As autumn deepened, the bamboo forests covering the mountains remained lush and green, showing no sign of withering.
In the bamboo house, all the tables, chairs, and tea tables were made of green bamboo. Over the years, they had inevitably become brittle.
Li Ying wiped every piece of furniture in the house with great care. By the time she was done, fine beads of sweat had formed on her forehead.
In the main room, there was a small memorial tablet. Lu Xunguang took Li Ying's hand, and their fingers intertwined. Each of them showed the swallow - hoop bracelet on their wrist.
"Mother, this is the girl I want to spend my whole life with. I've brought her here to meet you today."
Lu Xunguang lit three incense sticks and bowed solemnly in front of the rosewood memorial tablet. Li Ying was deeply touched by his firm commitment.
She offered some pastries she had baked herself in front of the memorial. She also tied a bunch of wild flowers, which looked fresh, elegant, and full of rustic charm.
The last time she came to this bamboo house, it was to invite Yan Lianzhi out of seclusion. At that time, all she could see were various ingredients in the bamboo forest, and all she cared about was how to make delicious dishes.
Now that she and Lu Xunguang were in love, with the change of circumstances, her mood was different, and a hint of shyness crept over her.
She had always respected this "mother - in - law" she had never met. Immediately, she knelt on the bamboo - woven cushion and kowtowed four times with Lu Xunguang in all due respect.
Just as they were about to get up, they suddenly heard a loud "crunch" sound coming from under the offering table.
Li Ying was startled. After the noise subsided, she followed the sound and saw a hole had appeared on the brick floor.
They walked down the steps and were surprised to find that there was a small stone chamber hidden beneath the bedroom. Dozens of jars of wine were neatly arranged, and there was also a dressing case on one side, which was extremely delicate and well - made.
Inside the dressing case, there were all kinds of precious jewels and gold and jade hairpins. There was also a pair of extremely clear jade bracelets, pressing a thin letter.
"A Xun, ever since I left the capital, I knew my days were numbered. The greatest regret in my life is that I won't be able to see you with a large and prosperous family."
"The matter of marriage is usually arranged by the mother. Although our Lu family has suffered great misfortune and has few descendants, we can't treat the girl lightly."
"Since you've seen this letter, it means you've brought a girl you're in love with to pay homage to me. I'm really happy in my heart."
Both of them were very intelligent. After a careful inspection, they found that the mechanism was set on the cushion. When they bowed together during the memorial ceremony, it would trigger the mechanism and open the stone chamber.
The bamboo mountain was Madam Lu's dowry. Only Yan Lianzhi and Lu Xunguang came to pay homage. As an elder, Yan Lianzhi would never kowtow with his junior disciple - grandson. That's why the cellar full of wine had been hidden from this old man who loved wine so much for so many years.
"The jewels in the dressing case can be used as a dowry for the new bride. The pair of jade bracelets is the family heirloom passed down to the eldest daughter - in - law of the Lu family. There is also a pair of concentric wild - goose pendants, which were the tokens of love between your grandparents. I'm giving them to you two today as a token of the elders' love."
"Use the bamboo mountain as the betrothal gift and hold a grand wedding to marry the girl into our family. The wine was the Zhuangyuan Hong brewed by your father on the day you were born. It will be used to entertain guests on your wedding day."
The letter was written in delicate small regular script, and every word was a mother's earnest exhortation to her beloved son.
Lu Xunguang never expected that his mother had planned everything so carefully for him. For a moment, he stood there stunned like a wooden chicken.
"A Xun has always been a taciturn person. Girl, since you can make him let down his guard, your character and moral integrity must be excellent. With you by his side for the rest of his life, I can finally die in peace."
Li Ying read the last two lines of the small words and respectfully offered a cup of tea to the memorial tablet.
"Please rest assured. I will always be with Lu Lang through life and death, and never leave him."
Lu Xunguang carefully folded the letter and hid it close to his body. Then he handed the dressing case to her.
Li Ying smiled and said, "This dressing case is worth a fortune and contains the heirlooms of your Lu family. Are you really entrusting it to me like this, Lu Lang?"
Lu Xunguang said calmly, "Why not?"
He paused for a moment and then said, "Mother is right. A grand wedding requires a lot of money. I've almost prepared everything. After I've prepared all the thirty betrothal gifts, I'll come to propose marriage. How about that?"
He spoke as if he had already decided that she would be the mistress of the Lu family. Li Ying was speechless. Holding the dressing case, she couldn't help but have some doubts in her heart.
The betrothal gifts prepared by Madam Lu were all exquisitely made and far from ordinary. Even so, the Lu family still thought it wasn't enough.
The letter said that Lu Xunguang should use the bamboo mountain as the betrothal gift and marry the new bride into the family in a grand manner.
Li Ying was not a shallow - minded person who loved wealth. However, she still couldn't help but feel a little confused.
Although the bamboo mountain had a pleasant scenery, making a living by selling bamboo couldn't earn much money. How could they afford a grand wedding?
In the private - salt case, the Lu family had almost had their property confiscated. Many of their shops had either been seized by the government or taken away. The Ping'an Bank had also been severely damaged.
Why did Madam Lu ignore those shops and instead secretly protect this ordinary - looking bamboo mountain?
Li Ying calculated in her mind and felt that there must be a mystery in the bamboo mountain!
She exchanged a look with Lu Xunguang. Without saying a word, he immediately understood what was on her mind. They closed the door and, while it was still early, headed straight for the bamboo forest without hesitation!
Birds chirped softly in the forest. It was a desolate place. A few bamboo chickens stood there stupidly, not knowing to be afraid at all, leisurely looking for bamboo insects to eat.
Seeing this, Mao Mao popped its head out of Li Ying's bamboo basket, excitedly jumped to the ground, and meowed as it chased after the bamboo chickens and mountain mice.
It had been in the fishing village for a long time and was bored. Li Ying didn't bother to stop it and just let it have fun.
How could they search this huge bamboo forest by themselves?
Just as they were at a loss, they suddenly heard Mao Mao's growls and hisses not far away.
Li Ying was shocked. This little spirit cat only made such warning sounds when it met a tough opponent. Could there be an ambush in the bamboo mountain?
She and Lu Xunguang glanced at each other and rushed straight in the direction of Mao Mao's voice!
Mao Mao arched its back, and all its fur stood on end. Its tail was puffed up like a squirrel's, trying to make itself look bigger.
Its four little paws clung tightly to the ground, and its small ears were flattened against its head. It licked its nose uneasily.
Facing it were several yellow - haired monkeys, chattering noisily. They were waving bamboo branches in their hands. Their eyes were bright, and they were much bigger than Mao Mao.
Li Ying was startled. Monkey groups were much smarter than ordinary mountain animals. If they went crazy, Mao Mao might not be a match for them.
Fortunately, Lu Xunguang stood in front of them. The monkeys were afraid and didn't dare to act rashly. Li Ying quickly picked up Mao Mao and hugged it in her arms.
The little cat retracted its claws and meowed pitifully at Li Ying, looking like a wronged child.
Li Ying couldn't help but smile and patted its little head.
She didn't want to conflict with the monkeys. She signaled Lu Xunguang that they should leave. But just then, the leading monkey suddenly swung down from a bamboo pole and jumped right in front of her.