Chapter 158: One Hundred and Sixty-Five: A Brief Gift of an Essay

One Hundred and Sixty-Five: A Brief Gift of an Essay

Hidden within the garden's secluded flower pavilion.

A family gathered, the atmosphere tense.

"Why won't you speak, Elder Brother?"

Su Su Guoer asked directly, staring at Su Fu, the eldest son of the Su family.

Su Fu fell silent for a moment, then simply shook his head.

Su Su Xian, seated at the head of the table, had just set down the scroll in his hand, only to pick it up again and unfold it, lowering his gaze to read.

This elder of the Su family could not put it down; he sighed to his wife, daughter, and eldest son:

"Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan's essay is clear, fluent, and straightforward, yet never dull—it radiates an undeniable, commanding presence, utterly distinct from the ornate, flowery parallel prose now dominant among scholars, standing out like a crane among chickens."

He stroked his beard: "Every time I read it, it feels like drinking chilled ice in summer or sipping yellow wine warmed in winter—thoroughly invigorating, every pore open."

Su Su Guoer turned back and commented:

"Of course it's commanding—its logic is tight, its reasoning solid, its momentum like a galloping horse, flowing seamlessly from start to finish. The author must be profoundly confident in his scholarly convictions; only then could such force be poured into the text."

Su Su Xian nodded thoughtfully: "Well said. To read a text is to see the man. Though I've seen him before, today I truly understand Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan."

Wei Mei tore her gaze from the calligraphy, flowing like dragons, and nodded:

"Therefore, regardless of status or age, where the Dao resides, there the teacher resides… I love this line."

She paused, then turned to Su Su Xian:

"If we could hire him as a teacher for the Juxian Garden, as your personal advisor, offering counsel—it would be ideal. A wise teacher and beneficial friend, and of the same age, brimming with vitality."

"Far better than forcing Li Dala to sit daily with an octogenarian Confucian, drowning in stale air. I've mentioned this before, but you kept delaying…"

"Mother…" Su Su Dalang, hearing his mother speak so of his ailing teacher, could not help but call out.

Wei Mei ignored him, only casting a sidelong glance at Su Su Xian.

He smiled awkwardly.

Seeing his parents and sister fall silent, Su Fu hesitated, then interjected:

"But Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan said this essay was given to him by a senior during his studies—he only polished it slightly before passing it on to me…"

Su Fu's words trailed off as he noticed Su Su Guoer, Su Su Xian, and Wei Mei all staring at him with strange, half-amused expressions.

"Alright…"

Su Fu fell silent, realizing it was clearly Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan's modesty—any fool could see that.

At that moment,

Su Su Guoer suddenly asked:

"You don't want Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan to know our situation? You don't want him to become your advisor?"

The atmosphere instantly stilled.

Su Fu opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Su Su Xian asked gently:

"Li Dala, do you think Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan is unsuitable? Or do you have another perspective you'd like to share with us?"

Su Fu lowered his head:

"Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan is a good friend… I don't want to drag him down."

"Even without gambling, his talent guarantees a brilliant future. Why should he board our tiny, unstable boat, where tomorrow is uncertain?"

"I already feel guilty toward my teacher… If I let Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan join us too…"

Su Fu fell silent, shaking his head alone.

"Li Dala!" Wei Mei snapped, frowning. "Think clearly. Do you think such defeatist talk honors our ancestors?"

Su Su Xian's face grew solemn; he sighed softly, saying nothing.

Su Su Guoer sat quietly, eyes lowered. Beneath her blue skirt, a foot in pink embroidered shoes curled upward, silently hooking the leg of an empty embroidered stool. She swayed it gently, lost in thought.

Su Fu gathered courage and said:

"Mother, Sister, think—why hasn't Miss Chenjun Xie revealed our family's situation to Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan? Why hasn't she drawn him into this?"

"I think that tells us enough… Miss Chenjun Xie also believes this would not be good for Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan."

Su Su Xian, Wei Mei, and Su Su Guoer glanced at the kind, broad-shouldered young man before them, listening in silence.

For a moment, none spoke.

The silence did not last long.

Su Su Guoer gave Su Fu a slight nod, unconcerned:

"Fine then."

She herself thought it was merely icing on the cake—unnecessary.

Right now, Su Su Guoer's full attention was fixed on the matter of Donglin Temple.

In the pavilion, the young woman with the plum-blossom makeup, her lovely face expressionless, drew her legs back, set the stool steady, and rose.

Before turning to leave, she tossed off:

"Since Elder Brother has made his decision, we'll follow it. Good. You've finally developed your own judgment."

Seeing his most important sister voice her approval, Su Fu exhaled deeply.

Sometimes in this household, his sister's word carried more weight than his father's or mother's.

Su Fu thought for a moment, then called after Su Su Guoer's retreating back:

"Still, I'll try inviting Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan to your birthday banquet. Your birth anniversary deserves some festivity."

"Do as you like."

Su Su Guoer waved a hand, indifferent, her figure vanishing beyond the pavilion's doorway.

…

The next day, evening.

The torrential rain of the day had faded into a fine drizzle under the night sky.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong set down his oiled paper umbrella outside the courtyard, its tip against the wall. He shook it left and right, leaned it against the wall, and stepped inside.

He brought a basket of fruit to "visit" Old Master Yuan, but still did not enter the inner chamber—stopping instead in the front hall.

"Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, you're here!"

Su Fu hurried out to greet him, wiping his hands on his robe after having just fed medicine.

"Here."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong sat at the table, eyes fixed on the drizzle outside, cheeks puffed as he chewed something, then casually tossed the basket to Su Fu, who took it and glanced inside:

"This is…"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong spat out a grape skin, caught it with his palm, and gave a slight nod:

"All the fruit from Meilu Garden has been picked clean by me and Ye Weilai—only grapes remain. Now even those are gone; they're all in this basket. Take some to your teacher. The rest I'll bring to my junior sister later—she likes grapes too…"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong muttered as if chatting casually.

Su Su Dalang took the basket, glancing again at Magistrate Ouyang Rong's profile as he stared out at the rain.

He pursed his lips and said:

"The teacher is nearly recovered… but Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, why not go in and see him? You come every day."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong shook his head:

"No, I'm afraid I'll make him faint again. Lately, I've thought about it—last time, there really wasn't much to argue about…" He paused, then muttered under his breath: "Probably just old habits resurfacing—blame it on all those keyboard fights back then…"

The last few words of his muttering grew so quiet, Su Fu couldn't catch them:

"Huh? What did you say, Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan? What keyboard?"

"Nothing." Magistrate Ouyang Rong propped his left elbow on the table, caught another grape skin with his right hand, and turned with a bright smile.

Inside the inner room, the old man lying on the bed, eyes shut but ears straining, heard the faint words and flushed slightly, letting out a soft "hmm."

In the front hall, Su Su Dalang sat beside Magistrate Ouyang Rong and asked:

"What have you been busy with lately? Still watching the Liu family?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong's expression grew slightly serious; he shook his head:

"Xiao Xiao Shimei is handling Liu Liu Ziwen's case and the Liu family. I've been tracking water levels upstream in Lady Yunmeng Marsh—the situation is troubling."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong rubbed his face, pointing toward the upper reaches of Butterfly Creek, his voice weary:

"This final surge of the plum rain season is heavier and worse than expected. Water levels along the Di Gong Dam, marked by the water gauges, have reached danger thresholds."

"Except for that one day off during the holiday, the rain hasn't stopped—light or heavy, it's been relentless… This isn't a good sign."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong sighed.

"Tomorrow I must go back to Di Gong Dam and take another look."

He rubbed his face, muttering:

"It's just this last hurdle—surely it won't spring some huge 'surprise' on me? If it does, it'd be too clichéd."

Su Fu smiled faintly at the young county magistrate, who muttered words he couldn't quite catch.

This eldest son of the Su family encouraged him:

"Don't worry, Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan. You've done everything you can. Human effort determines outcomes. If I were Heaven, seeing how hard you've worked to control the floods, and how united the people of Longcheng are under your leadership, I'd never have the heart to destroy them."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded, glancing at the comforting Su Fu.

Still, he turned back to the sparse rain outside, mumbling:

"Rising water… rising water… still rising? Then besides Di Gong Dam and Zhe Zhe Yiqu, we'll need to requisition extra large boats—otherwise, we'll have to borrow some from Jiangzhou City."

"By the way, we still need to warn all the county's people. That suggestion Old Ash mentioned earlier was actually good—we should find a high-elevation spot to build a shelter ahead of time. A place like the Donglin Temple on the eastern side of Mount Mount Dagu would be perfect..."

Seeing Magistrate Ouyang Rong lost in thought, muttering words he couldn't understand, Su Fu did not interrupt or press him.

Hua Xuanji after, Su Fu noticed his friend beside him exhale deeply—it seemed he had returned to himself.

He smiled and spoke:

"By the way, I forgot to tell you, Brother Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan—my younger sister's birthday is coming up in a few days. Do you have time to come to our home for dinner? Let's all gather together and have some fun?"

"Uh..." Magistrate Ouyang Rong opened his mouth slightly, glancing at Su Fu, then at the door.

"What's wrong with Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan? Is something amiss?" Su Fu asked, noticing Magistrate Ouyang Rong's odd expression.

"Nothing."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong shook his head.

Actually, his junior sister had mentioned this very thing a couple days ago. He'd been visiting Su Fu's home often lately, so he'd naturally seen the maids bustling about, hanging lanterns and decorations.

But when his junior sister had invited him before, Magistrate Ouyang Rong hadn't shown much interest—after all, it was just his junior sister's close friend's birthday, far removed from him. There was no need to go crowd in; if outsiders saw him show up, they might misunderstand and think he had ulterior motives.

But now, it was Brother Su Dalang himself extending the invitation—this carried the weight of a brother's request, and was entirely different.

Seeing Magistrate Ouyang Rong's hesitant expression,

Su Fu waved his hand dismissively:

"It's fine—if you're busy, don't worry about it. I was just asking. Official duties at the government office come first. If you can't make it, don't feel guilty."

"It's not entirely that..." Magistrate Ouyang Rong shook his head and asked softly, "Um... could I ask—how many people will be at your sister's birthday banquet?"

Su Fu thought for a moment, then nodded: "At the time... it might be quite crowded."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded, unsurprised.

After all, from his junior sister, he'd already heard that this younger Miss Su held an unusual position in the Su household. It was only natural that her father, Master Su, would lavish her with grandeur.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong immediately lost all interest in attending.

First, he didn't particularly enjoy such banquets. If he went and couldn't sit with the children, he'd be stuck going around toasting, drinking, and exchanging cups all night.

Second, he still felt a faint embarrassment recalling the time he'd accidentally wandered into his younger sister's bedroom wing while taking a shortcut through the plum grove.

Third, as the county's magistrate, he had to treat all citizens of Longcheng equally, beyond personal ties. Even if his friendship with Su Dalang and his junior sister was strong, he still had to avoid even the appearance of favoritism.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong shook his head.

Besides that, there was one small additional factor.

Yesterday, after bidding farewell to Brother Su Dalang with the basket of fruit, he'd vaguely sensed something off about this Su household—its origins seemed unusually complex...

He was a man returning home. Staying out of affairs was the wisest course.

That was also why, these past days, he'd maintained a rigid routine: rising early and returning late, shuttling between Meilu Garden, the government office, and Digong Dam.

Now he feared that if some accident occurred, he'd be forced into other matters, deepening his entanglements with this world further.

Even the urge he'd felt recently—after dismantling the Liu family during the "smashing the local tyrants" campaign and seizing the chance to reorganize Longcheng's equal-field system—had been restrained. He hadn't meddled.

Right now, Magistrate Ouyang Rong's eyes were fixed solely on flood control—he only wanted to handle the possible flood disaster.

He had already gathered the ten thousand merits needed to exchange for the Pure Earth Palace's great blessing—and even had some left over.

So now, he was left with nothing but the original resolve he'd carried down from the mountains when he took office: to relieve famine and control floods.

As for the entanglements he already had, he would resolve one if he could.

As for new entanglements—he hoped none would come.

Su Fu turned and asked: "So, Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, you still don't want to come?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong, like a sage drained of all energy, hesitated slightly:

"I don't not want to come..."

Actually, he really didn't want to.

He offered a tactful suggestion:

"How about this: I'll see how things go. If I have time, I'll definitely attend. But if the government office's duties are heavy, or some unexpected matter arises and I simply can't spare myself, please forgive me, Brother Su Dalang—and your sister."

After listening to Magistrate Ouyang Rong's long, earnest speech and seeing the sincerity on his friend's face, Su Fu was momentarily speechless.

Brother Su Dalang really wanted to say: Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, you don't need to be so gentle and roundabout. Even if you can't come, my sister won't care.

My sister is always weighed down by thoughts—sometimes even family members can't guess what's on her mind. Even a birthday banquet, which outsiders might consider a major event, might seem as weightless as a feather to her.

But such blunt truths were naturally unsuitable to tell a friend.

Su Fu had no objection to Magistrate Ouyang Rong's proposal and nodded immediately: "Fine."

Then the two chatted a while longer, and the young county magistrate picked up his grapes and rose to take his leave.

Just before stepping out the gate, Magistrate Ouyang Rong suddenly halted, lowered his umbrella, and turned back with a smile:

"Even if I can't come, my goodwill shouldn't be lacking. But you know me—my house is so poor I've only got one white-haired maid left, and she eats a lot. Since I have nothing to offer, how about I gift you a short prose piece instead?"

Su Fu blinked, then teased: "Let me guess... this prose was given to you by a senior during your studies? And you're just passing it along?"

"You're already guessing the answer..."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong smiled sheepishly. "Long ago, I occasionally heard mention of your sister's tastes. This prose... she might like it."

Su Fu paid little attention, chuckled, and nodded:

"Alright then, I'll accept it on my sister's behalf. Thank you, Brother Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, for your thoughtfulness."

(End of Chapter)