Chapter 703 Why Tie My Hair Up? [5k views, please vote!]

Yinbingzhai.

After sending the little ink spirit away and seeing her obediently return to her role as a slave, Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze with some satisfaction.

I looked around the room.

The room was brightly lit but empty, with darkness outside the window.

Although I've been away for ten days, my study and bedroom still feel quite lived-in.

The desk and floor were spotless. One of his favorite potted plants was neatly arranged on the windowsill, swaying gently, clearly watered regularly.

In the yard outside, bed sheets were drying, a habit of Ye Weilai's; she would wash the bed sheets and duvet covers for him every half month.

Even after he had been gone for ten days, it was no exception.

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips and went to the study.

The study didn't have that cold, desolate atmosphere either.

Although the desk and bookshelves were neatly arranged, it was still evident that the writing implements had been used frequently, and large volumes such as the Erya were placed on the desk for easy access... It did not lack a sense of everyday life.

During the days that Ouyang Rong was away, Ye Weilai came over every day to read and practice calligraphy in the study.

Ouyang Rong had heard a saying before that houses, whether new or old, need people to live in them; they need "people" to support them, otherwise they are lifeless.

In a sense, this is what people commonly refer to as the atmosphere of everyday life and the flavor of everyday life.

Ouyang Rong came to his senses and took out the zither-shaped sword box, clothes, and bundles he had brought with him, putting them back in their original places.

This trip to Xunyang Grottoes was a close call, but we didn't have to use any of the contingency plans we had prepared.

I don't know whether to be happy or disappointed.

In conclusion, it's always better to be prepared; a sense of crisis is very important.

Just as Ouyang Rong finished tidying up, a familiar sound of footsteps came from the courtyard outside.

Ye Weilai walked in carrying a bundle of bed sheets and blankets.

"Tanlang is back."

"Um."

Ye Weilai greeted them calmly and went into the inner room to make the bed and fold the quilts.

Ouyang Rong sat down in the chair behind the desk, rested his chin on his hand, and quietly watched for a while as the white-haired girl, whom he hadn't seen for many days, made her bed.

Ye Weilai wore a light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) today, with a narrow-sleeved short ruqun on the upper body. As she made the bed, some of her youthful and full curves were revealed, making her look slender and lovely.

However, what caught Ouyang Rong's attention even more was the temperament that the white-haired girl was gradually revealing.

Perhaps it was because she had been subdued and taught a lesson by Rongzhen back then, and because she had been studying diligently these days, that she had become more scholarly and acted more appropriately, losing some of the naivety and willfulness of a young girl.

Moreover, Ouyang Rong discovered early on that she had a strong ability to learn and adapt to her environment.

He sometimes couldn't help but think that even if he had returned to his hometown and left, Ye Weilai would probably have been doing well, and he wouldn't have needed to worry about her so much.

The world doesn't stop functioning just because someone is gone, and the same goes for people.

However, Ouyang Rong usually couldn't say such things in front of Ye Weilai.

Although the little girl now appears much more demure and prudent, she is still very dependent on Ouyang Rong, and it has even become an unchangeable habit.

Ye Weilai still stubbornly believes that without Ouyang Rong, she would be like a rootless duckweed, nothing at all.

In a way, Ouyang Rong, who bought her in the small iron cage at the carriage shop, was the sole reason for her existence.

Even Ouyang Rong found it difficult to correct this misconception.

Ouyang Rong snapped out of his daze and met Ye Weilai's pair of emerald eyes.

The little girl had already made the bed at some point, turned around, leaned against the bedside, and stared at him without blinking.

Ouyang Rong asked softly, "Did anything happen at home while I was away?"

Ye Weilai shook her head, got out of bed, and walked over without saying a word.

She took a soft cushion and placed it between Ouyang Rong's back and the back of the chair, so that he could lean back comfortably.

Ye Weilai took another soft cushion, placed it under her knees, and knelt gracefully at Ouyang Rong's feet, placing her hands on his thighs and gently massaging his legs.

Ouyang Rong looked down and saw that the girl's smooth white hair was tied up with a pair of mandarin duck jade hairpins, simply and elegantly coiled at the back of her head.

Her long, white hair reflected the light, giving her a dazzling appearance.

Under the lamplight, the white-haired girl had a slender and graceful figure, bright and sparkling eyes, and a rather full and plump chest, clearly indicating that she was not lacking in nutrition.

Ouyang Rong felt a slight stirring in his heart, turned his gaze away, and reached out to take her homework to check.

These were all assignments given by Ouyang Rong beforehand.

Ye Weilai was not in a hurry at all.

In fact, Ouyang Rong knew that she had already finished writing. Ye Weilai hadn't really worried him about her studies. Even her junior sister had praised her for it. You should know that her junior sister was a "top student" from Bailudong Academy, a Confucian lady with high standards. Not just anyone could be praised by her, especially when it came to studying.

Ouyang Rong's checking of homework was more of a formality.

Ye Weilai gently massaged her legs while lowering her eyes and said:

"Madam Zhen really liked the bowl of noodles Miss Xie brought this afternoon. She even asked if Miss Xie had specially found a chef from Nanlong to make it taste like the local Nanlong cuisine."

Ouyang Rong paused slightly in his movements.

"Okay." He nodded.

Ouyang Rong had already told Ye Weilai about his junior sister's meeting with the embroiderer during the days when the incident occurred.

Ye Weilai then asked about the embroiderer and Xie Lingjiang's affairs.

The two of them talked for a while, exchanging words back and forth.

After a short while, the atmosphere around the desk quieted down.

As Ye Weilai massaged Ouyang Rong's legs, she suddenly hugged them and pressed her head against his thigh.

Her small face was lowered, and her sideburns were askew.

Ouyang Rong felt a warm, damp sensation from the fabric on his thigh.

He patted her head and asked somewhat helplessly:

"Why are you crying? You were just making the bed and folding the blankets perfectly fine."

Ye Weilai shook her head, buried her head and didn't speak, her little nose twitching as she sobbed to herself.

"Okay, I'm back safely. Nothing happened, don't worry."

He changed the subject, pointing to the surrounding rooms:

"Wei Lai cleaned the room very well, just like when I was there."

Ye Weilai buried her face, remained silent for a while, and then suddenly said:

"no the same."

Ouyang Rong asked curiously, "What's different?"

Ye Weilai raised her little face and said earnestly:

“It still feels like something’s missing when you’re here. Even though I live here too, it’s different when you’re not here. Even if the room is full of other things, it still feels a little empty…”

As she spoke, Ye Weilai poked her chest, where her heart was, with her index finger.

Ouyang Rong remained silent, cupping her tear-streaked, pitiful face in his left hand, and carefully wiping the corner of her eye with his thumb.

Ye Weilai seemed to feel shy; her eyes, swollen and pinkish-green from crying, trembled as she looked away.

However, she kept her arms around Ouyang Rong's thigh, her chest pressed tightly against it, so it was still quite warm.

That's right, the first feeling is that it's warm.

The two sat and knelt for a short while. Ouyang Rong turned around and used his sleeve to wipe away her glistening tears. After he finished, he reached out and ruffled her crooked white hair.

"Alright, go boil some water first. I haven't had a proper bath in the grotto for several days, and I'm a bit dirty. I'm going to take a bath."

"Um."

Perhaps because she had been silently shedding tears for too long without speaking, Ye Weilai's nasal voice sounded somewhat coquettish.

She stood at Ouyang Rong's feet, bracing herself against his knees with both hands, and used the support to stand up.

During that time, whether intentionally or unintentionally, Ye Weilai brushed a fingertip across the inside of his thigh.

Like a red-hot iron in a furnace, the white-haired girl withdrew her hand as if electrocuted, held it in her arms, leaned her upper body slightly back and looked at Ouyang Rong, her pretty face turning red.

Ouyang Rong put his legs together, turned his face to the side, and hurriedly waved his hand, signaling her to step back.

Standing there, head bowed and face flushed, Ye Weilai suddenly reached out and boldly shook hands with him.

Ouyang Rong could no longer contain himself.

He grabbed her slender arm, which was teetering on the edge of the fire, and pulled her into his arms.

A pair of jade hairpins shaped like mandarin ducks were pulled out, and the long, silvery-white hair that had been coiled up began to dance in the air as the young mistress spun around.

Ye Weilai was about to place her completed homework on her desk for a detailed inspection by a teacher.

At this moment, she weakly pressed her hands against the man's chest from the table:

"Wait, wait a moment, Tanlang."

Ouyang Rong stopped as if braking, staring straight at her.

Ye Weilai whispered:

"It's not...it hasn't all come out yet."

"ah?"

Ye Weilai turned her head away: "I got my period the day before yesterday. I checked this evening and it's not... not over yet."

Ouyang Rong took a deep breath, released his grip, took two steps back, and slumped into the chair behind him.

Out of the corner of Ye Wei's eye, she saw Tan Lang say with a stern face:

"Go and rest, remember to drink more hot water... Wait, why are you still teasing me? You little brat, you're asking for it."

Towards the end, his tone became somewhat impatient.

Ye Weilai's voice was so faint it was like a mosquito's buzz:

"I thought my lord was already a saint. Didn't he go to find the embroiderer and Miss Xie? Why is my lord coming back so late?"

Ouyang Rong spoke nonsense with a straight face: "My relationship with the embroiderer is completely innocent, and my relationship with my junior sister is also pure and innocent. Don't talk nonsense, little girl."

"Oh~"

Ye Weilai touched her pink lower lip with her index finger, then slightly curled her fingertip to part her lower lip, revealing a few moist white teeth. She uttered a sentence between her lips:

"And what about He Nu'er, is that also the case?"

"Yes, that's right..."

Before Ouyang Rong could finish nodding, his eyes immediately fell on the white-haired girl in front of him, her slender figure leaning against the desk, facing him.

She slid her hand, which had been touching her lips, down to her legs, lifted her light green dress, and revealed it to him at her waist. It was also light green.

Moreover, Ye Weilai was looking at him with her blue eyes rolled up, her little face flushed, still retaining the charming expression from not long ago.

The visual impact of this pose and expression is enough to kill any man.

"?"

Ouyang Rong immediately stood up and was about to leave, but the little girl grabbed his arms with both hands and pressed him back into his seat.

Ye Weilai straddled him, the young girl tightly embracing her beloved with overwhelming passion, and whispered shyly in his ear:

"Wait a minute, my love. I'll try another way. Just sit still, that's all..."

After speaking, she raised both hands and, in front of Ouyang Rong, tied her waist-length silver hair, which was in the way of her, into a simple high ponytail and secured it with a pair of jade hairpins.

Seeing this, Ouyang Rong felt a sense of awe and respect.

However, it wouldn't be long before he saw it fall to the ground again, shaken up and down, its ponytail disheveled.

...

After the Jiangzhou government issued the order to lift the lockdown, Xunyang City returned to normal after a brief period of commotion.

Previously, there had been much speculation within the city regarding the sudden closure of Shuangfengjian in Jiangzhou and the concentration of efforts on flood control.

Some speculate that the Donglin Buddha's location is inauspicious, angering the Water Dragon King.

Some say that the Buddha statue at Xunyang Grottoes was destroyed by the same group of rebels from the southern Jianghu who were involved in the Xingzifang Buddha incident, and that the news had to be blocked to cover up the damage and save face for the imperial court.

However, during the ten-day lockdown of Shuangfengjian, the weather in Xunyang City was indeed consistently overcast and rainy, which aligns with the explanation that the flooding during the plum rain season caused the problems at Shuangfengjian.

However, people are naturally anti-authoritarian, and the generally accepted equation is that official explanations are equivalent to cover-ups, and official denials are equivalent to admissions. As a result, all sorts of speculations naturally arise.

However, with the lifting of the lockdown in Xunyang and nothing happening for several days, the atmosphere inside and outside the city has become calm, and these rumors have been disproven and gradually no one has mentioned them anymore.

The area around Shuangfengjian remains under the usual curfew, but for days on end, the Yangtze River is shrouded in a persistent white fog that lingers on both banks. Outsiders can only vaguely see the hazy silhouette of the Donglin Buddha statue under construction on the north bank.

Soon, news spread throughout the city that the large Buddha statue in Xunyang Grottoes was nearing completion.

Along with it came a rumor: Jiangzhou Grand Hall was planning to hold a grand celebration on the day the Donglin Buddha was completed, inviting officials and the public to attend, as if to share the joy with the sage.

Immediately, opinions were divided, and the two rumors spread throughout Xunyang, even reaching beyond Jiangzhou...

...

As the saying goes, "When black hair is loose, it can break a person's back; when ponytail is tied up, it's either me or him."

The white-haired girl seemed to be born with a deep understanding of this skill, which should be considered a racial talent of the barbarian women. Although Tian Gui blocked her way, her extremely flexible waist was not of much use, but some fierce quarrels still broke out, and the argument lasted until very late.

However, it did not break in the middle.

Ouyang Rong was an experienced teacher after all. In the past, he could stand and teach, checking students' homework, without getting tired for an hour.

Not to mention that now they're sitting down.

Anyway, by the next morning, after covering the silver-haired girl with a blanket, he went to work feeling refreshed and in a saintly state.

On the contrary, Ye Weilai was absent from the tea party held by Madam Zhen Shuyuan among the women of the inner quarters on the afternoon of the second day. The reason given by her maid was that she had a sore throat during her period, probably because she had eaten something too sweet and her throat felt nauseous.

This slightly strange reason for requesting leave naturally made Zhen Shuyuan mutter that these barbarian women had so many strange little quirks, unlike the Han girls who were straightforward and easygoing about drinking more hot water. Nevertheless, the beautiful woman in the silk skirt still carefully instructed her maid to prepare some pear soup to soothe the throat and send it over...

Ouyang Rong was naturally unaware of these little incidents.

In the two days after returning from Xunyang Grottoes, the little wooden fish gained a lot of merit points, and the clear sound of the wooden fish in his ears came and went.

It is certain that the merits earned after the announcement of the completion of flood control and the lifting of the blockade of Xunyang City will begin to be returned in cash one by one.

In the morning, under bright sunshine, Ouyang Rong first went to Xunyang Grottoes and met Rongzhen, who was busy with her work.

The lady-in-waiting was still the same as always, arriving with a cold and aloof expression, as if she didn't have much time to spare, and her gaze towards Ouyang Rong was somewhat impatient.

Ouyang Rong was used to it, and his expression was gentle. This time, he came to discuss the celebration ceremony held after the Donglin Buddha was "re-completed." He talked about the attitudes of Prince Xunyang, Yuan Changshi, and others, as well as the results of their discussions.

Hearing that both Li and Yuan gave their supportive replies, the lady-in-waiting's expression softened somewhat.

Afterwards, Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen exchanged opinions, finalized the time, and then dispersed. The celebration would take place in the next few days.

The two had their own areas of expertise and each had their own division of labor.

Rong Zhen stayed at the Xunyang Grottoes to continue setting up defenses around the Donglin Buddha statue that had already been completed, in order to prevent rebels; Ouyang Rong, on the other hand, was stationed in Xunyang City to prepare for the celebration ceremony a few days later.

Before the carriage left Twin Peaks, Ouyang Rong lifted the fluttering blue curtain and glanced back.

The white mist and illusionary formations surrounding Xunyang Grottoes continue, and the inside and outside of Shuangfengjian are completely different.

On the way back, Ouyang Rong took a moment to enter the Merit Pagoda and glanced at the cyan-gold characters above the small wooden fish.

[Merit: 6,122]

In the few days after Xunyang City was unsealed, his merit points increased by more than 500. This surge only began to slow down today, and he only came in today to check the settlement.

Seeing his merit points rise back to six thousand, twice the safety threshold of three thousand, Ouyang Rong let out a long breath in the swaying carriage and murmured:

"Judging from this, the celebration ceremony in a few days shouldn't be too bad. We should be high-profile in our actions but low-profile in our personal lives. Sometimes it's true that we need to publicize our actions more. There's really no need to keep things hidden and feel self-satisfied..."

A smile appeared on Ouyang Rong's lips. He was already a little curious about how much merit the celebration ceremony in a few days would bring to the little wooden fish.

After all, it was an excellent way to promote the Donglin Buddha.

Even if people were initially hesitant, they still had to give the current emperor some face and cheer him on. Besides, there were many pilgrims and believers in Jiangzhou who followed the Buddhist doctrines of Donglin Temple and other schools. These people would definitely be the most welcoming to the Donglin Buddha, and they would be very devout...

By the time they returned to the main hall of Jiangzhou, it was already noon.

Ouyang Rong sat down in the main hall, chatted with Yuan Huaimin for a few words, then immediately wrote a letter, summoned Yan Liulang, and gave him instructions:

“Send someone to Donglin Temple in Longcheng County and personally hand it over to Master Shandao.”

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Watching Yan Liulang's departing figure with his fists clasped, Ouyang Rong muttered to himself:

"Now that the Buddha statue is about to be completed, Master, you should at least come. People who don't know better might think that this Donglin Buddha statue has nothing to do with your Donglin Temple. You're such a hands-off manager... No wonder you're a great monk who protects the country."

He shook his head with a wry smile.

...

——————

(PS: Sorry for the lateness, I wrote a bit more in this chapter or 2)

(End of this chapter)