CHAPTER 180: CHAPTER 178 THE NEIGHBOR’S GIFT

She pulled out the jade hairpin from her head and stuffed it into Guoguo’s hand, "This is a meeting gift. Next time, Auntie will bring you something fun."

Guoguo looked at the jade hairpin in his hand, then smiled at Miss Chai, "Auntie."

At least she’s not calling her mother.

Xue Family breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.

Recognizing a wealthy girl as kin doesn’t count as a loss; Xue Family doesn’t oppose it at all.

"You’re too kind. We can just acknowledge each other verbally; there’s no need for gifts," Princess Consort Luling looked at the jade hairpin and said with a smile.

"That would seem less formal. Although this jade hairpin isn’t in great condition, it was something my mother left behind. To me, it’s precious, and I hope Guoguo doesn’t mind it." Miss Chai said with a slight smile.

"Why would he? Of course, he won’t mind." Princess Consort Luling quickly said, "This is indeed a precious item."

"But I didn’t prepare a gift in time, so sorry about that." Xue Family said apologetically.

Although the jade hairpin isn’t in great condition, it’s worth twenty to thirty taels of silver.

Kidding me, she doesn’t have twenty taels of silver for a return gift!

"It’s alright, just the fact that she calls me aunt makes me very happy." Miss Chai said with a smile, holding Guoguo’s hand.

Guoguo called her "Aunt" once again.

Calling her made Miss Chai even happier.

Gift-giving should be mutual. Even if Miss Chai said no return gift was needed, Princess Consort Luling still wanted to give one.

Xue Family was unwilling to give, and it was hard for her to force Xue Family to give, which would be embarrassing for Miss Chai.

Princess Consort Luling opened a chest and handed a silver bracelet to Miss Chai, "I don’t have anything good as a return gift. I hope you don’t mind this bracelet."

Miss Chai had already noticed that except for the red copper hairpin on her head, Princess Consort Luling had no other jewelry on her.

This silver bracelet must be her only valuable item.

Miss Chai refused to accept, "This is too precious, I’m afraid to accept it."

Princess Consort Luling smiled and said, "If it were any other occasion, you could refuse to accept the gift if you didn’t like it, but today we’re recognizing each other as kin. It’s mutual; I’ve agreed, so you must agree too for us to officially recognize each other as family."

Li Yuzhu said with a smile, "Miss Chai, my mother is right, please accept it."

Miss Chai had no choice but to accept it.

...

At the gate of the house, Mu Yuanxiu walked over carrying a basket.

He looked up and pulled a small string hanging from the lower left side of the eaves.

After the string was pulled, a crisp ringing of a bell came from behind the gate.

Listening carefully, the bell sound passed all the way to the back courtyard.

This was Li Yuzhu’s invention.

In the past at the Prince Mansion, if someone knocked, there would be a special Gatekeeper to relay the message inside.

Door after door, servants would pass the message inside.

But now, where would they find a Gatekeeper?

The gate was far from the back courtyard. Shouting at the gate often went unheard by those inside.

Li Yuzhu came up with an idea to tie a string at the gate, stretching it to a sweet osmanthus tree in the back courtyard.

He hung bells at intervals.

When someone pulled the string at the gate, the vibration of the string would make the line of bells ring.

Li Xing’an heard the bells first, "I’ll go see who is pulling the bell." He said to Second Young Master in front of the kitchen and strode toward the front courtyard.

The person who went to open the door had to inform others, lest everyone rush to open the door.

Second Young Master was chopping firewood at the kitchen entrance.

Li Xing’an arrived at the front courtyard and opened the door.

He found Mu Yuanxiu standing outside and was surprised, saying unhappily, "Mr. Mu, anything you need?"

Want to see my third sister again?

This kid!

"I heard your family is entertaining guests?" Mu Yuanxiu glanced inside the door and said.

Li Xing’an raised an eyebrow, "Yes, but the guests are ladies, so we’re not inviting you to accompany them." Disappointed, huh? Ha, ha, ha!

Mu Yuanxiu smiled slightly, "I didn’t come to request to accompany them; I came to deliver some dishes."

Li Xing’an blinked, "Deliver dishes? What dishes? Our family isn’t lacking food."

"You’re not lacking food, but you’re lacking dishes for entertaining guests. Are there wild vegetables on the menu today?" Mu Yuanxiu looked calmly at Li Xing’an.

Li Xing’an took a sharp breath, this kid, does he have clairvoyance?

He actually knew that today’s dishes included wild vegetables.

"So what? Can’t you eat wild vegetables?" Li Xing’an lifted his chin.

"Miss Chai is a distinguished guest of yours, are you planning to serve an all-wild vegetable feast?" Mu Yuanxiu said again.

Those words hit Li Xing’an right in the heart.

His family didn’t want to either, but they were poor.

The family only had about ten taels left; they couldn’t consume it all.

"So, are you planning to make money off this, bringing dishes to sell?" Li Xing’an said with a grim face.

"I’m giving them to you," Mu Yuanxiu put the basket on the ground.

That was unexpected.

Li Xing’an immediately said, "We can’t take it for free!"

"I’m not giving it for free; the shopkeeper at the market’s tavern said you sent fewer fish and shrimp, and you need to increase the amount!" Mu Yuanxiu said.

Li Xing’an sneered inwardly, so there were conditions, "Alright then, how much more?"

"Add eighty pounds per month." Mu Yuanxiu said.

Luckily it wasn’t eight hundred pounds, just eighty, easy enough.

"Alright, eighty pounds, noted." Li Xing’an nodded.

After Mu Yuanxiu finished speaking, he left.

Li Xing’an went to look at the dishes in the basket.

Quite a mix, both meat and vegetables, very complete.

He counted them, eight dishes, plus the eight from home, making up sixteen dishes, which was the proper banquet specification.

The basket contained fresh pork, live carp, a pair of braised pig trotters, large chunks of cooked sauced beef, a prepared old hen, two cucumbers, fresh mushrooms, and tender green beans.

When Li Xing’an brought the basket to the kitchen, Second Princess was surprised, "Third Brother, where did these dishes come from?"

"Oh, the neighbor brought them." Li Xing’an said casually.

"The neighbor? Mu Yuanxiu?" Second Princess asked curiously.

"Who else if not him? Ha, wanting me to work more, bribing me with dishes." Li Xing’an snorted.

Second Princess blinked, "Second Brother, I always felt that Mr. Mu is a good person; he helped me out yesterday without asking for anything."

Li Xing’an reached out and poked her forehead with his finger, sneering, "Such a shallow understanding, remembering this bit of kindness?"

Second Princess rubbed her stinging forehead, "Shouldn’t it be remembered?"

Li Xing’an sneered, "A man’s kindness should not be remembered; it always has a motive. If you want to remember, remember a woman’s kindness, like remembering Miss Chai’s."

Second Princess listened, somewhat understanding, and blinked at Li Xing’an, "Third Brother, you are also a man; should I remember your kindness?"

Li Xing’an, "..." His face darkened, "I am your brother, what do you think?"

Second Princess was startled by the yelling, "Well... okay, Third Brother is different from the neighbor."

...

Xue Family had just sat with Princess Consort Luling for a while before being subtly reminded by Princess Consort Luling to go make lunch.

In front of Miss Chai, she felt inferior.