No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 729 Birthday Gift Complete [7k, monthly ticket requested! ]

Today is a big day for everyone in Huaiye Lane Mansion.

From morning till now evening, there has been no traffic jam at the gate of the Huaiye Lane mansion throughout the entire day.

In addition to the large number of relatives and fellow villagers from Nanlong who came at noon, they were personally received by Madam Zhen.

There is hardly any bustling scene at the gate, let alone the hustle and bustle of traffic.

I guess most of the neighbors in the surrounding area don’t know that this incident happened today.

Instead, one or two carriages with excellent privacy would arrive at the back door of the mansion from time to time. After entering the house, they would drop off a few guests. Ban Xi, Zhen Shuyuan's personal maid, would lead the maids in a graceful and elegant manner, check the invitations, and then quickly welcome the guests to the main hall... Everything was in order.

As the only direct elder in the Ouyang family, the aunt of the youngest governor of this dynasty, a fourth-rank county lady, and a lady of noble title...Mrs. Zhen's birthday gift would naturally not be so simple and plain.

The plan was prepared by the noble lady of the Xie family for a long time, and naturally followed the low-key but solemn model of aristocratic families:

The guests were all carefully selected and were close personal friends, so the gold-stamped invitations were solemnly delivered early in the morning.

The main feature is low-key and private, with exquisite specifications.

Zhen Shuyuan has been smiling from ear to ear since the first batch of customers arrived in the morning.

Obviously, he was very satisfied with the birthday party arranged and hosted by Xie Lingjiang.

At least, when it comes to arranging maids and servants, decorating banquet venues, and preparing welcoming ceremonies, the noble ladies from the five surnames and seven families are still good at it. After all, they have been influenced by these things since childhood, and even if they don't deliberately learn them, they can quickly find the right track and take on the tasks.

Although Xie Lingjiang had consulted his aunt a little, many of the items for the birthday ceremony were also transferred from Xie Xue'e in Yangzhou by a special ship.

However, being able to arrange things in such a dignified and grand manner is also a reflection of one's ability to manage the household well.

Sometimes, we have to admit that temperament cultivation can only be developed with a family background and family tradition. High-quality resources are monopolized and accumulated in this way. Otherwise, if she is an ordinary farm girl, she can only focus on the word "diligence" and make up for her shortcomings with "diligence".

No wonder the poor families in the world and the prominent families in the Great Zhou are all keen on pursuing the girls from the five surnames. It can really improve the family reputation and enhance the family style and taste immediately.

In folk culture, women with these five surnames are even more "noble" than princesses. Some people even say, "I would rather marry women with these five surnames than marry into the king's family."

In the past, Ouyang Rong didn't really understand it. Wouldn't it make the family more noble if he could marry a princess and become a royal relative? But ever since he met a certain little princess and accidentally took the bowl of water that she handed to him, Ouyang Rong suddenly realized.

The reason is very simple. The princesses of the Qian and Zhou royal families were too tough. Most of them were extravagant, arrogant, and domineering, commonly known as the Princess Syndrome. Once they were married home, they would bully the host and could not be made angry. If they made mistakes, they could not be taught a lesson. To put it bluntly, the so-called "son-in-law" is the royal son-in-law. From the origin of the name alone, we can see that the "son-in-law" was originally an official in charge of the horses in the emperor's carriage. Well, Bi Ma Wen gave a thumbs up, but even Bi Ma Wen was not interested in the Seven Fairies. There is also a little-known fact about marrying a princess. According to the Qian and Zhou systems, after the princess died, her husband needed to mourn for three years, which was really equivalent to her parents.

On the other hand, the women of the Five Surnames and Seven Famous Clan have good family backgrounds and good upbringing, and they don’t have the problems of princesses. The Five Surnames families also help each other, which is of great help to the improvement of the family status and the development of the husband’s career. The most important thing is that the husband’s status at home is not lower than that of the wife, and he does not have to observe three years of mourning…

From this perspective, it is no wonder that women from the five surnames and seven families are more popular than princesses of this dynasty.

Therefore, ever since Zhen Shuyuan saw Xie Lingjiang at Donglin Temple on Dagu Mountain in Longcheng, she has liked him more and more.

Until now, I have finally achieved what I wanted.

In the main hall, Zhen Shuyuan looked at Xie Xue'e, who was sitting elegantly in the nearby seat.

Apart from the clan leader Xianlao and other elders who came from Nanlong, Xie Xue'e sat closest to her.

Originally, the seat at the head was reserved for the people coming from Xunyang Palace, but Xie Lingjiang persuaded them to stop, saying that the prince and the little princess were both traveling in casual clothes, so there was no need to make their identities known too much, and everything could be as usual...

Zhen and Xie were both women of similar age and had more in common.

Although their personalities and temperaments were very different, Xie Xue'e had never shown any disdain or contempt in front of Zhen Shuyuan, nor was she aloof. Instead, she was witty and graceful.

There were even many topics to talk about between the two girls. Xie Xue'e liked to ask about Ouyang Rong's past, which hit the nail on the head for Zhen Shuyuan. She talked about a lot of embarrassing things that happened in someone's childhood, and both beautiful women laughed sweetly.

However, Zhen Shuyuan knew in her heart that the reason they could have a common language might be because Mrs. Xie was of such a high level and had outstanding emotional intelligence. She remembered what her nephew had said in a casual chat before, that someone who makes you feel like spring breeze when you just meet him or her is either like-minded or much higher than you in level, and is very comfortable with it. The process of making friends with you is natural and calm.

Zhen Shuyuan has a scale in her heart for all these.

At this moment, she responded with a smile, treating Xie Xue'e as if she were her own mother-in-law.

Because Xie Lingjiang's biological mother died early and her father Xie Xun was not around, Xie Lingjiang had a good relationship with her aunt, who naturally took the position of the female elder on Xie Lingjiang's side.

As night fell, outside the hall, apart from the remaining orange dusk in the sky, there was only the dark forest hidden by the wall.

Zhen Shuyuan withdrew her gaze from outside and fell on the maids in the main hall. Under the guidance of Banxi, they walked in obediently and sensibly, scattered around the main hall, and lit lamps everywhere.

The main hall, which was originally dim to the naked eye, suddenly became bright.

The relatives and guests sitting in their seats all looked around subconsciously and started laughing.

It's time for all the lights to be turned on again.

Zhen Shuyuan couldn't help but look around. The halls of the mansion, which used to be brightly lit but deserted, were now bustling with the faces of old and new acquaintances and filled with their laughter.

She felt inexplicably cheerful and adjusted the scarlet shawl around her arm, which was a gift from Ah Qing.

As the birthday girl of the day, Zhen Shuyuan wore her favorite royal blue floor-length dress. At Xie Lingjiang's suggestion, she paired it with a red waist ribbon, which not only brought out the tall woman's graceful figure, but also highlighted her full hip-to-waist ratio like a gourd.

It can also be matched with a vermilion shawl to buffer the royal blue. This color is too rich and heavy, and needs a touch of red as an embellishment to soothe the eyes. In addition, red also symbolizes good luck, which fits Zhen Shuyuan's identity as the birthday girl tonight.

Zhen Shuyuan straightened her clothes and saw Ouyang Rong striding into the main hall.

It not only attracted all her attention, but also the attention of all the guests in the main pavilion.

Zhen Shuyuan stood up, and Ouyang Rong raised his hand in the air and said with a smile:

"Aunt, please sit down and see who is here."

He turned sideways and gestured to the back. Zhen Shuyuan and the other guests looked and saw two figures in men's clothing following Ouyang Rong into the main hall. Behind them was a chubby-faced servant boy in blue clothes, holding two small gift boxes in his hands and looking around curiously.

The two men's figures in front are almost the same height. One has a square face with stubble and a strong build, while the other is handsome and slender, holding a folding fan in his hand.

There was a faint red mark of plum blossom makeup between the latter's eyebrows. She walked with a brisk pace, but her beautiful facial features looked a little feminine. Looking down carefully, it was clear that she indeed had no Adam's apple.

Without Ouyang Rong's introduction, Zhen Shuyuan recognized the person immediately.

"Prince, Princess..."

She was about to stand up to greet him, but was gently stopped.

"Madam, please don't be polite. My sister and I are here on behalf of our father... Daddy is here to wish you a happy birthday. Today, we should focus on having fun. Madam is the birthday girl, so don't worry about those red tapes."

Li Dalang raised his hand in the air and said with a silly smile.

Li Guoer, who was dressed very beautifully in men's clothing, nodded slightly, put away her folding fan, clapped her hands, and glanced at the situation around the mansion with her dark eyes, seeming to be quite interested.

After Ouyang Rong left Yinbingzhai, he went to pick up the Li brothers and sisters.

This time, Li Xian and Wei Mei did not come because they were not feeling well. They also declined to attend the celebration ceremony for the Donglin Buddha tomorrow. This was the advice given by Ouyang Rong a few days ago, asking them to simply not come. However, Li Xian and his wife wanted to come to celebrate Zhen Shuyuan's birthday, but Ouyang Rong dispelled the idea with just one sentence and asked Li Guoer and Li Dalang to present gifts instead.

Ouyang Rong said at the time that if the prince and princess came, Li Congshan and Rong Zhen would definitely follow with guards, and by then the Huaiye Lane mansion would be surrounded by three layers of guards inside and outside...

However, Li Xian and his wife were not completely defenseless while staying in the palace. Xie Lingjiang said that Li Guoer left them a powerful thunder talisman for protection to keep them safe.

"Where's Sister Xie?"

Li Guoer asked.

Ouyang Rong glanced at the sky and said, "He should be in the kitchen now."

Li Guoer seemed to be thinking about something.

The Li brothers and sisters went to sit aside.

Cai Shou, the chubby-faced maid, handed the gifts she brought to Ban Xi.

Zhen Shuyuan looked at Ouyang Rong and said with emotion:

"Tan Lang is really energetic."

In order to follow the principle of bringing the embroiderer home with a clean record.

Ouyang Rong was wearing a brand new blue Confucian shirt today, which was picked out for him by the embroiderer Ah Qing.

It is paired with a talisman with a note containing the words "Never Forget Each Other" and is hung around the waist.

He has a tall and slender figure, a handsome and sunny face, and the simpler the clothes he wears, the more refreshing and energetic he looks.

Ouyang Rong habitually walked with big strides, and his steps were filled with a strong and powerful spirit. At first glance, he was a man of great spirit, but in his own words, he was destined to be a hard worker.

Ouyang Rong and Zhen Shuyuan stood together in front of everyone, one in green and one in blue, standing out and conspicuous, complementing each other.

Zhen Shuyuan, who was sitting in her seat, held the arm of Ouyang Rong, who was standing, and looked at him with some emotion, as if she could never look enough.

"How come in the blink of an eye, Tan Lang has grown so tall and big, and has become so successful..."

She murmured, even though there were many people around her, with many eyes looking at her, and today was an important day, the beautiful woman's eyes still unconsciously became moist.

In this bustling place, I feel a little sentimental.

Zhen Shuyuan knew in her heart that if she didn't love her nephew for his success, she, a "village woman", would never have had such a great honor to invite so many people to her birthday party, and how could she have been granted the title of wife of a fourth-rank county lady.

She couldn't help but tighten her grip on Ouyang Rong's right forearm.

Ouyang Rong's attention was originally focused on the layout of the main hall.

Just before he went to pick up the Li brothers and sisters, he stopped by the stable, took the Mohist sword box out of the carriage, and hid it somewhere near the main hall.

For now, I'd better study the terrain just in case.

There is no way. A qualified sword wielder should be prepared to be the sixth at any time.

Noticing Zhen Shuyuan's emotions, Ouyang Rong turned around and gently patted the back of her hand.

"I'm fine."

Zhen Shuyuan turned her head, wiped the corner of her eyes with her thumb, and smiled again.

At this time, the kitchen seemed to be ready after Ouyang Rong nodded.

In the main hall, dishes were served one after another, filling the long table in the middle of the hall.

The dinner began, and the clan members and guests who were waiting outside came in one after another, presented Zhen Shuyuan with gifts, and took their seats.

Zhen Shuyuan sat in the main seat and responded with laughter, while Ouyang Rong stood beside her chair to accompany her.

Although some non-relatives and good friends did not come, they still sent gifts.

For example, Mr. Qin and the Qin family presented a pair of "Shou" characters written by Mr. Qin himself, and Qin Ying also sent an extra gift.

Yan Liulang and Pei Shisan Niang were also among the guests. As Ouyang Rong's capable men, they also got the opportunity to attend the birthday ceremony.

However, after giving the gift, Yan Liulang did not leave immediately. He leaned close to Ouyang Rong's ear and said a few words.

Ouyang Rong glanced at him, nodded slightly, and Yan Liulang retreated.

After a while, Zhen Shuyuan noticed that Ouyang Rong seemed to be thinking about something with his head down, so she tilted her head and asked:
"What's wrong, Tan Lang, is there something wrong?"

Ouyang Rong replied:

"Nothing, Huaimin has an appointment that might change, so he sent someone over to let us know."

Zhen Shuyuan asked: "That greedy guy, isn't he blaming us for not inviting him?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head: "He won't take it to heart whether I invite him or not, but he will definitely complain if he can't take a day off with me."

Zhen Shuyuan laughed and didn't ask any more questions. Ouyang Rong looked at the night outside.

Yuan Huaimin sent someone to inform them that they would not be able to gather together to go to Xunyang Grottoes the next morning, and he had to go there early. It seemed that he had promised Yi Qianqiu that he would go to observe the painting depicting the first ray of morning light illuminating the golden head of the Buddha at the moment of sunrise, so they could not go together. Yuan Huaimin asked him to go by himself and pay attention to safety... These were all routine concerns among colleagues.

However, Ouyang Rong felt a little strange. This old guy didn't seem to be the polite and talkative type.

As Ouyang Rong was pondering, the hall suddenly became quieter.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Ban Xi seemed to have come to Zhen Shuyuan and reported to her. The latter glanced outside and then turned her head to look at him.

The guests around also looked toward the moonlit courtyard outside.

"What's wrong, auntie?"

Ouyang Rong came back to his senses and asked casually.

Zhen Shuyuan pursed her lips and gestured outside:

"Hey, was she invited by Tan Lang? If so, come in. Today is a festive day, and everyone who comes is a guest."

Ouyang Rong turned his head and saw that there was a cold girl dressed in cold palace clothes standing in the yard outside under the moon, with her hands in her sleeves. From a distance, she looked like a banished fairy from the Moon Palace.

It's Rong Zhen.

But today she was wearing a large purple palace skirt, which was very rare. In the past, it was always light purple, but today it was dark purple, revealing a sense of nobility and mystery.

It seemed like a hundred steps away, as Rong Zhen and Ouyang Rong were staring at each other from a distance.

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips and ordered:
"Banxi, you go get the person... Never mind, I'll do it."

He walked out of the main hall and went to greet the guests in person. The guests were all curious about who this person was that could have such a grand ceremony and let Ouyang Rong go to greet him in person.

Li Guoer, who had been looking downcast and bored, now became energetic. He glanced slightly to the side with a smile on his face.

Li Dalang, who was standing next to him, took a sip from his wine glass, then put it down and started muttering:
"Didn't you bring back Miss Xiu Niang today? Why did Tan Lang invite this lady here as well?"

Li Guoer nodded: "I like watching fights the most."

Li Dalang was puzzled: "What fight?"

Li Guoer blinked and didn't answer.

Ouyang Rong came to the courtyard outside and looked at the lady historian standing in the wind with her sleeves and hair flying. He said a little stiffly:

"Is Ms. Rong really here?"

Rong Zhen started with a familiar opening sentence:

"I didn't want to come, but I just happened to be passing by. I have to go back to the city to visit the Supervisory Council. I'm in Xunyang Ferry anyway, so I stopped by to take a look."

Her face was cold and she stared at Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong was ready to speak.

Rong Zhen glanced at the various looks in the main hall and interrupted to ask:

"Is it inconvenient? It's okay, just tell me, it's not a big deal. If it's inconvenient, just tell me. I have to get busy too, so I'm leaving..."

She pretended to pull her hand out from her sleeve.

"and many more."

Ouyang Rong subconsciously raised his hand and called out to Rong Zhen.

Now that things have come to this, what else can he do?
However, Ouyang Rong soon discovered that Rong Zhen didn't seem to move at all. She just changed the way she held her sleeves and stood in a different posture.

"It's not inconvenient." Having said this, Ouyang Rong shook his head and said, "Ms. Rong, please come in for dinner, but don't send any gifts, it's too polite..."

Before Ouyang Rong could finish his words, Rong Zhen had already passed by him. The girl, dressed in purple palace clothes, was short in stature but held her head high as she walked into the main hall.

She followed the same procedure as other new guests and walked straight to Zhen Shuyuan and took out a ball of red cloth from her sleeve.

Banxi stepped forward and wanted to take the gift.

Rong Zhen ignored her and directly opened the red cloth and took out a string of beads wrapped in it.

The popular palace girl in front of the empress handed the Buddhist beads to Zhen Shuyuan with a bit of low EQ.

"The eighteen seeds for safety were made by me. You can wear them often, madam. It's best not to keep them too far away from you."

She said seriously with her little face, and added:
"When we first met, I accidentally disturbed the lady. I am very sorry."

Zhen Shuyuan looked at her, then looked at Ouyang Rong behind her.

Ouyang Rong shrugged slightly, looking a little helpless.

Zhen Shuyuan nodded, took the eighteen seeds, and said politely:
"Buddhist beads are good. They can increase blessings and fortune, avoid disasters and bring peace. It's a good idea."

Rong Zhen seemed to let out a breath, looked around, had nothing to say, and turned and walked away.

Ban Xi took Rong Zhen to sit aside, but it was a single empty seat, and everyone spontaneously made way for a few seats.

Ouyang Rong also breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhen Shuyuan, whether intentionally or unintentionally, first placed the Buddhist beads on the table next to her, paused, then picked them up and stuffed them directly into her arms, as if nothing had happened.

Not far away, Li Dalang curiously heard his sister sighing with regret:
"That's really thoughtful. It's a pity that Sister Xie is not here."

Seeing this, many guests around began to inquire about the identity of this cold girl in palace clothes.

Soon, the dinner dishes were almost served.

However, the banquet still did not start, which made everyone feel a little strange.

At this moment, Xie Lingjiang and Ye Weilai returned to the hall together and sat down next to Zhen Shuyuan.

Seeing this, everyone thought they could start the banquet, but they didn't expect Zhen Shuyuan's eyes to be outside.

Ouyang Rong's figure disappeared at some point and reappeared at the door.

He was supporting a pretty girl who walked slowly into the hall.

Ouyang Rong moved very cautiously.

When they got closer, they found that the pretty girl's eyes were not covered by the ribbon, her steps were a little dazed, and she walked slowly. She held a bowl of longevity noodles in both hands and walked towards Zhen Shuyuan.

Many people looked at this scene curiously.

Rong Zhen tilted his head, seemingly staring straight at Zhao Qingxiu.

Li Dalang also looked on with emotion as he watched Tan Lang bravely bring back the woman he loved and settle everything.

In the eyes of outsiders, this was a rather strange guest, but most people guessed that he must have a close relationship with Ouyang Rong.

Zhao Qingxiu, dressed in plain clothes, came to Zhen Shuyuan.

No one knew that her heartbeat quickened with every step she took since she entered the hall, and when she heard Zhen Shuyuan's breathing, her heart almost jumped out of her throat.

Zhen Shuyuan kept her eyes fixed on the familiar yet unfamiliar blind-mute girl, and asked tremblingly:
"What's wrong with your eyes?"

Zhao Qingxiu smiled and shook her head optimistically.
Zhen Shuyuan looked at him for a long time, sighed, and took the bowl of noodles.

She immediately put it down, reached out to touch Zhao Qingxiu's head, and her voice choked up unconsciously:
"Why is your life still so miserable... But you are a good child, good, good..."

As she spoke, she stared at Zhao Qingxiu absentmindedly.

"Ah."

There wasn't a moment when Zhao Qingxiu wanted to speak, but all she uttered were meaningless notes and tears welled up in her eyes.

I obviously don't want to cry.

There were many people around, and the two girls who met again after many years couldn't communicate much. They could only go through the process tacitly.

But silence is better than sound.

Moreover, just going through the process made them all choke up to varying degrees.

Especially Zhao Qingxiu, her thin chest heaving violently, making people fear that there might be a moment when her small body could not bear it. Seeing this scene, Ouyang Rong suddenly had wild thoughts, and was somewhat glad that the embroiderer had learned the art of refining qi, which could also strengthen the body and prolong life, and she was not as thin and lacking in qi and blood as she looked.

Xie Lingjiang and Ye Weilai understood each other tacitly and immediately stepped forward to replace Ouyang Rong and support Zhao Qingxiu. The two women took her to the main table next to them and sat her down, and comforted her.

Ouyang Rong held back his steps and continued to stay beside Zhen Shuyuan, watching her eat longevity noodles while livening up the atmosphere at the dinner party.

At the scene, except for some relatives and clansmen who were familiar with the Ouyang Rong family and looked thoughtful, many guests did not understand Zhao Qingxiu's identity and were somewhat confused.

However, after watching from the sidelines, I was able to roughly guess what was going on.

Because according to reason, the person who serves the longevity noodles to the birthday elder must be someone the birthday elder likes and is close to. Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang are both suitable, but now the role was given to a strange, pretty blind girl.

And looking at where this woman was sitting, she was sitting with Ouyang Rong, right next to Xie Lingjiang, a little closer to the front than Ye Weilai, and her status was subtly more superior.

But there is no doubt that she is Ouyang Rong's wife. At least for now, it seems that Madam Zhen has accepted her.

At the subsequent dinner, the guests felt at home, and the women around Ouyang Rong also became happy, creating a rare peaceful atmosphere.

Ouyang Rong ate two large bowls of rice, one from his junior sister and the other from the embroiderer.

The junior sister took the initiative to find topics to talk about, and the atmosphere became lively. Ouyang Rong followed the old rules and did not interrupt like a gentleman, leaving the main stage to the girls.

Zhen Shuyuan seemed to be observing from the side, and found that Xie Lingjiang was indeed accepting, with a hint of relief in her eyes.

Throughout the entire dinner, Ouyang Rong's attention was focused on the rice in front of him and the women beside him, and he didn't pay much attention to anything else.

When the banquet was over, he looked around and found that Ms. Rong was nowhere to be seen. He didn't know when she left.

He originally wanted to see them off and ask about tomorrow's celebration. Although Prince Xunyang and his wife would not go, as the governor of Jiangzhou, he still had to go there.

Ouyang Rong shook his head slightly.

Li Dalang and Li Guoer came over and said goodbye to him, but they did not return to the palace immediately. The Huaiye Lane mansion had prepared a yard for them to rest. They would go back with Xie Lingjiang tomorrow, which would be safer.

As for the clan leaders and villagers from Nanlong, Ouyang Rong had already arranged a boat for them to leave Xunyang City tomorrow morning. He had some special considerations for this matter, and Yan Liulang would be responsible for it. Pei Shisanniang went back to make ice, and continued to transport some ice to the palace as planned...

After taking care of all these, Ouyang Rong relaxed and was able to spend some quality time with his female family members tonight.

A dinner party makes you feel at home.

The main hall gradually became empty, leaving only Ouyang Rong and several female relatives.

The song ended, but the people did not leave.

But this time, there are no outsiders here, so we need to reminisce about the past.

……

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(PS: 7k words, continue to make up, the next chapter will be updated before 2 o'clock tomorrow night! Please give me a monthly ticket or)

(End of this chapter)