Once the food was served, the boatman began rowing the pleasure boat, taking the group to tour the beautiful scenery of Jiangdu.
Before we could even appreciate the beautiful scenery, we heard a melodious piano tune coming from the bow of the boat.
The three looked up and saw a woman sitting at the bow of the boat.
The woman was behind the boat curtain, her figure appearing and disappearing in the breeze, like a fairy.
Gu Lili couldn't help but sigh, "Our ancestors really knew how to enjoy life."
Looking at the food on the table, Li Ershu felt increasingly depressed.
This meal was arguably not as lavish as the one we had at the Liu family's house last night.
Unbeknownst to him, Li Ershu's heart had long been filled with inferiority.
Chang'an, meanwhile, gazed thoughtfully at the shore.
Gu Lili looked up and saw Chang'an looking at a woman on the shore.
Gu Lili frowned slightly. Was Chang'an revealing his true nature?
That doesn't make sense either. Gu Lili looked closely and saw that the woman on the shore was a woman in her thirties, selling freshly picked lotus flowers with a little girl.
Does Chang'an prefer older married women?
"What are you looking at?" Gu Lili asked directly.
Chang'an shook his head toward the shore, then turned to Gu Lili with a smile, "I'm looking at them. The lotus flowers are so beautiful. I wonder if they'll still be available for sale when we get ashore. I'd like to give you one."
Gu Lili blushed instantly and turned her head to the side.
"Who needs you to send it to me? I can buy it myself!"
Chang'an felt a pang of bitterness in his heart when he saw Gu Lili's appearance.
Yes, on his way to Jiangdu, while chasing the wind along a bumpy road, he accidentally bumped his head, and that's how his memory returned.
What he was actually looking at wasn't the woman selling lotus flowers, but Wei Yue standing to the side.
Wei Yue came by water, so he was much faster.
Gu Lili thought that now that their business had grown, they could draw more portraits of Chang'an and have the Liu family distribute them all over the country to help Chang'an find his relatives.
If a few more years pass, and Chang'an still can't find his family when he turns eighteen or nineteen, then the two of them can be together.
If after four or five years of searching, if they still cannot find their family in Chang'an, then it is probably because they truly have no family left in Chang'an.
Perhaps my initial guesses were all wrong.
The three of them ate a meal with their own thoughts in mind, and after disembarking, they strolled around the streets and alleys.
Since we've come all the way to Jiangdu, we should naturally pick out some gifts for our families to take back home.
Gu Lili made her selections, while Chang'an and Li Ershu carried the items from behind.
Gu Lili selected two pieces of fabric for everyone in the family, including Huang Ying and the others. When they got home, she had Gu Huanhuan and the others cut them out.
They also selected a hairpin for each of the girls and women in the family.
For the two students, Gu Lili bought a set of writing implements for each of them.
Thinking of the village head who had helped them so much, Gu Lili bought a pipe without hesitation.
Gu Lili examined the dry pipe in her hand; it was truly exquisite, made with mother-of-pearl inlay.
It is inlaid with a very small swallow, yet it is incredibly lifelike.
Under the sun, the spiral shells shimmered with a unique luster, truly dazzling and colorful.
It doesn't seem like something that could be made at this simple little stall.
"Little girl, did you make this?" Gu Lili asked with a smile, holding her pipe.
Today, she visited many shops but never found this kind of craft.
In her past life, she had thought about learning it.
But I arrived here before I even had a chance to study.
Therefore, she was particularly interested at that moment.
The little girl looked at Gu Lili shyly and said, "Sister, this was made by my mother. If you like it, I can sell it to you at a discount!"
Looking at the little girl in front of her, whose face was flushed with shyness, Gu Lili thought of Gu Huanhuan.
The girl in front of her was probably around the same age as Gu Huanhuan. She was clearly very shy, but she was working hard to sell her products in order to make a living.
Gu Lili said softly, "Okay, I want more than just this. I want all three bracelets too! And give me these combs as well!"
Each of these three bracelets has a wooden square piece with holes drilled on both sides, which is then connected by rope.
Although the wood is ordinary, the mother-of-pearl inlay on it is very beautiful.
There are lotus flowers, plum blossoms, and orchids, which are very suitable for girls to wear.
The patterns on the comb are also exquisite, featuring bamboo and various flowers, making it simply irresistible.
The little girl's mother is so skillful; Gu Lili is eager to meet her.
The little girl was overjoyed when she heard that Gu Lili wanted them all.
"I'll take all of these, and I'll give you a discount, three hundred coins!" the young girl said with a smile.
If my mother knew that I had sold so many things, she would be very happy.
Gu Lili never expected that such an exquisite item would be so cheap.
Although she didn't know how to do it, she knew that setting mother-of-pearl was very time-consuming.
The young girl quickly packed up the things Gu Lili wanted and gave them to her. Gu Lili smiled and took the things.
"Where's your mother? Why are you the only one selling things here?" Gu Lili asked curiously.
She wondered if it was possible to learn this craft from the little girl's mother.
Of course, it's not like you learn for nothing; you naturally have to pay tuition.
The little girl's eyes sparkled even brighter when she mentioned her mother.
"My mother has difficulty walking, so she makes these little things at home, and I take them out to sell." The little girl smiled, her eyes crinkling.
Gu Lili's heart sank; they were also a pitiful mother and daughter.
Gu Lili continued, "Then could you take us to your house to find your mother? I'd like to ask her about something."
The little girl looked at the few remaining items on the stall and nodded happily.
After so many days, her little stall has finally opened for business.
And so many were sold; if Mother knew, she would surely be very happy.
The little girl carefully wrapped the remaining items in a cloth and then led Gu Lili and the others towards her home.
After passing through bustling streets and winding alleys, it took almost half an hour.
Only after the hustle and bustle behind them faded away did Gu Lili and her companions appear at the entrance of a row of somewhat dilapidated courtyards.
Gu Lili looked at the direction; this should be the northernmost part of Jiangdu City.
The wealth gap in Jiangdu is actually quite large.
If it weren't for the fact that the group had come all this way, looking at the house alone, no one would doubt that it was Gu Village.
"Mother! Mother! I'm back!" the little girl called out loudly into the house.
Then, smiling, he pushed open the gate to his courtyard and led the group inside.
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