Chapter 75: Seventy-Seven: The Self-Effacing Girl

Seventy-Seven: The Self-Effacing Girl

It is still uncertain whether the Liu family will come to the Wang Fu to admit defeat over the Di Gong Zha matter and exchange for entry tickets to Zhe Yiqu.

But the young county magistrate has never been the type to put all his learning materials in a single USB drive.

Except during his graduate school entrance exam, when he truly burned his boats and staked everything.

After completing his daily inspection of Zhe Yiqu’s progress, Ouyang Rong returned to the Longcheng County Office.

Before parting ways with Yan Liulang, who was preparing to leave for his duties, he suddenly turned and asked this question:

“Liulang, if the Yunmeng Marsh is about to flood again—even worse than last May’s flood—what would you do?”

Yan Liulang blinked. “Isn’t there Zhe Yiqu?”

“What if Zhe Yiqu is nowhere near finished?”

Under the young magistrate’s serious gaze, the blue-clad constable lowered his head, thought for a moment, then nodded:

“I’ll carry you back to Donglin Temple on my back.”

Ouyang Rong’s mouth twitched; he laughed and cursed: “Why the hell would I need you to carry me? I didn’t pass out last time—I can run just fine myself.”

He paused, then nodded in approval:

“But your thinking isn’t bad. Mount Dagu is high ground, and there’s that warm-hearted Donglin Temple—yes, Master Shandao would surely welcome us, though the number of guests might be a bit more than expected.”

“What about Ashan? If you met him, what would you do?” Ouyang Rong turned to the stoic, thin man behind him.

Liu Ashan fell silent, then muttered: “Master, I’m a good swimmer—I’m not afraid of water.”

“...” Ouyang Rong.

Liu Ashan scratched his head, slightly embarrassed, then added:

“But my sister and mother aren’t. I’ll prepare wooden barrels or bamboo rafts ahead of time, and protect them when the flood comes. Last May’s flood was too sudden—everyone was unprepared, and so many died...”

He raised his head again:

“But if we could get large boats in advance, that’d be better. But only wealthy families can afford to prepare them. We poor folks can only stock up on wooden barrels—no matter where we float, just don’t drown.”

Ouyang Rong nodded slightly. “Boats for evacuation? That’s not a bad idea.”

The three chatted a few more minutes, then went their separate ways.

Ouyang Rong stretched, then stepped into the county office hall.

Now that he had a moment to rest, he grew busy again—because there was something new that demanded serious preparation.

Ouyang Rong admired a certain person’s saying.

He fights his way; I fight mine.

In truth, even when you’re saving the world, you still get scolded back to dinner by your aunt.

Meilu Garden.

Ouyang Rong pushed open the door.

Before he could even sit down at the table, his aunt shoved a warm, sandalwood food box into his arms.

“Go on, go deliver this meal to Wanchan?”

After spending the morning buried in paperwork, Ouyang Rong had just returned and asked the silver-haired maid to bring a reclining chair.

Now slumped into it, too lazy to move, he said earnestly:

“Auntie, even the maids at Su Fu probably eat better than we do. Let’s not drag down Little Sister’s meal quality.”

Zhen Shi glanced at the brat and smiled:

“Too bad—Wanchan specifically wants to taste our Nanlong specialties. I visited her this morning and promised her you’d bring her lunch today—she won’t be eating at Su Fu.”

The elegant lady in the silk robe lightly kicked her nephew’s calf under the table. “So please, dear brother, make the effort.”

Ouyang Rong fell silent. “The cook here doesn’t make home-style food at all—nothing spicy, just bland and soft.”

Whether by coincidence or fate, in both his past and present life, Ouyang Rong was born in a region where spicy food was the norm. Here in Longcheng, the flavors leaned sweet—he felt every meal was like eating vegetarian fare.

Zhen Shi didn’t deny it; she merely nodded:

“True enough. This cook’s dishes aren’t as spicy as those back in Nanlong. Your mother was the best at spicy food—she learned the recipe from her family...

“For now, make do. Maybe we can find a new cook later. Don’t slack off—take the food over quickly. Wanchan is waiting with bated breath. The box holds two portions—Tandan, you’ll eat with her. Hurry, don’t let your own meal get cold.”

“Bated breath? Auntie, you’re misusing idioms again.”

Ouyang Rong took the tea cup Ye Weilai carefully handed him, sipped, then patted her warm, white-furred little head.

With two fingers hooked through the food box, he trudged out, clearly reluctant.

Zhen Shi watched his retreating figure with a faint smile.

“Wait—White Hair, why are you following him? What if you scare the Su Fu neighbors? Come back.”

Catching sight of something, Zhen Shi frowned. Ye Weilai, who had been trailing Ouyang Rong, shuddered, stopped dead, and bowed her head as she returned indoors.

The silver-haired maid poured another cup of hot tea and presented it with both hands to the silk-robed woman she inwardly feared.

She had only recently arrived at Meilu Garden; when the master was away, she followed the senior maids to learn.

Having grown up in a cage, she had never been worth the expense of training in etiquette, music, chess, or calligraphy—so the silver-haired girl knew nothing but clumsy, earnest diligence.

But diligence alone was not an asset among servants in wealthy households—it was merely basic.

Kindness or cruelty depended entirely on the master’s mood.

This master’s aunt disliked her—Ye Weilai had known it the very first day, when she clung to the master’s robe and entered this home.

“Madam, please have your tea.”

Ye Weilai’s gray-blue eyes were full of pleading, her small hands gripping the hot cup without flinching as she offered it.

This was the only skill she had mastered—recently, the master had noticed her fumbling with teacups at night and, smiling, took time to teach her...

Zhen Shi glanced at the cup but did not take it. She picked up her chopsticks, chewed a bite, nodded, and murmured: “Not spicy enough. Tanlang likes spicy food...”

After finishing, she set down her chopsticks, took the napkin from Banxi and dabbed her lips, then asked suddenly:

“How has Tanlang been sleeping lately? Any insomnia at night?”

Before Ye Weilai, her arms aching from holding the cup, could answer, Banxi whispered:

“Madam, asking is pointless—the master sleeps in a separate quilt. When he gets up at night, she probably sleeps like a pig—she wouldn’t know.”

Zhen Shi’s face darkened.

Ye Weilai panicked:

“No, no—the master says he’s afraid he’ll roll over and crush me, so we use separate quilts. He likes to stroke my hair to fall asleep. Every time he turns, he presses against my long hair—I know, I never slack off.”

Zhen Shi frowned. “Who’s taking care of whom? If you don’t share a quilt, what’s the point of warming his bed?”

Ye Weilai’s gray-blue eyes filled with mist. Her lips trembled as she whispered:

“It’s the master’s wish. When I hug him from behind, he stiffens and says he can’t sleep—he’s not used to it... So I stopped. I didn’t want to disturb his rest—he’s exhausted from work every day...”

Zhen Shi shook her head. “Nonsense. Tanlang used to sleep soundly in my arms. Where’s the discomfort?”

One of Banxi’s maids chimed in:

“Madam is right. It’s not that he’s uncomfortable—he’s uncomfortable with her. Maybe he’s afraid he’ll open his eyes at night and see her strange face and have nightmares.”

Banxi nodded, glancing at the white-haired maid: “So does the master sleep with his back to you?”

Ye Weilai’s body stiffened. For a moment, she forgot the cup’s heat. Her face burned redder than her scalded fingers. “I... I...”

Zhen Shi never took the tea. She finished her meal slowly, then rose and dropped one final line:

“If you can’t be a proper personal maid, go tell Tanlang yourself and ask to be replaced. Don’t cling to your pitifulness and manipulate his kindness.”

Banxi nodded in agreement:

“Exactly. You can’t do anything. Better to give up the position—it’s better for the master and for you. At least then you prove you’re not a heartless brat, but truly care for him.”

“Aaah...”

The silver-haired maid’s face flushed crimson. She opened her mouth to agree—but the thought of leaving the master, who gently stroked her hair each night to soothe her to sleep, sent a sharp pang through her naive, fragile heart.

The girl couldn’t bring herself to speak. Yet she feared her face might frighten him in the night, that his kindness toward her was merely pity...

A flood of emotions crossed Ye Weilai’s face: shame, self-loathing, guilt.

The silver-haired maid bowed her head deeply.

“Enough. Stop gossiping. If you’re so capable, go convince Tanlang to take you into his room. Why pick on a white-haired girl? Fine—if Tanlang hasn’t said anything, we’ll wait a while longer.”

Zhen Shi cast a sidelong glance at the maids behind her who had stoked the fire.

They immediately lowered their heads, murmuring obediently.

The silk-robed woman sighed. This inner courtyard was a mess. Why was it so hard to find a suitable maid to care for Tanlang?

Zhen Shi’s face clouded with melancholy as she led Banxi and the others away.

In the empty room, now only littered with cold leftovers, the silver-haired girl stood frozen. Two trails of wetness marked her pale face. After a long while, her slender frame stirred. Trembling, she set down the cup—now lukewarm, then cold.

Before the table, the girl crouched, hugging her knees. A tear fell onto the cold floor. She wiped her blurred face with the back of her hand, then pulled two copper coins—still warm—from the inner fold of her ruqun dress. Her red-rimmed eyes stared at them, lips moving as if whispering...

Far away, the man knew nothing of how his nightly suppression of “Hao Ran Zheng Qi,” and his quiet pride in his noble conduct, had stirred such ripples in Meilu Garden—and drawn so much attention from these girls.

Right now, he was not taking the main path. He carried the food box, bravely navigating the unfamiliar plum grove in the back compound.

Honestly, this shortcut was surprisingly fast. Soon, Ouyang Rong spotted the Su Fu buildings.