Chapter 901 Cook A Liang
Sunset.
The lake surface looked as if it were inlaid with gold.
There were no fishermen singing at dusk; instead, Yue women slowly emerged from the islands surrounding Qingliang Valley.
They seemed to be returning to their homes via a pier and chains.
"Liu Aliang, we laborers have special accommodations, not far from the dining hall. Go back tonight and pack your things. After you move here tomorrow, you won't be going back to your original accommodations."
A young woman in an apron came from behind him. Ouyang Rong nodded blankly, took off his apron, and walked out of the dining hall.
I need to go back to the Bamboo Garden tonight.
Ouyang Rong didn't take a bamboo raft back, but boarded a large ship, which Xi Qi had arranged for him before leaving during the day.
The larger ship was moving faster. Ouyang Rong looked around and noticed some new Yue women on the deck. There weren't many, and they were all unfamiliar faces. They were probably from the neighboring island.
It seems she's also going back to pack her things, just like him, and moving to her new place tomorrow.
However, Ouyang Rong didn't know which branch they belonged to, and it wasn't convenient for him to ask.
He can only recognize waist tags now.
Peach badges indicate ordinary or newly arrived Yue women, sandalwood badges are next, and silver badges indicate those with mid-level Qi cultivation, who are considered the backbone of various halls in Jianze, such as Senior Sister Xi and Senior Sister Yuan from the Peach Hall.
As for the even higher-grade gilded plaque, Ouyang Rong had only seen it once so far, by the senior sister who took A Qing away. He had heard that above that, there was a "Peace and Safety Plaque," second only to the Queen's level, which seemed to be made of jade.
Those like Ouyang Rong, who don't wear name tags and still wander around Jianze, are insignificant laborers. In their previous lives, they would have been considered lucky charms...
So after he boarded the ship, no young woman tried to talk to him.
I wonder where Song Zhian and Yu Mili are now, how Sha Ergou and Lu Jinghong fared after they went to Zhutang, and how Ergou behaved today...
But according to Xi Qi, Qiu Tang is quite close to Qingliang Valley, so there's a good chance we'll run into it later.
Ouyang Rong kept his eyes fixed on the rippling golden lake, remaining silent the entire way.
Actually, these new Vietnamese women are easy to recognize, not only because of their youthful faces, but also because of their excitement at being new to the place and their tendency to chatter excitedly.
In comparison, the calm and taciturn Ouyang Rong seemed quite shrewd, perhaps partly due to his older appearance.
But this is also his first time working in the dining hall.
However, the experience of this day was indeed very "old handy".
Because we're so idle, we're practically bored to death. The only things we do that require a bit of effort are chopping wood and starting a fire before lunch and dinner.
In short, it can be summed up in five words: Huaimin Happy Hall.
Ouyang Rong turned back and glanced at the receding cliffs of Qingliang Valley.
From afar, flocks of birds return home to the mountaintop at night, creating a sense of idyllic tranquility.
The sixth lady hasn't asked him to make soup yet, and it's unknown whether she'll remember him again.
So today he was just helping out the older women in the kitchen, and these head chefs didn't give him a chance to show off his cooking skills.
At first, Ouyang Rong had some doubts in his mind, wondering if these old ladies were afraid that he would take away the power of cooking and compete with them for the job, so they kept in tacit agreement and tried not to give him a chance to show off, only letting him do odd jobs... a neat and unified exclusion of outsiders.
After observing for a whole day, he found that the female chefs were preparing large pot meals and stews, and didn't make any special dishes. It didn't seem to require much skill... so he really didn't need to help.
They didn't seem to be giving special treatment to the female rulers.
He doesn't seem to be under any pressure to meet performance targets.
So Ouyang Rong's arrival shouldn't have put any pressure on the older women. Looking back on their interactions during the day, they seemed to accept him quite well, though they were just quiet.
Then there's only one explanation.
The Qingliang Valley Dining Hall is indeed very quiet.
As for the large pots of rice that were cooked... it seems that the Yue women in Jianze usually just make do with what they have and are not picky about it.
However, Ouyang Rong remembered what Xi Qi had said earlier, mentioning that this place would be convenient for preparing meals for the ladies...
Could it be that the female rulers ate from the same pot on a daily basis, just like the ordinary Yue women?
This was the only explanation Ouyang Rong could come up with.
Besides, there are several dining halls within the Sword Marsh. In addition to the one in Qingliang Valley, there might be other private kitchens specifically prepared for the female rulers? He just didn't know that.
So, to become a cook or someone working in the kitchen, you have to start working hard to climb the ranks, right?
In the afterglow of the setting sun, Ouyang Rong's face was dim and he seemed to be deep in thought.
However, we'll have to find out more about these things tomorrow.
Anyway, he spent most of his time in the dining hall during the following days, so he had plenty of time.
Today is his first time here, a complete stranger. It's not good for him to ask so many questions right away. It's safest to do more and say less.
Ouyang Rong nodded slowly, having a general idea of what was going on.
Half an hour later, the large ship arrived at the original island.
When Ouyang Rong returned to the courtyard, he found that the neighboring courtyard was completely dark.
Li was not present.
Furthermore, Sha Ergou did not return.
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips and went out to wander around Song Zhian and Yu Mili's courtyard.
The person is not there.
It seems he's the only one left.
A few Xinyue women did return to the island, probably to pack their belongings like Ouyang Rong.
Ouyang Rong returned the way he came, and just as he reached the courtyard gate, he suddenly found it wide open; someone had opened it.
There are people in the yard.
"Brother."
Hearing Ouyang Rong's footsteps, A Qing ran out excitedly.
She threw herself into his arms.
Upon seeing this, Ouyang Rong opened his arms and caught it.
"You're back?"
"Uh-huh."
Aqing looked up at him with a smile, but after a short while, a hint of hesitation and sadness appeared on her face.
Ouyang Rong keenly noticed this and asked:
"What's wrong? Did something happen when you went over there today?"
Aqing shook her head:
"No, there's just bad news."
After speaking, she turned her head to look at the bamboo forest not far away. Ouyang Rong also turned his head and saw the figure of the Yue woman with the gilded plaque from that morning.
"My senior sister was waiting for me. She wasn't supposed to let me come back, but I wanted to see my brother one last time, so she brought me back. I'll have a meal in a bit and then leave..."
Aqing sounded a little dejected, but Ouyang Rong listened quietly.
"Hmm, does that mean you're not allowed to live with me?"
Aqing lowered her head:
"My master wants me to stay by her side and focus on cultivation, and not to run around... My master is also in seclusion recently. She has set a requirement for me: I can only come out and move around after I break through to the eighth level of Qi Refining, and I should try to do so within a month... Brother, you should know about the eighth level of Qi Refining, right?"
"Um."
Ouyang Rong nodded expressionlessly.
Not only did he know, he also knew that A Qing had only just begun practicing Qi and hadn't even stabilized at the ninth rank yet. As a result, Xue Zhongzhu directly set a one-month deadline for A Qing to surpass the ninth rank...
It's unclear whether she's strict or lenient in relation to Aqing's talent.
At the courtyard gate, Ouyang Rong suddenly looked up and asked:
"What does your master usually eat?"
Aqing was taken aback, somewhat puzzled.
Ouyang Rong said helplessly, "You all need to eat, right? Your master can't really be a goddess who can abstain from grains, can she?"
"Oh, brother, you mean meals? Master eats whatever the dining hall makes. I've seen her like that every time I've been there. But some of the desserts on the plates seem to have been made by Second Uncle..."
Ouyang Rong sighed, "So it really is a system of equal distribution of resources, right?"
After thinking for a moment, Aqing decided to give a detailed account of the meals she had with her master that day.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rong immediately recognized the person.
The food that Miss Zhi Shuang ate might not have been prepared by their Qingliang Valley Dining Hall, but it was still in the same style as the food prepared by the aunties in other dining halls.
He couldn't help but ask:
"Shouldn't she be able to get the kitchen to prepare special meals for her? How come she eats so casually? Are the other female rulers like this too?"
Aqing touched her lips with her index finger and nodded slowly:
"I don't know about the other senior uncles, but it should be okay. As for the main meals, Master and I eat the same things as the senior sisters... My senior sister mentioned that Jianze advocates frugality and is not allowed to waste food. Master also hates extravagance and waste, considering it a bad habit from down in the mountains."
"I heard from my senior sisters that when Master went down the mountain on business, he always ate vegetarian meals at temples or Taoist monasteries, and he didn't like meat and fish..."
Ouyang Rong asked helplessly:
"Didn't you say she didn't look well? Why isn't she eating better and getting some nourishment?"
Aqing's expression turned serious:
“Brother, I did mention it before, that I wanted to make some nourishing soup for Master, but she wouldn't allow it. She told me to focus all my attention on cultivation and not to think about anything else, and she even gave me a tap on the head…”
Her tone sounded slightly aggrieved.
Ouyang Rong's lips twitched slightly as he listened.
Aqing touched the slightly red spot on her forehead, and murmured, as if remembering something:
"And brother, Master seemed unusually angry when he heard I was going to make soup for her, I don't know why..."
"After giving me a chestnut, her face turned unusually cold. She even said something like, 'Doing too much mundane work like cooking soup and preparing dishes in the mountains can easily breed worldly desires...'"
"She seemed quite angry, saying that I had a senior martial uncle who was like that before. At first, when that senior martial uncle cooked for them, they didn't think there was anything wrong with it... But looking back now, it's possible that that senior martial uncle had tasted too much of the flavor of cooking and couldn't settle down. His heart became wild and he couldn't calm down, so he ran down the mountain to cook for some virgins and wild men..."
"Master even blamed himself, saying that if she had discovered the clues earlier, she could have prevented any loopholes and nipped the problem in the bud... So the matter with that senior uncle is also her fault..."
Ouyang Rong listened silently to the end.
Certain words caused his eyes to twitch slightly.
However, after hearing these words, Ouyang Rong's feelings were somewhat complicated.
"Brother, speaking of which, could this martial uncle be...?"
Ah Qing seemed to remember something, hesitated before speaking, and seeing Ouyang Rong's expression, she silently swallowed her words.
Neither of them bothered to verify anything; the brother and sister understood each other perfectly.
After a moment of silence, Aqing continued in a low voice:
"So my master emphasized that it's better to keep your food bland, as long as you're full and satisfied. She told me that I'm not allowed to step into the kitchen again."
"If you won't join, then don't join. I'll join."
Ouyang Rong muttered something to himself and nodded:
"Understood. Go in and have your meal before you leave."
Having roughly understood the root of some things, Ouyang Rong ignored the gilded Yue woman waiting outside the bamboo grove, and took A Qing into the courtyard to start a fire and cook.
Aqing also offered to help, and while cooking, she asked Ouyang Rong how his day at the canteen went.
"good……"
Ouyang Rong casually replied with a few words.
Aqing turned her head and looked at her brother's resolute profile.
She knew Ouyang Rong hadn't come to Jianze to cook, but she didn't ask for details. Before washing the dishes and serving the rice, she whispered something:
"Don't worry, brother, I remember that matter. I'll keep an eye on it for you..."
Soon, dinner ended as the brother and sister passed food to each other, and Aqing was about to leave.
"Aqing, what is Qingliang Valley? I happen to be in the dining hall over there."
Before seeing Aqing off, Ouyang Rong suddenly asked.
Ah Qing pondered:
"Qingliang Valley? It's quite far. Master said that Fifth Uncle and Sixth Uncle live there, and Qiutang is also nearby, but Master has never taken me there."
Ouyang Rong nodded and then asked, "Qiutang is nearby, so are there any other establishments in Qingliang Valley?"
"I don't know..." Ah Qing started to say, then suddenly remembered something and said:
"The water dungeon seems to be located in Qingliang Valley. Master mentioned it briefly, saying that Fifth Uncle has been guarding the water dungeon all along."
Ouyang Rong paused, glanced at A Qing, and slowly nodded:
"good."
A moment later, Ouyang Rong personally escorted A Qing to the edge of the bamboo forest, stopped at a distance, and watched her walk forward.
The night was deep, and the bright moon hung high in the sky.
The moon in this secluded place seems exceptionally large, bright, and round.
The senior sister with the gilded badge around her waist was waiting with her eyes closed on the beach. She opened her eyes, glanced at Ouyang Rong in the distance, and then smiled and greeted A Qing. The two women boarded the boat together.
Ouyang Rong watched the two women leave before turning back.
Actually, there wasn't much sadness about parting; he still had a lot to do.
Sending Aqing to cultivate alongside Zhishuang seems like the right approach at the moment. In other words, the most dangerous place is the safest place.
It was already late at night when they got back. The courtyards of Song and Yu were still empty, as were the courtyards of Lu Jinghong and her son. By the time they rested, Sha Ergou still hadn't returned.
The next morning, Ouyang Rong got up early, packed his things, and said goodbye to the courtyard.
As usual, we took a boat to Qingliang Valley.
Perhaps due to the towering peaks, Qingliang Valley is filled with moisture. Early in the morning, a light drizzle began to fall, slightly dispelling the mist among the green forests in the valley. Several white waterfalls hang on the verdant peaks, creating a magnificent sight.
Standing on the boat, Ouyang Rong saw this scene from afar and felt a sense of ethereal coolness.
He began to understand why the Yue women had named the island "Qingliang" (meaning "cool and refreshing").
The boat was given some umbrellas and raincoats; the umbrellas were light green, and holding one up felt like holding a lotus leaf.
On the island next to Qingliang Valley, the Yue women who had arrived early were walking on the boardwalk or through the woods, supported by lotus leaves.
Outside the dining hall, Ouyang Rong stopped and put away his umbrella.
The kitchen door was wide open, facing him, and there were very few people inside.
Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed two elderly women dozing off on the stove, seemingly catching up on sleep.
Ouyang Rong turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the pots, pans, and stoves in the dining hall... all showing signs of having been moved since he left yesterday evening...
This means that someone is on duty late at night and is cooking.
Ouyang Rong calmly withdrew his gaze.
He first lowered his head, shook the raindrops off his umbrella, and then walked blankly into the kitchen...
(End of this chapter)
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