"Princess, look at this jade bracelet. It's so clear and translucent; it's a rare find. It's just a pity there's a tiny bit of cotton inside, so the price is very cheap, only fifty taels."
"And there's this pair of twisted gold bracelets. Each one costs two taels of gold to make, but the craftsman's skill is a bit lacking, so the price is reasonable. It'll only cost fifty taels!"
Jiayin picked up this and looked at it, touched that and her eyes sparkled with joy.
Finally, she bought both the gold bracelet and the jade bracelet, and also added a gold hairpin.
The shopkeeper quickly calculated the bill and added a small lucky charm figurine as a bonus.
This really upset Jia Yue; she held onto the little trinket tightly, refusing to let go, and even seemed to like it more than the bracelet.
It's good if it's free!
After leaving the jewelry store, the two strolled around for a while and bought some snacks. Jiayin got bored and started to complain, "Godfather, let's go home. I miss Grandma!"
The Marquis ruffled the little girl's hair, smiling helplessly, "I know, let's go now, I'll take you home to show off your gold bracelet!"
After saying that, he picked up the little girl, gave a few instructions to the head steward who arrived later, and then took a carriage back to Suijintan.
Grandma Li had been thinking about home the whole way. After entering the house, she saw that Hui Niang and the two children were sleeping soundly. She walked around the front and back yards, and then went to the valley to see her son and daughter-in-law. Only then did she feel at ease.
As the sun began to set, she was about to start preparing dinner when her granddaughter returned.
Old Mrs. Li was very surprised. "Fu Niu'er, didn't you say you were going to stay at the Marquis's residence for two days?"
The Marquis then walked in and joked, "The little girl bought some nice things and is eager to come back and show them off!"
Grandma Li hugged her granddaughter and gently patted her, scolding her playfully, "You're so naughty, making your godfather run around with you."
Jiayin smiled and squirmed in her grandmother's arms, acting coquettishly, "Fu Niu'er misses Grandma, misses Mom, and also misses Daddy, brother, and second uncle..."
"Alright, alright, I know you miss home. If you keep nagging, you'll drag all the mice out of their holes!"
The old lady smiled and invited the Marquis into the house together.
At this moment, Li Lao Er, Li Lao Si, and Tao Hongying returned and went up to speak with the Marquis.
Jia Yinyue excitedly took out the box, first putting a gold bracelet on her mother's wrist, "Mom, this is for you, and the other one is for Third Aunt."
Tao Hongying was overjoyed, but thinking that her daughter had once again extorted jewelry from the Marquis, she quickly tried to take it off.
The Marquis guessed it and said with a smile, "This was specially selected by Fu Niu'er at the jewelry store, and she refused to let me pay for it. She spent her own money."
"Really?" Tao Hongying hugged her daughter and laughed, "Our little money-grubber actually spends money out of his own pocket sometimes, that's so rare!"
Jiayin struggled to get down, her chubby little face puffed out angrily, "Mommy underestimates Fu Niu'er, I won't buy her next time!"
Tao Hongying laughed heartily, poking her daughter's little face, "Mom is so happy! Other people's little girls are still being naughty, but my little Fu Niu already knows how to be filial to her mother. If word gets out, I don't know how many people will be green with envy!"
Upon being praised, Fu Niu'er's face immediately brightened, and she proudly puffed out her little chest, "Of course, Fu Niu'er will buy even better things for Mother in the future!"
"Alright, this one is enough. I still have to work every day, wearing this is too much of a burden." Tao Hongying was afraid that her daughter would waste money again, so she quickly stopped her.
But, in reality, what woman doesn't love jewelry? Even though she said that, she couldn't help but hold up her wrist and admire it again and again with delight.
Jiayin went to her grandmother's side, took the last gold hairpin from the box, and put it into her grandmother's hair bun. She then put the last jade bracelet on her grandmother's wrist and instructed her, "Grandma, when you see your second sister-in-law again, just take this bracelet off and put it on her wrist!"
Grandma Li was surprised and asked her granddaughter, "Shouldn't the bracelet be included in the betrothal gifts, and shouldn't it come in pairs? Besides, even if it's a gift for Miss Peng, it shouldn't be a single bracelet, right?"
"Huh?" Now it was Jiayin's turn to be surprised.
Isn't that how it was in all those period dramas I watched in my past life?
An old lady would take the hand of a girl she fancied, shower her with compliments, and then slip her own bracelet onto the girl's wrist, signifying that she had made the girl her one…
Isn't this the rule here?
Everyone couldn't help but laugh when they saw her with her mouth slightly open.
"Where did this child hear about these rules?"
"Yes, she's only a few years old, but she has a lot to worry about."
The Marquis chuckled, "She had just woken up from her afternoon nap and was already insisting on buying a bracelet. Perhaps it was a rule she dreamt about!"
Jiayin blushed and threw a little tantrum, "I don't care, I don't care, Grandma will wear it, and then I'll give it to Second Sister-in-law!"
"Okay, okay!" The old lady quickly hugged her granddaughter and coaxed her, "It's rare for our little money-grubber to spend money to buy this. Grandma will definitely tell your second brother and sister-in-law that this is your kind gesture."
Jiayin hugged her grandmother's neck, feeling somewhat deflated, having almost caused a misunderstanding.
Now that there's a nanny in the house, she'll have to learn these rules properly to avoid making a fool of herself again.
In the neighboring courtyard, Granny He was drying furs with Dongmei, unaware that she would have to start her shift early because of something.
Although the sun is still shining brightly during the day, it's already getting a bit chilly in the mornings and evenings.
We need to find our winter clothes and furs, air them out, and pat them to soften them, so they're ready to be used at any time.
On the riverbank of Suijintan, most of the land is planted with jade melons and golden fruits, and a small portion is planted with sweet potatoes, peanuts, and various beans.
The villagers worked together and finished harvesting in a day or two, so there was no rush.
Now the whole village's attention is focused on the mountain, or more precisely, the orchard.
Last year, the fruit trees were newly planted, so they produced few flowers and even fewer fruits, and the fruit didn't taste good.
But this spring, the garden was full of flowers, and every time the spring breeze blew, a rain of petals would fall in the valley, captivating countless visitors.
Now that the flowers have fallen and the fruit has ripened, the fruit, nourished by a summer of rain and bathed in sunshine, is shaped like a small earthenware bowl, hanging red on the branches, looking incredibly tempting.
The small animals and birds on the mountain, and even the children from the surrounding villages, were all eyeing the scene with predatory intent and eager to attack.
Therefore, whenever they have free time, the villagers, young and old, walk around the orchard and keep watch.
It's not that the villagers are stingy; after all, they can eat their fill, and each person can have three or five people to their heart's content.
I'm afraid they'll eat while causing harm!
Never underestimate the ugliness of human nature.
This is the most profound lesson we learned during our journey to Jiangnan, when we fled famine.
The village chief had just moved back home from the melon field, and not long after, he moved into a shack in the orchard.
When Fu Niu'er celebrated her birthday last time, the eldest master of the Liu family came over and made it very clear.
Even if these fruits taste average, they can still fetch a good price just based on their appearance.
Even the fruits on the market that are transported from the south are not this big and red.
When the time comes, he will personally lead people to transport it away, which will surely bring the village another big sum of money.
With such a promise, the village really has nothing to worry about.
Preserving these fruits of victory means preserving our hard-earned money!
The next morning, Li Laosi went up the mountain for a walk and, seeing that nothing was wrong, decided to go back to the dock to take a look.
He entered the house, took a fruit from his sleeve, wiped it clean, and handed it to his daughter. "Fu Niu'er, try it. Is it sweet? Don't let your village chief find out. I'm afraid he'll come chasing after me with his pipe and hit me on the head!"
Everyone couldn't help but laugh, "The village chief is really eyeing the fruit on the mountain like it's his own eyes!"
Jia Yue happily held the fruit, letting her grandma and mother take a bite first before she started eating.
It's four parts sour and six parts sweet. Although it's not quite as good as the fruit in the space, it absolutely blows all the varieties in this world out of the water.
It might even fetch more money than the Jade Melon, since there are thousands of trees all over the mountains and fields, and you'd have to harvest so many fruits!
Just as Li Laosi was about to suggest returning to the dock, Dongmei came in from outside and reported, "Madam, Lord Zhou has arrived with quite a few men; they've already reached the village entrance..."
Served at midnight~~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com