Madam Bai felt much better and was delighted. She touched herself and, finding nothing convenient to give, simply took a hairpin from her hair and placed it in Lili's hand.
"You little rascal, so clever at such a young age, I really adore you." After saying that, he looked at the two brothers outside the carriage, "Thank you for the hawthorns, this hairpin is a token of my gratitude."
Although the hairpin was simple, it looked very valuable. Shen Jialu quickly waved his hand, "It's just some cheap fruit, no need..."
Madam Bai interrupted him with a smile: "Oh, this is for Lili. I like this child."
Madam Bai watched as Cuihong willingly accepted the pastries she was being fed, and as she held the little dumpling and sucked on it, her hand unconsciously reaching out to pinch the plump, soft flesh.
Pear, whose cheek was being pinched, blinked her bright eyes and looked at the kind woman. Suddenly, she said, "Madam, you will meet a benefactor on this trip."
Pear Pear spoke slowly and deliberately, trying to pronounce each word clearly so that the wind wouldn't get through between her teeth.
Madam Bai was taken aback: "A distinguished person?"
The maid Cuihong was even more puzzled. Given her mistress's status, she was probably already extremely noble in this small Nanlin County. What could she possibly encounter that was even more noble?
Lili, however, remained silent: "Hawthorn, eat! Don't force yourself to eat it."
After saying that, Lili swung her two little pigtails and jumped off the carriage, startling Shen Jialu, who quickly reached out to catch her.
Madam Bai got up to ask further, but then realized that what could a two-year-old child understand? It was probably just something he said casually.
She hesitated to get up, but took a few more careful glances at the little dumpling through the small window.
This child gave her a really strange feeling.
Lili nestled in Shen Jialu's arms, waving her arms: "Bye-bye~"
Madam Bai smiled and unconsciously said, "Goodbye."
The carriage slowly moved away again. Lili watched the dust kicked up by the carriage's tail, played with the hairpin in her hand, and wondered what was going on in her mind.
Why does this auntie give her such a familiar feeling?
Shen Jialu and Shen Jiaqing picked up the remaining hawthorns and noticed that Lili was staring in the direction the carriage had left, so they asked, "Lili, what's wrong?"
Lili shook her head: "Let's go home, let's drink fish soup!"
"Okay, let's go home and have some fish soup!"
Shen Jialu carried Lili and led Shen Jiaqing home.
Inside the carriage, some people were also lost in thought.
Seeing that Madam's complexion had improved after eating the hawthorns, Cuihong washed a few more. When she noticed that Madam Bai was lost in thought again, she handed her the hawthorns: "Madam, would you like to eat a few more hawthorns?"
"Hmm? Oh." Madam Bai snapped out of her reverie and picked up a hawthorn.
Cuihong couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, Madam? Are you still feeling unwell?"
Madam Bai shook her head: "I feel much better after eating hawthorn. I guess I really did force myself to eat until I was stuffed."
Cuihong asked in confusion, "Why is Madam lost in thought?"
Madam Bai hesitated and said, "That child, I wanted to get close to her the moment I saw her, and after talking to her a few more times, I liked her even more."
"Huh?" Cuihong didn't understand either. "Perhaps, the little girl is destined to be with Madam? Or perhaps, Madam is now a mother herself, and she always feels closer to children."
Madam Bai nodded: "Perhaps."
……………..
Shen Jialu brought Lili and Shen Jiaqing home. The men had already finished their day's work in the fields and were doing housework in the yard.
Old Mrs. Shen and Mrs. Liu were washing the wild vegetables they had picked, Mrs. Chen was turning over the mushrooms that were drying, and Mrs. Yang was already simmering fish soup in the kitchen, the rich aroma wafting out of the kitchen.
Smelling the aroma, Lili ran towards the kitchen.
"Mother~"
Lili rushed into Yang's arms; in this place, the person she relied on most was her gentle mother.
Yang hugged the little dumpling who ran over and wiped the dust off her face: "Did you go play somewhere again, little kitten?"
Lili shyly buried her face in Yang's arms, showing her the hairpin like a precious treasure: "Mother, look~"
The hairpin is simple and elegant. Apart from the exquisite patterns on the hairpin, there is only a small begonia flower on the head of the hairpin, which is adorned with a large pearl.
Madam Yang could naturally tell that the hairpin was quite valuable, and asked, "Li Bao, where did this come from?"
Lili gestured wildly as she described what had happened. She knew that Madam Yang was afraid that the hairpin's origin was unknown and would cause trouble. She showed the hairpin to Madam Yang to tell her about this.
It took Madam Yang a long time to figure out what had happened. In short, she had encountered a pregnant woman with a poor appetite. Coincidentally, Shen Jialu was leading them to pick hawthorns and gave some to the woman. The woman was so happy that she gave him this hairpin in return.
Holding the hairpin, Madam Yang looked at her tiny, adorable daughter nestled in her arms, her feelings a complex mix.
She had lingzhi in the morning and hairpins in the afternoon. She didn't know if it was because her daughter was too lucky or what, but now she completely believed that her daughter was a little lucky star!
With her dimples pear-shaped eyes, Lili pouted at Yang and said sweetly, "Isn't Lili adorable?"
Mrs. Yang was both amused and exasperated: "Amazing! Our little Pear is the best. How about you drink more fish soup later?"
"Um!"
Madam Yang examined the hairpin for a while longer and said, "I'll keep this hairpin for you for now, as part of your dowry. If you ever fall on hard times, you can pawn it for some money, okay?"
Lili nodded: "I'll listen to Mother."
Mrs. Yang patted Lili's head with satisfaction: "Alright, have your second brother bring in the tofu and some wild vegetables, and we'll have fish soup in a little while."
"Okay!" Pear Pear dashed out of the kitchen like a whirlwind.
Madam Yang sighed. Her daughter was a lucky star, but she didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.
Good fortune is certainly welcome, but this... is just too eye-catching. Mushrooms, chicken, duck, and fish are one thing, but now there's lingzhi and hairpins too. What if something even bigger comes along later, and someone with ulterior motives sees it...?
Will she be able to protect her daughter then?
Madam Yang sighed again, put the hairpin away, and went back to watching the soup.
Unaware of her worries, Yang noticed that Lili, a small girl, was hiding by the kitchen door and had heard the two sighs clearly.
The little dumpling also sighed.
"Mom, you'll have to get used to it."
The good fortune she enjoys in this life is the result of all the good deeds she did in her previous life. How can she not make good use of it?
Moreover, the Shen family is a kind and simple family, and such a family is bound to live a good life.
Let's set a small goal first: to ensure a good harvest from our fields!
As an agricultural scientist with a doctorate, she has undoubtedly doubled crop yields and saved countless people from hunger. Although conditions here are not as favorable, a good harvest is still quite easy to achieve.
The Shen family saved her, so of course she should repay them.
………..
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