu Lan stepped forward, and upon seeing the paper placed before him, a trace of surprise passed over his austere face.
Running his fingers lightly over the surface of the paper, the surprise on his face intensified.
This paper, unlike the kind he normally used, why would such good paper, not even found in the Capital City, be available in such a remote location?
“Where does this paper come from?” Chu Lan asked the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper chuckled and answered, “This is exclusively sold by our Four Treasure House. If you like it, sir, you can buy some when our shop officially opens after today’s contest. We’re going to have our grand opening right after today’s calligraphy competition.”
Chu Lan lifted his gaze to see the shop behind the shopkeeper with a signboard that bore the three large characters, “Four Treasure House”.
Chu Lan responded with a “How interesting”, then picked up the paper and brush and began to write.
The topic given by the shopkeeper was “The people regard food as their heaven”.
Chu Lan also wrote around a hundred characters.
His writing was vigorous and powerful with authoritative brush strokes, bridging large and small characters with ease.
Onlookers immediately cheered, repeatedly praising his work.
The shop assistant also hung up Chu Lan’s writing, right next to Wei Yichen’s.
When the two works were placed side by side, the contrast was clear-Wei Yichen’s script was far more temperate.
The shopkeeper then asked the crowd if anyone else wanted to participate in the competition, and after asking three times to ensure there were no others, he handed out a wooden tablet to each person present.
Each wooden tablet was simply carved with the three large characters “Four
Treasure House”, suspended by a red cord at the top.
“The judges for today’s competition are all present here. Whomever you believe has the best writing, just hang your wooden tablet on the hook above that person’s work. The person with the most number of votes at the end wins today’s contest.”
Lu Yuhong looked at the wooden tablet in his hand and laughed, whispering to Chu Lan, “This is amusing. They’re actually letting the spectators vote to
determine the winner.”
“It’s a smart choice.” Chu Lan said.
This method of judging allows the host of the competition to avoid offending anyone. And as a new shop, the last thing they would want is to offend anyone. Lu Yuhong used a teasing tone when he asked Chu Lan, “If I don’t vote for you, will I be able to return safely tonight?”
Chu Lan: “You should think it over carefully.”
Lu Yuhong: “Are you serious? I thought you were just playing around. Have you really developed a competitive spirit?”
Chu Lan: “It’s definitely more interesting than I initially thought.
Lu Yuhong: “I told you this shop was interesting!”
The voting began.
The spectators who received wooden tablets voted one by one.
Unsurprisingly, the works by Wei Yichen and Chu Lan received the most votes by a large margin, far surpassing the other works.
Wei Qingwan also received a wooden tablet. She knew that she must vote for her older brother, but before placing the tablet, she couldn’t help but look at the distinguished young man in the brocade robe.
She couldn’t tell who would win between this young gentleman and her older brother.
Wei Ruo also received a tablet. She quickly hung her vote on the hook above