Chapter 805 "Apricot Blossom Banquet"
Sun Shan was admiring the crabapple flowers while eating snacks on the table, his eyes and mouth never stopping.
The "Apricot Blossom Banquet" hosted by Li Tanhua was really good, like a buffet, with all kinds of dim sum, snacks and tea on the table. You can eat if you like and continue eating after you finish.
Sun Shan thought that since he had already paid for it, he might as well eat it.
What’s more, some of them are famous snacks in Beijing. Even if the taste is so-so, you still have to try them just for their reputation.
After Sun Shan separated from Peng Damu, he went to the Guangnan Jinshi team to chat.
This time, the rankings of Guangnan students were average, with no one making it into the top ten. Han Jieyuan still ranked the highest. A total of 15 people made the list.
This class created the highest number of Jinshi candidates in Guangnan, perhaps because of the expansion of enrollment.
Han Jieyuan smiled and said, "Brother Sun, come here quickly. I didn't see you just now. Why are you here just now?"
When fellow villagers meet, their eyes are filled with tears. As to whether they will stab each other in the back, it is not known yet.
Sun Shan shook his head and said, "I came here very early. I just went to enjoy the flowers. Did you see those two hundreds-year-old crabapple trees? They are in full bloom."
One of the fellow villagers nodded repeatedly and said, "We were just there admiring the flowers. Haha, this is the first time I've seen crabapple flowers blooming so brilliantly."
Another fellow villager also said: "If Li Tanhua hadn't chosen this place to meet, I wouldn't have known there were two such beautiful crabapple trees in the capital. I'm so lucky to have seen them today."
Although Sun Shan was from Guangnan, he was not really familiar with the Guangnan folks present, so they could only talk about some romantic things.
As for where you plan to work, whether your family has any connections to find a job, and other private matters, I definitely can't talk about them.
Everyone ate snacks and admired the flowers, and from time to time they shook their heads and recited the poems they had learned.
"The east wind is blowing, the moon is shining, the fragrance is in the air, and the moon is turning in the corridor. I am afraid that the flowers will fall asleep late at night, so I light a tall candle to illuminate their red makeup."
"Ask the curtain-roller, and he will say the crabapple tree remains the same. Do you know? Do you know? It should be green, fat, and red, thin."
"The water sways the shadows of the mountains, and the rain hits the flowers, making them look irritating. But thanks to the crabapple tree, whose beauty overwhelms the whole country, its charming smile helps to keep spring."
Everybody just wants to recite poetry. As for writing poetry, it is definitely a ballast and will not be recited until the necessary moment.
Although they have already passed the exams, scholars still hope to leave behind a good reputation as being "good at poetry and prose".
More importantly, everyone wants to be in the spotlight. Whether or not you can suppress your opponent is one thing, but the main thing is that victory can bring a sense of satisfaction.
As Sun Shan was chatting with his fellow villagers, the flower viewing event officially began.
Because it was a garden party, Li Tanhua did not arrange the seating like he would at a banquet.
The new scholars were allowed to move around freely, sit when they wanted to, or stand when they wanted to.
Li Tanhua stood in the middle, bowed his hands, and saluted everyone: "Everyone, I am honored to invite you all here today. It is a great honor to be able to take the imperial examination together and pass the exam together. This is a great fate."
After he finished speaking, everyone applauded enthusiastically.
As part of the atmosphere group, Sun Shan also applauded Li Tanhua.
There’s nothing you can do about it, handsome guys are just likable.
Li Tanhua said with a smile: "Everyone, let's go over there to enjoy the flowers. We can see them as we walk and take a look at the two hundred-year-old crabapple trees here later."
As they were talking, Sun Shan clapped his hands and shouted, "Good, good, good!"
With him as the atmosphere group, Li Tanhua is lucky, at least the audience won’t feel bored.
Li Tanhua returned the favor, nodded with a smile, and looked at Sun Shan. He seemed very satisfied with Sun Shan's behavior as a flatterer.
Li Tanhua led a group of newly-appointed scholars as they walked around the garden, commenting on the flowers, trees, bridges, flowing water, pavilions and buildings.
It was obvious that Li Tanhua had done his homework, introducing to the group of newly-appointed Jinshi the origins of every tree and blade of grass, every brick and tile, as well as the stories that happened inside.
For example, in this ordinary pavilion in front of us, a certain great poet or a certain high official once invited friends to appreciate the flowers here like today.
Anyway, an ordinary pavilion, through Li Tanhua's mouth, became a landscape full of historical relics and cultural atmosphere.
Sun Shan stared at the pavilion with wide eyes. It was no different from his home in Guangzhou.
If we have to say the difference, it is that the pavilion in Wei's Garden is relatively old, while the pavilion in Guangzhou's new house is relatively new.
Because Sun Shan has been renovated, it has to be new.
Alas, Sun Shan still has no imagination and still cannot feel the connection between the story told by Li Tanhua and the real thing.
Just like when he was studying in Hong Xiucai's school, Hong Xiucai took them to visit Guanyin Mountain. Sun Shan's eyes were sore from looking at it, and he couldn't tell that those mountains looked like the Reclining Lotus Guanyin.
Sun Shan shook his head secretly. He couldn't understand it, so he pretended to understand!
The so-called garden party really means what it says.
Just wandering around in the garden.
Li Tanhua reached out and plucked a crabapple flower, smiling and saying, "Everyone, pick any flower you like. I've already made an appointment with the owner of the garden. Haha, the owner of the garden is very supportive of our flower appreciation this time, and said that good flowers should be worthy of people like us who are knowledgeable and talented. The owner of the garden lets us pick as many as we want."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone burst into laughter.
The older Ge Bangyan picked a crabapple flower at random and said cheerfully, "Li Tanhua, I have been waiting for this sentence for a long time. I have long had my eyes on this crabapple in my hand. I have never dared to pick it. Hahahaha, now that you say that, I can't wait."
As soon as these words came out, everyone started laughing again.
Sun Shan looked at Ge Bangyan carefully, and he never expected that Ge Bangyan, who had always been ignored, was so humorous.
Tsk tsk~ What he said just now was obviously a lie, just to support Li Tanhua.
It seems that every new scholar who can become an outstanding talent and future pillar of Daqian should not be underestimated.
Sun Shan then picked a crabapple flower and pinned it in his hair.
It wasn't that Sun Shan wanted to do something else, but Li Tanhua took the lead and all of them wore flowers in their hair.
Hehe, people should be sociable.
Although it doesn't matter if he's not sociable, Sun Shan has always been considerate and will definitely compliment Li Tanhua.
After wandering around, everyone came to two century-old crabapple trees.
Li Tanhua sighed and said: "I wonder how many new Jinshi like us these two crabapple trees have witnessed."
Then he sang: "I don't know where the person has gone, but the tangerine blossoms still smile in the spring breeze."
Li Tanhua pointed, then made a gesture of invitation and said with a smile: "Du Zhuangyuan, how about you compose a poem first to open the show for us?"
Du Liubo smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll go first."
Unexpectedly, the poetry and couplets came so soon. Sun Shan thought that Li Tanhua would tell them the origin of the two century-old crabapple trees.
Alas, Sun Shan couldn't help but fall into depression.
Poetry and prose are his biggest weakness, but scholars just like to recite poems and compose couplets.
Sun Shan's mind raced, and he decided to just compose a poem when it was his turn. Rhyme and symmetry were not a problem.
Anyway, he was the last one there, and like a dead pig, Sun Shan was not afraid of boiling water, so he decided to give up.