Chapter 67: A stroke of good luck.

Lu Chengxiao seemed overjoyed, took the sachet from Liu Yu’s hand. He didn’t wait for the Dragon Boat Festival and immediately fastened it around his waist. “I will treasure this and wear it all the time.”

As they left the inner courtyard, his smile was so dazzling that he couldn’t contain it, and his gaze kept falling on the sachet at his waist. The brothers of the Liu family couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

Let’s not mention the sourness in the hearts of the three brothers.

Liu Yanqing stayed reserved, while Liu Yanping was shrewd, waiting for someone to lose their patience.

After Lu Chengxiao and his entourage left, sure enough, it was Liu Yanan who couldn’t contain himself. He approached Liu Yu, his eyes full of longing, and asked her for a gift. “Yu’er, it’s Dragon Boat Festival. Mother has new clothes, and Lu Chengxiao has a sachet. Haven’t you prepared something for your brother?”

Liu Yu couldn’t help but chuckle. “Of course, I have. My brothers’ gift was the first to be made. Originally, I planned to give it to my brothers on the first day of Dragon Boat Festival, but I’ll give it to you now.”

Upon hearing that the three brothers also had gifts, even Liu Yanqing, who always carried himself as the eldest brother, couldn’t help but smile. As for Liu Yanping, his focus was on the fact that his gift was made first, feeling contented. His sister was indeed caring.

Watching the three brothers gather to choose sachets, Wei Shi approached and saw that Liu Yu had chosen a lotus flower sachet for herself, which she fastened around her waist. Wei Shi chose a chrysanthemum sachet for herself. With all five members of the family now wearing sachets, the atmosphere of the festival was already in the air, even before Dragon Boat Festival arrived.

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As for Liu Yu, she only remembered the Ge siblings at this moment. Slapping her forehead, she exclaimed, “I’ve been too busy.”

She hurried back to the west wing to make sachets for the two children. As their parents had passed away and they were alone, they might feel particularly lonely during the festival. She hadn’t finished making them until late at night, and it wasn’t until the last hour of Xu (9-11 PM) that she finished. Early the next morning, she handed them over to Liu Yanqing, who had rented a mule cart and returned, asking him to give them to Lu Chengxiao to pass on to the two children.

In Anyi County, Lu Chengxiao had already sent gifts to the Wang family early in the morning, and Lu Xun had also given each of the workers in the shop a piece of meat, a pound of eggs, and a piece of cloth to make summer clothes. After settling all the shop matters, he took his son and daughter-in-law and a horse-drawn carriage back to Changfeng Town.

The atmosphere was lively as they arrived home. Lu Chengxiao then asked Babao to bring the parcel and called for Lu Shuang. He also said to his mother, “Yesterday, I sent a gift to the Liu family. Miss Liu said she had made new clothes for Shuang’er some time ago, and they were supposed to be sent with the family’s gifts. Since I happened to be there, she asked me to bring them back for Shuang’er first.”

Lu Shuang was overjoyed. “Sister Yu made clothes for me?”

She eagerly reached out to take the parcel from Lu Chengxiao’s hand and began to untie it to take a look.

Lu Chengxiao smiled and said, “There are also sachets for Mother, Sister, and two sisters-in-law, as well as the nephews. She made them herself and sent them to mark the occasion.”

When Qin Shi heard that there were gifts for herself and her son, she thought of the young lady she had seen last time and smiled. She also stepped forward.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qiongying, who was sitting with Lu Chengxiong, heard that the unseen Miss Liu had sent these items over, leaned over to take a look.

She didn’t need to strain to see. Lu Shuang had already opened the parcel and was holding up her new clothes. When she saw the style of the new clothes, she was amazed.

“So beautiful! Mother, third brother, I’m going to try them on.”

Chen Shi also admired the clothes and praised, “Such skillful hands. From what I see, they’re not inferior to the ones you bought from Jinxiu Village for your sister.”

Lu Chengxiao listened with delight as Liu Yu was praised. He called out to Chen Shi, “Mother, why don’t you pick a sachet too?”

She chose a lotus flower sachet and held it in her hand. “This embroidery is really exquisite, and the sachet is finely made. With so many things, it must have taken quite a while to make.”

She had noticed earlier that her daughter’s dress had embroidery on the collar and cuffs. She instructed Lu Chengxiao, “Next time you see Yu’er, tell her thank you on behalf of me.”

As she spoke, she had already fastened the sachet around her waist. When she saw that Lu Chengxiao also had one, Chen Shi chuckled inwardly. It had been many years since she had seen him wear these things, so it was quite rare.

Qin Shi was also admiring the sachets, holding the ones with monkeys climbing poles and fighting roosters affectionately. She said, “Miss Liu has such skillful hands. These sachets will definitely be liked by Yu’er and Rui’er. I’ll put them on for them when they wake up.”

The two children were already asleep, tired from playing. She put them away first and then asked Lu Chengxiao to convey her thanks.

As for the sachets in the style for women, Qin Shi didn’t pick one first. She called out to Zhou Qiongying beside her, “Second sister-in-law, come and take a look. Pick one you like.”

Zhou Qiongying smiled and walked over, looked at the sachets, and chose a pair of intertwined lotus flowers. She couldn’t help but praise Liu Yu’s skillful hands as well.

While they were talking, Lu Shuang had already changed into her new clothes and came out. She ran to Chen Shi and spun around. “Mother, this dress is so beautiful. Yu’er’s craftsmanship is amazing.”

Chen Shi looked Lu Shuang up and down in her new dress, her eyes shining. Qin Shi and Zhou Qiongying couldn’t help but lean over to take a closer look.

Qin Shi could see that it was beautiful, while Zhou Qiongying initially thought the clothes were beautiful, even better than those from the embroidery shops in the county. But then she noticed the fabric used, and she examined the fabric on several parts of Lu Shuang’s dress – the skirt, sleeves, collar, and cuffs. She didn’t say anything.

When she retreated to Lu Chengzhang’s side, she whispered to him, “Why does it seem like several of them are made from the fabrics in our shop?”

In Changfeng Town, the Lufeng Cloth Shop had the most comprehensive and latest fabrics. Their goods mostly came from Hongdu Prefecture, so they had fresher designs and a wider variety than the other shops in the county.

The set of clothes on Lu Shuang had two types of fabric that were recently introduced by Lufeng Cloth Shop.

Liu Yu had put a lot of effort into the color matching and design. Lu Chengzhang hadn’t noticed at first, but when Zhou Qiongying pointed it out, he subtly pursed his lips, revealing a smirk.

Zhou Qiongying understood immediately and guessed that it was the gift from the Liu family when they visited Changfeng Town last time. She raised her eyebrows and whispered to Lu Chengzhang, “This Miss Liu is quite interesting. Your third brother took gifts over yesterday, and now she’s using our gifts to reciprocate.”

She felt her voice was extremely low, but Lu Xun, who was drinking tea, glanced at them. Lu Chengzhang quickly nudged Zhou Qiongying with his elbow, indicating for her to stop talking.

Zhou Qiongying felt embarrassed and quickly stopped talking, sitting upright.

Liu Yanqing went to Anyi County to deliver gifts first, so the Lu family arrived in Changfeng Town ahead of him by almost half an hour.

While Lu Shuang was happily wearing her new clothes, Liu Yanping’s gift arrived.

As soon as Zhou Qiongying heard that it was the Liu family sending gifts, her earlier words were thrown back at her face. Unfortunately, her father heard them too, and she immediately blushed.

Seeing that the return gifts from the Liu family were not inferior to the ones sent by her third brother yesterday, and were even more generous, she felt even more embarrassed.

In households where the marriage was already agreed upon, if the groom’s family sent gifts, it was customary for the bride’s family to keep half and return the other half. Even after the marriage, the custom remained the same. For example, when Lu Chengzhang sent gifts to her family earlier, her parents kept half and sent the other half back with her.

Now, the way the Liu family behaved clearly followed the etiquette for families who had not yet finalized the marriage. They were just exchanging gifts as good friends, so they didn’t take back half of the gifts they sent yesterday. Instead, they sent their son to deliver gifts specifically today.

This was proper etiquette. On the other hand, her words just now seemed lacking in manners, and she felt her face flush with embarrassment. Although her father didn’t say anything, pretending not to have heard, Zhou Qiongying was still embarrassed.

She was embarrassed by her own actions, and Lu Xun didn’t pay any more attention to her.

The Lu family had gathered for a rare reunion today, so they had prepared a feast. When Liu Yanqing came to deliver gifts, Lu Xun naturally invited him to stay for a meal.

Liu Yanqing was not polite. Since he had to travel a long way back to Yangshan Village, and he was a man, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to eat at Sister Cui’s house. He smiled and said he would deliver the gifts to Sister Cui’s house first and then return.

Lu Xun also knew about the relationship between the Liu family and Sister Cui. He thought to himself that people who never forget any kindness were indeed good people from the Liu family. He was even more satisfied with his third son’s marriage. He said, “It’s not appropriate to deliver gifts in the afternoon. You go and deliver the gifts first, then come back home. Let’s have a cup of tea together, and we’ll have a few drinks together at noon.”

Liu Yanqing smiled and agreed.

He hurried to Sister Cui’s embroidery shop by cart. It wasn’t yet the Dragon Boat Festival, and Sister Cui was doing business as usual today. Suddenly, he saw a cart stop at the door of their shop, and Liu Yanqing got off. He called out to her, “Sister Cui.”

Sister Cui was first stunned, then delighted. “Brother Yanqing.”

The embroiderers in the shop all knew that the shopkeeper had recognized a kinship. They all leaned out to look.

Liu Yanqing smiled and said, “My mother asked me to bring the Dragon Boat Festival gifts to Sister Cui.”

As he spoke, he began unloading things from the cart.

A pair of chickens and ducks, two jars of wine, two packets of sugar, four boxes of pastries, two pieces of meat, a small basket of zongzi – basically, it was compared to the amount of gifts sent to the Lu family.

The female workers in the embroidery shop were amazed. When they sent gifts to their families for the Dragon Boat Festival, it was usually just a packet of sugar, a piece of meat, and if they were generous, an extra piece of cloth to filially respect their parents.

Sister Cui recognized this kinship, and for the first time in giving gifts, she was so attentive. This was truly treating them as proper relatives. It was clear that Sister Cui held them in high regard.

Sister Cui looked at the things being unloaded one by one and was dumbfounded. “Why is Auntie so polite? She has prepared too many gifts.”

She hurriedly called a worker to help and went to the backyard to make tea and serve pastries.

Although they were recognized as kins, Liu Yanqing was still a man, and Sister Cui was a young widow. Calling a female worker to go with them was also a way to avoid suspicion.

While inviting Liu Yanqing to have tea, Sister Cui took some money and called another embroiderer outside, asking her to quickly go to the market and buy some vegetables.

Liu Yanqing hurriedly stopped her and said, “Sister, don’t rush. I’m having lunch at the Lu family’s house.”

Sister Cui was taken aback. “Which Lu family?”

Liu Yanqing didn’t want Sister Cui to misunderstand because he brought gifts but didn’t eat. So, he explained, “It’s the Lu family from Lufeng Cloth Shop.”

Sister Cui was surprised. “Do you still know the Lu Family?”

Then she realized, “Oh, right, you work as a constable in the county, and the Lu family also has a shop in the county.”

Although the matter between Liu Yu and Lu Chengxiao was just a matter of time, it hadn’t been finalized yet. Originally, Liu Yanqing didn’t plan to say much, but now that Sister Cui seemed to have misunderstood, as the elder sister recognized by his younger sister, he couldn’t remain silent. He had to explain in a low voice, “No, it’s between Liu Yu and the third young master of the Lu family. They should get married next year.”

Sister Cui was stunned, then delighted. “That’s great! The third son of the Lu family, his character and appearance are beyond reproach. He’s very suitable for my sister Yu. They’re a perfect match.”

Realizing that her voice was too loud, she quickly whispered to the female worker beside her, “It’s not a sure thing yet. Don’t spread it outside.”

The female worker laughed and said she understood.

Sister Cui said, “Since you’re going to the Lu family for lunch, Sister won’t keep you. Tell your mother for me. I’ll go to Yangshan Village to deliver the festival gifts to her.”

Hearing that she was going to personally deliver the gifts to Yangshan Village, Liu Yanqing decided not to mention the matter entrusted to him by Liu Yu. It would be better for his sister to discuss it with her in person. He smiled and said, “Okay, it’s a long journey, Sister, you’ve worked hard. I’ll have my mother prepare some good dishes to welcome you.”

Sister Cui didn’t feel it was hard work at all. Apart from anything else, just the festival gifts from the Liu family showed how much they valued her. Originally, it was just a moment of soft-heartedness. Even when the Liu family came to thank her last time, she only felt that they were repaying her kindness to Liu Yu. Now, seeing this, it seemed that they really treated her as a niece. How could she not be willing to travel a long distance for such a family? She repeatedly said, “No trouble, no trouble. I’ll rent a cart and go there too. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my sister Yu.”

With a decision made in her heart, she planned to rent a cart in the evening, deliver the festival gifts to her parents’ house tomorrow morning, and then talk to her mother about this matter. She wouldn’t stay for dinner at her parents’ house. After delivering the gifts, she would go to Xifeng Town.

Liu Yanqing didn’t stay long in the embroidery shop. After having a cup of tea and bidding farewell to Sister Cui, he went to the Lu family.

When he arrived, he found that the fragrant bags entrusted to him by Liu Yu for the Ge siblings had not been handed over by Lu Chengxiao. Chen Shi was meticulous. She had already instructed Lu Chengxiao to go to the cloth shop to call Ge An when Liu Yanqing went to the embroidery shop. When Liu Yanqing returned, he saw the siblings.

The boy wore a brand-new blue cloth garment, a blue cloth headscarf, and blue cloth shoes. The girl wore a fine pink cloth dress, her face washed clean, with two round buns on her head, each adorned with a red flower. Their features were good, and when they were dressed up, they looked like characters from New Year’s paintings, especially festive.

Liu Yanqing knew that the Lu family took care of people very well.

The siblings knew how they had entered the Lu family and were grateful to the Lu family, especially to Liu Yu, their sister. Because they had caught a glimpse of Liu Yanqing from a distance before, they recognized him immediately. Ge An led his sister forward and bowed, “Brother from the Liu family.”

Liu Yanqing smiled, helped them up, and took out two fragrant bags made by Liu Yu from his sleeve. He said, “Your sister Yu asked me to bring these to you. Each of you should wear one, to celebrate the festival.”

The two brand-new and exquisite, brightly colored Five Poison sachets were so fragrant that Ge An could smell them faintly even before taking them. Tears welled up in his eyes and fell in a string, splashing onto the ground in front of him.

Lu Chengxiao saw this from the side, and patted his head, saying, “Little man, why are you crying?”

Ge An hastily wiped away his tears, then wiped the tear-stained hand on his clothes before accepting the sachets from Liu Yanqing. He cherished them for a while before saying, “My mother used to make the same Five Poison sachets for me and my sister.”

Beside him, Ge Zhu’er, who was only five years old when they fled, had spent more than a year on the streets. In fact, the image of their mother had gradually faded from her memory. But now, hearing her brother’s words, she too had tears in her eyes.

Ge An nodded to Liu Yanqing, bowing slightly. “Brother, thank Sister for me.”

Ge Zhu’er followed her brother, also bowing. “Thank you, Sister.”

Liu Yanqing nodded, then saw the older child turn to the side, carefully hanging one of the sachets around his sister’s neck and tucking it into her clothes, ensuring it was worn close to her body. He followed suit and put on his sachet.

On the sidelines, Qin Shi also felt moved and affectionately patted the little girl’s head.

She had actually prepared sachets for the children herself, but Miss Liu’s gesture was truly precious, especially for two children who had lost their parents at such a young age. Meeting Liu Yu was fortunate, but encountering her in-laws was truly a stroke of luck.

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Sansukini: The Ge siblings really warms my heart.

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