Not to mention Cui Jiuniang's little thoughts, Cui Thirteen came out of the kitchen.

  Chui's paternal grandmother's father, Old Man Chui, was still alive. None of the brothers had split up yet. By the time they got to the grandson generation, they were called Dalang, Erlang... When Dalang and Erlang were born, the Chuis could barely afford to eat their fill, let alone attend school. It wasn't until things started looking up for the Chuis that they needed to sign deeds and provide guarantees with handprints that they realized how hard it was to write the character "lang". So they just went by Chui Da and Chui Er instead.

  From his brothers and sisters, when Cui thirteen was able to attend a private school twenty miles away from the village, he was called Thirteen.

  Seeing Cui Da, Cui Thirteen was very surprised.

  Chui Da himself, since helping Dou Zhao manage the fields, moved his whole family to live on the fields. They only returned home during holidays and festivals. This year's winter inventory day had passed early, and there were still over ten days until the Little New Year... He couldn't help but say: "Big brother, how do you have time to come back today?"

  Cui smiled and said, "Isn't it almost time for the fourth miss's hairpinning ceremony? I'll go back and discuss with Grandfather what our family should give as a gift." He then lifted up a two-foot-long big carp and instructed Cui Thirteen, "Take it to the kitchen and steam it for Grandfather to drink with. You come join us too."

  Dong Zhaoyi had a total of twelve estates, all under Cui Da's management. When she was about to get married, the estate managers heard that the store managers were thinking of sending her wedding gifts, and they couldn't sit still. They came to find Cui Da one after another: "We are all serving under Fourth Miss, it's not fair that those store managers send gifts while we don't?"

  Chui Da thought it made sense, but he had never been decisive in this regard. His wife then gave him advice: "Go back and ask the old master, and Chui Thirteen is also at home." He then hastily returned, having come up with an excuse to have Chui Thirteen accompany him for a drink.

  Chui Thirteen still didn't know what was going on, but he thought about how before returning to Zhen Ding, Fan Wen Shu had dragged him to visit all the antique shops in Kyoto and now his feet seemed to be aching again. He couldn't help but mutter: "Why does everyone keep talking about this?"

  Choi Dae didn't hear clearly and thought he was unwilling to take orders, so he slapped his face and scolded: "What? You've been living in Kyoto for two years and you're getting arrogant? Your brother can't even order you around? Hurry up and go!"

  "No! No!" Zhuang Jia's hand was still strong, and Cui Thirteen was beaten until he was speechless. He hastily took over the green fish, "I'm going now, I'm going now."

  Cui Da gazed at Cui Thirteen's back and revealed a silly smile, then turned around and went to the main house where Old Man Cui lived.

  Chui old man puffed on his Hubei-style copper pipe and after a while said: "What did those village heads say?"

  "Some say this, some say that!" Cui sighed, "Some said to exchange twenty taels of silver for a set of headgear at the Silver Building. Others said it's better to buy some antiques or paintings... and others said why not just give each other something and go together..."

  Chui old man didn't have to go down to the fields these past few years, usually when people from the village came over they would just bring two feet of blue cloth or red cloth and whatnot, where would they get any good ideas? After thinking for a bit he said: "Why don't I go ask your eldest aunt?"

  Cui Da rubbed his head: "I've asked. Eldest sister said it's no need to be so troublesome, just send two pairs of shoes and socks."

  .

  Just then, Choi Thirteen came in.

  Chui old man hastily pulled Chui thirteen onto the kang and asked him, "Tell me, what do people in the capital usually give as gifts when they encounter this kind of thing?"

  Chui Thirteen smiled and said: "No wonder there are no small households in the capital?"

  "This is also true." Old Man Choi couldn't help but laugh.

  Chui Thirteen said to Chui Tai Dao: "I think, big brother, it's better to let those village heads each send their own... you can't block other people's limelight, can you?"

  Chui nodded: "That's right." Looking at Chui Thirteen's gaze became more and more eager.

  Cui Shi San coughed awkwardly and then said, "What Big Auntie says also makes sense. Why don't we just make a few pairs of shoes and socks and send two rare trinkets instead?"

  "What's so special about it?" Old Man Choi and Big Choi gazed intently at Choi Thirteen.

  Cui brought a brocade box from his room: "This is what I picked up from the Ji's shop, it's called a kaleidoscope..." Then he took it out to demonstrate to them.

  Choi's eyes widened and he asked: "How much silver is this going to cost?"

  "Thirty taels." Cui Thirteen said.

  Fan Wen Shu found a lotus-shaped jade washer in an antique shop in Kyoto and spent 30 taels of silver on it. He also prepared the same gift for Duan Zhao.

  Chui old man shivered: "So expensive!" But he grasped the thing in his hand and wouldn't let go, and hastily shouted for "Chui Si's wife". He had Tuo Niang summoned over.

  "Take this." Old Master Cui handed the brocade box to Tuo Niang, "This is our family's gift for Fourth Miss's coming-of-age ceremony. You take it and have your sisters-in-law and younger siblings help Fourth Miss make two dresses. Ask your mother for the silver. Later, you and your elder sister-in-law will go with Old Ninth's wife to the city to pay respects to Fourth Miss."

  Chui Jiu's father-in-law had been a gatekeeper at the county yamen for several years, and his daughter-in-law was considered to be a woman of some experience in the Chui family. It was only then that Old Master Chui allowed her to go with him to offer congratulations to Tou Chao.

  Chui Dai and Chui Thirteen never dreamed that Old Master Chui would suddenly intervene, they were stunned, it took them a while to come back to their senses, but unfortunately the thing had already been quickly cleaned up by Tuo Niang.

  "Grandpa..." Choi Thirteen was on the verge of tears.

  Chui old man calmly said: "Isn't it just thirty taels of silver? You can ask your grandmother later. You young men, just run to the prefecture tomorrow and that's all." Then he waved his hand and ordered Tuo Niang: "Quickly set up the meal! The people who went out should be back by now."

  Cui Da and Cui Thirteen could say no more, hastily finishing their meal, they rushed to the prefecture overnight, barely managing to buy a pair of glass bowls and an agate incense burner the size of a palm before the Ji family's shop closed for the New Year. Only then did the two of them breathe a sigh of relief.

  On the ninth day of the first month, Cui Da and Cui Thirteen drove a horse-drawn carriage with Cui Da's wife, Tuo Niang, and Cui Jiu's wife to the county town.

  On the road, they saw several black lacquered flat-topped horse-drawn carriages with fine workmanship.

  Chui Jiulang's wife had lived in the city for a few years and said with surprise: "Why are there so many horse-drawn carriages today?"

  Not everyone can afford to ride in this carriage.

  Cui's wife and Tuo's daughter also crowded at the car window looking out.

  "Oh!" Tuo Niang saw a familiar face and smiled, "That's the carriage of the Lu family, it must be Madame Lu coming to attend Fourth Miss's hairpinning ceremony."

  "Fourth Aunt is acquainted with everyone in the Magistrate's household!" Cui Jiuniang couldn't help but express her envy, saying, "Madam Lu must be here to help Fourth Miss with her hairpiece!"

  "I just met the carriage driver of Mr. Lu when I came to visit Fourth Miss last time." Tuo Niang hastily explained, "Fourth Miss is still young and not yet married, it's unlikely that she would arrange for Mrs. Lu to wear hairpins!"

  "Who did Madam Rú arrange?" Cui Jiū's wife widened her eyes.

  In her heart, being able to help Mrs. Lu with her hairpin was already a very honorable thing.

  "Madam Du's ladies are numerous." Tuo Niang merely felt that Lu Fu Ren was not yet qualified to help Du Zhao pin up her hair, and she said vaguely, "Who knows which madam will be arranged to help with the hairpinning?"

  As they spoke, the carriage had already arrived at the side gate of the Dou family. Tuo Niang and Cui Jiu heard Cui Da, who usually didn't speak much, suddenly curse and say: "That Tian Fugui actually got a pair of brocade chickens as a congratulatory gift for Fourth Miss!"

  Several people couldn't help but look over, and they saw a big fat man carrying two gilded bird cages, one in each hand, with a colorful rooster inside each cage. With everyone's attention on him, he proudly walked into the side door of the Duan family's house.

  "It's really a golden pheasant!" Cui Da's wife exclaimed.

  The people around were also buzzing with discussion: "...... Who is this person? He actually gave away a pair of golden pheasants!"

  "It seems like it's Tiantian Village's Tianfu Village's wealth!"

  "Where did he get it from? What a clever trick!"

  Cui burst out laughing and said to Cui Thirteen: "Now Tian Huanzi has made a name for himself!"

  Choi Thirteen also burst out laughing: "Can't tell, this fatty is quite capable." Thinking about whether to bring this person to his store in Kyoto, his business was getting better and better, he needed to find a reliable helper.

  An idea flashed by. Behind him came the sound of a horse-drawn carriage rattling along, with the driver shouting loudly: "Make way! The Marquis of Jining's carriage is coming through, make way!"

  The sound was like a giant stone thrown into a small river, and the side door immediately became noisy.

  "It's the fourth young lady from the Wang family who has arrived!"

  "It's indeed worthy of the Marquis' residence! Look at that horse, how majestic!"

  "Three horse-drawn carriages have arrived!"

  Everyone was discussing and arguing, while busy giving way to the people of the Wei family.

  The Duan family received the letter and opened the gate.

  The horse carriage stopped in front of the gate.

  The servants of the Qingyi family carried in one piece of brocade box after another.

  "What's being sent?" The person by the side door tiptoed and stretched his neck to look over there, "A lot!"

  "Of course!" The person next to her picked up the conversation, "And don't even think about what kind of family that is! The Hou Mansion! Our Fourth Miss will become the Madame of the Hou Mansion in the future!"

  "That's it! That's it!"

  The amazement on this side had not yet ended when someone on the other side shouted: "Quickly look, quickly look, another horse carriage is coming."

  Everyone's attention was drawn over there.

  In the courtyard, Su Zhaoyi was overjoyed and rushed out of the main house, embracing her sixth aunt, Madame Ji, who had just entered the hanging flower gate.

  "Sixth Aunt!" Her eyes and eyebrows were filled with joy that couldn't be concealed. "How did you come? Why didn't you say a word beforehand?"

  Ji gazed at Dou Zhao, who had grown even taller, and wrapped his arms around Dou's shoulders with a pampered expression: "If I had said it earlier, would you have been so happy?"

  Dòu Zhāo giggled.

  The maidservants, daughters-in-law and mothers next door also burst out laughing.

  The fifteenth birthday had not yet arrived, but the Dou family was already filled with a joyful atmosphere everywhere.

  Ji sidestepped and introduced a young girl behind him to Dou Zhao: "This is my niece, Lian Zhen, three years older than you. I brought her here specifically to introduce you two."

  Dongfang Ming's face changed suddenly as if he had been struck by lightning.

  Ji Lingze was the Ji family's cousin who had eloped with Dou Dezhao.

  She blinked her eyes and saw clearly the slender girl in front of her.

  Her raven tresses had only one hairpin with a southern pearl inlaid, her skin was warm and moist like jade, her face was beautiful and elegant like a peak, and she also had a kind of ethereal and elegant temperament like the spirit rain on an empty mountain, making it difficult for people to forget after seeing her.

  "Eldest Sister Ji!" Dou Zhaocurtsied and gave a courtesy to Ji Ling, but in her heart she couldn't help but bitterly smile.

  At this time, Ji Ling had not yet married, but was already engaged to the sixth son of the Han family from Huzhou.

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  Brothers and sisters, today's update.

  o(n_n)o~

  P.S: Had a meeting all day today, still have to go for working dinner later. Can only correct typos later.

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