Fierce “Husband”

Cen Bihua helped her mother with her maids, as Madam Cen hurried towards them. “Don’t come out if you are not healthy. Jueyuan, why are you so careless?”

Cen Xue said with a smile, “Dad and mother are here, how can this daughter-in-law not come out?” As she spoke, she pulled her daughter over. Madam Cen took her granddaughter’s hand and looked even more happy. “I haven’t seen you for a year. Bihua became even more beautiful again. Your little uncle Yunan made a beautiful bag for you, grandma will bring it to you.”

Cen Bihua asked curiously, “Is this the little uncle my grandparents just recognized?”

“Grandpa and grandma recognized two, the other one is called Wang Shijing. When you meet in the future, remember to call him Uncle Shijing.”

“Granddaughter will take note of it.”

Cen Xue looked at the bag her mother-in-law had just held in her hand and asked, “Mother’s bag was also made by little uncle Yunan right?”

Madam Cen said with a smile, “Yes. He said this is a handbag, so that when I go out shopping, it will be more convenient for me to carry some odd things. The embroidery was made by someone else, but the styles were all designed by him.”

“Can this daughter-in-law take a look?”

“Go ahead.”

Cen Xue picked up the handbag and Cen Bihua also came closer. Cen Bihua was already 12 years old, just at the right age when little girls loved beauty.

“Grandma, this clutch bag of yours is very beautiful.”

“The one your little uncle Yunan made for you is also beautiful.” Madam Cen took the crossbody shell bag that Shao Yunan had specially prepared for his niece whom he had not yet met. Cen Bihua took a look and immediately ran over to hug it happily.

“Grandma, is this what little uncle Yunan made for me?”

“Yes.”

Shell bags were usually made of leather, but the leather color of this era was all basically its original color and there was no leather dyeing industry like in modern times. So Shao Yunan let Aunt Zhou and others decorate the outside of the leather with cloth and then inlaid it with jade beads and other accessories. He also asked Wang Shijing to make a white bag pendant out of rabbit fur.

Holding her own bag, Cen Bihua liked it very much, no matter how you looked at it. Madam Cen also gave it to her to carry, making Cen Bihua look up with a smile and say, “Thank you, grandma, I like it very much.”

Madam Cen, “When you see your little uncle Yunan in the future you have to thank him face to face.”

“Mmm!”

Madam Cen then asked her maid to take another bag and handed it to her daughter-in-law. “This is for you from your brother Yunan. It’s the same type as mine.”

“Thank you, Mother. Also thank you to little brother.” Cen Xue took the bag made of cloth like Madam Cen’s, but with a simple and elegant lotus pond moonlight. The lotus flowers and the moon on it were all embroidered with gold thread.

Madam Cen said, “Yunan and Shijing opened a bag store and there is only one of these two styles of bags. This is the logo of the bag store.” Madam Cen pointed to the embroidered “Yulong” logo on the bag.

Cen Xue looked at the familiar logo and hearing theirs were only one of a kind made Cen Xue and Cen Bihua even more happy. For women, a bag can cure all diseases, which was also true in ancient times. Shao Yunan was a modern person, so how could he not make bags for his niece and sister in law. He had a mother and sister-in-law with absolute ‘bag cure all’ disease, coupled with the development of information, he had seen a lot of bags. So he could come up with bag ‘designs’ that were not easy to come up with in this day and age.

The bag was just one of the gifts Shao Yunan gave. He also prepared a piece of jadeite jewelry for his sister-in-law, eldest sister, and niece. The sister-in-law and eldest sister each would get a string of violet jade bracelets, while young niece Cen Bihua would get a pair of violet earrings. In terms of jadeite jewelry, except for the set of four-season pendants that Shao Yunan sold to shopkeeper Zeng, only the female family members of Cen’s family were lucky enough to own them.

Cen Xue and Cen Bihua liked them even more. They had never seen jade jewelry of this color before. Madam Cen said, “This is a string of jadeite stones made from the raw jadeite stones that were accidentally obtained when Shijing was fighting in the war. The quantity is small and I even heard that this kind of jadeite stone may not even be available in our Great State of Yan. Yunan and Shijing gave you a great gift, so when you meet their family in the future, you should treat them as your own brothers.”

Cen Zhiyuan immediately said, “This is too expensive, I can’t take it.”

Cen Bihua immediately covered her ears, as she was already wearing it. Elder Cen spoke, “Shijing and Yunan treat you like family members by giving you such valuable gifts, just take it. In the future when brother Qing comes to the capital to study, you will just love him as your own child.”

As his grandson, Elder Cen was certain that Wang Qing would be sent to the Imperial College in the capital to study. Cen Jueyuan immediately asked, “When will Yunan and Shijing bring their children to the capital?”

Elder Cen said, “The two of them are too busy now and Brother Qing has to study. This father wants them to come to the capital together with us next New Year. When the child is born, we can all have a good New Year as a family and you can also take this opportunity to let you, as fellow brothers, get to know your little brother’s family.”

Cen Zhiyuan was overjoyed. “This couldn’t be better. I’m really sorry that I didn’t get to attend the family recognition banquet as the elder brother.” Cen Xue immediately said, “It would be great to have my Little Uncle’s family here. I and Zhiyuan are especially grateful to them for taking care of our parents.” Elden Cen just smiled, he couldn’t say how comfortable he was to recognize these two sons.

The beautiful jadeite stone earrings no longer needed to be sent back, making Cen Bihua overjoyed with her new bag. Tomorrow she will go to find her little sisters and they will definitely envy her.

In addition to the expensive gifts, the Wang mansion produced a variety of snacks that were naturally even more indispensable. Shao Yunan had prepared several jars of solid yuan paste, some for the family to eat and some for Elder Cen to give to Elder Weng. When Elder Cen took out the things he had brought, Cen Zhiyuan and his family felt delighted, but also very guilty at the same time. 

Seeing how many things the two newly recognized younger brothers sent, they not only had not met them yet, but they also had not prepared a suitable gift for the two youngest brothers. Cen Zhiyuan made up his mind that this year, he must let his little brother’s family come to the capital.

“Father, is this solid yuan paste?” Cen Xue asked as she picked up a jar of solid yuan paste. Elder Cen said, “Yes, your little brother Yunan asked me to bring it to you and Zhiyuan to eat. But now that you are going to have a baby, I am afraid you can’t, since it has yellow wine in it.”

Cen Bihua asked curiously, “Grandpa, can I eat it?”

“You are still young, this is too nourishing. Your Little Uncle Yunan prepared snacks for you. We just need to find which box it’s in.”

“I’ll find it.” Cen Bihua happily went to find the snacks.

Cen Xue continued, “This daughter-in-law heard that the noble people in the palace are now all eating a product called ‘solid yuan paste’ to nourish their bodies. I don’t know where they got it from, but the imperial doctors in the palace can’t make it. The Emperor and Empress ate it, so some people said that the newly opened Yunlong store in the capital city sold it. But as a result there weren’t any. Some people even come to ask me if I knew something.”

After she finished speaking, Cen Xue froze. Yunlong? She looked at the bag in her hand, then looked up at her father-in-law and mother-in-law suspiciously. Cen Zhiyuan also stopped smiling and looked at his father in surprise, but Elder Cen just asked aloud, “Bihua, did you find the snack box?”

Cen Xue was startled, glanced at her husband, and decided to not ask any more questions. Cen Bihua picked up a large box and said, “Not yet, let me see if it’s here.” Opening the box, Cen Bihua exclaimed once again, “Wow! Is this a snack?!”

Cen Zhiyuan and Cen Xue took a look and both of them also became surprised. “This is a snack?” Elder Cen took a look and said, “Bihua found the right one. This is the snack your Little Uncle Yunan made for you. It’s called mochi. There are also others, just look for them.”

Cen Bihua said, “I’ll look for the others later.” She then looked at her mother and said, “Mom, can I have one?” She couldn’t wait. Madam Cen immediately said, “Why not. This is for you to eat.” Cen Bihua raised her hand hesitantly, this dessert looked very delicious. Finally, she picked up a piece of green mochi and looked at her grandma. “Grandma, can my mother eat it too?”