Chapter 854 Blessings
“The daily wage for a day laborer is fifty cash… Liu Aliang, five days’ wages have not been settled. Adding today’s half-day work, it’s a total of five and a half days.”
At the counter, the freckled young woman held abacus rods, muttering to herself as she fiddled with them for a while:
"Hmm, Mother said this morning that you and Sha Ergou worked very hard, so she's giving you a raise of four coins... That's fifty-four coins a day, and for five and a half days, that's... that's... three hundred and ninety-seven coins!"
After carefully calculating with a serious expression, Miss Yu tossed the counting rods aside and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Brother Liu, please wait a moment."
The young woman, full of youthful energy, finished settling the accounts and then jogged off to the back vault to get more money.
Ouyang Rong, who was lost in thought, suddenly spoke:
Two hundred and seventy-five.
"Huh? What did you say?"
Lady Yu stopped in confusion, then heard the young man in monk's robes speak quickly:
“Give me 277 coins. You’ve miscalculated. Also, Boss Yu said this morning that she would raise wages by 4 coins. How can you calculate the wages from the past few days… Never mind, I took the day off today, so I’m not considered diligent. I’ll raise it by 4 coins tomorrow. Just give me 275 coins.”
Miss Yu looked confused and looked down at the counting rods again:
"But I counted 397 using counting rods. How could counting rods make a mistake... Wait, let me try again."
Seeing his young mistress's somewhat dim-witted expression, Ouyang Rong looked helpless. In a hurry, he coaxed her with a few words:
"It's alright, it definitely won't be more than what you paid. Just settle the 275 coins first, and we'll check it later. If you're short, we'll talk about it."
"oh oh."
Yu Xiaoniangzi tapped her lower lip with her finger, seemingly agreeing with his words. She then went to fetch a small amount of money, counted it, and handed it to Ouyang Rong.
Ouyang Rong took the money and turned to leave. Yu Xiaoniangzi stood on tiptoe to look at his empty hands and couldn't help but ask:
"Brother Liu, how did you calculate so quickly? You're using counting rods now?"
He couldn't very well say that she was worse than the elementary school students in his "hometown," so Ouyang Rong casually remarked:
"Counting fingers".
Lady Yu stood there, looking at Ouyang Rong's departing figure with admiration. She looked down at her outstretched palms and frowned as she studied her fingers.
"Hmm, can you really bend your knuckles that fast...?"
Ouyang Rong left the Red Dust Inn and headed towards the busiest market in town, the East Market.
He began to understand why Boss Yu had hired a new maid to watch the counter; if her own daughter stayed behind the counter for a few more days, the inn would have to go bankrupt.
However, ordinary people in that era would not know multiplication tables. For ordinary people, using counting rods was certainly more authoritative than mental calculation.
In Confucianism, mathematics is one of the six arts of a gentleman, a highly valued skill, and a very rare talent.
Those who are proficient in this field are either learned scholars or great merchants like Pei Shisan Niang and Wang Caozhi...
Ouyang Rong quickly put this trivial matter out of his mind.
He spent the entire afternoon wandering around the East Market, occasionally asking people about the Lu family.
The locals in the town are quite xenophobic, especially Ouyang Rong, whose "cut hair and tattoos" make him look like an aborigine, and some residents are unwilling to pay attention to him.
At this time, the wages he had settled with Yu Xiaoniangzi came in handy. Ouyang Rong also followed her example and acted as a benevolent benefactor, making friends, generously treating others to meals, and seeking their advice over tea.
Of course, they didn't ask directly, but rather subtly inquired about the families with different surnames in town...
By evening, having spent all two or three hundred coins, Ouyang Rong got up and returned, a thoughtful look on his face.
There were some gains, though. First, among the nine surnames in the town, there was no one with the surname Lu.
However, while chatting with an elderly man from Taoyuan Town, Ouyang Rong learned that there used to be a wealthy family named Lu in Taoyuan Town, a family of scholars. However, when the old man was young, the entire Lu family had moved away, apparently back to their ancestral home. Moreover, he heard that the Lu family's ancestors were a prominent clan in the Central Plains, with a glorious lineage...
Of course, praising our ancestors is a traditional skill, and even if it's just boasting, outsiders can't disprove it.
Having vaguely grasped some of the underlying patterns, Ouyang Rong seemed to be deep in thought.
He walked silently for a while on the street where the stalls were closing up. He glanced at the twilight sky and decided to go back to the clock tower in the north corner of the town first.
In addition, he also found out the locations of several hills where the ancestral graves of various surnames in Taoyuan Town were located, which were also the places where the major surnames in the area liked to be buried.
Ouyang Rong thought to himself, "Let's search around first, there's no rush anyway."
About an incense stick's time later, Ouyang Rong returned to the street where the bell tower was located. He happened to pass by the Red Dust Inn, where two red lanterns were still lit at the entrance, welcoming guests as always.
When Ouyang Rong returned, he heard the bell ringing again, the hundred and eight bells. It must have been Sha Ergou helping to ring the bell. Now the bell has stopped ringing, and that guy must have gone back to work at the inn.
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment, then turned and walked towards the inn, intending to find Xia Sha Er Gou and treat him to a meal.
As he entered the lobby, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the "Good Fortune Girl" Yu Xiaoniang had disappeared from the counter, replaced by a new maid surnamed Song from the inn.
The lobby was filled with VIPs and guests, but Ouyang Rong didn't pay them much attention. As he walked past with his eyes downcast, a shout suddenly rang out behind him:
"Wait a minute, Liu... Liu Aliang."
Ouyang Rong took two more steps forward before realizing that he was being called. The name was made up, and he hadn't fully gotten used to it yet.
The voice sounds like the maid surnamed Song behind the counter.
In the noisy lobby, Ouyang Rong turned around, pointed to his face at the beautiful young woman, and showed a puzzled expression.
"Yes, I'm calling for you. Could you please come over here?"
Ouyang Rong walked back to the counter with a puzzled look on his face and asked in a muffled voice:
"What's up."
The maid surnamed Song seemed to sized him up; her voice was bright and clear, as melodious as a spring.
"Where are you from? Are you like Sha Ergou and the others? Where did you learn math? You're so good at it!"
Ouyang Rong glanced at her again, but didn't say anything.
The maid surnamed Song realized what was happening, pointed to herself, and introduced herself:
"My name is Song Zhi'an. I'm not from here. My hometown is quite far away. I fled from Sichuan and was kidnapped by thieves on the way here..." Her tone was somewhat downcast. "Fortunately, Madam Yu and the village elders redeemed me. Um, I used to secretly learn from the teacher's lessons at the private school in my hometown. I can write some words and do some math. Now I mainly help Madam Yu manage the accounts..."
Ouyang Rong nodded slowly: "Miss Song, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm from Jiangzhou. Is there anything else?"
Song Zhian looked a little embarrassed and said:
"Mrs. Yu mentioned the matter of settling wages this afternoon. It was my mistake; I wasn't feeling well at noon and had Mrs. Yu watch the counter temporarily. This was inappropriate, and if Mrs. Yu finds out, I'll be scolded..."
"However, regarding the wages, your calculation is absolutely correct. I also told Miss Yu that she made a mistake. If we had encountered someone with ill intentions, it could have really caused trouble. Fortunately, we met an upright person like you."
Ouyang Rong turned his head and glanced at the backyard, casually saying:
"It's nothing."
Seemingly sensing his intention to leave, Song Zhian didn't mind, and first took out two copper coins, placing them on the counter:
“Take this money. Since you worked for half a day, you have to be paid for half a day. You can’t be shortchanged. We’re all poor people trying to make a living, so we have to be careful with every penny.”
Ouyang Rong glanced at the beautiful young woman whose expression was unusually serious and persistent, nodded slightly, and without being pretentious, put away the two copper coins.
Song Zhian asked again:
"You're just like Sha Ergou, from a poor family. Do you want to make more money? I heard you even ring the bell in the bell tower."
Ouyang Rong naturally nodded.
Song Zhian sighed with emotion:
“Everyone has a hard time. You only stayed for half a day. Did you go to find a new job? Is the inn not paying enough wages?”
Ouyang Rong paused for a moment, then said:
"I guess so, but I won't leave. I'll continue working at the inn."
Song Zhian thought for a moment, then said softly:
"Well, how about this, if there are any odd jobs or side hustles, I'll keep an eye out for you and Sha Ergou..."
Thank you.
Ouyang Rong clasped his hands in a sincere gesture, then turned and left.
Song Zhian was busy calculating accounts at the counter and didn't pay much attention to the young man in the monk's robe. She lowered her gaze and continued to focus on her work.
Ouyang Rong came to the courtyard, walked around, and just found Sha Ergou.
The boy was bending over, tending the fire at the kitchen stove, while the cook was directing him from the side.
"Brother Liu."
Upon discovering that Ouyang Rong had arrived and learning that he was treating everyone to dinner, Sha Ergou beamed with joy: "How could I possibly accept this..."
"Never mind then."
Ouyang Rong turned and left.
"Hey, wait a minute, Brother Liu, I'm actually a little hungry..."
Sha Ergou hurriedly chased after him, his face still covered in dirt, and followed him eagerly.
Ouyang Rong kept walking, a slight smile on his lips, which he quickly suppressed, and continued walking forward in a wooden and calm manner.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped.
Sha Ergou also noticed the young man in monk's robes had stopped strangely, and turned his head to ask:
"What's wrong, Brother Liu? Is...is it because you don't have enough money?"
Ouyang Rong remained silent, standing still, and looked around.
After a while, his eyebrows slowly rose.
New blessings?
Little did Sha Ergou know that he was hearing the familiar sound of bells all around him, but he waited patiently.
Ouyang Rong patted him on the shoulder.
"It's okay, let's go eat first."
Ouyang Rong put the matter aside for the time being and went to the roadside stall to treat Sha Ergou to a hearty meal as usual. After the meal, he sent the talkative young man away and quickly returned to the Bell Tower.
As soon as he closed the door, Ouyang Rong closed his eyes and immersed himself in the Merit Pagoda.
The ancient pagoda stands tall amidst the clouds, its interior shrouded in pure white mist, with only a wooden fish and a solitary bell.
As soon as Ouyang Rong entered, his gaze immediately fell on the ancient bronze bell at the top.
The bell was faintly emitting purple light and trembling slightly.
There were faint golden threads within the purple aura.
Ouyang Rong floated into the air, arrived in front of the bell, reached out and touched the bell, silently sensing its texture.
"Is it necessary to accumulate two thousand merits...? This can be considered a golden blessing..."
He murmured something.
His gaze fell on the small wooden fish not far below.
The cyan-gold lettering above it shone brightly.
[Merit: 4,867]
This is the merit value that has recently increased thanks to the Xunyang Grottoes.
Right now, prices are occasionally soaring by two or three hundred.
However, Ouyang Rong maintained the bronze mask and occasionally activated the Kui Xing Talisman to open the Peach Blossom Spring Map, which consumed a lot of energy.
Otherwise, the merit would have already exceeded five thousand, heading straight for six thousand.
Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment, then waved his hand slightly.
In the next instant, a beam of cyan-gold light shot out from the small wooden fish and struck the Blessing Bell.
"clang--!"
A resounding, booming sound echoed in my ears.
The blessing has been successfully redeemed.
Ouyang Rong let out a long sigh, checked the remaining merits, and then opened his eyes again, his vision returning to the pitch-black bell tower.
As night deepened, Ouyang Rong, lying on the couch, slowly opened his eyes.
He then began to ponder this new blessing.
"What triggered this...? Today, besides ringing the bell, settling wages, and going out to inquire about the Lu family's ancestral graves, there doesn't seem to be anything else to do. If I had to name some people I've seen, it would be Sha Ergou, Yu Xiaoniangzi, and Song Shinu..."
After going through all the clues in his mind, Ouyang Rong still didn't have much of a clue, and he pursed his lips.
But good fortune is always a good thing, so let's redeem it first.
What if this good fortune comes from Lady Zhi Shuang remembering him, or passing by again and bringing him back to the Yunmeng Sword Marsh Mountain Gate? Then that would be a great deal.
He wasn't sure whether Xue Zhongzhu had forgotten about him or was simply trying to appease A Qing by leaving him here, not wanting to bring the man into Yunmeng Sword Marsh.
However, it is highly likely that Aqing will bring it up, so Ouyang Rong thinks it is probably being considered.
If it weren't for this, and Xue Zhongzhu had simply forgotten, Ouyang Rong didn't think it would be a big problem; on the contrary, it would make it easier for him to infiltrate Yunmeng Sword Marsh.
Given Xue Zhongzhu's straightforward and clear-cut nature, if he forgets a promise and then remembers it the next time, the most likely emotion he will feel is guilt.
Only when he felt guilty could Ouyang Rong receive excessive compensation.
It's a little trick to understand people's hearts.
Ouyang Rong reviewed the situation again, then took a short nap.
At dawn, he woke up as usual. Taking advantage of the safety of his surroundings, he opened the Peach Blossom Spring Map and first checked the [Craftsmanship] trapped in the Thunder Pool.
Immediately, he took a pill box out of the painting.
Hesitantly stroked the box.
He had not swallowed the mortal-transforming pill that Li Guo'er had given him.
Originally, Ouyang Rong planned to take it when he was comprehending the [Emperor Wen] sword technique, but later, in order to ensure his safety when infiltrating the Yunmeng Sword Marsh, he temporarily put it aside.
If his Qi cultivation talent is too good, Xue Zhongzhu will sense something is wrong.
Before he was taken away from Sanhui Temple last time, Xue Zhongzhu had infused his body with spiritual energy to examine him.
At that time, Ouyang Rong used the divine power of the "Emperor Wen" to dissipate the spiritual energy in his body for three breaths, thus avoiding the detection of the Snow Candle.
If the dantian were to also become ethereal, it would be contrary to ordinary people's abilities and would inevitably be discovered by Xue Zhongzhu. Therefore, the quality of qi cultivation in the dantian could not be hidden and had already been detected by Xue Zhongzhu.
Currently, while temporarily staying in Taoyuan Town, Ouyang Rong had some thoughts about consuming pills and wanted to use his spare time to cultivate his Qi.
Clutching the pill box tightly, Ouyang Rong remained silent for a long time before putting it away again.
Once he swallows the Transcendent Golden Pill, his Qi Refining aptitude will be exceptional.
So it's better to be safe than sorry. If this blessing really allows him to enter Yunmeng Sword Marsh, there might be an inspection. His Qi Refining talent might contradict or be vastly different from the previous inspection by Xue Zhongzhu, which could easily arouse suspicion.
After putting away the Peach Blossom Spring painting, Ouyang Rong checked his spiritual energy cultivation again. He exhaled for a while, and the sky outside the window was already bright.
Ouyang Rong nimbly got out of bed and began his daily bell-ringing routine.
(End of this chapter)
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