Chapter 70: 71. Beauty Bathing (Two-in-One, Happy Valentine's Day!)

71. Beauty Bathing (Two-in-One, Happy Valentine's Day!)

"I hope I didn't disturb the Master's reception of distinguished guests."

"Magistrate, you are joking. You are the distinguished guest."

Passing through a quiet little path paved with white stone slabs in the forest, and walking twenty or thirty steps along the corridor, one could see the abbot's room for receiving distinguished guests in the temple, with an elegant and Zen-like environment.

A little novice monk with a shiny bald head led the way in front, bringing Ouyang Rong to this place.

The former was the same novice monk as before, still with the same honest and simple appearance.

Ouyang Rong had just entered the temple and first went to Liu Ashan's house to visit Aqing and Liu's mother before coming to see Abbot Venerable Shan Dao.

On the corridor, the two chatted and laughed all the way.

Xiufa was also quite familiar, originally at a playful age, but had not been down the mountain for a long time, so naturally, he seized the opportunity to ask Ouyang Rong about everything, mainly about the interesting anecdotes of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Ouyang Rong answered casually, picking words. Actually, he had also forgotten which dragon boat team won the Dragon Boat Festival that Xiufa asked about. On the last day, he just went to the high platform to present an award and went back to work after walking through the process.

Arriving at the door of the abbot's room, he vaguely heard voices inside.

Besides the familiar voice of Abbot Venerable Shan Dao, there was also a strange woman's voice, cold and graceful, a bit like an older sister's tone.

Ouyang Rong and Xiufa stopped at the same time, looked at each other, left the corridor, and waited at a stone table and stone stool in the flowerbed.

For this, Xiufa apologized on behalf of his master, Ouyang Rong shook his head and didn't blame him.

His gaze fell on the powdery white wall outside the abbot's room, where a closed vermilion oil-paper umbrella was leaning against the wall.

After a while, the conversation in the abbot's room stopped, the door opened, and Abbot Venerable Shan Dao respectfully sent out a young lady in a peach-colored dress wearing a veiled hat.

Behind the young lady followed a cute bun-faced little maid.

After the little maid went out, she didn't forget to pick up the red umbrella leaning against the wall and chased after the young lady holding the umbrella.

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao seemed to catch a glimpse of the figures of Ouyang Rong and the other two waiting in the flowerbed in the distance, didn't go to send them off much, stopped and put his hands together to salute:

"Don't worry, female Bodhisattva. If there is any other news, this old monk will send a temple guest to your mansion to notify you as soon as possible."

"Then I will trouble the Master. This matter... is very important to me."

The peach-skirt young lady nodded lightly, returned the salute with one slender hand, her tone seemed a bit disappointed, but she didn't talk nonsense, and left neatly with the bun-faced little maid.

A spring breeze from the treetops brushed across the corridor, lifting some of the white veil of the veiled hat young lady. Ouyang Rong only saw a sharp chin and a touch of vermilion lip curve, the former like a newly peeled spring bamboo shoot.

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao watched the distinguished guest leave, turned around and walked over, his face apologetic;

"Magistrate, kept you waiting."

"No problem, Master seems quite busy."

"Sigh, this old monk is just a life of toil. I don't know who spread the thin name of Venerable Shan Dao for this old monk. Every day, too many tourists and believers from all directions come to visit. As a monk, I can't put on airs, so I can only do it myself."

The black-robed old monk with white beard fluttering and immortal-like appearance sighed:

"I'm not afraid of the Magistrate laughing at me, but actually, most of the donor Bodhisattvas who visit... are just things that make this old monk confused. But the Buddha's law is boundless, and the Buddha is merciful. This old monk is dull but it doesn't mean the Buddha is dull. Just guide these predestined people to seek the Dao in the boundless Buddha's law."

So you are lying, right?

Ouyang Rong complained in his heart, but on the surface, he was very agreeable:

"It's all the same, all the same. The county government office also has a pile of trivial cases every day. For example, the wife of Wang Squire next door has been slow to conceive and came to me privately to cry, saying that the parent official must investigate carefully..."

He looked indignant: "You say, how can you ask me to do justice for this kind of thing?"

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao pondered for a while and suggested warmly:

"Then if she reports the case again another day, the Magistrate can recommend this Mrs. Wang to come to our Donglin Temple to pray for a son. The Guanyin for sending sons in our temple is well-known in Jiangzhou."

Ouyang Rong waved his hand:

"No need. Later I heard from my subordinates that Wang Squire died of illness abroad last year. You say, a widow, what is she conceiving? Isn't this reporting a false case to tease me? I directly asked Liulang to drag her down and give her ten lashes symbolically to drive her away."

He sighed: "There are also cunning people among the masses."

"..." Abbot Venerable Shan Dao and Xiufa were stunned for a moment, looked at the handsome face of this young Magistrate who was complaining in a melancholy way, and stopped talking.

Magistrate, are you sure this isn't... a miscarriage of justice?

The master and apprentice had nothing to say for a while.

The young Magistrate shook his head, didn't mention it again, turned his head and asked curiously:

"By the way, the young lady who came to see the Master just now, is it also these trivial things?"

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao pondered, feeling that it was not a private or difficult thing to say:

"This old monk is not very clear, but it is also confusing. This female Bodhisattva came to seek an ancient rhapsody. She doesn't know where she heard it from."

"She said that Tao Yuanming served as Magistrate in this county for eighty-one days, and when he resigned, he left behind a hidden rhapsody, and also gifted it to the abbot of Donglin Temple at that time... This female Bodhisattva is looking for this ancient rhapsody, asking if our Donglin Temple has preserved any isolated copies."

Ouyang Rong said casually: "Searching for books and exploring the ancient, huh. This young lady is quite interesting. Then does your Donglin Temple have any preserved rhapsody?"

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao smiled bitterly:

"Magistrate, this happened hundreds of years ago. A rhapsody, and that's it. Although our Donglin Temple is an ancient temple, it is not a palace library. Besides, there have been so many changes of dynasties in between, where would there be any detailed records..."

The old monk paused, as if thinking of something again:

"However, this Tao Yuanming can be considered a local celebrity. No matter what, if he really gifted a rhapsody, the successive abbots should have kept it well. This old monk heard from my master before that there was a library in the temple specifically for keeping isolated manuscripts of famous people and scholars who had connections with our temple."

Ouyang Rong smiled and said: "Then just go find it. Maybe you can earn another sum of incense money from the female donor's gratitude."

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao sighed and shook his head: "Naturally, it couldn't be found, so I had to send the guest away." He asked again: "Does the Magistrate remember the Lotus Buddha Pagoda that this old monk mentioned before?"

Ouyang Rong was slightly stunned: "Have some impression... wait, is it the predecessor of the Merit Pagoda in your temple?"

"That's right. It was originally built with the support of the royal family who respected Buddhism in the Southern Dynasty. The library that kept the isolated manuscripts of famous people and scholars by successive abbots was established in this Buddha Pagoda. It's just a pity that it was all burned to ashes in a fire, and the Merit Pagoda rebuilt later was the same."

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao's face was regretful: "Sigh, this female Bodhisattva was very generous, but it's a pity. The hidden rhapsody she was looking for should have been among them."

This abbot of Donglin Temple had high emotional intelligence. After chatting, he didn't mention the specific name of this female Bodhisattva.

Ouyang Rong naturally didn't ask much. He actually lost interest halfway through, originally just a casual chat before the business.

Besides, the temperament of the peach-skirt young lady whose true face he didn't see just now indeed left a deep impression on him, so he was naturally a bit curious why this figure who was calm in the face of trouble left disappointed.

"Oh, that's really a pity."

"This old monk will let Xiufa and the others go find it again."

Ouyang Rong nodded, had no interest in asking again, and was welcomed into the abbot's room by Abbot Venerable Shan Dao. Entering the door, he walked to the window and sat down.

Xiufa, who had been following the two and listening curiously, served tea and water and prepared to retreat. Before leaving the door, the little novice monk seemed to remember something and turned back to ask:

"By the way, Master, what is the name of the ancient rhapsody that the female... female Bodhisattva is looking for? I'll go call the senior brothers in the Scripture Pavilion to flip through it."

The little novice monk changed his address halfway through, learning from his master's address. Last time he privately asked his master curiously why some female incense pilgrims were called female donors, while others were called female Bodhisattvas.

At that time, his master said with a meaningful look that when he understood the mystery one day, he could replace his master to receive incense pilgrims. Xiufa was solemn, feeling that there must be profound Buddhist principles hidden in this, and only by realizing them could he become a high-ranking monk like his master...

In the abbot's room, Abbot Venerable Shan Dao looked at his studious and good-at-changing apprentice with a smile, and answered casually:

"This rhapsody, it seems to be called... The Return."

"The name is a bit strange, Master." Xiufa muttered, nodded and retreated.

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao watched Xiufa leave and prepared to continue laughing and talking to someone, but just as he turned his head, the old monk's face froze:

"Eh? Magistrate, why is your tea spilled on your body?"

"No, no, it's fine. This tea is too delicious, my hand... my hand is shaking a bit."

Ouyang Rong put down the teacup, covered his mouth and coughed, his eyes couldn't help but look at the direction where the peach-skirt young lady had already left outside the door.

His hand was indeed shaking just now.

But it wasn't because the tea was good, but after hearing the five-character rhapsody name.

The dead language textbook began to attack him.

No, why can he still recite it?

Luming Street, Su mansion.

Early morning, a quiet little courtyard.

The silence was broken, and a group of maids were busy going in and out.

Behind a bird-and-flower screen in the west wing, wisps of mist were slowly rising, filling the room.

Soap, hot water buckets, clean towels, thin silk clothes, and other items were also sent in and out by nimble maids.

A young lady was bathing in the early morning.

Outside the courtyard gate, a bun-faced little maid wearing a goose-yellow dress walked over carrying a full wooden tray.

Placed in the tray were bottles and jars, including mugwort, ointment, hot soup, and medicinal pills.

Caishou carried the tray, passed through the small alley between the two boudoirs, walked into the courtyard, passed by the busy maids, pushed open the door, and walked into the west wing room filled with heat and mist.

"Little Miss Xie, Mistress asked me to come and apply medicine for you."

The bun-faced little maid said crisply. After waiting for a while, the young lady behind the screen didn't reply.

Caishou put down the medicine tray, walked closer lightly, and poked her small head behind the bird-and-flower screen to look.

I don't know if it was the spring scenery behind the screen or if she was intoxicated by the heat in the bathtub.

The little maid's chubby face instantly flushed red.

Behind the screen, a snow-white figure didn't go completely into the water.

Several maids who occasionally couldn't help but glance at it were carefully cleaning with damp hot towels.

Because the scars on the young lady's jade back hadn't completely healed, she couldn't soak in a bath, but she had been recuperating for many days, and her body must be sticky and uncomfortable. Plus, the low fever from the night a few days ago had healed, and she could finally wake up and get out of bed this morning.

So the maids in the courtyard burned hot water to simply clean her and apply medicine by the way.

Seeing that the Xie clan noble lady, who was like a jade statue, didn't pay attention to her behind the screen, Caishou didn't get angry, as if she was used to it, and turned to take the medicine tray over.

Xie Lingjiang's face looked a bit weak, her eyes lowered, and her head of pitch-black hair hung straight down like black silk. Two round and fair small shoulders, like clean white jade plates emerging from the dark night sky, emerged from the wet black hair, looking even more pitiful.

Especially when combined with the somewhat dull eyes she was staring at the floor with at the moment, and the shocking red marks on her back.

It made her look even more delicate and weak.

It made people want to rub her into their arms and pamper her, exerting grace.

The bun-faced little maid who brought the medicine felt that if she were a man, she wouldn't be able to hold back if she saw this scene.

Caishou blinked her eyes.

But she knew that the delicate and weak appearance of Little Miss Xie at the moment was just a disguise.

The unyielding temperament hidden in this delicate body was real.

Anyway, in these few days, Caishou had opened her eyes. After being whipped into such a state that day, Little Miss Xie refused to be supported and walked back to the Su mansion alone, returning to this courtyard.

The several subsequent medicine applications were also done without a sound.

However, there were changes after this injury.

Caishou found that Little Miss Xie often stared blankly these days.

Sometimes she hugged the quilt and stared at the white clouds outside the window, sometimes she bit her chopsticks and stared at the rice bowl that still had more than half left, and sometimes she tilted her head with her hair down and stared at her, which made Caishou a little scared.

In short, after this injury, Little Miss Xie became much more silent and sparing of words, and there was a change in her that couldn't be described.

Caishou had secretly asked her own Miss, but the Miss just didn't turn her head and continued to read, saying it was a good thing.

Caishou walked over in small steps and said gently with a light smile:

"Little Miss Xie, it's time to apply medicine."

The Xie clan noble lady sitting on the stool with her legs bent didn't raise her head, and only gave a faint "hmm" sound under her dripping black wet hair.

The two maids who were cleaning stepped aside and went to get clean towels to wipe her hair.

Caishou bent her knees, put the medicine tray on the stool, opened her eyes wide, carefully prepared the medicine, and muttered with her small mouth:

"Still using the new prescription sent by your Ru Shixiong. The previous golden sore medicine didn't work well, making Little Miss have a low fever for a night. The new prescription is still magical..."

"Ugh, first use mugwort and wormwood to smoke the wound, then apply this strange ointment, and after putting on clothes, drink some soup to nourish the body. The taste is a bit bitter, but hehe, look, I brought a piece of rock sugar, I guarantee..."

The young lady who had been lowering her eyes and staring blankly since just now suddenly raised her head and asked: "Where is Ru Shixiong?"

"Ah? Y."

Caishou's white sugar, which she was holding with her fingers, almost fell into the brown medicinal soup. She opened her mouth and was stunned.

The two stared at each other for a while.

Xie Lingjiang's pale pink lips, which had lost some blood, opened again: "Didn't you mention it just now?"

Caishou came back to her senses and nodded:

"Yes, this is the nourishing prescription he sent... Where is he, I... don't know, he should be busy with the county government office, right? Recently, isn't it said that the county is going to excavate a new river channel? These officials are definitely busy with a lot of official business."

"Oh."

As if she realized belatedly that she had misheard just now, Xie Lingjiang's eyes seemed to have misty water slipping into them, and their luster dimmed a little.

She nodded lightly, moved her pink buttocks slightly, and turned her snow-white back to the bun-faced little maid, tacitly agreeing that she could apply medicine.

The little maid didn't think much and lowered her head to apply medicine carefully.

It was just that like the two maids who were cleaning just now, when applying medicine to some whip marks that extended far, her eyes couldn't help but wander.

Ugh, if it had been whipped a little crookedly at that time, it would be great. It's a pity that I can't take the opportunity to try the feel while applying medicine... Caishou's little brain was full of wild thoughts, mainly because the scenery was indeed spectacular.

Xie Lingjiang didn't know that the bun-faced little maid wasn't learning well and was thinking about all kinds of things all day long. At this moment, because of the little maid's distraction, the force was occasionally too heavy when applying medicine, causing bursts of numbing pain.

Xie Lingjiang bit her lower lip lightly, staring at the few strands of green silk slipping from her forehead, neither moving nor speaking.

The west wing room also fell into silence for a while.

Just then, a maid's shout suddenly came from the courtyard:

"Little Miss, someone is here to see you. He said he is your Ru Shixiong."

Caishou, who was applying medicine, felt a flash of white light in front of her eyes, and the wound she was focusing on disappeared instantly.

It was empty in front of her.

She opened her eyes wide and turned to look.

A young lady with wet hair draped over her shoulders grabbed a towel, tilted her head to wipe her hair, and grabbed her clothes.

Caishou and several maids.

The bun-faced little maid opened her mouth and chased after her, fanning with one small hand:

"Wait, wait, those are dirty clothes, you can't wear them." ===== CHAPTER 71 =====