Chapter 914 A Long-Awaited Reunion
Li Wan fell silent, her face immediately hardening.
Ouyang Rong felt that if there hadn't been someone beside her, this noblewoman would probably have already lost her temper on the spot.
After retorting to her mother, Lu Jinghong fell silent for a moment.
His gaze drifted toward what was behind Li Wan.
It was as if they had just discovered Ouyang Rong and his two companions.
"Miss Song, Brother Liu, Miss Yu, it's been a long time."
Lu Jinghong greeted them with clasped hands, and the atmosphere between mother and son became somewhat tense. Lu Jinghong forced a smile at the three of them.
"Young Master Lu."
The three returned the greeting and said hello.
Song Zhian glanced at Li Wan's sullen back and said to Lu Jinghong:
“Young Master Lu, Madam Li meant well. She was worried that you were neglecting your livelihood while cultivating here, so she called us over to visit you. She also asked Brother Liu to cook some good food for you. It was indeed a bit abrupt of us to come over this time, but no matter how impatient you are, you should still be nice to those who are good to you.”
Yes, yes, yes.
Lu Jinghong nodded, humbly accepting Song Zhian's words.
However, during the conversation, he frequently turned his head to look towards the Tranquil Bamboo Grove, seemingly looking at something.
Yu Mili also stepped forward, and said sternly:
“That’s right, that’s right, there’s no need to be angry… So, let’s start eating first, Young Master Lu, where are some seats? Please take us there to eat.”
Yu Mili peered curiously towards the direction of Jingxin Forest where Lu Jinghong had come out, preparing to follow him inside.
However, Lu Jinghong took a step forward, passed by the crowd, and led the way out.
He was dressed in a neat sword uniform, his silhouette flowing gracefully, and he spoke and acted with unusual efficiency today.
"The woods are a quiet place. Let's not chatter around. Let's go over there. There's a beautiful pavilion outside the valley."
The group paused for a moment, then followed.
Lu Jinghong turned around, took the food box from Li Wan's hand, and said absentmindedly:
"Thank you, Mother. I was a little too loud just now. It was my fault."
Li Wan then turned to look at him, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and changed the subject:
"Why don't you invite your master, Senior Jia Shu, to have a meal with you? If it's inconvenient to bring Brother Liu and the others, you can just say so, and your mother will accompany you alone to meet them and express your gratitude."
Lu Jinghong almost immediately refused:
"No, Master prefers peace and quiet. Let's not disturb him. Let's go, the pavilion is just ahead..."
Li Wan hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.
However, she couldn't lecture him in front of his friends; she had to save face for Lu Jinghong.
Song Zhian and the other two women didn't seem to care, especially Yu Mili, whose eyes were fixed on the lunchbox Lu Jinghong was carrying.
Ouyang Rong was the same.
Lu Jinghong led the group out of the valley, away from Jingxin Forest and Ruqin Lake.
Ouyang Rong asked in a muffled voice:
"Brother Lu, do you know where Er Gou is? Why don't we invite him over for a meal?"
Lu Jinghong said without turning his head:
"I don't know. He's probably already eaten. I haven't seen him in a long time either; he's been busy with cultivation."
As Lu Jinghong shook his head as he walked away, Li Wan also said with a look of sudden realization:
“Indeed, I had forgotten if you hadn’t mentioned it. But it’s getting late, so let’s just forget about it. We can look for him another time, or I can have Jinghong bring him some food…”
"Brother Liu!"
Just then, a joyful shout came from not far ahead, outside the valley.
That loud voice sounded very familiar.
Ouyang Rong, Li Wan, Song Zhian, and the others all looked up and gazed ahead.
Just then, outside the valley, in the direction the group was heading, a short-haired young man came running up, panting heavily.
"Ergou?"
Ouyang Rong was somewhat surprised.
"Brother Sha."
Upon seeing their old friend, Song Zhian and Yu Mili looked quite happy.
Sha Ergou came running over shirtless, carrying a bundle of clothes. He was only wearing a pair of shorts and his hair was wet. Just like Ah Hong before him, it was unclear whether he had also gone to the waterfall to take a bath.
He excitedly ran towards the crowd, during which a bamboo token from his clothes kept falling to the ground, causing Sha Ergou to stagger back to pick it up, looking helpless.
This disregard for consequences made Ouyang Rong chuckle.
Song Zhian and Yu Mili, who were familiar with Sha Ergou, also felt somewhat helpless.
Li Wan glanced sideways, maintaining a smile on her face.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Lu Jinghong beside her was also silent, just like her.
No one knows a son better than his mother. Based on Li Wan's understanding of her son, she almost instantly understood his attitude towards Sha Ergou, which was clearly one of disdain.
Just as she had suspected, she pretended to have forgotten and declined when Liu Aliang suggested they meet up with Sha Ergou.
But now that the person has arrived, she can't really say anything.
“Brother Liu, you really came? Hahaha, luckily I ran into Ah Hong. He told me that you came to visit me and Young Master Lu.”
Running up to the five people, Sha Ergou looked at Ouyang Rong, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, with bright eyes, and said excitedly.
Li Wan smiled and made a small correction:
"I've been missing Jinghong a bit at home, so I asked Brother Liang to cook some food and invited Miss Song and Miss Yu to come over and visit her. Hmm, Brother Sha is here too, so we can all get together..."
“Brother Sha, you and Jinghong are both in the Bamboo Hall. If you need anything, you can look out for each other.”
"Oh, okay, okay... This is the food Brother Liu made?"
Like Yu Mili, Sha Ergou readily agreed, his eyes lighting up as he was also drawn to a certain food box, unable to look away.
Lu Jinghong suddenly spoke:
“Brother Sha, you should go back and put on some clothes first. You look too disheveled. My mother and Miss Song are here... I'll take some food back with me later.”
"It's okay, it's okay, wait for me."
Sha Ergou hunched over and hurriedly ran behind a large tree to change his clothes, looking like a thief.
Li Wan finally understood why her son hated Sha Ergou so much. He was indeed like a piece of dog skin plaster, impossible to get rid of, and also very barbaric and ill-mannered, often shirtless in broad daylight.
Living in the same bamboo hall, this wild boy really does lower the class.
Li Wan covered her mouth with a handkerchief, turned around, and found that Lu Jinghong's brows were involuntarily furrowed.
She turned to look at Song Zhian and Yu Mili not far away, thinking that her son didn't want his gang to be lowered in front of these beauties.
Li Wan raised an eyebrow and said:
"How about this, let Brother Liang leave some food for you two to catch up later, and let Brother Sha change his clothes at his leisure."
She smiled and suggested to Song Zhian and Yu Mili, "Let's keep walking and go to the pavilion for a meal."
"good!"
Lu Jinghong nodded, and without saying a word, opened the food box and hurriedly handed the dishes to Ouyang Rong, her tone very polite:
"Brother Liu, then I'll have to trouble you. Thank you."
Ouyang Rong glanced at Lu Jinghong's unusually sincere face, but before he could reach out, Sha Ergou popped out from behind a big tree. In his haste, he had even put his coat on backwards, but he ran back excitedly, shouting in a loud voice:
"I'm all ready, let's eat! Young Master Lu, give me the dishes, I'll serve them. Where are we going to eat again?"
Everyone turned to look.
Ouyang Rong spoke:
"Ergou, listen to Young Master Lu and Madam Li. This meal couldn't have been made without Madam Li. We came here at her invitation."
As soon as Brother Liu spoke, Sha Ergou immediately toned down his rough and unruly manner and nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
"Alright, alright, Mrs. Li, please do as you please. I'm fine with anything. I'll catch up with Brother Liu. Please feel free to come and do as you please."
Li Wan watched this scene speechlessly, yet maintained her smile:
"Alright, let's go. Let's go to the pavilion that Jinghong mentioned. Let's not delay."
Lu Jinghong was the first to turn around and walk out of the valley, keeping his head down and remaining silent.
Everyone followed suit.
As before, Sha Ergou skillfully followed behind Ouyang Rong, asking him all sorts of questions.
Ouyang Rong stopped and gestured with his eyes to the bamboo plaque he was casually playing with, which kept falling to the ground.
Sha Ergou immediately stopped and obediently tied the bamboo plaque to his waist.
Ahead, Li Wan maintained a dignified and well-mannered demeanor throughout the journey, constantly seeking out Song Zhian to discuss topics of female friendship.
At one point, she glanced at her son's back and noticed that he seemed a little sullen tonight, not as eager to show off as usual.
Li Wan felt somewhat guilty, wondering if her sudden arrival had delayed his business.
Moreover, in the past, this brat would have yelled at her long ago, but this time, he was able to suppress his anger and digest it on his own... It seems that Jinghong has really grown up.
While Li Wan felt relieved, she also felt a little sorry for him...
The six of them arrived together at a pavilion outside the valley, where several lanterns emitted a hazy glow, illuminating the group who were sharing their meal.
The island has a pleasant environment, and the valley opening behind it is a windy spot where a gentle breeze blows and rustles the hem of your clothes.
The six of them started eating.
The atmosphere, however, became somewhat quiet.
Lu Jinghong kept his eyes straight ahead and didn't say a word, letting Li Wan serve him food and rice.
Song Zhian, on the other hand, was elegant in demeanor and rarely spoke during meals.
Yu Mili ate with great relish, not even having time to talk, and actually enjoyed the quiet atmosphere.
In this world, only delicious food can shut her up.
Eat slowly.
Song Zhian murmured something, her tone somewhat helpless, and occasionally helped Yu Mili wipe the white rice from the corner of her mouth.
On the other side, Sha Ergou, who was very close to Ouyang Rong, also wolfed down his food, just like Yu Mili.
He would occasionally look up and curiously observe everyone. As for the atmosphere, he probably couldn't sense it; it had always been like this, and he was somewhat oblivious.
However, seeing that everyone was silent, Sha Ergou leaned closer to Ouyang Rong and lowered his voice, saying:
"Brother Liu, if you hadn't come soon, I was really going to come looking for you..."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"You stay put and don't wander off, otherwise, with your absent-minded nature, you'll get lost halfway through, and then someone else will have to come and rescue you."
Sha Ergou scratched his head and chuckled.
Ouyang Rong paused, glanced at him, and then said softly:
"Getting in here is a rare opportunity, so make the most of it."
Sha Ergou muttered:
"Mainly because I don't have much to do, I've been quite free lately. If only I could have the same drive as Young Master Lu."
Ouyang Rong said in a somewhat serious tone:
"You don't need to compare yourself with others; your biggest opponent is not laziness, but yourself."
Upon hearing this, Sha Ergou's dark face seemed thoughtful, and he even slowed down his eating.
After a moment, he nodded vigorously while eating his rice.
"Uh-huh."
The boy's expression hardened.
Soon, the impromptu dinner in the pavilion ended in a relatively silent atmosphere.
Li Wan pulled Lu Jinghong aside to chat with Song Zhian.
Yu Mili strolled around outside the pavilion.
Sha Ergou helped Ouyang Rong clean up the dishes and put them back in the box.
The pampered Li Wan and her son would certainly not voluntarily do such troublesome manual labor, but someone still had to do it.
In the pavilion filled with the laughter and chatter of women and young girls, the two quietly packed up the food box, almost invisible to the outside world.
When he was almost done, Sha Ergou suddenly stood up:
“Brother Liu, you’re right. I need to work harder too. If I’m going to learn swordsmanship, I need to put in the same effort I had when I worked at the Red Dust Inn. I’ve been too lax these past few days without you around, and I need to change!”
After saying that, this grown man wiped his already slightly red and moist eyes, turned around, and ran out of the pavilion, heading into the valley.
The figure ran while waving frantically.
"Brother Liu, thank you for the meal. I'll come find you at the dining hall later!"
Ouyang Rong glanced silently at Sha Ergou's somewhat dazed yet decisive back, and pursed his lips.
Inside the pavilion, Song Zhian and Yu Mili looked on with curiosity.
Li Wan, observing the two women's expressions, noticed their attention had shifted. She also turned to look outside the pavilion and jokingly said to Ouyang Rong with a smile:
"Brother Liang, what did you say to him? He's acting all high on his gut."
Ouyang Rong said without looking up:
"Influenced by Young Master Lu, I have diligently returned to cultivate."
Li Wan couldn't help but chuckle.
She turned around and glanced at her son:
"What is Jinghong looking at?"
"fine."
Lu Jinghong waved his hand.
He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, turned his head, and smiled at Li Wan and Song Zhian, saying:
"It's getting late, Mother, Miss Song, let me see you off. Where is your boat moored?"
Li Wan shook her head and said gently:
"Jinghong, no need to see us off. You go ahead with your work. We'll head back ourselves later. By the way, did our trip cause you any trouble? You didn't look too good when we first met."
Lu Jinghong vehemently denied it:
"No, it was just an accident."
"That's good."
Li Wan whispered:
"However, Jinghong, since I'm already here, why don't I go and meet your teacher? Otherwise, it would be too impolite of me as your mother."
Before Lu Jinghong could speak, she whispered again:
"Actually, I've also prepared some small gifts for your master..."
Lu Jinghong immediately rejected it:
"No need, Master doesn't like these complicated formalities. Keep it simple, keep it simple..."
“Young Master Lu can deliver it on my behalf; Madam Li's intentions are also very good.”
Song Zhian spoke up.
Lu Jinghong hesitated for a moment, then nodded and accepted the gift that Li Wan had taken out.
Just as he clasped his hands in a fist salute and prepared to leave, Li Wan, along with Song Zhian and the other two, followed him out and calmly stayed behind him.
"you……"
Li Wan coaxed gently:
"I'll take you back. We'll stop outside the bamboo forest. Don't worry, we won't go in and disturb your cultivation. We're just seeing you off..."
(End of this chapter)
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