Xiao Yu, who had painstakingly resolved to save up, immediately felt the urge to spend as soon as she had accumulated two points in her pocket.
She justified this spendthrift behavior with a seemingly legitimate excuse—she wanted to see if the Zhi Xiang Jiao’s sign-in point could yield clues useful for her father and brother.
Hmm! Having mentally prepared herself, Yu Hongdou clenched her small fists and strode into the village chief’s house with bold, spirited steps.
Only to be stopped…
From outside the main gate, nothing seemed amiss, but upon entering the courtyard and reaching the main hall’s entrance, two burly men in navy-blue robes, matching belts, and identical Zao boots—clearly in uniform—emerged from either side, blocking the five-year-old child. “Little one, the adults are handling matters inside. No disturbances allowed. Go play outside!”
“…” Yu Hongdou turned and ran.
She was just a child and had no intention of getting involved in adult affairs.
The moment she returned home, Yu Hongdou was caught by her mother and confined to her room.
Due to Yu Silang’s injury, the village had been placed under strict lockdown. In a moment of distraction, her daughter had slipped away, terrifying Xu Shi so much that she wished she could tie her daughter to the room with a rope.
For the next two days, Yu Hongdou saw neither Yu Sanlang nor Yu Silang. Under her mother’s watchful eye, she was forbidden from stepping beyond the courtyard gate. With no internet, no books, and no one to chat with, a frustrated Yu Hongdou could only entertain herself by studying.
She embroidered day and night—straight lines, diagonal lines, wavy lines, squares, circles, triangles—until, on the third night, as she focused intently on stitching her first petal, she suddenly heard a ding.
A familiar pop-up window appeared: [Congratulations, Host! Through diligent practice, your Embroidery Skill has reached Level 2. Reward: Complete Collection of Ancient Auspicious Patterns ×1, 5 Sign-in Points]
Yu Hongdou: “!”
So leveling up a skill could actually earn Sign-in Points!
After days of not spending, Yu Hongdou’s savings suddenly surged to 10 points! (Remaining: 2 points + 2 points over 2 days + 1 point past midnight + 5 reward points)
What did “diligence compensates for clumsiness” mean? What did “hard work brings prosperity” mean? This was it!
Yu Hongdou tossed her embroidery hoop aside, hugged her master Lian Wenzhi, and spun around joyfully. She had money now! Once day broke, she would indulge in some retail therapy—spending 3 points!
Dreaming sweetly, Yu Hongdou slept soundly until dawn. When she opened her eyes, she discovered an even greater surprise: her father had returned!
“Dad!” Yu Hongdou scrambled up and rushed to Yu Sanlang, who was seated calmly by the kang table drinking water. She hugged his arm, beaming with delight.
Heaven knew how worried she had been these past few days. While reading the novel, it was just text—occasionally evoking some sadness or tension, but mostly leaving her numb. Only when these once-nameless characters came to life, flesh and blood, right before her eyes, did Yu Hongdou truly understand worry and fear.
“Ah~ I heard our Hongdou can even embroider flowers now? Truly my precious girl. Come, see the gifts your dad and brother bought you.” Yu Sanlang gazed at his obedient daughter, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons. It wasn’t that he was biased—even if his eldest niece was virtuous and the second niece spirited, neither could compare to how endearing his own daughter was.
Yu Hongdou didn’t care much about gifts; she just wanted to know what her father had been busy with these past few days and whether he had managed to benefit from the male lead’s fourth uncle, Dongshan’s, gains. But she couldn’t voice these questions, so she shifted her gaze to the pile of items arranged on and around the kang table.
“Wow!” Yu Hongdou decided to retract her earlier statement about not caring for gifts.
On the kang table sat four fully opened boxes, their contents glittering so brightly they dazzled the eyes.
“The ones on the kang are for your mother, all these on the table are yours.” Yu Sanlang smiled at his daughter, finding her wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression utterly delightful. He glanced up to share the moment with his wife, only to find her wearing the same awestruck look at the two boxes on the kang. Unable to contain himself, Yu Sanlang burst into hearty laughter.
Startled by her father’s laughter, Hongdou felt slightly embarrassed—though who wouldn’t be mesmerized by several boxes of gold? Especially when the gold had been crafted into such exquisite jewelry.
In her previous life, merely walking past gold shops on the first floor of a mall had left her spellbound. Now, with genuine gold pieces laid out before her—and declared as her own—she considered it remarkable composure that she hadn’t leaped up cheering.
Xu Shi felt the same. Though more bashful than her daughter, her heart and face glowed with joy. What woman doesn’t adore jewelry? Having fled famine with her mother, survival alone had been a struggle. Later, when her mother remarried, her honest but impoverished stepfather could never afford gold or silver ornaments—even a simple velvet flower was a luxury. The only two pieces she owned had been secretly bought for her by her husband!
Hongdou shifted her gaze to the two boxes on the kang meant for her mother and was stunned anew.
The set consisted of nine matching pieces. Hongdou recognized the hairpins and earrings, but the others, though vaguely familiar from internet images, eluded her naming. However, her recent Embroidery Skill lessons helped her identify the recurring Lotus and Cassia pattern adorning the entire set.
“This Gilded Headdress is pure gold—too formal for daily wear. After the family division, I’ll take you to pick some delicate gold-plated pieces for your hair,” Yu Sanlang remarked.
Xu Shi, flushing shyly and glancing at her still-entranced daughter, murmured in protest, “I already have hairpins. The ones you bought me before have nowhere to be worn.”
Yu Sanlang smiled without reply, withholding words better left unsaid. Instead, he picked up a pair of gold bracelets from the table box and slipped them onto his daughter’s small wrists. “Our Hongdou’s fair skin makes these gold bracelets shine even brighter.”
Though beaming at her father’s praise, Hongdou countered, “Gold bracelets are beautiful no matter what! They’re lovely even just stored away!”
The allure of gold made one drool with longing.
The bracelets were adjustable children’s models, engraved with the Double Blessings of Fortune and Longevity motif. The box also held matching earrings and a necklace. Two other smaller boxes contained children’s jewelry of Gold-Inlaid Jade and Gold-Inlaid Treasure.
Hongdou’s eyes drifted between the three necklaces, sighing inwardly. Such beautiful pieces, yet she could only admire them. Born into a farming family in a mountain village, even a silver necklace would be too daring to wear outside.
The final box, however, held perfect treasures: cloth velvet flowers and woven grass accessories, lively and charming—just right for a girl her age.
“Father, I’ll wear this!” Hongdou selected a hand cord woven with a Carp Knot and handed it to Yu Sanlang, raising her hands for him to replace the gold bracelets.
His daughter’s understanding filled Yu Sanlang with both comfort and heartache. Recalling the young master’s instructions before his return, a surge of heroic ambition swelled in his chest. He must strive to prove himself, handle affairs diligently, and win honor for his wife and daughter!