Liu Ruyun, both surprised and touched, quickly pushed the silver away. “I still have some in hand. You keep this silver. Finding wild ginseng shows Xiaoyue is blessed. Ever since you came to our family, our lives have steadily improved. I’m already content. As long as you all do well, I’ll be happy.”
“By the way, Mother, I heard from Yanqiu that you like peach blossom pastries, so I brought some for you, as well as the osmanthus cakes Jinghuai loves and the meat buns Yanqiu enjoys,” Lin Xiyue said, carefully unpacking the treats one by one. Seeing all the things she had bought, it was impossible not to feel touched.
Lu Yanqiu held the bamboo-green outfit Lin Xiyue had bought him, a warm smile spreading through him. It wasn’t the value of the clothes that mattered, but the thought behind them.
Lu Wenyuan noticed that Lin Xiyue had bought items for everyone except him, leaving him feeling slightly uneasy.
“This is far too extravagant. We can’t afford to buy peach blossom pastries like this again,” Liu Ruyun said, though she loved the pastries, she knew they couldn’t really afford them and felt reluctant to indulge.
“Mother, Xiaoyue bought these for you—if you eat them, it’s not wasteful,” Lu Yanqiu coaxed. Liu Ruyun’s smile deepened at that.
“All right, let’s sit down and eat before the food gets cold. We can enjoy the rest slowly later,” Liu Ruyun said.
After the meal, Lu Yanqiu tried on the outfit. The bright bamboo-green suited his age perfectly. The youthful colors highlighted his sunny and cheerful aura.
“Xiaoyue really has good taste. Yanqiu looks like a young master in this outfit—handsome and refined,” Liu Ruyun remarked. It was the first time she had seen her son look so good in clothes; indeed, they say appearances matter, and it was true.
“It’s really nice. His fair skin suits such bright colors,” Lu Jinghuai rarely smiled, but he praised Lu Yanqiu warmly.
Lin Xiyue turned to Lu Jinghuai. “When your leg heals, I’ll buy you a nice outfit too.”
If she had more silver and he could move freely, she would have bought him one now; it wouldn’t be fair to favor some and neglect others.
Lu Jinghuai waved his hand. “No need. I’m used to coarse linen and hemp. They’re durable and convenient for the mountains.”
“Xiaoyue also bought two bolts of fabric. I can make it for Jinghuai. Ready-made clothes are too expensive; making them ourselves saves money,” Liu Ruyun said.
Used to frugality, Liu Ruyun had long made clothes at home, which saved a lot.
“These fabrics—you can arrange them however you like. The fine white cotton is for inner garments; the others should be enough to make one set for each family member,” Lin Xiyue said. Inner garments required less material, so it should suffice.
Liu Ruyun nodded. “All right, I’ll make one set for each of you then.”
After chatting for a while in the main hall, everyone returned to their rooms. Lu Wenyuan went to copy the books he had borrowed from Wenya Xuan.
After Lu Jinghuai’s paralysis, the family lost its source of income. Lu Wenyuan earned what he could by copying books, though it was still not enough for his studies.
The savings Liu Ruyun had set aside had already been spent over the past year, otherwise she wouldn’t have had to beg the old estate for help to marry off her daughters.
Lin Xiyue had purposely left Lu Wenyuan out at first, so she hadn’t shown his clothes publicly. Seeing him quietly retreat to copy books without a word, she decided not to tease him.
“This outfit is for you. Try it on,” Lin Xiyue placed the moon-white garment on the table.
Lu Wenyuan paused mid-stroke, instinctively looking at the garment. Moon-white—he had never worn such a color before. It wasn’t just that it was hard to keep clean; it was expensive as well.
He hadn’t expected Lin Xiyue to buy him ready-made clothes of such fine quality. He had assumed the coarse fabric was for him.
A surge of emotion filled him, and he couldn’t tell if he was happy for the clothing or for her thoughtfulness.
“You really didn’t have to buy such nice clothes for me. If I can’t pass the imperial exams, I might not be able to repay you…”
It wasn’t self-deprecation; he simply worried that anything could happen and that he might not be able to repay her kindness in the future.
Lin Xiyue approached, hooking a hand under his chin playfully. “If you can’t repay me, just offer yourself. I wouldn’t mind, and Yanqiu can provide the rest,” she teased lightly.
Her touch was gentle, and her tone flirtatious. Lu Wenyuan’s ears turned red, and a mix of embarrassment and irritation made him turn his face away.
This woman—this morning she had sworn she wasn’t interested in him, yet now her true colors were showing.
“Hmph, you’re dreaming. Trying to woo the youngest brother isn’t enough? Do you really want the whole package?”
He could tell that the youngest had already fallen for her. Did she really think all three brothers belonged to her?
“The youngest is still a child. I treat him like a little brother. Don’t worry, I never force anyone. I know you don’t fancy me. Once I earn enough silver, I’ll leave,” Lin Xiyue said.
She then looked at the garment on the table. “This outfit cost me one and a half taels of silver. Lu Gongzi, at least put it on so I can enjoy it with my eyes. That’s not too much to ask, right?”
Lu Wenyuan glanced at the garment but said nothing. He realized she was all talk and had no ill intentions; changing into the outfit was not a big deal.
“You can step out,” Lu Wenyuan said. He couldn’t possibly change in front of Lin Xiyue.
“Why be shy? You’ve already seen it,” she said, thinking of the scene she had witnessed that day.
“Lin… Xiyue…”
Lu Wenyuan’s gritted words sent a chill down her spine. Recognizing the hint, she left the room obediently.
No matter—she had already seen it, so there was no need to hide anything.
Lin Xiyue folded her arms by the door, waiting. When she heard the door creak open, she turned to see Lu Wenyuan in the flowing moon-white robe.