Chapter 45: Forty-Five: The Blessing Bell Rings Again (Starting Point Uploading, Midnight Request for First Subscription!)

Forty-Five: The Blessing Bell Rings Again (Starting Point Uploading, Midnight Request for First Subscription!)

"Zhen Yi made me come."

Ouyang Rong still had half a zongzi in his mouth, staring blankly up at the girl standing before him, blocking his sunlight, her lips pressed tight.

Just now, the junior sister had walked straight onto the stage and come up to him, saying this out of nowhere, leaving him frowning in confusion.

What does that mean? She didn't come on her own accord—someone forced her?

Also, the junior sister really is tall, but she always speaks bluntly and likes to talk back to her senior brothers.

Those long legs before him, standing elegantly, instantly blocked his entire field of vision—especially when looking up from below, he could barely see her proud little face… This was the real "Eye-Blocking Pavilion." The pavilion halfway up Mount Mount Dagu was just a fake one—how could it compare to this one? Not big enough, no, it blocked the view.

The resentful senior brother put down his chopsticks, stood up, and said his first words: "Salty zongzi or sweet zongzi?"

Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang turned her head away, not looking at him, her eyes fixed on the dragon boats racing along the riverbank, lips curling:

"I've got plenty of zongzi to eat, Heng. I'm just here to deliver a message from Zhen Yi…"

After a pause, she caught his out-of-the-blue glance as he silently began peeling his zongzi, and quickly added: "Salty, with white sugar."

But no sooner had she spoken than this Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Shigui lady regretted it, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face.

As if disappointed in an unteachable student.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong, bent low, hadn't seen any of this—he froze at her words.

What cult had he stumbled into? Was a zongzi dipped in sugar still salty or sweet?

Magistrate Ouyang Rong silently grumbled, handed the zongzi to Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang, and turned to call over a nearby attendant for some white sugar.

After the attendant left, only Magistrate Ouyang Rong and Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang remained, and the atmosphere grew chilly.

It had been many days since their last argument.

Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang's male attire today was striking—a white robe like a jade prince, yet cinched with a crimson brocade sash that accentuated her slender waist; the inner collar and sleeve edges peeking out were also crimson.

A touch of crimson against pure white—her junior sister knew how to dress.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong lowered his gaze and spoke first: "What message did Auntie send you to deliver?"

Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang unconsciously tapped her chopsticks against the small brown salty zongzi in her bowl:

"Your auntie wants you to go pick out a maid."

"Pick out a maid?"

She nodded and explained:

"Early this morning, Zhen Yi dragged me shopping, saying the Fifth Day of the Fifth Month is lively, and there are many foreign Hu merchants selling slaves at the western market's Ma Xing. You're a seventh-rank official with no maids at all—it's unseemly. She wants to pick you a personal maid."

"When we got there, we found too many choices—dazzling. There were Goryeo girls, Silla maids, Central Asian women, Japanese slaves, even Western Hu women with golden hair and blue eyes… But we didn't know your preference, and I didn't want to keep shopping, so Zhen Yi asked me to deliver the message: come pick one yourself after you're done."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong opened his mouth but held back.

Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang's expression remained calm; she took a small bite of the zongzi's tip, salty, then suddenly said:

"I know what you're thinking. When I was young, I hated this kind of treating people like livestock. But have you ever considered that instead of leaving them in the hands of heartless Hu merchants, only to be bought by cruel masters and end up miserable, wouldn't it be better to redeem them, treat them kindly, offer what little help you can, and perhaps, if the chance arises, send them home?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong fell silent. Though it's true that no trade means no harm, the current situation in the Zhou Empire is supply outstripping demand… not something a mere seventh-rank county magistrate could change.

After a while, the attendant returned with sugar. Magistrate Ouyang Rong handed it to Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang, about to speak, when a short young man sprinted up, cheerfully approaching:

"Hey, Xie Xie Lingjiang-Liu Jie, you're here to watch the dragon boats and eat zongzi too?"

Immediately, Wang Cao turned to Magistrate Ouyang Rong, astonished: "Is this… the County Magistrate?! Long time to hear of you!"

The short youth wore an expression of profound admiration, as if he regretted meeting him too late.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow, glanced at the slightly frowning junior sister, then bowed formally: "May I ask your honorable surname…?"

"I'm Caozhi! No need for honorifics—I'm Wang, of the ancient Chen Langya Wang clan, longtime family friends with Xie Xie Lingjiang-Liu Jie's."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong understood: "Ah, Brother Caozhi, my apologies for the oversight."

"It's I who've long admired the County Magistrate's reputation—never had the chance to meet. I've heard you're benevolent to the people, upright and righteous. Today I see it's true—even more vigorous than I imagined!"

"Nonsense, vigor is enough—vigor isn't my forte… Brother Caozhi, you're truly a dragon among men. You're our guest—please sit! Do you prefer salty or sweet zongzi? Need sugar?"

"Sweet zongzi, definitely! What? Sugar? Who in their right mind dips zongzi in sugar? Do you?"

"I don't."

"Neither do I."

"Sugar-dipping is a hollow sweetness—soulless," someone sighed.

"… " Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang.

You two… Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang looked at the two overly familiar fools, amused yet irritated. She hadn't even introduced them yet, and they'd already locked eyes and expelled her from zongzi membership… Fine, you two don't dip sugar—your brains are dipped in it.

"Dipping sugar in salty zongzi still counts as…" Wang Cao eagerly continued, but the next second, his survival instinct flared—he caught sight of the sugar bowl in Chenjun Xie's hand, expression instantly serious:

"County Magistrate, I think dipping salty zongzi in sugar might actually be a wise choice!"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded with a smile. Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang couldn't help saying: "Wang Caozhi, aren't you busy hoarding grain? How do you have time for the Dragon Boat Festival?"

Wang Cao scratched his head:

"Heh, I'm just following the big grain merchants around, sipping their sugar water—how would I dare hoard? Sister Chenjun Xie overestimates me, haha."

He regretted telling her back when they first met that he came to Longcheng to sell grain—never imagined this Chenjun Xie lady was so serious; she'd frozen up the moment she heard.

The young manager of Qingliangzhai glanced at Magistrate Ouyang Rong, who remained calm, showing no anger, even appearing slightly dull as he peeled his sticky rice dumpling with harmless precision.

This Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan looked just like the rumors—a righteous scholar, a bookworm. Of course—he's the kind of man this Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Shigui lady would associate with so closely. Their personalities must match. So being a bookworm isn't so bad… Wang Cao silently chuckled to himself.

He sighed aloud:

"County Magistrate… ah, forget formality—we're all close to Xie Xie Lingjiang-Liu Jie. Allow me to boldly call you Brother Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan."

"Fine, whatever," Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded genially.

Behind them, Yan Yan Liulang frowned at Wang Cao's words—how disrespectful! A grain speculator dares to call the magistrate brother? Bold indeed.

Wang Cao's smile widened:

"Brother Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, I heard Longcheng suffered floods, the people starving, in dire need. I brought some grain to offer what little help I can."

"I assume you lifted the price cap recently because you were worried about grain shortages, hoping to attract more merchants to Longcheng—but now, who could have predicted…?"

"Ah, turns out those heartless senior merchants raised prices so high, I can't fight them… Brother Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, how about this: over the next few days, I'll rally a few other honest grain merchants to set up a porridge stall in the south city. You come by to cut the ribbon when it opens—what do you say?"

The young magistrate's expression grew pensive. He studied Wang Cao for a moment, eyes touched, lips parting as if to speak, then sighed, and firmly clapped the young grain merchant's shoulder—as if words were unnecessary.

"Ah, you're our guest—please sit, please sit," Magistrate Ouyang Rong repeated.

Wang Cao beamed, waving his hand: "No need to trouble you—I've other friends waiting below. Xie Xie Lingjiang-Liu Jie, Brother Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, let's meet again—I'll treat you."

Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang barely nodded or spoke throughout. Together, she and Magistrate Ouyang Rong watched the short youth's back disappear.

Silence settled between them.

"Your cousin's quite likable," he praised.

"I Landeli," she bit her lip lightly.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong glanced at the sky, thought a moment, then turned: "Maybe you should tell him to leave Longcheng quickly."

Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang's face showed regret: "Sorry—I can only keep Chenjun Xie family businesses from coming. The Wang clan…"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong shook his head: "No, tell him to run. Fast."

"… "

The Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Shigui lady froze, turning to stare at Magistrate Ouyang Rong.

In that instant, the lip she habitually nibbled curled upward.

"No."

She smiled, eyes bright as she looked at him.

"Why? Aren't you family?"

"Not close."

"Then who are you close to…" The casual question died on his lips; he changed it: "Are you still mad at your senior brother?"

"A little."

"Then after today's business, I'll take you somewhere."

"Where?"

"A place where a righteous female hero felt sad when she arrived, happy when she left."

"Female hero… you mean me?" Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang wrinkled her nose. "No—I'm a literate and martial strategist, not some sword-wielding female hero."

"Then… female private secretary?"

"Mm~" She lifted her chin, crisp and clear.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong smiled, remembering the earlier matter: "Then, Secretary, help me send word to Auntie—I'll come after I'm done."

"Leave it to me," Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang nodded.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong watched her retreating back, muttering softly: "I'll pick a cheap maid this time."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Magistrate Ouyang Rong shuddered as if struck by lightning—faintly, he heard the trembling chime of an ancient bell!

No sooner had the words fallen than Magistrate Ouyang Rong shuddered as if struck by lightning, and faintly heard the trembling chime of an ancient bell.

He immediately sat back down, feigning calm, but his lowered face was filled with shock.

For inside his mind's Merit Tower, the ancient, silent Blessing Bell was trembling!

A brand-new blessing.

A brand-new blessing.