CHAPTER 419: CHAPTER 400: MU YUANXIU SENDS WINTER CLOTHES (2)

"Besides, when you start working at the shop, it will be me and my third brother paying you. As long as we know you’re hardworking, that’s enough." Li Yuzhu added.

Liu Yanbai nodded, "Mm, I understand."

"Go wash your hands, let’s have breakfast together. Later, you can go to school with my dad." Li Yuzhu waved him off.

Uncle Gui came over and also told him to wash his hands.

Liu Yanbai followed Uncle Gui.

There were many in the Li Family, gathered around a large table outside the kitchen for breakfast.

As everyone ate breakfast, they chatted as well.

Liu Yanbai ate his noodles quietly, only occasionally looking up at everyone, not daring to join in.

Because everyone in the Li Family was eloquent and good-looking, Liu Yanbai felt inferior again.

However, Li Xing’an and the others were engrossed in discussing the construction of the school and did not notice him, so Liu Yanbai quickly finished his noodles.

After everyone finished breakfast, Second Young Master Li Xingsheng drove the big black horse cart, taking the Second Princess and Great Princess to the market.

Prince Luling is now determined to lose weight, and Chai Eying feared he would tire himself out, trying to have Uncle Gui drive him in a mule cart, but he refused.

He took Liu Yanbai, and they walked to Qingshui River Village.

Li Yuzhu didn’t follow them, as matters at the school had settled, Mr. Song’s medicine would be finished today, and she planned to visit him tomorrow.

Just after seeing off Prince Luling, Mu Yuanxiu arrived.

Li Yuzhu smiled and said, "Why don’t you come earlier tomorrow and have breakfast at my house?"

Mu Yuanxiu looked at her with a smile in his eyes, "It’s too early, and I still have to feed the rabbits, I can just eat anything."

Li Yuzhu raised an eyebrow, "Alright then."

Mu Yuanxiu handed her a package, "This is for you."

The faded blue cloth was stuffed full.

It was such a big package, Li Yuzhu could hardly hold it with both hands.

"What’s this?" She squinted and asked, "Such a big package."

It wasn’t heavy, and it seemed like there were clothes inside?

"Winter clothes I made for you," Mu Yuanxiu looked at her, "Try them on, see if they fit."

Li Yuzhu was surprised, "When did you start making these? Such a big package."

"Since summer," Mu Yuanxiu smiled.

Li Xing’an came out from the storeroom beside the side house with farm tools and saw the clothes Li Yuzhu was holding, his face turned stern, "What’s that?"

Mu Yuanxiu said, "Clothes, Yu Zhu begged me to make them for her, she can’t sew."

Li Yuzhu squinted her eyes, when did she ever beg Mu Yuanxiu?

Oh, a long, long time ago, she did once, but wasn’t that issue settled?

Li Xing’an blinked, "Third Sister, you begged?"

Li Yuzhu laughed awkwardly, "Haha, yes, I can’t sew."

Li Xing’an’s face darkened, not knowing how to sew is something to be proud of? This sister dared to boast about it! As if afraid the world wouldn’t know.

He waved Li Yuzhu off, "You go, I need to talk to Mu Yuanxiu."

Li Yuzhu glanced at Mu Yuanxiu and quietly warned Li Xing’an, "Don’t be harsh on him, he helped me make clothes."

Li Xing’an’s face darkened more, was this elbow starting to lean out again? "I know, I know!" He was getting annoyed, waving Li Yuzhu off quickly.

Li Yuzhu nodded at Mu Yuanxiu, "Mu Yuanxiu, if my third brother is mean to you, you have to tell me." With that, she left with the clothes.

Li Xing’an’s face looked even grimmer.

Only after she was far away did Li Xing’an exhale.

Mu Yuanxiu smiled, "Third Brother Li, what’s the matter?"

Li Xing’an quickly glanced in Li Yuzhu’s direction in fear she might return, then said seriously, "My third sister begged you to make clothes for her, you must not tell anyone else."

Mu Yuanxiu asked, "Why not?"

"It affects her finding a suitor!" Li Xing’an’s face grew even more serious, "Considering our family hasn’t treated you as an outsider and I’ve treated you like a brother, you must keep it a secret."

Mu Yuanxiu raised an eyebrow, "Brother?"

"Yeah, what, you don’t want to be my brother?" Li Xing’an also raised an eyebrow, he was reluctantly willing to, alright?

Mu Yuanxiu thought for a moment, "Not really."

"Then you agree." Li Xing’an patted Mu Yuanxiu’s shoulder and wrapped his arm around his neck, saying, "You’re my brother, and my sister is also your sister, so you must care about her. If she can’t get married, it’ll be bad for you."

Mu Yuanxiu smiled faintly, "I’ll make sure she gets married, and I won’t speak of her inability to make clothes."

"Quite right, quite right, that’s the spirit of brotherhood." Li Xing’an patted Mu Yuanxiu on the shoulder.

Li Xingmao sent the three children to Princess Consort Luling, and also came to the front courtyard storage room.

He and Li Xing’an went to Taohua River Village yesterday to help with a wedding and took the opportunity to inquire about bricks at the Liu Family.

The kiln bricks will arrive tomorrow, so the two brothers must clear all the weeds today, and when the bricks arrive, they can start digging and laying the foundation.

Li Xingmao came over, urging Li Xing’an to move faster.

Knowing about the school construction at their home, Mu Yuanxiu said, "I’ll go feed the mules, then join you in clearing the weeds."

Familiar with the Li Family, Li Xingmao, without being formal, smiled and said, "Then I must trouble you."

Mu Yuanxiu waved his hand and walked to the stables.

Li Xing’an and Li Xingmao each took some farming tools and went to the wasteland beside the house.

In the rear courtyard, Li Yuzhu entered her room and opened her package to look at the new clothes.

Indeed, Mu Yuanxiu’s craftsmanship was as excellent as ever.

The stitches were fine, and the tailoring was fitting.

He made a total of three winter garments, two jackets, and a cape.

The colors were all the bamboo-green she usually wore.

The collar of the winter clothes was also trimmed with fur, which upon closer inspection, Li Yuzhu realized was fox fur.

The cape was made of cotton, and the hood rim was also sewn with gray fox fur.

Additionally, there was a pair of cotton gloves matching the cape’s color.

Zhen An Prefecture is in the south, is it really that cold in winter?

He even prepared gloves.

Li Yuzhu shook out a piece of clothing and tried it on, it was a perfect fit.

"Third Sister?" Chai Eying called to her from outside.

Li Yuzhu responded, "I’m here, Sister-in-law."

She took off the winter clothing.

Chai Eying had already entered the room, observing Li Yuzhu’s new clothes, and said with a smile, "Did Brother Mu make these for you?"

Li Yuzhu, embarrassed, smiled and said, "I’m not as skilled as Sister-in-law at making clothes. I can only make a handkerchief, can’t even embroider a pouch, for complex clothes, I know nothing and have to ask for help."

Chai Eying laughed, "Being the youngest in the family, if you’re short of clothes, others will make them for you, no need to learn. After all, someone is already helping you, right?" She teased, holding up a new garment, "Brother Mu really cares about you, Third Sister, five pieces of clothing, it’s been more than a month, right?"

Li Yuzhu was at a loss, wondering if Chai Eying had come all this way just to say this?

"He doesn’t know how to make clothes, must have paid someone to do it." Li Yuzhu said with amusement.

"No matter which one, it’s clear he’s concerned about you, never seen him treat other girls so well." Chai Eying laughed, "When I lived at the Chai Family, I saw him delivering mountain goods there, he always came alone, now he only interacts with you."

Speaking, Chai Eying tilted her head to look at Li Yuzhu with a smile.

Li Yuzhu, at a loss for words, said with amusement, "Sister-in-law, did you come just to laugh at how I can’t make clothes and found a little helper to do it for me?"

Young girls are thin-skinned, and saying more might anger her, so Chai Eying stopped teasing and said, "You mentioned wanting me to write more stories to print as booklets to sell. I’ve written some drafts for you to review, and see if it works."

Li Yuzhu planned to set the next batch of printed booklets for ages twelve to twenty.

Instead of having illustrations on every page, only the main characters of each story would be illustrated on the front page.

Also, instead of children’s stories, she decided to write suspenseful, adult stories.

In her chats with Chai Eying, she relayed various bizarre stories of ghosts and immortals she had heard in her past life.

Some she made up herself, others she remembered from TV.

Chai Eying wrote down the story segments and promised to organize the material for her to see.

Unexpectedly, in just a few days, she finished them.

"I’ve written five stories, take a look and let me know if anything needs changing." Chai Eying handed a stack of papers to Li Yuzhu.

"Sister-in-law, you’ve worked hard." Li Yuzhu smiled as she flipped through them.

Chai Eying laughed, "Writing stories is entertaining when I’m bored, it’s not hard work."

"With so many pages, how is it not hard work?" Li Yuzhu laughed.

She set down the manuscript and took Chai Eying’s hand to check her pregnancy.

Chai Eying was over three months pregnant, and during the first month, she experienced severe nausea. Later, with some anti-nausea tea Li Yuzhu prescribed, she stopped vomiting, and now she doesn’t need the tea either.