Fang Tong had a dark complexion and a small stature, but he was a very hearty person.
He had a cheerful personality and liked to make friends everywhere.
He said, "Brother Song, so you're from Yiwu! I went to Yiwu a few years ago, but I didn't stay long. It's a beautiful place! And the people there are very nice. I think you're a good person, Brother Song. "
"You flatter me."
They just met, but he said he was a good person. Wasn't he a little too cautious?
Fang Tong said, "Oh yeah, Brother Song, we're fated to meet. There will be a poetry competition at Tong Yu Pavilion on East Street. The participants will be our students. I think you're going too, right? Why don't … you come with me? We can meet each other and discuss knowledge. What do you think? "
A cordial invitation!
Song Zhi happened to lack such an opportunity.
He had been in Gaoding for a few days but had never attended such a gathering.
Thus, he agreed without hesitation.
The two left the bookstore and headed for Tong Yu Pavilion.
On the way, Fang Tong kept talking to a friend because he knew him.
"Brother Song, you must be a book lover."
"Books are gold and jade. Of course I cherish them."
"I love books too, so I go to the bookstore every day. But my family is poor and some books are too expensive. I can't afford them, so I can only read them in the bookstore."
"Me too."
The two finally had something in common.
They were both poor.
Thus, the conversation became more and more lively.
Fang Tong asked, "Where do you live now, Brother Song?"
"At a friend's house."
"It's great to have a place to stay in Gaoding." Fang Tong was envious.
Song Zhi asked, "Where do you live, Brother Fang?"
"Wen She!"
Uh!
Song Zhi was shocked.
He slowed down a little.
He thought he had heard wrongly.
He asked again, "Is it … the haunted wen she?"
Fang Tong laughed at his question. "Brother Song must have heard those rumors, right?"
"Rumors?"
"Isn't that so? They're all rumors. The more they spread, the more exaggerated they get! "Fang Tong said.
Although Song Zhi wasn't a curious person, since it had come to this, he couldn't help but want to know what was going on.
Puzzled, he continued to ask, "What exactly is going on? Now, everyone is talking about it."
Fang Tong looked around as he walked, then lowered his voice and said to him, "Brother Song, you might not know this, but every time the triennial general examination comes around, strange things like this will spread in the study room. There's no need to take it seriously!"
"All of them? Why? "" You don't know! Due to the fact that every year, the officials would enter Gaoding to take part in the examinations. Many inns began to raise their prices, and many people could not afford to stay there. However, the lodgings did not cost a single cent, and there were even three meals to eat. Many people from poor families would do anything to live in the lodgings. This way, they could save a lot of money.
Because of money, many people tried their best to live there. However, there were only so many rooms, and it was impossible for too many people to live there. That's why some people purposely spread this rumor to dispel the thoughts of those who want to move in. "
There was another meaning to his words.
Song Zhi understood and said, "According to what you said, it was spread by the people living in the lodgings?"
"Brother Song, I didn't say that. You guessed it yourself."
"..." Song Zhi asked again, "Then what about the person who said he was scared by a ghost this morning?"
"He just caught a cold! I wonder who spread such a ridiculous rumor. What a joke. "
"I see." Song Zhi was doubtful, "Is there really no ghost?"
Fang Tong laughed for another day, then said sheepishly, "Actually, to tell you the truth, I've already taken the examination twice. Three years ago, when I came to Gaoding, I also lived in the lodgings. At that time, there was also such a rumor. It was said that many people saw it, but I didn't see it! Many of the people I know didn't see it either. "
"Oh!"
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."
Song Zhi didn't continue asking.
The two continued to walk forward.
They saw a group of people gathered together.
Curious, they walked over to take a look.
Only then did they realize that there was a portrait pasted on the wall.
It was Ji Yunshu's portrait of the deceased, but it was a copy.
The painter's skills were not as good as Ji Yunshu's, and the painting was very simple. Some of the colors were not pure, but they could still see the deceased's appearance.
The commoners gathered in front of the painting and pointed at it.
"Who is this person?"
"I don't know."
"Is it really the portrait with a skull found at the city gate?"
"It seems so."
"It's just a skull. How did it draw a person?"
"It's said that the government hired an expert who can draw portraits by touching bones. This portrait was painted by her."
"There's such a person?"
"My cousin works in the city department. He told me himself."
"That's amazing."
...
There was a lot of discussion.
However, no one knew who the person in the portrait was.
Song Zhi looked at the portrait and admired Ji Yunshu from the bottom of his heart.
That young master was really amazing!
She finished the portrait in a short three days.
Fang Tong asked him, "Brother Song, have you heard about that case?"
"Yes."
"It's really shocking. There's a skull in a stone. It's scary just thinking about it."
It was quite shocking.
Song Zhi smiled.
He didn't say anything.
The two didn't stay any longer. They were in a hurry to attend the poetry meet, so they left.
There was a young girl in the crowd. She was dressed in a rich family's maid's uniform and carried a basket in her hand. She seemed to be out to buy things.
She stared at the person in the portrait for a long time, her curved eyebrows knitted together.
She pondered for a while.
She murmured, "Isn't this … Su Qiao?"
She was shocked.
But she didn't dare to say anything.
She hurriedly pushed through the crowd and returned to the mansion.
...
It was already dark when Fang Tong and Song Zhi arrived at Tong Yu Pavilion.
Tong Yu Pavilion was a gathering place for scholars. It was said that an important person had organized this poetry meet, so many scholars came here to learn from each other.
It was very lively inside.
Some people were reciting poems.
Fang Tong pulled Song Zhi to an empty seat and ordered a pot of tea.
Just as he took a sip —
"Fang Tong, why are you so late?" A man in green came to greet him.
Fang Tong stood up, "Jang Wen, you're too much. We agreed to come together, but you didn't wait for me."
The man called Jang Wen said, "Since you wanted to go to the bookstore, I came first." "Oh, let me introduce you to someone." Fang Tong pointed at Song Zhi, "He's Song Zhi. I met him at the bookstore just now. He's here for the meet just like us. I saw that he was alone, so I dragged him along. We can get to know each other." He then introduced, "Brother Song, this is Jang Wen.
We're from the same hometown. "
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