Chapter 418: 180. Borrowing Soup to Offer to Buddha

180. Borrowing Soup to Offer to Buddha

Craftsman, Craftsman

"Why hasn't Tanlang returned home recently?"

"Busy."

"Busy with what? Come, come, sit down. Tanlang, don't go back to your room yet. Take off your coat and give it to Banxi, and tell your aunt."

"Uh, why is Aunt suddenly so free?"

"I only have one nephew. In the past, I could still cook dinner and sew clothes, but now he often doesn't return home at night. What else can I be busy with? I can't just conjure up another nephew to dote on, can I?"

"Cough, actually, it's just helping Master Venerable Shan Dao and their Lotus Pure Land Sect with that matter of building the Donglin Great Buddha. Didn't Master Venerable Shan Dao and Xiufa mention it to you when they came to mooch meals before?"

"He is now the Great Wisdom Gao Seng; Tanlang must not call him randomly."

"Alright, Great Wisdom Gao Seng."

"However, isn't it just building a Buddha statue? Why hasn't it been completed yet? Is it that troublesome?"

"It's still quite tall. Once completed, it will be the tallest Buddha statue in the southeast."

"Donglin Temple is so rich now; why build such a large one for no reason, and still need your Jiangzhou government office to help? You all are also neglecting your proper work.

"It seems that in the future, I should donate less incense money to their temple. Now it's even worse; building a Buddha statue requires my nephew to be busy running around. Those who don't know might think the Imperial Court government office is working for their monk sect."

"Aunt, you can say such things in private, but don't say them outside, cough cough."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, Aunt, don't worry. It's not just me busy until so late; many colleagues are accompanying me. The palace ladies are also like this; no one is idle. As the Chief Clerk, I can't just shrink back and be lazy."

"You are just stupid."

"Aunt..."

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse; it was already late at night.

Inside the mansion on Huaiye Lane, Ouyang Rong returned, travel-worn. Just as he arrived home and was preparing to pass through the main hall on tiptoe to return to the Yinbing Study, he was caught by Zhen Shuyuan, who was sitting quietly in the darkness of the hall. She strode to intercept him in the corridor and gave him a good scolding.

If it weren't for the fact that he was wearing this set of pale red, dignified official robes, the noble lady in the Luo skirt would have almost picked up her old trade and twisted her unfilial nephew's ears directly as she used to.

The main hall lit up again. Banxi and other maids took Ouyang Rong's official coat, lit the lamps, and retreated.

Only Zhen Shuyuan, with her willow eyebrows raised, and Ouyang Rong, with a helpless expression, remained.

"Confess honestly, besides being busy with the statue building, are you keeping a bad woman outside?"

"No, Aunt, where did you hear such ghost stories?"

"Are you scolding me?"

"No, no. But Aunt, why did you suddenly say this? Where did so many bad women come from?"

"If a man doesn't return home, it's either because he's found a bad woman outside, or he's grown tired of his home and started to despise his long-suffering wife. You have to pick one, hmph."

Zhen Shuyuan counted on her fingers.

Ouyang Rong's mouth twitched:

"Can't it be... ptooey ptooey, neither?"

"No. But this applies to other men. However, Tanlang is special. Tanlang's case..."

"What about me?"

Zhen Shuyuan nodded:

"Tanlang is smarter. If there really were a bad woman or if you were tired of your aunt and home, you definitely wouldn't show it. Instead, you would be deep in thought and do the opposite, never letting people easily notice. Hmm, Tanlang should be acting as usual, coming home on time for meals, and really being even more self-disciplined and orderly than usual, making people unable to see any flaws.

"Eh, looking at it this way, Tanlang should really be busy recently."

Ouyang Rong was completely rendered speechless.

He didn't know whether to thank his aunt for clearing his name or to worry about her strange logic.

"No, not to that extent..."

"Who says not to that extent? I think you have had this trend recently."

"What trend do I have?"

"I heard that Tanlang shaved bamboo a few days ago and stayed up late to make a woman's bamboo cane?"

"It is true that there is such a thing, but... but where did Aunt hear that it was a woman's bamboo cane? It's just a cane convenient for climbing mountains, gifted to a colleague. How can there be a distinction between men's and women's?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head.

Zhen Shuyuan said in a flat tone:

"Heh, Tanlang, just say whether this cane you made with your own hands was finally gifted to a woman."

Ouyang Rong immediately went silent.

Zhen Shuyuan curled her lips:

"I heard that when you made this bamboo cane, you specifically asked Weilai and Banxi to try it to see if it was handy. Tanlang, you are meticulous in your work. If a cane is to be handy, it also pays attention to the height and weight of the user... May I ask, if the recipient were not a woman with a similar figure to Weilai and Banxi, would Tanlang have needed to let them try it?"

Ouyang Rong patted his forehead and realized:

"Next time there is a murder case in the city, I must let Aunt take a look. My nephew's name as the nemesis of crime will depend on Aunt in the future."

His tone was surprisingly serious.

"Stop spouting nonsense to me. Confess honestly, who is it?"

Ouyang Rong said like beans pouring from a bamboo tube:

"It is indeed a colleague in official business. We deal with each other often. She was injured, and last time she was with me, but her injuries were more severe. Your nephew, I, uphold the principle of unity and friendship, caring about a colleague, which is very normal. The only thing slightly special is the other party's gender. She is a palace lady. In any case, it's not something I can flirt with, so Aunt, stop making such jokes."

"Oh? Our Ouyang Chief Clerk still has such pure male-female relationships."

"That is of course. I don't know why Aunt misunderstands me. Your nephew, I, although I dare not fully claim the name of a gentleman spread throughout the world, at least I do not live up to these four words and have not disgraced them."

Ouyang Rong sat upright.

He was upright and not afraid of a crooked shadow.

Zhen Shuyuan looked at her nephew's serious expression and suddenly said:

"So, bringing her bellyband back to wash and then sending it back also belongs to Tanlang's principle of unity and friendship?"

Facing his aunt's half-smiling eyes, Ouyang Rong's expression changed slightly: "It, it counts as such."

After a pause, he suddenly said righteously:

"Aunt also said that I wouldn't make such low-level mistakes. On the contrary, I would do the opposite. If there really were a ghost, how could I let you know so easily?

"This bellyband was returned to its owner after Weilai washed it. I didn't look at it much."

"That's not necessarily true. After all, even the smartest people have oversights, don't they?"

"Aunt is double-standard. If it's like this, I have nothing to say. Just speculate and slander me as you please."

"Alright, now the word 'slander' is even used on Aunt."

Ouyang Rong waved his hand: "It was baseless to begin with."

"Fine, then change the question."

Zhen Shuyuan's smile remained unchanged, and she switched topics smoothly.

Actually, the noble lady in the Luo skirt didn't want to interfere with her beloved nephew's privacy, she just hadn't held him down to chat for a long time, and just wanted to talk more with Ouyang Rong.

And occasionally deliberately misunderstanding and teasing him was quite interesting.

Look, just now Ouyang Rong was still looking like he wanted to find an excuse to slip away and go back to his room to sleep, but now isn't he sitting obediently, looking like a proud person who won't leave until he proves his innocence?

Moreover, Zhen Shuyuan didn't mind Ouyang Rong keeping women outside from the bottom of her heart. If he liked them, he could just bring them back. What did it matter to take in a few concubines? In fact, for the sake of the beautiful vision of the old Ouyang family having many children and many blessings, she wished for the more the better.

Zhen Shuyuan smiled slightly, held Ouyang Rong, who was turning his body, straightened him from his side-sitting posture, and asked softly:

"Why hasn't Wanwan come recently? Did Tanlang make her angry, and are you having a spat?"

"Can't Aunt think well of me? Why isn't it that she made me angry? Although there isn't, Aunt assumes every time that your nephew is doing bad things."

"Yo, Tanlang's temper is really big. Alright, fine, Aunt apologizes to you. Come, drink this cup of tea; consider it Aunt's apology."

"No, no, Aunt, what kind of joke are you making? How can there be a reason for an elder to offer tea to a junior?"

"So you also know that Aunt is an elder."

Zhen Shuyuan couldn't help but laugh, tidied her skirt sleeves, and waved her hand:

"Alright, no more jokes. Look at these dark circles under your eyes. Go rest quickly. Later you'll blame Aunt for nagging again, making you not have peace at home."

Ouyang Rong was half-believing: "I'm really going back to my room? Aunt has no other business?"

"Now that you mention it, I really do."

Ouyang Rong made a straight face: "Are you squeezing toothpaste? Speaking in segments."

"What is toothpaste?"

"Nothing."

Zhen Shuyuan didn't care and shook her head:

"I stewed a pot of soup for you. You go wash up first. Later I'll have Weilai send it to your room. You drink more; it's for health."

"Why nourish the body for no reason?" After reacting, Ouyang Rong asked with a straight face: "What kind of soup is this?"

"Silkie chicken, yam, and red date soup. It nourishes blood, tonifies the kidneys, strengthens yang, and benefits qi."

Ouyang Rong's mouth twitched.

"Why, Aunt stewed it for a whole day, Tanlang, are you sure you won't taste it?"

"Taste, of course I will taste it. I'll drink it all when I go back."

Ouyang Rong left a sentence and immediately slipped away.

Returning to the Yinbing Study, after resting for a while, just as he was preparing to wash up, Ye Weilai entered the room, buried her head low, and handed over a bowl of silkie chicken, yam, and red date soup.

A look of helplessness appeared on Ouyang Rong's face.

"The Eldest Xiao Niangzi said, one bowl tonight, another bowl when you get up tomorrow, and then send another bowl over at noon... In any case, Tanlang must drink it all. First, stew it slowly over a small fire. Anyway, there's no rush; if you can't drink it, just slow down."

Ouyang Rong looked at this bowl of yang-strengthening medicinal diet with a sad face, and then looked at Ye Weilai, whose earlobes were red and who was embarrassed to raise her head to look at him.

How could he not know what Aunt meant? She was starting to urge him.

As the air was silent.

Ouyang Rong's heart suddenly moved.

He immediately picked up the bowl, swallowed his anger, drank this bowl of chicken soup, and then immediately returned to his bed and fell asleep.

As for the tossing and turning of the white-haired girl beside him on the bed at night, he pretended not to notice...

The next day, early morning.

Ouyang Rong instructed Ye Weilai, who was preparing to bring over another bowl of silkie chicken, yam, and red date soup:

"Pack the soup pot; I want to take it away."

Ye Weilai was stunned:

"Take... take it where? The Eldest Xiao Niangzi said, must watch Tanlang drink it all..."

Ouyang Rong said seriously:

"Take it to the Prince's Mansion, drink it with Xiao Shimei, and also nourish her blood."

After throwing out this reason, Ye Weilai was somewhat helpless. After hesitating for a while, she had to follow orders, but she would definitely have to ask Zhen Shuyuan for instructions later.

Ouyang Rong carried a soup pot and went out, boarding the carriage.

However, after he arrived at the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, he did not see Xiao Shimei's figure.

The little ink spirit Miaosi was also not in the courtyard.

Ouyang Rong called a maid to inquire. It turned out that Xiao Shimei, along with Li Guoer and Qin Xiaoniang, had gone together to attend a private elegant gathering of Xunyang ladies.

Ouyang Rong originally wanted to leave this pot of silkie chicken, yam, and red date soup in the courtyard, but after a second thought, what if Xiao Shimei saw through it and sent it back?

Ouyang Rong raised his eyebrows, suddenly turned around, and went out again.

Not long after, he brought this pot of silkie chicken, yam, and red date soup, took a carriage, and came to a simple small courtyard not far from the Jiangzhou Government Office.

The courtyard door opened.

"Why did you come?"

Rong Zhen supported herself with a jasper cane, frowning at the visitor.

Ouyang Rong walked past her familiarly, walked into the courtyard, and placed a pot of carefully packaged silkie chicken, yam, and red date soup on the table.

"This is..."

"Yesterday, I suddenly remembered that after Xiao Niangzi Historiographer was injured, you lost too much blood, and your face has been pale. Being on a business trip in a foreign land is not like being at home in the capital; no one takes care of you, and you have to rely on yourself for everything. I thought about it, and together with my family, I stewed a pot of silkie chicken, yam, and red date soup. Xiao Niangzi Historiographer, nourish yourself."

He clapped his hands and said sincerely.

Two days had passed since they jointly submitted the memorial for the postponement of the Great Buddha, but Luoyang and Jiangzhou were far apart, and the memorial was still on the road. There was no response from Luoyang for the time being.

Speaking of which, Ouyang Rong actually wanted to find an opportunity to say thank you these past two days, and now was just the right time.

Rong Zhen's expression was as cold as ever; she shook her head and pushed away the soup pot:

"I am not helping you; I am just reporting the truth. It is just something that should be done."

Ouyang Rong pushed the soup pot back without looking sideways and said seriously:

"This bowl of soup is also a little bit of my heart. Um, it is also something that friends and colleagues should do.

"Having known each other for so long, Xiao Niangzi Historiographer's style is as high as the mountains and as long as the rivers; I respect you very much. Sending soup this time has no other meaning, no requests. Xiao Niangzi Historiographer, you don't need to worry; you must accept it. Recovering from illness is the priority.

"Moreover, since I have already sent it, Xiao Niangzi Historiographer, taste it. If you don't like it, you can handle it however you want."

After speaking, without waiting for Rong Zhen to push it away again, Ouyang Rong immediately turned around and slipped away.

After he went out and boarded the carriage, and drove away for a distance, not seeing Rong Zhen's figure chasing after to return the soup, he let out a slight sigh of relief.

Finally handled it.

At the same time, Ouyang Rong looked inside at a line of cyan-gold characters in the Merit Tower without changing his expression...

In the courtyard behind, Rong Zhen stood quietly inside the threshold, turning her head to look at the handsome Chief Clerk who had run from far away early in the morning to send a pot of chicken soup, and his dashing departing back.

At some moment, her exquisite nose tip twitched, and she turned her head to look at the soup pot placed on the seat.

She turned around, closed the door, returned to the room, and opened the lid.

Rong Zhen did not take a silver spoon; she suddenly extended an index finger into the boiling, thick chicken soup, not afraid of scalding her skin. The soup stained her finger.

Taking her index finger out of the hot soup, she put it into her mouth and sucked it.

Her small face was somewhat lost in thought.

This was a habit formed when her mother was still around. Her mother liked to stew soup. Every time she lifted the lid, her mother would use a spoon to scoop soup to taste if it was cooked, and she, being short, would fold her hands and lie on the stove, secretly dipping her finger in the soup, learning from her mother to taste...

In the simple room, the girl with stained fingers, who hadn't drunk chicken soup for a long time, bit her fingertip and muttered softly in her mouth:

"Is it just a little bit of heart..."

She pursed her lips again and sucked her finger.

The soup juice entering her throat was warm and also a little sweet...