Chapter 15 The Mysterious Deduction of Merit Points
"See? I told you they would get along very well."
Looking at the handsome young man and beautiful young woman behind her, who seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, Zhen found them pleasing to the eye. She smiled and said to Xie Xun, who was also looking back.
"Wanwan's personality is just a bit too serious and rigid," Xie Xun sighed. This wouldn't normally be a problem for a man.
"Stern and serious? This slave is very familiar. Isn't that what Tanlang is like? Mr. Xie, the slave has told you that since he was a child, he has always been beaten because of his temperament... Teach him earnestly, but the slave will be tired..."
Zhen began exchanging "parenting experiences" with Xie Xun, who was taken aback. He was a great scholar who thought about national affairs, clan affairs, and academy affairs every day. He never expected to chat with a woman about such trivial family matters. However, it was quite novel.
Xie Xun sneered.
Lady Zhen began to slowly unfold her map of the Yan Kingdom again.
"No wonder your daughter said that one of her wishes was to meet my husband. The two of you are indeed similar in character, both being outstanding gentlemen. Wouldn't that be a case of mutual appreciation? You'll definitely have a lot to talk about when you're together in private, and I believe you'll soon become close friends."
My aunt seems to have forgotten that just a few days ago she was scolding her nephew for being a useless, pedantic gentleman.
"Probably. But it wasn't just Wanwan who admired Lianghan before; many of the younger students in the academy also wanted to meet him. That's the kind of role model a senior brother should set." Xie Xun nodded.
The admiration of the junior disciples in the academy? What good is that? It can't compare to even a fraction of the favor this noble lady from the Xie family has for her. Zhen nodded with a smile on her face, but inwardly she was utterly disgusted.
She thought for a moment, then said calmly, "Although I am a woman, I have long admired the elegance of the Xie family of Jiangzuo, and I have heard that... the gentry of Jiangzuo value people of high social standing?"
Xie Xun waved his hand, "It's just an outsider's compliment, I don't deserve it."
Madam Zhen pressed further, "Does the gentleman think my husband is a decent person?"
"Lianghan is certainly one of the most outstanding young talents in the academy."
"That's good, that's good."
Seemingly puzzled as to why his disciple's aunt was talking to him about this, he thought for a moment and said, "Madam, please don't belittle yourself. Lianghan is only twenty years old and is already a county magistrate. He is truly a dragon among men. Many of his fellow scholars who are older than him are still hesitating in Luoyang, indulging in pleasure and debauchery."
But even the worst of the worst have married and had children, while the truly outstanding are still single… The woman had long been dissatisfied with this. So she stopped testing the waters and spoke directly:
"To be honest, sir, when I saw your daughter, I was truly captivated. She is well-educated and reasonable, and seems to have stepped out of a celestial painting... I wonder... is Wanwan engaged?"
The true intentions are revealed when the map is unrolled.
Xie Xunmei raised her eyebrows slightly, turned her head to look at Zhen Shi, and did not speak immediately. She seemed to think for a moment before slowly saying:
"Not yet. Before, a young man from the Cui family wanted to propose marriage to her, but her mother refused on her behalf. Later, she was busy with her studies..." He paused, looked at the overcast sky, and nodded.
"I won't bother you any longer today, Madam. We're a bit tired from the journey, so Wanwan and I will go back to rest first. Do you have time tomorrow morning, Madam? You and Lianghan could come over and have breakfast at Donglin Temple. We'll talk again then."
Madam Zhen wasn't in a hurry. She smiled and said, "Of course there's time. My husband really wants to spend more time with Mr. Xie and my junior sister. He doesn't have any good teachers or friends in Longcheng County, and he's usually lonely. He doesn't talk to me about anything. Mr. Xie and Wanwan coming here is a real lifesaver..."
"It's alright, sir. Go back and get some rest. We'll talk again tomorrow."
Xie Xun smiled.
...
"Auntie, what are you laughing at?"
Did I laugh?
"You said you weren't laughing, but your face is beaming with joy."
"Whether you're asking for a beating or not, your auntie is now making all the decisions."
"I just feel like it's never going to be good."
"?"
Ouyang Rong and Zhen Shi escorted the Xie father and daughter back to an elegant lay Buddhist courtyard on the west side of Donglin Temple. The Xie family was a prominent clan and had their own courtyard at Donglin Temple, which was always reserved for them.
On the way back to Sanhui Courtyard, Ouyang Rong noticed that Zhen Shi chuckled from time to time, which left him speechless.
"Auntie, what were you and the teacher talking about just now?"
"Don't pry into adults' affairs. What were you and Wanwan talking about in the back?"
"Wanwan? Why are you calling her by her nickname when you're an outsider? What are you trying to do to get close to her? Also, don't pry into the affairs of your juniors."
"Hey, you little rascal, you're asking for it..."
Ouyang Rong crossed his arms, twisted his waist, and dodged the slap.
After a while, he turned his head, looking somewhat suspicious, and asked, "You didn't mention that to the teacher, did you?"
"What did you say? Auntie doesn't understand."
The more Ouyang Rong thought about it, the more convinced he became, especially when he saw the woman in the silk skirt curving her lips with a mole. "How...how am I supposed to face my teacher after this?"
He took a deep breath.
"What do you mean, how do we meet? Once you're my father-in-law, we'll see each other every day. Just wait, we'll get an answer tomorrow, and it'll probably work out!"
With a smile, Madam Zhen poked a certain blockhead with her index finger adorned with red cardamom. "That's why I have to step in. You young people these days are so shy, you keep your feelings to yourselves. Opportunities are earned, and once they're gone, they're gone forever. If your family hadn't seized the opportunity to act as matchmaker back then, would you have a gentle and considerate aunt like me? No way."
“Nephew, I think… this is something we should learn from.”
Madam Zhen frowned and scrutinized Ouyang Rong: "Why do I feel like you've been talking more lately?"
"One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black."
Zhen: "..." Is this a roundabout way of cursing?
Ouyang Rong suddenly calmed down, seemingly no longer angry at Zhen's presumptuous actions, and silently faced the road ahead.
"Why are you making such a face? Your aunt is wondering, Wanwan has such good qualities, especially... the canteen for your nephews and grandnephews in the future, how luxurious it will be! Don't you men these days like that? How strange."
"And then there's her personality. Let me tell you, this kind of old-fashioned, serious woman is a treasure. She's both innocent and conservative. On the surface, she seems dull and hard to approach, but once you've won her heart, or decided to be with you, she'll be a devoted and loyal wife, completely devoted to you, and you can't get rid of her no matter what you do... She's also virtuous and good at managing the household, bringing good fortune to her husband and loving her children. I've heard she's also a talented woman, so her future children will definitely be smart, and you won't have to worry about nutrition. Twins are no problem..."
“Auntie,” Ouyang Rong interrupted.
"what."
Ouyang Rong shook his head slightly, "You underestimate your junior sister too much. She doesn't even look at anyone."
Moreover, he didn't fit her image of a gentleman at their first meeting... Ouyang Rong smiled and was actually quite satisfied with this genuine first encounter without any halo or filter; this was how she saw the real him.
Madam Zhen waved her hand, it didn't matter, she would take care of it. "The marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers, and Mr. Xie's words count. What does it matter if the little girl wants it? As long as your teacher is satisfied, that's all that matters."
Ouyang Rong didn't explain the rumor he'd overheard about his junior sister refusing marriage with a poem and insulting the Cui family's son; he simply didn't mention it again and turned to give him a word of advice:
“Auntie, go back and make preparations tonight. We’ll send the teacher to Penglangdu tomorrow morning, and then we can go down the mountain and move back to the county government office.”
Having achieved her goal of waiting at Donglin Temple, Zhen Shi no longer kept Ouyang Rong occupied. She nodded in agreement, though she continued to chatter on and on.
"Don't worry, my dear. This young lady from the Xie family seems like someone I can get along with. I'll keep an eye on her for you and make sure it doesn't turn out like before, where we ended up with an ungrateful brat."
Ouyang Rong, who was about to slip away, was taken aback.
"What ingrate?"
"She was the child bride your mother chose for you when you were little, back in your mother's hometown."
"Is that so?"
"Have you forgotten? When you were little, you were frail and sickly, often unconscious in bed. So we raised a child bride to take care of you by your bedside and do needlework. But what happened? Every time your mother and I went into the room to see you, your arms were covered in needle marks, bleeding from where she pricked you! The room was also a complete mess."
Even after many years, Madam Zhen's eyebrows furrowed more and more. "This ungrateful wretch was originally an adopted mute orphan from your mother Zhao's family. At first, he seemed quite quiet and obedient, and we thought he would be your playmate. But we never expected that he would do such a vicious thing as murdering your young husband while we were away."
Ouyang Rong thought about it carefully and seemed to have some vague impression. When he was a child, he was often woken up by the pain of being pricked by needles. Then, in his memory, his mother and Zhen Shi seemed to often be furious with a thin little girl, hitting and scolding her. That weak figure was always huddled in the corner, sobbing and wailing with her head in her hands.
"And then what happened?" he asked curiously.
"Of course, she was sold later. I originally thought of having the clan elders put her in a pig cage, but a wandering Taoist priest came to collect her, so your mother just sold her and even made a string of silver. I don't know which unlucky family will adopt this little ingrate after that."
Mrs. Zhen shook her head, "It was because of this incident that I learned this. Some children are truly born bad."
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment, then muttered in agreement, "Hmm, it might be some kind of antisocial personality disorder..."
After glancing at the sky, Ouyang Rong parted ways with Zhen Shi, intending to visit A Shan and A Qing's family again. Suddenly, he heard several muffled wooden fish sounds coming from his ear.
Like a heartbeat, there are ten sounds in total, minus ten points.
The man froze, looking around at the empty temple with a surprised expression.
"Where is my merit?" I was stunned.
...
(PS: I can't wait, brothers. The flood control will start around chapter 20, and the "hypocrite" synopsis will start from chapter 22...)
(End of this chapter)
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