Ruozheng explained, "Little princess, this is a book I've been enjoying lately. The knowledge in it is quite simple and easy to understand, and it's also easy to do hands-on activities. If you're interested, you can try it yourself; it's very interesting."
Before the little princess could reply, Zhuzhu finally took out her gift, a small dagger that she had carried with her for many years. It was simply made, but it could be drawn quickly and cut through iron like mud.
Zhuzhu said, "We girls also need to have the ability to protect ourselves. If you are interested, you can use it when you learn martial arts. Even if you don't learn martial arts, you can protect yourself by carrying it with you. You can also use it to peel fruit when you have nothing to do."
Jiang Jiuniang: ...
These two are really...
They didn't bring any gifts, and they didn't really have to. After all, it's normal that they weren't prepared since the little princess came suddenly.
As a result, none of the items sent out now are normal.
Especially Ruozheng's book, which is written in a completely postmodern simplified font, unlike the traditional Chinese characters of today. How is the little princess supposed to read it?
And then there's Zhuzhu, that dagger in her hand has been used to stab everything, and now she's letting that little princess use it to peel fruit...
The Empress could see their embarrassment and quickly smoothed things over, saying, "No need, these are all things you like..."
"It's alright, Your Majesty, we still have plenty."
Zhuzhu and Ruozheng both expressed their firm resolve.
The little princess hugged the gifts she received to her arms and smiled happily: "I like them very much, thank you aunties!"
Empress: ...
Well, I guess I'll just have to make it up to the two girls myself.
Thus, when the three left, they not only received gifts from the emperor but also from the empress, making their journey truly fruitful.
What none of them knew was that the little princess's life was completely changed by the gifts given by Ruozheng and Zhuzhu. She not only became interested in martial arts, but also developed a great interest in mechanical manufacturing. She even entered the Ministry of Works for the first time as a woman. Of course, that's a story for another time.
The three of them were currently laughing deafeningly in the carriage on their way home.
"Ahhh, Sister Ajiu, you have no idea how embarrassed we were! We practically rummaged through our entire bodies to find this little bit of stuff we could give away. I practically dug my toes out of shape!"
Ruozheng: "I carved out a palace..."
"Oh? Then Sister Ruozheng, you're quite exquisite!"
Jiang Jiuniang: ...
"But a mere dagger has yielded so many fine things from Her Majesty the Empress! What a steal! Hehehe!"
She carefully rummaged through the items and found gold ingots, fabric, and jewelry. She only took the jewelry and then said to Jiang Jiuniang, "Sister Jiuniang, these are all for you. Consider it my food expenses."
The gold ingots were for food expenses, and the cloth was for everyday clothing expenses.
Ruozheng's gifts included many books and calligraphy and paintings by famous artists. She said she only wanted those, and Jiang Jiuniang could take the rest.
Jiang Jiuniang didn't speak immediately, but rolled her eyes.
"Keep them all to yourselves, I can support you all!"
"I'm a rich woman now!"
She was exceptionally generous and naturally wouldn't accept the small amount of money from her sisters.
They've just arrived in this world, and it's definitely not good if they don't have money to rely on.
She could give them, but it would be fine once or twice. However, if it went on for too long, they would definitely feel uncomfortable. It would be better to let them keep these rewards to themselves. They could put them away when they didn't need them and take them out for emergencies when they did. That would be just as good.
Zhuzhu made a heart shape with her hands: "Sister Ruozheng, we've hooked up with a rich woman, so we'll never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of our lives!"
"That's right, let's eat as much as we want, since the rich woman has money anyway."
The group arrived at the Lu family home chatting and laughing. Madam Sun and Madam Yu were already waiting at the door. When they saw their carriage arrive, they hurriedly went to greet them.
"Now that everything's settled, we can finally rest for a while. The New Year is just a few days away. If you need anything, please buy it. This year, we can finally have a family reunion!"
"Third brother's wife, when the time comes, you and third brother should go and bring your parents and sister over, and we can live together."
As the group walked inside, Madam Sun gave instructions.
The Lu family didn't have many relatives in the capital, so it was best for them to get together for the New Year.
Jiang Jiuniang nodded; she had the same idea.
After returning home and learning that she was indeed Jiang Jiuniang of this era, and that Jiang Ruoya was truly her mother, Jiang Jiuniang felt a warm glow in her heart and thought about spending more time with Jiang Ruoya.
Ruozheng chuckled and whispered to Zhuzhu, "It's been so many years since I've felt what Chinese New Year is like."
Zhuzhu nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I've never celebrated the New Year. I've only heard my parents mention it occasionally."
Having lived in the apocalypse for over a decade, Zhuzhu was already very young when the apocalypse began. She only thought about how to survive and never knew what the New Year meant.
Now, in this strange world, she can actually celebrate the New Year! How could she not be happy!
Although the two spoke very softly, Sun, who was nearby, still heard them.
Upon hearing that someone had never celebrated the Lunar New Year, Ms. Sun felt a pang of sadness. She thought about how her third son's wife used to make a living by human traffickers and how hard her life was. She imagined that her friend must have suffered a lot as well.
Yes, Ms. Sun felt that these two friends must have been slave traders like Jiang Jiuniang in the past, which is why they had such a miserable life.
But it doesn't matter. From now on, these two girls will be her own daughters in her home. She will definitely pamper them and never let them suffer again.
So she turned to the two of them and said, "From now on, this will be your home. We will celebrate the New Year together every year. I will send someone to prepare new clothes and jewelry for you to wear during the New Year. Just tell me if you need anything, don't feel embarrassed."
The two women turned around and saw Mrs. Sun speaking to them earnestly. They were deeply moved and smiled as they replied, "Thank you, Auntie."
"We're family, don't be so polite."
Jiang Jiuniang patted their shoulders with a smile: "See? I told you our Miss Sun is the kindest, she'll definitely like you."
Upon being praised, Madam Sun immediately became arrogant, raising her chin and saying, "The two girls are so likable, I will naturally treat them well."
For the next few days, things were unusually peaceful in Beijing, and I enjoyed a few days of comfort.
The Lu family felt a stronger festive atmosphere this year than ever before, because everyone who had been away from home had returned, making it a rare family reunion. Everything had to be prepared to be the best, and the celebration was grand.
Three to five days in advance, Madam Yu stopped going to the restaurant to work and instead prepared food for the whole family at home. Madam Qin and the others helped out, making it a lively and bustling place.
Although there are servants at home, it is more interesting to do things yourself during the New Year. All the servants of the Lu family were given New Year's leave. Those who had homes were allowed to go home, and those who did not had homes could spend the New Year at home. They could go out and play with friends as they pleased, since they did not have to serve their masters.
Before the holiday, Mrs. Sun gave everyone a large red envelope to thank them for their hard work throughout the year and to express her hope that they would continue to serve the family well next year. She assured them that the Lu family would not treat them unfairly.
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