Chapter 935 Unrivaled in the Footsteps of Others [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"Hmph, you little vixen, see if you still dare to compete with the Fairy Maiden... Say it again, who does Xiao Rongzi belong to? You little vixen, hey, your ass's swollen now... Tell me, the most shameful thing, without a doubt..."
After inspecting the small wooden fish, Ouyang Rong emerged from the merit pagoda and discovered that the lamp on the table was still lit.
He got up and walked over, but halfway there, he heard a mumbling coming from the wardrobe.
When I went over to take a look, I saw that Little Ink Spirit was fast asleep, talking in his sleep.
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"What kind of bizarre dreams were these?"
He didn't leave immediately. After a moment of silence, he reached out and covered her with a specially made small blanket, quietly closed the wardrobe, went to the table to turn off the light, and returned to the bed.
Actually, there was another important reason why Ouyang Rong "submitted" to Chen Jiaxin's coercion and became her person in just a dozen breaths tonight, which was something he couldn't tell Miao Si.
He spent many days shuttling between the dining hall and the purchasing room, but he never forgot the two-colored blessing.
"Could it be true that it comes true here...? Let's give it a try... Chen Jiaxin, she's quite interesting..."
...
The next day, the weather was fine and sunny.
Ouyang Rong gradually became familiar with the work of the cook, which was naturally easier than that of the steward.
However, Ouyang Rong was quite diligent, and he would lend a hand with some of the cooking duties outside of mealtimes.
This also made him quite popular with people in the Qingliang Valley dining hall.
Three days passed, and Ouyang Rong still hadn't received any further contact from Chen Jiaxin.
On the contrary, Li Shu would come over to him from time to time to inquire about the meals for the next day. She was now a regular customer of Qingliang Valley Restaurant and ate there every day...
What happened in the pavilion in the valley that night felt like a dream.
Ouyang Rong wasn't worried about the lack of news from Chen Jiaxin. Perhaps because there were sporadic positive feedback after each large pot of food he cooked, he found his job as a butcher quite enjoyable and didn't find it boring.
When Ouyang Rong finished his shift that day, he didn't see Li Shu dragging her "new friend" over, so he went home early.
Just as he reached the entrance of the courtyard, he bumped into Li Wan, who was also returning.
She was carrying some groceries and said enthusiastically:
“Ah Liang is back, and Jing Hong is back tonight too. I’ve invited Miss Song and the others. You young people, let’s get together.”
Ouyang Rong glanced at her, took out his key, turned around and opened the door:
"good."
About an hour later.
Inside Li Wan's courtyard.
Ouyang Rong carefully brought a bowl of fish soup from the kitchen.
Li Wan followed behind, carrying two other dishes.
Tonight, Ouyang Rong also lent a hand at dinner, helping Li Wan cook a few side dishes.
When it comes to cooking, Li Wan is actually a bit clumsy, so Ouyang Rong does most of the work. Li Wan takes the opportunity to slack off and ends up assisting him, letting him do his thing.
Ouyang Rong seemed oblivious to all this, burying himself in his work.
Not long after the two had filled the table, they heard footsteps outside.
Li Wan went to take a look.
"Jinghong has arrived?"
"Mother."
"Brother Liu!"
Li Wan immediately took off her apron and greeted him with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rong glanced outside.
In addition to Lu Jinghong, Sha Ergou and Yu Mili also arrived.
But Song Zhian was nowhere to be seen.
Ouyang Rong glanced at Lu Jinghong's face and saw that he was indeed frowning and looked unhappy.
He glanced at Sha Ergou, who was following him around like a shadow, trying to freeload off his meal, and smiled to himself.
Li Wan seemed to have noticed the unusual atmosphere and took the initiative to ask:
"Jinghong, where is Miss Song?"
Before Lu Jinghong could answer, she asked again:
"Jinghong, didn't I tell you to invite Miss Song over for dinner? Why is someone missing?"
Lu Jinghong shook his head:
“I passed by Qiutang and went to call her, but Miss Song was busy and said she would come another day.”
Li Wan's expression remained unchanged as she nodded: "Alright, then next time."
Lu Jinghong was somewhat sullen. He went into the house first and glanced at the sumptuous dishes.
It definitely wasn't his mother who did it.
He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ouyang Rong:
"Brother Liu, you've worked hard."
Ouyang Rong methodically set out the bowls, head down, busy at work:
"Please sit down, the food will be ready soon."
At the doorway, Li Wan glanced at Yu Mili and Sha Ergou. Before she could greet them with a smile, Yu Mili giggled and said:
"Mrs. Li, hehe, I'm not as busy as Sister Song. You can come over for dinner and go back later."
Sha Ergou nodded like a chick pecking at rice:
"Me too, me too."
As they spoke, their eyes had already drifted to the sumptuous dining table inside the room.
"Mrs. Li's cooking skills are getting better and better..."
"Thank you, A Liang. I had some free time today and came to lend a hand. Alas, I don't have such good cooking skills. You two, stop flattering me and praise A Liang more. If you keep your Brother Liu happy, you won't have to worry about good food and drink in the future."
"Okay, okay..."
After exchanging pleasantries, Sha and Yu couldn't wait to go inside and sit down in a row.
Lu Jinghong's eyes twitched as he looked at the two tagalongs he hadn't wanted to call at all.
Li Wan smiled and treated everyone equally.
Ouyang Rong was taciturn and didn't participate in the conversation. He wiped his hands on his apron, turned around and helped everyone get rice from the kitchen.
Lu Jinghong seemed unwilling to stay inside, so he stood up and followed him out.
He went to the kitchen, came to Ouyang Rong's side, helped him get the food, and then clasped his hands in a fist salute to him.
"Thank you so much, Brother Liu. When I was away, you often came to take care of my mother."
"Young Master Lu, you're too kind."
Ouyang Rong glanced at Lu Jinghong, who had a serious expression, and noticed that this young master Lu seemed to have matured quite a bit compared to when they first met.
At least their emotional intelligence has improved; they now know to lend a hand.
Although Young Master Lu still loves to show off, he has become less sharp and less arrogant in his daily life.
One detail is that he rarely carries the precious sword he used to carry with him anymore.
Instead, it was changed to being carried on the back.
I don't know if it's a rule from the Bamboo Hall or if they suddenly realized that holding a sword with both hands is too pretentious.
The root of all this was the incident with Sha Ergou, which dealt him a significant blow, forcing Young Master Lu to take some time to reflect.
Li Wan, seeing this change in Lu Jinghong, must have been quite happy.
For example, she hasn't stopped Lu Jinghong from going to see Song Zhian much lately. Today, she even took the initiative to let Lu Jinghong invite Song Zhian to dinner, creating an opportunity... which can be considered a kind of tacit approval.
Of course, it is highly likely that this noblewoman saw through her son's character and knew that it was better to guide than to suppress.
It's better to let him hit a brick wall and get hurt; then he'll naturally know to turn back.
You can't learn by being taught, but you can learn by being taught.
It would be nice to have that intelligent and talented Miss Song as his teacher.
Ouyang Rong understood perfectly and did not point it out.
"Brother Liu, why are you lighting the stove again?"
Lu Jinghong filled two bowls with rice and was about to take them out when she saw Ouyang Rong go to light a fire on the stove. He then turned around and went to the corner of the kitchen to take a winter melon from the vegetable basket.
"There are quite a few people here. Let me make another bowl of soup. It'll be perfect for them to have a bowl after the meal to soothe their stomachs."
Lu Jinghong thought for a moment and nodded slightly.
He took the initiative to deliver the meal to the main room, then returned shortly after, went to the stove, and asked sternly:
"Brother Liu, is there anything I can do for you?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at the young man in brocade robes who was looking around, and then looked towards the main house.
They could faintly hear Li Wan chatting and laughing with Sha and Yu.
I understand.
Lu Jinghong probably didn't fit in very well; he wasn't as thick-skinned as his mother, so he deliberately came to the kitchen to avoid it.
When Sha Ergou is around, Lu Jinghong is usually quiet and reserved, but if he stands there, he's too conspicuous. However, if Ouyang Rong is there, it's a different story.
Ouyang Rong was also "silent and reserved," often letting everyone chat without saying a word. This made Lu Jinghong's silence less abrupt on the field. After all, everyone always praised "Brother Liu's" silence as steady and reliable, so Lu Jinghong's silence would naturally not be criticized... Lu Jinghong had found the best shield.
Ouyang Rong didn't care about this and didn't politely ask them to leave. He casually said:
"Young Master Lu, could you peel a winter melon for me? Slice it into thin slices and put it in the pot so it'll be easier to make soup."
"Uh-huh."
Lu Jinghong untied his sword, put it aside, took a kitchen knife, and began peeling a winter melon.
Ouyang Rong turned his back to him and deftly scooped up a spoonful of salt.
"hiss."
Ouyang Rong suddenly heard a gasp behind him.
Looking back, I saw that Lu Jinghong's fingertip was cut, and he was frowning as he looked at the slightly blood-stained kitchen knife in his hand.
Are you alright?
Ouyang Rong asked the question, but his eyes fell on Lu Jinghong's fingertip, where blood was dripping.
"It's nothing, I was just a little distracted. Sorry, Brother Liu, I'll go wash up."
Lu Jinghong stood up apologetically, about to leave.
Ouyang Rong suddenly called out, "Wait!"
Lu Jinghong turned around in confusion.
Ouyang Rong remained calm and pointed to the kitchen knife in his hand:
"Put down the knife, I'll cut it. Go outside and wash yourself with the flowing spring water; the water in the jar has been sitting for too long."
Lu Jinghong realized what was happening, nodded, and put down the knife.
"good."
After he left, Ouyang Rong stood silently by the stove for a while before walking over, picking up the kitchen knife, and examining it carefully by the light of the lamp beside him.
The blade was stained with blood.
Only a few drops.
The handprint groove on the bronze iron door flashed through Ouyang Rong's mind.
It takes a lot of blood to fill it, at least half a bamboo tube.
Ouyang Rong looked thoughtful...
About fifteen minutes later, Lu Jinghong returned, her finger already bandaged.
"Brother Liu, have you finished cutting? Why didn't you wait for me?"
When Lu Jinghong came in, he saw that Ouyang Rong had already cooked the winter melon soup in the pot and was putting the lid on.
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"It was just something I did."
Lu Jinghong walked over, glanced at it, and suddenly reached out and picked up the kitchen knife.
Ouyang Rong did not turn around.
Seeing that the kitchen knife had been washed clean, Lu Jinghong put it back, sounding somewhat embarrassed.
"I originally wanted to help, but I ended up being a burden instead."
Ouyang Rong shook his head, pointed seriously to the wound on his finger, and said:
"It's nothing. Where I'm from, it's called 'bleeding to ward off disaster,' so it's considered a good thing."
Lu Jinghong paused for a moment, then nodded: "Thank you."
A short while later, the two left the kitchen together and took the last dish, winter melon soup, to the main room.
After everyone had arrived, the people at the table began to eat, enjoying a harmonious meal together.
After the meal, Li Wan glanced at the silent Lu Jinghong and asked with a casual smile:
"Miss Yu, what has Miss Song been busy with lately?"
Yu Mili held the bowl in both hands, drank a big mouthful of winter melon soup, and let out a long sigh:
"Sister Song is preparing to break through to the eighth rank."
After these words were spoken, the room fell silent for a moment.
Lu Jinghong glanced sideways.
Ouyang Rong lowered his head and drank his soup.
Li Wan asked curiously, "Eighth rank? It feels like only a few months have passed since I entered Jianze."
Sha Ergou also looked confused: "Yeah, how come it's so fast? I'm not even at the ninth rank yet. I'm stuck on gathering Qi in my dantian. My master told me yesterday not to rush and to take it slow. I thought everyone was stuck."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jinghong pursed her lips and lowered her head to silently drink her soup.
Now he doesn't even have the desire to complain anymore.
Yu Mili couldn't help but glance at the short-haired young man and sigh;
“Brother Sha, you’re too slow. You’re the complete opposite of Sister Song. Most of the people around me are already at the ninth rank. In theory, gathering Qi in the Dantian isn’t difficult. Being selected for Yue Nu or Zhu Tang means you have enough talent in Qi cultivation. The ninth rank isn’t a big hurdle.”
She paused, then turned to ask Lu Jinghong, who had remained silent:
"Where is Young Master Lu?"
Lu Jinghong casually said:
"Ninth rank."
Yu Mili nodded and complained:
"This is the normal progress, Brother Sha, are you slacking off again?"
Sha Ergou scratched his head, his dark face flushed red, and said anxiously:
"No, my master has been supervising me all along. I usually meditate outside his door, so I dare not slack off."
"Besides, Master also told me not to rush and to take my time. He didn't say I was slow. If I hadn't asked you, I wouldn't have known I was already at the ninth rank..."
His voice grew softer and softer.
Ouyang Rong glanced at the bewildered Sha Ergou, who didn't seem to be lying.
Yu Mili muttered, "Strange, could it be that your standards are different from ours? Are they more difficult? Wait a minute, isn't Young Master Lu also in the Bamboo Hall and already a ninth-rank official?"
Li Wan interjected, "Jinghong reached the ninth rank half a month ago, and she hasn't even been a disciple for long."
Yu Mili nodded, sincerely agreeing:
“Young Master Lu is still impressive, only a little slower than Sister Song. Moreover, Sister Song’s side must have received significantly more resources. Qiu Tang Yue Nu has a higher status than our Tao Tang and Zhu Tang… Young Master Lu’s speed is already quite remarkable. It seems that Chief Tang was not joking when he said that Lu’s medicine bottle is a top-grade embryo bottle.”
Sha Ergou blushed and said honestly, "I won't dare to have dinner with Young Master Lu next time. Compared to him, I'm really stupid."
Despite being praised by everyone, Lu Jinghong's smile was forced.
As Ouyang Rong was clearing away the dishes, he glanced at his expression.
Young Master Lu seemed increasingly sullen, as if he didn't want to discuss the topic any further.
Yu Mili changed the subject:
"Actually, Sister Song only reached the ninth rank of perfection yesterday. Breaking through to the eighth rank won't be easy; she still needs to accumulate experience. However, Sister Song seems to be in a lot of urgency..."
Li Wan asked with concern, "Why is that?"
"I guess it's because... there's already a girl from the same cohort who's reached the eighth rank."
(End of this chapter)
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