Dui hexagram, the most auspicious hexagram
Chapter 58 Dui Hexagram - The Most Auspicious Hexagram - Rising to Fame
The night dew was heavy and cold, so Rong Yan wanted to rest early after returning from the Taoist temple.
Fearing that Rong Yan might ruin her health from being so busy lately, Xie Qisheng still managed to find a moment to cheer her up, and even carved several jade rabbits for her out of mulberry wood.
The jade rabbit symbolizes reunion and happiness, which actually mitigates the taboo surrounding mulberry wood.
The Jade Rabbit's ears are cleverly designed; a gentle press causes them to sway, and the rabbit's limbs move accordingly, making it truly exquisite and unique.
At this moment, she fiddled with the jade rabbit, glanced at Xie Chengzhi on the bed, and thought about how he had taken good care of her during the days she was injured.
"My husband."
Xie Chengzhi had just looked up when he saw a small shadow being thrown towards him, which he caught reflexively.
Opening my palm, I found a small wooden jade rabbit. Upon closer inspection, I discovered its exquisite craftsmanship and cleverly designed mechanism.
Looking up again, I found that she was already lying down fully clothed.
He pinched the jade rabbit and smiled gently.
He got up and walked towards the lamp, but saw a figure in front of the door. "Who's there?"
"It is a servant."
He lowered his voice, "Madam has already gone to bed. We can talk about it tomorrow."
"yes."
Yu Ling was just a little excited. She had just received a message that Madam Zhang had indeed made a decision, just as the young mistress had said. She received the good news that very night.
She exclaimed once again, "The young mistress is truly extraordinary!"
*
The next day at Qu Shen Courtyard, the same old routine was followed. After Rong Yan tasted the medicine for Xie Chengzhi, he found that the taste of the medicine seemed to have changed again, becoming sweeter.
Even she could taste the angelica root. How could he take such a heavy dose of such a nourishing medicine?
While she was tasting the medicine, she secretly glanced at him and noticed that new hair was gradually growing on his forehead. Then she realized that it was no wonder they had changed the medicine.
When Yu Ling came in and reported what had happened the night before, Rong Yan wasn't too surprised.
Madam Zhang will definitely seek confirmation from Daoist Chonghuo. Although he may not necessarily like her, the Quanzhen Sect's actions are genuine and cannot be faked.
He surely knows that what she said is true.
The rest can be left to Ji Ming.
“Young Madam, there’s something else. The two maids sent by the Rong family have been sent away by the eldest young master. And you don’t know, but last night I saw the eldest young master outside, and he actually extinguished the lamp for you.”
Rong Yan: ?!
A string in her heart was gently plucked, and then she calmed down again.
"Keeping it is not of much use, and people will always change, just like my divination, which is not static."
She never imagined that her words would later become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Since everyone had agreed to discuss the food box today, Rong Yan packed up and went to the Taoist temple again.
Before she went, she spoke some kind words to Gaoshanju, after all, with Rong Shu in charge, it was Gaoshanju who suffered.
If he quits, then the job will eventually fall on her again.
Therefore, she had to reassure him. "Sir, although my elder sister is inexperienced, I believe that given time, she will surely become a strong and capable wife. For now, please bear with her. With your extraordinary talent, managing the affairs of a mere marquis's mansion will certainly not be difficult for you."
Whether it was her silver tongue or his delighted mood, he agreed.
After settling things down in the inner quarters, she went out.
Hua Li asked in bewilderment, "Young Madam, why do you help Madam Rong? She treats you like this, yet you still scheme for her. It's really not worth it."
"What you lose on one front, you gain on another; one day you'll understand."
What Huali didn't know was that by the time she understood those words, it was already too late.
Yu Ling hurriedly followed and got into the sedan chair. "Young Madam! This morning, the news spread throughout the streets and alleys about your geomancy work for Madam Zhang yesterday. Now everyone knows you are very capable. The storyteller in Fanlou was talking about you today. Now, Young Madam, your fame has soared!"
Rong Yan smiled and said, "Then I must thank Daoist Chonghuo. In any case, this gift must be given. Later, could you go and deliver the newly made lunch boxes and the food from the Daoist temple to them?"
Huali asked, puzzled, "Huh? Offering ourselves up like this is just letting them copy?"
Yu Ling suddenly became clever. "Not necessarily. It's precisely those who are offered up that won't be copied. Besides, judging from the arrogant looks of those Taoist priests, they probably won't be copied."
Rong Yan nodded. Giving gifts was a small matter; what mattered was his humble yet assertive attitude.
Although Hebai Temple is small, she wanted to make the Taoists of Dibao Mountain understand the principle that it is not the height of the mountain that matters.
At the same time, she also needed to win them over.
After all, there is only one true path in the world.
Whether it's the Quanzhen School or the Tianyi School, their goal is simply to follow the natural way.
When Rong Yan arrived at the Taoist temple, Xie Qisheng presented the prepared meal boxes to everyone.
Chef Gan muttered to himself, "I'm so sleepy, I was just thinking of taking a nap. What's so interesting about the lunchbox?"
Despite saying this, Chef Gan didn't move an inch, his eyes fixed on Xie Qisheng's hands.
As Xie Qisheng opened the cloth bag in his hand, a rectangular object appeared before everyone's eyes.
Chef Gan leaned closer to take a look and found it was a small box.
Chef Gan was not present when the food boxes were discussed last time.
Therefore, he was unaware of many details, and he was the one who was most curious.
He knew the food boxes in the temple needed improvement, but this size was a bit too small, and besides, the box looked... like it was made of paper?!
The paper, made from mulberry bark and slightly yellowed, has a strong fibrous texture from the bark. Even the clueless cook, Gan, could tell it was made of paper after a close inspection!
Li Fuquan was even more astonished. He recognized the material at a glance. He had thought that the food box Rong Yan mentioned would be made of beech veneer to cut costs, but who would have thought that a box made of paper could be used as a food box?!
Li Fuquan: "This...this can really be used as a food box?"
Chef Gan: "Could it be a way to save costs? But... this doesn't look like it will work."
He couldn't say it out loud, or he would offend the young mistress. Li Fuquan was such a shrewd man, he must have seen through it too, so he might as well let him hear the unpleasant truth.
Rong Yan gently touched his earlobe, took the cardboard box from Xie Qisheng's hand, and tapped it lightly. It was clear that he had pasted several layers of paper on it, making it quite thick.
The paste used nowadays is made from rice paste, so there's no fear of it being toxic. She glanced inside and saw that there was a layer of waterproof oil paper pasted on it.
"Chef Gan, could you scoop up a ladle of water?"
Chef Gan turned back into the kitchen as instructed and scooped up a spoonful of cold water. Rong Yan, seeing this, said, "Wait, I need hot water."
Chef Gan then switched to hot soup.
Rong Yan placed the paper food box on the table, but he hesitated to pour a spoonful of hot soup over it.
"What's wrong?"
"Young Madam, are you really going to pour it in? This paper definitely won't do." Seeing that Li Fuquan didn't stop him, Chef Gan, being straightforward, couldn't help but speak up.
Rong Yan nodded, "Pour it down and see."
After one spoonful, the entire room fell silent for a long while. Chef Gan was astonished to find that not a single detail had been revealed. "This! This paper can actually hold its own?!"
Everyone was very happy. Huali even said, "I tested it with cold water, but I didn't expect that it would work with hot water! Great, then our portable food box is now complete."
Rong Yan looked very carefully and noticed that small bubbles were slowly rising from the bottom of the food box. She lifted the food box again to look at the bottom. Although there was no leak yet, she figured that it would still seep out over time.
It's water now, not to mention oil.
Rong Yan voiced her concerns, and the smiles on everyone's faces immediately froze.
Chef Gan initially looked down on the small food box, thinking it wouldn't work. Unexpectedly, he was the first to change his mind; the fact that it could withstand the hot soup far exceeded his expectations.
Now that he hears it, he realizes it wasn't a success, and he feels somewhat unconvinced.
"It will definitely work! The hot soup was contained, which proves that paper can be used. Is it the bottom that's not working?"
Upon hearing Chef Gan's words, Rong Yan and Xie Qisheng looked at each other almost simultaneously.
right!
Chef Gan is right, the base technique is not good!
The two looked at the bottom of the box together, and sure enough, although the bottom was flat, it wasn't made from a single sheet of paper, but from several sheets. If the entire food box wasn't made from a single sheet of paper, then over time, water would definitely seep through the gaps.
"Chef Gan is indeed clever." Xie Qisheng clapped his hands and laughed, proving that three monks can make a living.
Li Fuquan smiled along, but the cook was completely baffled. How could he be so clever without doing anything?!
Li Fuquan sighed, "This is a brilliant idea, but it won't keep things warm in the dead of winter. It's certainly lighter than a wooden box, and much more convenient for the delivery person."
“What’s so difficult about that? Just put these food boxes into an insulated wooden box. It’s just that delivering them on foot is a bit impractical.”
If a groom could escort them, that would be feasible. Horses could also be borrowed from the eldest son's stables; all that would be needed is to hire a few grooms.
Li Fuquan had also thought of this. He glanced at Rong Yan, his opponent, and was suddenly impressed by her quick wit at such a young age.
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