Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 176 - 175: Giving Gifts

Chapter 176: Chapter 175: Giving Gifts

Chen Afu opened the small wooden box to reveal two light blue pearls about the size of a fingertip on a piece of purple velvet. They were so big that they must be eastern pearls. Even among the eastern pearls, these were rare gems. In future, they could be set into headdresses or earrings, signifying wealth and beauty.

No woman could resist gorgeous jewelry. Chen Afu’s eyes crinkled up in joy as she admired the pearls. After a while, she closed the box carefully and put it aside, then opened the larger box.

Inside the big box was a set of vibrant colored porcelain teawares with a plum blossom pattern. It included a teapot and six teacups, all finely crafted and exquisite.

Chen Afu picked up a set, her heart swelling with happiness. Using such teaware was another step up in her lifestyle. She pictured herself sitting in a beautifully decorated house after the move, sipping tea from such delicate cups. The thought filled her with serene pleasure.

She quite liked both gifts and thought their two leaders were quite generous.

She wondered which gift was from the bearded old Lord Hou. It struck her that none of the two gifts seemed to be his style. He would have probably given ginseng or bird’s nest. Or maybe, was the silver note from him?

"Mother, these things are really beautiful," Dabao said from the side, "In the future, I’ll buy even more beautiful things for you."

"Good, I’ll look forward to that day," Chen Afu said, before packing the items back into the boxes and stowing them away.

The next day was Chinese New Year’s Eve, and Chen Ming asked Aunt Mu to go to the main house to help with chores.

After breakfast, Chen Ming took Mrs. Wang, Alu, and Wang Cai off to the main house, they were going to the ancestral graves belonging to the Chens.

In the past, Chen Afu and Dabao had never joined the family for tomb cleanup. Chen Afu couldn’t go because "she was sick", while everyone knew Dabao wasn’t a child of the Chen family.

On the matter of whether they should visit the tombs today, Chen Ming had quietly discussed this with Afu in the morning, as he noticed that Dabao has been wanting to join them since he came to an age of understanding. The initial reason for not bringing Dabao was the fear that the foul-mouthed Mrs. Hu and Chen Aju might say hurtful words, leaving the sensitive Dabao upset. Furthermore, Mrs. Chen and Chen Ye had several objections towards Chen Ming and Afu adopting Dabao, and obviously didn’t want him adding any trouble to their lives. However, now that Chen Afu had gained some standing, the folks of the main house probably won’t say those hurtful things anymore.

Chen Afu immediately refused without a second thought. Until now they had never been allowed to go. Considering that everyone knew perfectly well about their situation now, neither of them were related by blood to the Chens, mother and son had even less reason to go.

At such times, Dabao always seemed to feel hurt. As he saw Chen Ming’s group leaving from the front door, he hugged Chen Afu’s waist and said to her with a pout, "Mother, I have never gone visiting the tombs. My little uncle is going, Dahu is too, even Shitou and Yan’er will definitely go, but I can’t."

Where was the ancestral tomb of an orphan without a root?

Chen Afu felt a pang in her heart. She herself knew where her ancestors were buried, yet here she was, seeking warmth and shelter.

Chen Afu touched his little gourd hat and said softly, "The ancestors resting in the Chen family grave aren’t our ancestors, so we don’t need to go visiting."

The intelligent Dabao grasped things quickly, but there were times when certain things needed to be spelled out for him. He would surely hear more about this in the future.

Dabao looked confused and asked, "Even Mother’s ancestors aren’t there?"

"No," Chen Afu replied, pulling him into her arms, "The Chen family isn’t related to your mother by blood either. Keep this in mind and never mention it, especially not in the presence of your grandmother. However, your grandfather gave your mother and you a warm home, and the Chen family has protected us for so many years. We must show respect to your grandfather and remember the kindness of your great-grandmother and grandmother."

Dabao seemed puzzled, but he nodded in agreement, no longer insisting on visiting the tombs. He sat down at the table, sullenly eating melon seeds, giving one each to Qi Qi and Hui Hui for every one of his own.

Staying far from the village and with Alu gone, Dabao was bored. As he heard the intermittent sound of firecrackers coming from the Tang Garden, Chen Afu suggested, "Why don’t you take Zhui Feng, Qi Qi and Hui Hui to Tang Garden to play with Yan’er... Oh, she hasn’t got up yet, go play with Ming instead. Come back early though, we need to go to your great-grandmother’s house for the reunion dinner."

This made Dabao’s eyes light up, and he left with Zhui Feng, Qi Qi, and Hui Hui.

Chen Afu was busy in the kitchen with others. Although they were supposed to have dinner in the main house after lunch, given that today was Chinese New Year’s Eve, the Chu family most likely wouldn’t be joining them for dinner. She made additional portions of the best dishes to send to the Chu residence later.

Around noon, Dabao returned with Zhui Feng. He reported, "Grandpa Chu called Qi Qi and Hui Hui over when he saw them."

Chen Afu nodded. With the old man who loved birds around, the status of Qi Qi and Hui Hui in the Tang Garden was bound to soar.

Then, along with Zhui Feng, Xue Dagui, and Chu Xiaoniu, Chen Afu and Dabao went to the village. Xue Dagui and Chu Xiaoniu each carried a large basket on their backs, loaded with the annual gifts for the main house.

As they approached the village entrance, they saw a bunch of kids gathered under the old acacia tree, playing. Shitou, Dahu, and Si Xizi were among them. The kids from wealthier families were letting off fireworks, to the delight of the other children.

Seeing this, Dabao cheerfully ran toward them. His purse was full of firecrackers. He used to be able to only watch as others set them off, but now he could light his own.

Upon arriving at the main house, Chen Afu asked Xue Dagui and Chu Xiaoniu to take the baskets of gifts directly to the upper house and display all the gifts one by one. In the countryside, gifts were given without a list, they were just shown off openly.

The gifts packed with food, clothes, and utensils were plentiful and of good quality, worth at least ten or more taels of silver. This made Chen Ye and Mrs. Hu burst into laughter.

Afterwards, Chen Ming gave Mrs. Chen six hundred Wen coins, while Chen Afu gave Mrs. Chen two taels of silver. The six hundred Wen coins were part of the yearly elderly care money given to Mrs. Chen, while the two taels of silver were as a show of respect. Mrs. Wang also gave Mrs. Chen two sets of silk clothes, a pair of thousand-layer shoes, and several packages of pastries and candies.

Mrs. Chen accepted the gifts with a broad smile, saying, "My, I am truly blessed by your kindness." She specifically expressed her gratitude to Chen Afu, remarking, "I am also enjoying the blessings brought by Afu."

After presenting all the gifts, Xue Dagui and Chu Xiaoniu left with their empty baskets. Chen Ye and Chen Agu tried to persuade them to stay for a drink, but they refused with a laugh.

Hearing the men discuss retaining the guests, Mrs. Hu was alarmed. Considering the size and appetite of Xue Dagui and Chu Xiaoniu, she was worried about how much food they might consume. It was a relief when the pair declined the offer.

Chen Afu noticed that Chen Aman had shown particular fondness for the large piece of red satin and the imitated flowers in the New Year gifts. She discreetly told her, "You have your portion too, I’ll give them to you before you go back to the capital city."

Chen Aman gave a knowing smile and playfully scratched the palm of Chen Afu’s hand.

During the meal, Chen Aju unusually gave Chen Afu and Dabao a rare smile and even gave Dabao some extra pieces of meat. After noticing the items she liked among the New Year gifts, Chen Aju seemed more amicable.