No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 636: Sweet Taste [Beg for monthly tickets in the middle of the month! ]

After the young governor left the table to use the toilet, news came that he had something urgent to do and had to leave midway.

The Yangzhou businessmen who participated in the Xingzifang housing collective rental project were not particularly surprised.

Everyone knows that Governor Ouyang is a very busy man. He is in charge of both the Governor's Office and the Jiangzhou Hall. He is responsible for the management of Jiangzhou City and thirteen counties, and is also tasked with building the Donglin Buddha for Your Majesty.

Public affairs are so busy.

These days, he can often come to Xingzifang and focus some of his energy on matters that are of practical concern to the people of Xunyang, such as the renovation of Xingzifang's public rental housing. This is already rare and precious.

Even Pei Shisanniang and other Yangzhou merchants felt proud of it.

Coming to the dinner tonight is an exception among exceptions.

Since Governor Ouyang took office again, which banquets have you seen him attend?

He even declined to attend the Lantern Festival dinner hosted by Xunyang Palace a few months ago, causing all the dignitaries and noble families who came from afar to see him to leave with regret.

If it weren't for the fact that the little princess passed on a message for him near the end of the Lantern Festival dinner and brought back a poem "Qing Yu'an Yuan Xi" that won over the whole audience and was later recognized as the best Lantern Festival poem, there would probably have been some gossip.

But we can also see the noble character of this young governor.

As the president of Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce, Pei Shisan Niang, once inadvertently revealed, Governor Ouyang would go home for dinner every night, rain or shine.

Of course, Pei Shisan Niang didn’t say which family it was.

But even if it was made clear, it was still difficult to suppress the admiration that the Yang merchants had for the governor, which was as endless as the flowing water of a river.

He is so family-oriented and principled, he is truly a good man of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Therefore, it was unprecedented for Governor Ouyang to attend the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce's celebration dinner and have a few drinks tonight.

Everyone was so honored that they naturally had no complaints about the so-called leaving midway.

As for this young governor, is there a possibility that he has a poor alcohol tolerance and flees in embarrassment...

What? Isn’t Governor Ouyang famous for being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk?
……

A gentle evening breeze blows by the Xingzi Lake.

Ouyang Rong felt dizzy, but he sobered up immediately.

For people who act too rationally, occasionally drinking a little alcohol and feeling slightly drunk is a very novel experience.

The restaurant where the celebration banquet is being held tonight is quite large, not much smaller than Yunshui Pavilion, and is not far from Xingzi Lake.

Ouyang Rong came to the lakeside to enjoy the breeze and looked back at the bright lights of the restaurant behind him.

After getting away from the banquet, Ouyang Rong's eyes were slightly drunk. Along the way, many things flashed through his mind and his thoughts were very distracted.

There are swaying orchids being watered on the windowsill of Longcheng Meilu Garden.

There are strange inscriptions on the bronze dagger.

A few nights ago, when it was late at night and everyone was asleep, Xiao Mo secretly got up and slipped out of the closet to look through his clothes to see if there were any signs of other bad women. The furtive noises she made made him unable to sleep, so he had to pretend to roll over to scare it back.

In addition, there was the thin but hot body temperature of the embroiderer on the stove in the back kitchen of the quiet courtyard last time, and the smooth collarbone on one side that was covered with strawberry marks by him.

In fact, because the embroiderer was too thin, when he carried her to the stove in a domineering manner, his waist was also hurt by her thin pelvis, but Ouyang Rong didn't say it at that time...

All kinds of senses and thoughts flashed past his eyes.

Finally, accompanied by a sudden explosion of fireworks in the sky behind, everything came together into one, a quiet and beautiful figure, occupying the entire heart at that moment.

The fireworks were reflected in Ouyang Rong's eyes.

What is the embroiderer doing now? Waiting for him or sleeping?
Ouyang Rong turned his head and looked somewhere on the other side of Xingzi Lake.

There are no lights on in the quiet courtyard.

Just in the evening, he had actually asked Pei Shisan Niang to go to the quiet courtyard to inform Xiu Niang that he would not be back for dinner, and she must have gone to bed early.

"Mingfu, where are we going now?"

Ouyang Rong came back to his senses after hearing the cautious call.

Turning around, he saw Yan Liulang who had followed him.

Pei Shisan Niang also followed and was hanging behind not too far away.

Just now, when Ouyang Rong was slightly tipsy and absent-minded, the two of them followed him quietly without disturbing him.

Seeing Yan Liulang taking the initiative to talk to Ouyang Rong and breaking the silence, Pei Shisanniang immediately stepped forward, followed Ouyang Rong step by step, and asked in a soft and caring voice:
"Sir, would you like to go back to the embroiderer's yard and see her?"

Ouyang Rong did not answer them.

Yan Liulang couldn't help but look at Pei Shisanniang again, with a slightly surprised look in his eyes.

Surprised woman's intuition.

With a few "whoosh" sounds, several fireworks shot straight into the sky from the direction of the restaurant where the three people had just said goodbye, cutting through the intoxicating spring night and echoing throughout the entire Xingzifang.

I believe that people from other neighborhoods would also be curious as to why fireworks were set off for no reason.

It is estimated that only this group of Yangzhou merchants are so arrogant that they hold such a grand celebration dinner with all kinds of celebrations.

But it is a good thing for children who love watching fireworks. Right now in Xunyang City, there are countless children enjoying the cool breeze in the dark courtyard, looking up at the fireworks with longing on their little faces.

Ouyang Rong suddenly turned around and walked towards Qingyang Heng Street.

Yan Liulang and Pei Shisan Niang didn't dare to ask and followed silently.

When we arrived at Qingyang Heng Street, since we had just moved into our new home today, and because we were looking around to get familiar with the place, most of the courtyards were brightly lit, and many people were still awake.

Ouyang Rong seemed to just want to stroll around and check if there were any problems. He walked and stopped, and suddenly stopped in front of a yard.

The lights in the yard were bright, and there was a faint silhouette of an old woman sitting on a deck chair enjoying the breeze.

Yan Liulang glanced at the courtyard and suddenly felt that the place was familiar, as if he had been there before.

Before he could think about it, the figure of Mingfu standing in front of him had already moved and walked into the courtyard.

Yan Liulang and Pei Shisanniang followed in obediently.

As soon as Ouyang Rong entered the yard, he alarmed the whole family. Although he was not wearing official uniform, most of the families living there had seen him at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the intersection of Qingyang Heng Street in the afternoon. They knew that Governor Ouyang was a handsome young man, so he was easy to identify.

The family's surname was Cheng, and they warmly welcomed Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong asked, looked around the yard, and then looked at the old woman of the Cheng family who had just been sitting in the yard.

This courtyard was built on the original site of the Wang family's old residence in Qingyang Hengjie.

Ouyang Rong heard about this matter many times from Ms. Rong and Xunyang Wang Lixian.

Every time Ms. Rong mentioned it, she felt a little lost, and Prince Xunyang was also thinking about it all the time.

At present, a new house has been rebuilt, but the mother and son of the Wang family are no longer there. After their tragic death, the other sons in the family all fled.

Now that Qingyang Heng Street is being rebuilt, no one will come back to inherit the house, so the Cheng family tenants moved in.

Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze, asked them about their well-being, and told them to raise any requests they had.

After a while, seeing that nothing was happening, Ouyang Rong said goodbye politely, and the Cheng family warmly saw him off to the door.

At this time, the old woman of the Cheng family came into the house, went in and out, pushed away her children's support, took out a piece of gray cloth, and stubbornly stuffed it into Ouyang Rong's hands.

When I opened it, I found it was a bag full of candied fruit made from bayberry.

Ouyang Rong subconsciously handed it back, intending to decline it.

The old lady of the Cheng family shook her head and pushed his arm forward, with the whole family looking eagerly expectant.

This is a specialty from their hometown, and the candied fruit itself is quite precious.

It is one of the most popular snacks among children of this era, but candied fruit can usually only be afforded by wealthy families. Ordinary families, like the Cheng family, can only pick some wild bayberries to make candied fruit. Although the taste will be much worse, at least it is something to eat, mainly for children to eat during festivals, or for the elderly with bitter taste in the mouth.

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips, stretched out his hand under the gaze of everyone, and prepared to pick one.

At this time, Pei Shisan Niang suddenly stepped forward and helped take the big bag of candied fruits.

Yan Liulang also immediately came closer, picked up one first, put it in his mouth, and quickly chewed and swallowed it.

After a while, he nodded to Ouyang Rong, as if to say that it tasted very sweet.
Ouyang Rong didn't look at the two of them. He picked one up and put it in his mouth.

"Put it away."

After giving instructions to Pei Shisan Niang, he turned around and sincerely thanked the old lady of the Cheng family.

Before leaving, Ouyang Rong stopped at the doorstep, looked back and took a look at the happy family who had moved into the new house.

The candied fruit has been in my mouth for a long time, and it has a faint aftertaste. It is indeed quite sweet.

The three of them left Qingyang Heng Street.

Stroll along the lakeside and return to the carriage.

On the way, Pei Shisan Niang was holding a package of candied fruits, and Yan Liulang was following behind with a knife.

Ouyang Rong spoke without turning his head, breaking the silence:
"Why is Thirteenth Lady here too? Why isn't she hosting the banquet?" "I still prefer to be with you, Master. I feel more comfortable."

"In the past, you were not at ease at all."

Ouyang Rong chuckled.

Pei Shisan Niang hesitated for a moment, then said boldly:
"I was very scared of you before, and even though I'm still scared now, I feel more at ease."

"Yeah, peace of mind."

Pei Shisan Niang nodded and repeated, looking at his back and said:
"Not only do I feel at ease staying with the Master, I also feel at ease staying in Xingzifang and Xunyang City."

"Weren't you at ease before?" Ouyang Rong asked with a smile.

"In the past, I always thought of myself as a stranger in a foreign land. I thought I would leave when I could make money. I would go wherever I could make money. If I couldn't make money, I would leave immediately and go to the next place where I could make money. It was like a traveler's stop after stop."

Pei Shisanniang raised her head and said seriously:
"Sometimes, in the dead of night, my heart would feel a little empty. When I woke up from a dream, I would not know where I was for a moment. Or, it didn't matter where I was, as if I were a ghost."

"what about now."

"Now... I have met you, General Yan, and many interesting people from Xunyang. During this period, I persuaded my colleagues to invest most of their money in this Xingzifang.

"Sir, I didn't have much feeling before, but when I saw these houses being built bit by bit, like tall buildings rising from flat ground, and saw the families reuniting and the happy laughter on their faces, I suddenly understood what you wanted to do."

Ouyang Rong agreed without saying anything and walked in front.

Pei Shisanniang's tone became a little embarrassed when she said this, and she shook her head and said:
“To be honest, when I first followed your instructions and built these ordinary houses that didn’t make money and were difficult to recover, I felt a little heartbroken. I felt that I was wasting money and even felt that it would be a huge loss if I didn’t make any money.

"But, as I gradually accepted them, as I watched them being built and people move in, and as I saw the lively scene of everyone being so happy today, I suddenly felt relieved. I felt that it wasn't that bad, and I felt a little bit safe."

"Safe?" Yan Liulang raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, safe and sound."

Pei Shisan Niang nodded, her eyes brightening up:

"If I follow my previous temper and buy all the mansions, I will earn more, but I will only treat it as a business. Business is of course profit-oriented. I only pursue higher profits. No matter how luxurious, exquisite, and unparalleled these houses are, they are just things for sale. I only care about money, not feelings."

"Now, is it time to talk about feelings?"

“Not really. After the house on Qingyang Main Street was built, I suddenly felt at ease. I haven’t felt this kind of peace of mind for a long, long time.

"Well, I experienced this once when I made money from my first business and used it to improve the lives of my family. At that time, I felt that it was all due to my own ability and that I had a talent for business. I was excited and thrilled, and seeing the happy smiles on my family's faces, I felt at ease.

"But later on, I don't know when it started, but I started to pursue maximum profits more and more, and gradually lost many other things, including some ethical principles, some compassion, and even my father and mother. I went back to visit them less often, and just sent them some money regularly so that they could have enough food and clothing in their hometown.

"But I have become unsettled. From Yangzhou to Jiangzhou now, before I met you, my heart has been completely restless. It seems that only by making profits and getting a more glamorous identity step by step can I vaguely feel some sense of existence, but it is still very empty, and I often wake up in the middle of the night..."

She raised her head and whispered:
"Just now, I accompanied Master Cheng to visit the courtyard of his family. I actually had some leisure to look at the details of the eaves, doors, and walls. I felt quite satisfied. They may not be as exquisite as those mansions, but they made me patient. I don't know how to describe this feeling. It's a bit confusing. Master and General Yan, please don't blame me..."

Pei Shisan Niang sighed, and then let out a breath with a sense of sob and relief.

Ouyang Rong nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Yan Liulang laughed out loud:
"Shisan Niang is relieved. In the words of the Ming Mansion, this is called alienation. Power and force are the easiest to alienate people, followed by money."

"Alienation..." Pei Shisan Niang chewed carefully.

"Yes."

Yan Liulang nodded heavily and looked at Mingfu's silent back with admiration:
"What you are doing now is a legitimate business. Your previous pursuit of profit was too pathological and it was easy to hit a wall. In other words, there is no limit to simply making money from money. Using money to mobilize resources and do some practical things is down-to-earth and peaceful."

There was some reminiscence in his eyes:
"It's the same when doing business, and it's the same when being an official. I was like this when I was in Longcheng before, until I met Master Ming. After following Master Ming, I also developed a similar sense of stability as you do."

Pei Shisan Niang was stunned as she looked at Ouyang Rong who was standing quietly in front of her.

At this time, the three men came to the side of the carriage and stopped one after another.

Ouyang Rong took the candied fruit that Pei Shisan Niang brought and patted Pei Shisan Niang on the shoulder before getting in the car.

"Shisan Niang, go back and rest early. Liu Lang, come up."

Leaving Pei Shisanniang with mixed feelings behind, Yan Liulang followed Ouyang Rong and got on the carriage.

After an incense stick of time, the coachman Ali saw General Yan get off the carriage with a serious face and hurried away.

As the carriage continued to move forward, inside the carriage, Ouyang Rong opened the bag of candied fruits and took a look.

He bent down and pulled out a small wine gourd from under the seat. He placed it next to his ear and shook it. The gourd was filled with thick, turbid wine mixed with talisman ash.

Ouyang Rong was silent for a while, then closed his eyes and entered the Tower of Merit.

His eyes fell on the cyan and gold characters above the small wooden fish:
【Merit: 8,301】

A dinner and a walk after dinner added up to nearly a hundred dollars.

It is rare to have such abundant merit points.

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips and left the Merit Tower.

After opening his eyes, his perspective returned to the slightly bumpy, dimly lit carriage.

"Ali will have to work hard again tonight."

Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke.

Ali's muffled voice came from outside:
"It's not hard. I brought food with me and am willing to protect you, sir." After a pause, he asked for the first time, "Sir, is there any danger in the temple?"

Ouyang Rong did not answer the intuition of this simple man, but said softly:

"Stop at a secluded place at the back door of Chengtian Temple."

"Yes."

Inside the carriage, Ouyang Rong sat back in his chair, head lowered, his palms gently patting a bag of candied fruit and a small wine gourd on his knees.

His eyes were dim and his expression could not be seen clearly.

"Whoosh."

"Crack-!"

Another streak of fireworks cut through the night sky on the other side of the lake.

Ouyang Rong's eyesight returned and he turned to look at the short-lived fireworks outside the window for a while.

His eyes were lost in thought for a moment.

"Wait, let's go to that yard first."

Ali seemed stunned for a moment, but immediately agreed: "Yes, sir."

The carriage turned and drove towards a quiet courtyard by the lake not far away.

Ouyang Rong lowered his head, opened the bundle of candied fruits, picked up a candied fruit, and carefully wrapped it up with the handkerchief that his junior sister had left with him.

He stuffed the handkerchief and the wine gourd under the seat and placed them next to the piano case.

After doing all this, the carriage arrived at the gate of the quiet courtyard and slowly stopped.

It was late at night. Ouyang Rong looked around and saw that the yard was pitch black.

According to the healthy routine of the embroiderer and the Fang sisters, they went to bed early, so he came too late.

Ouyang Rong got out of the car with a bag of candied fruit in his hand, glanced at the gate of the courtyard, and pushed it open without hesitation.

He walked lightly.

Walk through the silent lobby and into the backyard.

The rooms were dark and quiet.

He placed the bag of preserves on the stone table, bumped into something, and looked down.

After my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could immediately see clearly that there were several plates of dishes covered by bamboo baskets on the stone table.

He subconsciously touched the bowl with the back of his hand. He didn't know if it was because the spring weather was getting warmer, or because his body felt a little cold after sobering up, but the bowl was faintly warm.

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips, stood for a while, then turned around and was about to leave.

Tonight, he has a very important matter to deal with at Chengtian Temple.

At this moment, a familiar crisp sound suddenly came from behind:
“Long Ling——!”

Ouyang Rong paused.

"Ah, ah..."

In the darkness, a woman called him softly.

……

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(PS: It’s the middle of the month, I’m begging for a guaranteed monthly ticket for the mid-month refresh, woohoo, my good brothers, please vote for it~or2)

(End of this chapter)