Chapter 177 Miss, You've Changed
"Miss, what's wrong? Why do you look so strange? Did you catch a chill from walking barefoot?"
On the third floor of Meiyingzhai, in a messy and chaotic study, a chubby-faced maid said worriedly.
"I, I'm fine..." Su Guo'er's voice came.
Cai Shou couldn't help but glance a few more times at the young lady who was silently standing by the overturned wastebasket.
Everything was fine at the beginning of the day, but in the afternoon, something strange happened and the young lady suddenly became different from usual.
The changes in her young mistress made her feel both unfamiliar and familiar.
That's right.
It was both strange and familiar.
The feeling of unfamiliarity comes from the contrast with the usual tranquility and serenity.
And familiar...
It was the image of the young lady running barefoot downstairs, splashing through the rain in the courtyard, which felt a bit like a dream of returning to her childhood.
The image of that mischievous little girl who loved to fly around and climb walls and roofs like a naughty boy seems to have returned.
Although it may only be a fleeting phenomenon.
However, Cai Shou always felt that the young lady, who gradually became quiet, indifferent, and well-mannered as she grew up, still harbored the image of a playful and lively romantic girl in her heart.
It just doesn't show up as often anymore.
From movement to stillness.
For some reason, something seemed to have been released from its cage today.
Cai Shou couldn't help but glance at the mulberry paper that was pressing the fabric out of shape against the young lady's soft breasts.
It was covered with someone's handwriting.
Hmm, it seems to have been caused by this poem given to him by Young Master Ouyang...
"Cai Shou, you, you go out first," Su Guo'er suddenly said.
She silently took a step forward, her skirt obscuring the overturned wastebasket and the red-wrapped bamboo skewers among the scraps of paper.
Cai Shou's attention was diverted, and she said blankly, "Okay."
"etc."
"What's wrong, Miss? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm not feeling unwell, I just suddenly realized something very important. You don't need to worry about it, just focus on your work. Also..."
Su Guo'er paused, her cheeks slightly flushed, and looked away as she said:
"Furthermore, you are not allowed to tell anyone about what happened today, not even the master and mistress, understand?"
"Oh." Cai Shou lowered her head, her embroidered shoes tiptoeing as if she were burrowing into the ground. "This servant understands."
"Alright, you can go now. Also, tell the other maids in the courtyard not to gossip."
"yes."
Watching Cai Shou's figure disappear through the doorway, and then the door being closed from the outside, Su Guo'er stood motionless by the wastebasket. Once she heard the sound of her descending the stairs fade into the distance, she moved like a rabbit, barefoot to the door, and locked it from the inside.
He quickly walked to the overturned wastebasket.
Su Guo'er's figure stopped, her shadow swaying.
He seemed to hesitate for a moment.
She picked up the sides of her skirt with a piece of paper and squatted down, somewhat disregarding her image.
A barefoot woman in a peach-colored ruqun hugged her knees and buried her face in her hands, revealing a pair of narrow eyes that were slightly narrowed as she stared at the bamboo sticks wrapped in red paper on the ground.
The bamboo skewer lay quietly among the scraps of paper, seemingly waiting patiently for someone to pick it up.
She clenched her fist slightly as she hugged her knees.
"Is it a coincidence or..."
The murmured voice trailed off, as if it wanted to say something but then stopped.
A complex look appeared in Su Guo'er's eyes.
There was suspicion, embarrassment, and other feelings.
She had never thought about this before.
They didn't care at all about this unexpected marriage fortune slip.
However, Su Guo'er had just experienced the prophecy coming true, and was in a state of... after searching a thousand times, suddenly looking back, she found that person in the dim light, and had a strange feeling of being enveloped by destiny.
There is another kind of feeling... that everything in the world seems to have a predetermined trajectory, and it depends on whether you can glimpse a few threads of the secrets of heaven.
In the aftermath of this special event, my thoughts unconsciously drifted toward a certain kind of fatalism.
They are exceptionally sensitive to even the slightest clues around them.
So now, Su Guo'er is facing this marriage fortune slip once again.
Even if one's reason is completely skeptical, a tender heart can't help but feel a touch of shame and annoyance, as if "there is some kind of destiny at play."
It's not surprising that Su Guo'er was overthinking things; even in this situation, it would be difficult for anyone to remain completely indifferent and rational.
Moreover, the person facing this marriage fortune slip is a shrewd and suspicious sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, an age when she is naturally sensitive and melancholic.
Standing in front of the wastebasket, Su Guo'er hesitated to reach out.
The slender figure crouching down was quiet.
She didn't really believe in fate before.
But ever since she learned what blood flowed through her veins, what kind of ups and downs her father and mother had experienced, and what her "kind" grandmother, whom she had never met, had done.
She couldn't help but believe it completely.
In addition, there was the old fortune teller who had once told Su Guo'er's fortune and uttered prophetic words.
Not long ago, Su Guo'er received news that the old fortune teller surnamed Yuan, who was of extremely high seniority in the Shangqing Sect of Maoshan, had ascended to immortality, which meant he was dead.
She also vaguely heard that the old fortune teller might have suffered a shortened lifespan due to revealing too many heavenly secrets, and even his strong constitution couldn't withstand it...
This may explain why most Shangqing sect Taoist priests are of single lineage and rarely live long or die peacefully.
Caught between worldly involvement and detachment, wavering between the mundane world and seclusion.
He spends his days either practicing spirit writing or exorcising demons... his main characteristic is that he loves to meddle in other people's business.
Even though most of the disciples he recruited were chosen from those with strong destinies, none of them lived long lives.
They are all of the same generation from the Three Mountains, but look at the Taoists of the Taiqing Sect of Longhu Mountain and the Yuqing Sect of Gezao Mountain traveling together.
The former kept his mansion gates tightly shut, and the Yellow and Purple Celestial Masters rarely left the mountain, cherishing their reputation greatly.
The latter opened his temple wide, performing rituals and healing the sick, refining elixirs and practicing magic, mingling with royalty, nobles, and commoners, exuding a strong sense of everyday life.
Upon receiving this news, Su Guo'er felt a pang of sadness and remained somewhat silent.
The study remained quiet for a long time.
Above the overturned wastebasket, a delicate hand suddenly reached out.
The palm stopped in mid-air.
It was taken back.
"Proverbs are proverbs, but they don't mention any red tokens. What are you thinking..."
Su Guo'er shook her head slightly, lowered her eyes and whispered:
"Sharing wealth and hardship... that is, becoming people on the same side. There are many reasonable ways to befriend someone, like my brother, or like Sister Xie, but it's definitely not like the infatuated Cai Shou."
As if offering solace to herself, Su Guo'er stood up, waved, and walked away.
He walked towards the desk.
Halfway there.
Su Guo'er stopped, then turned back to the wastebasket and squatted down to pick up the bamboo stick wrapped in red paper.
He walked straight to the bookshelf, stood on tiptoe, and picked out a large, thick book from the top shelf.
Su Guo'er casually stuffed the brand-new marriage fortune slip into the book, then tiptoed and put the thick book back in its place.
She lowered her eyelids and turned away.
The marriage fortune slip was not lost.
But it wasn't opened.
As dusk fell, the last rays of sunlight behind the distant mountains receded into their dark silhouettes.
There were no lights in the study. Su Guo'er carefully put away the mulberry paper and stayed quietly in the room for a while. Soon after, she came out of the study and went to the courtyard, where she found Cai Shou, who was preparing dinner with the maids.
Su Guo'er dismissed the other maids and summoned Cai Shou to her side.
"Miss, you look much better now."
"I told you I'm fine, why are you making wild guesses? Why do your eyes keep wandering around like that?"
"Okay... Miss, I'll go tidy up your study."
"etc."
"What are your orders, Miss?"
"Where...where is your umbrella?"
"Umbrella? What umbrella? Are you going out, Miss? It's not raining now."
"I'm talking about... that red umbrella, the one you used at noon."
Su Guo'er silently turned her gaze away, her eyes falling on a puddle on the ground beside her, which reflected the puzzled and bewildered expression of the chubby-faced maid next to her.
"Is Miss referring to Young Master Ouyang's red umbrella?" she asked directly.
Su Guo'er gave a nasal "hmm".
"Miss, please don't rush me. I'll send it back tomorrow. I'll come to thank you, but I won't mention you. I promise I won't let Young Master Ouyang or anyone else misunderstand," Cai Shou patted her chest and assured him.
"No...no need. I've thought about it, so I'll go return it myself. It's not appropriate for a maid like you to go. If I go, it will be more formal."
Su Guo'er turned her face to Cai Shou and said in a serious tone, then sighed softly:
"No matter what, they're neighbors, aren't they?"
"..." Colorful ribbon.
The little maid looked down at her young mistress, who was unceremoniously extending her hand to ask for something.
"Miss... that's not what you said at noon."
Su Guo'er frowned slightly, seemingly somewhat displeased:
"What do you mean by saying it this way or that? Didn't I teach you that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude? Have you forgotten already? You naughty girl, go and get the umbrella."
She paused, as if pondering for a moment, then glanced up slightly at the star-studded night sky and murmured to herself:
"The weather must be nice and sunny these past few days, perfect for a bath and some fragrance. But what should I wear? I have no experience with that kind of occasion. If Sister Xie were here, she could ask her..."
“……???” Cai Shou.
Why do these lines sound so familiar?
Caishou put on a stern face:
"Miss, you've changed! The weather is fine, you're bathed in fragrance, and you're so dignified and elegant... Miss, is this a return of an umbrella or a blind date?"
Ignoring the girl's protesting sour odor, Su Guo'er lowered her eyes and muttered to herself before turning and going back into the house. With her hands behind her back, she waved her hand and gave an order:
"Bring the umbrella to the study later."
"..."
...
Ouyang Rong has been very busy during the day lately.
The kind where your feet don't touch the ground.
Having finally seen off Shen Xisheng and Wang Lengran these past two days, he turned his attention to the final flood prevention preparations along the upper reaches of Butterfly Creek.
In truth, he had no idea what these two officials had been doing, lingering in Longcheng all this time.
Aside from the Liu family, who were barely alive and whom Wang Lengran was clearly protecting, Ouyang Rong couldn't understand what other reason they would have been kept until recently, even though the ribbon-cutting ceremony had been over for quite some time.
Inviting a god is easy, but sending him away is difficult, right?
Or is it a business trip?
But apart from handsome men, there's not much scenery to see in Longcheng County. Most of it was destroyed by the last flood. Many historical sites and famous landmarks weren't prioritized and haven't been repaired, and are now overgrown with weeds.
So, do you two have any official business to attend to in Jiangzhou City?
Ouyang Rong was completely baffled. In the end, he could only shamelessly think that it was probably the orderly and prosperous Longcheng under his rule that made the two superiors linger.
However, Ouyang Rong did not see any sign that the two Jiangzhou officials were heading to the third floor of Yunshui Pavilion... but he did sense the subtle tension between the two officials.
Of course, having experienced the grain rationing order and the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and with the connection to his mentor Xie Xun, Ouyang Rong naturally leaned towards Shen Xisheng.
While one may have a bias, it's not necessary to completely take sides in public and break ties with Wang Lengran.
In official circles, maintaining a respectable image is still important.
Moreover, regardless of one's stance, whether one is innocent or not, one must do everything under the banner of serving the court and the people, and there must still be a semblance of harmony on the surface.
These are the rules of the game, and Ouyang Rong is powerless to change them for the time being.
Moreover, Ouyang Rong was also self-aware. He was just a seventh-rank county magistrate who had just entered the officialdom. If he forced himself to take sides and stand out when he was not yet closely bound to Shen Xisheng's faction, he would easily become a cannon fodder.
It's easy to go along with the crowd.
But choosing sides is difficult.
It is even more difficult to remain virtuous in isolation.
However, if one wants to get involved and do something substantial, that becomes even more difficult.
When Ouyang Rong was studying in his previous life, he did not have a deep understanding of this. It was only after he woke up in the cave, put on this official robe, and devoted himself to the officialdom of this place that he gradually came to understand this principle.
Furthermore, sometimes, a higher rank can really be a killer.
In particular, the current official is more powerful than the one in charge.
Ouyang Rong was very clear-headed; Wang Lengran, the governor of Jiangzhou, was his superior, the magistrate of Longcheng County.
The Jiangzhou Prefectural Government was the superior government of Longcheng County.
Although Shen Xisheng was half a rank higher than Wang Lengran, as an imperial envoy, his duties were limited to investigating the rice case and inspecting disaster relief and flood control efforts.
Moreover, Wang Lengran's ability to secretly contend with Shen Xisheng must be due to his own strength.
There is clearly a deeper political alignment between the two sides.
It is highly likely that it involves the Zhou court's officialdom, which is far away in Luoyang, the capital.
Ouyang Rong was keenly aware of the intricacies and complexities behind this.
Just looking at him on tiptoe gave him a headache.
We can't possibly make another batch of dumplings just for a jar of vinegar, can we?
Not to mention, sometimes even behind the scenes, even opponents or enemies will exchange benefits, occasionally compromising and exchanging chips.
For example, the Liu family, who were dismembered and barely survived after their public trial.
Therefore, with the Jade Cup Fairy, the only witness, unconscious and the junior sister yet to collect crucial evidence, procedural justice could not be invoked.
Ouyang Rong chose to temporarily halt the military operations in exchange for Wang Lengran's support for Longcheng County's water management measures, given Wang's clear stance of protecting the remaining members of the Liu family.
An old man and a young man, both intelligent, subtly reached a tacit understanding.
Of course, Shen Xisheng, who was standing to the side, should have seen through this as well, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he cooperated with Ouyang Rong, keeping a distance and not trying to win him over or make demands on him.
I don't know if it's because of the relationship between my mentor Xie Xun and my junior sister that I'm so tolerant of the younger generation.
Ouyang Rong felt slightly embarrassed.
But this also made Ouyang Rong feel even more favorably toward Lord Shen.
So when we saw him off yesterday, we not only gave Lord Shen several large jars of pickled radishes, but we also made a point of toasting him with several more bowls of wine, during which Ouyang Rong recited quite a few rhymes.
This was something he learned from Magistrate Tian next door, who loved wine. Last time, Ouyang Rong was persuaded to return drunk by Magistrate Tian's witty rhymes.
However, there was another thing that Ouyang Rong found strange: Shen Xisheng's gaze towards him often seemed rather odd.
Ouyang Rong was slightly confused. Could it be that this was a misunderstanding about his relationship with his junior sister?
The young magistrate chuckled, dismissing it as his senior's quirky humor and not taking it too seriously.
Actually, if you were to say that Ouyang Rong was arrogant and stubborn, and that he could forcefully stand up to Wang Lengran, then that would certainly be possible.
In any case, Ouyang Rong was confident that he had no evidence of corruption that Wang Lengran could find. He was clean-handed and had a good reputation in Longcheng County and several surrounding counties. He had no grounds for criticism. The title of "Radish Magistrate" was not given lightly.
Moreover, he also possesses the golden statue of a renowned virtuous gentleman.
Finally, there's a certain underground palace with good fortune, which seems to allow one to escape at any time.
Personal defense is maxed out, that's for sure.
After standing firmly against your boss, just lie around without giving yourself away.
But Ouyang Rong still wanted to do something practical in Longcheng.
Wang Lengran may not be able to offer him any real help, but the new governor of Jiangzhou could certainly trip him up, prevent him from accomplishing anything in the short term, or make his work extremely difficult.
This is also where many things in the world are terrible.
Regardless, Wang Lengran and Shen Xisheng's stay in Longcheng these days has indeed distracted Ouyang Rong a lot. Their presence in the courtroom and the formalities of official hierarchy have certainly been a hindrance.
Now that both Bodhisattvas have been sent away, Ouyang Rong can focus his energy on the final task of flood control.
That evening, taking advantage of a tacit compromise by a certain Prefect Wang, the Longcheng County government issued an official document to mobilize flood control vessels from Jiangzhou City.
Behind the magistrate's desk, a young county magistrate dusted off his sleeves, got up, and, unusually, clocked out on time to go home for dinner.
(End of this chapter)
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