In the plaza.
The preliminaries were coming to an end.
"It's about time, right?" Elder Qian asked.
The second judge said, "Alright, let's wait another two minutes."
The third judge nodded and said, "Alright, if no one can match it, we'll pack up. Hehe."
The three judges gave the final deadline. This preliminary round could not go on indefinitely. The auditorium was still waiting for the opening ceremony. Actually, speaking of which, they did not expect anyone to match the second half of the couplet. There was not enough time. The second half of the couplet was very mysterious. Every word had to be broken down and understood before one could match the second half. Otherwise, there was no need to think about it.
Elder Qian looked at the contestants who had given up and shook his head slightly. In his heart, he still hoped that someone could match his couplet, but he also understood that it was impossible.
…
Not far away.
Xiao Lu was getting anxious. "Quickly correct it!"
Hou Di didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "How do you answer question 50?"
Da Fei also looked at the question that was rated as one of the two most difficult questions. "Hai Shui Zhao Zhao Zhao Zhao Luo? Is this a couplet or a tongue twister? What the hell is this? "
Hou Ge also stared, "Did you write the wrong word? Why are there so many court sessions? "
Xiao Lu suggested, "Why don't we just blindly try our luck? Let's match 'Da Feng Da Feng Da Feng Da Feng Da Feng'?"
Well, with such a strong wind, it must be a tornado. Zhang Ye could not help but smile wryly.
Xiao Lu also knew it wouldn't work. She said dejectedly, "Then what should we do?"
As the few of them were talking, Big Thunder suddenly saw Zhang Ye and smiled. He walked over and said, "Yo, Zhang Ye is here too? Why hasn't it matched yet? This is the only one left. " Big Thunder was good at writing poems, and similarly, he was good at couplets. If not, he would not have been the runner-up in the previous competition. Hence, this time, he stood in front of Zhang Ye as a couplet competitor. Big Thunder was very confident. He admitted that he might not be as good as Zhang Ye at writing poems and lyrics, but couplets? You want to compare couplets with me? Then you must be joking! Big Thunder was here to fight for the championship this year!
Zhang Ye glanced at him. "So what if there's only one left?"
"Then you have to hurry up. There's no time." Big Thunder laughed and said, "And are you sure you can match this couplet? This is a question set by Old Qian. Don't brag and say that you can answer it. Why don't you recite this couplet for us to hear? I'm afraid you can't even pronounce it correctly. If that's the case, then don't pronounce it correctly. "
Xiao Lu whispered, "Teacher Zhang, just write something randomly!"
"Right, just write a random one. Who knows?" Hou Di said, "Why don't we write the one that Xiao Lu mentioned?"
The few of them discussed in whispers.
Big Thunder shook his head and said, "You can even collectively match the second half of the couplet? Isn't this cheating? "
Xiao Lu stared fiercely at Big Thunder. This old bald donkey! What does it have to do with you? Could it be that you were the one who stopped Zhang laoshi from participating in the previous round?
The first judge, Elder Qian, looked at his watch. "Alright, that's enough."
They got up and prepared to leave. The school staff next to them also came over to move the tables to clean up the scene.
But at this moment, Zhang Ye said loudly, "Judges, please wait a moment. I would like to give it a try."
Big Thunder was stunned. He was amused. He was thinking, "You really want to match this couplet? Besides, you haven't been here for long, right? What can you match in such a short time!? Even if I want to match this second half, I might not even be able to match it after thinking for an hour or two. Just based on you?
The other contestants stopped in their tracks and looked over.
"Eh?"
"Who is this person?"
"This first half is absolute, right? There are still people who want to try? "
"It's not absolute, but it's definitely very difficult."
"Can he do it? Why haven't I seen him before? Is he someone from our circle? "
Big Sis Zhou, Auntie Sun and Zhao Guozhou were watching from a distance away. When they saw that Zhang Ye was about to go up, they all shouted.
"Teacher Zhang Ye, you can do it!" Xiaofang shouted.
"Little Zhang! Let them see what you can do! "Auntie Sun said.
Zhang Ye looked back. Tian Bin and his wife were also using hand gestures to cheer him on. He nodded at his old friends and colleagues, indicating for them not to worry.
However, with their cheers, many of the contestants who had forfeited were stunned!
"Zhang Ye?"
"He's that Zhang Ye?"
"'Shuidiao Getou' is really well written. So it's him."
"I heard that he smacked the Writers' Association's face the last time. He really dares to come today?"
A number of people did not know Zhang Ye, but there were a few who had heard of him. They gathered in groups of twos and threes to discuss and point at him.
At this moment, the partner's videographer also pointed the camera at Zhang Ye. They were not broadcasting the preliminaries live, but they still had to record it. Then, they would edit the highlights before posting it online.
The three judges also looked at him, "Give it a try." It didn't matter if they had a minute.
Zhang Ye did not care about the crowd's discussion and took a step forward.
Xiao Lu said in surprise, "Are you really going to write my scratch scratch scratch?"
Zhang Ye smiled. He thought to himself, "Even a fool wouldn't use that crappy couplet of yours. Even the syllables aren't symmetrical. If this bro were to write it that way, I would definitely be laughed at by industry insiders. That first half of the couplet was hidden with killing intent. How could it be matched just by luck? However, Zhang Ye did not feel any pressure. Coincidentally, one of the two most difficult couplets in the preliminaries was the 50th question, which was also the last question. It happened to be the 20-30% of couplets that existed in his world. Furthermore, the second half had already been matched by the capable seniors of his world!
The question board was getting closer and closer.
Standing in front, Zhang Ye stopped in his tracks and lowered his head. He picked up a brush and licked the ink from the inkstone. Raising his hand, he wrote his second half without any hesitation!
Big Thunder glanced at it and did not understand it at first glance.
The other contestants also looked at Zhang Ye's second couplet in bafflement. This was because they did not understand the first couplet at all. Most of them did not even know how to read it. Hence, even if Zhang Ye wrote a second couplet, they could not understand it and were confused.
However, the only thing worth praising was that this person's calligraphy was very nice!
Hou Ge exclaimed, "Good calligraphy!"
Hu Fei's eyes lit up, "Teacher Little Zhang's calligraphy is good! The strokes are elegant and powerful! "
Xiao Lu was also stunned, "These words are so beautiful! Teacher Zhang Ye actually has such a foundation in calligraphy? "
The other contestants and non-contestants in the audience also took a few more glances at Zhang Ye's brush. It was rare for such a young person to have such good calligraphy!
Zhang Ye put down the brush and finished writing!
Only then did everyone place their attention on the second half of Zhang Ye's couplet — Floating Clouds Grow Grow Grow Grow Grow Disappear!
What kind of second verse is this?
What did that mean?
It was impossible to tell from the surface!
Big Thunder and a few of the more accomplished couplet experts stared at the second half of the couplet, deep in thought. They tried to recite it a few times but failed.
That can't be right, right?
Did the second verse match?
They were not sure either. The first and second half of the couplet seemed to be very vague. It was difficult for them to judge!
Even the second and third judges did not think much of it when they saw it. They felt that this young man might have written it blindly. It was just that the words on the stage were neat and tidy. The meaning and mood of Elder Qian's first half of the couplet was definitely a mess. It was impossible to match it.
Some of the audience jeered.
"What is this?"
"Haha, typing a few words consecutively is the second half of the couplet?"
"Yeah, then I can do it too. This couplet is definitely not that simple."
"This is blindly matching. Long long long long? What are you talking about? "
Only Elder Qian narrowed his eyes slightly, "Young lad, how do you pronounce the second half of the couplet?"
Zhang Ye chuckled and asked, "How do you pronounce the first half of the couplet?"
"My couplet is …" Elder Qian recited, "Hai Hai Chao, Chao Chao, Chao Chao, Chao Chao.
When the pronunciation was read out, the meaning of the consecutive "chao" was very clear. Many contestants and spectators suddenly understood. So that's how it is! So that's how you read it! No wonder last year's runner-up, Big Thunder, said that people in the industry might not be able to pronounce it correctly! The mystery was so deep! These were couplets with the same words but different sounds! This kind of couplet was simply too difficult! Because it was very complicated! And you want the second half of the couplet to be neat? How could this be?
Xiao Lu said in a speechless manner, "This couplet is too obscure!"
Hou Di sighed, "Teacher Little Zhang definitely didn't match it. Chang Chang Chang? That's not symmetrical, right? "
Hou Ge said, "Forget it. There's nothing to feel sorry about. Anyway, Teacher Zhang's forte is not matching couplets. He previously said that he didn't know how to match couplets because he had never studied them before."
The second judge looked at Elder Qian, "Let's go, Elder Qian. Let's go to the auditorium."
"That's right. We still have to judge the finals in a while." The third judge, an old man, said.
But no one expected that Elder Qian would not move. He just looked at Zhang Ye, "What about you?"
"Hai Hai Chao, Chao Chao, Chao Chao, Chao Chao Chao." Zhang Ye repeated it once and then chuckled. He said his second half, "Floating clouds rise, Chao Chao Chao, Chao Chao Chao!"
The second and third judges, who had already turned to leave, turned their heads in shock when they heard this!
Many of the audience and contestants were about to leave, but when they heard Zhang Ye's second half, many of their expressions changed from indifference to dumbfounded!
Big Thunder was stunned!
Hu Fei, Hou Ge, Xiao Lu and company also stared with their eyes wide open!
At this moment, the entire Peking University square seemed to have quietened down!
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