Chapter 417 Two Kinds of Women in the World
Inside the Yunshui Pavilion's private tea room, the atmosphere was quiet.
Ouyang Rong, Li Fusu, and Yan Liulang stared at each other for a while.
"Da Lang".
Ouyang Rong broke the silence first, and Li Dalang noticed that his friend's expression had turned serious. He then solemnly instructed him:
"Never say such things in the Prince's mansion again. If you must say them... if you must say them, please remove my name. Remember, remember."
"Why is that?" Li Dalang pressed on, "Wasn't it the first time Tanlang took me there...?"
Ouyang Rong sighed, "I'm afraid that if I go to your house in the future, your uncle and aunt won't open the door for me. Your sister might even start scolding me."
Li Fusu was slightly taken aback, and Yan Liulang muttered as he added, "Actually, what the magistrate fears most is that Miss Xie won't open the door."
Ouyang Rong glared at the talkative Liu Lang, then sighed at Li Da Lang, "I just brought you out for a stroll, I didn't expect you to become so fond of this place."
"It's not entirely infatuation."
Li Fusu sat on a futon, supporting himself on one leg, his hand on his knee, his chin resting on the back of his hand. As if his short stubble was pricking his hand, he moved his head away.
“When I was studying at Juxian Garden, the women I met, such as my mother, my sister, and the maids who did rough work in the garden, gave me the feeling that they were like a solid wall, always standing, and if they fell, they would be shattered.”
"Although walls can shelter you from the wind and rain and provide shelter, they also stop people from going out and block their way, preventing them from seeing what's outside the walls."
"But here, the women here, they give people a completely different feeling, like... water, water is always lying down, forming lakes, and it is soft, and can be changed in countless ways by external forces."
"Although the lake, like the wall, still prevents people from taking another step forward."
"But lakes reflect the scenery of blue sky and white clouds, and even the true faces of the observers. Unlike hard and stubborn walls, they will never block your view. Instead, they will present you with a fresh and different view of the world."
"Although the price is the lake's water, which is forever exposed and cannot shelter people from the wind and rain of all four seasons."
Li Fusu turned his head and asked seriously:
"Tanlang, Rokuro, do you prefer the solid wall that stands upright, or the soft lake that lies beneath?"
Yan Liulang was a little confused. He turned his head and looked around, and found that the magistrate and the eldest son were looking at each other seriously. It seemed that they both understood, but he didn't... Yan Liulang scratched his head and drank his tea.
Ouyang Rong did not answer. After a moment of silence, he looked at Li Fusu and said:
"So, in your eyes, is Qin Xiaoniangzi also like a wall? Yes and no."
Li Dalang hesitated and said, "Miss Qin is a very good person..."
Ouyang Rong interrupted without looking to the side:
"But she is similar to your mother and sister, in a sense, the same kind of woman. They may be attracted to each other and like each other, but you feel nothing. Your life doesn't need another wall added. If you add another wall, it will be a walled city, and you will find it hard to get out."
Li Dalang was moved: "Tanlang, this is my fault..."
Ouyang Rong, who had been sitting upright, suddenly leaned forward, poured a full cup of tea for Li Dalang, and pushed it towards him with two fingers:
No, it's not your fault.
"There's nothing wrong with that."
"This is actually a difference between needing and being needed."
"To be honest, the women you've encountered in the manor since you were a child, whether it's your mother or your sister, have all been too strong-willed. The feeling you've probably always been that they don't need you, but you need them."
"However, being needed is a need that should not be criticized or blamed by anyone."
"What Dalang is looking for might be this. This feeling of being needed can come from a lover, a friend, or even a stranger. It doesn't turn you into a freak, but rather makes you more generous and kind."
Li Fusu picked up the teacup, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. Tea leaves even got into his mouth, and he choked for a while before looking up with reddened eyes and asking:
"Does my lover need me?"
Ouyang Rong remained silent for three breaths, then revealed a look of disgust and slapped his shoulder away.
"Get out of here. I'm not gay. Go find someone else, like Liu Lang. Besides..."
He paused, then sneered, "Don't forget your promise: don't let those who carry firewood freeze to death in the snow. If you fail to keep your word, I'll beat you up."
Li Fusu was startled, and quickly wiped his face with his sleeve. From behind the wide sleeve came a sound that seemed to be laughing through tears:
"My love, go and carry firewood for everyone. I will definitely bring you back safely in the future. I will go even if it is the worst snowstorm."
Ouyang Rong smiled.
Yan Liulang seemed to finally understand, his confused and bewildered expression instantly switching to a sharp "smack," as he slapped his thigh hard and said:
“My lord, my lord. Walls and lakes, need and being needed… I understand now. I finally know why I, like you, enjoy coming here for tea!”
Before they could even ask, Yan Liulang sighed in despair:
"I have five older sisters, who are like bodhisattvas above me. They've been beating me up since I was little, and I've never won. They make me run errands like fetching melon seeds and serving tea. The worst part is that my parents are accomplices. My life is just utterly hopeless. I have the lowest status in the family."
"Five walls in total, covering all directions and the roof, completely airtight. Even prisoners in jail have small iron bars on their windows. I've done good deeds for eight lifetimes, what did I do to deserve this?"
Yan Liulang wiped his eyes, sighed, and took a sip of cold tea: "No wonder I always come here for tea. It's not my fault, it's fate."
Turning his head, he patted Li Fusu on the shoulder, who was listening in a daze:
"Don't be sad, Da Lang. I'm in a similar situation to you. We were both forced into this world by fate. We're both in the same boat. If there's anything I can do to help you... By the way, you just said you wanted to be needed? Actually, I need you too."
Yan Liulang sounded a little embarrassed, rubbing his hands together like a fly:
"Recently, my sister brought her nephew to Xunyang to visit, and she gave out quite a few red envelopes. She's short of money now, so I'll need to cover some of the expenses for having tea with you today."
“…” Ouyang Rong.
"??" Li Dalang.
The two observed Yan Liulang's sincere expression for a while.
Ouyang Rong turned his head and continued drinking his tea.
Li Dalang silently removed Yan Liulang's heavy hand from his shoulder and picked up his teacup with Ouyang Rong.
"The tea is quite good today."
"It's alright. Autumn tea is the king of teas. When I get back to the manor, I'll ask someone to send some new tea leaves to Huaiye Lane. Some time ago, an old friend gave Father a batch of rare cloud and mist tea. Father knows you like it and has been saying he would send some back, but he always forgets every time you come."
"Then I'll take my leave..."
Watching Ouyang Rong and Li Dalang seamlessly transition into the conversation, ignoring him completely, Yan Liulang felt a pang of sorrow and muttered to himself:
“Mingfu and Dalang have changed. They’ve lost their loyalty… If my brother needs me, I’ll go without hesitation, without a second thought.”
Ouyang Rong and Li Dalang pretended not to hear and continued chatting, ignoring him.
Interrupted by Yan Liulang's antics, the atmosphere of their heart-to-heart talk was largely disrupted.
After a moment, Ouyang Rong spoke again in a serious tone:
"If you really don't like it, you can find an opportunity to explain it to your family. However, those who have already agreed to go out these next few days should spend time with Miss Qin and not slack off or neglect the guests. Give your junior sister and your sister an explanation."
"good."
Ouyang Rong glanced at his dejected expression and suddenly smiled, saying, "Young Master, look ahead. You will surely find a woman as gentle as a lake who needs you."
Moved, Li Dalang couldn't help but ask, "So, Tanlang, what kind of person do you like? Is it someone like my sister, or someone who, like me, likes... lakes?"
Ouyang Rong retorted, "Who says women only have two forms: walls and lakes? It's either one or the other?"
"What's the meaning?"
Ouyang Rong smiled and said, "Can't we have both? A wall outside and a lake at home? A wall during the day and a lake at night?"
Li Dalang opened his mouth.
Yan Liulang, who had been pondering for a moment, suddenly nodded in understanding: "I get it! A wall standing up looks like a vertical line from a distance, while a lake lying down looks like a horizontal line from a distance. Even the strongest and most capable woman will have to lie down and rest at night after standing for a long time until her legs go numb. Isn't that just turning a hard wall into a soft lake... This metaphor is brilliant! Brilliant! If I didn't know you were a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), you would have said that you are indeed meticulous, unlike us rough people."
"..." Ouyang Rong and Li Dalang.
Why does it feel like your epiphany is a bit different from what everyone else understands? The more I listen, the stranger it seems.
Just then, the familiar voices of two women talking came from outside the private room.
"Sister Xie, are you sure Chief Secretary Ouyang is really here?"
"The skirt blade senses are here, there's no mistake."
"But this place... something seems off. The lively dining area downstairs is fine, but upstairs... the people are strange, and it's so quiet. What's going on here?"
"What are you doing? I want to know what's going on too. Why are you so quiet? Ha."
At this point, seemingly increasingly feeling embarrassed and ashamed in front of her female companion, Xie Lingjiang's voice was clear and cold:
"The tea-serving girls in the corridor are all dressed in clothes that are short of weight. In the middle of autumn, why are they dressed like this? Is it because they don't have money to buy clothes, or is the restaurant mistreating them and cutting corners? Last time I came here with my senior brother, I vaguely sensed something was wrong, but it was summer then, so I didn't think much of it. Now... humph."
"Sister Xie, why...why did you suddenly draw your sword? Where...where did you hide it?" Qin Ying asked in the corridor, her voice filled with fear and confusion.
Xie Lingjiang's tone was extremely unfriendly, causing Ouyang Rong's expression to stiffen inside the private room:
"We found it. Let's go find the owner and not keep him waiting."
"this……"
Qin Xiaoniangzi paused for a moment, then spoke in a gentle voice, offering words of comfort:
"Actually, it's nothing. My grandfather was like that when he was young. It's normal for men to be a little flirtatious, as long as their family comes first..."
"Actually, I think that Prefect Ouyang's situation is understandable. He is talented and promising. Although he is not close to women as rumored, he is handsome. Which young lady can resist giving him flirtatious glances?"
"It's normal to become a bit more dashing in this kind of environment."
"Besides, even though he's here, he might be here on official business. What if someone forced him to come? To be able to remain unmoved in this place is a kind of admirable self-cultivation... Sister Xie, don't be angry. Give me the sword, and we can talk properly when we meet later."
Xie Lingjiang interrupted coldly, devoid of emotion:
"Hmm, don't try to be nice to him. He's just been spoiled by all the nice things you've said to him... Only I can keep him in check. Sister Qin, step aside a bit, don't worry, we won't fight. This is how I used to discipline him. He never dared to raise his voice in front of me..."
Upon hearing this, Qin Ying glanced sideways at Xie's older sister, who seemed to always hold a high position in the family. She saw Xie's sister walking with her head held high and chest out.
"Let's see what kind of official business they're secretly discussing here..."
Inside the private room, Ouyang Rong and the others' expressions changed drastically. Before they could react and hide, the door to the private room was pushed open with a loud bang.
Xie Lingjiang and Qin Ying walked in.
Li Dalang had his back to the door, Yan Liulang was facing the door to the side, and Ouyang Rong was facing it directly.
So the two women saw Ouyang Rong immediately. Qin Ying smiled and gave him a sidelong glance, signaling him to quickly comfort Sister Xie. At the same time, she turned to him and said:
"Sister Xie, look, these are all men here, they're discussing serious business..."
Qin Ying suddenly stopped speaking because she saw Li Dalang turn around.
Everyone saw the plump female Taoist priest stop speaking, her faint smile froze, and after a moment, she calmly nodded:
"So it turns out that when Young Master Li is not feeling well, he likes to come here to feel better. I hope Sister Xie and I haven't disturbed Young Master Li."
"..." Li Dalang.
"..." Xie Lingjiang.
Li Dalang suddenly realized something.
I've realized something... Tanlang was right, he was indeed very experienced, a woman can indeed switch between a hard wall and a gentle lake.
But the premise is that it depends on who it is to.
However, this principle is too cruel.
Feeling utterly miserable, Li Dalang felt a kick under the table and immediately snapped back to reality. He looked up and saw that Tanlang wasn't looking at him, but instead silently turned to look at Yan Liulang.
Someone kicked under the table again, and Li Dalang reacted instantly, his gaze also turning to Yan Liulang.
"Sixth Brother, how are you going to explain this time?" Ouyang Rong asked sternly.
"How many times have I told you? You never listen! You still come!" Li Dalang's eyes were full of disappointment.
"?" Yan Liulang.
Following the gazes of Ouyang Rong and Li Dalang, Xie Lingjiang and Qin Ying also looked at Yan Liulang.
Sensing his friend's need, the latter swallowed hard, forced himself to stand up, and said with a strained smile:
"Hahaha, Miss Xie and Miss Qin, what are you doing here? Well... it's like this, Magistrate Ming and Eldest Brother came to arrest me. They were just giving me a good talking-to. I... I always can't help but run here on my days off. I can't control my legs and make Magistrate Ming and Eldest Brother worry. It's all my fault. Hey, tell me why I can't control my legs..."
The two women weren't stupid; their eyes were filled with suspicion.
In the next instant, Yan Liulang switched expressions, becoming extremely serious:
"Actually, you might not believe it, but it's true, more real than gold... I love coming here, probably because of my five older sisters. It's a long story, let me tell you slowly..."
Xie Lingjiang and Qin Ying: "..."
(End of this chapter)
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