Chapter 399 Another Big Deal!

Hou refused, and they became unhappy. That Duke of Dingbei then used this as an excuse to berate our Fu Nius for being unruly and lacking upbringing. I couldn't hold back, so I yelled at him a few tim...Some are pendants, some are finger rings, all small accessories.

But at their age and status, the accessories they wear when they go out couldn't possibly be counterfeits; each one is top-notch in quality.

I accept with gratitude.

This wave of generous gifts, Jia Yin received them openly and honestly, with righteousness on her side, and she couldn't help but smile.

The old men saw her bright eyes and were so delighted they almost wagged their tails in secret. They couldn't help but laugh heartily.

An old man laughed and said, “This little girl is good. She's greedy and will be a good housewife when she grows up!”

Liu Zhiheng took Jia Yin to the side and asked, "Funiu'er, didn't you bring a gift for your uncle What good things do you have Show your uncle."

"Good," Jiayin won a big sum of money, feeling like she had made her investment back. She happily waved to Dongmei.

Dong Mei stepped forward, carefully placing what was in her arms down, then removed the basket covering the top.

No one really paid attention, after all, what a little girl considers valuable might not be seen as valuable by others.

As a result, the basket was overturned, revealing a flowerpot. But unexpectedly, it startled them all to their feet.

"Oh, it seems like the Autumn Ranking!"

"It's the autumn rankings, can't be wrong!"

A crowd surged forward, all marveling at the graceful orchid standing before them.

This orchid pot boasts emerald green, vibrant leaves. From the center sprout five or six flower stems, each adorned with seven or eight buds.

Some buds have already bloomed, while others shyly half-conceal their faces.

The ivory petals, like silk, are extremely textured.

Lowering his head to sniff, the fragrance of the flower penetrated straight into his heart.

"What a lovely flower! Such a beautiful flower!"

The old gentlemen were extremely fond of it, wishing they could plant this orchid in their eyes and take it away immediately.

Mr. Liu was also fond of the orchid, fearing that someone might accidentally hurt it. He quickly stopped everyone from approaching and ordered someone to bring a small table. Only then did he carefully place the flowerpot on it.

A white-bearded old man, particularly fond of orchids, circled the table several times before finally speaking. "I say, Liu Lao Di," he began, "could you possibly let me have this orchid I'm willing to offer a thousand taels of silver!"

Before Old Master Liu could respond, another old man scoffed, “What are you talking about A refined gentleman like him can't be bought with silver. How vulgar.”

"Well then, I have a pot of orchid here! Brother Liu, how about we make a trade, two for one"

Unfortunately, Old Master Liu refused to budge, waving his hand repeatedly. “Impossible, nothing can be exchanged. My Zhiheng is a failure; he failed the imperial examinations, but now that autumn is ending, he has received an appointment as a fourth-rank official. That’s like winning gold on the Imperial Examination list.”

"This potted calathea, named Qiu Bang, is just right for today's happy occasion. We'll take good care of it at home, no one can take it away!"

The old men also know this, but they still get excited and can't help themselves.

A scholar, who wouldn't love flowers, especially orchids, which are most beloved by all.

Although this potted calathea is not of the best variety, it is cultivated exceptionally well.

Generally, the stems of autumn chrysanthemums should have two or three stems and four or five flower buds.

But this one has doubled in size, growing lush and lively, which is truly remarkable.

Unable to sway Mr. Liu, the elderly men turned their attention to Li's family.

An old man pressed, "Mr. Li, does your family still have such beautiful flowers Would you be willing to part with one"

Li Laer was holding his young niece, feeding her water. Hearing this, he said, "To be honest with you, Grandpa, we bought a total of two orchid pots. One pot was sent here to congratulate Brother Liu, and the other has another use."

Before he could finish speaking, the old men got agitated.

Another white-bearded old man, eagerly laid out his terms, "Oh my, don't have other plans, quickly transfer it to us! Money is no object, or even an ancient and rare painting will do, we can discuss the details!"

Li Laoer and Li Zhensheng didn't know what to say. Jia Yin, however, munched on a snack, dangling her legs, and chirped crisply, "No exchange! No exchange! The other pot of flowers is for my big brother. My big brother’s husband is good to him, teaching him how to write. Big brother wants to give him flowers."

The old men were at a loss, so Li Laoer explained: "My son injured his right hand and has been writing with his left. A few days ago, Mr. [Teacher's Name] introduced him to Mr. Tang Yuan, who gave him guidance on calligraphy."

"Our family is truly indebted. Having heard that Mr. Tang is infatuated with orchids, we sought out these two plants. One is sent here today, and the other will be sent to Lu'an tomorrow."

"Well, it seems I've benefited from Mr. Tang's good fortune." Liu Zhiheng laughed heartily, not the slightest bit angry, and instead said, "Another day, when I bring orchids, I'll go visit Mr. Tang and make friends with flowers."

"Get lost!" Old Master Liu laughed at his son, "If I'm going, it's me who goes. You, a good-for-nothing with no ink in your belly, just focus on farming and don't disappoint the imperial grace! Making friends through flowers, such elegant affairs, are for me to attend!"

Liu Zhiheng was scorned by his father and didn't dare to speak up. He could only smile and touch his nose.

The crowd couldn't help but smile and envy the closeness between Liu's father and son.

At this moment, two small heads suddenly popped out from the door. It turned out to be Liu Zhiheng's two sons, Zhim in and Xujie.

Mr. Liu called them in, and the two boys politely bowed to everyone. Zhimin spoke first, “Grandpa, we heard that Sister Funiu came, and we want to take her out to play for a while.”

The old man was actually delighted that his grandson got closer to the Li family. He said, “Go ahead. Little Funiu is young, and our family has a few who went to study in Lu'an, so they can’t come over. Take good care of Little Funiu for us.”

"Understood, Grandfather." Zhimín and Xiūjué bowed together in unison.

Then, he walked out with Jia Yin's hand in his left and right, three children happily discussed how to play together, and you could still hear their laughter from afar.

Mr. Liu said, “After the New Year, we will also send Zhimin and Xiujie to Luoyang to live with their Uncle An and study together.”

Upon hearing this, the old men who had previously been vying for the flower, led by the most formidable Whitebeard among them, questioned, "Are Master Fu's children all studying in Luoyang"

Li Zhensheng smiled and replied, "Yes, our family has a total of seven sons. Now five of them are in Lu'an. The teaching at Lu'an Academy is rigorous but not solely focused on the imperial examinations."

"We really like the fact that they teach children talents and etiquette, as well as social graces. So when our children reached the appropriate age, we sent them there."

Seven boys!

All the old gentlemen were secretly amazed and envious.

Their family had many wives and concubines, but they didn't have a large number of children. They certainly weren't harmonious or loving towards each other.

Many times, the scheming and rivalry are even more intense among people than outsiders perceive. If they could be like the Li family, their later years wouldn't have to be so fraught with worry...

I won't say what the old men were talking about in the study. Let's just say that in the backyard, Mrs. Liu heard that her son had taken Jia Yin to the garden and smiled: "Don't let the children keep us company here suffering through this. Send them all to the garden to play. While the weather is nice, they can enjoy the flowers and scenery. In a few days, the weather will get cold, and we won't be able to go out."

Most of the women were accompanied by children, some as young as five or six, and others around seven or eight.

Since they're already visiting the Liu family, of course they all hope their children can get along well with the two boys in the Liu family and have opportunities to visit often in the future.

Then, they all pushed their children out.

Madam Liu instructed the maidservants to take the children to the garden and care for them attentively.

Let's distribute some of the fruits from earlier. The children have been playing and will get hungry and thirsty, so this can tide them over.

Children love to play, running and skipping all the way to the garden.ain, looking down on Dingbei Hou. 。Mr. Wen also nodded, "The Lord Marquis always leads the charge in battle, bravely fighting the enemy" 。Ding Bei Hou, however, hid behind his soldiers, afraid of bein...