Chapter 689 Meeting You in the Prime of Life [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
This is an extremely simple bamboo hut with an open courtyard enclosed by a low fence. A purple dress is drying in the courtyard, and an umbrella given by Ouyang Rong leans against the door.
As Rongzhen approached, a middle-aged female official stood at the courtyard gate, bowing respectfully to her.
"Master Female History."
"What is it?" Rong Zhen asked lazily as he passed by his trusted subordinate.
The middle-aged female official said in a low voice, "The messenger came again yesterday morning, accompanied by a strange man. He said he had something to ask of you, Lady Historian."
Rong Zhen paused for a moment, then waved her hand dismissively:
"not see."
The middle-aged female official was slightly taken aback, then acknowledged the order and withdrew.
"yes."
The courtyard fell silent, and Rongzhen went inside.
The sky was ablaze with fiery clouds, and lights gradually began to twinkle in every home.
The room was simply furnished and dimly lit. Rongzhen lit a lamp, held it in her hand, and went into the inner room.
Legend has it that there is a mysterious Buddhist hall in the palace, where Her Majesty the Empress practices vegetarianism and chants Buddhist scriptures. Neither the two princes of the Wei clan nor Prince Xiang, Li Lun, are qualified to enter. Only Buddhist holy monks and senior scholars are fortunate enough to enter and preach the Dharma, but even then, the opportunities are few and far between...
No more than four female officials were qualified to enter this Buddhist hall to light lamps for the saints, making it the ultimate goal that countless palace women and officials in the Great Zhou court dreamed of.
One reason is that Granny Song had served the emperor for a long time and was highly experienced.
As for the younger generation, Rongzhen, who was a lady-in-waiting in the palace, was almost the undisputed future palace attendant in Luoyang, thanks not only to her own talent but also to the emperor's great favor.
Rongzhen lit the lamp and went forward, stopping beside the wardrobe by the bed and rummaging through it.
A moment later.
She pulled out a faded purple undergarment and slowly clenched her small hands into it.
If Ouyang Rong were here right now, he would definitely be familiar with this close-fitting garment...
In fact, ever since the little bib was returned to the owner of Butterfly Love Flower, Rongzhen had thought about burning it to ashes, but in the end, she didn't do it.
This is one of the keepsakes her mother left her; it was sewn by her own hands...
Rongzhen lowered her head and stared at the few small characters inside the purple bodice.
He remained silent for a long time.
...
The sunset glowed like fire.
A carriage slowly moved along and stopped by the roadside. A woman in a black dress and a black veil hat quietly boarded the carriage.
The carriage continued its journey, albeit at a rather slow pace.
There were two people sitting face to face inside the car.
In the dimly lit space, only the sound of rolling wheels could be heard.
Apart from that, Pei Shisan Niang could only hear her own breathing.
The young man opposite her remained silent for a long time, and she didn't dare to look up at him.
"Take it."
The sudden sound of Ouyang Rong's voice startled Pei Shisan Niang. Realizing what was happening, she immediately lifted the veil that was in the way and went to take the item he handed over.
Holding it in her hands, she paused for a moment after looking at it carefully.
It was a box of plasters.
The lid had been opened, revealing the brownish-yellow ointment inside.
"Young master, this is..."
Before Pei Shisan Niang could react, a fair and slender hand holding a handkerchief reached inside her black veil and gently touched her cheek.
Wipe it carefully.
"The swelling is quite severe. Those two were really going too far, they didn't hold back at all..."
Ouyang Rong spoke calmly, his handkerchief soaked in ointment, using it instead of his fingers to carefully apply the ointment to Pei Shisan Niang's swollen, red cheek with the slap mark.
Pei Shisan Niang's body was rooted to the spot in her seat, as Ouyang Rong applied the medicine. A mixture of emotions, including bewilderment, shock, and gratitude, overwhelmed her, even overshadowing the stinging pain that the ointment caused when it touched her swollen skin.
A complex expression, difficult to describe, appeared on Pei Shisan Niang's face.
Just then, she felt Ouyang Rong lift her black veil as if it were in the way, lean forward, get closer to her cheek, and continue applying the ointment.
She subconsciously turned her head away, but his calm yet authoritative voice came from in front of her.
"Don't move."
Pei Shisan Niang immediately became obedient, facing him directly, but she lowered her eyes and avoided eye contact.
After wiping quietly for a while, the beautiful woman in the black dress secretly raised her eyes to look at the handsome young man's serious and focused face in front of her.
Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke:
“Thirteenth Sister did nothing wrong. At least from my perspective, you were dutiful and loyal.”
Pei Shisan Niang immediately averted her gaze, looking away, and whispered:
"A mistake is a mistake. It was my fault for not handling things properly. Neither of the two young ladies did anything wrong. It was right to punish them. They were still angry, and I understand..."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"No, that's not how it works. You're not wrong. Even if you are wrong, the kind of wrong they're talking about, it's my fault, not yours."
"Young master is right, I am..."
Ouyang Rong interrupted decisively: "You were just following my orders and you did a good job. It's just that you were implicated because of me and suffered as a result. It's my fault. Don't argue anymore."
Pei Shisan Niang looked at Ouyang Rong's serious expression for a while, then stopped arguing, lowered her head slightly, and choked up a little.
"Young master is so kind..."
At this moment, Ouyang Rong put away his handkerchief, clapped his hands, and looked at her face, saying:
"Alright, it's applied. Here, take the ointment. I got this swelling-reducing ointment from Chief Secretary Yuan. He's quite experienced in this area and uses it often. I think it works well. Keep using it, and let me know if it's not enough. The swelling should go down in a few days..."
Pei Shisan Niang took a deep breath, composed herself, and rose from her seat in a half-squatting position, gracefully preparing to offer a greeting:
"Thank you for your kindness, young master..."
Ouyang Rong pressed her back into her seat and shook his head:
"Don't mention it. Alright, go back and get some rest."
Pei Shisan Niang said softly, "Yes."
A short while later, the carriage stopped in front of a luxurious mansion in Xingzifang and dropped off the beautiful woman in the black dress.
At the entrance of her own residence, Pei Shisan Niang stood gazing into the distance, watching the carriage disappear into the distance.
She turned around, touched her cheek where the burning pain had subsided considerably, glanced down at the ointment box, and at that moment, a murmur drifted into the evening breeze:
"I really envy those two, they're both in the prime of their lives..."
...
"If you're bored, you can go and squeeze some spirit ink. If you want to jump around, you can go back to the wardrobe and run wild. So can you get down here and stop jumping around on the desk?"
"This fairy maiden just wants to stay with you."
In the study of Yinbingzhai, Ouyang Rong lowered his head and wrote, speaking in a cold voice.
On the desk, Xiao Mo sat on a pile of Xuan paper, swinging her short legs, resting her chin on her hands, carefully examining Ouyang Rong's writing.
She didn't say anything.
Ouyang Rong ignored her and continued writing, leaving behind a sentence:
"Okay, if you are sick, you can go see a doctor."
Miao Si tilted her head and asked, "Little Rongzi, are you angry with this fairy? Hmm, you can't be angry with a fairy, you know?"
Ouyang Rong remained silent.
Miao Si looked at it for a while, then jumped down from the pile of Xuan paper and tugged at his sleeve:
"How about I take you to see something good?"
After being pulled several times, Ouyang Rong shook his hand and said:
"Too small, I won't look."
"...?"
"Dream on. Who's going to show you that? Do you think I'm Xie Yaya and that mute blind girl?"
"Then get lost."
"..."
Miao Si suddenly covered her face and started crying, as if she was heartbroken.
But Ouyang Rong remained motionless, writing a letter.
Miao Si cried for a while, then, seemingly bored, lowered her hand, her face expressionless.
"Xiao Rongzi, you've changed. You've become heartless."
"Please show some respect, what do you mean 'little Rongzi'?"
"Little Rongzi, you are just Little Rongzi, the hypocritical Little Rongzi, the Little Rongzi who secretly hides women outside, hehe. But in this fairy's memory, you also have a handsome side. Back when I saw you in Xiaoxuan's courtyard wearing a bronze mask, leisurely strolling and throwing out red leaves, one poem and one head. I must say, you were really incredibly handsome."
"Get down there, sweet talk won't help."
Ouyang Rong was about to wave his hand to push him away, but he paused, then withdrew his hand and continued writing the letter.
However, when writing, he supports himself on the table with his left hand, and the fabric of his sleeve drags on the table.
The tiny, clever girl simply sat on his sleeve and carefully gathered the fabric into a small pillow.
As she lay down, using her "little pillow" as a headrest, she yawned and said:
"Hmm, I'm sleepy. I'll take a nap. Tell me when you're done, Xiao Rongzi."
She fell into a deep sleep, and Ouyang Rong noticed that while she was sleeping, her right hand unconsciously gripped the fabric of his sleeve, as if afraid that he would run away.
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.
A sudden whisper from a brilliant mind:
"Little Rongzi, you won't abandon this fairy maiden, will you?"
Ouyang Rong snorted softly.
Miao Si got up, half-knelt on the table, tugged at her sleeve, and looked up expectantly, saying:
"Alright, alright, this fairy admits I made a tiny mistake, don't be angry."
She scratched her head and said:
"Well, although I'm reluctant to admit it, I have to admit that I sometimes act impulsively, thinking it's something fun and that there's no big deal. I didn't expect it to upset you. I took it for granted that we were good friends, so there was nothing wrong with it. I treated your things as my own. In your words, I had no sense of boundaries or limits..."
I heard the little ink spirit beside me offering a rare self-reflection and rambling.
Ouyang Rong said softly:
"Say it again, it's out of air."
"Then why don't you speak to this fairy?"
"I'm busy, writing a letter."
"Who is it written to?"
"Teacher, and Madam Xie, my junior sister's aunt."
Why write to them?
Ouyang Rong said seriously:
"Regarding my engagement to my junior sister, my aunt said she would talk to her, but I feel that there are some things I also need to express my opinion on, not just to the elders."
"So recently I've been exchanging letters with my teacher and Madam Xie, talking about my junior sister, my situation, and... the embroiderer's matter. I've given them a general overview."
After hearing Ouyang Rong finish speaking softly, Miao Si couldn't help but say:
"No wonder Xie girl and that mute blind girl are so in love with you. Any woman would like a man like Xiao Rongzi."
Little Ink Spirit was deeply moved.
Ouyang Rong frowned:
“If you just want to brag, you can go back to your closet and say it to it.”
Miao Si shook his head:
“It’s not a lie, it’s the truth, this fairy truly believes it.”
Ouyang Rong didn't want to talk much and focused on writing the letter.
Miao Si suddenly asked:
"Actually, thinking about it carefully, it was indeed my fault that day. I should have informed you beforehand about the embroiderer's matter, instead of launching a surprise attack."
Ouyang Rong asked:
"So, you located the embroiderer's courtyard by the writing and ink on the amulet?"
"Hmm, more or less."
"Do you know what method Lady Rong used to find the embroiderer's courtyard?"
Miao Si shook his head.
Silence fell between them again.
Only the rustling sound of Ouyang Rong writing remained.
Miao Si suddenly said:
"Will you completely forgive me as long as I produce spirit ink?"
Ouyang Rong frowned but remained silent.
Miao Si suddenly jumped down from her sleeve and ran towards the wardrobe.
There was a hint of firmness and determination in his tone:
"Little Rongzi, don't miss this fairy too much these next few days."
What are you going to do?
"I'm going into seclusion to gather spiritual ink; things are about to get busy."
"So you were saying you were slacking off all along, right? You're even more idle than the girls in the little princess's courtyard, yet you keep saying you can't squeeze out any spiritual ink."
"Ahem, no, no, never mind, I'm too lazy to explain to you. Just don't miss this fairy too much, hmph."
After saying that, Little Ink Spirit darted into the wardrobe.
A snap.
The sound of her locking the cabinet from the inside could be heard.
Little Mo Jing clearly distinguishes between a full meal and a full meal every day.
Ouyang Rong shook his head, not holding high hopes. Based on past experience, Xiao Mo Jing never disappointed when it came to being disappointing.
Before long, the letter was written, he sealed it with wax, placed it on the table, and got up to go back to his room to rest.
The next day, early in the morning.
Ouyang Rong went out carrying a letter.
After finishing breakfast in the dining hall and preparing to leave, Zhen Shuyuan suddenly said:
Did you make Wanwan angry?
Zhen Shuyuan saw that Ouyang Rong's movements were normal and he did not stop:
"Yes, I made a mistake, but it can be rectified. I'll take care of it."
Zhen Shuyuan said softly:
"No wonder Wanwan's tone was a bit strange when we chatted yesterday. She seemed listless and often spaced out. She didn't wait for you to come back and left early. She wasn't like this before... It seems I guessed right, something must have happened."
She paused, then suddenly asked:
"Is it related to your friend...that woman? Does she know?"
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.
It was considered an implicit agreement, and they went out.
Ouyang Rong boarded the carriage and rubbed his temples.
Ever since Junior Sister met the embroiderer, she has been avoiding seeing Ouyang Rong.
Ouyang Rong was exchanging letters with Xie Xun and Xie Xue'e, clarifying their relationship and discussing their engagement.
The two men must have written to Xie Lingjiang and contacted each other, but Xie Lingjiang still refused to see them.
The two maintained this ambiguous distance and relationship.
Ouyang Rong visited Xie Lingjiang every day, but was always politely refused.
However, just as her aunt said, yesterday during the day, while Ouyang Rong was busy with official duties, her junior sister came to visit her again.
Such an attitude left Ouyang Rong somewhat unsure.
On his way to the main hall of Jiangzhou, Ouyang Rong took a moment to enter the Merit Pagoda and glanced at the merit points above the small wooden fish:
[Merit: 3,912]
In the past two days, another batch of low-rent housing in Xingzifang was handed over to the public, and Ouyang Rong's merit points increased significantly. However, he originally had more merit points, but a few days ago, Xie Lingjiang and Rong Zhen met with Xiu Niang, and the original merit experience pack backfired.
Ouyang Rong sighed:
"It's still acceptable. By the way, after feeding the embroiderer so much, why is there still no change in her body... I mean, her cultivation level."
(End of this chapter)
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