Chapter 136: Cures Kidney Deficiency, Sugar-Free! (3/10)

Although the praise on the internet wasn't directly visible, Zhang Chu could immediately discern the trend from the new growth in his prestige points; it seemed the effect of this exclusive interview was quite good.

However, everyone's focus seemed slightly off. They were all fawning over the short poem "Life," but few actually paid attention to its content, most just giving it a cursory glance.

At this moment, the items Zhang Chu had ordered on JD.com had arrived downstairs at his dormitory building, but the delivery personnel didn't have a campus card to swipe open the gate.

"Excuse me, is this student Zhang Chu? We are delivery couriers from JD Home. Your items have arrived. Could you please come downstairs to pick them up as soon as possible? There are quite a lot of things, you might need two or three people."

Zhang Chu stood up abruptly and said into his phone, "No problem, I'll be right down. Just a moment!"

Fortunately, the dorm was on the second floor; otherwise, hauling the mattress, quilts, pillows, toothbrushes, towels, and washbasins would have required several trips.

Yang Ling, who was busy organizing clothes from his suitcase into the wardrobe, heard Zhang Chu on the phone and offered, "Do you need help moving things up? I'll go with you, it'll save you from making multiple trips."

"Much appreciated." Zhang Chu didn't stand on ceremony. He had a good impression of his new roommate and just hoped the others wouldn't be eccentric.

Yang Ling’s father stayed behind in the dorm to continue mopping the floor. Zhang Chu and Yang Ling headed to the dormitory lobby, where many students and parents were already bustling in and out. The two delivery men and the pile of packages beside them were quite conspicuous.

"Who’s that? So clever."
"Man, moving stuff is exhausting. If I’d known they could deliver it inside, I wouldn't have bothered."
"It's raining so hard, let's just have JD Home deliver our stuff too."
"These two kids are really sharp, worthy of being accepted into Peking University."
"Too lazy. Can things bought at the supermarket compare to what you bring from home?"
"Quick thinkers, they’ve got everything sorted in one go."
"Impressive guys..."

Amidst the surrounding chatter, Zhang Chu stepped forward, recited his phone number, and then he and Yang Ling each grabbed a large bag to drag upstairs. The packages contained all sorts of things: a single mattress, a three-piece bedding set, slippers, cleaning supplies, and even body wash, shampoo, and facial cleanser.

"My dad needs to catch a flight, so I'll go see him off. Can you handle the rest yourself, Zhang Chu?"

Zhang Chu nodded quickly, "I can manage. Take care, Uncle Yang. Thanks for the help, or I would have had to make another trip."

"Let's talk later, see you tonight." After Yang Ling waved and left with his father and his backpack, Zhang Chu was left alone in Dorm 222.

He worked quite efficiently, unpacking the parcels, laying out the mattress, and then fitting the sheets and quilt cover.

...

While Zhang Chu was busy organizing his dorm, Zhu Ziqing was at home, legs crossed, reading newspapers and magazines. He didn't need to work; he held a nominal position at a university, writing the occasional review. As a well-known critic in the domestic poetry circle, many aspiring "poets" would bribe him to offer favorable mentions in the papers, helping them gain fame or entry into the Poetry Association.

"Ha! Zhang Chu is writing poetry again? This time it's just one character? How ridiculous!"

Zhu Ziqing adjusted his attire leisurely. He detested the restless, flighty youth of today, especially people like Zhang Chu who had found sudden fame. Even if he felt that using "net" to describe life was indeed apt, he refused to acknowledge it as poetry.

Zhu Ziqing hadn't forgotten how Zhang Chu had retorted to him online previously, claiming to be allergic to "cheap people," calling him brainless, and saying he was competing with a pencil for the title of "2B." Aside from calling it uncouth, he hadn't found an opportunity to strike back. Since he only critiqued the poetry scene, if Zhang Chu didn't write poetry, Zhu Ziqing couldn't retaliate.

Now that Zhang Chu had finally written another modern poem—and only a single character at that—Zhu Ziqing was thrilled. He started writing earnestly on his computer, posted it to Weibo, and deliberately tagged Zhang Chu.

...

Although he didn't plan to stay in the dorm long-term, Zhang Chu still prepared everything necessary; if he had classes, he could return for a nap without wasting time.

Bed No. 2 was a lower bunk, which made it convenient for him to sprawl out. After turning on his 4G signal, he initially wanted to check on the progress of his copyright deals on WeChat, but he noticed a notification from his friends.

In their group chat, "Good Luck, Eat Chicken Tonight," the chubby Wei Wenlin, who was away at university in Chongqing, sent a screenshot and goaded him: "Zhang Chu, my man, you're fierce and your words bite. Someone is scolding you on Weibo, hurry up and hit back!"

Being scolded as a public figure seemed normal, and Zhang Chu didn't care at first. But the moment he saw the Weibo username, his brow furrowed. It was this same Zhu Ziqing who had previously called his adaptation of "Facing the Sea, with Spring Blossoms" a publicity stunt, and now he was saying "Life" didn't qualify as poetry!

"Playing mystery, abandoning the true meaning of poetry for the sake of topics. Zhang Chu used only one character, leaving a vast expanse of white space on the paper. He probably thinks it has the flavor of traditional freehand brushwork, but in reality, he is pushing the reader into a fog, with no idea what he is trying to express. Once the form of poetry is misunderstood by readers, it loses its inner meaning and artistic life; it becomes a hollow shell, insipid and dull. Most people are just surprised by the novelty of a single character, or they project their own messy lives into it, thinking they have found a kindred spirit, not realizing this is just Zhang Chu’s attempt to court popularity. Now that you’ve entered the Chinese Department at Peking University, study hard and strive to write real poetry sooner rather than later."

It was a long, rambling paragraph. Zhang Chu gritted his teeth. Bei Dao’s poem was highly revered in his previous life, yet in this one, simply because he was the one who wrote it, it was being trampled into the dust.

A thousand readers have a thousand Hamlets, but for a critic like this who traded on his reputation, Zhang Chu only wanted to hit back. Using his "Misfortune Notebook" would be a waste; this guy didn't deserve its final chance.

Zhang Chu thought for a moment and wrote: "@Teacher Zhu Ziqing, I don't just write poetry; I also write lyrics. I just wrote a lyric today that is particularly suitable for you.

'River City Tale'
[I, the old man, feel a surge of youthful madness; treat kidney deficiency, sugar-free. Wearing brocade caps and sable furs, a thousand riders wield overlord strength. To repay the city for following the prefect, three hundred years, Jiuzhitang.
Drunk with wine, my chest is bold and wide; Watermelon Frost, Hi-Chew. Holding the imperial staff in the clouds, Sanjin Glucose. I will pull the carved bow like a full moon, looking northwest, Adidas King.]"

This was actually an internet parody of Su Shi’s "River City Tale: Hunting in Mizhou," which incorporated various familiar advertisements and brand names. It was somewhat rhythmic and had been widely circulated in Zhang Chu’s previous life.

Now, Zhang Chu had taken it and applied it directly to Zhu Ziqing—it couldn't have been more fitting!