Chapter 936 A Qing Returns Home at Night [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]
As soon as Yu Mili spoke.
Li Wan and Sha Ergou both turned their heads to look.
Lu Jinghong also silently turned her head.
Li Wan couldn't help but ask:
"Which young lady has reached the eighth rank?"
Yu Mili pointed to her lips with her finger and began to analyze:
"I don't know. It was Chief Tang who mentioned it, and that's how the news spread. She said that one of the young ladies from our batch of disciples went to the Queen's Palace the day before yesterday to retrieve her sandalwood plaque."
Li Wan asked in surprise:
"A sandalwood plaque?"
Yu Mili nodded: "That's right, I suspect this young lady is a direct disciple of the Queen, but who exactly..."
Lu Jinghong turned to Li Wan, who was looking puzzled, and explained:
"Within the Sword Marsh, Yue women of the ninth rank and below wear peach wood plaques; Yue women of the eighth rank wear sandalwood plaques; Yue women of the seventh rank wear silver plaques; Yue women of the sixth rank wear gilded plaques... With each rank advancement, a Yue woman can go to the Queen's Palace to remove a new plaque... And at the top of this path is to remove a unique glass plaque. Once a Yue woman enters the palace to remove it, she can inherit the mantle of a hidden Queen. From then on, she will forget her true name, inherit the Queen's position, and worship the Primordial Queen."
"The Bamboo Hall Sword Cultivators are similar, but those at the ninth rank and below receive bamboo tokens instead of peach tokens. The path afterward is roughly the same, except that the ultimate goal for Bamboo Hall Sword Cultivators is not the Lady's Glazed Token, but the next-rank Peace and Safety Token, which is considered the highest known honor for Bamboo Hall Sword Cultivators."
"However, according to the seniors of Bamboo Hall, the Peace and Safety Plaque is not the limit for the unofficial sword cultivators of Sword Swamp. There is another level above it. I don't know what material this plaque is made of. It is also on par with the Lady's Glass Plaque and belongs to the formal members of the Lady's Palace. I think it is also called something like 'Lady'... However, no Bamboo Hall sword cultivator has reached this position in the past hundred years."
Li Wan became increasingly curious as she listened, and slowly nodded:
"I didn't know there was such a thing."
"Hmm, Young Master Lu knows quite a lot, not bad, not bad."
Yu Mili nodded in praise.
Actually, she didn't know anything about what Lu Jinghong had just said, including the highest honor of the Bamboo Hall sword cultivators; she had only just heard about it.
Yu Mili said with a grin:
"Although I don't know exactly who it is, I'm guessing it's definitely not Chen Jiaxin."
All eyes turned to them.
Sha Ergou was the first to ask:
"Why not her? This woman is pretty capable too, although I don't like her either, but..."
Yu Mili shook her head and answered:
"This is Sister Song's analysis. She said that if Chen Jiaxin were the first person to win the Tanping Medal at the eighth rank in this competition, given her flamboyant personality, the other girls around her would probably make a big fuss about it, and everyone would know. But so far, the atmosphere has been very quiet, so it probably wasn't her."
Lu Jinghong sighed with some emotion:
"That makes sense."
Ouyang Rong, who was silently clearing away the dishes, twitched the corner of his mouth slightly.
That makes a damn good point.
Moreover, there has been no news from Chen Jiaxin these past few days. She also left in a hurry that night, so it seems she's been busy cultivating. The pressure has shifted to her.
As Ouyang Rong pondered, Li Wan nodded:
"Who else could it be... wait, could it be..."
Her gaze drifted towards Ouyang Rong almost imperceptibly.
Yu Mili, Lu Jinghong, and the others gradually shifted their gaze to Ouyang Rong, seemingly lost in thought.
The atmosphere inside the room became somewhat quiet for a moment.
Even Sha Ergou, who was the slowest to react, suddenly understood and realized what was going on:
"Why are you all looking at Brother Liu... Ah, I get it, it must be Miss Liu Qing, right? Miss Liu Qing is always low-key, which fits her style perfectly this time..."
Yu Mili muttered:
"Sister Song guessed the same thing, saying that she is probably Brother Liu's younger sister. Among the direct disciples of the female rulers, besides Miss Aqing and Chen Jiaxin, the only one who has appeared in public so far is Li Shu, the disciple of the second female ruler."
"But Li Shu looks... she still looks like a little girl who hasn't grown up yet, not at all like someone with an eighth-grade cultivation level. And seeing her running to Brother Liu's dining hall every day, I guess her progress in cultivation isn't much. Sigh, no wonder the Second Lady strictly forbade the kitchen from giving her special meals; it really does affect her cultivation..."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Ouyang Rong, his face expressionless, spoke a fair word for his "good friend":
"Being able to eat is a blessing. Little fairy is at the age of growth. Eat more so that you can cultivate well in the future."
Everyone looked at each other, and Yu Mili nodded vigorously, agreeing:
“That makes sense! Brother Liu, I need to eat more so I have the strength to cultivate. Brother Liu, I'll learn from Fairy Li and visit you more often.”
Sha Ergou's thought process is a bit strange; he just keeps bringing up the very thing he doesn't want to talk about.
“Brother Liu, I see that Miss Aqing is so thin. Is it because the living conditions were not good when you were young, and you didn’t feed her enough? Brother Liu’s cooking skills are so good, it shouldn’t be like this. Was it because the conditions were limited back then and you couldn’t stay by her side? So you’ve come here with Miss Aqing now to make up for it? Brother Liu, you’re so thoughtful. You’re a really good brother.”
Ouyang Rong: ...
Speechless.
It's not right to say that he was just a sworn brother, since he wasn't even in Longcheng County when Aqing suffered as a child.
He couldn't help but glance at Sha Ergou and Yu Mili.
Both of them were somewhat naive and unreliable; sometimes, their words made him unsure whether they were being sarcastic or not.
These are things that Li Wan would definitely not say, for fear of causing misunderstandings.
"Thump thump thump—!"
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Li Wan frowned and called out:
"Who is it? So late."
Everyone looked over curiously.
After a brief silence outside the courtyard gate, a soft, gentle voice drifted out:
"Madam Li, excuse me, is my elder brother home? Where is he? I don't see anyone at home. Is he still busy in the kitchen? I'll go find him..."
Everyone was taken aback, and Li Wan subconsciously said:
"Miss Liu Qing is back?"
"Uh-huh."
Everyone realized what was happening and turned their attention to Ouyang Rong.
But the taciturn young man, upon hearing the girl's voice outside the door, had already dropped his assistant and strode out.
Li Wan immediately called out to the courtyard outside with laughter:
"Here he comes, here he comes, Ah Liang is here, he's out."
"Thank you, Mrs. Li."
Ah Qing's soft voice had barely faded when...
The courtyard gate was pushed open, and Ouyang Rong's voice rang out:
"Why are you back so late?"
“Brother, I asked Master for half a day off, but it’s quite far over there. It will take two or three hours to get back here by boat…”
Everyone left the main house and went outside.
Suddenly, a girl in a snow-white dress carrying a sword rushed into the arms of the dull young man outside the door.
The latter revealed a long-lost smile and ruffled Aqing's ponytail.
Li Wan and Lu Jinghong, who were watching from the sidelines, exchanged a glance.
Sha Ergou and Yu Mili looked on with envy, perhaps thinking of something.
Seeing the crowd watching, Ouyang Rong realized what was happening and, with a little effort, broke free from A Qing's arms that were tightly wrapped around his waist.
Aqing smoothly lowered her arm, turned to the side, and smiled at the welcoming crowd.
"Brother Sha, Madam Li, Young Master Lu... you're all here. Good evening."
As they were speaking, Aqing changed her stance and stood beside Ouyang Rong, calmly taking his arm.
Just like the younger sister in a family down in the mountains who likes to stick to her older brother.
No one thought anything was wrong.
After Aqing and the others finished exchanging pleasantries, Ouyang Rong turned to her and said:
"Wait a minute, the table hasn't been cleared yet..."
"Hey, Ah Liang."
Li Wan quickly raised her hand to interrupt Ouyang Rong, and said with a smile:
"Stop busying yourself here and go back to keep Aqing company. She's only been back for a short time, so why don't you spend some time with her instead of washing dishes? It's a waste of time. Jinghong and I are having dinner here tonight, so it's not your job to do these things... Go quickly, we won't disturb you two siblings any longer."
Lu Jinghong nodded: "Brother Liu, you should go back first and spend some time with your family."
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance at the mother and son, then at the kitchen.
I really want to say that you and your son are spoiled, so don't be lazy and leave the unwashed dishes for tomorrow. In the end, he'll still have to bother them.
This kind of thing has happened before.
Li Wan seemed to remember something, then turned to A Qing and asked her with concern:
"By the way, Qing, have you had dinner yet? Do you want me to make you some more to take back to the yard? There's still some rice on hand..."
Aqing quickly waved her hand, politely declining:
"No need, I ate on the way."
She whispered this, then smiled sweetly:
"Knowing I'll be back late, I'm afraid I'll keep my brother busy again, so I'll trouble him to cook."
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly:
“Cooking for you is no trouble. I cook for everyone all day long. I can cook for them, so why can’t I cook for you? Ah Qing, you’re not allowed to say things like that again.”
The girl playfully shrank back, dodging the chestnut that was being knocked at her.
Seeing this, everyone couldn't help but laugh and made a few jokes.
After a short while, Ouyang Rong gave a few words of advice and then took his leave.
Aqing took his arm, and the two returned to the courtyard together.
Seeing this, Sha Ergou felt a lump in his throat: "It's so good to have family by your side, like Brother Liu..."
He glanced at the girl's retreating figure, then, as if remembering something, asked:
"By the way, Miss Qing, I heard that everyone in Jianze is saying that some girls have already broken through to the next level..."
Yu Mili suddenly tugged at him, interrupting Sha Ergou's words.
Ah Qing, who was holding her brother's arm, turned around in confusion:
"What did Brother Sha say?"
Yu Mili stepped forward, blocking Sha Ergou, and waved her hand forcefully at the confused-looking girl:
"It's alright, it's alright, Miss Aqing, please go back quickly."
After the brother and sister left, Sha Ergou turned back with some confusion:
Why are you stopping me?
Yu Mili gestured with her chin towards a certain spot ahead. Sha Ergou frowned and looked over, immediately noticing that the girl carrying a sword had an inconspicuous tag hanging from her waist.
This plaque is quite different from the peach wood plaques and bamboo plaques he usually sees.
At this moment, besides the two of them, Li Wan and Lu Jinghong's gazes also seemed to fall on the waist token.
Sha Ergou stood there, stunned for a full three breaths, before his expression suddenly brightened.
...
"Why did you suddenly come back?"
“There’s no such thing as going home suddenly. If you want to go home, you will naturally go home. Mother told me to go with my brother. Wherever my brother is, that’s home. Isn’t it normal for Aqing to go home?”
The two returned to the courtyard and had just opened the door when Ouyang Rong went to light the lamp and casually asked a question.
Aqing walked around the house, talking non-stop.
When the lights inside came on, Aqing had already gone to the yard to wash a handful of dates, and brought them back with her two small hands, offering them to her stern-faced brother with a gentle smile.
"You're getting better and better at talking."
Ouyang Rong shook his head, sat down, picked up a date from her hand, and took a bite.
Aqing placed the dates on the table and sat down as well, sharing a bench with Ouyang Rong. The two siblings sat side by side, their shoulders almost touching when they turned their heads.
Ouyang Rong took a bite of a date and saw her take the sword off her back, place it across her lap, and use her forearm to catch a few dates that were about to roll onto the table. She didn't reply to him, but looked down as if she was seriously counting the dates.
I remember Aqing mentioning that this sword was a gift from Zhishuang when she became an apprentice. Ouyang Rong never asked any questions about it, and he did so now as well.
Seeing how diligently she ate the dates, stuffing them into her mouth, Ouyang Rong stood up without saying a word and went to the kitchen.
"What are you doing, brother?"
Aqing turned her head, her eyes widened slightly, and asked indistinctly.
Ouyang Rong didn't say anything, but took a lamp to the kitchen and started a fire.
Aqing realized what was happening, quickly swallowed the date, and ran into the kitchen to stop them:
"Really, no need, I'm not hungry, brother..."
Ouyang Rong lowered his head to heat the pan, his tone calm but leaving no room for refusal:
"Having been out here for so long, although there's no more tedious paperwork, the thing I've done the most is cook for others. If I were to leave you hungry, that would be the most ridiculous thing in the world. You would be the most incompetent brother."
Aqing was speechless for a moment.
After a moment of quiet, she stayed in the kitchen to keep Ouyang Rong company.
The slender girl touched her flat stomach.
Only when she is home in front of her brother can she completely shed the politeness and formality she displays in front of strangers.
Aqing stayed close to the stove, chatting with Ouyang Rong:
“Brother, I entered the eighth rank ahead of schedule this time, and I performed well, so Master tacitly allowed me to leave the Queen's Palace for half a day. Besides, Master is also going out anyway…”
Ouyang Rong nodded calmly:
"Yes, I've heard about what happened to you. Aqing is very capable."
He replied with a short sentence, seemingly focused on cooking, and did not speak again.
Aqing tilted her head, her delicate eyes fixed on the young man's profile, as if waiting for his words.
The atmosphere around the stove quieted down.
A moment later, Aqing finally got a plate of cooked food. She picked up a piece of lean meat with two fingers, held it in her hands like a hot potato, and then put it into her mouth, which she had been craving for a long time.
After chewing a few bites, Aqing suddenly shouted:
"Brother."
"Um?"
Ouyang Rong was busy arranging the food and didn't turn around.
I've heard about what happened at the dining hall.
Ah Qing's light, airy words, along with the aroma of the dishes, drifted through the kitchen late at night.
Before he could answer, he immediately felt someone close behind him, two slender arms wrapping around his waist, their breath warm.
Ouyang Rong paused for a moment.
...
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(P.S.: Requesting monthly votes at the beginning of the month!)
(End of this chapter)
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