Chapter 165 The Su Family Is acting strangely
A frank and outspoken rebuttal was quite satisfying.
But I just walked down the winding waterfront promenade connecting the waterside pavilion to the shore.
A slight sense of guilt arose in Ouyang Rong's heart as he felt a cool breeze in the garden.
He's having a good time, but won't this put Dalang in a difficult position?
As for Yuan Xiangshan, who seemed to be chasing after them from the waterside pavilion, Ouyang Rong didn't care at all.
At this moment.
Thump—!
Behind Ouyang Rong, a sound like someone falling into water came from behind.
"Help! Someone help! The gentleman has tripped and fallen into the water..."
Immediately afterwards, shouts came from behind from the pageboys.
Ouyang Rong, Yan Liulang, and the others were taken aback.
Stop and look back.
In the middle of the low-profile waterfront walkway, a group of children were leaning against the railing, reaching out futilely to a struggling "wave" in the water below, looking around anxiously and calling out.
It's as if this will save the person.
Ouyang Rong was speechless. Before he could even lift his foot, he saw Su Dalang, who had been deep in thought at the table, rush out of the waterside pavilion.
"teacher!"
Thump—!
A loud shout was followed by the sound of water falling into the water.
Without saying a word, Su Dalang jumped into the pond.
The golden carp scattered in fright.
Ouyang Rong's lips twitched as he was about to say something.
Right now, two clumps of "waves" are struggling in the pond.
It added another unnecessary step.
Ouyang Rong and the others: "..."
The pageboys: "..."
A beautiful figure in the corridor not far away: "..."
"Help!... glug glug... Help... Help the teacher... glug glug"
Su Dalang's intermittent voice could be heard from the water.
You son of a bitch, you can't even swim, what are you doing jumping around like that?
While internally complaining, Ouyang Rong had already turned around and rushed back to the waterfront promenade, throwing the outer robe he had taken off to the stunned Yan Liulang.
He jumped into the water together with Liu Ashan, who was shirtless and had a muscular build.
"I'll save Da Lang, you save the old man."
...
The farce at the waterside pavilion outside Juxian Garden ended with Ouyang Rong, Liu Ashan, and others pulling Su Dalang and Yuan Xiangshan out of the water.
The incident seemed to have disturbed Mr. and Mrs. Su.
However, after saving the person and being thanked by Master Su and the others, Ouyang Rong did not stay for long.
After confirming that Su Dalang and Yuan Xiangshan were both safe, they left that same day.
Su Dalang was young and healthy; after resting for a morning, he was back to his energetic self.
However, Yuan Xiangshan's condition was slightly more serious. He had been in a coma after drowning until evening and also had a slight fever.
Later, according to the doctor invited by Longcheng Medical Center, Mr. Yuan was suffering from cold invading his body and needed to be properly cared for for several days, so it was not a serious problem.
The day after rescuing the drowning person, Ouyang Rong, after finishing his shift, brought some fruit that Wei Lai had thoughtfully prepared and went to visit her.
In the antique-style ward filled with the smoke of incense, he saw the tall, handsome young man kneeling by the bedside, serving soup and medicine.
Ouyang Rong had originally wanted to rack his brains for some words of comfort, but Su Dalang instead comforted him apologetically.
He also sincerely apologized for his teacher's previous arrogance and offense.
Seeing that Ouyang Rong remained silent, Su Dalang coughed twice, then winked and made funny faces, just like when he was with his friend, to reassure him.
This made Ouyang Rong a little embarrassed.
In the following days, Ouyang Rong would come to visit Su Dalang every evening after finishing his shift, and he would always see Su Dalang busy taking care of him at his sickbed.
Judging from the words of the other servants, Su Dalang stayed by his sickbed late into the night, showing no sign of letting up.
Ouyang Rong took all of this in stride, remaining silent.
That evening, he came over for a stroll again.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but remind him, "Big Brother, you... take care of your health. Taking care of others is one thing, but your own health is the most important thing. Don't make yourself sick too."
"Thank you for your concern, Lianghan."
At the table in the front hall, Su Dalang wiped his hands, which were stained with some medicinal soup, with a rag, rubbed his tired, bloodshot eyes, and shook his head with a wry smile:
"It's alright. I was just keeping watch by the bedside and I read a bit, but I dozed off halfway through... I've been a little busy these past few days. The teacher's old illness has flared up a bit, so I'll have to keep an eye on him at night for the next couple of nights."
Ouyang Rong glanced at his friend's somewhat disheveled hair and stubble, hesitated for a moment, and then reminded him:
"Respecting teachers and elders is always right, but you can't exhaust yourself. If you really can't handle it, you can occasionally ask your servants or page to do it for you. It's not considered being negligent or unfilial."
"I understand, Lianghan."
Su Dalang nodded, then couldn't help but take another look at the fruits and snacks that Ouyang had brought.
Ouyang Rong asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"
Su Dalang observed his expression, then stepped aside to indicate, "Lianghan, won't you go in and see your teacher?"
"No, we have different paths, so we cannot work together," Ouyang said calmly, shaking his head.
Ouyang Rong claimed to have come to visit these past few days, but it seemed more like he was visiting Su Dalang. He stayed in the front hall and didn't go into the heavily curtained inner room to visit Yuan Xiangshan.
Su Dalang couldn't help but take a step forward, grab his friend's sleeve, and blurt out:
"Lianghan, although my teacher is strict and sometimes his words aren't very kind, he's really good to me and to my family. Back then, he was dismissed from his post in the Ministry of Rites because of us..."
Thump—
A slight sound suddenly came from the inner room, as if someone had gently bumped a stool leg.
Su Dalang, who had his back to the inner room, paused in his speech.
What was that sound?
Ouyang Rong looked curiously behind Su Dalang.
"It's nothing, maybe the teacher has woken up."
Su Dalang shook his head.
"oh……"
Ouyang Rong wasn't concerned about the matter of that senior Mr. Yuan; he changed the subject, his tone puzzled:
"What did you just say, 'because of you guys'? Also, why was Elder Yuan suddenly dismissed from his post? Does this mean..."
"No, no."
Su Dalang quickly waved his hand, paused, and explained:
"Actually, it wasn't that he was dismissed from his post. It was my teacher who resigned on his own. There was some turmoil in the imperial court in Luoyang back then. My teacher was stubborn and had different political views, so he resigned and went into seclusion. It just so happened that our family had also left Luoyang. My father was acquainted with my teacher, so he hired a tutor for me to teach me to read at Juxian Garden."
He paused for a moment, then continued:
"Lianghan, perhaps it's similar to what you've experienced. That day at the waterside pavilion, the teacher seemed a bit bossy. Don't be angry, Lianghan."
Ouyang Rong glanced at him, nodded, and said nothing.
However, he had a deep understanding of the turmoil in the Luoyang court that Su Dalang mentioned.
From the two emperors ruling as regents in the past, to the deposition and installation of a new emperor, to the subsequent regency and rule, and finally the change of the dynasty name from Gan to Zhou... the Luoyang court has indeed been turbulent over the years, with one group of people changing hands after another.
Mr. Yuan's experience is not surprising.
Su Dalang suddenly brought up: "Lianghan, that extraordinary piece of writing you left behind before you left the waterside pavilion that day..."
Ouyang Rong stood up and smiled:
"As I said, it was a gift from a senior when I was studying. I saw that you, Dalang, had the old-fashioned respect for teachers and elders, and I was moved by it, so I gave it to you."
Ouyang Rong shook his head slightly, not paying much attention, and took his leave.
Su Dalang quickly got up and saw Ouyang Rong out.
Seeing Ouyang Rong's figure disappear into the distance, the eldest son of the Su family breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and went back into the house, his steps somewhat hurried...
After delivering the fruit, Ouyang Rong walked along the corridor empty-handed. Once he was a little further away from the courtyard, he suddenly stopped under a corridor with wind chimes hanging on it.
Something's not right...
Ding-dong-dong—the dark wind blew the bells, their clear sound faintly masking the murmurs of the man whose face was flickering between light and shadow under the eaves.
"To be able to hire a resigned official from the capital as a private tutor for an extended period is not something an ordinary wealthy family could do..."
Gazing at the night sky descending outside the corridor, Ouyang Rong gently shook his head:
"This Master Su is a family friend of my mentor, and I heard from my junior sister that they even studied together... Could he also be a member of a prominent family with one of the five surnames and seven esteemed clans? But why is his surname Su?"
"Leaving aside the Five Surnames and Seven Clans, it seems that this surname is not among the prominent families of the two capitals in Guanzhong..."
“Su…Su…”
...
Inside the quiet courtyard where Mr. Yuan was recuperating.
After seeing Ouyang Rong off, Su Dalang rubbed his tired right cheek and walked into the inner room without looking up.
As the heavy curtains were lifted, several figures were revealed inside.
"Father, Mother, Sister..."
Su Dalang called out to him familiarly a few times.
All four members of the Su family were in the inner room, some standing and some sitting.
The conversation between Ouyang Rong and Su Dalang in the front hall was naturally overheard by everyone.
Su Xian, the eldest patriarch of the Su family, dressed as a wealthy man, nodded kindly to Su Dalang, who was returning.
Su Guo'er, with bright red plum blossom makeup on her eyebrows, was sitting gracefully on an embroidered stool by the window, holding a piece of writing with elegant handwriting in her hands, and looking down at it.
He simply nodded slightly in response to his brother's greeting.
Su Dalang couldn't help but glance at the ladylike Amei and the empty stool opposite her.
Amei was dressed in a blue and white high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), sitting gracefully like a slender lady, studying Lianghan's remarkable article. However, beneath her wide skirt, a small foot wearing pink embroidered shoes gently lifted the hem of her skirt, with half of her jade-like foot hooking onto the leg of an embroidered stool that was not currently occupied.
She appears to be a lady with a touch of playfulness.
But in reality, A-mei is not ladylike at all... Su Dalang, who suffered a lot of bullying from A-mei, sighed in his heart.
He was talking to Ouyang Rong outside just now, and it must have been Amei who kicked the embroidered stool with her foot, interrupting what he was about to say.
However, Su Dalang was not angry.
Now that he thinks about it, he realizes that it was indeed inappropriate before. After all, his sister is an unmarried young woman and it is not suitable for her to meet with strange men outside, even if they are his brother's friends. He should avoid suspicion.
Besides Su Guo'er, there was another middle-aged woman in the room, who looked like she was past her prime.
She had drawn two thin, long eyebrows, a round face, and thin lips. She wasn't very tall, not as tall as the rather slender and refined-looking Master Su and his son, Su Dalang. Yet, even with her back to everyone, no one could ignore her when she stood in the room.
When she slightly purses her lips, coupled with her eyes that tend to glance sideways, her demeanor is quite sharp.
Wei Mei did not respond to her eldest son's greeting, nor did she sit on the empty embroidered stool opposite Su Guo'er. She stood by the window, her index finger slightly lifting the curtain, as if carefully observing the receding figure in the corridor, her expression quite intrigued.
Without looking up, Su Guo'er asked, "What are you looking at, Mother?"
Without a second thought, Wei Mei immediately replied, "It depends on the son-in-law."
"..."
Su Guo'er ignored her, giving a soft "oh" indifferently.
Wei Mei didn't even need to turn around to know how the girl would react. He chuckled and nodded, asking.
"What, you don't want to get married? Your family can hardly support you anymore. Why don't you just get married and find a sucker to take over?"
"If you find your mother and father, please let me know so I can take some things from home with me and make this sucker lose less money."
"Fine, you ungrateful wretch, I'll make sure you marry penniless."
Wei Mei laughed and scolded, then poked Su Guo'er's smooth forehead with his index finger.
The so-called son-in-law was just a joke.
Su Xian smiled wryly and exchanged a glance with Su Dalang. They were naturally familiar with the intimate bickering and way of getting along between the mother and daughter.
As for their status in the family... you can tell by their obedient expressions, unable to get a word in edgewise.
Just then, Su Dalang turned to look in the direction of Yuan Xiangshan's sickbed and couldn't help but say:
"Teacher, you're awake!"
Su Xian and Su Dalang walked forward together.
Mr. Yuan, who had been in a deep sleep for a long time, looked somewhat flattered when he saw the person who came into the room.
The old man hurriedly and shakily sat up, as if preparing to bow in his ailing state, but Su Xian grabbed his withered hand and supported him.
Su Xian and Su Dalang comforted him, and Mr. Yuan was moved to tears.
A harmonious atmosphere prevailed around the sickbed.
However, compared to the amiable and approachable Su family father and son, Wei Mei and Su Guo'er did not react much.
Su Guo'er continued to admire the article titled "On Teachers" with her head bowed and brows furrowed.
Wei Mei stared out the window for a while before slowly turning her gaze away.
"This child is indeed handsome and has an extraordinary demeanor. He has the same style as his mentor Xie Xun back in Luoyang, but there are some differences. He is more decisive and resolute in his actions. He is a person who can accomplish great things."
Wei Mei nodded:
"No wonder he was able to bring down the Liu family of Longcheng in just two months with his bare hands. I've met that Liu Ziwen before; he's no simple character. But I never expected him to die so cleanly and decisively at the hands of Ouyang Lianghan."
Su Guo'er gently closed the scroll in her hand. She had read this article, which Ouyang Rong had given to Su Dalang, countless times over the past two days.
The woman in plum blossom makeup looked up and added:
“He is also a good teacher. He would be beneficial to you, brother. You could try to win him over.”
Wei Mei couldn't help but glance at the young girl who liked to coldly comment on people.
Before long, with the comfort of the Su family father and son, Mr. Yuan was coaxed to sleep and rest.
Su Xian, Su Dalang, Wei Mei, and Su Guo'er left the inner room together and returned to a relatively private flower hall in the inner courtyard of the Su family. They dismissed the servants and the family members took their seats.
"Here you go."
Su Guo'er reached out and handed the scroll of articles in her hand to Su Xian and Wei Mei.
The couple took the article one after the other, and after reading it carefully, they couldn't help but look up and exchange a glance.
They remained silent for a long time.
Su Xian and Wei Mei were not ignorant people. Even if they did not have extraordinary talent, they still possessed and were proficient in the most basic ability to appreciate things.
On the other side, Su Guo'er turned to Su Dalang and said crisply:
"The birthday celebration in a few days will be an opportunity. Brother, you know what to do, right?"
Su Dalang was stunned for a moment.
Forced to write this out here, going home tomorrow. The unfamiliar keyboard, computer, and input method aren't working well, so there might be typos. If you guys see any, please point them out!
(End of this chapter)
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