As dawn broke, the Cheng family courtyard was peaceful and serene.
Lu Jingze, dressed in a magnificent robe, walked along the bluestone path toward Songhe Courtyard.
The morning dew dampened his brocade boots, leaving shallow watermarks on the stone slabs.
Turning the corner of the corridor, a gentle breeze swept by, bringing with it a few early-blooming osmanthus petals.
Lu Jingze reached out and caught one of them.
This osmanthus tree was planted by my grandmother and him, and now it stands tall and spreading out.
I remember that day I had just finished practicing a set of sword techniques and ran to my grandmother covered in sweat.
As his grandmother wiped his sweat, she said, "Ze-ge'er, how about I plant a cassia tree for you? By the time you grow up, it will be in bloom."
Gone was his usual cold expression; Lu Jingze's face now held a hint of warmth.
Lu Jingze gently pushed open the door. His grandmother was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at him with a kind expression.
He strode up to his grandmother, knelt down, and bowed respectfully. "Grandmother, your great-grandson Jingze greets you."
With a smile, Madam Cheng reached out and patted the chair beside her, saying, "Get up quickly, come, Ze'er, sit down next to your grandmother."
Lu Jingze stood up, sat down beside her, and asked her with concern if she slept well last night and if she enjoyed her breakfast.
The old ancestor still answered him cheerfully: "Don't worry, Ze-ge'er, I'm fine. Last night I even dreamed of what you looked like when you were little. You were such a tiny little thing, and even when that mischievous Cheng-ge'er tricked you into eating ginger, you pretended nothing had happened. You were so adorable!"
Lu Jingze looked a little uncomfortable: "Grandma, you're still so mischievous. I'm all grown up now, so please stop teasing me."
"Alright, alright! Ze'er's all grown up now, he cares about his image!"
The grandmother and grandson smiled at each other, filling the room with a warm and happy atmosphere.
Seeing that he hadn't taken off his outer robe since sitting down, the old ancestor realized, "This outer robe..."
Lu Jingze smiled and said, "Yes, it's the one you made for your grandson back then."
The old ancestor touched it again and again with reminiscence, his face full of wrinkles, and his smile was impossible to hide.
"He looks great! Our Brother Ze is just as handsome as he was back then!"
Lu Jingze took an awkward sip of tea, and as he did so, a glimmer of light flashed by.
Despite her advanced age, Madam Cheng's eyes were as sharp as ever, and she immediately noticed these subtle differences.
"Is this embroidered with auspicious clouds in silver threads?"
"Yes, it was a bit rough when mounting the horse, so I had an embroiderer sew it up. Do you think her skills are good?"
"Good, Grandmother, look! This craftsmanship is truly excellent." The old matriarch reached out and touched it again. "It must have been mixed with fine silver threads; you can only notice it if you look closely. Such ingenuity is truly remarkable!"
"Grandmother is interested, why don't I ask her to come and give me her reply?"
The old matriarch smiled and shook her head. "No, it's been so long since I've touched a needle and thread. I've become rusty. I don't even know what to ask. I'm just feeling sentimental! Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, our Ze'er is already so grown up, and Xiao Nian is almost five years old, isn't he?"
"Grandmother, I have already begun my studies with the teacher."
"Well, he's a boy, so don't be too strict with him. Let him be a little more free and easy. Don't let him live like an old man at such a young age."
"Okay, I'll do whatever Grandma says."
"If this had been a few years earlier, when my eyesight was better, I could have made a robe for that little guy, Brother Nian. I'm really getting old!"
“Grandma, you’re not old at all. You’re destined to live to be a hundred,” Lu Jingze comforted her.
The old ancestor patted Lu Jingze's hand and sighed, "When people get old, they always tend to be sentimental. I have no regrets as I can see all of you good children get married and have children."
Lu Jingze chatted with the old ancestor for a while before leaving Songhe Courtyard to take care of his own business.
On the other side, Madam Cheng received news from her attendants. After thinking for a moment, she said to Granny Lu, "Granny Lu, go and tell the young embroiderer who was brought back from Jinzhou to stop all her embroidery work and finish making a brocade robe first."
This time, it wasn't the woman with the chin who came to deliver the message, but Granny Lu herself.
But no matter who it was, Wang Xiuxiu couldn't accept this news.
I came here to make pajamas, and I was already short on time and had a lot of tasks, but now there are always extra tasks!
I was hired on your behalf, why should I be at your beck and call?
Wang Xiuxiu cried out silently in her heart.
Seeing that she was keeping her head down and not speaking, Granny Lu knew that it was a bit unreasonable to ask her to do something like that, so she stepped forward, took Wang Xiuxiu's hand, and had a heart-to-heart talk with her.
"My dear girl, your nanny knows you have excellent skills, which is why I traveled all the way to Jinzhou to bring you back. Nowadays, none of the embroiderers in the manor can make things as good as yours, so I've troubled you. Don't worry, our mistress is very generous. If you do this well, you will surely be rewarded! You've come all this way, and you'll gain both fame and fortune. Isn't that wonderful!"
It has to be said that the nannies in this large family are not ordinary people; with just their mouths, they can talk the dead back to life.
Wang Xiuxiu's heart was shamefully tempted; the promise of wealth was so enticing that it made her irresistibly want to fall into it.
Having obtained Wang Xiuxiu's consent, Granny Lu happily went to report back.
Before long, bolts of luxurious fabric were delivered to Wang Xiuxiu like a flowing stream.
The wealthy family had collected fabrics for many years; any piece they randomly picked out was something that ordinary people would never see in their lifetime.
This was quite an eye-opener for Wang Xiuxiu.
As requested by Granny Lu, Wang Xiuxiu chose a fabric with a similar color and texture to the previous brocade robe.
Extreme care was taken during the cutting process.
After making inquiries, Wang Xiuxiu learned that such a piece of cloth was extremely valuable.
Although Wang Xiuxiu felt that even if she wasted some money, the Cheng family wouldn't dare to ask her to compensate them, she still wanted to be on the safe side.
It took Wang Xiuxiu less than ten days to make and complete this brocade robe.
When Madam Cheng saw the finished product, she tried her best to suppress her desire to keep it and had someone quickly take it to be used for incense.
But the more I think about it, the more I like it.
"Granny Lu, you think our Yu-ge'er would look handsome in this brocade robe!"
Yu Ge'er is Madam Cheng's youngest grandson, and he grew up around her since he was a child.
Even now that she has returned to her mother's courtyard, she is still very much missed by Madam Cheng.
"Madam, don't worry. This embroiderer will stay with us for a while. After we deal with the young master, she can make ten or eight more pieces for our Yu-ge!"
Madam Cheng was pleased by the wet nurse's flattery, and then she began to plan what kind of fabric to use for Yu Ge's clothes.
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