Chapter 937 The Unbreakable Bow [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]
Ouyang Rong stood frozen in place in front of the stove.
All the movements that were going on stopped.
He turned around immediately:
"What are you doing, you brat?"
Ah Qing whispered:
"Brother, your apron isn't tied, let me tie it for you."
Ouyang Rong looked down and saw that A Qing was holding a dirty apron and tying it around his waist from behind in a hugging motion.
"It's okay, I can do it myself."
Without a word, Ouyang Rong reached out and took it.
While tying on her apron, she turned around and gave Ah Qing a word of advice:
“You’re not young anymore. At home, we can overlook your lack of manners, but you need to be more careful when you’re out.”
Aqing remained standing close to Ouyang Rong, with the stove behind them. Ouyang Rong couldn't back up either, as he was a head and a half taller than her. The girl could only look up at him, listening as he paused before speaking earnestly:
"You've met that Miss Song before. She's always very well-mannered in public, maintaining just the right distance from strangers..."
Aqing suddenly asked:
"Brother, you like her too?"
"No." Ouyang Rong shook his head first, then frowned: "What do you mean by 'also'?"
Ah Qing laughed and said, "Oh, I thought you were going to give me another sister-in-law."
Ouyang Rong was helpless:
"Is this how you see your brother?"
"No, my brother is loyal, righteous, and sincere in my heart... It's just that I've sown too much affection sometimes, like planting seeds in spring. Every autumn, when I look back, I see several lush crops have grown..."
Aqing tilted her head and muttered to herself, her eyes seemingly recalling the many times she had met him in Longcheng County.
"..."
Ouyang Rong was somewhat speechless.
"Then you must have some misunderstanding about your brother."
He spoke with righteous indignation.
"Uh-huh."
Aqing nodded her little head very frequently.
But Ouyang Rong looked down at the smile in the eyes of the pretty young girl in front of him and sighed.
I don't know if I listened or not.
This is the downside of siblings being too close.
No matter what you say or how you say it, she probably won't take it seriously. She can just play dumb, act cute, and laugh it off.
Compared to the late Ashan, Ouyang Rong was not a strict elder brother.
He just couldn't be strict with Aqing no matter what.
On the contrary, I always felt a sense of indebtedness every time we met.
It feels like there's no way to make up for it.
Besides, aside from a few isolated incidents... Aqing is very sensible in most things and doesn't need Ouyang Rong's education or correction.
Therefore, Ouyang Rong did not need to reprimand him severely.
Ouyang Rong freed one hand to wipe himself on the clean part of his apron, then touched A Qing's head and rubbed the "Yue" tattoo on her forehead.
He said in as serious a tone as possible:
"Remember what your elder brother said and keep it in mind. Don't get distracted halfway through."
He paused, then seemed to mutter to himself, "I'm so tall now, I'm not a little girl anymore..."
Aqing looked up at Ouyang Rong.
They looked at each other for a moment.
She suddenly smiled:
"Okay, brother."
Ouyang Rong lowered his hand, nodded slightly, and was about to turn around:
"Alright, you go first..."
"Wait, don't move."
Aqing suddenly shouted.
Ouyang Rong stopped what he was doing and asked, "What's wrong?"
Aqing remained silent, but reached out, untied the rope of his apron, and re-tied it into a knot.
Ouyang Rong touched it in confusion and found that she had retied the bow.
He seemed to remember something and turned to look at Ah Qing.
"Brother, have you forgotten? You taught me this knot before, and I've been using it all this time."
After saying that, Aqing directly lifted the hem of Wu's skirt with her hand and gestured to him.
Beneath the snow-white Wu skirt, a glimpse of smooth calves was visible, and above the thighs, there was a pair of leggings resembling underwear, with a cute red ribbon tied in a bow.
Having been in Jianze for so long, he had seen countless Yue women wearing Wu skirts. The style of the snow-white Wu skirt worn by the direct disciple was slightly different from that of ordinary Yue women. From the outside, it did not appear to be tied with a belt. Ordinary Yue women's Wu skirts were tied with a long, contrasting belt. The snow-white Wu skirts worn by A Qing, Chen Jiaxin, and Li Shu were somewhat similar in style to those worn by female rulers such as Lady Zhi Shuang, which was also a symbol of status. The lack of a belt on the outside made them appear loose and ethereal. As for what they wore underneath, who knew?
Anyway, Ouyang Rong didn't know that this was how it was worn before today, so A Qing's actions broadened his horizons.
However, seeing this scene, whether casual or audacious, Ouyang Rong didn't feel like he had gained any new insights; he simply widened his eyes slightly.
Before he could even open his mouth, Aqing quickly lowered her skirt, stuck out her little tongue, and knowing she had made a mistake, hurriedly slipped out of the kitchen.
"you……"
"What are you thinking about, brother? I'm going to take a shower. Hurry up and cook, I'm hungry!"
The girl smiled and said, her voice fading into the distance as she ran away, giving Ouyang Rong no chance to teach her a lesson.
The latter stood silently, holding a spatula in his hand.
It seems like this girl isn't listening to a word she's saying...
Speaking of which, the quiet, self-conscious, and poor girl from before seems to have become much more lively and cheerful now, but she only shows this side of herself in front of her older brother.
...
As night deepened, the chirping of insects filled the air outside the window.
Two solitary lamps were lit inside the room, one by the table and the other by the wardrobe in the inner room.
Two figures, seemingly brother and sister, were sitting around the table. The pretty young girl, dressed in her brother's robe after her bath, was eating rice in small bites.
A tiny female Taoist priestess, no bigger than the palm of a hand, sat on her shoulder, swinging her little legs and eating the pastries from the Queen's Palace that "Little Qingzi" had brought back.
The taciturn young man next to her would occasionally put a bite of food on the pretty young woman's plate.
On summer nights, the air is somewhat hot and dry, and even the evening breeze is not enough to dispel the heat.
Ouyang Rong left the door wide open, letting the evening breeze in, but to keep out insects, he had put a blue gauze curtain over the door early on. This gauze curtain was obtained from a noblewoman next door... Li Wan was very particular about her quality of life, and Ouyang Rong casually took the leftover fabric from her.
After a busy period, it's still early, not yet midnight.
Ouyang Rong and A Qing were both quick and agile.
He had just brought the late-night special meal to the table when Aqing had already finished bathing. Her snow-white Wu-style dress, which had left a slight psychological shadow on Ouyang Rong, was already washed and drying by the well.
Before taking a bath, Aqing skillfully went to the wardrobe, took out Ouyang Rong's long robe, and wore it as pajamas.
Fortunately, the belt of the long robe was tied on the outside, so Ouyang Rong, who was sitting next to her, didn't have to worry that the girl would suddenly have a brain fart and straighten up the hem of her robe to show him the bow that the two of them had always been in sync with.
As he picked up some food, Ouyang Rong glanced at A Qing's waist, where her belt was casually tied into a bow.
He pursed his lips, and his hand, which was holding a spoon to scoop soup, paused at the rim of the bowl.
When they first met at Donglin Temple in Longcheng County, Ouyang Rong never imagined that the clothes he casually draped over A Qing in that dark and dilapidated house, and the bow he tied with them, would leave such a deep impression on her and become such a profound habit.
As is often said in Buddhism, karmic connections vary in depth.
He had a special connection with Aqing's family.
"What are you thinking about, brother?"
A curious voice came from behind.
Ouyang Rong looked up and saw the girl in front of him, who was eating with her head down, her eyes slightly rolled up, her gaze bright as she looked at him.
Before he could answer, the little black cricket on her shoulder, playfully kicking its toes, chirped:
"Xiao Qingzi, ignore him. He's probably thinking about how to serve the young lady. Your brother is very obedient."
Aqing keenly noticed a word:
"What young lady?"
Ouyang Rong put down his spoon, picked up a pastry, and stuffed it into Miao Si's bulging mouth, then shook his head.
"Don't listen to her nonsense."
Miao Si mumbled incoherently and turned her face away:
"Ask him yourself and see if he has the nerve, humph."
Aqing glanced at her brother, whose expression was calm, nodded slightly, asked no further questions, and continued to eat obediently.
Ouyang Rongchao thought to himself:
"Even food can't shut you up."
Miao Si frowned and waved her little fist:
"Little Rongzi, people are doing things, but the shrewd ones are watching."
Ouyang Rong: ?
Aqing seemed to think Xiao Mo was just bickering, lowered her head and finished the bowl of soup he had ladled, wiped her mouth, and brought up the topic from the kitchen again:
"Brother, why didn't you come to me about the matter in the dining hall? Why did you treat Ah Qing like an outsider?"
Ouyang Rong picked up a piece of food for her, speaking casually:
"It's not a big deal. It doesn't matter where you work. Changing the branch will allow you to meet more people and make it easier to find others."
Ah Qing countered, "Then why has Brother returned to the dining hall?"
Ouyang Rong remained silent.
Ah Qing said softly:
"Brother, you must have your own reasons for giving Li Shu special treatment. You only went to the purchasing office because of an unexpected incident... You don't actually need to rely on Li Shu. You can come directly to me. I'm willing to help you with whatever you want."
Ouyang Rong suddenly said, "Alright, let's eat."
Aqing, however, stared intently at him.
Ouyang Rong's stern face softened slightly, and he said in a gentle voice:
"The results are all the same. The current situation is quite good. I have also become a butcher, and Aqing is cultivating well at the Queen's Palace."
"Brother."
As if she hadn't heard Ouyang Rong's explanation, she called out, staring intently at him, and asked seriously:
"Even if you are punished and banished from Jianze, will you not come to me to plead for your life?"
Ouyang Rong looked helpless and gestured to the food in front of him:
“If you don’t eat soon, we’ll have to reheat it again, and then you’ll suffer, brother.”
Aqing pursed her lips tightly, staring at him without blinking.
Ouyang Rong knew what A Qing truly cared about.
It's a bit of a headache.
He thought for a moment, then offered a fallacy as an explanation:
"I don't consider you an outsider, but I just feel that if you can't even handle this small matter, what right do you have to be my brother?"
The taciturn young man nodded with a smile:
"It's just a small canteen, no need for my sister to get involved."
Aqing paused slightly, looked carefully at the carefree young man in front of her, and asked as if to confirm:
"Is that really what you think, brother?"
"Um."
Aqing was silent for a moment, then suddenly reached out and pointed at his face:
"Brother, aren't you tired of wearing that all the time?"
Ouyang Rong touched his face and realized that she was referring to the bronze mask.
Just as she was about to shake her head, Ah Qing lowered her eyes slightly and said:
“In front of me, you don’t have to work as hard as you do outside, and you don’t have to maintain a certain identity all the time.”
He blurted out the question instinctively:
"What's the meaning?"
Aqing raised her head, looked directly at him, and said:
"It means that Ah Qing is different from outsiders, so you can relax a little and take off your mask in front of her..."
She paused, then added:
"Moreover, Aqing is no longer a little girl without any cultivation who needs her brother's protection. Aqing can also help her brother cover for him, and she can also keep watch around and protect him..."
Ouyang Rong was stunned for a moment.
Perhaps it was the glow of the lights, but Aqing's face flushed slightly, like a layer of brilliant sunset covering a white jade stone on a mountaintop. If one were to calmly observe, the scene would be exquisitely beautiful.
Ouyang Rong found it difficult to speak for a moment.
He thought for a moment, then lowered his head and took off the bronze mask.
Aqing took it, put it aside, lowered her eyes slightly, and remained silent.
Miaosi, perched on her shoulder, glanced at Xiao Rongzi's handsome face, then at Xiao Qingzi who had been stealing glances at her several times. She crossed her arms and gave a soft hum.
Having not taken off his mask for a long time, Ouyang Rong took a deep breath. His eyes were like stars, and he forgot about the night sky outside the door.
It's unclear when he'll be able to openly remove his mask in front of the Queen and the Yue women.
The quiet atmosphere didn't last long. The girl, who had been blushing and looking down, suddenly raised her head and changed the subject:
"By the way, brother, there's something I need to tell you about Master."
Ouyang Rong also sensed that something was amiss and immediately asked seriously:
"What's up?"
Ah Qing whispered:
"My master gave me the day off today, and there might be another reason: she also needs to go out."
"What does Ah Qing mean by that?"
Ah Qing whispered:
"Since his last seclusion, Master has rarely gone out. Going out at night like this, without even changing his clothes or taking any luggage, means he must have gone somewhere within the sect, not on a long journey."
"Moreover, her second martial uncle came to see her once in the afternoon. The two of them had a private talk in the room for a while. Judging from the way Master left in the evening, he must have made an appointment with her second martial uncle to go out together. I wonder who they were going to visit..."
Ouyang Rong immediately fell silent.
Aqing looked at his expression and pursed her lips:
"I asked again, but Master didn't say anything, only that he would be back tomorrow morning."
Ouyang Rong asked:
"How often does this happen to her?"
"So far, this is the only time." After a pause, Aqing frowned and said, "I wonder if Master goes out like this once a month."
"Understood."
"Brother, I'll ask next time if I can come along."
Ouyang Rong shook his head: "There's no need to be so deliberate, but you can keep an eye on whether she takes anything out or brings anything back."
"Hmm." Aqing nodded, then pondered, "Brother, do you suspect that Master and Second Uncle went to see Seventh Uncle?"
Ouyang Rong did not answer, but only said:
"Aqing, observe for a while longer."
"Okay, brother."
...
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(End of this chapter)
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