Chapter 933 The Rendezvous After Dusk
"Liu Aliang, come out here, someone is looking for you."
Dusk falls.
The fires in the kitchen had been extinguished, and weary figures were gradually leaving the room.
After a busy day, it's time to clock out.
Wu Cui, who was wiping the windows by the door, suddenly shouted into the lobby.
Those on duty in the dining hall were already used to it.
The cook... no, the head chef Liu Aliang, is the latest celebrity among the miscellaneous servants in Jianze.
Not only did he become famous in the dining halls of Jianze, where no one dared to provoke him, but he was also well-known among the servants in other places.
Some say that he risked public condemnation by giving special treatment to the fairy Li Shu. After temporarily taking the blame, he gained even more appreciation and respect from the fairy Li Shu. In just a few months, he had already become a key cook in the Qingliang Valley Kitchen.
Some say that he has many friends in various halls, all of whom he met during the Sword Swamp entrance examination. They are very close, including fairies from the Autumn Hall and Peach Hall, as well as promising friends from the Bamboo Hall... In short, his connections within the Sword Swamp are unfathomable.
Some people spread even more outlandish, conspiracy theories, saying that Liu Aliang failed the initial assessment and ended up as a cook and servant because a senior from Jianze valued him and deliberately put him through a two-year test of his character before selecting him for the Bamboo Hall...
These recurring tidbits of gossip were fabricated and spread among the elderly women on the miscellaneous island as they washed clothes and vegetables. They were described in great detail and with seemingly unbelievable accuracy, and there were even many vehement eyewitnesses, such as a certain woman surnamed Zhu.
At first, Ouyang Rong thought that this was just the gossip of old women, and those who actually believed it were already filtered out and belonged to the ignorant old folks.
As a result, he recently noticed that Wu Cui, who worked at the same canteen, was looking at him with a gradually changing gaze, now showing a hint of admiration and fear.
Ouyang Rong sighed, speechless.
Sure enough, even the smartest and youngest minds, once influenced by the crowd, become nothing more than a mob, always trying to elevate others.
Although the aunties and young women's imaginations about him are far from the truth, for example, regarding Yingjun.
However, he was disguised as Liu Aliang, and remained silent and reserved, wanting to keep a low profile.
Now, things are really getting out of hand. Lately, I'm becoming like a giant panda in the cafeteria, attracting curious glances and being the subject of much discussion.
However, at this moment, as dusk was falling and everyone was leaving, not many people turned around to look after Wu Cui called out from the doorway.
In the two days since he was promoted to the rank of cook, there have been too many people coming to see Liu Aliang.
Let's leave aside for now the little fairy Li Shu and her fairy friends in Qiutang and Taotang.
Many of the colleagues Ouyang Rong had gotten to know during his few days of working on the housing procurement project came to him for drinks and to try and get on his good side.
However, Ouyang Rong declined all of these offers, but he didn't give them a hard time; instead, he politely saw them off.
Upon hearing Wu Cui's announcement, Ouyang Rong remained expressionless and showed no impatience. He stopped tidying the stove, went out the door, and went to greet the guest.
"Madam Chen?"
Ouyang Rong shouted instinctively.
"Brother Liang."
Standing behind Wu Cui, Madam Chen looked up, smiled, and sized up Ouyang Rong, asking with concern:
"Are you settling in well back in the dining hall?"
Ouyang Rong nodded:
"It's alright, everyone's pretty easy to talk to."
He glanced behind Madam Chen.
There was no one else in sight.
Upon hearing this, Wu Cui's lips twitched slightly.
With such a wide network of connections, how could you be difficult to talk to?
Madam Chen gestured to her right rear:
"I happened to have some ingredients delivered, so I came along. I wanted to see you while I was at it. My other colleagues felt the same way and asked me to come in their place... But anyway, we're colleagues, so it's fate."
Wu Cui noticed Madam Chen's smiling gaze and, with great self-awareness, left the sunlit window and went to look at her swordsmanship booklet in another place.
Only Ouyang Rong and Madam Chen remained.
Ouyang Rong rolled up his sleeves and asked proactively:
"The donkey cart is here, I'll go help unload the goods..."
Madam Chen waved her hand: "It's alright, let them do it."
Ouyang Rong turned and went into the house:
"Wait a minute, I'll go make a pot of tea."
Without saying a word, he returned to the dining hall and went back to the stove. He reheated the rough copper teapot and, from an angle where Madam Chen couldn't see him from outside the door, took out a bamboo tube from the drawer next to him and put a small ink stick that had come out to "breathe" back into the bamboo tube.
The teapot quickly bounced and made a clattering sound.
Ouyang Rong picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, and then calmly poured the remaining tea into the empty bamboo tube.
The dull young man turned around, a bamboo tube hanging from his waist, a bowl of tea held horizontally in one hand, and walked out of the dining hall again, coming to stand in front of Madam Chen.
Tea was served.
Madam Chen didn't urge him at all, but looked him over casually, her gaze sweeping over the bamboo tube at his waist.
She took the tea, lowered her head to take a sip, and looked up with a somewhat surprised expression, asking:
"This tea is quite good. Where were the leaves picked?"
“I picked these yesterday while passing by a cliff next to the dining hall. They look quite good. I wonder what kind of cloud and mist tea they are. There must be better tea in this valley on the island, but unfortunately we can’t go in.”
"Ah Liang, you're quite observant. So many people pass by every day, yet you're the only one who recognizes it... Sigh, that's one of your strengths. Plus, you're a man of few words but many deeds, and you're down-to-earth. No wonder you stand out. The key is that you're still very young. I'm truly envious. What's being said outside is true; you're a promising candidate for the Bamboo Hall. It's just a pity that you're a bit too old for cultivation."
She smacked her lips, sipped her tea, and, her face shrouded in the steam from the cup, uttered a few words of reflection.
He casually added, "The tea in the valley is good, but you must not go in without permission."
"Uh-huh."
Ouyang Rong calmly looked at Madam Chen and waited for her to finish drinking.
The woman took another sip and smiled.
"Could you please get me a new cup to fill with tea and take it with me?"
Ouyang Rong nodded:
"OK."
He turned and went back into the house, took a new cup, poured tea again, and after a short while, took the tea out again.
Madam Chen took the new tea, tested the temperature of the cup, and held it carefully.
Ouyang Rong clasped his hands in farewell, preparing to take his leave:
"If there's nothing else..."
Madam Chen, holding her teacup, suddenly smiled and asked:
"This cup of tea is for Miss. She shares the same surname as me and enjoys drinking tea at home. She has tasted all the teas that the old man has collected... Sorry for rambling on again."
She paused for a moment, then casually extended an invitation:
"Brother Liang, there's no rush to go back. Would you like to come with me to deliver the tea?"
Ouyang Rong stopped lifting his foot, his foot dangling in the air.
Madam Chen looked down at his dangling feet and assumed he was caught off guard and "frozen" in place.
Her smile widened, and she gestured with her lips towards the majestic valley behind her:
"It's very close by, why don't we go together?"
Ouyang Rong hesitated for a moment, his expression showing some hesitation.
"Qingliang Valley is a forbidden area..."
Madam Chen's voice was somewhat ethereal, as if it came from afar:
"If the lady says you can come in, then you can come in."
Ouyang Rong looked at Madam Chen's smiling face, remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"good."
Madam Chen suppressed her smile, turned around and led the way, holding her cup as she walked.
Ouyang Rong followed behind her and entered the Cool Valley, which was "not to be entered without permission".
As dusk fell, the sun seemed to set later in this secluded place than in other parts of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the summer days were longer. The setting sun slowly descended below the surface of the western lake.
The surrounding cliffs of Qingliang Valley cast enormous shadows in the setting sun, pressing down on everyone walking outside the valley...
The two who entered the valley were shrouded in deep darkness, which also served as a kind of cover.
At one point, out of Chen Da Niangzi's sight, the dull young man touched the bamboo tube at his waist.
New guests have arrived, and the cups of fine tea are served, piping hot.
...
The moon rises above the willow branches.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Ouyang Rong found the moonlight in Qingliang Valley to be exceptionally bright and beautiful.
It may be because the terrain of the entire valley is higher than that of the surrounding area outside the valley.
Cool Valley is a group of mountains on the island, not a valley in the literal sense.
The towering mountains seem to have been driven to this secluded lake island by a giant god from mythology.
They form a circle, with the entire surrounding terrain rising abruptly from the ground. Even the central part of the "circle" is much higher than the surrounding valley, and the temperature is a level lower than outside the valley.
This is why it intercepts the water vapor rising from the marshland during the day, forming a hazy mist that lingers year-round, and creating cliffs and spectacular white waterfalls cascading down them.
In military terms, this place is easy to defend and difficult to attack, just like Mount Lu outside Xunyang City, making it suitable for Tibetans.
The path that Ouyang Rong took with Madam Chen into the valley was like climbing a gentle slope.
As evening fell, the valley was shrouded in mist, and with the setting sun, Ouyang Rong could not see very far, nor could he enjoy the scenery as he had during the day. His vision was severely obstructed.
Along the way, he vaguely saw many stone carvings around him, somewhat like the Bamboo Hall he had visited before. However, the stone carvings here were more densely packed, but difficult to see clearly.
Moreover, he didn't recognize some of the small seal script characters, such as those isolated fragments taken from ancient books...
Madam Chen was clearly lying; Qingliang Valley Restaurant was not close to Chen Jiaxin at all.
They've been walking for half an hour, so what does "just a little ahead" mean?
Ouyang Rong had lost count of how many steps he had taken; the surrounding night grew deeper, the white mist thinned, and the moonlight shone brighter.
Madam Chen led him to a pavilion and slowly stopped.
The pavilion has black tiles, white pillars, and a black floor. To the west, there is the tinkling sound of a spring, with clear water flowing down the mountain without stopping.
This adds to the elegance of the pavilion.
The pavilion has no walls on any side, but it is covered with a light green curtain that sways in the evening breeze, its bright color like four candles in the wind.
The people inside the pavilion were partially obscured.
Ouyang Rong's gaze swept across the pavilion, where a tall figure stood.
Madam Chen raised her hand slightly, signaling Ouyang Rong to stop. She walked into the pavilion first, respectfully handed the tea to the tall figure, and then slowly retreated.
Madam Chen walked past Ouyang Rong without looking at him or stopping, and left.
Only two figures remained by the pavilion.
One was inside the pavilion, and the other was outside.
A light blue curtain separates the inside and outside of the pavilion.
The air was quiet for a moment.
Perhaps because Ouyang Rong was standing downwind, a faint scent of gardenias wafted from inside the pavilion.
He was quite familiar with it.
As the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, Ouyang Rong spoke first:
"Does the fairy know me? What brings you here?"
Chen Jiaxin leaned against the railing, holding a cup of tea and sipping it. Her white dress fluttered in the evening breeze. She turned around and glanced back.
The taciturn man's bewildered expression was faintly visible.
Like a common fisherman who has stumbled into the depths of lotus blossoms.
A soft laugh came from inside the curtained room:
"You really are good at playing dumb."
Ouyang Rong shook his head and insisted:
"I don't understand what the fairy is talking about."
Her smile seemed to deepen:
"It's best not to know, it's best not to find anything. No wonder Song Zhian likes to be friends with you, she really keeps her mouth shut."
Ouyang Rong looked puzzled.
It was as if he had completely forgotten that night in the warehouse and had never seen Chen Jiaxin before.
She suddenly said:
"The chicken soup is good. No wonder Sixth Uncle likes it. Heh, it wasn't a waste to give it to you."
Ouyang Rong understood.
He remained expressionless and did not reply.
Chen Jiaxin remained silent.
Inside and outside the pavilion, only the sound of the wind remained for a moment.
Through a corner of the thin gauze curtain that was lifted by the evening breeze at a certain moment, some shadowy figures could be vaguely seen:
The tall young woman inside seemed to have turned around, leaning against the railing, facing him, and sipping her tea.
Ouyang Rong waited patiently for a while, and seeing that she remained silent, he spoke again:
"Fairy, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now. I have some things to do back home, and I need to get up early tomorrow..."
Chen Jiaxin put down her teacup, clutched her stomach, and giggled for a while, thoroughly enjoying herself.
She had completely lost the aloof and dignified air of a fairy.
Instead, it displayed a somewhat unrestrained and eccentric madness.
"There's no one else here, so why are you standing around like this? Get in here and talk to me. I hate people like you who put on airs. That Song Zhian is the same. You should try to imitate her."
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly.
This woman is a bit crazy; she doesn't follow the rules.
But once the formalities and politeness were removed, the distance between them did indeed become closer.
As he hesitated, a cup of tea flew out from behind the curtain.
Ouyang Rong instinctively twisted his body, but managed to control his speed and barely dodged.
There was a crackling sound.
The teacup shattered at his feet, spilling tea all over the floor and wetting half of his shirt.
Ouyang Rong looked down.
"Get in here."
Chen Jiaxin's domineering voice came from inside the pavilion.
Without saying a word, Ouyang Rong strode forward, flung open the curtain, and came to the tall young woman.
He didn't look around, nor did he look directly at her.
He lowered his eyes slightly, his face blank, and said:
"Please speak, fairy."
His tone remained as respectful as ever, but he did not bow his head.
Chen Jiaxin slightly raised her eyes and looked at the young monk in front of her, who was neither humble nor arrogant in his bones, with a hint of appreciation in her eyes.
However, it faded away quickly.
The young woman's pretty face was indifferent, and she went straight to the point, speaking quickly:
"Three things. First, don't play dumb in front of me anymore; second, you're mine now, Chen Jiaxin's person; third, I have a question: you're a great cook? Besides chicken soup, do you have any other specialties? And how do they compare to your chicken soup skills?"
(End of this chapter)
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