Chapter 16: The Pitiful One Who Invites Sympathy

“Knock knock.”

Zhou Shi: “Who is it?”

“I’m the shopkeeper of the Su Family Bookstore. I’ve come to see Young Master Shen.”

Country folk weren’t used to such polite language. The two exchanged a glance and quickly went to open the door.

After learning the shopkeeper’s intent, Zhou Shi hurriedly led him inside.

At this moment, Shen Xiuyan was still sighing nonstop—they could hear him from a distance.

The shopkeeper asked in confusion, “What’s the matter with Young Master Shen?”

Zhou Shi shook her head. “I don’t know either.”

Outside Shen Xiuyan’s door, Liu Fuzi nervously tugged at his clothes, trying to present himself in the best possible state.

Just as he was about to knock, Zhou Shi suddenly pushed the door open without even asking.

Liu Fuzi awkwardly froze with his hand still mid-air.

Wouldn’t the person inside be angry at such a sudden intrusion?

“Xiuyan, someone’s here to see you.”

“Who is it?” The person inside wasn’t angry at all, but instead asked good-naturedly, “Mother, you’ve been working all morning—why don’t you take a break? Don’t wear yourself out.”

“Haha, I’m not tired. How could earning money be exhausting?” She was now in charge of supervising the villagers hired to make sugar and had endless energy each day.

To her, this wasn’t sugar—it was silver in plain sight.

“Alright, alright, the work will never end, but you still need to rest.” He suddenly seemed to remember something. “Wait, you said someone came to see me?”

“That’s right.”

Just then, the shopkeeper and Liu Fuzi stepped inside. Both parties were surprised when they saw each other.

“Shopkeeper, what brings you here? Is something the matter?” Shen Xiuyan put down his brush and stood up.

The shopkeeper smiled sheepishly. “Sorry to intrude. This is Liu Fuzi from Qingcheng Academy. He saw your copied text and wanted to meet you. I asked the young miss before coming—she told us to come directly, so we didn’t consult you first.”

Please, don’t be mad at us for coming uninvited!

But as a nearly forty-year-old single man, how could he know how much Su Mingyue meant to Shen Xiuyan?

As soon as Shen Xiuyan heard she had sent them, his first instinct was to treat the guests well.

“Hello, I’m Shen Xiuyan.” Shen Xiuyan bowed respectfully to Liu Fuzi.

In Linzhu County, probably no one didn’t know his name.

Liu Fuzi reached out in disbelief. “You—you—are you really the one who copied that book?”

He was way, way, way too young.

He had thought the writer was a reclusive master calligrapher whom he could befriend, study with, and drink with.

He never expected it to be a youth of only seventeen or eighteen…

The young man stood tall, with a handsome, refined face still dotted with ink. With such an innocent look, how could he possibly have written those powerful characters?

Could it be that the real writer didn’t want to meet him and deliberately sent someone to trick him?

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t imagine someone this young having such mastery of calligraphy.

Shen Xiuyan saw the shock in Liu Fuzi’s eyes and the twitching corners of his mouth and knew he still didn’t believe it.

To prove himself, he picked up a brush from the side and wrote a few large characters. “Please, see for yourself.”

Liu Fuzi stepped forward, almost stumbling. With just one glance, he was stunned.

These characters were exactly the same as those of the current Imperial Chancellor…

The truth was right before his eyes—he had no choice but to believe. He turned his head with difficulty to look more closely at Shen Xiuyan’s face.

But just that small motion left him breathless.

Wait a minute…

What did he just see…

He was too shocked to even speak.

“Th-this, this is…”

Shen Xiuyan followed his gaze, then scratched his head and smiled. “That’s a style I’ve been copying lately.”

Liu Fuzi didn’t want to talk anymore. Madly obsessed with calligraphy, he pounced on him like a starving tiger.

He flipped through the pages ravenously—this was Master Sun’s handwriting, this was Master Zhang’s, this was Master Feng’s…

Not a single flaw could be found in any of them. Whether it was the structure of the characters or the stroke techniques, they were exactly the same.

The only giveaway was the still-wet ink on the paper…

This level of imitation was truly extraordinary.

He looked at Shen Xiuyan, eyes burning with fervor.

Shen Xiuyan couldn’t help but shrink his shoulders. What was wrong with this Liu Fuzi? Had he done something wrong? Why was he looking at him like that?

He hugged his weak, helpless self.

Liu Fuzi cleared his throat to hide his excitement. “How long did you spend copying these characters from the Calligraphy Practice Sheets?”

Shen Xiuyan: “Two hours? Oh, no—three hours.”

Seeing Liu Fuzi’s expression grow increasingly strange, Shen Xiuyan quickly corrected himself.

Liu Fuzi: “…”

I’m tired. I don’t want to talk anymore.

Why?

We’re all human—why don’t I have that kind of talent…

There’s just no comparing…

“Young man, have you ever sat for the civil service exams?”

Shen Xiuyan: “I’m unworthy—after many years of effort, I’m still just a tongsheng.”

Only then did Liu Fuzi nod in satisfaction. Indeed, Heaven is fair. As it opens a window for you, it closes a door.

What good is beautiful calligraphy if your scholarship can’t keep up?

He smiled slightly. “Which academy were you at before?”

Shen Xiuyan: “Longmen Academy.”

Liu Fuzi: “…”

Isn’t that the worst school in the county? Why would Shen Xiuyan choose to go there?

Even if his grades were poor, with handwriting like that, any number of academies would have taken him.

Then, glancing around the conditions in the room, he understood—it all came down to poverty.

Shen Xiuyan noticed Liu Fuzi’s gaze resting on the only intact chair in the room.

Was he tired from standing?

Did he want to sit for a while?

He quickly offered the seat. “Please, have a seat. Things have been hectic lately, I haven’t had time to buy furniture. Please sit for now.”

Liu Fuzi waved his hand. “No need.”

He understood.

There was no need to make such excuses for appearances in front of him.

In his heart, Shen Xiuyan was already a pitiful little soul who stirred compassion.