Chapter 40 4. Liu Shipei

Liu Shipei had a strange appearance, a boneless meat tail less than an inch long on his rump, and a bright red square mark the size of a longan in the middle of his left foot, so he was called "the rebirth of the old ape", which is a sign of abnormal intelligence.Liu Shipei was gifted and intelligent since he was a child, and he could memorize it from memory. When he was 10 years old, he wrote a hundred quatrains in "Impatiens Flower" in two days, and was called a "child prodigy". Liu Shipei was gifted since he was a child. He began to study "Book of Changes" at the age of eight, and he had read the Four Books and Five Classics at the age of 12.Liu Shipei entered school at the age of 17, was admitted as a scholar at the age of 18, and won the imperial examination at the age of 19.

Cheng Shanzhi once told Du Zhaotang, a member of Yechun Houshe Society, that one day he bought a map of Mongolia from Shanghai, and after returning to Yangzhou Fuzhong School, he browsed it with Liu Shipei and Fang Dishan.Soon, the waiter came to ask them to have lunch, and Cheng Shanzhi went first, but after waiting for a long time, the two of them did not come to eat, so Cheng went to urge them.After a while, Liu Shipei came, but Fang Dishan did not arrive.Cheng urged again, and Fang Dishan said that there were still more than ten lands missing.Cheng was puzzled.During the meal, Cheng Shanzhi asked Fang Dishan what he meant.Fang replied: "I know the place names silently. I still have doubts and mistakes. Please check again." Cheng Shanzhi was shocked. There are more than a thousand place names on the whole map of Mongolia. How could he remember them in just one or two hours?Thought he was bragging.Fang said: "I don't dare to be confident, but Liu Shipei, I can guarantee that he will not make too many mistakes." Cheng was even more surprised.After the meal, Liu Shipei and Fang Dishan each took a lacquer tablet, held chalk, and silently drew a map.When it was finished, compared with the original drawing, Liu Shipei had only one mistake, and Fang Dishan had six or seven mistakes.Cheng Shanzhi began to believe his words.