Chapter 112: Two in One

Chapter 112: Two in One

When Xu Sihan said this, the people who heard her had various expressions. Some looked at Xu Sihan as if she were a fool, some were alarmed, some amused, and others were waiting for the drama to unfold.

Her voice was just loud enough, and many people turned their attention to Qin Yao.

At gatherings like this, where everyone was bored, no one cared for polite pleasantries—what they really wanted was a good argument. In hospitals, even people hooked up to IVs would hobble over to watch a fight.

Xu Sihan’s words were clever. The beginning sounded like admiration for Qin Yao, but she abruptly pointed out "flaws" and "illogical parts" in her work. This was getting juicy.

The other female protagonist in the conversation, Qin Yao, would she "humbly seek advice" or "fly into a rage"?

Many famous authors had such anecdotes. For example, a reader points out problems in their work, but they humbly seek advice and improve, turning it into a "feel-good story" that appeared in various composition materials as a famous anecdote.

Qin Yao, sitting next to He An at the tea gathering, had already caught many eyes. She was stunningly beautiful, with a graceful demeanor, and her writing skills were well-known. As the youngest daughter-in-law of the prestigious Gu family, married to a handsome and promising husband, she was the epitome of success and elegance, envied by many.

Such a young woman, in her early twenties, had achieved so much. It would be hard for her to take criticism in person—this would be entertaining to watch.

If Qin Yao were to fly into a rage, it wouldn’t be Xu Sihan who lost face, but Qin Yao. Others would only laugh at her for being young and impetuous, unable to hold her temper.

The truly cunning would hide their talents and act humble, seeking advice sincerely, leaving no room for others to find fault, making those who "shamelessly provoke" like Xu Sihan feel ashamed.

But did Qin Yao have this kind of temperament?

Most young people didn’t, right?

Then it would just become a joke for others to watch. If she became famous in the future, this would haunt her reputation forever.

"What’s happening over there?"

"Shh, maybe there’s a good show to watch? What did she say?"

"A show? That’s great. I’ve been bored to death."

...

Word spread from one person to another, and the situation became uncontrollable. Everyone was extremely bored, and their attention shifted to Qin Yao, waiting for her reaction.

He An looked at her sister-in-law with a concerned expression.

Under everyone’s gaze, Qin Yao picked up an orange, barely giving Xu Sihan a glance, and casually said, "Oh."

Everyone was taken aback, including Xu Sihan, who was confused. She thought Qin Yao, being so young, would lose her cool over such a provocation, but Qin Yao remained calm.

Qin Yao’s nonchalant demeanor turned Xu Sihan’s face pale. This was not the scenario she had anticipated.

"Thank you for reading my work. I will have more works published in the future. You can buy a few more copies at the Xinhua Bookstore," Qin Yao said with a confident and pleasant smile.

Losing her temper over someone stirring up trouble would be embarrassing, especially since Xu Sihan’s comments barely registered with Qin Yao. In online comment wars, the insults would be far worse. Being told her work had "flaws" or "didn’t make sense" wasn’t a big deal.

In martial arts, there’s always a top dog, but in writing, there’s no clear winner. Even the greatest authors would have their works picked apart by others. In the eyes of future netizens, even Li Qingzhao’s poems would seem illogical and disjointed. So why bother caring about this?

Even famous essayists could be criticized for having "elementary school student writing," simply because they used plain and vivid language without obscure words.

To many uneducated people, books that left them "lost" or "confused" were seen as deep and meaningful. This was often because they lacked culture and had low aesthetic standards.

Most people didn’t know Xu Sihan, so they didn’t feel the need to give her any respect or care about her reaction. They just thought she was acting strange. Someone nearby couldn’t resist praising Qin Yao to ease the tension:

"He An, your sister-in-law is really something! She has such grace and poise!"

"You really know how to pick a daughter-in-law."

"She seems like someone with class, not like some others who are just troublemakers."

...

Most people weren’t bothered by any logical flaws or inconsistencies. Even the best articles couldn’t be flawless. Overanalyzing was just nitpicking, a joke. Especially on an occasion like today.

If you want to discuss literature, go to a literary seminar.

Xu Sihan felt deflated. All her prepared remarks were for nothing. Since Qin Yao didn’t take her seriously, she couldn’t stir up any trouble. In fact, what just happened boosted Qin Yao’s reputation.

Regardless of the quality of her writing, Qin Yao’s composure and magnanimity earned her praise.

At this moment, Kang Sazi pulled Xu Sihan aside. Xu Sihan had helped her before, and Kang Sazi had thought highly of her. But today, Xu Sihan was just stirring up trouble for no reason.

She was just asking for trouble.

If Qin Yao didn’t rise to the bait, Xu Sihan would look like a fool. Instead, she ended up elevating Qin Yao’s status. Many people in the room started discussing Qin Yao, and most of the comments were complimentary. Honestly, for someone so young to have achieved this much, calling Qin Yao a rising star wasn’t an exaggeration.

"Rui’an, it seems the Gu family’s younger daughter-in-law is no less impressive than your family’s talented woman."

"So young, and so beautiful."

"She’s more beautiful than Xue’an, a real beauty. Her looks alone are captivating."

"Xue’an is a talented woman, but not exactly beautiful."

...

Hearing the praise around her, Zhang Rui’an, who hadn’t been on good terms with He An, felt like she had eaten a sour lemon. Qin Yao, just the daughter of a chef, how could she even compare to my talented sister?

How dare they compare her to my sister? This was going too far.

Her younger sister, Zhang Xue’an, also wore a displeased expression.

Priding herself on her status, Zhang Rui’an couldn’t swallow this. If they didn’t settle this now, in the future, whenever Zhang Xue’an was mentioned, this chef’s daughter would be brought up too. No way! She couldn’t let that happen.

With that thought, Zhang Rui’an stood up, approached He An, and smiled. "He An, your sister-in-law is really something. How about a little competition with my Xue’an? Nothing serious, just for fun. It’s the New Year after all. How about a couplet contest, a flying flower order, or writing a modern poem to celebrate the occasion?"

Immediately, someone next to them said, "Great! Let’s liven things up! It’s a festive occasion."

Several people chimed in, and the atmosphere quickly heated up. It made sense. Zhang Xue’an was a well-known talented woman. Even if Qin Yao lost, it wouldn’t be embarrassing given her earlier display of composure.

As for other matters, many people knew that Zhang Rui’an and He An didn’t get along. It was because of the "An" in their names. Zhang Rui’an’s relationship with her husband wasn’t great, and now she was just throwing caution to the wind.

He An’s expression turned sour. She thought, This Zhang woman is shameless. Spreading her and her husband’s dirty laundry and still pretending here. She glanced at Qin Yao, regretting bringing her to this gathering.

"A competition? Sure, we can compete!" Qin Yao had already heard that Zhang Rui’an and her sister-in-law weren’t on good terms. The person who provoked her earlier probably had some connection to Zhang Rui’an.

Qin Yao wasn’t someone who feared trouble. If someone wanted to make her lose face, she’d make sure they ended up shooting themselves in the foot.

"You actually agreed?" Zhang Rui’an and Zhang Xue’an didn’t expect Qin Yao to agree so quickly. Is she illiterate? Does she really think she can win against Zhang Xue’an? Or is she just too naive?

The others were also shocked.

"This is way more boring than those old-fashioned challenges. We don’t have any literary judges here, so how can we really tell who’s more talented? As they say, 'In martial arts, there’s no second place, and in literature, there’s no clear winner.' How about this: Since the Zhang family’s prodigy is said to be able to recite *Dream of the Red Chamber*, let’s have a competition to see who can recite it. We’ll randomly select a chapter. Whether someone recites more, less, or can’t recite it at all, everyone will be able to hear for themselves and judge. That way, we’ll have a quantifiable standard."

Qin Yao took the initiative and proposed the talent competition. Many literati and self-proclaimed scholars loved to boast about having thoroughly studied *Dream of the Red Chamber* or even claimed to recite it from memory.

Of course, no one ever asked them to prove it by reciting the whole book.

Zhang Xuean had also boasted about mastering *Dream of the Red Chamber* at a young age and being able to recite the entire book.

"Good idea! Let’s hear the recitations."

"Exactly, these talented women always claim to be familiar with *Dream of the Red Chamber*. Let’s see if they can actually recite it."

"This competition is going to be exciting!"

In recent years, the Four Great Classical Novels had been reinstated as cultural treasures, regaining their former status, with new editions published.

Qin Yao’s proposal for this competition earned her even more respect from those present.

The fact that she dared to propose such a competition showed that she had truly put in the effort and wasn’t just pretending to be knowledgeable.

In the cultural world, many young talents were promoted not necessarily because of their own abilities, but because of their family’s influence. Elders often helped revise (or write) articles just to gain fame.

Publishing articles and poems with the help of others was all too easy.

"Are we really competing in this?" Zhang Rui’an was confused.

"Are you afraid to compete? Isn’t the great prodigy afraid she hasn’t memorized it?" Qin Yao said with a smile. Since you started this, don’t blame me for being ruthless.

Who told you to go around bragging about reciting *Dream of the Red Chamber*?

"Exactly, isn’t Zhang Xue’an afraid to compete? I seem to remember she can recite *Dream of the Red Chamber*," someone nearby, enjoying the drama, chimed in.

"It’s possible she won’t be able to recite it. It’s such a long book."

"Most of these claims are just hot air. Memorizing an entire book is nearly impossible."

"This Gu family daughter-in-law is sharp as a tack. She might not be a scholar, but she’s definitely clever. I don’t believe she lacks talent. This competition idea is really interesting."

"She’s beautiful, witty, and a real charmer. Her husband has married well."

...

"Alright, let’s compete!" Zhang Xue’an agreed to the competition, but immediately realized she had acted on impulse. It was too reckless. She was familiar with *Dream of the Red Chamber*, but reciting it flawlessly in public was beyond her.

Still, she believed that if she couldn’t do it, Qin Yao definitely wouldn’t be able to either. When it came to familiarity with *Dream of the Red Chamber*, Qin Yao couldn’t compare to her.

Qin Yao eagerly said, "Let’s randomly select which chapter to recite."

"Only the first eighty chapters."

"Fine."

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, pieces of paper were prepared, and both women drew numbers. They would recite the chapters corresponding to the numbers they drew, which was considered fair. They couldn’t both recite the same chapter, as that would be unfair to the second person.

Qin Yao drew Chapter 50, and Zhang Xue’an drew Chapter 34. They were given twenty minutes to review before reciting, but last-minute cramming was already too late.

When she saw Chapter 34, Zhang Xuean let out a sigh of relief. She was more familiar with the earlier chapters. Holding the book, Zhang Xue’an quickly skimmed through it, determined to save face and recite at least half.

Unfortunately, the more nervous she became, the more she forgot. Zhang Xuean couldn’t help but shoot Zhang Rui’an a resentful glance. It was all her fault for stirring up trouble.

Zhang Rui'an remained calm and composed, keeping a close watch on Qin Yao's movements. She didn't believe that Qin Yao could outperform Zhang Xue'an.

Qin Yao slowly flipped through the book, confidently taking her time. She opened a gift from her husband designed to aid her memorization and instantly committed its contents to memory.

To make the competition more exciting, Qin Yao wondered if she should pretend to be nervous.

"Who wants to go first?"

Zhang Xue'an quickly volunteered, "I'll go first!"

Reciting from memory tests one's mental fortitude. Many people can only remember for a few hours before forgetting. Going first offers a clear advantage—the longer you wait, the more you forget.

"Then I'll go second, and for fairness, I won't look at the book anymore." With that, Qin Yao set the book down.

Zhang Xue'an was momentarily stunned. Although she had the advantage of going first, Qin Yao had gained one too. While Zhang Xue'an recited, Qin Yao could continue memorizing. Now, Qin Yao's gesture made Zhang Xue'an seem like she had all the advantages.

Even if Zhang Xue'an recited more, it wouldn’t feel like a fair win.

"Chapter Thirty-Four, 'Emotions in...'" Zhang Xue'an began reciting, starting with the chapter title. The first few paragraphs flowed relatively smoothly, but soon she started to falter. Still, she managed to stumble through the entire chapter.

The others applauded. "Well done, that's impressive."

Zhang Xue'an smiled, relieved. Although she hadn't recited it perfectly, she had completed the framework, which was already remarkable for most people.

There was no way Qin Yao could match that; Zhang Xue'an had already secured the win.

"Now it's Qin Yao's turn. Some time has passed. Qin Yao, do you want to take another look at the book?" Zhang Rui'an said insincerely, feeling quite smug. She was confident that Zhang Xue'an had won, and no matter what, Qin Yao would end up embarrassed.

Little did she know, Qin Yao, the Zhang family’s talented woman, was about to deliver an impressive recitation.

Qin Yao stood up, smiled calmly, and said, "I'll start then, Chapter Fifty..."

Qin Yao began reciting at a steady pace. The room fell silent as everyone listened. Three temporary judges, including Zhang Rui'an and He An, held the book to confirm Qin Yao's recitation.

He An exclaimed, "Flawless! Everything's correct!"

This sent waves through the room.

"She's amazing, reciting so fluently!"

"To recite a book verbatim in front of everyone, she must have put in a lot of effort. Real talent."

"She recited much better than Zhang Xue'an."

"Yes, truly impressive!"

...

Many had never seen Qin Yao’s work before, but her flawless recitation proved she was no amateur. Without real knowledge, how could she have recited so flawlessly?

"He An’s sister-in-law won, and she did it in such style!"

"What a remarkable talent!"

...

The faces of Zhang Rui'an and Zhang Xue'an turned pale, both looking absolutely terrible. How could this be possible? Was there cheating involved? But how could Qin Yao cheat? It was all in front of everyone's eyes.

Still unwilling to admit defeat, Zhang Xue'an said, "Best of three, let's compete again, and we'll recite three different chapters."

Qin Yao smiled and said, "Sure, I'll accompany you no matter which chapter we recite."

"I—"

The people around quickly interjected, "No need to compete again. Qin Yao has already won, and there's no point in competing further."

"As we said, it's just for fun, not to be taken too seriously."

"If you lose, you lose. Don't be unable to accept it."

"Truly, there's always someone better out there. Our country really has many talented people."

"Yes, yes, this is a good thing."

Hearing these words, the expressions on the Zhang sisters' faces became even worse, especially Zhang Rui'an's. Not only did she fail to show off, but she also ended up being a stepping stone for He An's sister-in-law.

Now, everyone was certain that Qin Yao was a genuine talent.

"Yaoyao, you are truly amazing!" He An looked up at Qin Yao, delighted to see Zhang Rui'an's sour face. "Sister-in-law, you've been keeping your talents hidden all this time."

"You're too kind. I just have a good memory," Qin Yao replied modestly.

Qin Yao was the star of the event and took the opportunity to meet several family members. She chose a few who seemed kind and chatted with them, enjoying a lively conversation.

Qin Yao and her elder sister-in-law happily returned home.

Back at the Gu family, Old Master Gu had also heard about the event and was grinning from ear to ear. "The biological mother of our Rui Rui and Ming Ming is incredibly talented. These two little scholars might write biographies for their great-grandfather in the future."

His son, Gu Zhuyong, muttered under his breath, "I doubt they'll be writing about you."

These two grandsons might write biographies for their grandfather instead.

Old Master Gu's face darkened. "Are you rebelling against me?"

"When you were young, you were quite proper. Now that you're older, you're acting rebellious."

...

Liu Shuqin knew that her younger son, Gu Cheng, had a good memory, but she didn't expect her daughter-in-law to have such an excellent memory as well. If both of them had such good memories, could their child be a prodigy? If he were a prodigy, they couldn't afford to waste his potential. Should they send him to an advanced class?

At that moment, Rui Rui was seriously playing with building blocks, and his younger brother, Ming Ming, was hanging around him, squeezing next to his older brother.

Liu Shuqin thought, "At two years old, it's too early to tell if they're prodigies. Sometimes, Ming Ming acts a little goofy, looking innocent and adorable."

A precocious prodigy was fine, but a cute and innocent little child was more endearing.

Liu Shuqin didn't forget to remind her son, Gu Cheng. "You're not home much, but you should pay close attention to our two little grandsons and see if they are prodigies."

"Even if they are prodigies, so what?" Gu Cheng said with a smile, but inwardly, he thought with a sense of resignation, "A prodigy who keeps me on my toes?"

Qin Yao said, "Even prodigies need a childhood. We shouldn't rush their development."

Qin Yao couldn't be sure how intelligent her two sons were, but she knew that every mother had a maternal filter. When their children were young, they always thought their own kids were smart and adorable.

By third or fourth grade, when kids are more or less settled, there’s nothing left to show off on social media.

"Our Yaoyao is really something," Gu Cheng, her husband, praised sincerely. He knew of Qin Yao's achievements and wasn't surprised at all. His own memory was exceptionally good. If it were him, it wouldn't take long to train before he could memorize quickly too.

Gu Cheng had always known that memory improved with practice. The more one persisted in memorization, the better their memory became. He would memorize some complex and unordered symbols every day to keep his brain active.

"The more you use your brain, the more flexible it becomes. I guess I won't have a partner who suffers from Alzheimer's in the future." Gu Cheng guessed that Qin Yao had read many books at the cultural center, encountered classical literature, and probably memorized *Dream of the Red Chamber* during that time.

Qin Yao teased him, "I remember quickly, but I forget quickly too. What if I've already forgotten everything now?"

"Memorize it again tomorrow. We’ve already won," Gu Cheng said with a smile, reaching out to pinch his wife's cheek. Every time she acted playful, she looked like a little girl.

"Any method works, as long as we win."

Qin Yao laughed. This was what it meant to hit a wall. But Qin Yao wasn’t afraid of offending the Zhang sisters. After the New Year, she would be leaving anyway. A writer's reputation is built on their work.

Besides, she didn’t have much interest in traditional literature.

In the 1970s, there were very few cultural and entertainment activities. Xinhua Bookstore had even fewer publications, with only a handful of books available to read. The foreign novels in the library were worn out from being read so many times, and films were scarce.

At that time, movie attendance was very high. Well, it couldn’t be described that way, but when a movie was made across the country, almost 80% of people had seen it. Because there were so few films, they were broadcast on TV, shown in cinemas, and played in rural communes during festivals. The same few films were shown over and over again.

It was quite boring. With a lack of entertainment, if you wanted to read some fantasy novels, it was impossible in this era. You could only read *Investiture of the Gods*. Qin Yao, who loved reading novels, even thought about starting an author's club in the 1980s, gathering a group of writers to write in seclusion.

Zhang Xue'an was indeed a talented woman, but Qin Yao didn’t think she could necessarily write great works. By the 1980s, many grassroots authors would produce works with much more vitality.

Many authors observed life and people, but certainly, there were many fantasy and mythical novel authors who observed animals!

For example, the dragon in mythological stories was composed of different parts of various animals. All kinds of mythical beasts could find templates in real animals.

Including those *XX Baobei* (XX Treasures), *XX Xiaojingling* (XX Little Sprites), the battle settings in these games and anime were definitely inspired by animal fights. Those settings and moves weren’t created out of thin air.

The world of humans might not be more exciting than the world of animals.

This made Qin Yao want to visit the zoo to see her fourth brother. She could also take the kids to the zoo, take pictures, and maybe even capture photos of feeding the baby pandas or pandas lazily lying in the snow.

"Let's find a time to take the kids to the zoo. They’ve never seen a panda."

"Even if they see it now, they might not remember it when they’re older."

"We’ll have photos as proof."