Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 285 - 183 Contrast_2

Chapter 285: Chapter 183 Contrast_2

In the morning, Cheng Yue looked at her son and daughter dressed in thick cotton robes and skirts and nodded in satisfaction. Then, looking at the snowflakes filling the sky, she said, "Poor Hongji, with his bare head and no hair, must be so cold."

Qian Yixiu said, "Mother, don’t worry, if he feels cold, he’ll wear a monk’s hat."

"But I forgot to make him a monk’s hat," Cheng Yue said reproachfully, her eyes reddening.

"Mother didn’t make him one, but there are people at their temple who specialize in making clothes; they will do it," Qian Yixiu comforted her. She seldom saw the Little Monk during the winter, as he usually left in the winter month and wouldn’t return until the spring of the following year. In her memory, she had never seen the Little Monk wearing a hat.

When not mentioned, they are often most apt to appear; just as her younger siblings had started a lesson, lasting only fifteen minutes, the Little Monk came by for a visit. Mr. Yu graciously gave Qian Yeejin and Qian Yixiu a day off and went to the backyard to watch the masters making furniture.

The Little Monk didn’t wear a hat, and he wasn’t even in a cotton jacket, just an interlayer garment, which left his little cheeks and nose reddened from the cold, and his lips were tinged with blue.

He had come to say goodbye, as he was going to travel with his master, planning to spend the New Year at Baoguo Temple in the Suburb of Capital and wouldn’t return until next spring. As it was cold in the yard, the Little Monk was invited to play in the west wing parlor. Cheng Yue tenderly covered his face with her hands and said, "Why aren’t you wearing a jacket? Your aunt made one for you. And your head, so bare, why aren’t you wearing a hat?"

The Little Monk laughed and said, "This weather is not that cold yet. Once we go north, where water turns to ice, I will need to wear a cotton jacket and a hat."

"This weather isn’t cold? Look, your lips are turning blue," Qian Yixiu remarked.

The Little Monk said, "The monks at the temple who practice martial arts don’t wear jackets in this weather; they’re used to it and don’t feel cold."

After warming the Little Monk’s face, Cheng Yue stopped embroidering and instead watched her son and daughter talking and playing with the Little Monk.

Close to noon, little Qian Yiduo came by. Yesterday, the third branch had brought over a small jar of spiced meat purchased from the county town, which was extremely fragrant. However, the meat was tender, and Old man Qian and Old woman Qian ate most of it, leaving her with only two pieces. Thinking that the third branch might have some more, she came over to ask for some spiced meat. When she saw the Little Monk there, she was very disappointed.

But contrary to the usual practice, the Little Monk didn’t stay for the whole day and was planning to leave after the midday meal. As he was leaving, he murmured, "My master asked me to bring back a couple of segments of young lotus root to the temple to eat."

Without any hesitation, Qian Yixiu refused. In early September, they had already given his greedy master two segments of Golden Flower lotus root. Thinking of those tender golden sprouts, Qian Yixiu’s heart still ached.

Pouting, she said, "Your master is quite accomplished, so how can he be so greedy? We didn’t even take a bite of the Golden Flower lotus root because we are saving it for next year’s planting. We already gave him two segments, and he still has the nerve to ask for more. If he eats it all, what will our family plant next year?"

Making the Little Monk’s face flush even more, he twisted his fingers in distress. His master had told him he must get it, or he would not be taken on the travels.

Qian Yeejin persuaded, "Just give him two more segments. It must have been hard for the master to ask."

Seeing the Little Monk’s expression, Cheng Yue also felt sorry for him and joined in the plea, "Yixiu, give Hongji two segments of the lotus root. Otherwise, he’ll get scolded when he returns."

Even Qian Yiduo spoke up, "It’s not nice for Sister Embroidery to speak ill of the master like that. I’ve felt the misery of craving something I couldn’t have. It’s really hard to bear."

Reluctantly, Qian Yixiu had Su Sanwu get two segments of the Golden Flower lotus root and also gave the Little Monk a basket of lotus roots from Moonlit Lotus Pond, specifying it was the last time.

The Little Monk gratefully thanked them and made a vow to bring them vegetarian pastries from Baoguo Temple when he returned next spring.

The Little Monk rode off with his Monk mentor, and now he also had his own mount, a small white horse. They traveled far into the distance before Qian Yiduo sneered and said, "What’s so good about vegetarian pastries? They’re not worth the long journey, the tofu is sold at the price of meat."

In early winter, Shopkeeper Cui was returning to Capital City to deliver New Year’s gifts and report on the year’s work. Qian Sangui had someone prepare gifts for Duke Mansion, including two hundred pounds of the finest lotus roots, one hundred pounds of sausages from Li’s, one hundred pounds of cured meat from Li’s, and various mountain produce.

Qian Yixiu also sent a pure white fox fur that Monkey Brother had hunted to Uncle Liang’s mother.

Nowadays, their company was associated with the Duke Mansion, and they needed to curry favor with the leadership of the parent corporation.