Chapter 320: Chapter 170: A Gift for Juhua

These two young men were anything but simple. It was truly difficult to resist the temptation of profit and hold firm to one’s own principles.

This made him look forward to Xiatang Market even more, and he felt his decision today had been incredibly wise. ’Perhaps this little business, which I initially dismissed, will bring me unexpected returns in the future!’

Uncharacteristically, Fang Jingyu smiled at the two and said, "We’ll do it your way. For one, I truly can’t be bothered to quibble over such details. For another, I think highly of you both and want to see what you can accomplish. Don’t let me down, now!"

Hearing this, Li Changyu beamed at Zhang Huai.

********

Li Changyu and Zhang Huai were busy in Qinghui for several days, only returning to their village on the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Zhang Huai had wanted to leave earlier, but Li Changyu refused to let him go. Along with Li Changfeng, who was home for the holidays, the three of them explored every corner of Qinghui County.

In the end, Li Changyu rented two small storefronts. Both were in inconspicuous areas, yet not far from the bustling, vendor-filled commercial district or the common residential neighborhoods. With everything arranged, all that remained was to wait until after the New Year to open.

Back in the village, the fish ponds had been harvested, and every household was nearly done with its own affairs. All that remained were miscellaneous chores like washing and scrubbing in preparation for the New Year.

During the barren days of the twelfth month, a biting wind blew, the ground was frozen solid, and the sky was overcast. Juhua emerged from the kitchen carrying a brazier freshly filled with hot embers, heading for the main room of the house.

She happened to glance over and saw Zhang Huai and Li Changyu entering the courtyard, each carrying two bundles and smiling right at her.

The moment Zhang Huai saw her, he felt the longing that had filled his heart for days finally settle. His narrow eyes erupted with a joyous light, and the sheer adoration brimming within them made Juhua’s heart skip a beat.

’Damn brat, how dare he try to seduce me,’ she cursed inwardly.

She stopped in her tracks, took a moment to calm her flustered heart, and asked with a smile, "You’re back. When did you get home?"

Zhang Huai’s gaze never left her face as he answered, "We got back at noon and came over right after lunch."

Li Changyu, walking behind him, chuckled. "We wanted to come earlier, but we were worried you wouldn’t have food ready and we’d just put you to work."

Hearing their voices, Qingmu came out of the room. He looked at the two and laughed. "Well, look who it is! The city slickers are back. How was it? Did you ever think of just staying in the city and not coming back?"

Zhang Huai heard this, stepped forward, and couldn’t resist giving him a playful punch. "You’ve been there yourself, so why ask me?"

Qingmu ushered them into the room, grinning. "Come on, let me see what treasures you brought back."

Once inside, Juhua sat down in the warming barrel while the three young men gathered around her. They began pulling items out of their bundles one by one—there were snacks, practical goods, and even a large parcel of books.

Zhang Huai noticed Juhua was still clutching the brazier even while sitting in the warming barrel. He pulled a small, round, coarse porcelain hand warmer from his bundle and passed it to her. "Here, for you," he said. "This one has a lid, so it’s cleaner to hold and the ash won’t fly out."

Juhua was overjoyed. She quickly took it, thanking him while carefully examining the hand warmer. Though made of coarse ceramic, its design was quite delicate.

The two-layered lid with its air vents fit perfectly. The outer layer was glazed and smooth, while the inner layer was made of simple, rough tile. Although it had no handle, she wouldn’t have to worry about ash spilling out while holding it. ’If I make a padded cloth cover for it, it’ll stay clean and won’t be too hot to hold,’ she thought.

She really felt the gift was perfect—both practical and not ostentatiously expensive. After exclaiming in admiration a few times, she thanked Zhang Huai again with a beaming smile.

Seeing her so happy, Zhang Huai’s heart filled with contentment. But the tenderness overflowing from his eyes made Li Changyu’s heart clench, and the good mood he’d had since returning home instantly evaporated.

He stared blankly. ’So Huai Zi bought the hand warmer for Juhua,’ he thought. ’And here I was, thinking it was for my mother, He!’

’Then who is that wooden hairpin he bought for? He hasn’t given it to Juhua!’

Just then, Zhang Huai pulled out a small, exquisite kitchen knife and handed it to Juhua. "Changyu said the knives from this shop are excellent and quite famous," he explained. "I bought two—one for my mother and one for you. Your family’s knife is too clunky. Your hands aren’t that big, and it must be tiring to chop vegetables with such a large blade."

Juhua was delighted all over again. She took the lightweight knife, gave it a few practice swings, and mimed a chopping motion. It felt perfect in her hand. Unable to stop herself, she shot Zhang Huai a smiling, sidelong glance and said joyfully, "Thank you so much, Huai Zi! I absolutely love this knife!"

She was simply overjoyed.

After all, her future career would likely revolve around the kitchen, and a knife that fit her hand was better than anything.

She knew Zhang Huai was trying to win her favor, but she was deeply moved that he had been so considerate. First the hand warmer, now the knife—both were incredibly useful to her. She felt the quiet stirring of something new budding in her heart.

Yes, she felt her heart being swayed.

’If my friends from my past life heard about this, they’d laugh their heads off.’ No roses, no diamond ring—it took nothing more than a kitchen knife to sway her heart. Yet, she didn’t feel this made her unrefined in the slightest.

The essence of life was, at its core, quite simple. It was just food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. No matter how noble one’s profession, it all came back to these fundamentals.

And so, she accepted the gift without hesitation, generously showing him just how pleased and happy she was with it.

She had no idea that the sidelong glance she gave him in her delight was brimming with such flowing, boundless tenderness. It stunned Zhang Huai so much that he forgot his own happiness. ’She’s smiling at me like that again,’ he thought, his mind racing. ’That’s how she used to look at me.’

For a moment, his heart filled with a mix of joy and sorrow. He was lost in a daze for a long time, only snapping out of it when Qingmu shot him a look and tugged on his arm.

Li Changyu’s jaw dropped as well. ’The kitchen knife is for Juhua, too?’

’At the time, Huai Zi bought one large knife and one small, delicate one. I’d assumed he was buying them for his mother—since they were different, they’d be perfect for chopping different foods. Who would have thought the small one was for Juhua?’

’The hand warmer was one thing, but to give a kitchen knife to the woman you love... that was really something else...’ (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit qidian.com and vote with recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)