Chapter 74 The Su Family (52000 words)
“Magistrate, last time my father sent me to the county office to pay back taxes, but you were not there and I was unable to meet you. I was very sorry. Today I can say that I have finally fulfilled my wish.”
“Brother Su, there’s no need to be so formal. I’m visiting today as your senior brother Jiang. My teacher is also an old friend of your father. We can treat each other as equals.”
"Then... I'll take the liberty of addressing you as Brother Lianghan."
That's exactly right.
Upon hearing Cai Shou's message, Ouyang Rong bid farewell to his junior sister so as not to disturb her rest.
After leaving the house, they encountered Su Fu, the eldest son of the Su family, who had been waiting for them for a long time, in the narrow alley outside the courtyard. The two immediately bowed and exchanged a few pleasantries.
Since Xie Lingjiang was a young woman, Su Dalang naturally could not enter her courtyard without permission and could only wait outside the gate.
Just before I left, my junior sister added that my uncle and aunt were very strict with Su's eldest son, making him study hard in his study all year round and inviting all kinds of teachers to their home.
If it weren't for her junior sister being busy with county government affairs and declining the offer, she probably would have had to become the tutor of this eldest son of the Su family, who was several years older than her... It's clear that the entire Su family is very concerned about the eldest son's studies.
Ouyang Rong wasn't too surprised by this. Studying was always better than eating, drinking, and having fun. It seemed that although the Su family was wealthy, their family traditions were still quite good.
The alleyway is located between the boudoirs of two young women, with red walls on both sides blocking out the light and making it slightly dim.
Inside the alley, Ouyang Rong and Su Fu exchanged greetings and then sized each other up.
After taking a closer look at the unshaven, melancholic middle-aged man with dark circles under his eyes...
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but lean back slightly and turn his head to look at the round-faced maid who seemed to have led him there, named Cai Shou.
Are you sure this isn't Uncle Su?
Is it Su Dalang, who is only two years older than me?
The quick-witted little girl seemed to have noticed the doubt in Ouyang Rong's eyes, and nodded repeatedly like a wooden fish tapping a needle, even blinking her eyes.
Ouyang Rong was slightly shocked.
Goodness, at the age of twenty-three, he has the maturity of a thirty-two-year-old.
He turned around and glanced at the young man in front of him again, and couldn't help but sigh, "He's so young, yet he's already so old."
Su Dalang touched his face curiously, "Brother Lianghan, why are you staring at me like that?"
Ouyang Rong waved his hand, "No...it's nothing. I've just heard so much about you and finally got to meet you. Brother Su...you're quite mature and steady."
"Brother Lianghan, you flatter me."
Su Dalang's face lit up with delight. He scratched the back of his head, seemingly a little embarrassed, then glanced at the courtyard of a woman in plum blossom makeup next door and muttered to himself:
"Mature and steady... This is the first time I've been praised like this. My sister always says I'm not mature, eh."
Ouyang Rong chuckled.
Immediately, Su Dalang invited Ouyang Rong to sit in his study. Since the latter had nothing to do that day, he readily agreed.
The two walked and talked along the alley.
Ouyang Rong observed him more closely and realized that this eldest son of the Su family was not as old as he had appeared at first glance.
Su Dalang was tall with broad shoulders, and people with broad shoulders must have large frames.
Walking in the alley, he and Ouyang Rong could only walk one in front of the other, unable to walk side by side.
Besides, although he was unshaven, it was fashionable for men to grow beards in the Great Zhou Dynasty, so it wasn't too strange.
On the contrary, Ouyang Rong, who dislikes growing a beard, appears too young. If he weren't in the Longcheng County government office, where he has a deep and decisive demeanor, he would easily be unable to control those seasoned officials.
In addition, I haven't met Su Xiaomei yet, but judging from her figure and temperament when we met that day, she must be quite good. The Su family's genes are still pretty good.
Su Jia Dalang also has a decent and pleasing appearance. Even if he looks mature like an uncle, he is the melancholy type with a stubble beard, not the greasy type.
Glancing at Su Dalang's deep eye bags, the young county magistrate, who was walking with him, asked curiously:
"Brother Su, are you... overworked last night?"
Su Dalang rubbed his increasingly haggard face and let out a soft sigh:
"My studies have been quite demanding lately. Yesterday, my teacher went overtime again, so I stayed up a little late doing my homework. This morning, I got up and, upon hearing that Brother Lianghan had arrived, I immediately went out. I may look a little disheveled, so please forgive me, Brother Lianghan."
"It's alright, it's alright. It's just that Brother Su's reading is... a bit intense."
Ouyang Rong sighed. Although it was the first time the two had met, Su Dalang’s silly appearance made him feel quite close to him. He even wanted to share some of his experience as a seasoned pro at slacking off.
Indeed, the concept of "scroll" remains the same regardless of the era.
Even this eldest son of the Su family, who was extremely wealthy and lived a life of luxury.
I just don't know what Su Dalang is competing for.
If he studies hard, the Su family probably wants him to take the imperial examination and enter officialdom. Otherwise, he wouldn't go into business or just keep the family business on this small plot of land, would he?
However, the imperial examinations in the Great Zhou Dynasty were extremely competitive, with only a handful of candidates selected from the south each year.
On his way to the study, Ouyang Rong initially wanted to find a topic to criticize the unhealthy infighting among scholars from both the North and South. However, upon further reflection, he realized that he, a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations, seemed to be the most infighting among them, and had even outmaneuvered everyone else, ultimately winning the contest...
Ouyang Rong silently shut his mouth.
As soon as he entered the study, Ouyang Rong understood why Su Dalang looked so haggard.
He couldn't help but look around.
"Brother Su, why is your study so dark?"
"Brother Lianghan, please wait a moment while I open a window."
"Brother Su, your room is a bit cramped. Where's the bed? Why isn't there one? Hey, why are you putting all those books on the floor? They're arranged... quite stylishly... Wait, could this be your bed?"
"Hey, Brother Lianghan, keep your voice down. My parents are worried I'll be lazy and rest, so they won't allow a bed in the study, or even an extra chair. It was my little sister's idea. She said that seeing a bed while reading makes it easy to doze off, and I need to be careful not to be disturbed by external things..."
"And your study bed..."
"It's a makeshift table. My legs get so numb from sleeping on it. Sometimes I can't hold on anymore, and I haven't finished my homework, so I just lie down for a bit... But I have to get out of here quickly, I can't be found out... Brother Lianghan, come on, lend me a hand."
"..."
Ouyang Rong silently stepped forward. As a guest, he became a laborer, helping Su Dalang sort and move the books back to the bookshelf, truly 'destroying the evidence'.
After finishing, Ouyang Rong rolled up his sleeves, wiped his sweat, and walked to the desk, but for a moment he couldn't find a chair to sit on.
"Brother Su, your documents... are piled up a bit too high."
"Please wait a moment, let me make room for Brother Lianghan. By the way, what kind of tea would you like, Brother Lianghan? I'll have the maids brew some."
"Um, either way is fine with me."
"Cai Shou just brought some Lushan tea, perfect, let's drink this."
Before long, the maids from Su Dalang's courtyard came into the room and served all the brewed tea.
But the sight of these maids made Ouyang Rong turn his head.
"Brother Lianghan, what's wrong? Is it because the servants aren't good at making tea?"
"No, Brother Su, the maids in your room... how come they're more mature than you?"
Su Dalang was taken aback, looked outside, let out a long sigh, and wore a melancholy expression that suggested a long story:
"This was arranged by my father and mother. All the maids in the courtyard are like this. They are a bit old, but they are quite good. They are very diligent and don't bother me while I'm studying..."
He muttered unconsciously, as if no one was around: "It's just that the maid in the next room is snoring a little loudly at night."
Ouyang Rong's lips twitched slightly.
You're not maids, you're all old ladies... all elderly women doing rough work.
Others have beautiful women adding fragrance to their sleeves, while you have millet and rifles.
Compared to the beautiful young maids in my junior sister's courtyard... well, they don't seem like her biological children at all. I suggest you investigate.
Moreover, his tranquil and abstemious nature, coupled with his diligent study... If it weren't for the antique charm of the entire study, Ouyang Rong would have almost looked around for a countdown sign for the exam.
Brother Su doesn't use rhymes; he's genuinely preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam.
Joking aside, after witnessing all this, Ouyang Rong felt a sense of awe and understood why Su Dalang looked so mature yet haggard; anyone would have looked like that.
Perhaps because they both like curly hair, the two have a natural affinity for each other.
Ouyang Rong said sincerely, "Brother Su, you have to cultivate good study habits and take it slowly. It's hard to achieve success overnight. You should take care of your health first."
Su Dalang was a little touched:
"Thank you, Brother Lianghan. Actually... I really admire you. You're not only good at studying, but you're also good at doing things, so your family doesn't have to worry about you. The other day at dinner, my parents mentioned Brother Lianghan's deeds again, telling me to learn from him. My younger sister also praised him."
"All those stories are just rumors."
Su Dalang shook his head and said sincerely, "I will still need to learn more from Brother Lianghan in the future."
Ouyang Rong shook his head, "I dare not presume to ask for your guidance."
Su Dalang suddenly realized, "Oh right, I forgot to take Brother Lianghan to see Father. Sister Xie often mentioned Brother Lianghan before, and Father has been wanting to meet you for a long time. Let's go, let's go."
Ouyang Rong originally wanted to decline and take his leave, but he couldn't resist Su Dalang's enthusiasm. Without saying a word, Su Dalang pulled him to an elegant and spacious hall on the west side of the Su residence.
Here, Ouyang Rong met Su Xian, the patriarch of the Su family.
Su Xian was a middle-aged man of about forty or fifty years old, dressed in a clean blue robe, like a scholar.
At first glance, he was stern and rarely smiled, but his features resembled those of Su Dalang. Hmm, it seems there's no need to investigate further; he's definitely his biological son…
In addition, Su Xian is a bit thinner and shorter than Su Dalang.
It's not hard to see that this person must have been a handsome man when he was young, and even now, he's still a handsome middle-aged man.
In addition, Uncle Su's brows were slightly furrowed, giving him a somewhat melancholic air.
Unlike Su Dalang, who was always engrossed in studying and looking gloomy, this Uncle Su seemed to have been troubled by something for many years, which is why his melancholy temperament was so deeply ingrained.
When Ouyang Rong met Su Xian and his son in the hall, they naturally exchanged pleasantries.
After exchanging greetings, Su Xian, sitting at the head of the table, sat up straight with a serious expression and asked Ouyang Rong about his mentor, Xie Xun.
After a conversation, I found that Uncle Su was calm and composed, though he seemed old-fashioned. However, he was not arrogant and cared about the younger generation. He was quite enthusiastic.
The three chatted for a while longer, then each drank tea, and the hall quieted down.
After putting down his teacup, Su Xian couldn't help but glance at Ouyang Rong's face a few more times.
The latter looked up and asked:
"Uncle Su, is there something you want to say?"
Su Xian thought for a moment and felt that he still needed to fulfill his educational obligations as an elder. He nodded and pointed to the two red marks on Ouyang Rong's face, saying:
"Nephew, what is the cause of these scars on your face?"
Ouyang Rong said helplessly, "To be honest, I was picking grapes last night when the ladder was unstable and I accidentally knocked over the grape trellis, so I got some bruises on my face."
The middle-aged scholar wearing a turban raised an eyebrow, stared at Ouyang Rong's face for a while, a slight smile appeared on his lips, and he lowered his head to sip his tea.
Seeing this, Ouyang Rong asked curiously, "Why is Uncle laughing?"
Su Xian closed the teacup lid and sighed, "Nephew, there's really nothing wrong with talking about this kind of thing."
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly. "Uncle, what is it you mean? I certainly didn't hide anything."
Su Xian pressed his palm down in the air, seemingly understanding, and gently comforted her:
“Nephew, don’t be so polite. We hit it off today, and you and Dalang get along quite well. Let’s not be strangers. There are some things that your elders may not be around, but your uncle can give you some useful advice.”
The person became increasingly puzzled: "Wh...what suggestion? And what is it about?"
Su Dalang, who had taken advantage of Ouyang Rong's presence to come out for tea and slacking off, slowly turned his head to look at Ouyang Rong, his expression becoming strange.
Su Xian sighed:
"Nephew, don't try to evade the question. A scratch on the face? What a coincidence! I bet you must have a shrewish wife. Did you and your husband have a fight last night and she scratched you?"
Although it was a question, the middle-aged scholar remained confident, smiling but silent.
Ouyang Rong: "..."
"I'm sorry, Uncle, you're mistaken." He shook his head. "No, that's not true. It really was just that the grape trellis collapsed, and besides, I didn't..."
“Nephew, please don’t avoid this. There’s nothing wrong with talking about this. There are only three of us. If you tell me, your uncle can give you some advice. Your uncle has always abhorred this kind of thing.”
Su Xian waved his hand, interrupting Ouyang Rong, indignant on his behalf, and spoke righteously towards the empty hall ahead:
"The husband is like heaven, and the wife is like earth. How can they be reversed? Some shrewish women dare to use the earth to suppress the heaven and ride on my nephew's head. They are truly lawless and too arrogant."
“Nephew, there’s no need to be afraid. The husband is the head of the household, so he’s always right. When you get back, try to bring up the ancestral precepts first, then the family rules. If that still doesn’t work, then ask the elders of the clan to come in. You must keep your shrew in check, otherwise, if you bow down once, it will be even harder for you to get back on your feet in the future…”
Ouyang Rong hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Seeing this, Su Xian patted him on the shoulder and sighed:
"Nephew, don't be afraid, your uncle is here. I thought you were a strong and capable person who could manage an entire government office at such a young age, but I never expected your household to be in such trouble with such a shrewish wife. Ah..."
"It's alright. If this kind of grape trellis collapses again, you can come next door to talk to your uncle. If that shrewish wife still dares to act recklessly, your uncle will go and teach her a lesson for you. Do you think she'll turn the tables on you?"
Just as the middle-aged scholar was eloquently encouraging his nephew,
Suddenly, a plate of pastries flew out from the back room and landed precisely at his feet.
After a loud crash of shattering glass, the entire room fell silent.
Ouyang Rong curiously glanced towards the back room. Strange, how could pastries suddenly grow wings and fly out?
What puzzled him even more was that Uncle Su suddenly fell silent.
In the silent hall, a middle-aged scholar stared at the pastries at his feet for a while, then suddenly looked up and said with a serious expression:
“Nephew, that’s not right of you! You have a virtuous wife who manages the household well, why are you still not satisfied? Don’t you know the ancient saying, ‘Women manage the home and men manage the outside world’?”
"No matter how strong and successful a man is outside, he still needs to listen to his virtuous wife when he comes home. This is called listening to both sides and being wise. What's wrong with a virtuous wife being a little assertive sometimes? That's what makes her precious!"
Ouyang Rong was stunned.
The middle-aged scholar patted Ouyang Rong on the shoulder with a meaningful expression. Under his chair, Ouyang Rong quietly swept the pieces of pastry on the floor aside and hid them.
"Ordinary wives and concubines will only obey you and not care whether you do right or wrong. A true virtuous wife will say things that you don't want to hear. It's because she really cares about you. What's wrong with arguing and scratching each other occasionally? It's called 'spare the rod and spoil the child.'"
After Su Xian finished speaking to Ouyang Rong, he paused, as if waiting for something.
Unfortunately, after waiting for quite a while, apart from Ouyang Rong's soft "Ah" of surprise, the only sound in the hall was Su Dalang quietly sipping his tea.
The middle-aged scholar seemed to have been given another power-on press; his face remained serious as he continued speaking:
“My dear nephew, you’re so outstanding outside, how come you can’t even understand such a simple thing at home? You only make your wife fight back by scratching you. Hey, don’t you think about it? Why would she scratch you if you’re not in the right? Of course, it’s because you’ve done something wrong…”
He said with great distress:
"You, you, coming to your uncle to complain! You really don't know how lucky you are! Let me tell you, no matter what, you're in the wrong. You'd better go back and coax her!"
"ah?"
Ouyang Rong slightly opened his mouth, looking at his uncle who had completely changed his attitude, and said with a wry smile:
"Uncle, what are you talking about? I was just knocking down a grape trellis."
"Then we need to go back now and straighten the grape trellis!"
“…” Ouyang Rong.
Just then, a woman's soft hum came from the back room.
Su Xian immediately abandoned Ouyang Rong, turned around, and said with a surprised expression:
"Oh, Mei Niang, what brings you here? Why didn't you say anything? Oh, you've come to visit your nephew, haven't you?"
The woman's voice continued to come from the back of the lobby:
"I'm just honestly asking Master Su if I can come out to receive guests. It depends on your approval. Otherwise, if I disobey Master Su in the slightest, he'll bring up ancestral precepts, family laws, and even call in elders. I can't bear that. I'm trembling with fear."
Su Xian chuckled awkwardly, stood up, and bowed slightly to greet her, "Madam still likes to joke around in front of her juniors, hahaha, please come in, please come in."
"Hmph, I wouldn't dare to joke like that."
A woman, accompanied by two personal maids, slowly walked out from the back room. She had long, thin eyebrows, a round face, and thin lips. She looked like a middle-aged woman, but her temperament was quite sharp. At this moment, she was like a sharp knife, cutting through the silent atmosphere in the hall.
Su Xian quickly went forward to help her, but as soon as he stood next to the long-browed woman, his expression suddenly changed, turning liver-colored, as if he was in pain. However, facing the gazes of his nephews and nieces, he still managed to force a smile to indicate that he was fine and alright.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but widen his eyes, while Su Dalang lowered his head to count the tea leaves in his cup, pretending not to see them.
Wei Mei quietly withdrew her hand from pinching her husband's waist. She turned her head and smiled at the handsome young man in the hall who seemed quite pleasing to the eye:
"Please excuse my poor nephew. I accidentally dropped the pastries on the ground. I'll go get another plate."
"How could I trouble you, Madam, with such trouble?"
Su Xian quickly grabbed Wei Mei, then his face turned red as he hurriedly waved to them: "Nephew, you...don't you have something to do? Cough, why don't you go back first? The grape trellis in my yard has also collapsed, and we need to go and help it up."
“…” Ouyang Rong.
I received some constructive feedback, so I made some minor revisions to the end of this chapter and added 1,000 words for free, bringing the total to 5,200 words. I only paid for 4,000 words! Thanks for your support, my good brothers!
(End of this chapter)
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