Chapter 202 Warm Jade Seal
Putting aside this little farce, the Gu family's house-warming party was quite successful.
Everyone in the village is grateful to the Gu family, especially Gu Jiayue. After all, Gu Jiayue has made many contributions to the village.
Everyone pitched in to prepare this sumptuous meal, creating a lively atmosphere. The men were busy moving tables and chairs, fetching water, while the women were methodically chopping vegetables and lighting the fire in the kitchen, their faces filled with enthusiasm and joy.
After everyone had a hearty meal, they were not in a hurry to leave.
After dinner, the Gu family brought out two boxes of cakes and candies, and someone stood on the roof and started throwing them down. For a moment, the downstairs was bustling with activity.
Some villagers hurriedly picked up basins from their homes, while others pulled down clothes that were hanging out to dry, held them high, and stood below to wait eagerly.
This is a unique local custom called "receiving blessings".
The meaning is to inherit the blessings of the host family and hope that in the coming year your family will become rich and wealthy like the host family and build a new house.
It was the first time for Yin Siqi and others to witness such a custom. They were so surprised that they couldn't express it in words, and they joined in the fun with great interest.
At this time, they were already a little tipsy, their cheeks were flushed, and their eyes were a little blurry.
In this crowded building downstairs, they were completely unaware that the village ladies took advantage of them during the chaos.
The women had a sly look in their eyes, and would occasionally give Yin Siqi and the others a gentle squeeze. However, the people involved were completely unaware, still immersed in the joyful atmosphere, thinking it was just the crowds.
Anyway, they have become "unclean" without realizing it, but it's a pity that the parties involved are completely unaware of this.
Yin Siqi took great pains to grab a handful of cakes and candies, with a smile on his face like a child.
Jiang Luli looked at them with a half-smile, a hint of teasing in his eyes, and slowly said, "I have some bad news for you. The second monthly exam will start tomorrow morning."
The crowd, who were originally in a daze and immersed in joy, were struck by lightning when they heard these words and woke up instantly.
"What?" Yin Siqi widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief, suspecting that he was hallucinating because he was drunk.
He shook his head hard, trying to clear his mind, but his head was still dizzy.
Jiang Luli said no more, fanning himself slowly with a faint smile on his lips, then turned and left.
Su Yichen and the others looked at each other, at a loss for a moment, unable to tell whether Jiang Luli was serious or joking.
"I think this is probably true." One of them frowned and said worriedly.
"What should we do? Should we go back to study now?" The other person raised his voice a little anxiously.
"Can you still read books in this state? Do you still know what Confucius said?" Someone couldn't help but tease.
Yin Siqi shook his head again, feeling the scene before him blurry, as if he saw the saints floating before him, and his head grew heavier. He waved his hand and muttered, "Never mind, let's go to bed first."
Here, Jiang Luli, fanning himself, walked slowly to Gu Jiayue. He clutched a seal, the product of a day's meticulous work. His face was a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
"What is this?" Gu Jiayue's face was full of confusion. Her eyes fell on the seal in Jiang Luli's hand, her eyes full of puzzlement.
Jiang Luli blushed slightly, looking a little unnatural, and said, "This is a moving gift for you."
“???” Gu Jiayue was filled with surprise. This… she had never heard of anyone giving away a seal when moving.
Jiang Luli noticed Gu Jiayue's doubts, and his face turned redder. He stammered, "I don't know the rules here..."
He secretly regretted it in his heart. If he had known that he could get a quilt as a gift, he would have gone to the county town to buy a red silk quilt, preferably one embroidered with mandarin ducks, which would be so appropriate.
When Jiang Luli thought of Gu Jiayue sleeping under the quilt he had given her at night, his heart began to pound and he became a little uneasy.
What a pity... What a pity he didn't know about this custom in advance. Otherwise...
Why!
Gu Jiayue found his annoyed expression amusing, thinking that Jiang Luli was indeed a sentimental person. "It doesn't matter. The most profound sentiment is the presence of the person. Your gift is too expensive. I can't accept it."
Even though she didn't know much about jade, she could tell at a glance that the jade must be worth a lot of money.
When Jiang Luli heard this, a pitiful look appeared on his face and he said, "I carved it for a whole day."
He carved it himself? Gu Jiayue's heart skipped a beat.
She couldn't help but look at Jiang Luli's big hands with distinct joints. He could draw, so the seals he could carve should be very good. But...
"In that case, I can't accept it. It's too valuable." This time, when Gu Jiayue talked about valuable, she didn't just mean the value of the item itself, but the heavy thought that went into it.
"Okay, if you don't want to accept it, then I can only destroy it. After all, your name is engraved on it, and it won't be appropriate to give it to someone else." Jiang Luli said helplessly.
"I have no other intention in giving you this gift. I left in a hurry and didn't bring anything suitable for a gift. I didn't feel it would be sincere enough if I went to the county town to buy it. I happened to have this piece of jade on hand, so I used it to carve a seal for you." Jiang Luli explained further, his eyes full of sincerity.
Gu Jiayue felt helpless and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Okay, I'll accept it this time. But don't give me such expensive things next time."
Gu Jiayue reached out and took the seal.
She didn't know if it was because Jiang Luli had been holding it for too long or because the jade was naturally warm, but when she held it in her hand, she felt warm, as if a stream of heat was flowing through her fingertips and throughout her body.
"This..." Gu Jiayue frowned slightly, feeling a little conflicted.
Jiang Luli nodded and said, "Yes, this is warm jade."
Gu Jiayue felt the seal grow hotter and hotter. She opened her mouth, wanting to refuse, but then she agreed to accept the gift. If she was so fickle, wouldn't it seem like she was trampling on someone else's feelings?
Jiang Luli also keenly noticed Gu Jiayue's hesitation. He was afraid of being rejected, so he quickly said, "Okay, now that the gift has been delivered, I'll go back first."
Without waiting for Gu Jiayue's reply, he turned and left, his steps hurried, as if he was running away from something.
Gu Jiayue looked at his back, and the inexplicable emotions in her heart slowly calmed down.
What are you thinking? The ancients always paid attention to etiquette. Maybe the person really couldn't find a suitable gift at the time, so he gave this thing.
She took a deep breath, held the seal, and slowly walked home.
After dark, the Gu family lit up lights in every yard. The dim lights illuminated the entire yard, adding a touch of warmth to the lively atmosphere.
After the crowd made a fuss for a while, the villagers gradually dispersed.
Several families who were already very close to the Gu family stayed and helped clean the yard.
Everyone had a clear division of labor, some sweeping the floor, some tidying up the tables and chairs, and they were very busy. It took until midnight before the whole yard was gradually restored to tidiness.
Gu Jiayue was filled with gratitude and took out the cakes sent by the students, giving each family a box. She smiled and said, "After all, there are so many cakes, and we can't finish them all. It would be a pity if they were wasted."
She also said that if everyone didn’t mind, they could take the leftovers away.
When everyone heard this, they didn't feel disgusted.
The dish was delicious, and with plenty of oil and water, everyone accepted it with great joy.
Except for the two aunts and the families of my eldest and second aunts, everyone else has left.
The Gu family finally quieted down.
Now that we live separately, everyone has returned to their own rooms.
"Mom, are you unhappy?" Gu Jiayue looked at Li sitting in the yard and couldn't help but ask. She saw that Li looked lonely and her eyes were filled with sadness.
Li sighed, looked out through the open courtyard door, and said slowly, "Listen, your aunt is so happy."
Gu Jiayue also heard that her aunt's family and her eldest cousin's wife's family were all here today, and it was very lively.
Even grandma's family came.
But only Li's family members did not show up.
During the day, she also heard someone in the village mention it in a low voice.
Is it because grandma and the others didn’t come that mom is sad?
"Mom, after the autumn harvest, will I accompany you back to grandma's house?" Gu Jiayue said cautiously.
Mrs. Li shook her head and said, "It's okay. You don't have to worry about me and your grandmother's family. You've been tired all day today. Go and have a rest." Mrs. Li didn't want to say more. There was a hint of fatigue in her tone.
But she was actually lost and sad in her heart.
Three days ago, after her family set the date for moving, she asked someone to tell her parents. She knew they might not come, but she still held on to a glimmer of hope.
Today, she kept looking towards the door. Every time firecrackers rang out, she was filled with hope, wondering if it was her parents. But every time, she was disappointed.
She knew that she had committed a heinous crime by disobeying her parents, but so many years had passed and she was living well in the Gu family. Why were her parents still unwilling to forgive her?
As for my older brother and sister, their parents don’t allow them to interact with each other, so they really don’t come.
"Okay, then you should go to bed early too. There are still many things to do tomorrow." Gu Jiayue said helplessly.
She didn't know how to persuade Li about this matter, so she could only let Li figure it out slowly.
But when it comes to parental love, is it so easy to understand?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
