Chapter 118

However, Qiu Tong changed her mind after walking a short distance with Zhang Xiaohua.

Ou Yan had not told Qiu Tong what books she was going to give to Zhang Xiaohua. Moreover, it was inappropriate to bring someone into the manor master's study without the manor master's permission.

Therefore, Qiu Tong brought Zhang Xiaohua to the main hall.

As soon as they got close to the main hall, Zhang Xiaohua heard two people talking inside. One of them had a very pleasant voice, like an oriole flying out of a valley. One would never get tired of listening to it for a long time. The other person's enunciation was smooth and unhurried, but it did not have that kind of charm.

Zhang Xiaohua could not help but think that the person with the pleasant voice was the manor master, Ou Yan.

In fact, Zhang Xiaohua had already started guessing Ou Yan's appearance and voice when she came to the inner courtyard. She had been at Huanxi Manor for several months, and Ou Yan had treated her very well. However, she had never seen her before. This time, she was here not only to return the books, but also to thank Ou Yan in person for taking care of her.

Qiu Tong asked Zhang Xiaohua to wait outside the room while she went in to report.

After Qiu Tong entered the main hall, the two people inside stopped talking. Zhang Xiaohua heard Qiu Tong say from inside, "Manor Master, Zhang Xiaohua from the herb field is here to return your books. He wants to borrow some more. What books do you want to borrow from him?"

At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua's ears perked up. She wanted to know who the voice was.

Unfortunately, to her disappointment, the gentle voice said, "Eh? He's finished reading so quickly?

Could it be that this fellow was just randomly flipping through the books? Let him in. I'll ask him. If he really reads them and understands them, it won't be too late to borrow them then. "

It turned out that the extremely pleasant voice was not Ou Yan's voice.

Qiu Tong came out and gestured for Zhang Xiaohua to enter the room. When Zhang Xiaohua entered the room carefully, she saw a dignified and beautiful woman in her twenties sitting at the front of the hall. Her temperament was similar to Liu Qian's, and her skin was fair and smooth. If it weren't for the fact that the woman in front of her had phoenix eyes and Liu Qian's almond-shaped eyes, Zhang Xiaohua would have called her 'sister-in-law'. On the other side of the hall sat a middle-aged woman with ordinary features. Her skin was dark and coarse, and although her clothes were bright, they couldn't hide her bucket-like waist.

Zhang Xiaohua couldn't help but stare blankly for a moment. Could it be that the voice that had been reverberating for three days had come from this woman?

At this moment, Ou Yan spoke, "Are you Zhang Xiaohua?"

Zhang Xiaohua quickly retracted her gaze and bowed deeply. "Yes, Sister Manor Head, I am Zhang Xiaohua."

Ou Yan was a little stunned and almost laughed out loud. "Sister?

Haha, it's been a long time since someone called me sister.

Zhang Xiaohua, your little mouth is really sweet. "

Zhang Xiaohua didn't think much of it and couldn't help but scratch her head. "Is there a problem?

Sister Manor Head. "

Ou Yan didn't get angry and only asked, "Why did you suddenly think of calling me sister?"

Zhang Xiaohua said curiously, "Manor Head is older than me, so I have to call you sister. Moreover, Manor Head looks very similar to my sister-in-law. Just now, I almost called her sister-in-law. That's right, my sister-in-law's name is Liu Qian. Before she married my big brother, I called her Sister Liu. So, I feel that Manor Head is very close to me, so of course I should call you sister."

The dark and coarse woman next to her spoke. Her clear voice rang in Zhang Xiaohua's ears. "Haha, this Xiaohua is really interesting. It's been a long time since I've seen such a simple child."

Zhang Xiaohua looked at the woman and couldn't help but say, "Sister's voice is really nice."

Ou Yan smiled and said, "Just call her Sister Qin. If you call her Sister Qin a few more times, she'll talk to you more and let you listen more."

The woman turned out to be Aunt Qin from the Misty School's Ming Cui Hall.

When Zhang Xiaohua heard this, he obediently said to the woman, "Hello, Sister Qin."

Aunt Qin couldn't help but be stunned. She smiled and said, "Everyone calls me Aunt Qin, but you actually called me Sister. That's fine, it sounds very comfortable. If you need Sister's help in the future, don't hesitate to ask."

Ou Yan smiled even more and said, "Zhang Xiaohua, why aren't you thanking Sister Qin? She doesn't open her mouth easily."

Zhang Xiaohua was confused. He bowed and said, "Thank you, Sister Qin."

Actually, he didn't think much of it in his heart. There was no such thing as a free lunch. It was his first time meeting her, so she definitely wouldn't help him just because of a title. He also didn't know what Ou Yan meant. She was probably joking.

Everyone teased and said a few more words.

Only then did Ou Yan ask Zhang Xiaohua, "Zhang Xiaohua, have you read these books?

Do you understand them? "

Zhang Xiaohua honestly said, "I've read them, Manor Head Sister."

This time, Ou Yan frowned and said, "Big Sister Manor Lord sounds awkward. You can call me Big Sister Ou or Big Sister Yan."

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment and said, "I understand, Sister Ou."

However, Ou Yan didn't quite believe Zhang Xiaohua's words and said, "Zhang Xiaohua, the most taboo thing when reading books is not to ask for a thorough understanding. You shouldn't bite off more than you can chew. Last time, I heard from He Tianshu that you've already read a lot of books. This time, you took so many books and finished reading them so quickly. Can you remember and understand them?"

Zhang Xiaohua was a little anxious and said, "Really, Sister Ou, I understand them all. But because I understood these books, I realized that there are too many things I don't understand."

Ou Yan heard him say this and her expression relaxed and said, "If that's the case, I'll ask you a few questions."

After saying this, Ou Yan flipped through the books and picked a few questions for Zhang Xiaohua to answer.

In Zhang Xiaohua's eyes, these questions weren't questions at all. They were written clearly in the books, so he answered them fluently without thinking.

When Ou Yan saw that Zhang Xiaohua answered quickly, she was very happy and picked a few questions that weren't in the books for him to answer.

This time, Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment and answered the questions that he thought were appropriate based on the knowledge he had read.

Ou Yan was even more happy when she heard this. After pointing out the inconsistencies in Zhang Xiaohua's answers, she said, "Zhang Xiaohua, I didn't expect you to be so proficient in these books. Very good. Wait here, I'll bring out more books for you to read. If there's anything you don't understand, come and ask me."

After saying this, she excused herself from Aunt Qin and left with Qiu Tong with a face full of smiles.

Only Aunt Qin and Zhang Xiaohua were left in the main hall.

When Aunt Qin saw Zhang Xiaohua standing there obediently with his head lowered, she started chatting with him and asked about Zhang Xiaohua's recent situation.

Zhang Xiaohua didn't hide anything from this good-natured older sister. He told her about how he came to Ping Yang City, how he came to Huan Xi Mountain Villa, and how he got injured. He only left out the part about the Fist of the North Star and the sword technique. When Aunt Qin heard about Zhang Xiaohua's encounter, she couldn't help but sigh. She thought about her own childhood and couldn't help but feel closer to Zhang Xiaohua.

Just as they were talking, Ou Yan returned. Behind her, Qiu Tong actually carried a white cloth bag that looked very heavy. Zhang Xiaohua hurriedly ran over to take it. It was heavy in his hands too. He guessed that there were many books inside.

Ou Yan sat down and said, "Zhang Xiaohua, these are the books I picked out according to your situation. Read them well.

Just now, I heard from Qiu Tong that you actually know how to combine theory with practice. That's really not bad. You have to continue on this path. Go as far as you can. It will be beneficial for both you and the villa. "

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said, "Okay, Sister Ou. I will work hard to read and practice. I hope I can help Sister Ou solve the problem of the seeds."

At the mention of the seeds, Ou Yan couldn't hide the frown on her face. She said, "Your hopes are good. However, if I could find the reason just by reading these books, I would have found it long ago."

Zhang Xiaohua was a little embarrassed. It seemed like she had made up her mind at the wrong time. She said, "As the saying goes, 'three cobblers are better than Zhuge Liang'. If we all think of a solution together, there might be hope."

Ou Yan smiled and said, "What you said makes sense, but many things can't be solved with more people. We still need senior people to deal with it."

Then, Ou Yan pondered for a moment and said, "Zhang Xiaohua, read these books first. After a while, I will take you to see a real expert. You can see how they treat herbs."

Hearing this, Qiu Tong's expression changed. She said, "Young Miss, you've decided to go alone?"

Aunt Qin also said, "Yan 'er, you have to think carefully. The journey is long, thousands of miles. Can your body handle it?"

Ou Yan smiled and said, "Big Sister Qin, you don't have to worry about me. Although the journey is a little long, didn't Qiu Tong go there last time?

My body isn't any weaker than Qiu Tong's. Why can't I go? "

Qiu Tong begged, "Young Miss, let me go again. You shoulder the fate of the villa. It's better for you to stay in the villa and take care of the situation. Let us do the running."

Ou Yan smiled bitterly and said, "A year has passed and there is still no movement from these seeds. This is a huge problem that concerns the strength of the Misty School. That day, I made a promise in front of Big Brother. If I can't solve it, won't I become a sinner in the sect?"

Aunt Qin also advised, "These seeds have been lost for a long time. The specific method of planting them may have been lost long ago. Although you made a promise in front of the sect leader that day, most of them have been planted. Why care about this little bit?"

Ou Yan smiled bitterly and said, "This little bit is the most important thing. Last time, Qiu Tong went, they closed the door and refused to see us. They must think that we don't care enough. If I don't go, won't this path be cut off?"

Seeing that they couldn't persuade Ou Yan, Aunt Qin and Qiu Tong didn't say anything else. Only Zhang Xiaohua listened to the three of them as if she was listening to a book from heaven. She didn't know what they were talking about. It seemed that when she was injured, Qiu Tong said that she went to the south and didn't come to see her.

From what she heard, she went to ask someone to solve the problem of the seeds. However, that person felt that Qiu Tong's identity wasn't right and refused to see her. Qiu Tong returned empty-handed.

Now, Ou Yan wanted to go personally. Hmm, from what she heard, she wanted to bring her along. The other two felt that Ou Yan's identity was noble and were afraid that something would happen, so they stopped her.

Zhang Xiaohua understood. Seeing that the three of them weren't interested, she quickly thanked Ou Yan for borrowing the book and was about to leave.

Ou Yan smiled and said a few more words of encouragement before letting Qiu Tong take her away.

Qiu Tong wasn't in a good mood. She brought Zhang Xiaohua to Qiuju's courtyard with a dark expression and said, "Zhang Xiaohua, next time if you want to find me or the Manor Head, don't rush in rashly. Although you're young, you still have to abide by the manor's rules. If you see Qiuju or anyone else here, let them come in to find me, alright?"

Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said, "I know, Big Sister Qiu Tong. Don't be unhappy. I'm sure there'll be a solution."

Qiu Tong forced a smile and said, "I know. Xiaohua, you should work hard too. I hope you can help."

Qiu Tong watched as Zhang Xiaohua walked away with a bag of books. Only then did she turn and walk away quickly.

Zhang Xiaohua walked back with a large bag of books in her left hand. Luckily, Zhang Xiaohua had the strength of two hundred and fifty kilograms in one arm. That was why she seemed so light. If it were anyone else, it would be difficult. She didn't know how Qiu Tong had carried the books from the study to the living room.

When Zhang Xiaohua returned to the room, she threw the bag on the kang bed and drank some water. When she opened it, her eyes widened involuntarily, "My goodness, there really are a lot of books. There are at least a few dozen books. No wonder it's so heavy."

However, Zhang Xiaohua was immediately overjoyed. With so many books, she would have something to rely on for the long night.

At night, when Zhang Xiaohua finished practicing martial arts and casually opened a book, she suddenly realized that it was different from the previous books. First of all, the previous books were more basic, but these new books were obviously more profound. It was just right for Zhang Xiaohua's current level. Just a casual glance was enough to tickle Zhang Xiaohua's heart. She couldn't bear to let go of them. Secondly, the blank spaces of the previous books were as clean as before. However, these new books had more or less fine writing in the blank spaces of every page. There were only a few words in a few places, but there were many densely packed words that filled the entire page. When Zhang Xiaohua squinted her eyes to take a closer look, she realized that these words were written about the insights and experiences of reading this page. This was the first time that Zhang Xiaohua had encountered such a way of reading. Her eyes lit up and she began to read carefully.

The more Zhang Xiaohua read, the more shocked she was, and the more she admired the person who wrote this. The notes in the blank spaces not only highlighted the main points of the page, but also quoted from classics, and wrote a lot of things by analogy. It was enough to show that the reader's knowledge was profound. As she read, Zhang Xiaohua suddenly thought of something. She put down the book in her hand, picked up another book from the kang, and opened it. Sure enough, that book was also densely packed with notes. Then, Zhang Xiaohua casually picked up a few more books, and they were all the same.

Zhang Xiaohua suddenly realized that such beautiful handwriting belonged to none other than the Manor Lord, Ou Yan.

Looking at such a large pile of books, Zhang Xiaohua was actually able to read them in such detail. Zhang Xiaohua felt admiration from the bottom of her heart.

Also, she was filled with gratitude. This Sister Manor Lord really treated her as an outsider and generously lent her the books that she usually read. At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua really put Sister Ou on the same level as her sister-in-law.

With enough books to read, Zhang Xiaohua's life became rich. She worked in the herbal field, practiced martial arts in the forest, and read books under the light. With these three activities, Zhang Xiaohua was not lonely at all.

However, in her free time, Zhang Xiaohua was also looking forward to a long journey!

Previously, Sister Qiu Tong went on a long journey for a few months. She said that she was going to the south, and she really wanted to go out and take a look. The furthest she had ever been to in her life was Ping Yang City, and it was only a few days' journey. From the books, the climate and living habits of the south were very different from Ping Yang City. Moreover, many of the medicinal herbs were different from Ping Yang City as well. If she could go and take a look personally, it would definitely be better than just reading books.

Scholars often said that reading ten thousand books was equivalent to traveling ten thousand miles.

Even Zhang Xiaohua now had this kind of pursuit. Scrolls were really good things to cultivate people's minds.

However, the long journey did not come quickly because of Zhang Xiaohua's longing. After a few days, there was no news from anyone. Gradually, Zhang Xiaohua stopped thinking about it.

One day, Zhang Xiaohua was working in the fields as usual when she saw He Tianshu bringing a few people over. The two people in front were old men with white hair and beards. Behind them were a few slightly younger people. Some of them looked gentle, while others looked strong and powerful. However, their attitude was the same as He Tianshu's. They were all very respectful to the two people.

Zhang Xiaohua sighed. She had never seen Team Leader He like this before. These two people must be the higher-ups of the pharmacy hall. Anyway, she was not from the Misty School and did not need to be so respectful to them. Therefore, Zhang Xiaohua lowered her body and carefully moved the soil and weeded the grass. She carefully looked at each herb and observed their condition.

Unfortunately, things did not go as she wished. He Tianshu saw her from afar and did not intend to let her go. He was leading the group of people over. When they got closer, He Tianshu called out, "Zhang Xiaohua, come over here for a while."

Zhang Xiaohua looked up helplessly. She picked up the hoe and walked over.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua approaching, He Tianshu said to her, "Zhang Xiaohua, quickly come and greet Hall Master Bai and Elder He from the pharmacy hall."

Zhang Xiaohua hurriedly bowed deeply and said, "Greetings, Hall Master Bai, Elder He."

He Tianshu smiled obsequiously and said to the purple-faced old man, "Hall Master Bai, this is Zhang Xiaohua that I mentioned to you before. She is very practical and capable. She is also extremely smart and has already read many books about medicinal herbs."

The two people did not return the greeting. Only Hall Master Bai waved his hand slightly. Elder He nodded in agreement and did not say anything.

He Tianshu still said somewhat tactfully, "Hall Master Bai, you see, Zhang Xiaohua is very eager to learn. There are many books in our pharmacy. Do you think you can lend one or two to her to broaden her horizons?

After all, she also works in the medicine field. It is always good to learn more. "

Before Hall Master Bai could say anything, a middle-aged man next to him spoke up, "He Tianshu, I think you have stayed in Huan Xi Mountain Villa for too long and have long forgotten the rules of our Misty School. How can the books in this pharmacy be opened to outsiders?"

He Tianshu said with a wry smile, "I know this rule, Senior Brother Chang. But isn't this Zhang Xiaohua also a member of Huan Xi Mountain Villa? She is not an outsider."

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