Finest Servant - Chapter 205

Chapter 205 Once I Could Pee Ten Feet Against the Wind

Lin Wanrong heaved a quiet sigh within his heart. This deeply entrenched hierarchical mindset that had existed for millennia – could he single-handedly shatter it? Though he possessed great strength, he had no direction to apply it, or perhaps he was simply too lazy to do so. Facing these privileged, scholarly men and women, what could he say? Should he discuss with them about natural rights and equality for all beings? Ridiculous! Those who tread different paths cannot make plans together. He was fundamentally different from them. Moreover, even if he were to promote the idea of equality for all beings, would anyone in this era believe it? Would anyone accept it?

The more Lin Wanrong thought about it, the more helpless he felt. He eventually shook his head and laughed bitterly. Forget it. He wasn’t trying to save mankind nor guide the course of history. How could he manage these things? That was enough. Whatever these scholarly men and women chose to do was their business. He didn’t have the time to play games with them.

He arrived and left as he pleased, too lazy to bid anyone farewell. With Guo Wuchang in tow, he prepared to leave. His standing in Guo Wuchang’s heart was akin to a deity. Seeing Lin San’s gesture, Guo Wuchang didn’t ask any questions and promptly followed him.

“Brother Lin—” Luo Ning, ignoring her teacher’s presence, hurried to catch up with him, her eyes welling with tears. “Brother Lin, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault—”

“Miss Luo,” Lin Wanrong said with an air of righteousness, “I’ve told you, it’s not your fault. I just couldn’t stand certain things. Alas, I can’t help it. I was born to be upright.”

Luo Ning didn’t laugh at his joke as she usually would. Instead, tears rolled down her cheeks. “Brother Lin, I know you are kind and don’t blame me. But it all started because of me. If I hadn’t insisted on bringing you here, none of this would’ve happened—”

Lin Wanrong replied with a melancholy smile. “No, it’s my own fault. Perhaps I don’t belong with you all.”

His words crushed Luo Ning’s heart, and her tears flowed more freely. “Brother Lin, I know you look down on me. I’m all talk and no action, just a sham scholar. Aside from causing trouble, I can’t do anything else.”

“Miss Luo,” Lin Wanrong said thoughtfully, “you mustn’t belittle yourself. Everyone has dreams; it’s just that the ways we pursue them are different. At least you have dreams. I, on the other hand, have lost even the right to dream.”

Tears welled up in Luo Ning’s eyes as she looked at him. “Brother Lin, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Lin Wanrong shook his head with a smile. “You don’t need to understand. Ah, I’m really tired today, and a little hurt. Miss Luo, let’s hug. A pure one, just for comfort.”

Luo Ning was startled, her heart pounding. This Brother Lin had quite a unique way of thinking. She had no idea how his mind worked.

After teasing Luo Ning a bit, Lin Wanrong, for some reason, felt stifled. Today’s bitterness and indignation were too much. As he recalled his past life, he sighed gently. “Once, I could pee ten feet against the wind. Now, even with the wind, I dampen my shoes. Such is life—”

He suddenly came out with such a brusque, nonsensical remark that everyone was startled. They had no clue what he meant by his words. Looking at his demeanor, it was one of utter desolation and dejection. Nobody could understand it. Luo Ning saw it all and felt that the distance between them had inexplicably widened further.

“Brother Lin,” Luo Ning gently held his sleeve, “The words you speak, though rough, always make me feel that they are, compared to the poetry we write, the truly profound and refined.”

‘A true friend indeed,’ Lin Wanrong thought, feeling deeply touched. This woman could see his crudeness as something refined. “Don’t idolize individuals, I detest such practice,” he said with a chuckle. “Offering some real gold and silver would be more practical.” His mood shifted quickly; he was quick to feel and quick to forget. His melancholy disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Seeing Lin San’s coarse language and unruly behavior, Mei Yanqiu couldn’t hold back any longer. She snapped, “Lin San, do you think you can just leave like that? Do you believe that speaking a few couplets makes you invincible? You insult me, and you insult the entire scholarly world. If you dare to set foot in the capital, you will surely find it impossible to move forward.”

“Insulting you is insulting the entire scholarly world? You represent all of scholarly knowledge?” Lin Wanrong responded with disdain, “Teacher Mei, you overestimate yourself.”

Seeing the scholars around him staring at him, Lin Wanrong said scornfully, “To represent the entire scholarly world, you need to have the ability to represent all the knowledge in the world. I’ve known Mr. Wenchang for a long time, and even he, as a first-class scholar, doesn’t dare to claim to represent all scholars. Teacher Mei, you may talk big, but your knowledge is far from sufficient.”

People at Jinling Literary Society had all heard about the Sunshine and Rain Restaurant incident in Hangzhou and knew that Lin San was indeed acquainted with Xu Wenchang. His words were most likely true. Xu Wenchang was a figure of great repute, an exemplar for scholars throughout the country, and an idol in the hearts of all scholars. Mei Yanqiu, though also a reputed scholar, was simply not in the same league as Xu Wenchang.

Seeing Mei Yanqiu turn pale, Lin Wanrong sneered, “If you don’t believe me, I’ll come up with a couplet today. If Teacher Mei can come up with a matching response, I’ll admit defeat. I will personally go to Teacher Mei to apologize.”

Young Master Guo chimed in appropriately, “And what if Teacher Mei can’t come up with a response?”

Lin Wanrong laughed, “If Teacher Mei can’t respond, my request is simple. I’d ask her to personally plow a few acres of good fields, acting as an old ox, to see how us ‘inferior’ people in her eyes labor to make a living. If she can’t answer in three years, then I’d ask her to stop disgracing the term ‘renowned scholar’.”

His words were wildly arrogant, but nobody doubted him. After several rounds of confrontation, everyone understood that Lin San indeed had some talent. His previous triumph over Shen Banshan was certainly genuine. He had always been the one responding to couplets, but today, he was the one coming up with the couplet. Needless to say, it was going to be extremely difficult.

Mei Yanqiu knew she had met her match today. In front of so many students, she could not back down. Gritting her teeth, she said, “In that case, I await your enlightenment.”

Luo Ning had just exchanged a few words with Lin Wanrong, her heart was already filled with trepidation. Seeing the situation between her mentor and Lin Wanrong become more tense, she was scared. In a hurry, she stood between the two and said, “Brother Lin, you come up with the couplet, and I’ll respond on behalf of my teacher. If I can’t respond, I’ll go down and plow the fields on her behalf.”

Although Lin Wanrong appreciated her understanding just now, he wouldn’t compromise on principles. He laughed out loud and said, “Miss Luo, you misunderstand. Asking your teacher to plow is not to harm or humiliate her. It’s to let her experience the life of us ordinary folks. Honestly, it’s actually a way of honoring her. If she behaves as haughty as usual, she wouldn’t even be fit to carry shoes for the woman in the fields.”

Before Luo Ning could respond, Lin Wanrong sighed, “Miss Luo, everyone has a point they can’t tolerate being trespassed, and I’m no exception. Your respect for your teacher is one thing, but her character is another. Please don’t say more.”

Mei Yanqiu also had some backbone and called out, “Ning’er, come back, don’t beg him.”

Luo Ning was the one having the hardest time among everyone present. She didn’t want her teacher to lose and go plow the fields, nor did she want Brother Lin to lose and apologize. She found it incredibly hard to make a decision between the two.

Lin Wanrong said loudly, “Today, when Teacher Mei created a couplet, she didn’t use any palindrome technique, and I will do the same. Whether it’s fair or not, everyone will know after seeing it.”

With no further words, he took a pencil from his bosom, swiftly wrote a few characters on a piece of white paper, and handed it over. Everyone looked at it and saw the unrestrained words, “Chickens and dogs cross the frosty bridge, all the way are plum blossoms and bamboo leaves.”

Luo Ning took one look and furrowed her brow. It was a metaphorical couplet. Both the plum blossoms and bamboo leaves as well as the paw prints of chickens and dogs on the frost were scenery. It wasn’t some sort of palindromic genius, but it was intricate enough to be difficult to match. However, as Lin Wanrong had said, the couplet was fair and did not intentionally make it difficult for Mei Yanqiu.

Seeing Lin San’s skill so effortlessly displayed, and considering his earlier performance, everyone was immediately clear about the situation. They feared Teacher Mei was going to lose this round.

Mei Yanqiu stared at the upper couplet for a long time, her face alternating between red and white. This metaphorical couplet, even if Xu Wei were present, he might not be able to match it, let alone her. She bit her lip in silence, her face a picture of gloom.

Everyone, looking at her expression, knew the result without needing to say it. Naturally, it was Teacher Mei who lost. After this whole commotion, no one in Jinling dared to discuss couplets in front of Lin San again.

Young Master Guo stealthily tugged at Lin San’s clothes and looked at him with admiring eyes, “Lin San, where did you learn this couplet skill? Can you teach me?”

Lin Wanrong gave a faint smile, took a sigh, and said, “Young Master Guo wants to learn? Of course, you can. Starting from tomorrow morning, read 800 volumes of the classics, history, philosophers, and collections every day. In ten years, you can succeed.”

Young Master Guo stuck out his tongue and murmured, “That’s so difficult. Luckily my family has Lin San, so we don’t need ten years.”

Mei Yanqiu suddenly exclaimed, “Lin San, I can’t respond to your couplet. Did you copy it from an unmatched masterpiece? Asking me to come up with a response instantly is truly unjust.”

Lin Wanrong laughed coldly, “If you claim it’s an unmatched masterpiece, then naturally no one can answer it now, can they?”

Seeing his sharp gaze, Mei Yanqiu felt some fear in her heart, but she forced herself to reply, “Naturally, no one can.”

Lin Wanrong laughed out loud and with swift strokes of his pen, wrote, “Swallows and orioles penetrate the embroidered curtain, half a window of jade scissors and a golden shuttle.”

He gave a cold smile and said, “Teacher Mei, this unmatched masterpiece you mentioned, I have answered. What do you say to that?”