Chapter 891 Chen Jiaxin's Slap (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
It was evening.
The large ship slowly docked on the golden sandy shore, the sky a dark blue-green.
A group of young women and boys descended from the deck one after another.
Ouyang Rong, Song, and Yu were among them.
They had just returned from the dripping cave and had been silent the whole way.
On the way back, the people on the deck were also very quiet.
Xiao Lanlan and her group of nine young ladies remained silent the entire way, keeping a distance from Ouyang Rong and the others. Surprisingly, they did not occupy the most conspicuous spot on the deck. Moreover, as soon as they landed, they slunk off the ship and disappeared.
"Congratulations, Brother Liu."
"Brother Liu, we're so lucky, today was so dangerous..."
"So, the reason Uncle Tang had a gloomy face before he left wasn't because of us or Brother Liu, but because of Xiao Lanlan?"
Yu Mili, Sha Ergou, and the others talked about it with great interest, pondering what had just happened.
Ouyang Rong remained silent, reverting to his usual taciturn self.
Song Zhian tucked the stray strands of hair from her temples behind her ear and pondered:
"We must have discussed our matter with the Sixth Lady, and Xiao Lanlan can't escape it either. Since the Sixth Lady appointed Brother Liu and assigned him a position, she must agree with Brother Liu's views... Perhaps even Uncle Tang does. If I were Uncle Tang, I would also think Xiao Lanlan is being unreasonable and I would be unhappy too."
Yu Mili nodded and said:
"Of course, it's all her fault. There was nothing wrong with it, but she just loved making things worse. If I were Uncle Tang, I would be annoyed too after I realized what was going on."
Lu Jinghong, holding his sword, remained silent for a long time before saying:
"Brother Liu, it's a blessing that the Queen has taken notice of you. Do a good job in the dining hall."
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly: "Mhm."
Just then, the figure of a graceful woman appeared in front of the beach.
It is Li Wan.
"Jinghong, Miss Song, Miss Yu, you're back."
The lady greeted him with a smile.
She was also carrying a food box, which looked like it contained snacks.
Li Wan's laughter and chatter also attracted the attention of the other young women around her, and many people looked over.
Many of the young women noticed the new woman on the island, but no one asked her any questions.
"Hey, Brother Liang?"
When Li Wan saw Ouyang Rong's figure, she paused for a moment, as if somewhat surprised, but her smile remained unchanged.
That makes sense. Logically, Ouyang Rong should have left Jianze by ship in the morning, and she was unaware of what happened during the day.
"Mother, what brings you here?"
Lu Jinghong stepped forward, took the food box, and, as if still haunted by the chicken soup incident, even looked down to open the box, glanced inside, and after confirming it contained pastries, looked up to explain:
"Brother Liu doesn't need to go down the mountain. Although he wasn't selected for the Bamboo Hall in this assessment, his culinary skills were appreciated by the Queen and Chief Tang, and he's been assigned to help out in the dining hall, taking charge of the meals in places like Peach Hall..."
"I see."
Li Wan nodded slowly, her smile widening, as if she were happy for Ouyang Rong.
She cares about laughter:
"That's wonderful, Brother Liang. It's really fate that the five of you are still together. Please take care of my Jinghong in the future. They say you rely on friends when you're out in the world, and you're helping each other out too..."
Lu Jinghong frowned slightly and waved his hand, saying:
"Alright, Mother, let's go back."
Whether it was because he didn't want his mother to interfere in his affairs, or because he didn't want outsiders to see or know that he had brought his mother to Jianze to study, Lu Jinghong stepped forward, preparing to take Li Wan back to the Bamboo Courtyard.
Just then.
"Liu Aliang".
A woman's calm voice came from behind.
It looks somewhat familiar.
Ouyang Rong turned his head to look.
She turned out to be a familiar young woman, followed by a group of equally familiar girls.
"Sister Chen?"
After seeing who it was, Lady Yu exclaimed in surprise.
Ouyang Rong looked Chen Jiaxin up and down.
She returned at some unknown time, dressed in a snow-white Wu-style robe, arms crossed, with a waist tag made of a special material, unlike peach wood. The night on the beach was too dark to see her face and details clearly, but one could see the outline of this young lady's figure, tall and proud, walking with the lightness and speed of the wind... She had a bit of the style of Lady Zhi Shuang, both of them were domineering.
However, this legitimate daughter of the Chen family is more youthful and energetic, and also cunning and arrogant.
Upon seeing a familiar, annoying figure behind Chen Jiaxin, Sha Ergou immediately stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Brother Liu, saying:
"Xiao Lanlan, what are you doing here? Are you calling for reinforcements to help you get back at him?"
After saying that, she looked warily at Chen Jiaxin and the others beside her.
Xiao Lanlan followed behind Chen Jiaxin, keeping her head down and not looking at them.
Song Zhian stared intently at Chen Jiaxin, who had successfully returned as a disciple of the female ruler.
Yu Mili and Lu Jinghong turned their heads, both frowning.
Ouyang Rong stared blankly at them as they approached.
Only Li Wan looked at the guests with curiosity, especially the sharp-looking young woman leading them; the noblewoman couldn't help but glance at her several times.
Upon hearing her name, Li Wan seemed to realize who this woman was. Matching the name to the person in question, perhaps having heard Lu Jinghong mention her, she began to scrutinize her closely…
Chen Jiaxin crossed her arms, ignoring Song, Yu, and the other three, and stepped forward, with Xiao Lanlan following closely behind her.
The two women moved closer together, their purpose clear, and walked up to Ouyang Rong.
"What brings you here, Sister Chen? If it's about the chicken soup from earlier today, let's not argue about it anymore. The Queen and Chief Tang have already made their decision."
Song Zhian frowned and said, and the four of them stepped forward, blocking Brother Liu's way.
In the dim light of the beach at dusk, Chen Jiaxin spoke with a cold expression and a sharp voice:
"Get out of the way."
She turned her head and said to Ouyang Rong again:
"Liu Aliang, right? You're a grown man, why do you like to hide behind women? Aren't you ashamed?"
Ouyang Rong didn't move, gently pushed aside Sha Ergou who was blocking his way, and looked directly at Chen Jiaxin.
Yu Mili tugged at Ouyang Rong's sleeve with concern:
"Brother Liu, let's ignore them. There's nothing to say. They're already unreasonable. If she dares to lay a hand on them, they'll be completely lawless..."
Ouyang Rong gently shook his head, meeting Chen Jiaxin's eyes:
"If she were to make a move, she wouldn't choose such a crowded place to ambush us. She would at least wait until we walk into the bamboo forest for a while."
Upon hearing this, the latter raised an eyebrow slightly.
The voluptuous young woman crossed her slender arms and scrutinized the dull-looking young man in front of her for a while.
Ouyang Rong was slightly taller than her.
Chen Jiaxin suddenly raised her hand and slapped him.
At this moment, Ouyang Rong remained expressionless, his eyelids not even blinking.
The next instant.
"Smack—!"
The crisp sound of a slap echoed across most of the beach.
The girls around were all surprised and turned their gazes toward them.
Then came a long silence.
Ouyang Rong narrowed his eyes slightly.
His hands remained still at his sides, his expression unchanged... because the slap wasn't delivered to his face.
Xiao Lanlan covered half of her face with one hand, leaving a bloody handprint on her cheek.
For a moment, she looked incredulous when she was slapped, but she quickly lowered her head and endured it.
Chen Jiaxin appeared completely unfazed, her tone as if explaining something to everyone:
"She deserved it."
Song Zhian and the others looked at her with puzzled expressions.
Ouyang Rong turned his head and his gaze fell on Xiao Lanlan's profile, which was red-eyed and choked with sobs.
The young woman's face was swollen, looking like half a pig's head.
Chen Jiaxin's slap was loud and heavy.
It didn't seem like a pre-arranged performance.
You can tell just by looking at Xiao Lanlan's reaction.
Ouyang Rong glanced at Chen Jiaxin, who was looking directly at him calmly, and said nothing.
Song Zhian stepped forward, frowning as she asked:
"What do you mean by this, Sister Chen?"
Chen Jiaxin ignored him, stared at Ouyang Rong for a while, and when he didn't speak, she turned around again and raised her slender hand.
"Ah..." Xiao Lanlan instinctively dodged backward.
The slap hadn't even landed yet.
Chen Jiaxin looked at her coldly.
Xiao Lanlan trembled, stepped forward, closed her eyes tightly, and offered her other cheek.
Chen Jiaxin showed no mercy to the woman.
"Smack—!"
Another resounding slap landed on Xiao Lanlan's face.
She was slapped so hard she fell to the ground.
This slap was even more powerful than the previous one.
The handprint is so painful to look at.
It's becoming less and less like acting.
At this moment, on the dimly lit beach at dusk, all was silent except for Xiao Lanlan's sobbing and wailing.
The other nine young ladies were all speechless, watching silently.
Many passersby, instead of returning to the Bamboo Courtyard, stood at a distance, observing the commotion. Some of the newly arrived Yue women who had already returned to the Bamboo Courtyard even came back upon hearing the news, silently observing Chen Jiaxin, Ouyang Rong, and the others.
Chen Jiaxin ignored him, and after delivering the second slap, she looked at the dull-witted young man.
The latter remained silent.
Chen Jiaxin's expression changed slightly, as if she was dissatisfied, or perhaps she was frowning in confusion.
She turned around and walked towards Xiao Lanlan, who had fallen to the ground.
"Sister Chen, I was wrong, I was really wrong. Please stop hitting me, forgive me! I'll never do it again. I... I apologize to Brother Liu and Sister Song!"
Chen Jiaxin ignored her and pointed at her face.
The meaning is simple: let her stand up herself and hand it over.
Xiao Lanlan trembled all over and went limp.
Seeing that she was disobedient, Chen Jiaxin immediately turned cold.
At this moment, Ouyang Rong slowly spoke:
“Miss Chen, if fellow disciples fight each other, both parties will be taken to the thatched cottage.”
Chen Jiaxin paused and turned around.
Let's stop for now.
She stared at Ouyang Rong for a moment, then suddenly spoke without turning her head:
"You should thank me."
It wasn't something I told Ouyang Rong and the others.
Xiao Lanlan reacted quickly, got up from the ground, timidly bowed her head to Ouyang Rong, and choked out:
"Brother Liu, Sister Song, today's events are all my fault. I... I shouldn't have made that complaint out of thin air..."
Do you know where you went wrong?
Ouyang Rong could hear the barely concealed anger in Chen Jiaxin's tone.
"Know……"
Xiao Lanlan answered weakly:
"I shouldn't have started this..."
"No."
Chen Jiaxin (voice):
"Who told you to tattle? I was only gone for a moment, and you're already doing such a despicable thing. Do you know that back in town, tattling to the adults was the most shameful thing we sisters ever did?"
Xiao Lanlan panicked and tried to explain, "I... this... this doesn't count..."
"How can it not count? You're just fooling yourself again."
Chen Jiaxin interrupted her, saying coldly:
"It's normal for you to be dissatisfied or jealous of Song Zhian because you weren't chosen as the Qiutang Yue Maiden. But you shouldn't have resorted to underhanded tactics. What's the difference between your underhanded methods and complaining to your elders? Aren't they both insidious and despicable? Pretending to be innocent? Don't you know that I hate innocent people the most?"
Her words didn't sound forced; her tone was firm and resolute.
"If you're not satisfied, then go and work hard to get it back, trample Song Zhian under your feet, and vent your anger openly. Why bother with this Camellia Chicken incident and make a scene? Don't you find it boring?"
“Xiao Lanlan, we’ve known each other for several years now. You know my temperament. Do you know how I felt when I heard about this? I almost laughed, laughed ridiculously.”
Xiao Lanlan stood frozen in fear, trembling all over, not daring to move an inch.
The other nine women, suspected of being accomplices, dared not utter a word to plead for them.
Chen Jiaxin turned around and looked at Ouyang Rong.
Song Zhian's eyes lingered on Xiao Lanlan, who was breaking down in tears, and then on Chen Jiaxin, who was decisive in her actions.
Yu Mili, Lu Jinghong, Sha Ergou, and the others looked at Chen Jiaxin with some suspicion and disbelief.
Only Li Wan, with an intrigued expression, carefully observed the distinctive Chen Jiaxin, lost in thought... This was something she had never shown towards Song Zhian or Yu Mili.
Ouyang Rong remained calm, met Chen Jiaxin's gaze, and asked:
"Is there anything else, Miss Chen?"
He paused, then nodded:
"Actually, you don't need to tell me, young lady. I'm just an ordinary laborer. I don't know that Sixth Lady. The chicken soup was originally prepared for my younger sister..."
Chen Jiaxin shook her head seriously, interrupting:
"No, I'm not here to test you, nor do I care whether you know the Sixth Lady. I just feel that a mistake is a mistake, and even if the Sixth Lady hadn't tasted the chicken soup, I would have done the same thing if I had known about it when I returned."
“This bitch must apologize and teach her a lesson, and also let others remember her. There can be no order without rules. I hate those who are not as capable as others, so they try to trip them up and drag them down. I despise such people the most.”
Chen Jiaxin's voice was rather loud, as if she wasn't just speaking to Ouyang Rong and the others; the other nine young women following behind her all lowered their heads in shame.
The tall, petite woman who came in second place this year continued to let her voice echo across the beach, attracting passersby to stop and listen.
"If you disagree, you can argue with them, and even say it out loud in front of them. Don't play dirty tricks, as that will only make you look more incompetent, like a rat in a ditch."
"Furthermore, I admit that we don't like you, especially Song Zhian, but one thing at a time. Whatever the conflict, we, the younger generation, should resolve it ourselves. It's really pointless to go to the seniors to cry and complain, and expose each other's shortcomings."
"Of course, I also care about my reputation and don't want my fellow disciples this year to think that I, like Xiao Lanlan who follows me, am a fool who complains when he can't win."
Ouyang Rong was somewhat surprised, suppressed his smile, and maintained a blank expression.
He nodded, his reaction somewhat indifferent:
"Okay, is there anything else, miss?"
"It's gone."
Chen Jiaxin waved her hand and turned around without hesitation:
"I've said everything I needed to say, let's go."
The young lady left swiftly without looking back, followed by the other nine young ladies. Xiao Lanlan lagged behind, head bowed, covering her face in shame and humiliation, unable to look at anyone, and staggered away...
(End of this chapter)
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