Chapter 28: 28. Tan Lang Has Learned to Be Bad

28. Tan Lang Has Learned to Be Bad

"Tan Lang."

"Hmm?"

"Do you... have something you want to say?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"What do you think?"

Zhen Shi put down her bowl and looked at Ouyang Rong across the table, unable to laugh or cry. He had even held one of his chopsticks backward.

Come to think of it, Tan Lang had been a bit depressed for the past two days. It seemed to have started since he came back the night before last.

For these two days, he only stared at the dish closest to him while eating. At first, Banxi had run over to report the good news to Zhen Shi, saying that the young master loved eating the Silla-style meat-stuffed rolls she made. As a result, when Zhen Shi changed it to a plate of plain tofu in front of dear son the next day, he "didn't love" eating it anymore and didn't even touch the Silla specialty with his chopsticks... It left the Silla maid completely confused, her little face dejected for a long time.

It wasn't just eating. When Tan Lang walked in the Meilu Pavilion, he was also absent-minded. Sometimes Zhen Shi had to call him three times before he would respond, and his first answer was always "Ah, oh... okay."

Zhen Shi was that kind of very traditional, beautiful woman who didn't step out of the gate and focused only on her husband and children. She only concentrated on handling household affairs. Here in the Meilu Pavilion, she was the same. Every day, she was responsible for Ouyang Rong's three meals, washing, and sleeping. In her spare time, she had no social projects like girlfriends' gatherings or spring outings, and never showed her face in public.

When she had nothing to do, she would bask in the sun in the courtyard, crack melon seeds, and occasionally discipline the maidservants. Sometimes she might recall her girlhood days of dancing with knives and guns, but she was already the mistress of the house and couldn't do such undignified things in front of the maidservants.

As for embroidery, needlework, and housework, she didn't need to do them now. The only slightly interesting thing was to personally tidy up Tan Lang's private study. The study was a restricted area and wasn't left to the maidservants; she did it all herself, and by the way, curiously touched and looked at his paper, ink, brushes, inkstones, books, and paintings. Although Zhen Shi didn't recognize many characters besides her own and Tan Lang's name and couldn't understand these things, it didn't hinder the woman's little hobby.

Besides that, the time Zhen Shi looked forward to most every day was eating with Tan Lang, during which she could listen to him talk about some novel things outside.

However, except for major marriage matters, she never asked about any of Ouyang Rong's official business or private friendships. She would sit quietly to one side, and when lowering her head to eat, those clever, charming phoenix eyes would carefully look up at the subtle expressions on Tan Lang's face.

This could also be considered one of the few pleasures of every day.

Therefore, Zhen Shi was very good at observing expressions and was most concerned about this beloved nephew. None of his abnormalities could escape those phoenix eyes. So, seeing Ouyang Rong's hesitant appearance while eating dinner, she asked immediately.

"If Tan Lang has something to say, just say it. It's not like you're going to kick Aunt out, right?"

Zhen Shi snorted through her nose and reached out to correct the chopsticks he was holding backward.

Ouyang Rong felt a bit embarrassed. "I want to borrow some money from Aunt..."

"Borrow?"

"Yes, I will definitely pay it back when I get my salary."

Zhen Shi smiled but didn't smile. "Isn't all the money here mine? Just take it if you want. Why talk about borrowing? Your monthly salary is also sent by the government office. The salary grain and official field income are all managed by me. Did Tan Lang forget?"

Ouyang Rong was stunned and nodded immediately. "That's good. Then I... will take some, and Aunt can continue to hold the rest for me to manage the household."

"Then how much do you want? You can't take it all. I'm preparing to go to the West Market horse market in a few days to pick a beautiful maid for you. It's estimated it will cost quite a bit. Now, Western Region beauties, Bodhisattva barbarians, and Silla maids are all very expensive. Those brainless rich merchants are just driving up the prices."

"Buy what beautiful maid? I don't need one. Aunt, don't waste money following the trend of keeping slaves. Those slaves are also pitiful people."

Zhen Shi nodded. "They are pitiful people, so we should buy a few more back, let Tan Lang cherish them, and give them a warm bed."

"..." How damn reasonable, just a bit wasteful of kidneys.

"Let's talk about this later." Ouyang Rong was speechless, waved his hand to brush it off, and turned to say earnestly: "Aunt, how about you give me ten strings of cash?"

Zhen Shi only hesitated for a moment before nodding immediately. "Okay, I'll get it for you after eating."

At this time, silver was still rarely circulated. Most of the market transactions used copper coins and silk. One string of cash was equivalent to 1,000 wen, and its purchasing power was already very strong.

A strong slave at the horse market cost about six or seven strings. Of course, it must have depreciated now in the disaster year. And the rather elegant Meilu Pavilion where Ouyang Rong and Zhen Shi lived was only worth forty or fifty strings.

However, there was no concept of real estate speculation now. Buying a house also depended on household registration and status. It wasn't that you could buy it if you had money. The strict hierarchy meant it couldn't be traded freely, which was a disguised restriction on housing prices.

As for Ouyang Rong's salary, because Longcheng County had a population of more than 6,000 households, it was a superior county. He was a Grade 7 magistrate, and his monthly salary was more than two strings.

However, an official's salary didn't just include the salary silver; it also included salary grain and allocated official fields, as well as some year-end bonuses and other miscellaneous things. Calculated together, the average monthly salary was only about four strings.

Overall, the salaries of Great Zhou officials were okay, but if they lived in Luoyang or Chang'an, it wasn't enough.

Ouyang Rong dipped his finger in water to write and draw on the table, lowering his head to calculate in his heart.

Zhen Shi thought for a while and still asked, "What does Tan Lang want so much money for?"

Only to see the young magistrate not lift his head and say: "Go to the Yuanming Tower."

Zhen Shi was stunned, and Banxi, who was serving at the side, also had a strange look in her eyes. They had lived in Longcheng County for some time and knew that the Yuanming Tower was not only the largest restaurant in the area but also a place for girls who were "precisely helping the poor" but were "clothed in rags yet virtuous and artistic."

Well, actually it was a brothel. However, in the Great Zhou Dynasty, a brothel was still a relatively formal place. Many sold their art but not their bodies. Seeking flowers and asking for willows wasn't the main business; it was mainly a high-class social place for literati, scholars, and wealthy merchants, and was quite sought after among the literati.

But... Tan Lang, a gentleman, wants to go to a brothel?

Zhen Shi and Banxi remembered that strange hobby dear son had accidentally "exposed" that day.

The beautiful woman said solemnly: "Tan Lang, it's better not to go there. Aunt will add some more money for you. Go buy a docile beautiful maid tomorrow. You can pick whoever you want. If it's more expensive, it's more expensive. Some things... Aunt understands, you can't hold it in."

"???" Ouyang Rong.

The next morning.

Longcheng County government office.

The young magistrate, with a bulging wallet, straightened his waist, walked into the County Assistant's office in the West Hall with his hands behind his back, and knocked on the table of County Assistant Diao, who was sleepy at work early in the morning.

"Ah... why is the Magistrate here? It's a sin, it's a sin. I'm getting old and a bit sleepy." County Assistant Diao hurriedly stood up to welcome him.

"It's nothing, just a small matter. I'll leave after I finish speaking." After a pause, Ouyang Rong nodded again: "However, County Assistant Diao is truly vigorous in his old age, coming to make up for sleep early in the morning."

"..." County Assistant Diao said helplessly: "Magistrate, don't make fun of your subordinate. Your subordinate only has one wife of humble origin, and there are only five sets of clothes for the four seasons... Oh right, what does the Magistrate want to order? Please speak."

Ouyang Rong said calmly: "The day after tomorrow, at the Yuanming Tower, County Assistant, call all the local gentry, wealthy merchants, and scholars with fame that you know for me. It's best not to miss a single one."

County Assistant Diao only froze for a short while before saying happily: "Good, good, good. Your subordinate will arrange it right away. Let them hurry up and set up a banquet to make up for a welcoming banquet for the Magistrate, haha Magistrate. They have long admired you and have long wanted to pay respects to their parent-official. I pushed away quite a few before because I saw it wasn't convenient for you..."

Ouyang Rong, who was turning to leave, suddenly interrupted:

"You got it wrong. It's not them inviting me, it's me setting up a banquet to invite them. Go, call everyone over. Hey, they are all the people of this county. I can't favor one over the other. I must properly... care for them."

County Assistant Diao, who only had five sets of clothes for the four seasons, froze.

... ===== CHAPTER 29 =====