Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 254 - 253: Reminder

Chapter 254: Chapter 253: Reminder

After everyone had lunch, they saw off the Chu family members. Because Lu Garden didn’t have a steward, Manager Luo went last, handing the gift list and gifts to Chen Ming. The gifts included famous snacks from the Capital City, fabric, learning materials, and ornaments, a colorful heap of items.

In the late afternoon, Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang went to their backyard to pick ripe cucumbers. They only managed to fill a small basket. Adding two boxes of homemade pastries, these were the gifts they were to give to Mrs. Chu to take back to Capital City.

However, both of them felt embarrassed. The Chu family had given them so many gifts, yet all they could offer was this. They found it hard to find something worth giving that wouldn’t embarrass their daughter. Mrs. Wang then went to find Chen Afu in Fu Garden to discuss what additional gifts they could give.

Chen Afu laughed and said, "Even wealthy people can’t buy fresh cucumbers right now, so this is what they will cherish. And those pastries, just because they’re sold in shops doesn’t mean they’re better than homemade ones. Don’t bother with anything else. They don’t lack for things that can be bought with money. Even if we delivered them, Mrs. Chu wouldn’t bother to carry them back to the city."

Mrs. Wang also said, "Didn’t you suggest that I make a pair of beautiful panda slippers for the Embroidery Workshop? I’ve already finished them. The vamps are embroidered with a pair of baby pandas, they look very beautiful. Let’s just give these slippers to Mrs. Chu, she is sure to like them."

Usually, slippers are made by younger generations for elders, and Chen Afu did not want to bother Mrs. Wang. Shaking her head, she said, "Mom, although Mrs. Chu comes from a royal family, she is still my elder, just like you. How could I have you make shoes for her? I don’t need to do it. When I have time in the future, I’ll make her a pair." Seeing that Mrs. Wang was still reluctant, she continued, "In the future, I’ll draw a design of ’pandas playing with bamboo’ for you to embroider onto a small screen. We can give it to the Chu family as a New Year’s gift, and they’ll be sure to like it."

Mrs. Wang agreed after hearing her suggestion.

Chen Afu felt embarrassed to hand over Chu Lingxuan’s clothes and wallet in front of everyone, so she asked Mrs. Wei to give them to him. Meanwhile, she held a bronze tube containing one piece of green leaf agarwood and asked Xia Yue to carry a panda doll and two boxes of homemade pastries outside the door. When Chen Ming and the others went out, they all went to Tang Garden together.

When Mrs. Chu saw a basket full of cucumbers from the Wangs, she was delighted and said, "I won’t hide it from you, I’ve been thinking about how to shamelessly ask you for some. But I didn’t expect you to give me so many."

Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang were very pleased to see that their gift pleased a person of high status.

Chen Afu also gave her a piece of green leaf agarwood, smiling, she cautioned, "The Abbot only gave me three pieces. I gave one to Abbot Liao Chen, and used one myself. Please don’t tell anyone about this, Mrs. Chu. If other nobles ask, I really won’t have any left."

Mrs. Chu took the green leaf agarwood out of the brass tube. Its soothing fragrance instantly filled the air. She was amazed and took a deep breath, saying happily, "I didn’t expect to have a piece of this treasure. Since smelling its fragrance at the Yingxue Nunnery, I’ve been unable to forget it." Laughing, she told Afu, "Don’t worry, Fu’er, I won’t give you any trouble. I’ll just tell others that I got this by chance. I can’t bear to use it either, so I’ll offer it to my imperial grandmother when I return to the city."

Hearing her mention such a high-ranking person, Chen Afu simply laughed a few silly laughs. Although she still had ten pieces of green leaf agarwood, nine of them had to be kept hidden, so she could hardly bring out the only one left, could she?

After having dinner at the Chus, everyone chatted for a while. As a rural family, the Chens and Mrs. Chu, having spent many years at the frontier, dismissed the conventions of gender segregation and all sat together in cheerful banter. The Duke even mentioned that Dabao’s tutor had already been hired and would be arriving from Capital City in a few days. By then, Dabao, Zhi’er, and Alu would all start studying under the tutor’s instruction.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming was overjoyed. The tutor was a scholar who was even more knowledgeable than Mr. Jiang, who was of a scholarly background. With such tutoring, Alu had an even greater chance of becoming a scholar.

As night fell, the afterglow in the west had disappeared into the top of Honglin Mountain, leaving only a layer of golden clouds hanging on the peak. The Chen family then rose to bid farewell.

Chu Lingxuan, leading Chu Hanyan and Chu Lingzhi, saw the Chens out of the door. Alu, Dabao, and Chu Lingzhi children had become quite chummy. They held hands and led the way, with a hand of Dabao holding the hand of Chu Hanyan. The laughter of the young ones reverberated as the ran ahead.

Behind them were Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang, and even further behind, Chu Lingxuan and Chen Afu. The servants tactfully kept their distance.

Exiting Tang Garden, the children reached the open space between Tang Garden and Fu Garden and stopped there, joking and laughing. Seeing that the children were accompanied by Mr. Chu and Chen Afu, Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang felt like they should allow the two to have a private conversation, so they went back to Lu Garden ahead of them.

Chu Lingxuan and Chen Afu stood under a willow tree. Chu Lingxuan whispered, "I really like the clothes and wallet you made me."

"Oh," Chen Afu responded.

Chu Lingxuan asked again, "Do you like the bracelet I gave you? I bought it specifically from the Jitai Silver Tower in Capital City."

"I like it," Chen Afu answered.

Chu Lingxuan continued, "I won’t be able to return the day after tomorrow, but I’ll try to come back in three days."

"Okay," Chen Afu replied.

Chu Lingxuan continued, "When I’m not here, I’ll trouble you with my grandfather, Yan’er, and my younger brother, Zhi."

"It’s no trouble," Chen Afu said.

Chu Lingxuan shook his head and chuckled, saying, "Can’t you say more than one word to me? When I saw you talking to my aunt and Yan’er, you had a lot to say. Especially to Yan’er, you could chat with her for half a day."

Chen Afu also laughed when she heard this. Truth be told, although she had interacted with him for some time, they didn’t chat much. She didn’t know what to talk about with him.

The last golden light in the west disappeared into the top of the mountain, and night arrived like a tide. In the twinkling of an eye, it darkened, and a few stars emerged in the sky, blinking.

Under the willow tree in the starlight, it was even darker.

Seeing the children playing so wildly and without paying any attention to them, Chu Lingxuan moved closer to Chen Afu and slipped his hand into hers. Chen Afu’s hand jerked in surprise, but she didn’t pull away, letting him hold her hand. His hand was large and hot, with calluses in the palm, probably from wielding weapons.

Seeing that Chen Afu did not struggle, Chu Lingxuan’s mouth curved in a satisfied smile.

However, he noticed Dabao looking their way. After looking a couple more times, Dabao pulled Chu Hanyan and ran over to them.

Chu Lingxuan swiftly released her hand and they both shifted away from each other.

Dabao came closer and said, "Mom, it’s already dark, we should go home now." He also reminded Chu Lingxuan, "Daddy, don’t you have to get up early to go to the barracks tomorrow? If you sleep too late, you won’t be able to get up. If you’re late, the superior will criticize you, and you may even get caned. One of my peers was late and got his palms swollen from the punishment."

Chu Hanyan looked at Dabao admiringly and said, "Brother knows so much, how come Sister never thought of that?"