The Poetry Prodigy Makeover Plan

Twelve-year-old Li Chuyi is accidentally swept into a temporal maelstrom by a book called A Poet’s Growth Record. When he opens his eyes, he discovers he has become a “youth reform specialist for ancient poets,” tasked with 150 future giants of poetry who would rather play than study: little Li Bai raiding bird nests, little Du Fu watching ants carry things, and little Su Shi sneaking out of class by climbing walls... At first, he tries patiently explaining the importance of learning, only to be left speechless by the young poets’ retorts: “How can studying be as fun as fishing?” “Letters aren’t half as pretty as the moon!” In desperation, he flips through the A Poet’s Growth Record he brought with him and discovers that it holds the secret to how each poet had their breakthrough: an old woman grinding an iron rod into a needle inspires Li Bai; the suffering of people amid war moves Du Fu; the mist and rain over West Lake connect with Su Shi... Armed with this “reform guide,” Li Chuyi climbs trees, fishes, and stargazes alongside the young poets, using each one’s destined turning point to open the door to learning. When the 150th poet picks up a book, the yellowed pages suddenly fill with lines of poetry. The young figures he “saved” smile at him across a thousand years: “Thank you, young friend. You helped these poems come into being.”