in2ebook Chapter 268 A person, when it's time to admit defeat...
Chapter 268 A person, when it's time to admit defeat...
"Sixth Uncle, aren't the descriptions of spring rain in poems all about how precious it is, how it nourishes things silently? But to me, this spring rain doesn't seem that precious at all. It's been raining on and off for several days now, making everything damp and sticky. If it doesn't clear up soon, I feel like I'll get moldy."
Who could argue with that? Looking at the fine rain outside the window, Yinzhuo was also worried. When would this rain finally stop? For Yinzhuo, the damp and sticky feeling everywhere was secondary. The main concern was that if the sky didn't clear up soon, his Shufeng Pavilion would be torn down by these little brats.
“Hongqing, no offense to you, but your literary skills really need improvement. When others see spring rain, they usually think of elegant lines like ‘Free-flying blossoms, light as a dream,’ ‘Endless drizzle, fine as sorrow,’ ‘Apricot blossom rain that threatens to wet clothes,’ ‘Willow breeze that blows on the face, not cold.’ At the very least, they can think of beautiful lines like ‘Four hundred and eighty temples in the Southern Dynasties, how many pavilions are shrouded in mist and rain.’ But what do you think of first? ‘Spring rain is as precious as oil, it flows all over the streets, causing the scholar to fall, making a herd of cows laugh.’ If your father knew this, he would probably scold you for being vulgar.”
No, how is my casual remark vulgar? And if you're not vulgar, then how come you're so familiar with this limerick? I did say at the beginning that spring rain is as precious as oil, that's true, but Uncle, you only hear what you want to hear, right? You didn't mention a word about the line "It nourishes all things silently." "Good rain knows its season, it falls when spring arrives. It follows the wind into the night, silently nourishing all things." Anyone who hears that line would call it elegant.
Although Hongqing was practically cursing his sixth uncle to death inside, he didn't dare utter a single word of rebuttal. Not only could he not refute, but he even had to follow up on what his sixth uncle had just said, making sure that the words didn't fall flat.
"Sixth Uncle is right. My poetry skills do need improvement. I've heard that you studied very hard when you were a child in the Imperial Study. I wonder if you have any good study tips you could share with me..."
As soon as Hongqing said this, apart from the person in question, Yinzhuo, the others sitting and drinking tea nearby—Yintang, Yinxi, Hongxi, Hongyu, and Honghui—all turned to look at him. The message they were conveying in their eyes was surprisingly consistent: Not bad, little nephew (brother), based on those few words you just uttered, you've really made a death wish.
Hongqing wasn't stupid; she knew she'd messed up as soon as she said it. But as the saying goes, once words are spoken, water spilled is hard to take back. Since it's too late to undo the damage, it seems Hongqing only has one option left...
"Sixth Uncle, I know I misspoke just now and dare not ask for your forgiveness. But can we make a deal? If you are angry and want to punish me, can we not make me stand on a stool in a horse stance? Or how about this, I will obediently lie on the ground and let you hit me with a ruler. If you still won't forgive me, two beatings will do..."
Yin Tang, Yin Yi, and the others had thought they would be able to watch a show, but with Hong Qing backing down, that show was naturally out of the question. The expressions on their faces showed a hint of regret. Yin Zuo obviously didn't expect Hong Qing to be so sensible. He raised his hand and pushed Hong Qing's head, which was leaning close to his face, and laughed in an annoyed tone.
"You've got guts, kid. Looks like you haven't wasted these past few years following your sixth uncle. As the saying goes, 'Where there's life, there's hope.' You know, you have to know when to back down. You've got guts, kid, and a thick skin too. You've got my style from back in the day. You probably don't know, but back in the Imperial Study, I wasn't exactly a good student. I was far from being a diligent and hardworking person..."
Yes, that's the most infuriating thing. They're always late or leave early, daydreaming in class, lazy and unmotivated, yet their academic performance is still far ahead of their peers, leaving them far behind. They always call themselves the "King of Test-Takers," haha, but when it comes to test-taking skills, who can beat them...
Yinzhuo was simply unaware of what Yintang and Yinzhen were thinking; otherwise, he would have immediately risen to perform a tragic tale of Dou E's injustice for them. Back then, wasn't he forced into this situation with no other choice? His father was practically roasting him over a fire; could he just stand there and wait to become a roast duck? People say, "My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens." Since personal destiny is something even heaven can't decide, how could he let his father, the emperor, decide his life and death? Look, all his past efforts have turned into blessings. Between being a crucial whetstone and being a nobody among the masses, he carved out a third path for himself, becoming the enviable, influential father-son of today…
After a while, the people inside the waterside pavilion stopped making noise, but the drizzling rain outside showed no sign of stopping. Yinzhen held Hongxu and stood under the eaves of the waterside pavilion, reaching out to catch the water droplets dripping from above. The little guy's clear laughter echoed around the waterside pavilion, which eased the mood of everyone who was irritable from the continuous rainy weather.
"Sigh, it's really good to be a child. You can be carefree every day. Look, just now this little guy was pretending to be Uncle Si with a cold face. Now a curtain of rain has made him smile from ear to ear."
Upon hearing this, Yinzhuo glanced at his son, who was being held and playing happily in the water by Yintang, and then raised his hand to slap the back of his nephew's head.
"You're young and don't know the taste of sorrow, yet you force yourself to write poems about it? How old are you? Aren't you still a child? You should be at the most energetic and youthful age, not indulging in this melancholy. You deserve a beating! Hongxi, come here and drag this kid aside. I think you're just bored. Since it's raining outside and you can't go out, why don't your sixth uncle find you some indoor chores? Dexi, go to the kitchen and have them cut some meat for skewers and bring it over. Remember to make sure there's a variety, and also bring some vegetables and fruits. Later, go and invite the Crown Prince and the others over..."
If you asked Hongxi and the others to do other chores, they might resist a bit, but when it came to turning the ingredients into dinner themselves, they were incredibly proactive. Not to mention the older ones like Hongxi, Hongyu, Hongqing, and Honghui, even little Hongxu followed his older brothers around, grabbing the meat and offering to help skewer it.
"Oh dear, my little darling, can you please stop making things worse? Listen to your big brother, let's put these bamboo skewers down first. These things are dangerous, and you're too young to help. Otherwise, I'll have someone bring you a basin, and you can go wash potatoes and play over there."