Chapter 893 The Yue Girl Who Throws Herself into My Arms
The two women, along with Lu Jinghong and Sha Ergou, did not see the hesitant expression on the face of the young man in the felt hat behind them.
"Sister Song is indeed more convenient to meet, unlike us, who are usually in Peach Hall and Bamboo Hall, and rarely see the Queen and the direct descendant of Yue..."
Yu Mili's tone betrayed her admiration.
She, Lu, and Sha were all somewhat envious of Song Zhian's opportunity to have the advantage of being close to the source.
Li Wan also chimed in out of curiosity:
"Jinghong, Miss Song, what kind of person is this Miss Liu Qing, and what does she look like?"
Yu Mili lightly touched her lips with her index finger and recalled:
"She's about my size, but a bit thinner. She has a small face, delicate nose and eyes, and wears a ponytail. The most striking thing about her is the tattoo on her forehead, though I couldn't make out the design..."
Song Zhian suddenly said:
"It's the character '越' (yue). Today, during the secret chamber assessment, I happened to catch a glimpse of her when she removed her headband."
Li Wan and Lu Jinghong exchanged a glance:
"The character 'Yue' tattoo?"
Sha Ergou was completely confused, as he was illiterate.
Behind them, a young man raised his hand awkwardly and adjusted the brim of his usual felt hat with two fingers.
Ahead, Li Wan slowly nodded, and couldn't help but sigh:
"Indeed, extraordinary people do extraordinary things. Such a proud woman of heaven must have hidden extraordinary signs. Just like the First Queen, who has golden hair and bearded blood, the Fifth and Sixth Queens, who are rare twins, and the ancient sages, who have double pupils, it must have been foreshadowed from the very beginning that she was extraordinary."
Lu Jinghong stared intently at the night sky ahead, nodding solemnly:
“That’s right. Extraordinary people have extraordinary characteristics. Although Miss Song and Miss Yu said that Miss Liu Qing seems like an approachable girl next door and easy to talk to, how could such a monstrous person be so simple?”
He frowned slightly, pondering carefully for a moment. Seeing the serious expression on Young Master Lu's face, Ouyang Rong said solemnly:
"She must have an extraordinary mind and have experienced many extraordinary things, many hardships and setbacks. Just the fact that she was able to meet the Great Queen is enough to write a book. She has soon... has already passed the first two realms of seeing mountains as mountains and water as water, and seeing mountains as not mountains and water as not water. She has reached the third realm mentioned in the book of the sages... the high realm of seeing mountains as mountains and water as water again!"
"So, it's not as simple and naive as it seems. The fact that Miss Song and Miss Yu find her approachable and want to get to know her shows that she has a high level of character."
"Miss Song, Miss Yu, when you get to know her again, you should be careful and sincere in your speech. Don't have any ulterior motives. She may be very perceptive and see through everything. It's better to be honest with each other when you get along. The relationship will last longer. Remember this."
Lu Jinghong focused intently on his deductions, and after finishing, he suddenly smiled, a look of sudden realization dawning on him, and quickly nodded, saying:
"From this perspective, Chen Jiaxin seems more like a naive young girl. In Liu Qing's eyes, she's probably as naked as someone who can be seen through at a glance. She's so indifferent to this that she doesn't bother with it and instead treats it with tolerance."
"After all, to adults, no matter how unruly and willful a child is, he is still a child. This is a matter of perspective... Hey, this Miss Liu Qing truly deserves to be the champion of this competition. She is unparalleled in every aspect. She is really good at hiding her true abilities. I almost let my guard down and didn't see it coming."
The three women, Song, Yu, and Li, listened intently.
"Jinghong is right."
Li Wan cast a satisfied glance at her son and said with a graceful smile:
"Jinghong has really improved a lot. She knows how to apply what she's learned to other situations, and her sense of these things has become very sharp. Not bad!"
Yu Mili's expression was somewhat thoughtful, but after processing Lu Jinghong's words, she nodded.
“What Young Master Lu said is quite possible, and it makes sense. Miss Liu Qing was personally selected and cultivated by the Great Queen. She is not as simple as we described before. Hmm, not bad. Young Master Lu has finally spoken reliably for once.”
She smiled sweetly and gave a small compliment.
Lu Jinghong's forehead immediately creased with annoyance. What did he mean by finally speaking reliably for once? Did he think his words were nothing but farts before?
Lu Jinghong snorted coldly, not wanting to argue with Yu Mili, mainly because Miss Song was present, and he constantly reminded himself to be mindful of his image.
Suddenly, Song Zhian looked up, her voice as melodious and clear as a nightingale's:
"Young Master Lu is right. The direct descendant of Yue women must be extraordinary. This is true of Chen Jia, and it is also true of Miss Liu Qing. Young Master Lu is truly insightful. I have learned a lot from your advice and am very grateful!"
Lu Jinghong, who had been sulking because of Yu Mili, suddenly smiled, his upturned lips more irrepressible than the floodwaters of Di Gong's breached dam.
Sha Ergou, standing behind him, had a hesitant expression, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
Sha Ergou was clumsy with words, while Li Wan and Lu Jinghong were quick-witted and spoke fast, getting ahead of him.
What Sha Ergou really wanted to say was that the tattoo on Liu Qing's forehead meant she was born into a slave or lowly family, and that her thin and weak appearance suggested she might be from a poor place, just like him and Brother Liu, and that she was honest and simple... It was such a simple deduction, why make it so complicated?
But seeing that Miss Song and Miss Yu were both in agreement and no one objected, Sha Ergou, who was rather slow to react, swallowed back the words that were about to come out.
However, the description of the forehead tattoo still seemed vaguely familiar to him. Although Sha Ergou couldn't read and didn't know how to write the character "Yue", he felt like he had seen a similar image of the forehead tattoo somewhere before, it seemed... also on that forehead?
Standing at the back, Sha Ergou looked around and suddenly asked in a puzzled direction:
"Brother Liu, by the way, do you have a tattoo too, on your head? The first time I went to the Bell Tower to ring the bell with you, you took off your hat and put it on me. I think I've seen it before. Is it a tattoo or something dirty?"
Ouyang Rong, who had been standing silently to the side while the five chatted, looked up and saw Shargou's somewhat confused expression.
The two women, Song and Yu, along with Lu Jinghong and Li Wan, immediately turned around and looked at the two of them.
Their gazes gradually fell on Ouyang Rong's wooden face, especially.
The atmosphere quieted down a little.
"Yes, I have some, but it's not dirty."
Song Zhian and Yu Mili saw that Brother Liu still had a blank expression, and nodded to them and Sha Ergou.
Yu Mili asked in confusion:
"Brother Liu has a tattoo on his forehead too? I've never noticed before, I don't think he usually takes off his hat..."
Ouyang Rong nodded, admitting it directly:
"Yes, it is a tattoo. My ancestors were craftsmen in a government-run sword shop in the county town. They were of low social status for generations, and the tattoos are a way of showing it."
He spoke calmly and frankly, without removing the felt hat that everyone's eyes were on.
There is no intention to remove the hat.
Song Zhian suddenly asked, "Is it engraved with official symbols or words?"
“A word,” Ouyang Rong said calmly, “the abbreviation for that sword shop, you probably haven’t heard of it…”
"Ha ha."
Just then, Lu Jinghong laughed and interrupted Ouyang Rong.
The young man in brocade robes, from the Lu family of Fanyang, laughed and pointed at Ouyang Rong's forehead, his tone cheerful:
"Brother Liu, you wouldn't happen to have carved the character 'Yue' on it, just like that girl Liu Qing, would you? Wait, perfect timing! Didn't you say before that the chicken soup and peaches were for some girl? Isn't this a coincidence? We both happen to have the surname Liu."
"Snap!" Lu Jinghong snapped his fingers, glanced around, and continued with a smile:
"Miss Song, Miss Yu, do you think Brother Liu and Miss Liu Qing might be siblings? Brother Liu, you've been hiding your secrets for so long! Why didn't you say so sooner? Hahaha..."
Lu Jinghong couldn't help but burst into laughter halfway through his joke.
"Pfft."
Li Wan covered her mouth with her handkerchief, unable to suppress a laugh.
However, out of politeness, she restrained herself slightly and said with a smile:
“I have to say, Brother Liang, your names are quite similar. Look, her name is Liu Qing and your name is Liu Liang. You really do seem like a brother and sister.”
Song Zhian and Yu Xiaoniangzi didn't laugh much, but their eyes were both on Ouyang Rong, as if waiting for his reaction.
As Song Zhian gazed at Brother Liu's wooden, unsmiling face, a bold idea inexplicably arose in her mind... but she quickly dismissed it.
Song Zhian shook her head almost imperceptibly. The young lady Yu beside her, compared to her calm demeanor, looked more hesitant, as if she wanted to ask Ouyang Rong a question.
However, someone was one step ahead of her.
Sha Ergou seemed to have taken it seriously, his brows furrowed as he carefully examined Brother Liu, with whom he had spent every day, and couldn't help but mutter a question:
"Brother Liu, is your sister really Miss Liu Qing?"
Lu Jinghong, who had been all smiles, glanced at Sha Ergou, somewhat speechless, but too lazy to correct this country bumpkin, he still nodded with a smile:
“That’s right, Brother Liu, why don’t you take off your hat and show us the Yue character tattoo?”
Ouyang Rong remained expressionless, as if he hadn't heard, and showed no intention of taking off his hat.
"Alright, stop joking with Brother Liu. He's probably not in a good mood either. Let's not add to his mood and go back to rest early."
Song Zhian suddenly offered a suggestion, thus smoothing things over.
"Yes, that's right."
Yu Mili nodded like a chick pecking at rice, then turned and glared at Lu Jinghong:
“Young Master Lu, this joke is not funny at all. The thing called ‘lowly status tattoo’ was invented to insult people. It’s despicable to divide people into different classes. It’s not something to be proud of. Why would you want to reopen old wounds?”
"Brother Liu is willing to tell us so much, which already shows that he considers us friends. It would be impolite to ask any more questions. Don't you see that Brother Liu usually keeps quiet about such things? Young Master Lu, please don't make such jokes in the future. I'll say it again, it's not funny."
After waiting for a while, seeing that the young man in the felt hat was somewhat taciturn and did not answer, Lu Jinghong lost interest in asking any further questions.
Noticing that Miss Song was also slightly frowning, he immediately offered an explanation, trying to maintain appearances:
"I was just saying it casually, don't take it seriously. Look, Brother Liu didn't say anything. He knows we didn't mean it that way. Miss Yu, there's no need to make a big deal out of it. I'm not that kind of person, you know that."
Yu Mili hummed twice: "Guess if I know or not?"
Sha Ergou was a beat slow, but as if he remembered something, he immediately said indignantly:
"Exactly! The whole 'lowly and high' classification is just a fabrication. Those officials outside are all bad people. They divide people into different classes and raise them like animals. They are truly wicked to the core."
“My sister said that many people call us savages, but in my opinion, I would rather be a savage in Yunmeng than go outside to be a slave, kowtowing and calling people ‘master’!”
Ouyang Rong, who remained silent, turned his head slightly and glanced at the short-haired youth.
Song Zhian finally spoke, her tone somewhat serious:
“Mili is right, Young Master Lu. Now that we’ve come to Jianze, no matter what our background was, there’s no distinction of rank here. Let’s not make these kinds of jokes or talk about them anymore.”
“Yes, Miss Song, I was slightly inappropriate. Brother Liu, I meant no offense.”
Lu Jinghong immediately backed down and gave Ouyang Rong a laugh.
Ouyang Rong remained silent.
Seeing the awkward silence, Li Wan helped to break the ice with laughter:
"Alright, alright, let's go back first. Don't stand here any longer, there's no one here. I just happened to make some fresh bamboo shoot soup, let's all go and have a taste. Miss Song, Miss Yu, Brother Er Gou, from now on you're all classmates of Jing Hong. Look after each other in Jianze. Oh, and Brother A Liang too, come on over, let's celebrate that you're staying..."
Actually, no bowl had been prepared for Ouyang Rong in advance, but the noblewoman from Luoyang remained calm and spoke in a comprehensive manner.
But Ouyang Rong remained motionless and silent.
Song Zhian looked closely and saw Brother Liu standing on the dimly lit beach, his head turned away, seemingly looking into the distance.
The beach was nearly deserted by then, with only a few young women strolling and chatting after dinner.
She asked in confusion, glancing in that direction as well:
"Brother Liu? What are you looking at?"
Ouyang Rong pointed to a makeshift dock a hundred paces to his right and rear:
“There are bamboo rafts there, people coming and going, where are they going? I see they’re heading towards the next island.”
"Oh, it's the small ferry crossing to the next island. Some young women like to visit each other there to look for people."
Ouyang Rong seemed to be deep in thought.
Turning around, he saw Li Wan smiling at him, as if waiting. Ouyang Rong nodded and replied, "Okay." Then everyone set off, tacitly heading towards the bamboo forest.
Li Wan handed the lantern to Lu Jinghong in advance.
The latter was walking at the front, leading the way for Yu Mili and Sha Ergou, who were hungry and eager to get going.
Song Zhian had just stopped to inquire about the reason for Ouyang Rong's departure, and she and Ouyang Rong were a step behind, following at the back of the group. Li Wan stayed at the very back, and only started walking after Ouyang Rong and Song Zhian had both moved on.
Ouyang Rong said without turning his head:
"Madam Li, I have some things to attend to after dinner, so I may have to leave first."
"Uh-huh."
Li Wan answered casually, somewhat absentmindedly, and then, as if remembering something, glanced back in the direction where Chen Jiaxin had left.
Just then, she froze, as if she had noticed something unusual, and stared intently at the direction behind her.
Those walking in front heard Li Wan's surprised and confused voice coming from behind:
"Wait a moment, young lady, may I ask who you are...?"
"Brother!"
At the same time, a soft, melodious, unfamiliar girl's voice rang out from behind, her tone full of surprise and affection.
Song Zhian, Lu Jinghong, and Yu Mili turned around in confusion.
The next instant, they witnessed a shocking scene they would never forget:
A young girl, dressed in an unusually large and loose-fitting white Wu-style robe, ran towards them, like a swallow throwing itself into someone's arms, and suddenly plunged into the chest of Brother Liu, who had stopped.
The five suddenly noticed that the girl carrying the sword had a faint tattoo on her forehead...
It is the character "越" (yuè).
(End of this chapter)
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