Chapter 289

For example, the Western Renaissance and the unspeakable domestic movements are all proof of this.

This fully demonstrates that her inner heart is not "still as an ancient well," but rather surging with waves—great, massive waves—a tide yearning for change!

It is filled with a longing for a beautiful and happy life.

But she is cautious; for instance, after the Grand View Garden was completed in the original work, she did not immediately put her creative ideas into action. It was not until nearly half a year later, in the eighth month, that Hearing Tanchun woke up to the idea, picked up Li Wan's concept, issued invitations, and gathered everyone to establish a poetry club. Li Wan did not compete with Hearing Tanchun for credit; the moment she heard the news, she rushed over to Hearing Tanchun and praised her, saying she was "very elegant." She then took a series of actions to support Hearing Tanchun and the poetry club.

First, she volunteered to be the club's leader.

Second, she offered her own Rice Fragrance Village as the club's venue.

Third, she affirmed Lin Daiyu's suggestion as "exactly right," then everyone chose aliases, and she was the first to choose one for herself: "Old Farmer of Rice Fragrance."

Fourth, she came up with a suggestion that everyone applauded: inviting Wang Xifeng to serve as the club's supervisory censor to solve the funding problem.

Jia Hui remembers that Li Wan knew that without money, no good idea could be realized; it was absolutely essential.

And so, in order to make the housekeeper Wang Xifeng comply, Li Wan launched a rare bombardment against her sister-in-law: in one breath, she bestowed upon Wang Xifeng a series of elegant titles such as "shameless mud-legged philistine," "vulgar glib-tongued evil-mouth," "dog-belly filled with yellow soup," "dog with a long tail tip," "rascal and scoundrel," and "Overlord of Chu." She "wished she could combine ten thousand words into one to talk that person to death," like a lion pouncing on a rabbit, unstoppable, revealing the brilliant and colorful aspects of her personality.

It left even Jia Hui dumbfounded!

He could not imagine this was Li Wan.

And this method of Li Wan's to get money was an active attack and an innovative move.

In that case.

It is not strange that the other party was so excited and proactive.

After figuring it out.

Looking at this Li Wan.

Jia Hui took a sip of tea; his mouth was a bit dry!

He needed to replenish water!

He then smiled faintly: "Not just any poetry will do."

【200】 Timid Yingchun is also moved, the illiterate Seeing Fengjie

"For example, if the level is too poor and unbearable to look at, or if the poetry is excessive, it won't work."

So, excessive.

Actually, it refers to rebellious poetry.

A classic example is that poem by Huang Chao: "If I were the Green Emperor in the coming year, I would report to the peach blossoms to bloom together!"

And: "Wait until the ninth day of the ninth month in autumn, after my flowers bloom, all other flowers will be killed."

"The soaring fragrance array permeates Chang'an, the whole city is covered in golden armor."

Jia Hui loves chrysanthemums.

These two chrysanthemum poems.

Happen to be Jia Hui's two favorite poems!

Yet they are the poems that absolutely cannot be on his newspaper!

"If one day they really appear in the paper, that will be the true day of 'change'!"

Until Jia Hui finished speaking.

Li Wan was clearly even more excited!

She still had great confidence in her own poetic ability.

Li Wan came from a prestigious family; her father was the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, and the traditions of a scholarly family gave her the opportunity to study.

Unfortunately, her father did not deliberately cultivate her; "lack of talent is a virtue" was the highest requirement for her.

The education she received from childhood was to be a virtuous woman who conformed to traditional morality.

Despite this.

Her cultural level was still very high.

Especially in the realm of poetry.

In terms of poetic interest, Rice Fragrance Village was not suitable for composing poetry under the snow; Li Wan had said: "Although my place is good, it is not as good as Reed Snow Pavilion."

The next time they composed poetry at Reed Snow Pavilion, they truly enjoyed themselves, which proves that Li Wan truly understood poetic sentiment and truly understood poets.

"I think my poetry should be alright. You can take a look, Marquis Wushuang."

Li Wan said proactively.

Seeing Fengjie looked at her in surprise.

Jia Mu and Lady Wang were both unexpectedly surprised.

They did not expect that she, who was like dead ashes and content with widowhood, would actually seem to have come alive today, as if she were a different person.

It was truly unexpected.

In fact, Li Wan originally had a naturally witty side.

Furthermore.

If it could be published in the newspaper.

It would be much more impressive than a few women amusing themselves inside the Grand View Garden!

Li Wan pondered: "At least a few dozen people would be able to see it, right?"

One cannot blame her for lacking imagination.

After all, she had never even seen a physical newspaper.

But a few dozen people was enough.

Because they were all scholars, at least literate.

This made Li Wan even more invigorated!

For a woman's poetry to be presentable.

It was truly not easy.

And besides Li Wan.

Hearing Tanchun and Daiyu had both received a good education and were talented.

At this moment, they both quickly understood why Li Wan was so proactive and excited!

They were both equally eager to have their poetry published in the newspaper for everyone to know.

So they both also became proactive together: "Brother Hui, me too, my poetry also needs to be shown to you."

"Look at mine too, though I don't have manuscripts on hand right now, they were all written back in Yangzhou, but give me time and I can remember them all and write them out."

Lin Daiyu said to Jia Hui, parting her lips.

Even Yingchun.

She was someone whose talent was not outstanding.

Nicknamed "Second Wooden Head," Yingchun was a woman with a timid personality and a lack of talent.

She was not good at composing poetry, so she couldn't guess poetry riddles correctly, and she would miss the rhyme as soon as she opened her mouth during drinking games.

But that was only relative.

She couldn't compare to Lin Daiyu, Hearing Tanchun, or Li Wan.

Yet she was still stronger than ordinary people.

For instance, when Jia Yuan Chun returned to the Jia Fu and composed a poem about the Grand View Garden, she ordered the sisters to each compose a plaque and a poem. She told everyone to play freely, "do not be bound by my meager talent," and just "don't fail to live up to this scenery."

The sisters pondered for a moment and then each recited their own.

The Imperial Concubine read their inscriptions in order; the first one was this poem composed by the Second Young Lady, Yingchun.

The plaque she inscribed at Jia Yuan Chun's command—"Broad Mind and Happy Spirit"—seemed like a natural expression of this timid young lady's life attitude of not caring about gains and losses and letting things take their course.

Jia Hui believed that although the content of this quatrain she barely pieced together was empty, straightforward, and shallow, with no novelty or imagery to speak of, it was just like her personality: mediocre, dull, and insipid.

"The garden is complete and the scenery is exceptionally strange," this opening line was very similar to "all scenery is prepared" and "built to be exquisite" in Jia Yuan Chun's poem; it could be said to be a copy or appropriation of someone else's clichés.

The line "Ashamed to inscribe the plaque of broad happiness upon command" was clumsy and straightforward, and the meaning was nothing more than a repetition of the plaque's meaning.

"Who would believe such a realm exists in the world" was also borrowed from the meaning of Jia Yuan Chun's "heaven and earth," but it was less subtle and lacked more literary grace than Jia Yuan Chun's clichés.

The last line, "How can one not feel happy while wandering," was completely synonymous with "broad happiness" and "broad mind and happy spirit," and it was repeated three times in just four lines of poetry, showing how depleted the "author's" talent had become.

This poem was truly a vivid portrayal of the "Second Wooden Head" young lady!