No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 1021 You had a beautiful and charming younger sister, why didn't you say so sooner? [Seeking monthly votes at the beginning of the month!]

In the afternoon, inside the dilapidated courtyard.

Upon hearing Ouyang Rong's introduction, Madam Chen subconsciously said:
"Liu Xuan? What a nice name, quite elegant."

Ouyang Rong and Huang Xuan exchanged a glance.

The latter wiped her small hands on her apron, as if she had just finished working, and stepped forward, smiling slightly:
"You must be Madam Chen. My brother mentioned you before. He said that you and your employer have been very supportive of him while he was working for them."

Madam Chen was taken aback upon hearing this, then glanced at Ouyang Rong, and quickly realized what was happening, saying:
"That's right, it's me, but it was the mistress of the house who mentored Brother A Liang, so I dare not accept such praise."

Wearing a thorny skirt, Huang Xuan truly exuded the charm of a girl next door, and said crisply:
"No matter what, you are a distinguished guest. Please come in, Madam."

Madam Chen was a little embarrassed, but she couldn't refuse Huang Xuan and Ouyang Rong's hospitality and was invited inside.

Upon entering, Huang Xuan greeted them:

"Brother, I bought you some braised meat. I've been keeping it since you didn't come back as expected these past few days. Perfect timing, since we have distinguished guests today, I'll go cook a few more dishes for you..."

"Wait a minute." Ouyang Rong calmly called out to Huang Xuan, handed her the yellow wine and snacks, and said gently, "Warm up the wine and the dishes are ready. Come and eat with us. Madam Chen is very approachable, so there's no need to be polite. Come and offer her a toast."

Huang Xuan glanced at Madam Chen, then at her composed elder brother, and timidly replied, "Okay."

Madam Chen watched the whole scene unfold.

The brother and sister get along very well, and it seems that there is a genuine affection between them, not something fake.

After Huang Xuan went to the kitchen to get busy again, only Ouyang Rong and Madam Chen remained in the courtyard.

Madam Chen glanced around the dilapidated courtyard and whispered to Ouyang Rong:

"Brother Liang, your sister is truly beautiful and clever, I never expected..."

She was somewhat emotional, perhaps because they were already quite familiar with each other in private, so she spoke her mind directly without being too polite.

Ouyang Rong smiled slightly.

After thinking for a moment, Madam Chen asked calmly:

"Brother Liang, have you ever considered introducing your sister to the young lady and seeing if she would give her a hand in your career..."

Ouyang Rong pretended not to understand and simply said woodenly;
“My sister is still young and has elderly relatives at home. She came to visit me recently and will be going back soon. She can’t stay long.”

Just as Madam Chen was about to say something, the young woman in the thorn skirt in the kitchen came out gracefully with wine and dishes, placing them in front of the two of them and inviting them to sit down.

Madam Chen hesitated, holding back her words for the time being, and gave Huang Xuan a polite smile.

Ouyang Rong's face was expressionless, and he kept his eyes straight ahead, but he had actually taken in all of Madam Chen's subtle expressions.

He certainly understood the deeper meaning behind Madam Chen's words.

It was simply because Huang Xuan was very young and full of spirit, and had a good chance of becoming a future Yunmeng Yue Maiden. So he advised him to take the initiative to introduce her to Chen Jiaxin and see if there was a chance for her to become a future helper for the Chen family in Jianze... If both siblings served Chen Jiaxin, many things would be much more secure.

Ouyang Rong pretended to be confused. At this moment, he beckoned Huang Xuan to sit down and began to entertain the distinguished guest.

The three of them sat around the stone table and began to eat.

During this time, Madam Chen's eyes frequently glanced at Huang Xuan, who was quietly picking up food, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

During this time, there was no movement in Ouyang Rong's arms; the female immortal was quite well-behaved.

Little Mo Jing is only tough at home; in front of outsiders, he has a good sense of the big picture and does a great job of not harming anyone's affairs. This is why Ouyang Rong can coexist peacefully with the female immortal on a larger scale. Although the female immortal is mischievous, she gives him face in front of outsiders and doesn't act as a useless teammate.

Thinking of this, Ouyang Rong stopped picking up the braised meat. Apart from the meat Huang Xuan had thoughtfully given him... he planned to save some for a certain little Mo Jing, who was probably already drooling over the aroma of food outside.

Halfway through the meal, Huang Xuan suddenly looked at Madam Chen, who had been stealing glances at her, and asked:

"Madam, has my presence interfered with my brother's work for the employer?"

Madam Chen, quickly regaining her composure, looked up at her, paused for a moment, and then waved her hand, saying:
"No, no, Brother Liang was allowed to go out on duty this time by Miss Dong, so he didn't mess things up. Miss Xiaoxuan, don't worry about that."

Huang Xuan bit her chopsticks, her lips red and teeth white: "Oh, that's good."

She picked up another piece of braised meat, lightly dipped it in the sauce, and placed it on top of the hot rice in Ouyang Rong's bowl. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with her little finger and smiled gently.

“When my brother comes back, he often praises the master, saying that the master’s daughter is as kind-hearted as a goddess, and that she has nurtured him greatly. My brother also says that he must not let down the master’s favor and must work hard for the master’s daughter to repay her kindness…”

The young woman, whose beauty could not be concealed by her simple dress, chattered on and on. Madam Chen, who was usually not very patient with servants, did not find it annoying. On the contrary, she listened very carefully. Indeed, no matter what era it was, people usually judged each other by their appearance when they first met.

Madam Chen nodded with a smile:

“Brother Liang is reliable, and the young lady of the house often praises him.”

Huang Xuan's face suddenly lit up. She looked at her older brother, who was rather dull and honest, and was busy eating, and said:

"That's good."

Soon, the meal ended, and Huang Xuan took the initiative to clear the dishes and went to the kitchen.

Only Ouyang Rong and Madam Chen, who had eaten and drunk her fill, remained in the courtyard.

The latter glanced at him and said calmly:
"Your sister is truly virtuous."

Ouyang Rong said softly, "We've depended on each other since we were little, so we have no choice but to be self-reliant. Children from poor families are all like this."

Before Madam Chen could respond, he continued, cutting her off with a single sentence:
"I hope I can marry into a good family in the future. My brother is not very capable and will probably have a hard time finding a wife. He can only rely on his sister to continue the bloodline. Fortunately, we are a poor family, so we don't care about these things."

Ouyang Rong had a dull and slow-witted appearance.

Madam Chen, who was originally prepared to offer some heartwarming suggestions, suddenly choked up.

"Brother Liang, what are you saying? What do you mean by not having any ability? If you're not capable, then wouldn't someone like me be considered a useless person?"

Madam Chen shook her head helplessly:
"The fact that you can help Miss means you have great talent and ability. A truly useless person doesn't even have the right to stand before Miss. Don't belittle yourself, especially don't let Miss hear this, otherwise she will be furious. She won't be angry at you for saying something worthless, but she will be angry that your words question her judgment."

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance at the woman who was so eloquent.

Madam Chen looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then whispered to Ouyang Rong:

"You should work hard for Miss. Miss will not mistreat her own people. I am very sure of that."

"Miss is very generous. If you perform well, she might reward you with a daughter of the Chen family to marry after this matter is over, and let the old man choose a well-educated and reasonable woman from the clan. Wouldn't it be a great blessing for you to enjoy such good fortune and bring honor to your ancestors?"

"..."

It wasn't emitting blue smoke... Ouyang Rong really wanted to reply.

Madam Chen, unaware of his thoughts, was speechless upon seeing the taciturn young man remain silent, and rolled her eyes at him:

"You're such a blockhead. Never mind, you should reunite with your sister first. I'll head back now."

She stood up to leave.

Ouyang Rongzhuang nodded blankly:
"it is good."

"correct."

Madam Chen paused, and whispered something to him:
"I will report today's events to you truthfully when I return, Miss. Don't worry... I will put in a good word for you, after all, I did eat a meal from you." Ouyang Rong clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Madam Chen waved her hand, and instead of heading straight for the courtyard gate, she walked towards the kitchen, peeking inside to greet the slender young woman working there.
"Xiao Xuan, I'll be going now. Thank you for your hospitality today, and thank you for your hard work."

"Madam, please stay and rest for a while before you leave. I'll go pour you some tea..."

"No need, you should spend more time with your brother."

Madam Chen found Huang Xuan more and more pleasing to the eye, but it was a pity that she had a dull-witted older brother who wasn't very perceptive.

Madam Chen felt a little regretful and left.

Ouyang Rong sat at the table, looking at the empty courtyard in front of him, and silently drank his tea.

A moment later, Huang Xuan came out, wiped her hands on her apron, and chuckled as she said:
"I'm done washing up, brother. Would you like to take a nap?"

Ouyang Rong didn't speak, but turned his head and silently looked at her.

It seems to be saying, "Everyone's gone, so why are we still doing the drills?"

Huang Xuan's smile faded slightly. She walked over to Ouyang Rong, sat down, picked up the teapot, and poured him a full cup of tea.

"Brother Tanlang, you should have passed the test by now."

"She seems fine. This Madam Chen doesn't seem like a scheming woman."

“I think so too. Brother, you have a very good eye for people.”

Ouyang Rong was quiet for a moment, then stood up and said:

"Where are Miss Fang and the others?"

"Next door."

"Call them here."

"Ah."

Huang Xuan got up and went out, while Ouyang Rong remained in the courtyard.

Miao Si wriggled out of his arms, panting:
"I'm about to suffocate... Hey, Little Rongzi, you're not bad, you even know to save some food..."

Ouyang Rong didn't speak, letting Miaosi move around on the table.

Before long, the aloof young nun returned, with the Fang sisters following behind.

After they entered, they didn't ask about Madam Chen's affairs. It was clear that they had overheard some things next door, and Huang Xuan had already told them, saving them the trouble of explaining.

"Young Master Ouyang, when will you leave this time?"

Fang raised his sleeves and sat down, pouring tea as he spoke.

Ouyang Rong said softly, "Including today, we can stay in Taoyuan Town for three days."

Fang Shengnan asked curiously, "Who is this 'Young Master Dong'? Is she also surnamed Chen? Does she have a lot of influence in Jianze?"

Ouyang Rong said softly, "A direct disciple of the Queen's Palace, whose master is the Fifth Queen."

Fang Shengnan muttered, "Oh, I thought it was some kind of female ruler."

Huang Xuan glanced at Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong took the initiative to ask, "Is there any situation in the capital? Has Liu Lang sent any message?"

Fang raised his sleeve and said:

"Military Advisor Yan was worried about your safety, so when we returned, we told him we had found you. Military Advisor Yan was relieved. As for the capital, there's still no news, but Military Advisor Yan has already sent your message to Luoyang. The Prince of Xunyang's residence should receive it soon..."

"They might have already received it by now. After all, we've spent quite a bit of time traveling. We should receive the message from the Prince of Xunyang's residence by the time we return to Xunyang on our next trip."

Ouyang Rong asked again:
"Where is Thirteen Sister? Is she planning to come over?"

Fang Juxiu was somewhat surprised: "How did Young Master Ouyang guess? I forgot to mention earlier that Madam Pei did want to come and see you, but Military Advisor Yan stopped her, telling her not to come and cause trouble."

"Sixth Brother did a good job."

Ouyang Rong nodded slightly: "Able to maintain stability and take charge independently."

Fang Juxiu smiled and said, "Alright, next time we meet, I'll pass on your praise, young master."

Ouyang Rong asked some more minor questions, and Fang answered them one by one... Only after confirming that there was nothing else was the matter did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"Xiao Xuan."

After inquiring about everything, Ouyang Rong suddenly shouted.

"Ok?"

Huang Xuan looked at him with her clear eyes. She was feeding Miao Si at the table. The two were reunited, enjoying each other's company.

Ouyang Rong took out a stack of scriptures from his bosom, handed them to Huang Xuan, and said with a smile:
"I've read it through and made some annotations. Take a look when you get back and use it as a reference..."

Before he could speak, Huang Xuan had already taken the scripture and started flipping through it on the spot.

The Fang sisters noticed that the little fairy's lips were brimming with an irrepressible smile. They had rarely seen the little fairy smile on the road before, but Fang Shengnan suddenly realized that the little fairy had smiled much more often since meeting Young Master Ouyang than they had ever known each other.

Fang Shengnan sized up Huang Xuan for a while, and then noticed that the older sister next to her was also staring at Huang Xuan, who was happily flipping through the scriptures. However, the older sister's expression was somewhat complicated. Fang Shengnan carefully observed and found that there was some envy in her expression.

"Thank you, Brother Tanlang." Huang Xuan seemed to notice everyone's gaze and realized that it was not appropriate to impulsively flip through the book at this moment. She covered the book with her small hand, her jade-like face serious, and said to Ouyang Rong, "It is always new to read. I will read it three more times."

Ouyang Rong waved his hand and said:

"There's no need to overdo it. You're still young. When you're studying, it's better to pursue a superficial understanding rather than over-interpreting and going astray. My annotations for you are already a bit too much. Logically, I shouldn't have written so much, which also goes against the principle of 'seeking a superficial understanding'."

Huang Xuan, however, said with a focused expression:

"No, that's not true. It's your kind intentions that are the most precious thing. I... I like them very much."

At this point, the aloof young Taoist nun lowered her eyes slightly.

At this moment, perhaps because the stack of scriptures was too close, she twitched her nose slightly, as if she had smelled something. Huang Xuan lowered her head, brought her delicate nose close, and sniffed the cover of the scriptures.

Upon seeing this, Ouyang Rong was initially puzzled, but his expression changed slightly when Huang Xuan asked the question.

"Brother, did you plant gardenias at your residence in Jianze?"

Huang Xuan looked at Ouyang Rong, whose face was full of curiosity.

Miao Si, who was enjoying her meal, glanced at the stack of scriptures in Xiao Xuan's hand and curled her lips.

(End of this chapter)