Reborn as a Mortal Heiress Pampered by Big Shots

Chapter 72 - 72 072 China's ancient text with the most phonetic loan characters

?72: 072 China’s ancient text with the most phonetic loan characters 72: 072 China’s ancient text with the most phonetic loan characters Today is Sunday, and Jiang Xuan left the company after signing that contract.

Jiang Family old residence.

Jiang He was in quite a leisurely mood today, practicing calligraphy in his study.

From a distance, through the window, he saw his younger brother’s car drive in.

He chuckled and dialed his younger brother’s number.

The car came to a stop, and the call connected on the other end.

Jiang He: “Fourth brother, I remember your brush calligraphy isn’t bad either.

Your elder brother is practicing here, if you’re not busy, why not come join me?”

There was a pause on the other end of the phone before the man said, “Okay.”

**

When Liu Manyi brought in the tea, the table was covered with calligraphy still wet with ink, and the air was full of the fragrance of ink.

Jiang Xuan held a brush in his hand, with Jiang He opposite him, and Jiang Yunzhou was responsible for grinding the ink.

Jiang Xuan stood there, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his brushstrokes fluid without hesitation, his expression calm and serene, seeming somewhat to enjoy himself.

Jiang He, who had a bit of expertise in calligraphy and carried some weight in the Capital City Calligraphy Association, watched his youngest brother’s work, which was purely for leisure, yet felt his control over the strokes and character structure was truly more dazzling than many well-known masters.

This style could even be said to have developed a school of its own.

“Yunzhou, learn more from your uncle,” without a comparison there is no harm, but Jiang He could not help but glance at his son.

Jiang Yunzhou was also quite helpless.

When he was small, which was before his uncle turned 18 and was still playing the rebel riding motorcycles and infuriating grandfather until his beard almost turned green, his father clearly warned him in secret, never to learn from his uncle when he grew up.

Yet in just a few years, it had all completely turned around.

As Jiang Yunzhou ground the ink, he had a devil-may-care look: “I have no interest in calligraphy~”

Jiang He: “Your uncle is not only skilled in calligraphy, fourth brother, I remember your oil painting is not bad, right?”

It seemed he had seen an unfinished oil painting at his younger brother’s house.

He did not understand oil painting, but anyone with eyes could tell it was skillfully done.

Jiang Yunzhou was also stunned, “Uncle, it turns out you not only like collecting oil paintings, but you paint as well?

Your combination of Chinese and Western styles is really versatile!”

Jiang Xuan’s tone was serene and deep: “Just a hobby.”

“Oh,” Jiang Yunzhou continued grinding ink, his eyes falling on the content his uncle was writing, and he began to read aloud, “Uncle, what you’re writing is ‘Leisure and Fun Record,’ right?”

Jiang Xuan raised an eyebrow: “You know this ancient text?”

Jiang Yunzhou: “Of course, it was in our high school textbook, but it was optional.”

‘Leisure and Fun Record,’ the ancient text with the most phonological loan characters in China.

Full of phonological loan characters, it is extremely obscure and difficult to understand, but its compelling writing style resonates deeply with one’s heart.

Therefore, it has always been a unique presence in classical Chinese literature, and is included in the optional chapters of high school Chinese textbooks.

The students are eternally grateful.

Luckily, it’s optional and not on the college entrance exams.

Otherwise, it would be completely over for them.

Jiang Yunzhou: “Uncle, aren’t phonological loan characters basically typos?

Like the word ‘?’ in ‘Having friends come from afar is a pleasure,’ it should actually be ‘?’, right?

Why don’t they correct the typos before making us memorize it?

Isn’t this deliberately making it hard for us?”

Jiang Xuan’s voice was clear and pleasantly deep: “During the undeveloped stages of Chinese character development, it was permissible to use homophonic or similar-sounding characters to convey meaning, so phonological loan characters are not equivalent to typos.”

Jiang Yunzhou: “But Uncle, the ‘Leisure and Fun Record’ you’re writing, out of a few hundred characters, there are 108 phonological loan characters!

Was it really because the development of Chinese characters hadn’t matured, or was the author drunk when writing?”

Hearing this, Jiang Xuan’s brush paused, and he looked up, giving him a series of expressions indicating ‘How do you know she was drunk?

What does it matter to you if she was drunk?

Mind your own business!’

Jiang Yunzhou felt a drop of sweat trickle down his forehead: …What did I do wrong?

“Yunzhou, it’s a call from the Xia Family heiress!”

They were in the second-floor study when Liu Manyi called out to him from the stairwell.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yunzhou immediately asked with a hint of excitement, “Which heiress?

The elder sister or the younger one?”

Jiang Xuan also cast a nonchalant glance towards the door.

Before marrying into the family, Liu Manyi was a renowned actress in the opera troupe.

Though her voice wasn’t loud, it carried well, “It’s the elder sister, your classmate Xiaorong!”

Jiang Xuan turned back to his writing as Jiang Yunzhou’s eyes immediately drooped.

Jiang He gave him a kick in the butt, “What does it matter whether it’s the elder or the younger sister?

Hurry up and answer it!

Don’t keep her waiting!”

“Got it,” Jiang Yunzhou reluctantly rubbed his behind as he went to answer the phone.

After all, he was considered a campus heartthrob at school.

Couldn’t they refrain from kicking his butt?

As he picked up the call, he was internally grumbling.

But as soon as he heard what Xia Yourong on the other end of the line had to say, he lost all mood to complain.

She said, “Brother Yunzhou, have you seen the notice posted on the school’s academic website?

The latest directive from the Education Committee has added ‘Leisure and Fun Record’ to the list of compulsory texts for the college entrance exam!”

At this news, the entire senior year was in an uproar.

Yang the Great, who taught Chinese literature and was the head of the senior Chinese teachers, had already held a meeting with them all afternoon discussing any potential memory techniques for this classical text.

The conclusion… none!

They could only resort to rote memorization!

Starting next week, the Chinese teachers would put aside their teaching schedules and focus solely on overseeing the students’ memorization of ‘Leisure and Fun Record’!

In the school’s online forum, some were organizing a petition, begging the leadership to repeal the decision or wait until after their exams to add it.

But not many students were getting involved; most had already started memorizing to the point of tears!

Xia Ye was still managing finances on a software platform when the notification at the top of the screen kept alerting her to new messages from the ‘Senior 3 (19) Class Group’.

There were probably dozens of unread messages.

With no choice, she opened WeChat.

Without even looking at what everyone in the group was frantically discussing, she immediately silenced the notifications.

Yet before she could exit, a message from Tang Tianjiao popped up.

Bow and Arrow Shoot the Big Eagle: Brother Ye!

The end of the world is upon us!!!

Xia Ye: …

The end of the world?

Could it be that old man from Heavenly Dao has finally kicked the bucket?

However, Tang Tianjiao quickly sent another message.

Bow and Arrow Shoot the Big Eagle: ‘Leisure and Fun Record’ has been included in the compulsory texts for the college entrance exam!

The exams are just months away, it’s going to be brutal!

Xia Ye felt a sudden headache when she read that message.

On the first day of the new school term, when she received the Chinese textbook, she discovered her own piece of inspiration, which she had whimsically written at the Chaotai River after drinking and composing poetry with a few good friends.

Yes, she did write it after drinking quite a bit.

But the thing is, who remembers what they said when drunk?

So, she can’t memorize it, okay?!

With all those archaic and obscure words, how could anyone memorize it?

**

PS: Jiang Ye: I can memorize it.