Chapter 144
Li Yu smiled at Old Hu. “Yes, this is a new grain seed. Take good care of it.”
Old Hu smiled until his face was full of wrinkles. “Got it. I’ll take good care of it. Miss, we’ll go back and visit you when we’re free.”
Li Yu looked at Old Hu’s happy smile and also smiled happily. “Alright, come and play when you’re free. Thank you for the things you sent.”
When Old Hu heard this, he felt as comfortable as if he had drunk ice water on a hot summer day. He couldn’t stop smiling. “It’s great that you like it. I’ll get them to send it to you in the future.”
Li Yu smiled and nodded. “You don’t have to trouble anyone to especially look for it. Just pick it if you encounter it.”
Old Hu quickly said, “I just picked it in passing. It’s not troublesome at all.”
Li Yu asked Ruyi to drive the carriage to send Old Hu and the others away. She returned to the house and opened the bag. She saw that there were four small bags in the bag. They were all filled with wild rice. The wild rice varieties in the four bags looked similar. They might have picked them back at different places and carefully dried them before sending them over.
Li Yu sighed at Zhou Jia. “Xiao Xi, I only helped them out back then and told them what I knew. I only gave them a hint. They were the ones who figured out their achievements today. They actually remembered all of this and repaid me as a favor.”
Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu. “That’s because you’re open-minded and don’t care about gains and losses. You should know that those who went to be apprentices would have to work hard for their masters for several years, and their masters still had to be wary of their disciples. They wouldn’t teach their true abilities to their disciples. But you taught them everything you know and taught them the ability to live peacefully. Of course, they respect you as their benefactor.”
When Li Yu heard this, she thought to herself, No wonder many skills were lost in the future. It was all caused by selfish people.
Zhou Jia took a piece of red paper and handed it to Li Yu. He smiled at Li Yu. “Yu’er, look at this day I chose. Which one are you happy with?”
Li Yu took a look and pointed at it. She smiled. “This is the day you chose? The eighth, ninth, and seventeenth of August are only a few days apart.”
Zhou Jia smiled roguishly. “I can’t wait to marry you tomorrow. These few days, I’ve carefully chosen a good day to marry in August. Isn’t it good to have a good day?”
Li Yu rolled her eyes. “Aunt said yesterday that September 8th is not bad. What do you think?”
When Zhou Jia heard this, his face turned bitter. “Alright! Aunt has spoken. What else can I do?”
Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and was a little speechless. “I don’t even know what you and Aunt are panicking about. It’s only September. There’s still a year to prepare. It’s still early!”
Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and kissed her lovingly. “Hehe! How could I not get busy if I’m marrying my wife? Wait for me! I still have to design a few phoenix crowns for you. Pick them carefully. I’ll take them to the city to customize.”
Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia, her heart filled with sweetness. “Alright! Draw a few simple ones. Don’t make them too complicated and gorgeous.”
“Yes! I understand!”
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year. Li Mei was embroidering a complicated wedding dress at home. Laidi carried Brother Pig in from outside the house.
“Mother, hug.” Brother Pig reached out to Li Mei. Li Mei looked up at the siblings with a smile. “You’re so naughty. Mother wants to embroider a wedding dress for Cousin. I can’t hug you. Go play with Sister.”
Laidi looked at Li Mei and pouted. “Mother, you’ve been embroidering for more than half a year. Why haven’t you finished yet?”
Li Mei looked at Laidi strangely. “Do you think the wedding dress is the same as the clothes you usually wear?” Li Mei suddenly smiled as she thought about it. “Your cousin’s needlework is even worse than yours. If I let her embroider the wedding dress, I’m afraid she’ll go straight to the shop to buy one!”
Laidi laughed when she heard that. “I’ll buy a set in the future. Wouldn’t it be faster to save the trouble!”
Li Mei glared at her and patted her. “Shameless girl, leave quickly. Don’t delay me.”
Laidi carried Brother Pig out. Li Mei touched the silk dress on the embroidery rack and muttered to herself, “Yu’er, you’ve done so much for my family. I don’t have any other ability but to embroider a wedding dress for you. I hope you and Master will be harmonious.”
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year again. At the end of the afternoon after the Winter Solstice Festival, Shopkeeper Chu of the Four Seas Bank arrived at Phoenix Village. After the carriage entered the village, Shopkeeper Chu saw the fields on both sides of the village road.
The village was clean and tidy. It did not look like a village in the mountains at all. Instead, it looked like a courtyard.
Shopkeeper Chu saw a row of houses in the village and didn’t see any pedestrians on the way. There was also a manor not far ahead. He thought to himself, Mr. Zhou is now a High Scholar. He might be living in the manor in front.
When Shopkeeper Chu arrived at the manor, Ruyi happened to be carrying a basket of eggs. She walked from the chicken farm to the manor. Shopkeeper Chu stopped Ruyi and said with a smile, “Brother, may I ask if Mr. Zhou lives in this manor?”
Ruyi put down the bamboo basket and bowed. She pointed at the house in the village and said, “You must be looking for my young master. My young master lives at the end of the village.”
“Thank you, Brother.” Shopkeeper Chu got into the car. His follower changed directions and drove the carriage to the Zhou family.
When the two of them arrived at the entrance of the Zhou residence, Shopkeeper Chu got out of the car with an engraved sandalwood box. He turned around and handed the box to the attendant. He went forward and knocked on the door. “Is Mr. Zhou at home?”
Zhou Jia happened to come out of Li Yu’s house at this time. When he saw Shopkeeper Chu standing at the door, he thought to himself, “Is there news so soon?”
Zhou Jia hurriedly walked over, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, “Shopkeeper Chu, a rare guest. Please sit in the house.”
Shopkeeper Chu also smiled and cupped his hands. “Greetings, sir. This place is not bad. It’s a good place with mountains and water.”
Zhou Jia said politely, “It’s just a countryside place. Thank you for your praise, Shopkeeper Chu.”
The two of them entered the central room and sat down. After Auntie He served tea, she added some charcoal to the brazier before leaving.
Shopkeeper Chu looked at the wooden sofa in the central room and smiled. “So Mr. Zhou also likes this new thing. I also bought two sets of chairs and coffee tables. I think they’re not bad.”
Zhou Jia pointed at the sofa and coffee table and said with a smile, “We just moved here. When we were repairing the house, my fiancée designed them according to what her master had drawn. After the woodcutter helped make them, he felt that they were rare and sold them. There have been dividends sent over for the past two years.”
Shopkeeper Chu cupped his hands and smiled. “Miss Li is really blessed to have such a master.”
“Thank you for your praise, Shopkeeper Chu.”
Shopkeeper Chu took the sandalwood box from his attendant and placed it on the coffee table. He bowed to Zhou Jia and said, “Mr. Zhou, this is my master’s congratulatory gift to you and the additional box gift from Master’s mother to Miss Li. Master said that Miss Li has done a great job. He asked Miss Li to do whatever she wants and leave the other matters to Four Seas Bank to contact you.”