Chapter 686 Zhao Qingxiu: [Thank you, sister. Who's that sister outside?] (Requesting monthly votes!)
The commotion caused by Ouyang Rong's arrival was quite loud in the courtyard.
And there was the sound of his footsteps.
Moreover, Xie Lingjiang and Zhao Qingxiu were both mid-level Qi cultivators, so they could hear clearly.
As Ouyang Rong entered the main hall, he saw the embroiderer who was collecting clothes by the clothes rack in the courtyard turn around and "look" at him.
At the octagonal table, the junior sister's back remained still, seemingly eating noodles with her head down.
Dark clouds filled the sky above the courtyard, threatening a thunderstorm, but a strong wind had already risen, blowing the trees in the courtyard.
"Longling—"
It was the sound of the icy white jade hairpin pendant being blown by the wind.
But Ouyang Rong noticed that the hairpin wasn't in the embroiderer's hair, and a distinctive crisp sound came from the direction of the octagonal table...
I turned my head to look.
It was lying quietly next to the junior sister's noodle bowl, near the edge of the table, with the pendant end hanging in the air, fluttering in the wind.
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips and walked over.
"Ah ah."
Zhao Qingxiu put away the clothes and returned, seemingly calling out "Tanlang" softly, and pointed to the octagonal table in the main hall.
Ouyang Rong remained silent, walked to the table, and sat down opposite Xie Lingjiang.
Zhao Qingxiu, carrying several clean scholar's robes, returned to the corridor to take shelter from the rain. She did not immediately go into the main hall, but went to the main room to put the clothes away first.
Ouyang Rong glanced quietly at his junior sister.
Her favorite bright red dress looked somewhat dull in the dimly lit lobby.
It looked like it had been soaked in the rain.
But the fire didn't go out, even with the slight movements of her holding the bowl and eating noodles.
The flame seemed to be dancing gently.
Like a fireplace in a warm house, burning silently in a windless and rainless environment, evoking memories in others.
Xie Lingjiang buried her head in her noodles, eating even faster, and didn't look at him.
For no apparent reason, Ouyang Rong recalled the first time the two of them met.
That day was at the Sanhui Courtyard of Donglin Temple. He was kicked away and turned his head to look at her against the sunlight. She was dazzling, and her voice was as clear as a nightingale's, still lingering in his ears.
"An accomplice keeping watch? You little thief."
"What petty thief? This is my house. You're the petty thief, trespassing on my property."
"Turning the tables? Looks like a repeat offender... This is where he recuperates, how could it possibly be your monk's quarters? Don't try to fool me."
"Is it possible that I am Senior Brother Yuanzi...?"
"you?"
"The first sentence of the fifth line on page eighteen of the Buddhist scripture 'Treatise on Rebirth' in your hand reads 'Reciting the Buddha's name leads to rebirth in the Pure Land; fearlessness leads to enlightenment.' I wrote two annotations when I read that..."
"Hello, junior sister."
"You...you are somewhat different from the rumors and the one Father described. They all say that Ouyang Lianghan is a righteous gentleman, with a lofty character, upright and unique, and his words are always clear and righteous..."
"You too... I just didn't expect my junior sister to be like this..."
"What do you mean by that?"
"So approachable..."
Memories flooded his mind like a tide, then receded. In the dimly lit hall, at the octagonal table, Ouyang Rong rubbed his face and suddenly spoke:
"Hello, junior sister."
Xie Lingjiang paused in her eating.
She continued eating, and after a short while she finished the noodles. She gently placed the bowl on the table, neatly arranging her chopsticks on top of it.
He kept his eyes down the entire time, and his movements were meticulous.
Ouyang Rong saw that there were tears on her face.
He reached out his hand.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly reached out and pressed down on the icy white jade hairpin beside her.
Ouyang Rong didn't stop moving; instead of taking the hairpin, he picked up her empty bowl and went to the kitchen.
A moment later, he brought back a bowl of longevity noodles.
"Ding."
A soft sound.
A full bowl of longevity noodles was placed next to Xie Lingjiang. Ouyang Rong also brought back a piece of garlic, held it in his hand, and bent down to peel it for her.
Xie Lingjiang looked at the courtyard, her gaze fixed straight ahead.
As Ouyang Rong was peeling garlic, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that half of the tabletop was damp, with a half-bowl of water on it.
Faintly visible on the damp tabletop were some delicate handwritings, but they had all been wiped away after being written, making it impossible to tell what the two women had been talking about at the table.
At this moment, Zhao Qingxiu returned, carrying an oil lamp in her hand.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly got up, went over to help Zhao Qingxiu carry the lamp, and reached out to help her sit down.
"Ah ah."
Zhao Qingxiu looked grateful.
Xie Lingjiang lowered her eyes and glanced at the oil lamp.
Before Ouyang Rong could even see her face clearly by the candlelight...
"call out."
The candle in Xie Lingjiang's hand went out.
"I can see it clearly, so I don't need it."
In the dimly lit hall, she spoke calmly to the blind Zhao Qingxiu.
Xie Lingjiang helped Zhao Qingxiu to the spot where she had been eating noodles, and she sat down next to her.
And so, Ouyang Rong and Zhao Qingxiu ended up sitting face to face.
Seeing this, Ouyang Rong got up and moved to sit down next to him.
He sat down again opposite Xie Lingjiang.
Xie Lingjiang didn't look at him, but turned her head to look at the blindfolded girl who was smiling and "looking around".
The latter dipped his finger in water and wrote on the still-dry tabletop:
[Are you full, Sister Xie?]
"Hmm, your cooking skills are still so good. I can't do it. On Aunt Zhen's birthday, I can only give some tacky gifts and ask someone else to cook for me."
Sister Xie is still so beautiful.
"You can't see, so why do you say I'm pretty?"
Although I am blind, I will always remember Sister Xie's appearance that day. The book says that a kind heart makes a beautiful person, and Sister Xie has both qualities. I can see, and I can see even though I am blind.
Xie Lingjiang glanced sideways, remained silent for a moment, and then said:
"Miss embroiderer, what happened to your eyes? They were perfectly fine before you left that day..."
Her voice trembled slightly.
Zhao Qingxiu shook her head, her smile radiant.
[It was an accident, my own carelessness, it's no one else's fault, please don't overthink it, Sister Xie]
Xie Lingjiang stared straight at her, seemingly lost in thought.
He said it after a while:
"Okay, okay."
At this moment, Ouyang Rong tried to ask:
"Junior Sister, Embroiderer, have you met before?"
Xie Lingjiang ignored him.
Zhao Qingxiu nodded gently and wrote on the table:
I met Sister Xie when you were injured and unconscious in Longcheng. She took good care of me.
Ouyang Rong was about to ask another question when he noticed that his cuff had been tugged.
Looking down, I saw that the embroiderer had already withdrawn her hand.
The silent Xie Lingjiang suddenly felt her sleeve being tugged. Turning around, she saw a girl with a sky-blue ribbon blindfolded, her face beaming with optimism, writing new characters with her head down.
Sister Xie, this hairpin is for you, but it's too noisy, I don't like it.
Xie Lingjiang looked down at the icy white jade hairpin she had seen before in her senior brother's hair.
She had heard Zhen Shuyuan tell the story of the hairpin's origin; it belonged to a woman from the Zhao family.
"No, it's yours, and no one can take it from you."
Xie Lingjiang stood up and reinserted the icy white jade hairpin into Zhao Qingxiu's hair, saying softly at the same time:
"Giving it to you is the only way he wasn't blind."
The latter was flattered and quickly took out a talisman and handed it to Xie Lingjiang.
[Sister Xie, I originally planned to give you a birthday gift, but I didn't expect it to come earlier today... This amulet was made for you, and I also made one for my beloved. They're a pair, which has a wonderful meaning. Wearing them, you two will truly be a match made in heaven, a perfect couple.]
Xie Lingjiang glanced at her sincere words of blessing, then looked down at the amulet without saying a word.
The two women sat down at the table and began to chat.
Ouyang Rong looked at it helplessly and could only lower his head and eat his noodles.
At one moment, Ouyang Rong felt someone writing on his palm.
She is an embroiderer.
When Sister Xie came in just now, she seemed very angry. After seeing me, she was quiet for a long time and didn't scold me. Later, she even ate noodles with me... She seemed like she wanted to cry. Tanlang, you must appease Sister Xie, or I will not forgive you, really.
After writing this character, Zhao Qingxiu seemed to bid farewell to Xie Lingjiang before getting up and returning to her room.
However, before leaving, she carefully left a message on the table:
[Sister Xie, who is that sister outside?]
Xie Lingjiang finally turned her head and looked at Ouyang Rong with icy eyes.
Ouyang Rong immediately began to explain:
“She’s not some older sister, at least not the kind you think she is. She’s a very responsible colleague. I mishandled things today and attracted her attention. I’ll handle it properly later. You should rest, it’s alright.”
Zhao Qingxiu nodded thoughtfully, walked out the door, and only Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang remained in the hall.
Ouyang Rong finished his longevity noodles with his head down and asked softly:
"Junior sister, are you still hungry? There aren't enough noodles, I'll cook some more hot ones."
As Ouyang Rong spoke, he got up and went to the kitchen. Xie Lingjiang suddenly got up and walked towards the courtyard gate in the opposite direction.
Ouyang Rong immediately turned around and, like a leech, followed her, reaching out to take her hand.
Xie Lingjiang forcefully shook him off, but Ouyang Rong pulled her back. The two of them did this three times in a row.
During this time, a small ink stick fell out of Xie Lingjiang's sleeve and landed on the floor.
The two were pulling and tugging at each other, and neither of them paid any attention for a moment.
Ouyang Rong still resolutely reached out to grab her hand.
But the next second, he suddenly felt a pain in his chest, the scenery in front of him changed, and his body flew backward. When he realized what was happening, he was already lying flat on his back.
It was a kick from the junior sister.
Ouyang Rong stared wide-eyed, then touched his chest in a daze.
Xie Lingjiang turned her head away, her eyes red:
I know what you were going to say in your first sentence!
Ouyang Rong was taken aback, then realized it was from the previous words, "Hello, junior sister."
Her eyes stung, and as she tried to tilt her head back, she couldn't suppress her sobs as she spoke:
"But I've never understood it. When you first saw me, you said I was approachable. What was that all about? Waaah, I kicked you away the first time we met, and now I'm kicking you away again..."
At this point, Xie Lingjiang covered her mouth with one hand and took several deep breaths.
Ouyang Rong fell to the ground and looked up. Against the light of the sky in front of the courtyard gate, her figure turned fiery red again, burning like a raging flame.
Her oval face was soaked with tears, turning her into a clown.
Ouyang Rong looked at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said gently:
"It's a secret. I'll tell you on our wedding night, after we're properly married, okay?"
"Get lost! Who cares!"
Xie Lingjiang cursed, turned and left. Her fiery red figure ran to the door, then suddenly stopped, leaving behind a string of words:
“Ouyang Lianghan, you should deal with Rongzhen’s matter first and send her away! Under no circumstances should you disturb Xiu Niang. She is both mute and blind. No matter how blind she is, you are partly responsible for it. I’m sure of that. As for the others, it doesn’t matter if you hurt them, including me. But if you betray such a good girl, don’t ever see me again. I don’t have a senior brother like you! I will never forgive you, never!”
Ouyang Rong stood there, stunned.
After a while, he realized something: before his junior sister left, she seemed to have taken away the amulet that the embroiderer had made for her.
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.
Just then, Ouyang Rong noticed out of the corner of his eye that a dark object was moving on the ground next to him. Turning his head, he saw that it was a familiar little ink stick. Strangely, it had grown a pair of legs and was quietly moving towards the corner of the hall, as if it was afraid of attracting the attention of outsiders.
Ouyang Rong suddenly stood up and grabbed the real body of Miao Si in his hand.
"Ouch, it hurts! Let go! Ugh, why does your hand smell like garlic? Ptooey! No wonder Xie girl wouldn't let you hold her hand! Waaaa, Xie girl, wait! Wait for me, I haven't left yet! Waaaa, we can't let this happen! We have to stick together, stick together!"
The little ink spirit, in pain, transformed into human form, looked around, and cried out.
Ouyang Rong, with a stern face, pinched her head with two fingers, straightening it, and looked her straight in the eye. He said, word by word:
"Oh, the Fairy Maiden is here too. It seems you're always around. What a coincidence!"
"Haha, what a coincidence, Xiao Rongzi, we have such a good connection, the best, without a doubt."
In the next instant, Ouyang Rong suddenly lifted it up, as if to throw it to the ground.
Miao Si let out an "Ah!" and instinctively covered her eyes with both hands.
But then she realized that she didn't seem to have hit the ground. She secretly opened her fingers and peeked out. She was stunned for a moment, then put her hands down. Miao Si looked around. It was dark around her. She realized that she had entered a familiar sleeve.
Miao Si touched her body with both hands and found that she was not missing any arms or legs. Her little face was full of doubt.
"Huh?"
Just then, she heard the voice of the blindfolded girl coming from outside her sleeve.
It turned out that this pretty mute girl had heard someone fall outside and went out to help them up.
"I'm fine, I just fell by accident."
Ouyang Rong seemed to shake his head before speaking.
The atmosphere was quiet for a while, and Zhao Qingxiu seemed to be writing.
A moment later, Ouyang Rong's voice came from outside: "Okay, I'll go take care of Junior Sister's matter now. I'll come to you again if I need anything. You should rest well and don't worry."
"Hmm." The two seemed to have separated.
Miao Si breathed a sigh of relief, but then heard Ouyang Rong's hushed voice from outside:
"Did you inform Rong Zhen? How did she get here? Can she locate you by smelling ink like you do?"
Miao Si was taken aback, then quickly shook her head:
"No! Why would I, this fairy maiden, harm you for no reason? I only helped Xie girl because I couldn't stand by and watch. You were wrong to begin with, but I, this fairy maiden, still know what's important. How could I collude with the enemy? Unless you bully Xie girl, who is so good to you, and you dare to betray her, I will curse you for as long as I live, so that future generations will know that the legendary sword master of [Craftsmanship], my ninety-ninth little follower, is the most heartless man in history, the most shameful, without exception..."
She was halfway through her rambling when Ouyang Rong flicked her head with his finger, making her dizzy and turning her into an ink ingot, obediently shutting up.
Outside, Ouyang Rong dusted himself off and walked out of the courtyard.
However, when the door opened and he saw the scene of the red-clad and purple-clad figures facing each other, his eyelids twitched involuntarily.
...
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(End of this chapter)
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