Shen Bingxi, born into a remote minor clan, possessed extraordinary talent and quickly rose to prominence in Lingjing Sect, the largest cultivation sect in Central Continent.
His close friend...
Chapter 83 Getting Married: ?
"What?! The clothes are already gone?!" Shen Bingsi exclaimed in shock.
Tailor Zhang looked up from the mountain of fabrics and pushed up his glasses, which were as big as bottle bottoms: "Yes, Manager Rong came to get them himself. Aren't those clothes made for him?"
"Who is Steward Rong? Who said it was made for him? Are you senile?!" Shen Bingsi suddenly paused. "Wait, Steward Rong... could it be Rong Xie?!"
"Why are you so rude, old man! I can tell whether it's made for him or not just by looking at it. The size you gave me was based on his body shape, wasn't it?" Zhang the tailor was a little annoyed. He knew that this old handyman's identity was probably not ordinary. Last time, it was Manager Wang who personally served him. However, no matter how extraordinary his identity was, he could not question his professional skills.
Shen Bingsi was completely dumbfounded. Why would Rong Xie come to Lanyuan Villa to work as a steward? Didn't he want to live a carefree life? Why did he come to Lanyuan Villa to work as a steward after not having enough of being a steward at Huanxue Manor? Moreover, anyone with eyes could see that there were far more troubles at Lanyuan Villa than at Huanxue Manor, and he would have to deal with all sorts of different people. Rong Xie hated this kind of work the most.
...
That was at least how it used to be.
Now, Rong Xie has changed, and Shen Bingsi can no longer understand him.
"Where is Steward Wang? Where is Steward Wang now?" Shen Bingsi asked anxiously.
“Manager Wang? He’s having a meeting in the manager’s courtyard right now!” Another tailor looked up from his sewing table and replied, “Go out the door to the left, walk straight along the lake, there’s a courtyard with a black lacquered gate, that’s the manager’s courtyard, all the managers in the garden should be there.”
Upon hearing that the stewards were all present, Shen Bingsi realized that he would be able to see Rong Xie working here. He wanted to see what kind of life Rong Xie meant by "I want to live my own life."
Shen Bingsi angrily stepped out of the door and headed towards the steward's courtyard. She had only taken a few steps when she saw two stewards walking towards her. A few words drifted into Shen Bingsi's ears.
"Manager Rong..." "Settling down and starting a family..." "It's been delayed..."
Shen Bingsi immediately slowed down and strained her ears to listen, and the conversation between the two stewards became very clear.
"I wonder which girl will get the good deal, it's a pity that I only have a son."
"Don't get your hopes up. He has a clean background and could easily marry a rich girl from a humble family. Why would he want to marry a servant like us?"
"That's not necessarily true. After all, Manager Rong has no family connections and no powerful backing. Those daughters of poor families also hope to marry into a family of equal social standing, or to pass the imperial examinations and have a chance to advance in their careers."
“What you say makes sense. Although we are servants born into the household, we have quite a bit of savings at home, enough to live comfortably, no worse than those merchant families outside.”
"Yes, those merchants outside have to be mindful of our attitude when doing business."
...
"Wait!" Shen Bingsi felt something was wrong as she listened, so she simply stood in front of the two of them, blocking their way.
As the two were talking, an old servant suddenly darted out from the ground, abruptly stopping them in their tracks. They looked at the old servant in surprise.
The old handyman not only failed to stop his superior, but also asked in a very aggressive tone:
"Is the Manager Rong you're talking about Rong Xie?"
"Ah... his name is Rong Xie." The two of them answered the old servant's question without thinking.
"What do you mean, 'which girl got a good deal'? What do you mean, 'marrying someone of equal social standing'? What does this have to do with Rong Xie? Rong Xie isn't getting married!" Shen Bingsi suppressed her irritation, her temples throbbing.
"That's a strange thing to say. People should get married when they reach a certain age. Manager Rong is young, promising, and handsome. It's just that he was delayed by things and didn't get married early. Otherwise, how could someone as talented as him have survived until now?"
"Luckily, he's now in our garden. With so many of us colleagues and seniors, surely we can find a girl who satisfies him?"
"Yes, during today's meeting, Manager Zhang left halfway through, saying that he already had a candidate in mind and was going to invite them over."
"That was incredibly fast!"
...
"By the way, which manager do you work for? I've never seen you before."
The two managers kept talking back and forth, making Shen Bing's head feel like it was going to explode.
What's with this "you have to get married when you reach a certain age" nonsense!
He's certain he'll find a girl who satisfies him!
What do you mean, "if it weren't for being held up by 'things'"? What are these "things"? Are you implying that it was he who held up Rong Xie?!
Shen Bingsi clenched his fists tightly and glared at the two managers as if they were enemies. The two managers were startled by his gaze and did not dare to ask who his subordinates were. They quickly walked around him.
The two stewards walked a short distance, then looked back and found the old madman still staring at them with a piercing, terrifying gaze. They dared not look again and quickly slipped away.
Shen Bingsi stood there for a moment, feeling as if a huge stone was pressing on his heart, making it hard to breathe. He had thought of many possibilities, what Rong Xie would do after leaving him, and what kind of life he would lead, but he never considered one possibility: that Rong Xie would get married.
How could Rong Xie ever get married! Rong Xie wouldn't! Rong Xie is clearly not the kind of person who would get married... Is Rong Xie really not like that?
"I want to live my own life...and choose my own family..."
Before leaving, Rong Xie seemed to have said something like this to him.
Shen Bingsi's head was buzzing at the time, and she didn't hear what Rong Xie said at all. Afterwards, she used the Heaven-Severing Blade, and her whole body was like a blackout. She didn't think back to what Rong Xie said or what he meant.
It was only now that he remembered that Rong Xie did indeed say something like he wanted to choose his own family.
Choosing your own family means starting a family, right?
Alright, Rong Xie, so that's what you were thinking!
This is your real reason for betraying me and running away!
Shen Bingsi felt half of his body go numb. He stumbled forward and suddenly bumped into someone.
A familiar voice came: "Immortal Master Shen?"
Shen Bingsi looked up and found that the person standing in front of him was Manager Wang, whom he was looking for.
Like a drowning person grasping at a straw, Shen Bingsi grabbed Manager Wang's collar: "Is Rong Xie getting married? Did he tell you he's getting married?"
Manager Wang originally wanted to talk to Shen Bingsi about the clothes, but Shen Bingsi asked him two seemingly random questions, leaving Manager Wang completely bewildered.
"Speak up, speak up!" Shen Bingsi said anxiously, and the sound of tearing could be faintly heard coming from Steward Wang's clothes.
"Master Shen, don't worry, don't worry! What happened to Steward Rong?" Steward Wang hurriedly tried to salvage his clothes.
"Don't call him Manager Rong! He's not some nobody!"
"Alright...alright, Immortal Master Shen, please don't get excited. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
Steward Wang was also an old hand around Chief Minister Wang. Stewards who could reach his position had a good understanding of people's hearts. He knew that Shen Bingsi and Rong Xie had a very good relationship. Sometimes, when friends are close enough, they will mind if the other gets married. After getting married, friends can no longer be as close as before.
Judging from Shen Bingsi's reaction, that should be the case.
However, people always have to get married, and friends will eventually accept this fact. However, this fact should be stated by the parties involved themselves, and it is best for unrelated people to avoid the issue.
“Master Shen may have misunderstood,” Steward Wang said with a smile after sorting out his thoughts. “Young Master Rong has only just moved to Lan Yuan and is unfamiliar with the place. Why would he be in such a hurry to get married? Even if he were to get married, he would first need to find a girl he likes, right?”
"..." Upon hearing this, Shen Bingsi's expression softened, and she slowly released her grip on Steward Wang's clothes.
Suddenly, he tightened his grip on his fingers and stared at Steward Wang: "How do you know he doesn't have a girl he likes? Did he tell you?"
Manager Wang hadn't expected Shen Bingsi to be so quick-witted in this matter, grasping the loophole so soon. He could only laugh it off: "Hehe, do I need to tell you? Manager Rong came alone, with only a servant at home. Of course, he doesn't have a girl he likes."
"Oh..." Shen Bingsi seemed to accept this explanation. He released Steward Wang. "So, it's not that he wants to get married, but that you found out he has no one at home, so you thought of introducing him to someone?"
Manager Wang chuckled twice, not expecting Shen Bingsi to have guessed the truth. He explained, "Master Shen, you may not know this, but today is Young Master Rong's first time attending the end-of-month gathering. The managers are all enthusiastic people, and seeing such a young and handsome new colleague, they couldn't help but ask a few more questions and inquire about his personal life. That's why a few managers mentioned introducing him to someone..."
“I see,” Shen Bingsi nodded. “None of this was his intention; you were just making trouble for no reason.”
Manager Wang's forced smile froze on his face; he, who was usually adept at handling situations, was at a loss for words.
It seems that's how it is... but it also seems that's not how it's said...
"I understand!" Shen Bingsi patted Steward Wang on the shoulder, her tone becoming lighter and her face showing a lively spirit. "Steward Wang, you should stop meddling in other people's business. Even if Rong Xie is my close friend, there's no need for you to keep finding him work and introducing him to girls. It makes you seem very idle. The Prime Minister Wang's residence doesn't support idlers, you know what that means?"
Manager Wang's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately became alert. Shen Bingsi was only pretending to be calm, but in reality, she was still very concerned and even threatened to complain to Chief Minister Wang if he continued.
“I understand what Master Shen means. I will not do anything unnecessary,” Steward Wang hurriedly stated. “However, Young Master Rong came to the villa as a steward because he was recommended by a retainer in the villa who is known as Bai Shui Shan Ren. The Prime Minister Wang personally interviewed him. Originally, the interview was for the retainer, but Young Master Rong said that he was good at managing the garden. After asking him in detail, the Prime Minister Wang was very impressed with him and kept him as the garden steward. It has nothing to do with me. Please understand, Master Shen.”
"Hmm, is that so?" Shen Bingsi crossed her arms, her expression softening considerably towards Steward Wang. "What else? What about the matchmaking part?"
"Hehe, I don't know any girls who are worthy of Young Master Rong, so I haven't done anything in this regard," Manager Wang said with a smile. Having said that, he had long since given up on the idea of arranging a marriage for Rong Xie.
As for the matter that had already been discussed... it had nothing to do with him, so he pretended not to know.
————————
The second update might be a little late, so everyone go to sleep first and don't wait up!