Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands

Chapter 443 - 0424 Give a Gift (1)

Li Yuzhu said, "Then let’s say it this way, tomorrow afternoon, you come to my house and wait for Mr. Song."

Chen the Third nodded excitedly, "Okay, okay, I’ll definitely be there on time tomorrow."

After making arrangements with Chen the Third, Li Yuzhu left with Mu Yuanxiu and returned to the Li Family’s bamboo house.

Mu Yuanxiu went to park the mule cart, while Li Yuzhu immediately went to the North Courtyard Main House to see Princess Consort Luling.

She explained Mr. Song’s thoughts to Princess Consort Luling.

Princess Consort Luling smiled and said, "This is very good. Whether it’s good or not, let Mr. Song see for himself. He is an experienced teacher, having met many people, he will definitely judge it better than us. If it doesn’t work out, Chen the Third won’t blame us for anything, this is something they agreed upon themselves."

Li Yuzhu added, "Let’s also inform Father about this, the first person Mr. Song will meet when he comes to our house must be Father."

"I know," Princess Consort Luling smiled gently.

She was doing needlework, shaking a vest for Li Yuzhu to try.

Li Yuzhu held it in her hands and took a sniff, it was made of gray rabbit fur.

"Where did the rabbit fur come from?" Li Yuzhu looked around the vest, praising Princess Consort Luling’s skilled needlework, and tried it on.

When going out in windy weather, one wears a cloak, but at home, a thicker vest outside is convenient for activities.

Li Yuzhu also lamented that all the women in the household, except for the almost two-year-old little Guoguo and her, who was inept at handcrafts, were undisputed experts at needlework.

Her clothes always needed to be made by others.

"Didn’t we eat several rabbits in the past few months? This vest was made from the collected fur," Princess Consort Luling laughed.

Li Yuzhu stood before the large brass mirror in Princess Consort Luling’s bedroom, looking at her reflection, and asked, "Do Big Sis and Second Sis have them too?" Favoritism among sisters could affect harmony.

Princess Consort Luling chuckled and said, "Your Big Sis said gray fur isn’t beautiful; she likes red fox fur. Your Second Sis doesn’t mind gray, but with her figure, can she wear it? Just a few pelts barely made a vest, and if you grow any taller next year, you won’t fit in it, nor will Second Sis."

I see, the Great Princess now has money to spend, buying only what’s pretty.

She loves bright red colors, considering gray and blue her forbidden colors.

Since the Great Princess got rich, she discarded all the grayish-blue old clothes she had begged for from the village.

By evening, the Great Princess returned.

Li Yuzhu noticed the Great Princess was wearing a red fox cloak.

"The sun came out today, the weather’s warm, Big Sis, why are you wearing such a thick cloak meant for snowy days?" Li Yuzhu walked over and pinched the thick cloak, asking, "Did you make this? Or did you get it done at the shop?"

The three sisters lived in one room, knowing each other’s every move.

Li Yuzhu didn’t see the Great Princess making a fox fur cloak.

The Great Princess twirled proudly in front of Li Yuzhu, "Looks good, doesn’t it?"

Li Yuzhu laughed, "It does look good. It must have been expensive, right?" Not seeing the Great Princess doing handwork, could it be bought?

It was said that a cheap fox fur cloak cost at least a hundred liang, and the best ones cost several hundred liang. Was the Great Princess mad, spending so much on one?

The Great Princess snorted lightly, "It wasn’t bought."

Li Yuzhu looked at her face, deliberately teasing, "Did you find it?"

The Great Princess sneered, "Li Yuzhu, why don’t you try finding one for me?"

The Second Princess interjected, "Third Sis, Mr. Pei gifted it."

"Pei Shenyan?" Li Yuzhu was surprised. Had the long-absent Pei Shenyan returned to the countryside? "Did he return?"

The Great Princess replied, "No, his attendant returned. We paid the house rent, and he gifted me the cloak to thank me for saving him. I’m not just taking things from people without reasons, you know."

Li Yuzhu suppressed her laughter, thinking you could take it freely and no one would care, it’s not like you took something from Mu Yuanxiu, "I know, I know, Big Sis is reserved and would never take things from men carelessly."

This was also Li Family’s teaching, girls couldn’t casually accept things from men.

As for things Mu Yuanxiu gifted her, no one in the family commented because Mu Yuanxiu would come every day for dinner, besides, his mule cart couldn’t climb Niu Tou Mountain and stayed in their stable every night. Whenever he brought things to the Li Family, he claimed it was a trade for items.

.

After lunch the next day, Chen the Third arrived at the Li Family.

Like the previous days, he had wrapped his neck scarf around his chin, leaving only the upper part of his face visible.

However, today, his appearance was fresher than the previous days.

He wore a brand-new hemp robe, presumably ironed, without a single wrinkle.

His hair was combed meticulously, tied with a new headscarf.

When Li Yuzhu saw him at the gate of the front courtyard, she couldn’t help but laugh, "Someone who didn’t know might think you’re getting married, all dressed up so nicely today."

"Almost, almost," Chen Sanlang replied bashfully with a smile.

He didn’t come empty-handed but brought gifts with him.

Both hands were full, carrying four jars of wine, four boxes of pastries, four boxes of tea leaves, and four boxes of dried fruits.

Luckily, he was strong; otherwise, others might not be able to carry so much or even lift it.

Li Yuzhu said with a smile, "Mr. Song hasn’t arrived yet. You can sit and wait in our main hall."

"Alright, alright." Chen Sanlang nodded joyfully, repeatedly.

Uncle Gui stepped forward to help him with the gifts, for as soon as Chen Sanlang knocked on the Li Family’s door, he immediately handed over a box of jerky and a flask of wine to Uncle Gui.

Uncle Gui had already been instructed by Li Yuzhu, saying someone named Chen Sanlang would be coming over. He hadn’t expected him to be so generous.

Taking others’ property, it’s only right to run errands for them.

Chen Sanlang wanted to give the Li Family and Mr. Song an impression of being strong and diligent, so he did not want Uncle Gui’s help.

"No, no, I can carry it myself," said Chen Sanlang, striding forward with the gifts.

Uncle Gui shook his head in amusement.

In the Li Family’s North Courtyard Main Hall, Prince Luling was sitting for a noon rest, and Princely Heir Li Xingmao and Princess Consort Luling were sitting below with Guoguo, listening to their conversation.

Li Yuzhu led Chen Sanlang in, "Father, Mother, Big Brother, this is Chen Sanlang."

Chen Sanlang placed all the gifts in his hands onto the table, and he transformed from his usual boisterous self to cautiously greeting Prince Luling, "Hello, Mr. Li." Then he addressed Princess Consort Luling as "Mrs. Li" and greeted Li Xingmao.

"I’m really disturbing you today borrowing Mr. Li’s house for matchmaking. It’s just a little token, not much, but a token of respect," Chen Sanlang said with a silly smile.

It was Chen Sanlang’s first time visiting the Li Family, but a few months earlier, his father, Old Chen, and his elder brother had visited the Li Family. At that time, they wanted to propose a match for his niece Chen Danan to Li Xing’an. Prince Luling and his wife had exchanged a few words with the Chen family father and son. While the Chen family was not as genteel and courteous as scholarly families in the city, they met general etiquette, which was acceptable.

Therefore, Prince Luling did not have much of a bias against the Chen Family.

Now that the visitor brought more than ten boxes of gifts, he felt he couldn’t neglect Chen Sanlang and called on Li Xingmao to brew some tea.

He added, "Chen Sanlang, there’s also a gift for Mr. Song here, isn’t there?"

Sixteen boxes couldn’t possibly be just for their family.

To which Chen Sanlang awkwardly replied, "No, no, these are for Mr. Li. Mr. Song’s gift is the same as yours. I couldn’t carry them all, so the rest are still on the mule cart. I’ll fetch them now."

With that, he turned and ran back to the front courtyard of the house.

Seeing the table full of gifts, Prince Luling exclaimed in surprise, "Chen Sanlang is quite generous to send so many gifts."

Princess Consort Luling said, "These are the matchmaker’s gifts. More could be said. There are more, though not few—they’re much more than what ordinary village families would send. The Chen Family has money, presumably their usual custom."

Princess Consort Luling’s keen sense of smell detected the wine, "This is Osmanthus Brew, sigh. Sending such good wine, what if the marriage doesn’t work out?"

One feels awkward after receiving others’ good graces.

Princess Consort Luling shot him a look, "When was there no Osmanthus Brew to drink? None of these things can be touched; they should be set aside first. If the marriage doesn’t succeed, we must return them to the Chen Family."

Prince Luling glanced at the wine jars somewhat reluctantly, saying, "Alright, then."

Chen Sanlang moved quickly; soon enough, he had brought an identical set of gifts.

The previous gifts had already been put away by Princess Consort Luling, leaving the table empty.

Li Yuzhu helped Chen Sanlang arrange sixteen gifts on the table, smiling, "Mr. Song hasn’t arrived yet. Why not have some tea, rest, and wait?"

Sweat broke out on Chen Sanlang’s forehead, and he wiped it away with his sleeve, nodding with a smile, "Alright, alright."

Drinking tea requires removing the scarf to expose the mouth.

When Chen Sanlang’s mouth was exposed, Princess Consort Luling observed with a slight furrow in her brows but quickly returned to a calm expression.

In her arms, Guoguo blinked at Chen Sanlang before turning her head away, pretending not to have seen him.

Li Xingmao and Prince Luling exchanged glances at the gifts, silently acknowledging to each other that Chen Sanlang indeed had a crooked mouth.

Compared to normal people, Chen Sanlang’s chin did slant a bit, making his mouth appear crooked. However, his facial features were still correct, and despite the slight deviation, his face wasn’t unbearable to look at.

Chen Sanlang had yet to marry, not likely because the girls disdained him, but perhaps because he was picky about the girls.

Families with wealth don’t want to settle casually when it comes to marriage.

After drinking half a cup of tea, Chen Sanlang saw Uncle Gui leading Mr. Song and Song Jinxiu over.

Song Jinxiu wore a greyish-blue cloak today, with a veil on her face, all wrapped up like a dumpling.