Chapter 660

Chapter 668: The Daughter-in-Law (Part 2)

"Delighted, the elder madam opened her arms and pulled Jin Geer into her embrace. 'My dear, your grandmother missed you so much! Was Baoding fun? Where’s your father?' As she spoke, she glanced toward the doorway.

Just then, the curtain moved, and Lord Xu and Eleven Miss entered one after the other.

Lord Xu stood tall and straight, his face lit with a smile, radiating vigor.

Eleven Miss wore a plain pink embroidered jacket, her expression tender and delicate, like a spring blossom—soft and enchanting, quite unlike her usual self.

The elder madam hesitated briefly, sensing something flicker through her mind, but her heart was wholly focused on Lord Xu, who walked ahead, and she quickly dismissed the fleeting thought.

'Why did it take you so long to come?' the elder madam chided, her eyes sweeping over her son from head to toe. Seeing that he looked even better than when he had left, she nodded inwardly and smiled. 'Was the journey peaceful? Have you had lunch yet?' Only then did her heart settle.

'We rested at post stations along the way. Everything went smoothly. I’ve made you worry, Mother.' Lord Xu bowed deeply to the elder madam. 'We haven’t eaten yet! After freshening up, we came straight here, hoping to share a meal with you.'

*If you know I worry, then don’t leave again.*

The words nearly escaped her lips, but seeing the spirited energy in her son’s expression and recalling Eleven Miss’s words about how Lord Xu had stayed home these past two years, the elder madam held back. Remembering that her son hadn’t eaten, she quickly called out to Yu Ban, 'Serve the Laba porridge right away!' Then she smiled. 'Today happens to be Laba Festival. Let’s have the porridge first for good fortune, then lunch.' As she spoke, she remembered that her precious grandson in her arms must also be hungry, so she stood and took Jin Geer’s hand. 'Come, let’s go eat.'

"'Laba porridge!' Jin Geer exclaimed excitedly, skipping alongside the elder madam toward the eastern chamber’s dining room. 'Grandmother, what have you been doing at home all this time? I missed you so much. In Rongcheng, I ate donkey meat! I wanted to bring some for you, but Father said it was too far, and it would spoil. So I bought you a wooden comb instead.' He paused, a little shy, and pulled out a bright red pouch from his robe to hand to the elder madam. 'The comb’s craftsmanship is simple, but I thought its meaning was nice, so I got it…'

'Oh my!' The elder madam was pleasantly surprised. 'Jin Geer actually brought me a present…' Her voice trembled with emotion. 'Let me see, let me see.' She stopped at the doorway of the eastern chamber and opened the pouch. It was indeed a very ordinary comb—boxwood, with a pair of longevity peaches carved on the back, like the ones the maids use.

'Lovely, lovely!' The elder madam stroked the carved peaches, praising them endlessly. 'The symbolism is lovely.'

Jin Geer sighed in relief and explained, 'We only stopped for a meal in Rongcheng before leaving. The things from other places weren’t as good. Next time I go out, I’ll bring you something better.'

'Good, good, good.' The elder madam beamed, leading Jin Geer into the eastern chamber. 'While you were away, Shen Geer came by every time looking listless. It’s been so quiet here without you…'

Jin Geer said sympathetically, 'He must’ve been sulking because he couldn’t go.' Then his voice brightened. 'But I brought him something too—a horsewhip! A jade handle and a black leather whip, really beautiful. I have one too. It was a gift from one of Father’s former horse grooms. He heard Father was in Bazhou and rode two days to see us. Do you know Pingshun? He works there as a *dianshi*, a low-ranking official. Do you know what a *dianshi* does? They hunt down thieves! When we were eating, he stood by pouring wine. And when we left, he secretly slipped me two big gold ingots…'

As they chatted, they settled onto the *huchuang* in the eastern chamber.

'Really!' The elder madam indulged her grandson, her voice full of delighted surprise. 'So our Jin Geer met so many new people on this trip!'

'Yes!' Having traveled and encountered so many fascinating people and things, Jin Geer was eager to share. The elder madam’s words hit the right note, and he began counting on his fingers, talking nonstop. 'I also met a Qingyuan county official, a deputy prefect from Dingxing, the commander of Jizhou…'

Lord Xu, who had been following them at a leisurely pace, suddenly leaned down and whispered in Eleven Miss’s ear, 'I brought something for you too!'

From the moment they had reunited until now, they hadn’t exchanged a single proper word…

Eleven Miss covered her sleeve and shot him a playful glare.

Unlike before, she didn’t just blush and stay silent.

Lord Xu’s heart skipped a beat and he gently squeezed her hand.

Outside, a noise erupted, mingled with a maid’s soft call, 'Young Master Shen, slow down, slow down…'

The couple exchanged a smile and let go of each other’s hands.

Shen Geer rushed in excitedly. 'Sixth Brother, you’re home!'

'Seventh Brother!' Jin Geer ran over.

The two brothers hugged.

'Was Baoding fun?' Shen Geer asked eagerly. 'What places did you visit?'

"I went to so many places!" Jin Geer exclaimed excitedly, "Dingxing, Bazhou, Zhuozhou..."

Before he could finish, Xu Sizhun and Jiang Shi arrived.

"Father, you're back!" He respectfully bowed to Lord Xu and patted Jin Geer's head with a smile.

Jiang Shi bent down and asked cheerfully, "Uncle, you must have visited many places, right? Tell us all about it." Her words delighted Jin Geer, who launched into tales of his journey.

Soon, Xu Lingkuan, the Fifth Lady, Xu Sijie, Xiang Shi, and others arrived, forming a circle around Jin Geer to listen to his stories.

Jin Geer was bursting with excitement, speaking animatedly. Only when Yu Ban brought in the porridge did his storytelling pause.

In the afternoon, Jin Geer pulled Shen Geer back to his room to give him the gifts he had bought—a horsewhip—and showed off the other souvenirs he had collected along the way: ear cleaners, clay figurines, a small bronze martial artist, a twin-spouted wine vessel... He explained when and how he had acquired each item, leaving Shen Geer wide-eyed with wonder. Proud of himself, Jin Geer then took Shen Geer to hand out gifts to everyone.

Watching the two boys skip out the door, Lord Xu turned to Eleven Miss, who was tidying his clothes, and asked with a smile, "Aren’t you going to ask what I brought for you?"

"Wasn’t I waiting for Your Lordship to mention it first?" Eleven Miss teased. "Who asks for gifts outright?"

In the past, when he had given her small presents, she would simply smile and thank him politely. But this time, her casual response carried a warmth he hadn’t seen before.

Lord Xu took her hand. "Come with me!" He led her to the study.

A shiny vermilion lacquer chest stood in the corner—clearly a new addition from his trip.

He opened it to reveal numerous scrolls inside.

Lord Xu carefully laid them out on the floor.

"I painted these during my travels," he said, unrolling them one by one. "This one is from Fangshan Post Station." He pointed to the first painting. "This is the main street of Fangshan County—the yamen is here, behind it is a medical shop, and next to that, an inn that also serves food. We ate there. Fangshan was quaint but unremarkable... This is Bazhou... The East Street is full of food stalls. The most famous is the Wan Family gourd soup. Jin Geer and I tried it, but it wasn’t anything special... This is Maijia Alley, a bustling lane filled with shops selling embroidery, jewelry, and hats—nothing particularly noteworthy." As he spoke, he pulled out an embroidered piece from the chest. "Take a look..."

Eleven Miss slowly unrolled the embroidery.

"I found this in an embroidery shop," Lord Xu said with a smile. "It’s different from what you usually make, isn’t it? The shopkeeper said this technique comes from the Daliang region. And they don’t use ordinary needles..." He pulled out a tiny case from the chest, containing several thick embroidery needles. "See? These needles are three times as thick as yours. The thread goes through here—you insert it, then pull it through, leave the end on the fabric, and then trim it neatly with scissors. That’s how it’s done."

He explained with focused gestures.

Eleven Miss’s vision blurred slightly, his reflection like shadows in a mirror or reflections in water.

She gently set down the embroidery and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

"I adore it... I love everything you’ve brought me..." She had traveled far and seen many sights, but at this moment, she realized that even within the walls of this small courtyard, these painted scenes felt just as captivating.

"I love it!" She pressed her ear against his chest, listening to his strong, rhythmic heartbeat—like drumbeats echoing in her ears. "I love it!"

Lord Xu paused, surprised.

This wasn’t the gift he had intended for her.

The real gift was a gold choker set with tourmaline, which he planned to give her that evening.

He imagined how exquisite she’d look against her fair, jade-like neck...

On the first night at Fangshan Post Station, unwilling to meet the local officials, he had retired early. Under the lamplight, as Jin Geer slept, he had suddenly ached for her presence.

If only she were here...

Remembering her fondness for *The Nine Domains of Da Zhou*, he had picked up his brush and painted this for her.

Later, when they rested early on the journey, he would do some sketching.

He never expected her to like it so much.

Lord Xu's lips curled into a pleased smile.

He wasn’t one to fight his own luck!

He planted a firm kiss on her forehead: "I have something else for you!"

"What is it?" Eleven Miss watched as Lord Xu took out a carved red-lacquered box from the chest and excitedly joined him on the daybed.

A mischievous glint flashed in Lord Xu’s eyes as he handed her the box. "Open it and see!" Eleven Miss hesitated but opened the box.

It was a very strange object—something she had never seen before.

"This is..." She looked at Lord Xu in confusion.

Lord Xu leaned close and whispered a few words in her ear.

She might not have firsthand experience, but she knew enough.

Like something scandalous, Eleven Miss tossed the thing onto the daybed.

"Where did you get such a... foreign contraption?" Her face flushed crimson.

"Someone gave it to me!" Lord Xu nibbled at her ear. "I thought it was quite good... Maybe we should try it?"

"You scoundrel!" Eleven Miss stood up with a playful pout. "Just when I was starting to think well of you, you..." Before she could finish, she burst into laughter herself.