Chapter 915 Er Gou, you've gotten stronger!
Before Lu Jinghong could speak, Li Wan had already taken the lead and enthusiastically followed.
Ouyang Rong, Song Zhian, and the others were indifferent; after all, they had come at Li Wan's invitation, and since they had already eaten, walking a few more steps wouldn't matter.
Soon, we arrived at the outside of the Tranquil Forest.
With a blank expression, Ouyang Rong looked up at the cliff behind the bamboo forest. The four characters "常乐我净" (Chang Le Wo Jing) were carved on the cliff, and the calligraphy was exceptionally elegant. Moreover, Ouyang Rong could feel a faint, indescribable spirit about it.
Furthermore, these four characters subtly contain Zen meaning, indicating that the person who carved them must have deeply studied Buddhism.
In addition, there was the equally meaningful sword inscription "The sky is in the mountains" that I saw not long ago by the Ruqin.
Ouyang Rong silently looked around.
This bamboo hall is indeed a place where hidden talents reside.
The person on duty is still there in front of Jingxin Forest.
However, a few boys and girls returned and entered the forest.
This tranquil forest is probably not only where the senior Jia Shu lived in seclusion, but also where many bamboo hall sword cultivators built huts for quiet cultivation.
Lu Jinghong looked ahead, stopped about ten steps in front of the bamboo forest, turned around and clasped his hands in greeting to Li Wan, Ouyang Rong and the others again:
"Mother, Miss Song, Brother Liu... I'll go in first. I still need to cultivate tonight, so please excuse me for not seeing you off. Please be careful on your way back."
"Um."
Li Wan looked somewhat reluctant.
"Jinghong, practice your swordsmanship diligently with Senior Jiashu, but don't put too much pressure on yourself. Jinghong is already very good. You were able to enter the Bamboo Hall without any obstacles and even became a disciple of the top senior, Yuping. You haven't disgraced your aunt and the Lu family of Fanyang. There's no need to work too hard. Actually, it would be good for you to relax occasionally, like Brother Ergou..."
The woman gave detailed instructions, her words flowing smoothly.
Lu Jinghong interrupted somewhat impatiently:
"Alright, Mother, go back now. Your son is going inside."
"Okay, go ahead."
Lu Jinghong walked towards the bamboo forest.
At the exit of the bamboo forest, there is a bridge-shaped archway, and a bluestone path extends into the forest for people to enter and exit.
There are guards on duty every day, standing in front of the archway to watch over it.
Before the five returned, a young woman in hemp clothing was standing in front of the archway, seemingly talking to the guard.
Li Wan and the other three stood there, watching Lu Jinghong walk away quickly, and then prepared to leave as well.
Ouyang Rong's appearance was dull and ordinary, which was fine, but Li Wan, Song Zhi'an, and the other two women, regardless of their attire or temperament, stood out very much in the Bamboo Hall.
At least half of the passersby were drawn to it.
The young woman in hemp clothing who was waiting by the archway seemed to be attracted as well, and stared at them for a while.
Suddenly, he walked over, passing Lu Jinghong who was walking in the opposite direction, and came to Li Wan and the others, asking curiously:
"Excuse me, everyone, did you just visit Ruqin Lake and Ruqin Garden?"
Li Wan looked at the unfamiliar woman in hemp clothing with a puzzled expression.
Song Zhian and her two daughters also curiously observed the newcomer.
Ouyang Rong noticed that Lu Jinghong, who was about to quickly enter the forest, also stopped in his tracks. He had noticed this and looked over with a puzzled expression, but did not immediately return to the forest.
Li Wan asked in confusion: "Ruqin Elegant Garden?"
"Hmm." The young woman in hemp clothing reminded her, "My master's name is Dongya. She cultivates in seclusion in this courtyard. Did you go to see her this evening? Did you ask the old lady at the gate to pass on a message?"
Li Wan and Song Zhian exchanged a glance, and the latter immediately understood. She nodded slightly to the maid in hemp clothing, her tone apologetic.
"That's right. We asked someone to knock on the door to ask questions. It's our first time here, and we're unfamiliar with the place. We went to the wrong person and knocked on the wrong door. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope that you and Senior Dongya will forgive us."
The Maid girl nodded:
“You have indeed come to the wrong person. My master sent me out to find you because he was afraid you would get lost on the island.”
"Oh, so that's what happened. It was indeed a misunderstanding. Senior Dongya, you're too kind. We've been so kind of bothering you..."
Li Wan, who had been feeling worried, breathed a sigh of relief after understanding the situation.
She smiled and pointed to Lu Jinghong, who was standing not far away:
"However, there is no need for you to worry. We asked for the right way and found Jinghong. The food has been delivered. Thank you for your kindness, Senior Dongya."
The young woman in hemp clothing turned around, followed the finger down, and glanced at Lu Jinghong's side.
Just then, two figures hurried over from under the archway at the entrance of the bamboo forest.
The person leading the group was a staff member on duty, followed by a short-haired young man who seemed to have just gone to call for help.
Upon seeing this, the young woman in hemp clothing immediately returned to the archway.
Li Wan, Ouyang Rong, and the others looked in the direction of the short-haired youth and recognized him from afar.
It's Sha Er Gou.
Sha Ergou had a dazed look on his face, as if he had just woken up, and he kept looking down and rubbing his eyes with his hands.
He rushed to the archway at the entrance, not noticing for a moment that Li Wan, Ouyang Rong, and their group had stopped not far away.
Sha Ergou looked at the woman in hemp clothing with some confusion and asked:
"What brings you here, Sister Lanlan? What do you want with me?"
His distinctive loud voice drew the attention of most people in front of the bamboo grove.
Li Wan, Ouyang Rong, Song Zhian and their group all heard it clearly.
Lu Jinghong was positioned between the archway at the entrance and Li Wan and the others. At this moment, his expression changed.
Upon seeing the newcomer, the young woman in hemp clothing breathed a sigh of relief, then first sternly reprimanded him:
"Why are you only coming out now? Did you eat and then go to sleep? Don't let Senior Jia Shu catch you. He doesn't have as much tolerance as Master. You'd better watch yourself."
Sha Ergou looked guilty and kept scratching his head with a silly grin.
The young woman in hemp clothing paused, then became serious and said directly:
"It's like this, it seems some of your relatives or friends came looking for you this evening, and they even brought food, but they went to the wrong place and ended up in Master's courtyard..."
“But when I went out to pick them up, they were gone again. Master was afraid they wouldn’t be able to find you, so he sent me to tell you.”
Sha Ergou was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant, "Oh, right, right, you're looking for me."
At this moment, the bamboo forest was completely silent, with only the rustling sound of the evening breeze rustling through the bamboo.
The voices of the short-haired young man and the woman in linen clothes, carried on the evening breeze, reached the ears of everyone present.
"Um."
Having received a satisfactory answer, the young woman in hemp clothing nodded. As if remembering something, she turned around, clearing her view, pointed to Li Wan and her group not far away, and asked with a curious expression:
"By the way, were they the ones who came to see you? Have you already met and dined with these relatives and friends?"
The night was somewhat dark. Sha Ergou rubbed his eyes, becoming more awake. He looked in the direction Lanlan pointed, and a look of joy suddenly appeared on his face.
"Yes, it's them."
Having said that, he jumped up and waved in the direction where Brother Liu was:
"Brother Liu, Sister Song, Madam Li, you haven't left yet? Are you bringing Young Master Lu back? Should I go and see you off? You're already here..."
At this moment, the atmosphere in front of the bamboo forest archway was deathly silent.
Sha Er Gou's enthusiastic voice became even louder and more resonant.
No one responded to Li Wan.
The air around them seemed to freeze.
Even Ouyang Rong, who had been virtually invisible throughout the trip, could feel an indescribable awkwardness in the air as he stood behind the three women.
He didn't immediately respond to Sha Ergou's enthusiastic greeting, but silently lowered his head and glanced at him.
A certain noblewoman ahead was clutching her handkerchief tightly, the back of her hand so taut it turned blue and white.
Not far away, Young Master Lu kept his head bowed low, not daring to look into his mother Li Wan's eyes.
His cheek, from the base of his ear to one side, was flushed red, turning a purplish-red, like the color of pig's liver.
The mother and son remained locked in a stalemate, one with their head bowed and the other staring at the other. Not far behind them, Ouyang Rong, Song Zhian, and the other two could clearly see Sha Ergou's bright, silly grin—the latter remained as oblivious as ever, his nerves a bit thick, completely unaware of the subtle and awkward atmosphere.
Before my eyes, this scene—some people smiling with joy, others standing stiffly with suppressed emotions—was like a sculpture, so vivid that it was almost unbearable to look at.
At this moment, Lu Jinghong, who was in the middle of it all, could clearly feel the gazes of Miss Song, Liu Aliang, and Yu Mili on his face.
He felt as if someone had pressed his head down onto a tin stove, then lifted him up and slapped him ten times... His face was first burning hot, then stinging with a fiery pain.
Similar to Lu Jinghong was Li Wan, whose well-maintained, slightly plump face was flushed, and the muscles at her nasolabial folds twitched slightly, as if her expression was about to change drastically at any moment.
Song Zhian and Yu Mili silently glanced at the motionless noblewoman in front of them for a while, then the two women exchanged a tacit look, shifted their gaze, and looked at Young Master Lu not far away.
Yu Mili's eyes looked a little strange.
Song Zhian's expression remained unchanged. She lowered her eyes slightly, not looking at anything else for long. She then focused her gaze on the ground, lost in thought.
The young woman in hemp clothing noticed that the atmosphere among the group behind her was a bit off.
But he didn't pay much attention and said gently to the tiger-headed and chubby Sha Ergou:
"Alright, it's fine as long as you've met... Actually, when Master first heard about this, he was quite surprised, as he didn't remember you having any relatives or friends..."
She paused, then waved her hand and said:
"Then I'll go back and report. Remember not to slack off too much and don't make Senior Jiashu worry."
"Uh-huh."
Sha Ergou readily agreed.
He happily pointed at Ouyang Rong and said to the young woman in hemp clothing:
"Sister Lanlan, this is Brother Liu. Although we're not related, he's like an older brother to me. Back in Taoyuan Town, Brother Liu took the best care of me. He's much more capable than me, and he's good at everything. It's a pity that our Zhutang is so strict about age when it comes to accepting people, what a shame..."
Sha Ergou's tone was regretful and disappointed. Everyone on the field, including Ma Yi Xiao Niang, followed the direction Sha Ergou was pointing and curiously fell on Ouyang Rong.
After hearing Sha Ergou's words, the woman in hemp clothing looked somewhat solemn and bowed to Ouyang Rong from a distance.
Across the starkly different atmosphere between Li and Lu, mother and son, Ouyang Rong returned the greeting.
Before long, the woman in hemp clothing took her leave, and Sha Ergou ran towards Ouyang Rong and his group.
As he passed Lu Jinghong, he slowed his pace and said in a strange tone:
"Young Master Lu, what are you looking at? Is there something on the ground...?"
Lu Jinghong's chest heaved slightly, but she still didn't look up.
Sha Ergou muttered something and came to Li Wan, Ouyang Rong and the others.
"Brother Liu, your boat is supposed to be waiting for two hours and set off soon, why are you still lingering here... Let me see you off."
Li Wan remained motionless, without turning her head, her expression obscured, her eyes seemingly fixed on a certain spot.
Song Zhian and Yu Mili exchanged a glance.
Song Zhian suddenly turned to Ouyang Rong and Sha Ergou and said:
"Alright, let's go together."
She then whispered to Li Wan:
"Madam Li, it's getting late. Let's head back now and visit again another day."
Li Wan did not turn around; both handkerchiefs in her hands seemed to be torn. After a while, some faint nasal sounds could be heard.
"Uh-huh."
Ouyang Rong shifted his gaze from Sha Ergou and took the initiative to speak:
"No rush, Madam Li. Let's go to the boat first. We can ask the fairy to wait a while. Madam Li can come back when she's done."
After saying that, he gave Song Zhian and the other two women a look, and the three of them, along with the unsuspecting Sha Ergou, left the bamboo forest.
They walked about twenty steps forward when suddenly, they faintly heard a slapping sound from behind.
Very crisp.
Then came another one.
Two consecutive slaps echoed through the woods.
Apart from Sha Ergou, who was peeking around, Ouyang Rong, Song Zhian, and the other two did not turn back and continued walking forward.
They had already gone far, but Sha Ergou was still looking back and muttering to himself:
"Strange, Brother Liu, Miss Song, why did Madam Li suddenly hit someone? Did Young Master Lu do something wrong? But he was fine during dinner earlier, it's strange..."
Ouyang Rong and Song Zhian remained silent.
"Eh."
Yu Mili turned her head, patted the culprit on the shoulder, and sighed.
Sha Ergou paused for a moment, noticing that Yu Mili's gaze towards him was somewhat strange.
He was puzzled:
"Miss Yu, why are you looking at me like that? If you have something to say, just say it directly. I can't guess..."
Yu Mili shook her head seriously:
"Brother Er Gou, you've changed."
He became increasingly confused:
"What changed?"
Yu Mili said solemnly:
"You've become stronger."
The freckled young woman sighed, gazing at the shimmering lake under the bright moonlight, a touch of melancholy in her eyes.
"Young Master Lu is not doing so well anymore. Even Brother Er Gou can now slightly outmaneuver him. It seems that Brother Er Gou, we are truly evenly matched."
Sha Ergou: ...
Ouyang Rong: ...
Song Zhian: ...?
Soon, the group left the valley and arrived at the ferry dock.
The lake was as black as the sea, and a raft was waiting quietly, with a Yue woman waiting beside it.
Song Zhian took the initiative to speak, breaking the silence:
"So, Brother Sha, you are now Senior Jia Shu's disciple?"
Sha Ergou scratched his head: "Mmm."
Yu Mili asked curiously, "I heard that Senior Jia Shu and Senior Dong Ya were vying for you. Did you do anything special while we were away? Why are you so sought after?"
Sha Ergou shook his head like a rattle drum:
"I don't know either. I just came to the Bamboo Hall with Young Master Lu and the others. I didn't do anything. Young Master Lu did show off a few times though... But when it came time to become an apprentice, many seniors came over and said they wanted to be my master."
Song Zhian and Yu Mili looked at each other in bewilderment.
Looking at the honest-looking young man, Ouyang Rong suddenly asked:
"Did Senior Jia Shu and the others say anything?"
Sha Ergou thought hard for a moment and nodded:
"Yes. I was curious about it sometimes, so I asked my master, and he said... he said..."
The two women pressed, "What did you say?"
Sha Ergou said a little embarrassedly, "He said I'm pleasing to the eye."
"..."
(End of this chapter)
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