"Mingtang, I'll take my leave now."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work these days, Xiaoyan."
"Mingtang is too polite to call me Humble Position Wu Shi, or Yan Liu."
"Is Yan Liu the sixth eldest child in the family?"
"That's right. Above the humble position... there are five sisters."
Ouyang Rong, who was seeing Yan Wuxie out, smiled and said jokingly: "Then I will be very busy as my uncle."
"Hehe." Yan Wuxie scratched his head.
"Let me call you Liulang from now on." Ouyang Rong agreed.
"Okay, Mingtang!" Yan Wuxie suddenly became as energetic as a shot of chicken blood. Calling Liu Lang made him feel closer.
However, Yan Wuxie, who was about to leave, turned his head halfway, remembered something, and hesitated: "Mingtang, I'm so anxious today that I contradicted Aunt Ling, why don't I let you go in and propose a cup of tea..."
"Auntie is not that kind of weak woman." Ouyang Rong shook his head, "Besides, auntie and I haven't had time to thank you Liulang for going into the water to save people that day. The grace of saving lives is obviously greater."
Yan Wuxie hurriedly waved his hand, "No, no, it's a lucky star, and I'm really ashamed that that day, not only a lowly person jumped into the water to save others...
"At that time, the water level of Butterfly Creek surged, and there were all rapids and reefs. Even the most familiar fisherman found it difficult. Mingtang was injured by one of the reefs. However, among the cooks who entered the water, there was a very brave man who directly killed Mingtang. He was snatched back from the whirlpool, but he seemed to be somewhat injured."
Ouyang Rong lowered his head and thought for a while, then nodded and said, "When I rest for two days and go down the mountain, I will definitely go and thank this hero."
He seemed to be remembering something, "Before we fell into the water, when we first met, did you ask for a word from me?"
"It did happen, but I was in a humble position and was ignorant at the time. Don't take it to heart in Mingtang. Mingtang is a big shot and can't mention random words. My father also taught me a lesson after I returned..." the latter hurriedly explained.
"Come pick it up tomorrow."
Yan Wuxie's face suddenly turned red. He paused and hesitated to speak. Finally, he couldn't help but say:
"Mingtang, I, Yan Liu, admire the two types of people most in my life. One is the upright official who pleads for the people and punishes lawbreakers; the other is the hero who travels around the world, robs the rich and helps the poor. I have been stupid in reading since I was a child, and I am not as smart as my sisters. Dream When I wake up, I can't do the former; and the latter, my father won't let me die and won't even allow me to join the army. He says that a military household is a gambler who gambles his life on fame and fortune. He just wants me to take him over. Ban, just hang out and wait to die in this county government office.
"Mingtang, I heard that you spoke for the people and offended the nobles of Luoyang, so you were demoted to Jiangzhou. On that day you took office alone and led a thin horse. You stood on Longshou Bridge and said in public that during the four-year term, you would To cure the flood, we must also give justice to the 6,000 households in Longcheng County. I, Yan Liu..."
The eight-foot-tall man choked up when he said this.
Ouyang Rong suddenly asked: "Don't you suspect that I am just putting on airs, shouting slogans, and then leave after four years?"
Yan Wuxie shook his head: "Some colleagues said so privately, but I don't believe it, because I don't believe that a person who dares to tell the truth loudly to the empress in the Jinluan Palace would go to a remote place like ours to tell lies to a group of illiterate poor ghosts. talk."
Ouyang Rong, who was still a little worried about the new thing that appeared in his mind, changed his face slightly.
He raised his head and chuckled: "So you jumped into the water that day without saying a word?"
"It's not me, it's us."
Ouyang Rong raised his hand and patted Yan Wuxie's shoulder, "Liu Lang, I understand."
Afterwards, the detective in navy blue quickly went out and left.
As soon as he arrived, a graceful woman slowly walked out of the back room, came behind Ouyang Rong who was watching him, and gently put a coat on him.
However, she said: "Tan Lang, you are a county government servant who is so reckless that you can't even hold a knife firmly. Why should you be so condescending to win over? Why do you have the patience to listen to him say so much? It's really childish and wasteful." Your time.”
Mrs. Zhen frowned and looked outside the door, "And doesn't he know that Tan Lang is weak? How could he stand in the wind for so long in front of the door? He is ignorant. By the way, Tan Lang, the host just checked your pulse and said that your pulse is not good yet." It's too stable, I need to drink some conditioning medicine in the next few days, and the medicine will be delivered later."
"Childish..." Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze, turned around and asked, "Does Auntie think... going into the water to save her nephew is what they should have done?"
Zhen's round chin slightly raised, "Of course, Tanlang is a disciple of the emperor, an official of the imperial court, and the head of a county. How can their lives be as valuable as yours? Not even one ten thousandth of it. If you don't jump in to save, Do you want to rebel? If anything happens to you, they will all be implicated!"
Ouyang Rong smiled: "Then if the emperor falls into the water like me one day, should I jump in immediately to save him?"
Zhen immediately said, "You can't."
"Isn't the life of the Emperor of Zhou more valuable than me, the county magistrate?"
Zhen said slyly: "The current Emperor of the Zhou Dynasty is a female emperor. Men and women are not close to each other. It's up to the female palace officials to jump in to save him. Tan Lang remembers to stay away."
"Then what if it's a man."
Mrs. Zhen was silent for a while, glanced outside the door, and muttered: "You brat, don't jump down like that. How can you swim? Just show off. There are many loyal ministers, not bad." you this!"
Ouyang Rong glanced at Zhen, but the latter's expression was as usual, and he did not feel that he was contradicting himself at all. Instead, he became more and more sure, "Anyway, Tanlang is a born noble, maybe he is the reincarnation of a literary saint, but he is different from other people. The specific reason...I, a woman, can't explain it, but you just have to listen to your aunt, and it will harm you. If you don't listen...if you don't listen, you are unfilial!"
"My good nephew who is famous all over the world for his loyalty and filial piety... you don't want to be known as unfilial, right?" Mrs. Zhen smiled.
She took the helpless Ouyang Rong to sit down at the table and poured him a cup of hot tea to warm himself up.
Ouyang Rong held the hot tea cup and silently looked at Mrs. Zhen who was busy taking care of him through the warm tea smoke.
At this time, she was wearing a light blue slanted collared jacket on the upper body and a goose yellow skirt on the lower body. However, the floor-length skirt was knotted at the calf to facilitate daily travel. She also wore an additional half-armor jacket on the upper body. , this was also first popularized by young ladies from powerful families in Luoyang, and was the dress worn by noble ladies from official families.
Zhen is the daughter of a military family, her nickname is Shuyuan. It is said that her father once served as a captain in a certain frontier army and had some family skills in marksmanship and martial arts. However, her family fell into decline and she married into the Ouyang family. It's a pity that Ouyang Rong's uncle passed away soon after his wedding.
Ms. Zhen has the kind of round face of a classical lady. In the words of the common people at this time, she looks like a dignified and good housewife, but the light mole at the corner of her mouth adds a little more charm, which is already half The old lady is still beautiful and beautiful.
It's just that her pair of bright red and phoenix eyes give people a rather sharp and hard-to-press impression.
that's the truth.
In my impression, this aunt has always had a rather aggressive temperament, and is also a bit tactful and snobbish. She has the kind of temperament that would tear apart even half a rice plant in the countryside...
Also, after all the young men in the family died young, they and the Zhao family brought up Ouyang Rong and sent him to study. In addition to the proper care of the village clan, the two women were naturally not easy to mess with.
In the past few years, Ouyang Rong worked hard and went all the way to Luoyang and became a Jinshi. Their lineage suddenly became the core of the Ouyang clan in Nanlong. The glory of the family is nothing more than this. The mother is more valuable than the son, and the Zhen family is even more valuable. No one dared to offend her, and there was no shortage of landowners or servants at home. She no longer had to worry about petty profits, and she could be proud of herself among the rural women.
In fact, the original person... or the current one whose memories of the two lives are fused, is a little afraid of Mrs. Zhen, because in his memory, his mother, Mrs. Zhao, is usually the one who plays the sweet face, and Mrs. Zhen, who plays the bad side, taking turns to train the child.
But now it's better, all that's left is the white face.
"Why are you staring at your aunt, Tanlang? You don't recognize her anymore?"
"No, I'm looking at... a very interesting tower."
"Pagoda?" Ms. Zhen, who was bending down to pour tea, looked back at the door, "The pagodas in this temple are quite tall. I don't know how much money was spent on them. These temples are really rich. "
She suddenly turned around and asked, "Tan Lang, why didn't you tell me the truth after this argument?"
"What Meng what?"
"That's what the common people are like...Jun Qing, in the past, you have to teach your aunt every time." Mrs. Zhen looked at Ouyang Rong with a confused look.
Ouyang Rong put down the tea cup and said calmly: "Because my nephew has grown up."
After hearing this, Mrs. Zhen put down her assistant, sat on the stool, looked at him in silence for a while, and then sighed:
"You have indeed grown up. Just now you have learned to put aside your talents to win over the servants, and you no longer argue with your aunt about right and wrong...Looking at it this way, being demoted once is not too bad. Your mind is deeper. This is good, do it Officials must be more profound, so that people below will be afraid of them."
The woman in the skirt licked her hair behind her ears with her little finger, and suddenly changed the topic: "Now that Tan Lang has grown up, shouldn't it be time to start thinking about marriage? I have been delayed for three years in paying filial piety."
Ouyang Rong is actually a little annoyed. He doesn't want to talk about these family feuds right now. He just wants to find out what suddenly appeared in his mind... or the thing he brought here, maybe it is related to whether he has a chance to go back.
Fortunately, a bright little bald head appeared in the courtyard outside at this time, carrying a plate and entering the door.
"Donor, it's time to take medicine."
Ouyang Rong immediately greeted him, not caring about scalding his mouth, and finished the meal in one gulp, barely clinking glasses with his hairy little head.
"Good medicine." He praised, and then turned around: "Aunt, my nephew is a little dizzy again. This medicine is a bit strong. I'm going to lie down for a while. You've been on the road all day, so go and settle down and get some rest early. "
Mrs. Zhen glanced at him, nodded, gave him a few more instructions, then got up and went out.
But before going out, she said without looking back:
"Tan Lang, don't forget that your mother had two wishes for you during her lifetime. One is to be admitted to the imperial examination, and the other is to marry a girl with the fifth surname!"
After the woman left, the last four words still lingered in her mind.
Even the man with short hair and even shorter hair looked at Ouyang Rong with a calm face in silence.
Good guy, the county magistrate wants to marry a woman with the fifth surname and Qi Wang? This should be a bit more difficult than marrying Princess Li or Wei, right? Sometimes the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes even disdain to marry their daughters to the royal family...
Xiufa was about to take the medicine bowl and run away, but Ouyang Rong suddenly stopped him, "By the way, Xiufa, I have something to ask you."
"The county magistrate is very polite. If there is anything the poor monk can do, just give me your instructions."
Ouyang Rong lowered his head and thought for a while.
"That night I fell into the underground palace... In addition to your senior brother Xiuzhen, there is also an old man covered in abscesses and a mute girl with a broken little finger. They are quite pitiful. Can you ask Beitian Yard to take good care of these two people? Especially the elderly who have abscesses all over their bodies to see if they can be cured.”
"No problem. Beitian Yuan is funded by the county government. Don't worry, the county magistrate. I'll go talk to the senior brother in charge of the courtyard and he will take care of it for the county magistrate."
"Then I'll trouble you."
"You're welcome."
Ouyang Rong smiled and watched this heroic and enthusiastic little novice monk leave.
With his worries over, he closed the door and lay down on the bed with his clothes on.
As soon as I close my eyes, I can see auspicious clouds, fairy mist, and distant mountains approaching. At the end of my field of vision stands a very familiar tower of merit. The door has been opened...
…
After Xiufa left Sanhuiyuan, she returned the dishes to the kitchen.
First, I went to the chanting hall, where I had afternoon classes with my senior brothers and chanted sutras.
After class, he turned left when he went out and passed through several solemn halls with Buddha statues. He found the master who was picking up pilgrims. He consciously served tea and water, and accompanied the master to explain the fortunes and dreams of the more distinguished pilgrims.
In the evening, the flow of customers was sparse, and the host finished the work perfectly. Xiufa went out to prepare for a meal, but suddenly remembered something while walking, and turned to Beitian Courtyard.
On the road at night, the little novice monk muttered something to himself, imitating the master's manner and tone in the afternoon. When he read somewhere, he suddenly felt light-hearted.
"Amitabha, the female benefactor... Hey, why did Master call the county magistrate's aunt in the morning, "Female Bodhisattva", and in the afternoon, when he called the pockmarked woman who was sincerely praying, he also called "female benefactor"? It's weird, weird, really weird. Is there something special about it?"
Xiufa lowered his head and pondered for a while, then shook his head sadly, "Buddhism is too profound and difficult to understand... Forget it, I'll ask my teacher tomorrow."
After a while, the young novice monk, who never forgot to study Master's "profound Dharma" while walking, arrived at the Beitian Nursing Home. There was no one on duty in the hospital.
"Senior Brother Xiudu?" He shouted four or five times before someone finally answered.
"Here, here, here, here, here." A middle-aged monk staggered out of a room, his face flushed under the cover of the night.
"What does it smell like?"
Xiufa shrugged and sniffed, pointed at Xiu Du and said, "Why does it smell so bad?"
"It's so stuffy in the den room, it's all sweaty."
"Oh, senior brother, don't catch a cold if you're sweating." Xiufa nodded, not doubting that he was there.
Then the little novice monk carefully repeated what Ouyang Rong had told him, and repeatedly told him that this was a matter ordered by the county magistrate, and he should do it well.
Xiu Du burped his wine, promised with all his heart, and finally sent his junior brother away. When they left, he patted his face that smelled of wine and sighed, "This is my last bite."
After saying that, he was about to go back to the house to get some wine. Halfway through, he was suddenly startled.
"There are two old men with abscesses, and one mute woman, but the one with abscesses all over his body and the one with a broken little finger...are there still these two people in Beitian Courtyard? Like the county magistrate, he fell down two days ago. Well? How come the young monk doesn't know?" Xiu Du scratched his head in confusion.
"I went over there two days ago and took a look. Isn't there only Senior Brother Xiuzhen down there? It's strange..."
Finally, the shaking monk muttered and returned to the house.
"The county magistrate's illness is getting worse and worse... Hiccup~ One more bite."
…
