Chapter 714: Home is just one word [1st update for 4k4, please vote for me!]
It was rare for Ouyang Rong to come to the quiet courtyard by Xingzi Lake early in the morning.
Now he has a three-day holiday. After this holiday, there will be a one-day celebration ceremony, which is almost worthless. It means he can rest for four days at once.
Anyway, you have a lot of time, so you can be more arbitrary.
As soon as Ouyang Rong's carriage arrived on the street outside the quiet courtyard, Yan Liulang and Pei Sanniang came one after another.
These are some daily reports.
Pei Shisanniang just came over to give Ouyang Rong a leg kick, treat him like a mature woman, go through the motions, and then continued to work on the ice-making business, running back and forth between Kuanglu Mountain and Xingzifang.
Her newly established ice-making business is called Ice Drinking Room.
Originally it had the same name as Ouyang Rong's study, but he picked up the ink pen, crossed out the circle, and changed a word.
This study room name was inherited by Ouyang Rong from his mentor Xie Xun.
It is taken from the sentence in "Zhuangzi": "Now I am ordered to drink ice in the evening, and my inner body is warm."
On the day of the low-key opening, Ouyang Rong also helped write a couplet: "Drinking ice in the morning and evening, doing nothing during the day and sleeping at night."
Pei Sanniang took the pair away very happily.
Well, the more business people do, the more they like to rely on cultural people.
Of course, the son's handwritten inscription also serves as a talisman for Pei Shisanniang.
In addition, before leaving this morning, Pei Shisanniang specifically asked about the iced mung bean soup.
The soup was given to her by Xiu Niang. When Ouyang Rong was away in the quiet courtyard, Pei Shisanniang helped take care of it. Xiu Niang had a good impression of this enthusiastic and big sister-like business woman.
The elders and the younger became friends all the time, and if there were some delicious food, the embroiderer would naturally give it to her.
Pei Shisanniang looked very interested in the iced mung bean soup. Ouyang Rong knew what she was thinking at a glance, but did not go into details. He sent her away first and asked her to concentrate on drinking the ice room. He promised to
Ice cubes are supplied to Xunyang Prince's Mansion every day, and are delivered by exclusive carriages.
Of course, a carriage will not be filled with ice cubes, nor will there be so much ice.
Ice bins and other thermal insulation equipment, as well as professional caregivers, also occupy positions in the carriage.
Due to the expansion of the ice cellar in Xunyang Palace, four or five carriages now use the special passage at the back door to enter and exit Xunyang Palace from time to time.
Li Congshan and other White Tiger Guards, as well as other groups outside who pay attention to the palace, have become accustomed to it. They can't help but sigh at the wealth of Prince Xunyang's family, including iced mung bean soup, iced rice wine, iced cheese and other iced drinks to relieve the heat.
The measures and the amount of ice storage used were considered extravagant among the top nobles of the Great Zhou Dynasty. This was just about to start summer, but it was really summer and it was even better. It was comparable to the Luoyang Palace.
But the purpose of building this new business is of course not just to produce ice for the palace.
That night, Ouyang Rong was in the study room of Prince Xunyang's Mansion, discussing another new retreat involving Kuanglu Mountain with Li Xian and others, which was hidden among them.
It is hidden among the ice carriages that come in and out of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion from time to time every day.
However, Pei Shisanniang didn't mention it when she met Ouyang Rong this morning, and they knew it tacitly.
This matter was arranged by Ouyang Rong to Pei Shisanniang and Yan Liulang early, and the two of them implemented it together.
The carriage driven by Ali specially stopped near the quiet courtyard so that the young master could meet people.
After Pei Shisanniang left, Yan Liulang came over. He was dressed in black clothes and wearing a waist knife early in the morning. He was lean and capable.
Ouyang Rong could take leave to rest, but Yan Liulang could not.
"Ming Mansion, there are several trends."
"explain."
Ouyang Rong closed his eyes and rested his mind.
Yan Liulang came one by one.
Nothing major happened. They were all the people he had arranged for Yan Liulang and his men to pay attention to. They were all in Xunyang City.
The first is Princess Anhui’s side.
Her car had rarely left the Xiushuifang mansion with the red walls recently, and neither did the people around her, such as the groom wearing a white stripe.
Except for the strange behavior of the thin-faced man not long ago, these people have not behaved suspiciously in the city recently.
Next is the Jiuzhou Prison, the southern part of the city, and Li Yu’s place in Chengtian Temple.
They were all reported to be safe and nothing unusual happened.
But after telling Li Yu about his duty to be honest, Yan Liulang looked a little strange.
"What's wrong? What else is going on over there with Li Yu?"
Ouyang Rong asked.
Yan Liulang coughed and said:
"There is nothing wrong with Mr. Li, but Yuan Changshi, who lives with him, did have something wrong last night."
"He does have a lot to do." Ouyang Rong nodded, his face not surprised.
"Like the previous few days, Commander Yi also entered the city last night and went to Chengtian Temple to find Yuan Changshi.
"I don't know if there was a quarrel or not. There was some commotion in the yard, and Li was kicked out. The brothers who were watching at Chengtian Temple said that the people were not quiet in the middle of the night. The lights in the yard were turned on until the middle of the night. Commander Yi
He slammed the door and left, left the city overnight, and returned to Shuangfengjian.
"I don't know if he didn't sleep. It was early in the morning. Yuan Changshi arrived half an hour earlier than the scheduled time. When he arrived, he was immersed in the paperwork. It was an unprecedented time..."
Ouyang Rong listened with great interest and said with a smile:
"These two people are just like a young couple quarreling. It's normal for them to quarrel. It may be about painting on the day of the celebration ceremony. Brother Huaimin doesn't appreciate it, but has some rebellious thoughts."
"It seems to be true."
Yan Liulang laughed and thought:
"Bizhi passed by in the morning and went to the Jiangzhou lobby to pick up something. Yuan Changshi grabbed Bizhi's sleeve and asked Mingfu where he was now and when he would be free to see someone. He said he wanted to meet you and had something to say about the celebration... Bizhi
I couldn't make the decision for Mingfu, so I asked him to wait and said I would give him a reply before the day of the day."
Ouyang Rong thought for a while, looked at the brilliant red wall of the quiet courtyard not far outside the car window, and said casually:
"Tomorrow morning, I might have to go to Prince Xunyang's Mansion, and he can come find me."
"Yes, Mingfu, I will take the message back with you."
"Um."
After the daily report was completed, Yan Liulang got out of the car with his knife in hand and continued his business without disturbing Ouyang Rong anymore.
The latter sat in the carriage, resting his chin on his palm and thinking for a while.
At present, here in Xunyang City, Yan Liulang and Pei Shisanniang each have their own division of labor; over in Hukou County, Wang Caozhi, Lu Ya, and County Magistrate Meng are watching. The problem should not be big, and there is no news for the time being.
Over there at the Xunyang Grottoes are Rong Zhen and Yi Qianqiu; over at the Xunyang Palace there are junior sisters, Li Guoer, Wei Mei and the others, staring at them. In the Xunyang Palace, there are real women who can make up to half the sky...
After thinking about it one by one, everything is considered safe and sound.
Ouyang Rong took a long breath, patted the dust on his sleeves, and jumped out of the carriage lightly.
He was completely free and walked towards the red-walled courtyard ahead with his hands behind his back.
…
Red crisp hands, yellow wine.
The pretty girl was blindfolded by a ribbon, wearing a plain white skirt. She put her bare hands together, held a glass of wine, and came to the swing under the pear tree in the courtyard.
The pear trees rustled in the noon wind.
A few meters of sunshine passed through the branches of the pear tree and fell on a man in a blue Confucian shirt next to the swing. The pale yellow sunlight illuminated the profile of the young man in Confucian shirt who was particularly handsome and sunny. His cheeks were lean and revealed a hint of seriousness and perseverance.
It's a pity that Zhao Qingxiu couldn't see this scene.
"Wait a while, it will be repaired soon, just replace it with an old part..."
Ouyang Rong squatted on the ground, surrounded by repair tools. He immersed himself in front of the swing for a while and muttered:
"Well, I'm not thirsty yet. Let's put it on the table and don't drink it yet... Xiu Niang, the swing needs to be checked and reinforced frequently. It won't be good if it flies away, especially if you like to fly high on the swing...
"
Zhao Qingxiu held the glass and walked to the stone table next to her to sit down. After putting down the cold wine glass, she supported her chin with both hands and tilted her head slightly in the sun.
As if through the ribbon, he looked seriously at Ouyang Rong, who was squatting on the ground repairing the swing.
Tanlang came in the morning. He was obviously very busy on weekdays, so he didn't do anything important today. For most of the day, he just rolled up his sleeves, carried a small hammer, a small crowbar and other tools, and checked everywhere in the yard.
, knocking and knocking, and when he found something missing somewhere, he ran to the market outside to find a piece and moved it back himself; when he found some furniture was loose, he started tinkering and repairing it...
Zhao Qingxiu found that Tanlang seemed to be very serious and focused in everything he did, ranging from daily official duties to small repairs at home.
He seems to have endless energy. Although he is weak in body, he is a person with strong energy and strong execution ability. He will do whatever he thinks of.
Zhao Qingxiu was not a lazy person, so for most of the day, she silently washed and cooked, watching Tan Lang repair the swing in the yard.
Although Zhao Qingxiu didn't often play with this thing on weekdays, when she first moved into the yard, Tan Lang seemed to be afraid that she would be bored, so he made one with his own hands. She only sat on it occasionally to feel the sound of running wind in her ears. When he was not around,
, but didn’t dare to go up and play more by myself.
Zhao Qingxiu is not afraid of falling. She has spiritual cultivation and an excellent sense of balance, so she cannot fall.
But facing the swing swinging back and forth, for some reason, the feeling of her feet leaving the ground the moment she started swinging made her a little scared.
There is no reason to be afraid.
Therefore, all the sisters of the Fang family used to sit on this swing, especially the heroine Fang, who liked to straighten her legs and swing very high with a "woohoo" sound.
After the two girls were gone, the swing became idle. Except for the last time Sister Xie came over and sat on it twice, only Ting Feng was left to play with it.
Zhao Qingxiu liked to hear it, and the wind carried its sound.
"Ahhh."
At the table, Zhao Qingxiu "watched" Ouyang Rong for a while, then suddenly made some noise.
Ouyang Rong raised his head curiously and wiped his sweat: "What's wrong with Xiu Niang?"
He stood up a little and saw the blindfolded girl dipping her fingers in the cold wine and writing on the table:
[Tanlang doesn’t need to be repaired, isn’t he leaving? Except for the swing, everything else is not broken, it’s just not that good, it can still be used]
In fact, Zhao Qingxiu heard that the swing was broken a few days ago. Yes, she heard it from the slight squeaking sound of it shaking, but she never mentioned it to Tanlang.
"That's what I said, maybe I'm leaving." Ouyang Rong smiled, then calmed down his expression, and said very seriously: "But as long as you stay here for one day, this is your home, and of course you have to take good care of your home.
Even if it’s just home for a day, it’s still home.”
Zhao Qingxiu couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel something in his words... something solid and powerful.
She couldn't help but lower her head, a little nervously, and her fingers trembled slightly.
[Then what if one day we are destitute and have no choice but to live in a ruined temple in the wilderness]
"Then we have to tidy up. With you by our side, wherever we are is our home. If the roof is leaky, we will repair it. If the bed is broken, we will lay the floor... As long as I am here, I have the hands and feet to do the work."
, I can still make you hungry. If we work harder together, we can make progress in any day."
Ouyang Rong talked for a while, smiled, and under Zhao Qingxiu's stunned expression, he added:
"But your Tanlang is still somewhat promising now. It can allow you to live in a house without having to work hard to make up for it. It can temporarily save most of the worries of ordinary people."
Zhao Qingxiu suddenly shook her head and wrote word by word:
[No, no matter what house we live in, our family must be more diligent. Tan Lang can rest at home, and Xiu Niang will be diligent. If we live a diligent life, we will have a lot to work on.】
Ouyang Rong smiled and nodded vigorously.
"good."
Ouyang Rong lowered his head again, squatted back on the ground, repaired the swing, and then said softly:
"Actually, I'm still thinking about keeping this courtyard here intact. In this way, if you go back to the Huaiye Lane mansion after the birthday ceremony, but you feel uncomfortable, you can come back here again.
For those who live in the small courtyard, it is still here, it can be regarded as a shelter from the wind. There is a way out no matter what, and we will not be wronged."
Zhao Qingxiu's little face was a little moved. She raised her head and her blindfolded eyes seemed to be "fixed" on him.
Ouyang Rong didn't look at her, so he simply sat on the ground so that he could fix things.
His hands-on ability is very strong. After a while of tinkering, he said with a happy face:
"alright."
Ouyang Rong pushed the swing, and after testing it, he stood up and clapped his hands.
"It's been reinforced a bit, and now I can sit on it with confidence."
Turning his head to look, he saw that Xiu Niang had picked up the glass of wine again, walked over, held the glass in both hands, and held it up to him.
This Huangdi wine is not yellow wine. The word "碢" means to close or to wrap a rope around. Huangdi wine is yellow seal wine, which is sealed with yellow Lopa or yellow paper. In the Zhou Dynasty, only good official wine was available.
, are all sealed with yellow paper, hence the name.
This pot of ice-cold yellow wine was specially sent by Pei Shisanniang in the morning. She knew that her son would be accompanying the embroiderer in the yard, so she was very particular about what she gave...
Ouyang Rong took advantage of the situation and sat down on the swing. He reached out to take the hot wine cup that was covered by the embroiderer's little hand, but found that the cold wine noodles with pear petals floating in the cup were already half short.
The drink was less than half a glass.
Ouyang Rong glanced at Xiu Niang.
The corners of her lips were extraordinarily bright red, like the red wall of the weeping willow behind her, with some water stains on it. It was the color of the red wall when it was wet. It was a depressing but warm red.
"Isn't Xiu Niang not a big drinker?"
Ouyang Rong asked in surprise.
When Zhao Qingxiu was waiting for him to repair the swing just now, she didn't know if she was distracted, so she took a small sip.
Facing Ouyang Rong's question, Zhao Qingxiu raised her little face with a slightly dazed expression. It seemed that she was still distracted and did not hear what he said clearly.
Ouyang Rong laughed and shook his head, raised his head and drank the wine in one breath.
This Huangdi wine was indeed a fine wine, but the alcohol content was unusual for him.
This thought flashed through Ouyang Rong's mind.
And for some reason, when he saw the embroiderer's wet and pink lips, his extra merits, which were about to exceed the number of 1,300, were a little overwhelming and were about to overflow...
"Xiu Niang has a good drinking capacity..."
Ouyang Rong just put down his wine glass and was about to praise her a few words.
The beautiful figure in a white dress in front of him suddenly threw herself into his arms, like a swallow in the forest.
She spread her arms and hugged Ouyang Rong who was sitting on the swing.
He exclaimed in surprise.
The two of them seemed to have joined together, and the swing began to swing as if they were flying.
Under the afternoon sun, the shadows of people and sleeves cast on the red wall, like a word.