Chapter 94: Lun Tower

“Alright, that’s make sense.” Ou Lu, feeling helpless, sat across from Chen Xin and struggled to pick up food with her left hand. She asked, “After dinner, do you want to go downstairs for a walk? Maybe there will be some unexpected gains.”

Chen Xin also thought the suggestion was good. Perhaps there would really be some gains, or maybe not. She casually picked up some green vegetables for her, ignoring her disdainful look, and nodded, “Okay.”

But the gains they had in mind were different.

After a moment, the two arrived at a hall named “Lun Tower.” Chen Xin raised her eyebrows slightly as she assessed the Tower, filled with calligraphy and paintings, exuding a scholarly atmosphere. Watching scholars showing off their knowledge, some humbly asking questions, some arguing passionately, some reciting poetry with gestures, and some painting quietly in a corner, all gathered into a rich academic atmosphere. Then, Chen Xin said somewhat indistinctly, “It seems like you came straight here.”

Ou Lu tidied her slightly messy long hair and pursed her lips. “Yes, besides the young ladies from wealthy families, this place is frequented by the sons and daughters of noble families. These young masters and misses are somewhat knowledgeable about poetry and painting, with various styles to choose from. If you really like one, you don’t have to take action personally. I’ll directly propose marriage for you. You’re not young anymore. Oh, I almost forgot, do you have a husband?” Ou Lu asked, but as she turned her head, she saw Chen Xin walking away, and awkwardly touched her nose.

She didn’t understand why she became so talkative and concerned when she met Chen Xin. It was like she become like her father, who was both loving and annoying, always bringing up her marriage.

Chen Xin didn’t care to listen to her long-winded talk, especially since she wanted to cause trouble by making random remarks. Not beating Ou Lu was already showing her great mercy.

But thinking that since they were already here, experiencing the cultural charm of this world was also a refined thing to do. Then, she went straight to one side and looked at the calligraphy and paintings on the wall. After looking for a while, she felt that they were not particularly outstanding, but their skills were good, each with its own characteristics.

“Hmm? This poem…” At this moment, Chen Xin suddenly saw a painting titled “Cold Chrysanthemum” and read the poem:

^[1]The poem highlights the beauty and strength of individuality and resilience. It suggests that even in a crowd, there’s value in standing out and remaining steadfast in the face of challenges.Amidst a hundred blossoms, one stands apart,
Beside the sparse fence, its joy knows no bounds.
Embracing fragrance, willing to wilt with grace,
How could it yield to the northern wind’s fierce embrace?

This was a technique of using chrysanthemums to express aspirations. From the poem, it could be seen that this person was proud and aloof, insisting on their own ideals and aspirations.

Chen Xin nodded. She thought that this person must have experienced something to create such a masterpiece. Moreover, this sentiment was like a refreshing breeze inspiring the students’ ambition among the numerous poems, which was unexpected. This could be seen from the comments left by the students on the blank spaces below the poems.

“Clap, clap, clap—” Suddenly, applause rang out.

Everyone on the first and second floors of the Tower fell silent and looked towards the source of the sound. It turned out that the shopkeeper of the Lun Tower had climbed onto the stage and clapped her hands.

Then, she spoke with a loud voice, “Dear students, this tower has prepared a calligraphy, painting, chess, and music competition tonight. Whoever gets first place…” Then, the shopkeeper waved her hand backwards, and immediately, a maid came forward, carrying a wooden tray covered with red cloth. The woman uncovered it with a smile and said, “Whoever gets first place and catches the eye of the tower owner will receive this fire-patterned stone.”

“Hehe… Some of you may not know what this is. Let me tell you, this fire-patterned stone is one of the tower owner’s treasures, especially effective for people with cold bodies. Today, the tower owner specially took it out as a reward, hoping that Qusi City will produce a masterpiece and shine brightly!”