Bamboo and wood hairpins are all about elegance and don't need to be too complicated. Gu Nanjiao went up the mountain to find old nan bamboo after returning to the village. Old nan bamboo is hard and tough, making it an excellent material for hairpins.
Gu Nanjiao had drawn two designs beforehand: one of auspicious cloud bamboo hairpins and the other of deer antler bamboo hairpins, each about 18 to 20 centimeters long. She carved them little by little according to the designs, and finished both hairpins in one night. Gu Nanjiao was very satisfied. Although they were a bit ugly, they looked pretty good overall. She would make two for her father another day.
In just one night, the news of Lu Yanping's upcoming marriage spread throughout the entire village. Madam Li deliberately spread the word, wanting people to see that her son could marry the master's daughter, proving he was no less capable than Lu Yanzhao. However, their family valued virtue over beauty; they didn't feel secure with a pretty wife.
The villagers sighed in disbelief. They had seen Huang Qingqing before; she was truly ugly, not only sallow-looking but also dressed entirely in yellow. Only someone like Li Shi would be so eager to marry her; if it were them, they wouldn't even want the county magistrate's daughter. Whether out of sour grapes or jealousy, the villagers' conversations these past few days had revolved around Li Shi and Lu Lao Er.
Yang Meiqin leaned against the doorway, watching the commotion, a handful of sunflower seeds in her hand, which she spat all over the floor. She thought to herself, "I knew it! No man is reliable. Lu Yanping still obediently got engaged to that girl Huang."
Thank goodness Wang Dafu came to find her, otherwise, given her personality, she might have caused trouble. Yang Meiqin patted her lower abdomen, a smug smile on her face. Wang Dafu came the day after she and Lu Yanping rolled around on the grass. Regardless of whether the baby in her belly was Wang Dafu's or not, it would all be attributed to him. There was no way she could get rid of him.
Li went to visit a neighbor with a big smile on her face, and on the way she met Yang Meiqin.
Yang Meiqin couldn't help but sneer when she saw her. Madam Li didn't want to pay her any attention; her son was going to marry the master's daughter, and after the wedding, he would surely settle down and stop associating with this vixen. Madam Li snorted coldly, not wanting to speak to Yang Meiqin, but Yang Meiqin had no intention of letting her off the hook.
She covered her mouth and laughed heartily: "I heard your son is getting married, and to a pig at that!"
Li stopped and glared at her: "None of your business, you little whore!"
Yang Meiqin wasn't angry. She leaned closer to Li and said, "It won't be long before you're holding your grandson!"
Li frowned. She felt that Yang Meiqin's words didn't sound like a congratulation, but rather like she was mocking her. The depth of their conflict was undeniable, and Yang Meiqin's words now made her feel uneasy.
Yang Meiqin chuckled lightly and remained silent, just looking at Li Shi with a teasing expression.
Li couldn't fathom Yang Meiqin's gaze and said smugly, "Of course, once our Yanping gets married and has two children in three years, if any wild chickens or ducks come to our door causing trouble, I'll first pluck their feathers and stew them, then cut off their chicken butts and feed them to the dogs."
Yang Meiqin...
Yang Meiqin was stunned for a long time. Only after Li Shi walked away did she come back to her senses. Her face was ashen, her chest felt very uncomfortable, and she felt like she had a breath stuck in her throat.
This is what you fear most when arguing. Yang Meiqin felt she hadn't performed well. She thought of many things to say to refute Li Shi, but Li Shi had already gone far away.
Facing the direction Li had left, Yang Meiqin spat angrily: "You shameless old woman, you better pray that Master Wang comes to pick me up soon, otherwise I'll make sure your son can't have his wedding."
...
After packing up her stall, Lu's mother said to Gu Nanjiao, "Jiaojiao, let's stay in the county town tonight and have a proper birthday celebration for Yanzhao!"
Gu Nanjiao had no objection and nodded to Lu's mother.
Lu's mother said that for so many years, Yanzhao had worked hard for the family, and in his spare time he would study. He had never even had a bowl of longevity noodles on his birthday. Now that the family was better off, she planned to buy more good wine and food to celebrate Lu Yanzhao's birthday properly.
That evening, Gu Nanjiao prepared a large feast: sweet and sour fish, fish-flavored tofu, minced pork and eggplant, and garlic spare ribs. The vegetarian dishes included cold chicken gizzards, cold mung bean jelly, cold cucumber salad, and a dish of sliced beef and tripe in chili sauce. Since there were no cake-making ingredients in ancient times, Gu Nanjiao simply used watermelon and various fruits to create a cake shape.
Lu Xiaomei curiously leaned over and said, "Sister-in-law, this watermelon and these fruits look quite nice together."
"This is a watermelon cake, freshly chilled. It's refreshing and cooling in the summer."
"There's only watermelon, what about cake?" Lu Xiaomei found the word "cake" very interesting. Could it be that her sister-in-law had invented a new food?
"There are no cakes here, so I can't make one for now. I'll try to figure it out if I have the chance." Gu Nanjiao licked her lips; she missed modern cakes and really wanted some cream. If only she could open a franchised cake shop in ancient times, teach people how to make cakes, and just sit back and collect the money.
She could have thought about it, but in ancient times, these ingredients didn't exist; even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. This thought was immediately cut off by Gu Nanjiao.
As darkness fell, Lu Yanzhao still hadn't returned, and Lu's mother couldn't help but worry, looking back and forth at the door many times.
Gu Nanjiao couldn't help but worry. Had he encountered some danger?
Just then, they heard the door open, and Lu Yanzhao appeared in the doorway, looking no different from usual.
As soon as Lu Yanzhao entered, he saw three people standing by the table waiting. The table was full of dishes, with a strangely shaped watermelon in the middle, which was quite unique.
Lu's mother looked worried: "Why are you so late today?"
"Oh, the teacher assigned some homework today, which was quite difficult, so it took a while. I'm sorry to have worried you all." Lu Yanzhao explained as he sat down, lifting his robe, and asked, "What day is it today? Why are there so many dishes?"
Lu's mother gave him a reproachful look: "It's your birthday today, have you forgotten?"
Lu Yanzhao suddenly realized that today was his birthday. He had been so busy with schoolwork lately that he had even forgotten his own birthday.
Gu Nanjiao walked up to Lu Yanzhao with the bamboo hairpin in her hand and said with a smile, "Happy birthday! May you rise higher and higher like this bamboo hairpin and achieve great success in your studies."
Lu Yanzhao was taken aback, then a happy smile appeared on his face: "Thank you for the gift, my lady. I am delighted." He picked up the bamboo hairpin and put it in his hair, looking steadily at Gu Nanjiao and said: "Bamboo only blooms once in its life, which means that one will only love one person in one's life. I understand your intentions, my lady."
Gu Nanjiao's cheeks flushed red, and I stammered, "I...I didn't mean that, I just..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lu's mother came over with a folded garment: "Yanzhao, I made you a garment myself. Go try it on and see if it fits."
"good!"
A moment later, Lu Yanzhao, having changed his clothes, came out of the house.
Gu Nanjiao was immediately captivated by her beauty at first glance.
A green robe, trimmed with bamboo, is lifted by the night breeze. Her half-up, dark hair hangs smoothly down her back, adorned with a bamboo hairpin in the shape of a deer antler, adding to her elegance.
Lu's mother was quite skilled; the blue robe she wore made Lu Yanzhao look incredibly handsome, as if the world itself paled in comparison.
Seeing Gu Nanjiao staring at him so intently, Lu Yanzhao smiled and said, "What's wrong? You're so captivated by your husband?"
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