Chapter 907 Loli Li Shu

In the Qingliang Valley Dining Hall, a little girl dressed in Wu clothing swaggered in, dragging a large, leaping fish along with her.

The art style is somewhat comical.

Those who saw it were all taken aback and couldn't help but turn their heads.

However, Ouyang Rong noticed that it seemed no one was paying attention to her.

When the others saw this, they all looked away and went about their own business.

Perhaps it was because of the gray Wu dress that the little girl was wearing, which was of a high standard. Although she didn't have any waist tag, she was at least a Yue woman. Since everyone in the dining hall was a servant, no one dared to ask her anything.

Ouyang Rong observed silently for a while.

Just like yesterday, the little girl in Wufu wandered around the stoves, occasionally tiptoeing and leaning on the edge of the stove, her big eyes curiously watching the stir-fried dishes in the pot, biting her fingers absentmindedly, and it seemed that a little bit of saliva was dripping from the corner of her mouth... In her other hand, she dragged a thin line, and the fish jumped and followed behind her.

The fish seemed reluctant to befriend her, leaping towards the puddle next to the water tank. The sound, relayed by the thin line, seemed to bring the little girl in Wufu back to her senses.

She turned around, pulled on the thin line, and lifted the fish.

The fish hung suspended in the air, staring with dead fish eyes, struggling helplessly.

The little girl in Wufu bit her finger and stared at the suspended fish. She stared at it silently for a while, and then... she gripped the thin line and flung her "new friend" wildly through the air, spinning and spinning until it almost left a blur.

A moment later, without paying attention...

With a sharp "smack!", it was from accidentally bumping into the stove next to him while spinning around.

The little girl in Wu's clothes immediately stopped, squatted down and looked down at the fish. At the same time, she secretly hid her little hands, which had been happily pulling the line and spinning around, behind her back.

The fish, which were once lively and energetic, now lay on the ground, barely alive.

Ouyang Rongrong's lips twitched slightly.

It was the crucial time for preparing lunch, and Aunt Sun, Aunt Zhu, and the others ignored the little girl in Wufu who was making a fuss next to them, all focused on cooking.

The same was true for others, such as Wu Cui, who was busy with her work without looking to the side.

She would only quietly go and clean up when the little girl dirtied the stove floor she was in charge of or overturned the "rules" she had set up.

On the other side, the little girl in Wufu continued to drag the dying fish around the various stoves.

She just bit her finger, dragged the fish along, and stared longingly at the fragrant dishes in the pot.

They didn't make a sound to disturb the ladies who were cooking.

It seems that they are very polite and respectful to the cook.

Connecting this to the unfortunate fish in her hand, this little girl in Wu clothing gives off a mischievous yet adorable vibe.

After observing silently for a while, Ouyang Rong felt that the lively cooking atmosphere in the kitchen was somewhat strange.

I can't quite put my finger on what it is.

The women around the stove seemed to be staring too intently at the strange little girl in Wu clothing, paying her almost no attention.

Logically speaking, such an adorable little girl would surely attract the attention of older women, perhaps even stirring up a bit of maternal instincts.

But no.

Something unusual must be going on.

Ouyang Rong firmly believed in this principle. As he carried the firewood, he deliberately avoided the little girl in Wu Fu and walked around her.

My original plan to create an unexpected contact has been temporarily suppressed.

Take a safe approach first.

Soon, the preparation of lunch was nearing completion.

The little girl in Wufu wandered around the kitchen alone for a few minutes, then turned back dejectedly and suddenly noticed that the fish on the thin line had stopped jumping and was frozen in place, its eyes staring like steel balls.

The little girl in Wu's clothes was startled. She quickly squatted down, hurriedly picked up her new friend, and ran out of the dining hall in a flash, disappearing without a trace.

This scene left Ouyang Rong speechless.

This girl doesn't seem to be very bright. Is she really stupid or just messing around...?

He silently looked around and noticed that many people were also looking at each other in bewilderment.

Lunch passed smoothly, and evening arrived quickly.

In the afternoon, Ouyang Rong, as usual, lay down by the woodpile and took a nap.

After waking up, I began preparing dinner. Unlike yesterday, today's dinner was the same as usual, with no special additions.

While Ouyang Rong was busy, he quietly observed the doorway.

It seemed as if they were waiting for a certain figure.

But the little girl in Wu clothing was nowhere to be found.

Soon, dinner was coming to an end, and Ouyang Rong gave up waiting, thinking he would see what happened tomorrow.

Just then, Wu Cui suddenly walked over and looked him up and down.

Ouyang Rong also glanced at her sideways.

Wu Cui stared at him and slowly said:

"Liu Aliang, a fairy is looking for you."

Ouyang Rong was taken aback.

A fairy? Could it be A Qing?

Ouyang Rong got up and followed Wu Cui to the wooden gate behind the dining hall.

The dining hall was bustling with activity, and few people noticed Ouyang Rong's situation.

The sky had already darkened, with only a touch of orange-red sunset on the western horizon.

As soon as Ouyang Rong stepped out of the wooden gate, he saw two young women standing in the courtyard, one tall and one short, one beautiful and one energetic.

The two young women looked over and their gazes fell on his surprised face.

"Miss Song, Miss Yu?"

"Brother Liu!"

"Brother Liu, are you done with your work? Will Mili and I be of no help to you?"

As Ouyang Rong's gaze fell upon them, Song Zhian and Yu Mili were also carefully examining his attire.

Yu Mili was still the same as before, except she had changed into Wu-style clothing and a waist tag, with a small bag of snacks hanging from her waist. She was smiling at him.

"Brother Liu, what have you been doing in the dining hall these days? Have you been slacking off like Er Gou? We in Taotang also eat the food from Qingliang Valley Dining Hall. I've been waiting for days, but I haven't seen any of your soup in the meals. The other dishes aren't very tasty, but your soup is much better..."

Yu Mili paused in her speech when Song Zhian, who was standing next to her, tugged at her sleeve.

Compared to the chattering Yu Mili, Song Zhian appeared more reserved and serious. She nodded slightly to Ouyang Rong, greeted him, and then looked behind Ouyang Rong, landing on Wu Cui, who was standing still.

Song Zhian clasped his hands in greeting to Wu Cui:

"Thank you for bringing the news, young lady."

While the tone was polite, there was also a subtle hint that the guest should be asked to leave.

"Okay, you two chat."

Wu Cui turned and left.

Before entering, Wu Cui glanced back at the taciturn young man's back and vaguely saw him being surrounded by the two fairies from Qiutang and Taotang, chatting familiarly.

Some voices could also be faintly heard:

"Why are you here?"

"Sister Song asked me to come, Brother Liu. You don't know, Sister Song seems to have taken leave and ended her shift early to come find me. She said she wanted to come see you together. Maybe she misses you, but she won't admit it..."

"Mili, don't exaggerate what you say."

"whee."

After Wu Cui left, the atmosphere among the three of them relaxed.

Aside from their different clothes, the three of them chatted as if they had returned to their previous way of getting along.

Song Zhian said softly to Ouyang Rong:

“Brother Liu, I heard from my senior sister that you came to see me a few days ago, but I was out and I don’t know what you wanted. These past few days, with the Sixth Lady in charge, it’s not good to go out. I only managed to find the time to come over today, so I called Mili to come with me…”

Yu Mili, standing to the side, quickly answered:

"Hmm, since Brother Liu went to see Sister Song, why did Sister Song have to ask me to come along? That's strange..."

Under Song Zhian's furrowed brows, Yu Mili shut up, but she still winked at Ouyang Rong and said:

“Brother Liu, why did you only go to see Sister Song and not me? I’ve been at Peach Hall the whole time. If you had come looking for me, I definitely would have come out. It’s a pity, Brother Liu, you’re so biased. You didn’t even think of me right away…”

"Alright, stop with the banter."

"Mmm."

Song Zhian looked slightly helpless, reached out and covered her friend's mouth, and looked at Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong spoke in a low voice:

"I was originally planning to go find Miss Yu, but something came up and I was delayed. Besides, I'm just a kitchen helper, so it's not convenient for me to go too far. Qiu Hall is closer..."

After explaining, he became serious and pondered for a moment:

"Actually, when I went to Qiutang to see Miss Song a few days ago, I did have a favor to ask..."

"Oh? What is it?"

Song Zhian asked curiously, paused, and then added seriously;

"Brother Liu, please feel free to ask. If I can help, I will do my best."

Ouyang Rong remained silent for a moment, then asked:

"Miss Song, do you often see Lady Liu at Qiutang?"

Song Zhian nodded, then shook her head:

“I mainly follow a senior sister and have only recently become familiar with Qiutang. The Sixth Lady often appears, but she comes and goes quickly and rarely stays. And every time she comes out, there are many people surrounding her, so I don’t get a chance to speak… Why is Brother Liu asking this? Is there something you need to see the Sixth Lady?”

Ouyang Rong hesitated for a moment, then refrained from speaking immediately.

Both Song and Yu looked at him with curiosity.

Just then, a familiar small black shadow flashed by in the distance, and the three of them were immediately drawn to it.

She is a little girl dressed in Wu clothing.

She was holding a basin of water in her arms, in which lay a listless fish, swimming idly and occasionally jumping up and down.

The little girl in Wufu had a very serious face. Carrying a basin of fish, she passed through the backyard and her short legs trotted into the dining hall.

Ouyang Rong, Song Zhian, and Yu Mili stared blankly.

"This is……"

Yu Mili withdrew her gaze, somewhat speechless:

"What is she doing, Brother Liu? Is she also from your dining hall?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head, about to speak, when Song Zhian suddenly spoke up:

Shh, keep your voice down.

Yu Mili looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Ouyang Rong, also puzzled, asked, "Do you know Miss Song?"

"Hmm." Song Zhian hesitated for a moment, then lowered her voice and said, "She is the direct disciple of the Queen's Palace."

"The direct descendant of the Queen Mother?"

Ouyang Rong asked in surprise, "The same as A Qing?"

Yu Mili was also quite surprised: "How come she's so young? She seems to be younger than Miss Aqing and Sister Chen. Which year is she from? Which female ruler's direct descendant is she?"

Song Zhian shook her head:

"Your Highness, I don't know much. I only heard it from my senior sister. Yesterday, when Your Highness and the others came to Qiutang, this little girl was with Your Highness... She doesn't belong to any particular grade. It seems that Your Highness brought her back from the foot of the mountain. It's like she was taken in as a disciple in private, unlike us."

Yu Mili stood behind with a curious look on her face, peeking inside to observe the little girl and the fish lingering around the stove.

Ouyang Rong also turned his head, but his originally calm expression changed slightly as he stared at the familiar, chubby face of the little girl in Wufu in the distance for a while.

He suddenly asked Song Zhian:

"Miss Song, what is her name?"

Song Zhian recalled: "It seems like her surname is Li... and her name is Li, Li..."

"Li Shu?"

"That's right, it seems to be that name. I didn't ask Senior Sister about the last character... Oh, Brother Liu, do you know her?"

Song Zhian realized what was happening and immediately turned her gaze to Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong remained silent for a moment.

Of course he recognized it; the name struck him like a thunderbolt.

Isn't this Li Yu's youngest daughter?

During the battle to ambush the Buddha's head on Qingyang Main Street, she was "kidnapped" by Junyu Nianyuan, the second daughter who was hiding in Liyu Courtyard, and has not returned since.

No wonder that chubby baby face looked so familiar to him.

Ouyang Rong's mind flashed with the image of Master Li's chubby face, and his lips twitched slightly.

To be fair, Li Shu isn't fat at all; her baby fat is actually quite cute and makes her look adorable. I wonder how Li Yu managed to give birth to such a lovely daughter. The little girl probably takes after her deceased mother...

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but mutter a complaint to himself.

"I only heard it from the head cook; I don't know much else."

He explained something to Song Zhian, who looked thoughtful.

The three of them watched for a short while, then Song Zhian turned around and continued to ask:

"Brother Liu hasn't said why he's contacting me, or how he needs my help..."

Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke:

"It's alright now."

Song Zhian and Yu Mili looked confused.

Ouyang Rong paused, his voice softening slightly:

"There's nothing else for now."

Song Zhian stared at his face for a while, then nodded gently:

"Alright, if there's anything I can help you with, Brother Liu, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Uh-huh."

Ouyang Rong agreed verbally, but his eyes glanced inside the door.

Their gaze fell on the short-legged little girl who was wandering around the stove.

He couldn't help but think of the two-color blessing he had redeemed yesterday evening.

The vague look of realization in his eyes was quietly concealed.

With Song and Yu standing beside him, Ouyang Rong silently lowered the brim of his hat.

Skipping over Li Shu's topic, the three of them exchanged pleasantries for a while longer.

Over at the stove, as dinner was prepared, Li Shu's figure carrying the fish had disappeared without a trace.

This short-legged little girl has run off somewhere to play again, and she's still bouncing around a bit...

Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze, showing no sign of urgency.

After chatting for a few more minutes, it was time for the dining hall staff to finish their shift. Ouyang Rong prepared to see the two women off and was about to speak.

"Liu Aliang".

Suddenly, another woman's voice came from inside the back door.

Ouyang Rong turned around and saw Wu Cui.

It seemed like a familiar figure was following behind her.

Wu Cui looked at Ouyang Rong with a strange expression, then turned to the side and gestured to the person coming from behind:

"Someone is looking for you again. She says you're very close to her..."

This time, before Ouyang Rong could speak, Yu Mili had already spoken first:

"Madam Li? What brings you here? Did Brother Liu also secretly come to see you?"

"..."

Ouyang Rong's forehead darkened slightly.

"Looking for a concubine? What do you mean, looking for a concubine?"

Li Wan, who was approaching with a smile, was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

"Don't talk nonsense."

Song Zhian glared at Yu Mili.

Li Wan ignored Yu Mili's nonsense, looked around, and said with a smile:

"What a coincidence, you're all here. Perfect timing, I have a favor to ask..."

(End of this chapter)