Chapter 22: Consecutive Slaps to the Face

Chapter 22: Consecutive Slaps to the Face

He even made a special effort to sign his name especially for her.

Wang Fuzhen felt humiliated but mustered the courage to send the remaining message.

Later, Miss Wang arrived with another group of young ladies. When everyone had assembled, Zheng Jinyu roughly estimated that there were over a hundred people.

Next came a gathering of young ladies, admiring lotus flowers, indulging in fruit and pastries, followed by a poetry recital, with compositions centered around the theme of lotus blooms.

At this stage, the proceedings became more exclusive, with only unmarried maidens invited, aside from Xie Jingrou. The oldest among them was eighteen, while the youngest was merely eight.

Only a few could compose poems on the spot; the rest could only recite memorized ones.

As the protagonist, Zheng Jinxiu couldn't afford to fall behind. Following Miss Wang's poem, she composed one of her own, earning applause from the crowd.

Perhaps due to having Wang Fuzhen as her ally, Zheng Jinxiu didn't propose that Zheng Jinyu should also contribute a poem. However, when Zheng Jinyu was momentarily exposed, Wang Fuzhen promptly seized the opportunity, saying to her, "Miss Zheng Er, why don't you grace us with a poem too?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not skilled in poetry."

She hadn't forgotten her alternate persona - from being illiterate to learning for merely over a month, that was her current status.

There were only a few young ladies capable of poetry, and two of them came from the Zheng family. Wouldn't this fact spread throughout the city?

If her true identity alongside Zheng Jinxiu's were to be exposed, her genius talent, who could compose poems after only a month of study, would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention.

But it seemed Wang Fuzhen had no intention of letting her off easily. She stepped forward and took her hand, saying, "It's alright if you can't compose a poem. Reciting a few lines would suffice as well. Miss Zhao Si just recited one earlier."

Zheng Jinyu offered a faint smile. "Very well, then I shall share a couplet."

"Alright, please do."

"Endless lotus leaves stretch to the sky, their vivid red blooms a sight to behold against the sun's rays."

The crowd burst into applause, yet none of them had ever heard such a beautiful poem before.

"Miss Zheng Er, is that all there is to this remarkable poem? Only two lines?"

"This is a poem I heard from an elder many years ago. There were originally four lines, but I can only recall these two now."

It was the truth; she had learned it so long ago that she only remembered the more famous couplet.

Xie Jingrou responded, "What a pity. To remember only half of such a brilliant verse. Might Miss Zheng Er enlighten us on who this elder was?"

Zheng Jinyu shook her head. "Back then, I was about as young as Miss Zhao Si. I didn't know this elder personally and have long forgotten their name. My apologies."

"You may not know them, yet you've committed their words to memory. This shows that these extraordinary lines truly are exceptional."

Wang Fuzhen watched in frustration as the poetry recital failed to embarrass Zheng Jinyu; she stomped her foot in anger.

Zheng Jinxiu's expression wasn't much better. She had managed to skirt past the issue with her name, and surprisingly, recited two lines about lotus flowers, escaping that predicament too.

Looking around at the fools surrounding them, did they actually believe that Zheng Jinyu possessed real scholarly knowledge?

Just over a month ago, she couldn't even hold a writing brush.

Zheng Jinxiu had witnessed firsthand her master teaching Zheng Jinyu how to hold one.

By midday, during the main meal, Zheng Jinyu sat calmly at the table, enjoying her food. Halfway through, Zheng Jinxiu told her that she needed to use the restroom and asked her not to wander off, promising to return soon.

Zheng Jinyu agreed.

She was well aware of Wang Fuzhen's subtle glances.

Could it be that these two archenemies from the original story, due to her unexpected change, were now considering an alliance?

Her guess was spot on.

Indeed, Wang Fuzhen summoned Zheng Jinxiu with a glance, and the two retreated into an empty room, shutting the door behind them.

Wang Fuzhen wasted no time in asking, "What's the deal with your younger sister?"

Zheng Jinxiu pretended to be oblivious. "What do you mean, what deal?"

Wang Fuzhen grew anxious. "Oh come on, don't play dumb with me. I've already done my homework. She's from the countryside, and that note in your room was indeed written by her. How can her handwriting be so crude like a chicken scratching the ground one day and then neat as a pin the next?"

Zheng Jinxiu wouldn't acknowledge Zheng Jinyu's accomplishments. She replied, "Don't speak ill of my sister like that. She's been working hard, practicing writing her name these past few days."

What? All she can do is write her name?

Wang Fuzhen ground her teeth in frustration, overwhelmed with regret.

If she had known that the girl could only write her name, she wouldn't have tested her on that.

"How then did she recite such a beautiful poem so flawlessly?"

"That poem was indeed exquisite, but none of us have ever heard it before, right?"

"Well, it's not surprising that nobody has heard of it."

"It must have been a learned villager who casually mentioned it, and she happened to overhear and remember it until now."

Wang Fuzhen frowned. "In that case, it was just a stroke of luck."

"Don't speak of my sister like that. She might genuinely possess knowledge."

Wang Fuzhen scoffed, thinking to herself that if she hadn't investigated thoroughly, she might have actually believed this tale.

Of course Zheng Jinxiu knew what was going on, as she had instructed her family's servants to spread the news herself. She told Wang Fuzhen that Zheng Jinyu was illiterate and had never been educated by her relatives, that she was nothing but a country bumpkin.

Her current refined appearance was all learned within the past month.

In Wang Fuzhen's eyes, an hastily cultivated lady of noble birth was merely a clumsy imitation, and if taken seriously, would only invite ridicule.

Wang Fuzhen sneered and said, "She's participating in the afternoon's painting competition. Has she ever painted before?"

"Well... I really don't know. I'm not very familiar with her."

"Hehe, I suppose she's only ever doodled with a stick in the mud."

By the afternoon, the eldest daughter of the Wang family, Wang Fuyu, arrived at the painted barge accompanied by a group of servants, each carrying tools for painting.

They distributed the tools to each person, encouraging them to find a spot they favored and paint the lotus flowers in the lake as their inspiration.

Though it was called play, it was in fact a subtle competition among the young ladies from prominent families.

Whether one paints skillfully or not, eventually, word of it will spread.

This greatly influences their prospects of selecting an outstanding spouse in the future.

Painting and calligraphy were Zheng Jinyu's forte, with music coming in second.

Isn't this akin to challenging her area of expertise?

Unlike poetry, where one must conceal their emotions, all that is required here is natural talent.

Zheng Jinyu chose a spot and diligently created a painting of lotus flowers reflecting the sun.

She was so engrossed in her drawing that she was unaware of when the Princess had come to stand behind her.

It wasn't until the entire painting was completed that she noticed the Princess standing behind her.

"Princess."

Xie Jingrou smiled. "Beautiful work. Did I disturb you?"

"No, I've finished," Jing Rou replied.

"Have you studied painting before?"

Zheng Jinyu hesitated for a moment before responding, "I enjoy painting. In the past, I often drew with sticks on the ground."

Each of her expressions was perfectly calibrated, evoking a look of sympathy from the princess, who sighed, "Oh, how challenging it must have been for you."

The young girl must have endured many hardships living outside the palace.

No wonder Yu'er wrote home, asking them to take special care of her.

"Well then, ladies, how have your paintings progressed?"

"Oh dear, I haven't finished mine yet," grumbled an unseen maiden.

Wang Fuzhen chuckled warmly. "No worries at all. Bring them forward for us to see, and you can finish it later."

With time running short, nearly half of the young ladies hadn't completed their artwork.

Those who hadn't finished were promptly eliminated from the competition.