I am Really a Superstar

Many people’s emotions were stirred!

“Teacher Zhang, I love you!” ex-assistant Xiaofang screamed.

Xiao Lu also waved her arms excitedly, “Teacher Zhang, I love you, too!”

Hou Ge and Hou Di cried with excitement, “Teacher Zhang, you are so godly! So godly!”

Too awesome, too merciless, too strong, scaring the heavens, making spirits cry! So a couplet duel can be so earth-shattering?

Other than Big Sis Zhou, Zhao Guozhou and the others who knew Zhang Ye personally, once the couplet duel was over, those that were present couldn’t hold back from applauding loudly!

A miraculous couplet had amazed the whole audience!

Especially the second verse; it was simply the ultimate!

The first and second verses had matched so perfectly!

Of course it was perfect. Because not only did Zhang Ye know about this couplet, he even knew about its origins. In Zhang Ye’s previous world, on Qinhuang Island, there was a Temple of Lady Meng Jiang. In the front of the temple were two pillars, which the couplets had been inscribed upon. It described the scenery around Shanghai Pass and the Temple of Lady Meng Jiang, as well as the expression of nature, the expression of the universe, describing the world of everything using the sea tide and floating clouds as figures of speech, rising and falling, expanding and dissolving, without a state of normalization. This pair of couplets could be read in over ten ways, and was considered a wonder of the world. And in the examples in the textbooks, these couplets had been used as an examination question, as well as an example. Hence, even if Zhang Ye did not use a Memory Search Capsule, he still had a deep impression of it!

As for whose creation this pair of verses belonged to, Zhang Ye did not know. But since this was basically a pair of couplets, then of course it was perfect and without blemish; otherwise, why would the future generations label it as the Millennial Miraculous Couplet? However, Elder Qian was considered to be quite a genius. This world might not have a Temple of Lady Meng Jiang, yet he had came up with the upper half of such a miraculous couplet. Seeing Elder Qian’s expression and his reaction from just now, he must have not thought of a corresponding second half, or the second half he had thought up wasn’t the one that Zhang Ye had used.

It was alright. Zhang Ye had helped him complete the couplet, and had found a good home for the Millennial Miraculous Couplet in this world!

Elder Qian was speechless for quite a while.

The second judge, the old granny, asked him in aghast, “Young lad, what’s your name?”

Zhang Ye said, neither superciliously nor obsequiously, “My name is Zhang Ye.”

The old granny was taken aback, “That ‘Shuidiao Getou’ was written by you?”

“Yes, it is mine. Sorry for incurring your ridicule,” Zhang Ye said humbly.

The third judge, who was the old man, praised, “What a marvelous ‘Fu yun chang chang chang chang chang chang chang xiao’! Well-matched! A miraculous couplet matching a miraculous couplet! Haha!”

The old granny glanced at Elder Qian, “Old man Qian, you sure met your match this time around!”

Elder Qian gave Zhang Ye a few long stares, and in the end, ridiculed himself, “When I wrote the first half, I had also matched it with another second half. But now, compared to your second half, my second half… Forget it; let’s not talk about it. Be it the corresponding neatness or the mood, your second half is one level higher than mine. Thank you, young lad, for giving this miraculous couplet’s first half a perfect match!” Saying that, Elder Qian returned to his seat to pick up a pen to write Zhang Ye’s name, “I declare that the preliminary round has officially ended. Zhang Ye, you passed!”

Zhang Ye said, “Thank you, Teacher.”

……

The preliminaries had ended.

Everyone left as they discussed.

“Bravo!” Hou Ge hugged Zhang Ye’s shoulders!

Hu Fei gave a relieved and contented pat on Zhang Ye’s back, “Good lad! You really are the best! This is what you call not knowing how to match couplets? This is what you call not studying couplets before? Who are you bluffing! Haha!”

Zhang Ye immediately tried to stay low-key, “It was just sheer luck.”

“Come on, Teacher Zhang!” Hou Di said delightedly, “You have tricks up your sleeve at every turn!”

Amongst the people, Tian Bin gave Zhang Ye a big thumbs up. His wife also smiled, happy for Zhang Ye from her heart.

Big Sis Zhou craved nothing short of nationwide chaos. Seeing how Big Thunder had challenged Zhang Ye, but Zhang Ye had managed to match the couplet the next moment, she was tickled amused, “Little Zhang, bring the championship title back!”

Zhang Ye said at a loss, “Big Sis Zhou, you think too highly of me. I only came for the bustle. What do you mean, ‘champion’…” He really did not think that he could become the champion, and might not even be able to be placed. After all, even if this world’s couplets had a portion of those from his world, they were just a tiny minority. He had happened to run into the last couplet that he knew of from before for the preliminary round, allowing him to pass. If not, he would have been eliminated.

Big Thunder was livid. He glanced at Zheng Anbang, before rushing straight to the hall with Zheng Anbang. He had never expected Zhang Ye to successfully match such a miraculous couplet. And he had done it so quickly, without any thought? Back then, he thought that Zhang Ye did not know couplets at all. But who knew that not only was he good at writing poems, essays, novels, fairy tales and advertisements, he was also good at couplets? Big Thunder no longer dared to despise Zhang Ye. He had to hurry to prepare for the finals!

……

A while later.

In the men’s bathroom outside the hall.

Zhang Ye had abdominal pains, so he did not enter together with Hu Fei and company. He found a stall in the bathroom and locked himself in to do his business. As he had time, Zhang Ye took out his cellphone to surf the net. Although he did not much of his data balance left, he still opened the Beijing Couplet Competition’s video website!

The video for the preliminary round was already out!

Zhang Ye immediately watched it!

In the beginning, the scenes were of the contestants who were answering from before. The scene of Big Thunder matching a couplet and passing the preliminary round also appeared. Nearing the end, Zhang Ye’s scene finally appeared!

“My first verse has a lot of variations!”

“Such a coincidence! My second verse’s variations are more than a few, too.”

“Hǎi shuǐ cháo, cháo zhāo zhāo, zhāo zhāo cháo luò (the sea tide; it comes daily; daily it falls)!”

“Fú yún zhǎng, zhǎng cháng cháng, cháng cháng zhǎng xiāo (the cloud forms; it expands often; often it shrinks)!”

The scene of the couplet duel between Zhang Ye and Elder Qian had been completely recorded!

Seeing his mighty self in the video, Zhang Ye was also very satisfied. It was well-filmed, but the only regret was that he was not given a clear frontal shot. Most of it had scenes with side shots or back shots. Throughout the entire process, Elder Qian was facing the camera. There was nothing he could do, for Elder Qian was a famous senior.

The video ended.

Taking another look, the discussions and comments below were boiling!

“That 50th question is too exaggerated!”

“That’s right! And someone actually managed to match it?”

“It’s Teacher Zhang Ye! Haha! I knew it was him!”

“Everyone come and see! The Face Smacking Specialist has made a comeback!”

“Pfft. I’m having stitches from laughing. What sort of nickname is that?”

“Who is Zhang Ye? This name sounds familiar.”

“Search on the web yourself. It’s full of his data and there’s plenty of information on the web. Hehe, seeing Teacher Zhang Ye revealing his invincible might sure feels good! The second half was matched too brilliantly!”

“Teacher Zhang’s literary skill remains the same!”

“Indeed, I even thought that Zhang Ye did not know how to match couplets. I never expected Zhang Ye to also have such deep attainments in couplets! Teacher Zhang is really defying the heavens!”

“No, I have to watch it again. I have never seen such an awesome couplet duel!”

“The first half was good, but the second half was matched even better! As expected of Teacher Zhang!”

“It’s too bad that Teacher Zhang looks average. His looks are different from the image in my mind. Hai, but it’s nothing much. Teacher Zhang engages in literary work, and is not a movie star or singer, so I can’t ask for too much. I will still support Teacher Zhang!”

“Let’s watch the finals!”

“Right, the finals are starting soon!”

“Looking forward to Teacher Zhang’s performance!”

“The finals won’t be easy. There are so many experts. For example, Big Thunder is also quite formidable. He was the first runner-up for the last Beijing Couplet Competition. He won’t be easy to deal with.”