Chapter 358 New Year's Gift
Once the couplets are written and hung up, they can be pasted up after the ink dries.
"You guys keep an eye on things, make sure they don't get hurt."
Although Li's mother was speaking to the four little ones, she was actually focusing on looking at Xiao Silang.
"Alright, your father and I will pack up and go to Doctor Gao's house. If anyone comes to give us gifts, we'll accept them and leave them until I get back."
Seeing that Sister-in-law Li nodded, Li's mother and father took the gifts they had bought earlier and went out.
Just as Li San Niang was about to go to Fang Chengxian's place, which had been moved to the next courtyard to live with Doctor Liang and the young boy from Shaoyang, Xu Jingzhen came to visit.
"Sister-in-law Li, Second Sister-in-law Li, Third Sister-in-law, are you well?"
I'm here today for two reasons: first, to deliver New Year's gifts, and second, to check on Chengxian.
I apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Now that Xu Jingzhen had come in person, Li Sanniang decided to wait until Xu Jingzhen left before going to see Fang Chengxian.
Li San Niang felt that ever since she said she had no intention of remarrying, she could clearly sense that Xu Jingzhen was no longer so "clingy".
Li San Niang thought this was a good idea.
Looking at Li Dalang, Li Sanniang said, "Hutou, lead the way for Xu Sanlang to go see Fang Langjun next door."
Although Li's mother and father went out to deliver gifts, they left a lot of chores for the family.
Li San Niang and Li Da Sao were busy in the kitchen, while Lu Zhu Er and Xiao Si Lang were running around happily in the yard with Xiao Huang.
Li Erlang and Li Sanlang, being considerate of their mother's hard work, were wiping the furniture back and forth with a rag.
Nineteen was cleaning the yard and hanging up lanterns as instructed by Sister-in-law Li.
Qiu Xiang took over the job of cutting radishes into strips from Li Ersao. Because she cut them evenly and thinly, this job became her specialty.
Wu Qiaolan and Bao Ya were also busy, tending the fire and scooping water.
While everyone was busy, the first people to arrive at the Li family to deliver gifts turned out to be the Qian family!
Of course, the people who came were not Qian Dalang and Su Wanhui (who appeared in Chapter 17), but rather servants of the Qian family.
The servant said a few auspicious words, left a gift list and gifts, and then took his leave.
"I really didn't expect that Madam Qian would still remember our family."
Sister-in-law Li looked at the gift list with some emotion, but Sister-in-law Li Er, who was standing to the side, chimed in: "How could we not remember our family?"
Third Sister saved their young master's life; that was a life lost.
Sister-in-law Li didn't say anything after hearing what Sister-in-law Li said. She just said to Li Dalang and the others, "Stop what you're doing and move this New Year's gift to the side room. We'll talk about it when your grandmother comes back."
In the next hour, the number of people coming and going from the Li family increased significantly, all of them bringing New Year's gifts.
The Gao family (who appears in Chapter 54) also sent servants to deliver gifts, just like the Qian family, leaving a gift list and then leaving.
There were also gifts from families who had some dealings with Li's father, eldest brother, and second brother. All of these were moved to the side room by the four little ones, waiting for Li's mother to decide how to reciprocate.
To the Li family's surprise, many families connected with Li San Niang also sent gifts to their door.
It's understandable for relationships like Tuva's, Shen Qiuniang's, and Bai Ziyi's, since they've had a long-standing relationship.
To Li San Niang's surprise, many of her own patients also sent gifts to her door!
Shunzi and Yingniang (who appeared in Chapter 140) were the first two to arrive.
Yingniang was still charming and happy. "Dr. Li, we asked around among the apprentices at the clinic and found out you lived here, so we came."
Yingniang pointed to the basket on Shunzi's back, "Dr. Li, please don't mind, these are all grown by ourselves. They're nothing new, just cabbage and radishes."
I was just delivering vegetables to the city, so I thought I'd bring you some too.
I'll come visit you again after the first month of the lunar calendar.
Before Li San Niang could utter a single word, Ying Niang rattled off a whole string of words.
In the end, it was Sister-in-law Li who made the decision, giving the two of them four kinds of pastries before Sister-in-law Li saw them out.
Less than a quarter of an hour after Yingniang and Shunzi left, Yang Shi (who appears in Chapter 186) arrived with his eldest son, bringing four gifts.
"Dr. Li, it's nothing precious, but you must accept it."
You saved my life, please don't refuse it, otherwise I won't feel right about it.
After being thanked profusely, Li San Niang had no choice but to accept the gifts that Yang Shi had brought to her door. It was still Li Da Sao who took the initiative to return the gifts before finally seeing him off properly.
Not long after Yang Shi and Yang Dalang left, Li's father and mother returned home.
Sister-in-law Li was telling her mother who had come to visit earlier, "...Those whom Third Sister had treated also came to give gifts. I thought I couldn't be impolite, so I chose four gifts from the things we had bought earlier and returned the gifts."
Li's mother nodded, "Dalang's wife did the right thing. It's fine for them to come and thank us, but we can't let them leave empty-handed."
As Li's father was stroking his beard and listening to Li San Niang speak, there was another commotion at the Li family's door.
The servants of Guo Wuniang (who appears in Chapter 179) and Yin Liuniang (who appears in Chapter 198) have all arrived.
"Dr. Li, my fifth daughter will be going to Jingzhou with Lang Xu after the first month of the lunar calendar."
Fifth Sister said she wanted to correspond with Doctor Li later, so she wrote him a letter in advance.
After saying this, the old woman took out a letter from her chest and handed it to Li San Niang.
"I understand. Please come over."
The return gift for Guo Wuniang was prepared by Li's mother. Li's mother had heard Li Sanniang talk about Guo Wuniang before. Not long ago, Li Sanniang even attended Guo Wuniang's wedding.
Guo Wu Niang sent quite a few New Year's gifts. Luckily, Li's mother had prepared a lot beforehand, so she was able to carefully select the gifts to give in return.
On Yin Liuniang's side was an old woman and two young girls. "Our master said that he was very grateful to Doctor Li for the wedding. This fabric came from Jiangnan. There wasn't much of it in total, so the master specially reserved a piece of the best for Doctor Li."
After another round of pleasantries, they talked for quite a while before finally seeing the old woman out the door.
"Thank you so much, Mother and Sister-in-law. I wouldn't be able to handle this return gift properly."
Later, I'll treat my mother and sister-in-law to something delicious.
Mother Li gave Li San Niang a reproachful look, then turned to look at the fabric that Yin Liu Niang had brought. "This pattern is definitely from Jiangnan. We don't see it often here."
As everyone was discussing, shouts suddenly came from outside the Li family's door again.
When Li's mother and the others came out to greet them, good heavens, there were five carriages, each fully loaded, parked in front of the Li family's house.
After the man in the gray-brown clothes who was leading the group stepped forward to bow and explain, Li's mother and the others realized that this was a New Year's gift from Dr. Liang's disciple to Dr. Liang.
"We rushed here as fast as we could, but we managed to deliver it just before New Year's Eve."
My master still has a letter to give to Elder Liang, and he would be so kind as to ask me to meet him. He must at least pay his respects to Elder Liang.
"Oh dear, you've suffered a lot. Come on in the yard and have a bowl of ginger soup to warm yourselves up."
As she spoke, Li's mother called Li Dalang and Li Erlang to come forward and help, thinking of going directly to the backyard to unload the things to Doctor Liang.
"Third Sister, hurry up and go next door to find your master and senior brother. They've come to visit, so you must see them."
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