Ruan Niang curled her lips into a smile. "Well, it's the silly son of the Yang family from the prosperous Changyun Cloth Shop opposite who's taken a fancy to Cui Huan. I just wanted to ask for her opinion. This little girl is so shy! I hadn't even finished speaking when she turned around and ran away!"
Luo Xunlong was even more astonished. "Isn't the son of the Yang family almost forty this year? He's old enough to be Miss Cui Huan's father! And he's so ugly! Ruan Niang, aren't you setting someone up?"
Yu Haiming walked over with a few river clams in his arms. Hearing Luo Xunlong's voice, he chimed in, "Ruan Niang, don't let the fat water flow to outsiders. You see, none of us brothers has gotten married yet!"
Ruan Niang clicked her tongue and sighed. "You two can forget it! One is ugly and the other is stupid. Do you deserve Miss Cui Huan?"
The two of them were speechless.
At night, after Ruan Niang finished acupuncture on Wei Dongling, she stroked her feet and smiled. "The recovery is going well. You'll be able to get out of bed and walk after another period of rest."
Wei Dongling replied with a beaming smile, "Ruan Niang, you're so skillful. Thank you, Ruan Niang!" Then she took out a set of silk clothes from beside her pillow and said to Ruan Niang, "I'm not good at needlework and can't cut clothes. So I had someone make this set of clothes for you. Ruan Niang, try it on and see if it fits."
Ruan Niang touched the brightly - colored new clothes in surprise and asked, "For me?"
Wei Dongling smiled. "If it weren't for your careful care, how could I have recovered so quickly? The weather in the capital is hot. I specially chose light and cool fabrics. Do you like them?"
Ruan Niang nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, "I like them very much! It's really considerate to have a girl around!"
Wei Dongling waved to Cui Huan. "Cui Huan, come here. You have something too!"
Cui Huan was stunned. "I have something too?"
Wei Dongling smiled. "Of course! Although you're fair - skinned and beautiful and look good in any color, don't always dress so plainly. At your age, you should wear bright colors!" Then she took out a set of new clothes and handed it to her, instructing, "Try it on quickly to see if it fits. I'll have someone alter it if necessary!"
When the two of them came out from behind the screen, Wei Dongling was dazzled.
The plum - colored silk dress on Ruan Niang made her look radiant and her figure more enchanting. She was so beautiful that one couldn't take their eyes off her.
"It fits quite well!" Ruan Niang was overjoyed looking at her reflection in the copper mirror. "The clothes here are really nice!"
Cui Huan's peach - red and light - green dress made her face look even more delicate. She looked like a lotus emerging from the water. She blushed shyly at Wei Dongling and said, "Well, it's fine. No need to alter it."
Wei Dongling looked at them and clicked her tongue. "Women really need new clothes to keep them alive!"
Cui Huan asked, "Did you have new clothes made for yourself?"
Wei Dongling sat on the bed, laughing heartily. "Well! My Zixi has bought me a lot of fabrics! I've already had someone rush to make them!"
Ruan Niang: ... Goodness!
Cui Huan: ... This is like being fed dog food!
Before going to bed, Cui Huan thought for a long time, then took out the gold hairpin and put it beside Wei Dongling's hand. "Ruan Niang took Luo Xunlong and Yu Haiming to fish it out for you."
Wei Dongling looked at the hairpin, rubbed it for a long time, and said in a low voice, "Shall we pawn it tomorrow and get some silver to spend?"
Cui Huan nodded. "Okay." Then she climbed into bed and went to sleep.
After a long time, Cui Huan heard Wei Dongling tossing and turning beside her. She mumbled to herself, "The new hairpins from Baocui Workshop are always in high demand. Maybe we should keep it?"
Cui Huan was so sleepy that she ignored her and fell asleep in a daze.
The next day, Ruan Niang put on her new plum - colored silk dress, which stunned all the uncles.
Lin Baiwan's eyes lit up. He nodded and smiled. "Ruan Niang should wear more nice clothes like this! Just buy whatever you like in the future. If you're short of silver, come to Second Brother!"
Luo Xunlong clicked his tongue and sighed. "Sure enough, a person depends on clothes just as a horse depends on a saddle!"
Yu Haiming added sourly, "That's right! She looks like a real person in a new set of clothes!"
Ruan Niang got angry. She put her hands on her hips and casually threw a knife over. Yu Haiming quickly shrank back in fear. He wasn't quick enough to dodge, and the knife flew straight and stuck into the wall between his legs. Yu Haiming trembled with fear and hurriedly shouted, "Ruan Niang, I was wrong!"
This made everyone burst into laughter.
Looking up, Yu Haiming saw Cui Huan coming downstairs in her new clothes. His eyes lit up and his mouth fell open in shock.
Luo Xunlong hid the amazement in his eyes and joked to Yu Haiming, "Haiming, wipe the drool off your mouth!"
Cui Huan blushed instantly.
Lin Baiwan said with a smile, "Our Tingfenglou Teahouse will open in three days. I'll have to trouble these two beauties to help attract some business!"
Wei Dongling was astonished. "It'll open in three days? Aren't we going to change the name of the teahouse?"
Lin Baiwan waved his hand. "Well! I'm just too lazy to think of a new name!"
Everyone: ...
During dinner, Cui Huan cooked a big pot of the river clams that had been soaked overnight and put it on the table. For the first time, everyone thought they were extremely delicious and praised them one after another.
Yu Haiming shouted, "I'll go and get more tomorrow night!"
Ruan Niang nudged Luo Xunlong, who was biting the steamed bun with his head down, and whispered, "Today is the Qixi Festival. The silly son of the Yang family plans to give Cui Huan a surprise. He just asked me what to give her!"
Luo Xunlong glanced at Cui Huan and then at Ruan Niang, mumbling incoherently, "Why are you helping him?"
Ruan Niang rolled her eyes at him and snorted. "What do you know? Which girl doesn't like a man who is romantic and caring? Giving something on a festive day, the girl will always remember it and be happy for a long time!"
Luo Xunlong looked sideways and asked, "Really?"
Ruan Niang sneered. "I really thought you were stupid! You know nothing!"
Luo Xunlong looked up at Cui Huan again, then nudged Ruan Niang with his elbow and asked, "What's suitable to give to a girl in general?"
Ruan Niang squinted her fox - like eyes and smiled faintly. "Hairpins, rings, jade, pearls, and gold ornaments."
Luo Xunlong coughed repeatedly and gritted his teeth. "It's too expensive. Forget it!"
Ruan Niang gave him a sharp knock on the head and roared, "You're so stingy!"
Everyone stopped and looked at the two of them.
Luo Xunlong waved his hands repeatedly and shouted, "It's okay! Let's continue eating!"
At night, Ruan Niang pulled Wei Dongling and Cui Huan out of the door, saying they were going to enjoy the night view.
Wei Dongling said helplessly, "How about you two go? Yu Zixi is still waiting for me!"
Ruan Niang spat. "It's not appropriate to value your lover over your friends, is it?"
Wei Dongling was speechless and had no choice but to go with them.
Hundreds and thousands of lanterns were lit along the path by the Falling Moon Lake, making the night as bright as day.
There were all kinds of snack stalls on both sides of the road, exuding delicious smells. Wei Dongling walked through the crowd with the walking stick made for her by Old Brother Qin. As soon as she smelled the delicious food, she couldn't walk anymore.
Ruan Niang smiled faintly. "We're out for a stroll after dinner. Do you want to eat something to fill your stomach?"
Wei Dongling smiled sheepishly. "I'm not hungry. I just feel like eating something."
Cui Huan supported Wei Dongling and said with a smile, "Let's go and have a look ahead. I'll buy whatever you want to eat!"
Wei Dongling's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile. She pointed at a stall with a long queue in front and shouted, "Cui Huan! I want lotus cakes and osmanthus cakes!"
Cui Huan nodded. "Okay!" Then she plunged into the crowd.
Looking at the bustling street scene, Wei Dongling couldn't help but sigh. The scenery remained the same, but the people had changed. However, it was still not bad.