CHAPTER 356: CHAPTER 344: CLEVER LITTLE GIRL

When Li Jing left the Capital, he was just over two years old and quite oblivious, unaware of the roles of his uncle and aunt.

Li Yuzhu promptly reminded him, "These are your mother’s brother and sister-in-law." He then called out, "Uncle, Aunt."

Sister-in-law Chai smiled and patted his head, "Jingjing is really sensible."

Guoguo in her arms also shouted crisply, "Uncle, Aunt."

Eldest Young Master Chai looked over and responded with a hearty laugh.

"Oh, there’s another little cutie here." Sister-in-law Chai kissed Guoguo’s little face.

Eldest Young Master Chai, having finished his business and seen off two guests, brushed off the dust on his sleeves, came over, and said with a smile, "Why are we talking at the door? Come in and sit."

Chuntao, the maid of Sister-in-law Chai, came over with a smile and said, "Eldest Young Master, young mistress, the tea is ready."

"Let’s go, we’ll have tea and snacks." Sister-in-law Chai led everyone through the shop to the backyard.

The layout of a shop in the front and residence in the back is common for stores along the street.

Upon entering the house, Chun’er, the maid sent by the County Magistrate’s Wife, placed the gifts on the table.

Sister-in-law Chai laughed, "Why bring gifts?"

Li Yuzhu laughed, "Bringing the children to meet relatives, it’s the proper etiquette."

After marrying into the Li Family, Chai Eying had only seen her brother and sister-in-law on the third day after the wedding. Afterward, Eldest Young Master Chai and his wife went to the county town to tend to the shop.

Therefore, Eldest Young Master Chai and Sister-in-law Chai had not seen the two children.

Today’s visit marked their first formal meeting.

When Princess Consort Luling learned that Chai Eying would bring the children to visit her brother and sister-in-law, she prepared gifts.

Sister-in-law Chai smiled and said, "In that case, I’ll accept them." Inwardly, she sighed, realizing the Li Family greatly valued etiquette.

Having received gifts from the nephew, it was only polite to reciprocate.

Sister-in-law Chai gave each child a silver lock.

Li Yuzhu thanked on behalf of the children, "Sister-in-law Chai, these gifts are too generous."

"Not at all, not at all, it was a rush, and I didn’t prepare much." Sister-in-law Chai laughed.

The silver locks, about the size of an adult’s thumb, hung on red strings, sparkling brightly and looking very beautiful.

Jingjing, being a boy, was indifferent to aesthetics and just wore it.

Guoguo looked at the lock and grinned, "Pretty."

She made Sister-in-law Chai laugh, "Oh, you little one, you know what’s pretty?"

Guoguo nodded, "Yes."

Sister-in-law Chai laughed even more, "Well, well, a clever little girl indeed."

Eldest Young Master Chai carried down his son, who had napped well, from the loft.

Chai Tianlang, half a year older than Li Jing, perked up immediately upon seeing the two children his age, "Dad, who are they?"

"This is your cousin Li Jing, and this is your cousin Li Guoguo; they are your aunt’s children. You’re the elder brother, you should take care of them, understood?"

Chai Tianlang slid down from Eldest Young Master Chai’s arms, glanced at Li Jing, then looked earnestly at Li Guoguo, grinning, "Oh, I have cousins now."

He clapped his hands joyfully.

Sister-in-law Chai turned to Chai Eying and Li Yuzhu with a smile, "Our neighbor, the shopkeeper’s six-year-old son, has two cousin brothers and a cousin sister. Tianlang was so envious and kept pestering me to find him a cousin brother and sister. At that time, Eying hadn’t married yet, so where could I find him cousins? Now, his wish has finally come true."

Chai Eying smiled softly, amused that her marriage somehow fulfilled her little nephew’s wish.

Li Yuzhu and Chai Eying watched over the children playing while Sister-in-law Chai and Eldest Young Master Chai went to the back hall to bathe and change.

After getting ready, they closed the shop, and everyone boarded a carriage to attend a banquet at Chai Eying’s grand-aunt’s house.

It was just around dusk at this time.

The gates of a sizable mansion were wide open, decorated with lights and filled with festive music. Outside, many carriages and sedan chairs were parked, with guests arriving from time to time.

At the door stood a middle-aged man in lavish attire, accompanied by a steward and a housekeeper, busy welcoming guests.

Li Yuzhu and the others approached.

The man first recognized Sister-in-law Chai and Eldest Young Master Chai, smiling, "Yunniang and nephew-in-law have arrived? Please come in, come in."

Sister-in-law Chai and Eldest Young Master Chai called out together, "Third Uncle Zhao."

"Good, good, good." The middle-aged man nodded with a smile, then his gaze fell on Chai Eying, and he said with a smile, "Isn’t this nephew-in-law’s sister? I didn’t expect you to come too, thank you, thank you."

Chai Eying stepped forward and bowed, "Hello, Third Uncle Zhao."

Li Yuzhu also followed in greeting.

"Good, good, good, you all came from afar to celebrate a birthday. The old master will surely be pleased. Please, come in." Third Uncle Zhao called over a housekeeper to attend to them.

Uncle Gui and Eldest Young Master Chai’s driver were directed to another room to drink and rest.

Li Yuzhu and the others followed the Zhao family’s housekeeper into the residence.

As they walked to the main hall, Chai Eying quietly introduced Li Yuzhu to the Zhao family’s situation.

The Zhao family’s ancestors had held official positions. After Old Master Zhao retired and returned to his hometown, he bought land and a house in the county town and led a secluded life.

After the old man passed away, Old Mrs. Zhao took her children and grandchildren and started the banking business, making the family very wealthy.

Li Yuzhu realized, so that’s why, no wonder this family’s house is so grand, even bigger than the County Magistrate’s Wife’s friend Mrs. Sang’s house.

They entered the main hall of the Zhao family’s front yard.

Seventy-year-old Old Mrs. Zhao was very energetic, wearing fine clothes and adorned with jewels, seated at the top enjoying the kneeling of her younger generations.

She had a round face full of blessings, smiling joyfully at everyone.

Sister-in-law Chai and Eldest Young Master Chai led Chai Eying and Li Yuzhu, along with several children, to kneel.

Chai Eying and Li Yuzhu followed Sister-in-law Chai in calling her "Grand Aunt," and Li Jing and Guoguo followed Chai Tianlang in calling her "Great Grand Aunt."

Elderly folks are like this, they love seeing a large crowd of children and grandchildren kneeling.

Sister-in-law Chai’s group, which had the most people paying their respects and many children, pleased Old Mrs. Zhao greatly, and she took red envelopes from a brocade box beside her and handed them to Li Yuzhu and the others.

Li Yuzhu secretly pinched the red envelope, guessing what was inside.

Inside the thin red paper envelope, there was a slightly hard item.

After the birthday greetings, they stepped aside to watch others pay their respects. Li Yuzhu quietly opened her envelope and found, surprisingly, ten gold leaves inside!

She was astonished, this Zhao family is truly wealthy!

Giving gold as a return gift, with so many guests, how much gold does the Zhao family have to give out for this celebration?

Based on the currency value of this period, each gold leaf was made with one tael of gold, equivalent to ten thousand coins!

Sensing her surprise, Li Yuzhu asked Chai Eying, "Sister-in-law, what’s in your red envelope?"

Chai Eying blinked, "I haven’t looked." But seeing her sister-in-law’s curiosity, she opened it, "Wow, a silver note for fifty taels!"

She was surprised, a fifty-tael silver note as a return gift?

Li Yuzhu whispered to her, "Sister-in-law, my red envelope is even more astonishing."

"What’s yours?" Chai Eying was caught off guard.

"Ten gold leaves." Li Yuzhu whispered.

The Zhao family’s return gifts are really unique, surprisingly they are different?

"Gold...gold?" Chai Eying was almost faint with shock, and ten of them?

"How strange, why are they different?" Li Yuzhu took another look at the envelope in her hand, worried she’d seen it wrong.

Upon confirming they were indeed gold leaves, she sighed in relief.

"Something seems off." Chai Eying pondered and quietly asked her sister-in-law, "Sister-in-law, what’s in your return red envelope?"

"You, girl, always curious about others’ envelopes." Sister-in-law Chai smirked as she opened it.

Li Yuzhu and Chai Eying crowded around to look.

Inside Sister-in-law Chai’s envelope was also a silver note, but only for ten taels.

Even so, Sister-in-law Chai was still surprised, "Ten taels! How come Grand Aunt gave a return gift of ten taels?" She looked at Chai Eying, "E Ying, is yours ten taels too?"

Chai Eying chuckled, "No, it’s fifty taels."

Sister-in-law Chai, "..." She laughed in frustration, "E Ying, it seems Grand Aunt favors you and not us rightful juniors!"

Chai Eying thought, no, the Zhao family Grand Aunt favors Li Yuzhu the most, Li Yuzhu got ten gold leaves.

That’s ten taels of gold!

Eldest Young Master Chai overheard them discussing envelopes and quietly opened his own, smiling, "I must be the pitiable one, only five copper coins."

"Miss Li, what about yours?" Sister-in-law Chai whispered to Li Yuzhu.

Since they already opened theirs, why not open and play with them together?

Li Yuzhu looked at them, "Ten gold leaves."

Sister-in-law Chai, "..."

Eldest Young Master Chai, "..."

Sister-in-law Chai sighed, "What is happening?"

"I wonder what the children have." Chai Eying held Guoguo’s envelope, squeezing it.

Sister-in-law Chai, feeling playful, "Let’s open them and see."

So, they opened the children’s envelopes too.

Similarly, the contents inside were all different.

Inside Li Jing’s envelope was a silver ingot, Guoguo’s contained a silver bracelet, and Chai Tianlang’s had two silver notes of twenty taels each.