Chapter 135 A Skirt Knife Given to a Good Man (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
The scene of high blood pressure caused by pickled radishes falling on the junior sister's bodice did not occur as expected.
The main problem is that my junior sister is too cautious.
After a morning vegetarian meal, Ouyang Rong felt a little regretful that the atmosphere of the past was not as good as before.
What was the atmosphere like before?
It was an atmosphere of him and his junior sister vying for the pickled radish.
Today's junior sister is so ladylike and refined.
Ouyang Rong ate somewhat awkwardly.
But what else can we say besides marveling at how much our junior sister has grown up?
The two arrived late to begin with, and by the time they left Zaozhaiyuan and headed towards the main hall of Donglin Temple, there were already many worshippers gathered in the side halls and incense burners of the temple.
Looking around, there were crowds of people everywhere.
There were commoners burning incense and praying to Buddha, lovelorn men and women yearning for marriage, and distinguished guests and ladies making vows and offering thanks.
This was the first time Ouyang Rong had ever seen Donglin Temple so bustling.
However, judging from their accents, it's clear that many of them are visitors from other places. Thanks to Longcheng County's rapid recovery from the floods, the number of visitors from other areas has quickly returned.
Perhaps Xie Lingjiang was too dazzling, or perhaps it was because today was a matchmaking fair, and she was like an unconventional version, holding a hammer and seeing everyone as a nail.
Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang, the two fellow disciples, walked side by side through the ancient and solemn temple, attracting the attention of many pilgrims in the crowd.
After all, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, a talented man and a beautiful woman, who wouldn't want to look at them more?
Ouyang Rong didn't seem to mind, but he noticed out of the corner of his eye that his junior sister was acting a little awkwardly, so he immediately turned around and said considerately:
"Let's go, let's take another route, let's not go through the main gate."
Xie Lingjiang was taken aback. Her senior brother, who never followed the usual path, had already taken the lead and left, so she had no choice but to follow closely behind.
Ouyang Rong led Xie Lingjiang down a less crowded side path leading to the main hall.
He had spent his time recuperating in bed at Donglin Temple, and it wasn't for nothing. After all, it was the first place he saw when he opened his eyes, so he was naturally curious and wanted to explore. He was quite familiar with the temple's layout.
"Junior sister, look at that pond. There's an old turtle in there. Every morning it sits on the steps sunbathing."
Ouyang Rong walked slowly, stopping frequently to pause and turn back with a hearty laugh:
"You know Xiufa, right? He's the little monk at the door. He's the one who feeds this turtle every day. But I'm thinking that this old turtle has probably eaten more food than him."
"But this pool seems to be called the Wishing Pool of the Spirit Turtle. I don't know if the turtle is actually magical, but it can swindle a lot of coins from worshippers during holidays. This old turtle earns more than most of the monks in the temple."
Xie Lingjiang watched her senior brother's laughing and talking figure as he strode ahead of her.
Like a kite that has broken free of its string under the blue sky.
She looked up, yearning, and unconsciously stood on tiptoe, trying to pull him back.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly asked:
"Senior Brother."
"Um?"
"Aren't you curious about... what your hand just touched?"
Seeing Ouyang Rong turn around in a daze, Xie, the noble lady, looked away from the pool in the sunlight and turned her face away.
Ouyang Rong recalled the hard touch on the back of her hand when she was tying her skirt in the carriage.
He said calmly, "Is this something you can say to me?"
Xie Lingjiang snorted: "If I can't say, why should I bring it up?"
"Isn't this because I'm afraid you won't treat your senior brother like an outsider?" Ouyang Rong thought to himself, but nodded seriously on the surface.
"Then... what exactly is it, and why is it placed under... your skirt?"
Although she had taken the initiative to suggest it, Xie Lingjiang's face still couldn't help but blush. She carefully looked around, turned around, and walked towards a deserted alley.
Xie Lingjiang lowered her head and whispered, "Turn your back and guard the outside."
Ouyang Rong was taken aback.
But I did as instructed anyway.
He couldn't help but wonder, was his junior sister going to take something out from under her skirt? But... what was it? She could just take it out like that, and show it to him?
However, considering that my junior sister is a virtuous woman with explosive martial arts skills and is not the kind of timid little girl, it is unprecedented for her to wear a skirt today.
Thinking of this, Ouyang Rong felt relieved.
"Alright, you... turn around and come in for a moment."
Ouyang Rong hesitated for a moment before turning his head slightly to look at her, and found that his junior sister was still dressed neatly.
However, she was holding something in her arms, and at the same time, the knotted skirt beneath her had been untied.
It extends somewhat downwards.
Seeing the senior disciple's hesitant figure at the alley entrance, shrinking back and seemingly reluctant to move in.
Xie Lingjiang felt a sudden rise and fall in the fabric binding the rabbit, and took a deep breath.
She curled her lip and sneered, "Senior Brother, you even guard against gentlemen?"
"No, no," Ouyang Rong quickly shook his head. "What are your orders, Junior Sister?"
Xie Lingjiang leaned against the wall, gazing up at the sky, and secretly glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, saying:
"I don't know how to tie that knot. Could you please help me, Senior Brother?"
Oh, I see. It's simple.
Ouyang Rong nodded, walked over, bent down in a half-squat, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and skillfully tied a knot.
At the same time, he kept muttering:
"Look, this is called a bow tie. You tie it like this... cross the left and right sides, then pull hard... Next time, you can do it yourself."
"Mmm-hmm-hmm."
Xie Lingjiang responded seemingly unconsciously.
Ouyang Rong didn't know if she had listened to him or not.
However, it's unclear whether it was because the junior sister stood still or deliberately raised her leg to cooperate.
Besides the unique fragrance under his junior sister's skirt, Ouyang Rong also caught a glimpse of that dazzling white skin out of the corner of his eye.
It is a small, smooth calf with a well-proportioned curve.
One of the senior disciples felt a sudden surge of excitement, but quickly suppressed it.
He felt guilty.
The bow on the hem of the skirt was retied.
Ouyang Rong stood up and clapped his hands.
The next second, a knife that had been pressed against Xie Lingjiang's broad chest for quite some time was thrown at him.
"This is……"
Ouyang Rong instinctively reached out and caught it, the question blurting out:
"Why is Junior Sister hiding a knife under her skirt...?"
He paused halfway through the question, realizing that it was a pointless question.
Hidden knives, of course they're for killing people... right?
Ouyang Rong glanced at Xie Lingjiang, who remained silent and seemed somewhat shy.
He was no longer surprised. When his junior sister dressed as a man, she often wore a crown and a sword, the latter being a gentleman's weapon.
Today I'm wearing a slender, elegant dress, so it's definitely inconvenient to wear a sword at my waist.
It's plausible that she hid a short knife under her skirt and on her leg, but the junior sister really knows how to hide it!
However, this short knife... is quite exquisite and unique, and looks very valuable.
Ouyang Rong lowered his head, looking at him curiously.
The short knife under the junior sister's skirt
The handle is made of white jade, which is white, smooth, delicate, clear and oily.
The scabbard is made of sandalwood and features a relief carving of floral patterns on a brocade background.
Gold ornaments are inlaid on the white jade and white sandalwood.
At first glance, it exudes a sense of nobility and auspiciousness, resembling an item from a royal family rather than an ordinary folk item.
Ouyang Rong looked on with a hint of amazement, and played with the jade-handled sandalwood knife in his hand for a while.
I wonder if it's because it's been kept close to my body for so long.
The blade and scabbard still faintly exude a unique, virginal fragrance belonging to a woman.
Xie Lingjiang turned her face away, so Ouyang Rong couldn't see her expression.
"Senior brother, aren't you curious now?"
He paused, his tone seemingly casual but urgent:
"If you're not curious after reading this... then give it back to me."
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment, then couldn't help but say:
"Junior sister, isn't it uncomfortable and troublesome to tie this thing to your leg?"
He really is a chatterbox and a busybody.
Xie Lingjiang seemed to have gradually figured out the personality of one of her senior brothers.
He's very demanding, yet he can still empathize with others.
She immediately replied without turning her head:
"What can I do? I want to protect my senior brother, but I came here today after bathing and incense, and wearing a skirt. It would be too troublesome to carry a sword at my waist, so I brought a knife instead."
Without a second thought, Ouyang Rong politely said, "How about I help you carry it?"
“Okay, it’s a deal.” Xie Lingjiang nodded immediately.
“…” Ouyang Rong.
The junior sister's straightforward tone, spoken without a second thought, made Ouyang Rong glance at her face a few more times.
I always have this feeling that I'm waiting for him...
Ouyang Rong shook his head, not thinking much of it, and fastened the jade-handled sandalwood sword, which he didn't know was priceless, to his sapphire blue belt.
A gentleman carrying a sword is indeed a sign of a humble gentleman.
A gentleman carrying a sword is also dashing and handsome.
Seeing her senior brother solemnly and foolishly attaching the sword to her skirt, Xie Lingjiang's eyelashes trembled, and her eyes darted away like a deer.
The eldest brother is really stupid.
He didn't even recognize the skirt knife used to weigh down clothes in his daughter's boudoir.
However, upon closer examination, it makes sense.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, the custom of using skirt knives was quite rare among ordinary people, mainly because poor families couldn't afford such things. If any kind of knife could be used as a skirt knife, then wouldn't a kitchen knife also be acceptable...?
However, the five surnames and seven clans have always touted themselves as having Han Chinese attire and pure Han customs.
The sons of the five surnames all carried a dagger and a robe.
There are also women of the five surnames, but they are called skirt knives.
The skirt knife, as a private item kept by young women in their boudoirs to protect their chastity, also served as a symbol of protecting their purity.
A woman's chastity was highly valued not only by the five noble families and seven prominent clans who adhered to the strict moral code, but also by the Han people in Han China.
Although the Great Zhou Dynasty at present has experienced the mixed Han and non-Han ethnicities of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, its atmosphere is relatively open.
However, such ritualistic customs were still inherited by the aristocratic families represented by the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families. This is one of the reasons why women from the Five Surnames were so highly regarded in the marriage market of the Great Zhou Dynasty, not just because of their scarcity.
so.
The skirt-shaped knife was given as a gift to someone.
Naturally... I can only entrust my life to a good man.
Besides, what Ouyang Rong didn't know was that Xie Lingjiang's skirt knife was somewhat different from the ones of the five women.
Besides the gold-inlaid jade, the white jade hilt is engraved with the words "A Perfect Match" in small characters, and the female owner's nickname is also engraved on the blade.
Nurturing a knife is like nurturing jade; it can cultivate its spiritual essence and charm.
Not to mention, it also had Xie Lingjiang, a seventh-grade Qi cultivator, as its mistress.
Previously, she had found a rare book from the Southern Dynasties in the family's secret archives, from which she accidentally learned a lost art of nurturing artifacts from the Southern Dynasty's royal court.
During her spare time studying in Wuyi Lane, the young Xie Lingjiang used this skirt knife to nurture her for nearly ten years.
As a result, the aura emanating from this jade-handled white sandalwood skirt knife was already subtly affecting Xie Lingjiang's mind and consciousness, and she was able to lock onto it from afar.
The two have implicitly formed a mysterious connection, like a bridge, where hearts seem to resonate with each other.
Xie Lingjiang vaguely sensed the presence of a certain beloved on the other side of the skirt blade...
This is a strange thing, and if she were to explain it to someone in detail, she would find it difficult to speak, so she naturally kept quiet and did not answer.
However... Xie Lingjiang underestimated the extent of someone's antics, and... the sensitivity of her delicate body and heart.
I just left the secluded alley.
"Senior brother," Xie Lingjiang suddenly called out.
Ouyang Rong turned his head and noticed that her body seemed a little tense. He asked curiously:
"Hmm, what is it?"
"Could you... no, please stop touching the knife with your hand?"
Xie Lingjiang bit her lip and spoke haltingly.
She, who used to be so dashing and poised in public, now seemed at a loss with her hands, her fingers unconsciously fidgeting with the hems of her short top.
I received some strange and wonderful feedback.
The noble lady from the Xie family felt her face burning and tried her best to look straight ahead at Ouyang Rong.
"Okay, okay."
Ouyang Rong nodded, and his somewhat rough hands immediately took off the smooth, white jade hilt of the skirt knife at his waist.
He just touched it subconsciously, after all, it was a new object, like a new toy. Ouyang Rong felt it was novel after getting it, so he liked to touch it left and right, subconsciously studying it.
Ouyang Rong thought that his junior sister was afraid that he would break her treasure, and he didn't think that his junior sister was stingy.
Little did he know that after he turned around, Xie Lingjiang's righteous expression immediately collapsed, and he seemed to breathe a long sigh of relief.
Actually, the sensation coming from the other end wasn't too intense or anything particularly special, but she just felt a little strange and shy inside.
This is not something to be told to outsiders.
Perhaps it's because... the person wielding the knife is too special in my heart.
This was also the first time Xie Lingjiang's skirt knife had fallen into the hands of an outsider.
In addition, she can actively sever the mysterious connection between their hearts.
But Xie Lingjiang did not do that.
He glanced at the figure of his senior brother in front of him.
She paused slightly, taking note of the aura emanating from him.
Xie Lingjiang closed her eyes slightly and activated a certain incantation that accompanied the secret cultivation technique.
Her mind wandered for a moment.
Xie Lingjiang accurately locked onto her senior brother's unique aura, which the skirt-knife, which had planted a seed of thought in her mind, firmly remembered.
Only when the eldest brother is in his own hands can the skirt-shaped knife connect with her mind and spirit, transmitting feedback and creating a mysterious relationship.
In addition, if anyone other than the eldest brother obtains the skirt knife, the skirt knife will not be able to connect with Xie Lingjiang's mind.
Not to mention it could have the slightest impact.
A calm mind is like a still lake, without any ripples.
Xie Lingjiang did this mainly as a precaution.
The skirt knife was given to the eldest brother. Although he kept it close to him, what if it accidentally came into contact with other women close to him in the future, such as that white-haired maid or Aunt Zhen?
Xie Lingjiang has a strong psychological and physiological obsession with cleanliness. She doesn't like outsiders touching her things, except for a certain blockhead who makes her hate him to the core.
Right now, her skirt blade is only used on him as an exception.
After cutting off all feedback from the skirt knife except for the senior brother.
Xie Lingjiang immediately opened her eyes, nodded in satisfaction, and continued to follow.
After secretly presenting the skirt knife at the alley entrance.
With Xie Lingjiang, whose skirt had been re-knotted, Ouyang Rong returned to the original route, bypassed the congested Incense Burner Square via a side path, and arrived near the bustling main hall where incense was being burned.
It was still early; the morning had just begun.
Ouyang Rong wasn't in a hurry to go to the Beitian Nursing Home. Unconsciously, under the guidance of his junior sister, he strolled around the temple fair for a while longer.
The two were in the midst of a bustling and chaotic crowd of worshippers.
However, Ouyang Rong, who was relaxed, and Xie Lingjiang, who was tense and lost in thought, did not notice that...
Not far behind them, a cold gaze had quietly appeared, though it was unclear when it had started.
A cold gaze followed them relentlessly.
Before long, as if realizing that it was getting late, Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang finally stopped joking and strolling around, lined up together, and entered the main hall where they burned incense and drew lots.
Behind them, the Jade Cup Fairy, who had been disguised and following them all the way, frowned and peered out.
She followed Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang around for a long time.
As a woman herself, she gradually noticed something interesting.
It seems that this Xie woman likes Ouyang Lianghan?
Even an outsider like herself could almost see the way that this woman's eyes kept glancing at her beloved.
Of course, this might also be due to the fact that at this boring matchmaking fair, many couples and lovers were paired up, and the Jade Cup Fairy could easily smell the sour smell of romance just by comparing herself to them.
However, it seems there are still people who don't know about these two.
Is it true that the falling flowers are willing, but the flowing water is heartless...?
The fairy with the jade cup seemed to be deep in thought.
Let's combine this into a long chapter... It's April already, so I'm begging for some monthly votes! Waaah, I'll bend over and fencing with my good brothers!
(End of this chapter)
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