Chapter 178 An unexpected encounter with a beautiful woman, a friendship forged through poetry.
The county government office closed early today.
It was a leisurely time in the evening, before it got dark.
Ouyang Rong strode out of the county government gate, intending to return directly to the Deer Garden, but bumped into a servant in blue at the entrance.
"What? You're inviting me to dinner?" Ouyang Rong paused in his tracks.
"Yes, sir. My eldest son has recently acquired several jugs of fine wine. Tonight, we have prepared wine and dishes and are waiting for you with open arms."
"Dalang's teacher is better now, so he's not busy taking care of him anymore? Okay, I understand."
Ouyang Rong chuckled and dismissed the servants from the Su residence.
"Fine wine? Why would you drink wine for no reason?"
Ouyang Rong was puzzled. After knowing each other for so long, neither he nor Su Dalang were heavy drinkers. They only drank for social purposes.
However, this did not stop Ouyang Rong from going over to freeload dinner.
Last time, Su Fu invited Ouyang Rong to his younger sister's birthday celebration. After thinking about it, Ouyang Rong sent a message yesterday, directly declining the invitation, saying that his schedule was full and he probably wouldn't be able to attend the birthday celebration in a couple of days.
Su Dalang not only didn't blame him, but also sent a letter to comfort him.
Ouyang Rong felt rather embarrassed; now that he had been invited, it was inconvenient to refuse again.
He remembered that Liu Ashan, who was beside him, did not drink, but Yan Liulang was a lover of wine.
Ouyang Rong turned around and went back to the county government office. He went to the constable's office and called out Yan Liulang, who was chatting and joking with the constables.
The two went to the Su residence together.
Just as they arrived outside Juxian Garden, a maid from the Su family told them that they had arrived too early, as Su Dalang was still in class and they would have to wait a while.
Ouyang Rong asked the round-faced maid, and learned that this time it was not that old Mr. Yuan, but another old scholar.
Thankfully it wasn't, otherwise it would be really awkward if we met after class.
"Damn it, that bastard Dalang, he stood us up again!" Yan Liulang said indignantly.
Ouyang Rong shook his head.
"Young Master Ouyang, Young Master Yan, please come with me to the waterside pavilion ahead to rest."
Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang were not surprised and followed.
However, as soon as he approached the waterside pavilion, Ouyang Rong's ears twitched slightly.
The air in the garden at dusk is filled with the fragrance of flowers.
A gentle melody drifted through the air.
The sound came from the direction of the waterside pavilion.
Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang turned into a thicket.
In the distance, one can see a beautiful woman dressed in white, playing the zither with her head bowed in the waterside pavilion.
Ding-ding-dong-dong
All was quiet except for the gentle sound of the zither.
The sound of the zither is like high mountains and flowing water.
The lingering sound of the music remained in my ears for a long time.
Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with surprise and doubt.
"This place is... occupied. Shall we move to another spot?"
Ouyang Rong turned his head, and then his face froze. The round-faced maid who had been following him with small steps had disappeared without a trace.
The two seemed to have been left standing there.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance again at the figure inside the waterside pavilion not far away.
Although the evening light was somewhat dim, the Su family mansion was indeed wealthy and powerful, with bright lanterns hanging from the eaves of the waterside pavilion on all four sides.
He saw it clearly.
Inside the pavilion, the little beauty in white, whose forehead seemed to be adorned with plum blossom makeup, looked somewhat familiar.
"Does Your Excellency know her? Is she related to the eldest son?"
Yan Liulang observed Ouyang Rong's expression and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
Ouyang Rong remained silent, standing in the shade of the tree, showing no intention of moving towards the waterside pavilion.
The young magistrate looked around and frowned slightly.
Yan Liulang quieted down and obediently followed behind him.
Inside the waterside pavilion, the beauty continued to play the zither with her eyes lowered, seemingly unaware of the two strangers, Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang, not far away.
The music continued.
Like the leaves and trees by the pond, swaying in the evening breeze.
Sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
Sometimes the sound of the zither is like a mountain stream, clear and transparent, gradually becoming more beautiful and cheerful.
Sometimes it is like a lone peak in a high mountain, lonely and desolate, with a slow rhythm, as if hiding a sorrow that has no one to confide in.
Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang waited for quite a while under the shade of the tree amidst the music, but neither the round-faced maid nor Su Dalang came to disturb them.
The two couldn't help but look at each other in bewilderment.
finally.
The song ended.
Inside the pavilion, the young beauty with plum blossom makeup immediately stood up, dressed in white, walked out of the waterside pavilion, and carried her zither away.
Throughout the entire process, it seemed that neither Ouyang Rong nor Yan Liulang were noticed.
"My lord, what is the name of this piece of music?"
"Although I am a rough man and did not understand it, the melody was quite pleasant, much better than the tunes in the teahouses and brothels I frequent."
"Hmm, the zither in this pretty young lady's hand is probably an expensive and fine one. Ordinary zithers don't have this kind of sound."
Yan Liulang nodded and asked curiously about the back of a young county magistrate who was standing silently with furrowed brows and pursed lips.
Ouyang Rong's expression was serious, but he shook his head: "I don't understand, but it seems very impressive."
"..."
Yan Liulang said speechlessly, "Then you were listening so intently, Your Excellency. Just now, judging from your expression, I thought you already understood everything and were quietly appreciating it. You didn't even dare to utter a sound to bother you..."
Ouyang Rong smiled sheepishly.
After the beautiful woman with the zither left, the waterside pavilion became empty. Su Dalang was still nowhere to be seen after class, so the two of them walked together toward the brightly lit waterside pavilion.
On the waterfront promenade, the young county magistrate, who was walking ahead, stroked his chin, his expression thoughtful, and then turned back to say seriously:
"This piece of music... might be 'High Mountains and Flowing Water'."
"High mountains and flowing water? Magistrate, you are truly impressive."
"I guessed it, do you believe me?" Ouyang Rong nodded.
LOL, this is the most famous one, that's all he's ever heard of.
Yan Liulang naturally shook his head in disbelief.
The two entered the pavilion, intending to sit down, but their gazes were suddenly drawn to a certain spot inside.
"Hey, Magistrate, what's this?"
Yan Liulang pointed to a red-lacquered pavilion pillar directly in front of him and asked.
“I guess it’s poetry.” Ouyang Rong nodded again.
"..." Yan Liulang was speechless. "Your Excellency, I have eyes and can read a little. Of course I know this is a poem, but how could someone write it on a pavilion pillar?"
After a pause, the perceptive blue-clad constable asked in confusion:
"When we came here the day Mr. Yuan fell into the water, there were no words on these pavilion pillars. And these words look like they were written recently, with the ink still wet?"
Upon hearing this question, the two of them simultaneously looked toward the stone table in the center of the waterside pavilion where a young woman with plum blossom makeup had just sat.
There was a set of writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table.
Inside the inkstone shaped like a swimming fish, there was a patch of jet-black ink that shone brightly under the lantern.
Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang couldn't help but look back in the direction where the beautiful woman with the zither had just left.
The two exchanged a glance.
"Your Excellency, is this written for...you?" Yan Liulang changed his address and asked.
"I don't know, maybe."
Ouyang Rong shook his head and turned to look at the line of elegant ink characters on the pavilion pillar.
Yan Liulang, who didn't know many characters, looked at it carefully for a while, and coincidentally, he read it aloud with just the right amount of vocabulary:
"I'm drunk and want to sleep, so you may leave... If you're interested tomorrow... bring your zither?"
Yan Liulang stroked his chin, stood in front of the pillar, pondered for a moment, then shook his head, shrugged, and turned back to ask, "My lord, what does this mean?"
"Amazing... Let's go, they're here."
Ouyang Rong made a compliment and then turned to leave.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Su Dalang's figure in the direction of Juxian Garden not far away.
“My lord, I noticed that there seems to be a space deliberately left on this pillar. If it really was written to you by a beautiful woman, shouldn’t you leave some kind of reply? I’ve seen this in teahouse dramas, where people exchange literary ideas and such, and it’s always so elegant.”
Ouyang Rong nodded: "That makes sense. Liu Lang is so clever; he never forgets to remind me."
Yan Liulang scratched the back of his head, feeling that his master's tone was a bit strange.
After lingering in the waterside pavilion for a while, the two left the pavilion and met up with Su Dalang. Together they went to Juxian Garden for drinks.
After the banquet, everyone left satisfied.
Night was falling.
Inside the brightly lit waterside pavilion.
"Miss, miss, what does this word mean?"
Cai Shou looked puzzled, pointed her little finger at the only ink character on the pavilion pillar in front of her, and asked Su Guo'er behind her.
"Hmm, is this how you reply to a poem? It's only one word."
The young lady had specially written a meaningful poem on a red-lacquered wooden pillar inside the pavilion, but on another pillar next to it, which they had deliberately left empty, there was only a single word in reply.
The ink-like character hangs high, somewhat alone.
In stark contrast to the pavilion pillars next to it, which bear a large inscription of the character Mozi, it evokes a sense of loneliness and isolation at its height.
"six?"
Su Guo'er opened her lips to read, and even though she was a woman of great learning and whose knowledge as a young lady was no less than that of some famous scholars, she still looked puzzled:
What is the meaning of this character?
Su Guo'er couldn't help but take a few more glances at Ouyang Lianghan's familiar handwriting.
She casually left behind a fragment of a poem, using poetry to connect with friends. It was quite subtle, yet very elegant... "I'm drunk and want to sleep, so you may leave. Tomorrow, if you wish, bring your zither..." All I can say is, those who understand, understand.
Did Ouyang Lianghan not understand it?
wrong.
Su Guo'er shook her head slightly; she herself found the idea absurd and unbelievable.
Ouyang Lianghan was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and a well-known scholar at Bailudong Academy, where he studied under the famous Confucian scholar Xie Xun.
Moreover, his recent essay "On Teachers" was a real eye-opener, with brilliant writing and undeniable talent.
How could someone like that not understand poetry?
Cai Shou, standing beside her, seemed to have the same thought, equally perplexed, and frowned, muttering to herself:
“Young Master Ouyang’s single word “six”… could it contain some profound meaning? Hmm, as expected of a Jinshi Tan Hua Lang (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), he is sparing with words, and even his reply poem is unfathomable.”
With a sigh of admiration, Cai Shou expressed his deep respect.
Su Guo'er looked up, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and murmured:
"Six... does it refer to the date or the time? It can't be the musical scale, can it? Did I accidentally play the wrong key in the piece I played this evening, and he noticed it?"
...
Two days have passed since I was invited to the banquet at the Su residence.
During the day, Ouyang Rong was still busy with flood control matters. As for the nights, he slept very soundly, but every morning he was full of energy. He didn't know if it was the psychological effect of relaxation.
In addition, Ouyang Rong also noticed that Ye Weilai had been acting a little strange these past few days. She seemed to wake up earlier than him every morning, and he could occasionally see her nodding and dozing off during the day.
I don't know if it's because I didn't sleep well last night.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but shake his head.
That evening, as he was finishing his shift, Ouyang Rong was once again blocked in front of the county government office.
This time, however, it wasn't the servant in blue who returned, but Su Dalang himself.
"Why is class dismissed so early, Dalang? Isn't the teacher going to teach?" Ouyang Rong asked in surprise.
"Let's not talk about class today! Come on, Lianghan, come with me."
Su Dalang didn't stand on ceremony. He grabbed his friend's sleeve and led him forward, then took Ouyang Rong to the Su residence for dinner.
Only after asking did I learn that Uncle Su had recently caught a big fish while night fishing and specially made crucian carp soup, asking Su Dalang to invite Ouyang Rong to the banquet as a friend.
Helpless, Ouyang Rong had no choice but to drag Yan Liulang along again.
The latter is always freeloading and taking advantage of others, which is strange, but Yan Liulang calls it being heroic.
The group arrived at the Su residence.
This time, however, the strange maidservant did not lead them to a pavilion where they accidentally heard the sound of a zither. Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang were warmly received by the hospitable Master Su Xian.
Night deepened.
The main hall of the Su residence was brightly lit.
An evening breeze blew the lanterns on the distant corridor, causing their lights to flicker.
Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang walked out of the main hall together and came to the corridor. They looked around and called out to a maid in a pale yellow dress who was passing by the door.
Yan Liulang clenched his fist, covered his mouth, and coughed, saying, "Excuse me, how do I get to the nearest outhouse?"
The maid in the pale yellow dress casually pointed to the long corridor to the east.
The two thanked him and walked along the corridor.
The banquet was only halfway through when Yan Liulang had drunk too much. He pulled Ouyang Rong, who was sitting next to him, to the outhouse so he could get some fresh air and sober up.
As for why men also go to the toilet with women, it can only be said that it's similar to the idea of women going to the toilet together.
"Are you sure this is the right road? Why haven't we reached the end yet?"
The Su residence was quite large. Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang followed the path pointed out by the chubby-faced maid who had just pointed out the path, and after walking for a while, their expressions gradually became puzzled.
As the two looked around, they suddenly noticed a pavilion on the right side of a long corridor not far ahead, with the words "Drunken Old Man" on its plaque.
Inside the Drunken Old Man's Pavilion sat a rather familiar-looking woman.
The stunning young woman had a plum blossom decoration on her forehead, but instead of the snow-white dress she wore last time, she was now dressed in a vermilion Taoist robe and adorned with a jade lotus crown.
Dressed in simple and elegant attire, she sat alone in the pavilion.
The two paused in their tracks along the corridor.
Ouyang Rong glanced around a few more times and realized that this time, the young lady inside the pavilion was Su Xiaomei, and she wasn't playing the zither or singing.
She sat alone at the chessboard, one hand supporting her chin, her two bent fingers lightly twirling a white piece, her eyes lowered as she played the game.
However, the seat opposite Su Xiaomei was empty.
Ambidextrous fighting?
Along the corridor, Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang continued walking, the latter urgently needing to relieve himself.
The two passed the pavilion and walked away silently.
The young woman playing chess in the pavilion seemed oblivious to their presence, her eyes lowered as she placed her pieces.
Half an incense stick later, Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang returned from the restroom.
The pavilion was now empty.
The two exchanged a glance, stopped in unison, turned, and walked into the pavilion.
Inside the pavilion, besides a chessboard with black and white pieces, there is a line of elegant characters with still-wet ink on the east pillar.
"We are both leisurely gardeners... facing the desolation... rain and snow?"
Yan Liulang looked up and recited the remaining poem.
The young county magistrate glanced at it twice and nodded: "Six."
"Huh?" Yan Liulang opened his mouth and turned his head, his face full of confusion: "Why did you call me, Your Excellency?"
"..."
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance at Yan Liulang.
He paused, then shook his head. "It's nothing."
Liu Lang, who didn't seem to fit the description, explained the rich connotations of the character "six".
The two turned their heads and looked again at the unfinished poem on the pillar...
PY recommends a book called "Cracking Through American Horror Story: Starting from the Deadly Bend"! The author is a stay-at-home dad, writing to earn some money for baby formula. I'm so envious of married guys with kids... *sobs*
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
