Chapter 343 A Lie Made in Kind

Chen Xiaohua took the socks sewn by Lin Yuesha, frowned, took out a sewing basket from the drawer and rummaged through it, muttering, "Where did I put the scissors?"

"Sister Xiaohua, what do you need scissors for?"

Lin Yuesha asked, puzzled.

"You really are careless. Look, there are still loose threads on your socks that haven't been trimmed."

Chen Xiaohua pointed to the socks and sighed. She shouldn't have discouraged her younger sister; she should have encouraged her. After all, sewing the socks was Lin Yuesha's intention, and needlework skills can't be mastered overnight; one just needs to become proficient.

Where is the loose thread?

Lin Yuesha snatched the socks and examined them carefully; she wouldn't make such a small mistake.

"Here, here, there are many."

Chen Xiaohua pointed to a spot on the sock and was about to cut it with scissors.

"Stop, stop, that's not a loose thread!"

Lin Yuesha was shocked and clutched the socks to her chest in terror. Thank goodness she asked; otherwise, given Chen Xiaohua's temperament, she would have cut up the carefully embroidered chick pecking at rice without a word—it would have been gone in an instant.

"What is that? It's densely packed."

Chen Xiaohua felt a chill run down her spine, still unable to discern what pattern Lin Yuesha had embroidered. The scattered, round dots looked strange.

"The picture of chicks pecking at rice—those are rice grains!"

Lin Yuesha pointed to the socks and explained them to Chen Xiaohua, putting a lot of thought into it.

This was her stepson's coming-of-age ceremony; otherwise, she wouldn't have sewed socks for him. It was her way of showing her affection.

"Well, Lin Xiaoya, you heartless bastard! Why didn't you say you'd embroider some purses and handkerchiefs for me when I got married?"

Chen Xiaohua stared at it for a long time, but still couldn't see the essence of Lin Yuesha's embroidery. She suppressed the urge to be sarcastic. She was getting married tomorrow, so she should leave her younger sister with some beautiful memories.

"I was hoping so, but who knew you'd get married so quickly!"

Lin Yuesha was annoyed. She had earned the money for the extra makeup after receiving the news. Did Chen Xiaohua think it was so easy to swindle people now?

"I have to get up and practice calligraphy as soon as the rooster crows. After practicing for an hour, I learn etiquette. In the evening, I have to be trained separately for another hour. Do you think it's easy for me?!"

Lin Yuesha suffered from backaches and pains, and whenever she talked about the various aspects of girls' schools, she couldn't help but shed a tear for herself.

"Are there roosters in the girls' school?"

Chen Xiaohua's focus is quite peculiar.

Lin Yuesha: ...She said so much, but it was all for nothing.

“You’re so busy, yet you still make socks for Brother Xiao. It’s clear he’s more important than me.”

Chen Xiaohua realized what was happening and felt a pang of sadness. She was two years older than Lin Yuesha, and the two sisters had truly grown up together, practically naked from a young age.

Xiao Qi has only been here for a short time, at most half a year, and my little sister's heart has already turned away.

"Sister Xiaohua, why are you fighting with my older brother for this?"

Lin Yuesha said this because she was biased towards Xiao Qi. Perhaps if the original owner were still alive, she might have been closer to Chen Xiaohua. However, there are comparisons between close and distant relationships. In her heart, the kind old man and her older brother were naturally closer.

"You can make clothes and shoes, but my older brother can't."

Lin Yuesha rolled her eyes, knowing that Chen Xiaohua wasn't really bothered by such a trivial matter.

"Once Brother Xiao gets married, someone will make it for her."

Chen Xiaohua sighed, "Someone as good-natured as Xiao Qi must find someone with an even better temperament, otherwise he'll easily be bullied."

Lin Yuesha was unimpressed. Although her older brother was honest, the scene of him killing the chicken had still shocked her. An honest person can be truly terrifying when they lose their temper.

Xiao Qi stood at the door. Upon hearing Lin Yuesha's words, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. It seemed that she had become very important to his little sister.

Here, Lin Yuesha took out a red silk purse containing a set of silver jewelry that she had asked the pockmarked man to make, as well as silver ingots she had earned from the Li sisters.

"Sister Xiaohua, you're getting married, and I don't have anything to offer."

Lin Yuesha pushed the hairpins and ornaments over; these were her additions to her makeup.

Both the Chen and Xiao families were small households and did not care about adding dowry in front of guests; these were all brought as part of the dowry in the dowry chest.

"I can't accept this; it's too expensive."

Chen Xiaohua jumped to her feet, her face flushed red. This set of silver jewelry must have cost at least several dozen taels of silver; it was far too valuable, and holding it felt like burning her hands. As sisters, they needed to reciprocate; how would she return the favor when Lin Yuesha got married?

"Little sister, my aunt has already made me a set of jewelry, which is enough for me."

Chen Xiaohua had already heard that Lin Shusheng was not dead, but had become a high-ranking official in the capital. The Chen family found this both surprising and understandable.

"You'll be going to the capital sooner or later. Be prepared to travel with a lot of money, even if you're poor."

Chen Xiaohua grasped Lin Yuesha's hand and said earnestly, "I've heard Miss Jiang mention that young ladies from wealthy families sometimes tip their servants to win their favor. If you go to the capital, you'll need money even more, so I can't accept your things."

Chen Xiaohua was already very grateful that Lin Yuesha had this intention.

“Sister Xiaohua, what my mother gave me doesn’t represent me. She has the heart of an elder, and I have the heart of a sister.”

Lin Yuesha's eyes were red, and she sniffed. She and Chen Xiaohua were spending less and less time together. "If I go to the capital and don't return to the North for several years, how will we meet? Consider this set of jewelry as your keepsake for me."

Transportation in the Great Qi Dynasty was inconvenient. It would take two months to travel from the northern lands to the capital, a journey fraught with mountains and rivers, making a return trip difficult.

"Waaaaah..."

Chen Xiaohua burst into tears at the thought of never seeing Lin Yuesha again, and the two sisters cried as they talked.

Hearing the crying, Madam Chen was about to go inside when Xiao Qi stopped her. He said the little girl had a lot to say to Chen Xiaohua, so let the two of them talk it out.

"Sister Xiaohua, this is a talisman I obtained from Yutan Temple, but you cannot open it. It will only be effective when you open it when you encounter difficulties."

Lin Yuesha handed over another purse, instructing Chen Xiaohua to keep it safe, as this talisman was very precious.

Actually, she had slipped two hundred taels of silver notes inside. She had thought that if she gave them to Chen Xiaohua, Chen Xiaohua would definitely not accept them, so she made up a white lie.

"Talisman paper?"

Chen Xiaohua took it, squeezed it, and found that there was indeed a thin piece of paper inside. Knowing that some talismans didn't work when opened, she carefully placed it in her large purse close to her body. This was a gift from her younger sister, and she would definitely keep it safe.

“Even if you get married, the Chen family will still be your family. If your brother-in-law dares to bully you, you must come back and tell him. You must not keep the good news to yourself and not tell him the bad news.”

Lin Yuesha suddenly felt like she was marrying off her daughter, and she held Chen Xiaohua's hand, chattering on and on. She explained everything except the erotic scenes, which she couldn't explain.

"You know, you'll get married in a couple of years, and I wonder which family will benefit from it."

Chen Xiaohua said with a smile, "Anyway, my little sister will get married eventually when she reaches a certain age. Maybe she really will marry someone in the capital and never come back."