Fang saw that her daughter was thinking of her friends and had forgotten the items she had intended to buy for the wedding. She quickly asked Shopkeeper Qiu to bring more quilt covers and mattress covers, as she also wanted to choose some for her daughter.
Qi He also quietly followed, pointing to some embroidered items and offering his opinions.
Fu Xin Ci deeply respected Qi He, as marriage was a matter for two people.
Fang and Shopkeeper Qiu watched the young couple discussing their preferred patterns, smiling at each other when they both fancied the same one.
Shopkeeper Qiu grew fonder of them the more he watched, and couldn't help but whisper to Fang, "Youth is truly wonderful."
"Indeed," Fang thought the same.
Before they knew it, they had chosen over a dozen embroidered items for the wedding.
When they had finished selecting, seeing the thick stack, Fu Xin Ci was a little surprised and mumbled, "Isn't this a bit too much?"
"It's not too much. Everything looks just right to me."
These items were all carefully chosen by him and Sister Fu. Qi He couldn't bear to part with any of them; he wanted to buy them all. It was just a matter of spending a bit more money.
Seeing Qi He's insistence, Fu Xin Ci let him have his way and then asked the female shopkeeper to calculate the bill.
Qi He wanted to pay, but Fu Xin Ci stopped him.
"Brother Qi, these are gifts I'm giving to my friends. If I'm the one paying, it shows my sincerity."
"We, we..."
Qi He saw Fang looking over and, blushing, swallowed the words "we are family."
Fu Xin Ci knew what he wanted to say. She smiled knowingly but insisted on paying for everything.
Qi He was helpless. If his aunt and the shopkeeper hadn't been there, he would have wanted to tousle Sister Fu's hair, making her chase him and pinch him.
No one knew how much he enjoyed being pinched by Sister Fu's small hands.
Alas, this pleasure could only be enjoyed later when they were alone.
Fu Yu, with his two sons, had been waiting downstairs. He occasionally looked towards the staircase. Finally, he saw Fang returning with her daughter and future son-in-law, carrying many bags. He stepped forward to help.
Qi He quickly dodged, "Uncle, these things aren't heavy at all. I can carry them myself."
Fu Yu looked at his own small frame, which was no match for Qi He's, and smiled, nodding as he withdrew his hand.
The family then selected some embroidery threads downstairs before leaving the embroidery shop.
Even after they had walked a considerable distance, they could still see Shopkeeper Qiu waving to them from afar, inviting them to return again.
"That female shopkeeper is truly enthusiastic," Qi He thought.
"We spent several hundred taels of silver. Of course, she's enthusiastic."
"That's true. Anyone would be enthusiastic."
"Mm."
The family walked back, chatting and laughing, intending to return these items to the inn and then continue their shopping.
After all, they didn't visit Ning Yuan City often, and the two youngsters were very excited.
However, as they entered the inn's lobby after returning, they saw a guest sitting near the entrance, constantly looking towards the door.
Seeing the family enter, he quickly stood up and walked towards them, saying, "Are you the Fu family?"
"Yes, and you are?"
Fu Yu scrutinized the man several times and was certain he didn't recognize him.
Fu Xin Ci looked at the box the man was holding and guessed it was from Cao's Silver Shop.
Looking at the man's appearance, he seemed somewhat familiar.
Cao Second Master's gaze swept across the girl's clear and beautiful features, revealing what he considered his most amiable smile. He said, "Hello, Brother Fu. I am the current head of the Cao family."
"Cao Second Master, it's an honor to meet you."
"Brother Fu, that sentiment should be mine."
"Not at all, not at all."
Fu Xin Ci discovered today that her father's way of socializing was quite formal.
Fang, seeing that they had a visitor, curtsied slightly and then took her daughter back to their small courtyard lodging.
A guest should be treated as such. After exchanging pleasantries with Cao Second Master, Fu Yu politely invited him to their temporary lodging.
Cao Second Master did not decline, and carrying the box, followed Fu Yu to the small courtyard.
As the two sat down in the small hall, Cao Second Master directly stated his purpose.
"I just visited the silver shop and heard from Old Qian that Brother Fu and his eldest daughter had been there..."
Cao Second Master, being an old businessman, was indirect in his words.
"I heard the eldest daughter praised this floral crown, so I've brought it for her to play with."
"This is unacceptable," Fu Yu immediately refused. They were not familiar with the Cao family at all, and more importantly, two thousand taels of silver was not a small sum. How could he let his daughter take something from someone for free?
"Brother Fu, please listen to me."
No one knew that Cao Second Master was also a passionate man. When he went to inspect the silver shop today and heard Manager Qian's account, he immediately made a decision: to gift this floral crown to Miss Fu.
Manager Qian was heartbroken at the time. Two thousand taels of silver! To put it another way, in this region of Beijiang, most people had never seen so much silver in their entire lives.
Yet, Second Master, with a mere opening and closing of his lips, was going to give it to Miss Fu for free? He couldn't understand.
Two thousand taels, two thousand taels! Not two taels.
However, Cao Second Master was insistent, and as a manager, he could do nothing.
Moreover, Second Master spoke of righteousness: "If the Tatars and Japanese pirates were to attack, without Miss Fu leading the charge, the Tatars' iron hooves and the Japanese pirates' swords would have already trampled across the vast lands of Beijiang. Where would we have the peace we have today?"
Manager Qian thought: Second Master is right. He immediately shut his mouth.
Seeing that Manager Qian no longer objected, Cao Second Master, holding the box, hurried to the Sihai Inn to wait.
Fu Yu, having understood Cao Second Master's words, didn't know how to respond.
However, in his heart, he was unwilling for his daughter to accept such a gift and incur such an obligation.
Evidently, Cao Second Master also noticed Fu Yu's hesitation, and with a glint in his eye, he unleashed his silver tongue.
In Beijiang, everyone said that Cao Second Master's tongue was that of a lying ghost, capable of bringing the dead back to life.
Fu Yu had only heard of it before, but today he truly experienced it.
At this moment, if Fu Yu hadn't had a strong will, he would have agreed eight times over.
My heavens, Fu Yu could no longer bear it and had to cup his hands in surrender.
"Cao Second Master, how about this: I'll go in and ask my daughter. If my daughter agrees, then I'll agree. If my daughter doesn't agree... then it can only be... alas."
Cao Second Master didn't expect Fu Yu to use such an excuse, and he reluctantly agreed.
However, as Fu Yu stood up to seek his daughter's opinion, he said as if with a sigh, "Brother Fu, I've already brought this item, and everyone has seen it. How can I take it back?"
Fu Yu thought: This is putting his daughter and himself on the spot. Agreeing is not right, and refusing is also not right.
Fu Xin Ci had paid close attention to the entire exchange, and she understood every word Cao Second Master said.