Chapter 617 The Man Who Made a Virgin from Yue Cook? [5k views, please vote!]
"Is it that young mistress?"
"It seems so..."
"The sleeves were too long, covering her hands, so I couldn't see her right hand clearly. I wonder if she was missing a little finger."
"You can see it from this far away?"
"Of course, sis. I might not be as quick-witted as you sometimes, but I have a sharp eye. That suitor who followed you out of Yunshui Pavilion just now, it was all thanks to me that he found that hidden alley. Otherwise, with so many people around, who would know where he ran off to..."
"Alright, stop taking credit... She's inside."
The bustling East Market in the afternoon.
This branch of Tao Shou Zhai, a well-known merchant house in Jiangnan Road, is located in Xunyang City. It is a grand and impressive storefront, situated in a relatively good location in the East Market.
Tao Shou Zhai mainly sells high-end pastries and fruit platters to high-ranking officials and wealthy families.
The afternoon is the prime time in the East Market, with a constant stream of cars and pedestrians at the main entrance.
Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan waited for a long time at a window seat on the second floor of a restaurant diagonally opposite Taoshouzhai. Just as Fang Shengnan was about to doze off, they finally saw a carriage slowly stop. A slender girl with a sky-blue ribbon blindfolded walked out from the carriage, leaning on a green bamboo cane.
The two women immediately perked up, their expressions showing some excitement.
There is an open space in front of Taoshouzhai, which has been enclosed to form a large courtyard, where many horse-drawn carriages are parked.
The newly arrived carriage, upon closer inspection, appeared understated yet luxurious and stylish, but was actually quite unremarkable. The girl with a sky-blue ribbon blindfold who stepped out of it disappeared into the doorway in less than three breaths.
Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan had no choice but to hold their breath and continue waiting.
About the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, the figure of the girl with the sky-blue ribbon blindfold reappeared inside the gate of Taoshouzhai. She walked out with a cane, carrying a small pastry box in her other hand, and boarded the low-key luxury carriage again.
The modestly luxurious carriage slowly started moving and departed.
"She's gone out and gotten into the car. We have to follow her. Shengnan, go buy a folding fan from the roadside to cover your face. Let's not get too close..."
Fang immediately put down his wine glass, turned around, paid the bill, and went downstairs.
"Oh, okay... Sister, are you sure she's that young mistress?"
"That's right, the blindfold ribbon has such a unique color... There's no mistake, I didn't expect that the young master is really here, those grandfather and grandson surnamed Sun didn't lie to us."
"Strange, judging from what that grandfather and grandson said, they first met the young mistress on the Lantern Festival, and it seems she patronized their business. Did this young mistress also go out shopping on the Lantern Festival? And now she's buying Taoshouzhai pastries on time like this... It seems like she's living a better life than we did before. And whose carriage is this? Could it be a family with spies left in the city by Yunmeng Jianze? Sister, I feel like this young mistress isn't in danger in Xunyang City, but rather... she's eating, drinking, and having fun. Strange."
"Stop muttering and keep up. Her carriage is faster than ours. Let's go!"
"good!"
After leaving the restaurant and going out onto the street, Fang Shengnan bought a folding fan and, imitating her sister, gently waved it to cover her face.
The two women hung about fifty paces behind the low-key luxury carriage in front of them.
Fortunately, there were many carriages and people in Xunyang City in the afternoon. When the government frequently mobilized its vehicles, the carriages on the street had to give way.
The modestly luxurious carriage did not travel at a fast speed.
Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan strolled through the street stalls to conceal their purpose while barely keeping up with the low-end luxury carriage.
The constant flow of people on the street helped to conceal the two women's figures.
Fang Shengnan couldn't help but glance at Fang Juxiu's retreating figure as he led the way:
"How come you're so skilled? Did you practice by dodging those suitors?"
"Shut up and keep up."
Fang Shengnan fell silent.
The two women followed him from the East Market to the vicinity of Xingzi Lake in Xingzifang, and it seemed that they were not discovered and no accidents occurred along the way.
As evening approached, Xingzi Lake was calm and its waters rippled.
The luxurious carriage slowly came to a stop in front of a secluded and quiet courtyard by Xingzi Lake, and the girl with the sky-blue ribbon blindfold was put down.
Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan stopped far away at the street corner.
Fang raised his sleeves and looked at the figure of the girl with the sky-blue ribbon blindfold slowly getting off the car.
Fang Shengnan looked around and muttered, "This location seems to be very close to Chengtian Temple... Hmm."
"Shh!"
Fang Shengnan saw Fang Juxiu shrink back and at the same time covered her big mouth, and glared at her.
Fang Shengnan's wide eyes darted around, and she saw the figure of a girl with a sky-blue ribbon blindfold walking towards the quiet courtyard pause. The girl's blindfolded face turned around, as if she were "looking" around behind her.
However, the little head that was turning around did not stop at the street corner where the two girls were hiding.
Before Fang Shengnan and Fang Juxiu could even tense up, the girl with the sky-blue ribbon blindfold had already turned around, quietly holding the pastry box, and continued to lean on her cane, groping her way towards the quiet courtyard and into it.
The luxurious carriage that had just unloaded the girl with the sky-blue ribbon blindfold had already driven away without leaving a trace, leaving only the girl with the sky-blue ribbon blindfold to return to the quiet courtyard.
Fang raised his sleeves and frowned, watching the low-key luxury carriage disappear into the distance.
Her gaze slowly returned to the secluded and quiet lakeside courtyard.
"Mmm."
Fang Shengnan's stammering struggle came through the gaps in his fingers. Fang raised his sleeve to look at her before releasing his hand from her mouth.
"Sis, you almost sent me to my death."
Fang raised his sleeves without speaking.
Fang Shengnan noticed that her sister's gaze had changed again, seemingly fixed on the Chengtian Temple buildings on the opposite bank of Xingzi Lake not far away, and she wondered what she was looking at or thinking about.
"This is indeed a quiet and livable place. This young lady has always lived here. By the way, does she live here alone?"
Fang Shengnan, sword in her arms, cautiously looked around before relaxing slightly. She surveyed the quiet courtyard ahead and muttered to herself, her tone somewhat puzzled.
"Sister, what should we do next? Should we just go knock on her door? It seems that this esteemed young lady isn't in any danger. Do you think she might not like being disturbed by us?"
Fang Shengnan touched her chin, thought for a moment, and then continued with a serious expression:
"Sister, I was thinking about this again on the way here. Do you think this Lady Yue, who is the future Yuanjun, a goddess-like person, might have thoughts and ideas that transcend ordinary people? We can't figure out the purpose of her strange behavior, but we can imagine that it's definitely not simple..."
"Sister, what do you think we should do if we rush up there and mess up Lady Yue's plans? Not only will we fail to achieve anything, but we'll also incur blame?"
Fang pursed his lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
He lowered his head slightly, took out a bronze short sword from his sleeve, stared at it for a moment, and then put it away again.
She spoke:
“That makes sense. But since we’re already here, although we don’t know what kind of grand scheme Lady Yue is playing, we can’t speculate. But one thing is certain: Lady Yue probably doesn’t know that Lady Two is looking for her. We still need to deliver the message, but…”
Fang Juxiu paused, his expression turning serious:
"However, as you just said, if there are any special arrangements in this courtyard, or if Lord Yue is doing something special, it would be best if we didn't rush in and disturb him, otherwise we might cause trouble."
"Well, if we really have to meet, we should at least make sure there's no one around this courtyard and rule out that possibility. It would be best to meet with Lady Yue, the Virgin, alone."
"The virgin princess of Yue is a precious immortal, we can't let her be a burden and cause her to be exposed..."
Fang Juxiu analyzed the situation carefully.
"Uh-huh."
Fang Shengnan nodded in agreement, and her body tensed up involuntarily.
She held the sword even tighter, further highlighting the heroine's "bold and magnanimous spirit."
This newcomer to the martial arts world, Fang, felt that the situation was constantly changing and that they bore a heavy responsibility. They really needed to think things through carefully and not act rashly... That's right, the novel feeling of being able to be both wise and brave and adapt to changing circumstances is what makes venturing into the martial arts world so exciting... If everything goes smoothly or follows the plan exactly, how boring and fake that would be. It's not like playing house.
Just then, Fang Juxiu, who was speaking, paused, looking in the direction behind Fang Shengnan...
"What's wrong?"
Fang Shengnan was facing away from the quiet courtyard when she noticed her sister's strange expression and turned around curiously.
Fang Shengnan was also stunned.
"ah?"
In the quiet courtyard, a wisp of pale gray smoke rose gently, swaying in the sunlight and creating a peaceful and idyllic rural scene.
A faint aroma of ordinary family cooking permeated the air.
And all around, only this quiet little courtyard is inhabited.
"this……"
The two women turned around in surprise and looked at each other.
They both noticed the doubt in each other's eyes.
The tense atmosphere between the two women, which had been somewhat palpable due to the quiet and mysterious nature of the courtyard, vanished almost entirely in an instant.
Fang raised his sleeves and stepped forward, and Fang Shengnan, no longer hiding, quickly followed.
The two women quickly searched the quiet courtyard and found no one there... The area seemed just like any other ordinary house.
As the sun set, they arrived at the entrance of the quiet courtyard.
The gate to the courtyard was unlocked.
It was partially closed.
I don't know if I forgot, or if I left it for someone else.
Fang Shengnan remained frowning, gripping her sword hilt, and staying alert.
Fang Juxiu silently pushed open the courtyard gate.
They walked lightly into the courtyard.
"Longling—Longling—"
Besides the increasingly rich aroma of food, a peculiar, unheard-of sound of jade occasionally rang out, echoing melodiously in the courtyard, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility.
The outer courtyard was deserted, and the main hall was also empty, but a lamp was lit, and a strange sound of jade faintly came from the direction of the kitchen.
And judging from the noise, there are people in the kitchen.
Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan took a deep breath, becoming even more cautious. Without stopping, they continued to crouch low as they passed through the main hall and entered the backyard.
The scene inside the kitchen immediately came into view.
There stood Yue Chu Nu Jun, wearing a navy blue floral apron, slender and quiet, standing by the stove, head down, busy with her hands, focused and attentively washing vegetables and putting them into the pot.
On the stove beside her, several plates of steaming food were already prepared and quietly laid out.
This beautiful Yue maiden, whose appearance made the two women feel somewhat inferior, was blindfolded with a sky-blue ribbon, yet her cooking skills were remarkably proficient.
She rolled up her sleeves, revealing a glimpse of her fair and dazzling white skin. Every now and then, she would raise her hand and wipe her forehead with the back of her hand.
"Longling—"
The young lady of Yue, with her hair piled high like that of a married woman, had a white jade hairpin inserted in her hair.
As she busily washed vegetables and cooked, the pendant of her icy white jade hairpin swayed, making a distinctive jade-like sound—the very source of the unusual noise Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan had heard upon entering the room…
Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan stared blankly.
In the courtyard, only the busy figure of this virtuous Yue maiden cooking was visible; there was no one else.
The scene before them was truly beyond their imagination.
Even though they had seen the smoke rising from the chimney beforehand, the two women had imagined many possible explanations for it before entering the house, such as the presence of other outsiders in the courtyard, or the fact that Lady Yue was setting up a trap... But they never expected such a simple and unpretentious result.
The only sound in the backyard was the soft rustling of vegetables being washed.
Zhao Qingxiu turned to face Fang Shengnan and Fang Juxiu. From the moment the two women entered the backyard, she never looked back, seemingly ignoring them.
Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan looked at each other in bewilderment.
Suddenly, they saw Yue Chuzi stop washing vegetables in the kitchen, raise her head, and stare blankly at the kitchen wall in front of her.
The backyard fell silent. Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan held their breath, intimidated by the majesty emanating from their young mistress's noble status, and dared not utter a sound.
But it was too dark, and they couldn't quite make out Zhao Qingxiu's expression. Was she lost in thought or something? She was completely still.
A moment later, the girl with the sky-blue ribbon blindfolded her head again, wiped her hands on her apron, and groped her way to the stove, picking up a plate of pastries that seemed to have been prepared in advance.
Holding the pastries in both hands, Zhao Qingxiu walked out of the kitchen and came to the stone table in the courtyard. In front of the Fang sisters, she placed the pastries on the table.
"Ah ah."
She opened her mouth calmly and made two sounds, then stretched out her small hands, gesturing for the two women to sit down, eat something, and rest.
“I…we…”
When Yue Chuzi personally served her a meal, Fang Shengnan's face immediately flushed with excitement, and she stammered, her tongue becoming slurred.
Fang Juxiu, with her calm temperament, fared slightly better. She licked her dry lips, stepped forward, bent her knees, clasped her hands in a deep bow, and performed a full salute.
"I'm so sorry, Your Excellency, I've come to disturb you. I didn't know you were here..."
Zhao Qingxiu seemed unsurprised, supporting the two excited and admiring women and interrupting their conversation.
"Ya ya."
She came to her senses, smiled faintly, pointed to her mouth with her index finger, and waved her hand to indicate that she could not speak.
Immediately afterwards, he comforted the two women and told them to sit down and rest.
"It's alright, I understand. Your Excellency Yue is a man of few words... By the way!"
The moment his bottom touched the stool, Fang Jushou remembered something, quickly stood up, pulled a bronze short sword from his sleeve, and presented it with both hands:
"This thing is..."
In the next instant, before she could even see Zhao Qingxiu's movements, the bronze dagger in her hand had vanished.
Fang Juxiu looked down in surprise, and felt the heavy weight in her sleeve again... The Yunmeng Token had been stuffed back in.
At the same time, she felt a slender hand from the Virgin Queen in front of her press on the back of her hand.
Zhao Qingxiu slowly shook her head.
Fang raised her sleeves as if to speak but hesitated, then frowned and looked closely. She noticed that when the lady in front of her shook her head, there was a look of... a blank expression on her face that she couldn't understand.
Unlike Fang Shengnan's puzzled expression, Fang Juxiu immediately realized what was happening and subconsciously asked:
"Is it inconvenient for you, Miss Yue, to be in the room right now...?"
Before she could finish speaking, a noise came from the doorway, accompanied by footsteps.
It seemed as if someone strode in, put down their bundle, and headed towards the backyard.
"Embroiderer, I'm back... Oh, who's here?" A man's voice echoed through the hall.
"who?"
Before the two women could get up and be on guard, a handsome young man had already walked into the backyard with his hands behind his back.
Before Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan could take a closer look, they discovered that Yue Chuzi, who had originally been quiet and gentle, had sprung up like a rabbit.
"Ah ah."
Zhao Qingxiu ran back to the kitchen with a cheerful voice, bringing out a basin of hot water that had been prepared beforehand, with a clean towel draped over the edge of the basin.
She approached the handsome young man dressed in a blue scholar's robe, her face beaming with joy as she presented him with a basin of hot water for him to wash and dry his hands.
"I'll do it."
As Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan grew increasingly shocked, the handsome young man extended two fingers, pinched the slightly slipped sky-blue ribbon on the straight nose of the virgin Yue, and lifted it up.
After their intimate gestures, he took the basin of hot water from her hands, strode past them, went into the kitchen, and placed it on the stove.
The young lady, Yue, was completely obedient, clinging to the handsome young man's sleeve the whole time as she followed him back to the kitchen.
The handsome young man bent down to wash his hands, and at the same time turned his head to look at them in the courtyard outside.
"Embroiderer... these two... are your friends?"
His voice, seemingly filled with curiosity, came out intermittently.
"Mmm."
The young lady nodded obediently and went to the sink to wash the dishes.
"Wait." The handsome young man suddenly reached out and tucked a few strands of hair that had slipped down Yue Nujun's temples behind her rosy little ear.
In the courtyard, Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan, who witnessed the entire smooth scene, had very interesting expressions on their faces.
Before the two women could finish digesting, the handsome young man and the maiden Yue had already carried the food out of the kitchen and come to the table.
Just now, because it was dark and the handsome young man suddenly arrived, his series of "bold actions" were dazzling, and the Fang sisters were a little overwhelmed.
But now he's right in front of me, right in front of me.
Ouyang Rong bent down to set out the dishes and casually greeted them:
"It's rare for a friend or relative to visit, so I apologize for any shortcomings in our hospitality. I hope you two young ladies won't take offense. My name is Ouyang... Um, by the way, haven't we met during the day?"
"ah?"
Zhao Qingxiu, who was serving rice to her husband, turned her head curiously, as if "looking" at them.
Fang Shengnan stood at the table, dumbfounded.
Fang Juxiu looked at Ouyang Rong's gentle, smiling face with an extremely complicated expression.
After a long while, she finally spoke, her lips dry:
"Young Master Ou...?"
Ouyang Rong, who skipped the self-introduction, rolled up his sleeves, picked up a bite of food, and placed it in Zhao Qingxiu's bowl.
His face, as he lowered his head to pick up food, remained expressionless.
"You left quickly during the day, and I didn't have time to ask your surname."
Fang Juxiu: ...
Fang Shengnan: ...
The atmosphere at the table gradually became awkward.
...
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