“Okay, let Xiaonan prepare first. We’ll continue looking at shops tomorrow, and bring back any suitable ones we find.” Xu Zhaoyue nodded.

They said they would look for a suitable gift in the remaining stores, and they actually found one.

Jade shop.

“This jade pendant has a safety buckle inside; it would be a good gift.” Xu Zhaoyue held up the jade pendant, examining it. “The color is beautiful, Lanxing, what do you think?”

“It’s pretty, but it’s fragile, so it’s not appropriate to give it to a child right now. If we just put it in the storeroom for safety, then there’s no point in giving it to them,” Yue Lanxing said.

Xu Zhaoyue thought he made sense. The jade pendant was small in his hand, but it would be easy for a child to break if he wore it, which would have a bad meaning. It was more suitable for older children than for a mischievous child like Wang Ziqi.

"Let's look at something else." Xu Zhaoyue put down the jade pendant and pulled Yue Lanxing forward.

Seeing that the two of them were seriously choosing gifts, the sales assistant next to them immediately greeted them with a smile, "Are you two looking to choose jade as a gift?"

“Yes, I bought it for my child’s sixth birthday this year,” Xu Zhaoyue said.

"Oh, you two are so young and already... elders!" The saleswoman finished speaking and, noticing the strange expressions on the faces of the two people opposite her, immediately changed her words by drawing out the first part.

"Ahem, we're business partners, you could say. The child's quite lively, could you introduce him?" Yue Lanxing's ears turned red, then she coughed to cover it up and quickly changed the subject.

The sales assistant then realized that the two in front of her were a young couple. "Come this way. You're six years old, so you should be starting school soon. We have some stationery and other small items here."

"This is a bamboo pen holder. The base is quite sturdy, making it less likely to be knocked over, which is quite practical. This is a jade cicada, carved by a master craftsman, symbolizing academic success..."

The sales assistant introduced several types, but Xu Zhaoyue liked the first bamboo pen holder the most. Of course, she also had her own quirky tastes: "Give this to me, so I can see it every day when I'm studying."

Yue Lanxing saw the young lady's somewhat gloating smile and said, "It's rare for a child to be willing to study on their own, right? Will he be happy to buy this?"

"Oh, I'll buy this one, and then pair it with something a child would like. Please pack this and that jade pendant over there together." Xu Zhaoyue said to the sales assistant.

"Okay, please wait a moment." The sales assistant happily went to get busy.

Yue Lanxing asked in confusion, "Should we add that safety amulet?"

"Oh no, that's for you." Xu Zhaoyue gestured as if hanging a jade pendant in the air in front of Yue Lanxing. "It's to wish you peace and safety."

Yue Lanxing paused for a moment, then laughed heartily. "What are you laughing at? Are you that happy?" Xu Zhaoyue asked.

“I’m just very happy,” Yue Lanxing said.

Xu Zhaoyue's gift was bought, and she thought that was enough, but Yue Lanxing saw a mechanical car in another store. "How about this?"

Yue Lanxing was surprised to find mechanical toys in a wood carving shop. He took the toy car to show Xu Zhaoyue, saying, "Miss, I'm sure the kids will love this."

"Oh, this store is quite innovative. I should give the boss a raise," Xu Zhaoyue said.

"Did you like these kinds of things when you were little?" Xu Zhaoyue examined the toy car. Yue Lanxing showed her how the mechanism worked. "Yes, but I used to play with the kind of crossbow with a mechanical extension."

"When I have nothing to do, I play by hitting the tree by the door, and I even have competitions with Huanglian." Yue Lanxing was very satisfied with his achievements, and his tone was full of pride.

Xu Zhaoyue nodded, "That's impressive. Oh, I forgot you made that recliner for me too."

Hearing what Xu Zhaoyue said, Yue Lanxing also remembered, "The young lady has a wood carving shop, so why did we go to a lumber mill when we were looking for timber?"

"Sir, you may not know this, but the lumber mill also belongs to our family." A shop assistant came over and explained to Yue Lanxing before turning to Xu Zhaoyue, "Miss, you've arrived. Is there anything you've taken a fancy to?"

"I like this one, it looks really fun. Who made it?" Xu Zhaoyue showed him the toy car.

The shop assistant immediately recognized whose work it was. "It's an apprentice's work. The master hasn't decided whether to take him on yet. If you like it, Miss, I'll go and talk to the master."

“Your master definitely prefers handmade wood carving. He hasn’t even finished teaching this old craft yet. He definitely wouldn’t be happy to teach this kind of machine-made carving.” Xu Zhaoyue thought about her master’s temper, and it was quite something.

Seeing how well the young lady knew her master, the waiter couldn't say anything and just smiled from the side, "Master's skills are beyond reproach."

“Here’s what we’ll do. When your master arrives, tell him to take this apprentice in for now. Once the apprentice has learned the basic skills, I’ll have him come over again.” Xu Zhaoyue pointed at Yue Lanxing.

Yue Lanxing wasn't quite sure what the young lady was going to do, but he still nodded in agreement. "Hello, I'm the young lady's butler, my surname is Yue." He introduced himself to the shop assistant.

"Hello, Butler Yue, please feel free to let me know if you need anything," the waiter said.

After they came out, Yue Lanxing asked Xu Zhaoyue why she had asked him to find that apprentice. "Miss, what do you need this apprentice to do next?"

"Well, I was thinking that Hengyuan said they needed a repairman, so it's a good opportunity to send this person over. If he doesn't want to stay in Hengyuan all the time, he can open a shop outside and sell toys. It will be convenient for him to go over when they need to rest or repair things."

Yue Lanxing understood. Judging from what the shop assistant had said, the shop's master craftsmen didn't really like this kind of machinery. Xu Zhaoyue's approach would at least allow the apprentice to learn some more.

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