kingnovel Chapter 232 Surprise
Chapter 232 Surprise
Watching the interaction between Xiaogang and Qi Ji, Li Xiaonuan thought of the saying: "A teacher for a day is a father for life."
Xiao Gang never clings to anyone other than his father, Li. But his current clinginess to Qi Ji is probably making Li's father extremely jealous.
What's most infuriating is that while Qi Ji was interacting with his younger sister, Xiao Gang was actually watching with jealousy. This made Li Xiaonuan very unhappy. She wondered what kind of magic potion Qi Ji had given Xiao Gang to make him so shamelessly try to curry favor with Qi Ji.
Although the Qi family line is large and its affairs are quite complex, Doctor Qi is still in the prefectural city and has not yet returned. Therefore, the Li family only visited Qi Ji's grandfather and mother this time.
Qi Ji said that once his father returns, they will find a day for Xiao Gang to visit and meet all the elders.
The rules of wealthy families are indeed troublesome. Li Xiaonuan and Madam Su were led to the backyard, where they met Qi Ji's mother in a refined and quiet little hall. She was a very elegant and composed woman.
Qi Ji largely resembled his mother. Therefore, he also possessed a refined and elegant demeanor. However, Qi Ji was also known for his romantic nature and always carried a touch of unruliness.
Qi Ji's mother appeared to be in her early forties. Perhaps she was living a comfortable life, for the composure and calmness in her eyes emanated from within. Her smile always revealed a deep sense of happiness. Clearly, she was a woman, like the Sixth Miss, unconditionally pampered.
Madam Qi was a gentle and kind person, and she didn't mind Su's humble nature. She even enjoyed listening to Su tell her some interesting stories about folk life, and she also exchanged some tips on growing vegetables with Su. The two had a very pleasant conversation.
Around noon, Li Xiaonuan and Madam Su got up to say goodbye. Madam Qi tried her best to persuade them to stay for a meal, but Li Xiaonuan and Madam Su politely declined. First, it was against etiquette. Second, they weren't used to dining in such a refined household.
"You must come again another day. I'm just a housewife, and I rarely go out. You must come and chat with me often, otherwise I'll get bored." When they reached the moon gate, Madam Qi held Madam Su's hand and repeatedly gave her these instructions.
Su said cheerfully, "Yes, I'll definitely come when I have time. I don't know anyone in the capital, so it would be good to come and chat with you to relieve your boredom."
Directly opposite the moon gate was the hanging flower gate, where Father Li and Xiao Gang were waiting. Judging from Xiao Gang's radiant face, he was clearly very happy today. Especially his憨傻的 (simple-minded and foolish) manner, which was quite annoying.
After bidding farewell to the Qi family, Li Xiaonuan led her father and the others to Zhuque Street. Zhuque Street was lined with numerous shops selling all sorts of unusual items, from local specialties to goods from other regions.
Li Xiaonuan especially loved brightly colored gemstones. Especially now, many gemstones were still quite affordable. Agate and crystal, for example, were very inexpensive. Li Xiaonuan thought she should buy a few more so the Su family could take them back as gifts.
After buying the crystal and agate jewelry, Li Xiaonuan also bought several pieces of gold and jade jewelry for Su Shi. Su Shi declined several times, but was persuaded by Li's father.
“Take what the child bought for you. All your old jewelry was pawned. I was hoping to work hard for a few years and maybe redeem a few pieces for you. I never imagined I would end up like this. Sigh…” Father Li sighed.
"Alright, let's not talk about those things anymore. If Xiaonuan wants to buy them, I'll wear them. Xiaonuan, don't forget to buy a few pieces for your grandma too." Madam Su gave Li's father a reproachful look, then carefully put away the jewelry that Li Xiaonuan had chosen. Li's father smiled and scratched his head, his憨态 (simple and honest expression) just like Xiaogang's.
Li Xiaonuan and Xiao Gang covered their mouths and chuckled. Then, Li Xiaonuan bought several pieces of jewelry for the old lady and her sisters. But she didn't buy any for herself. Mainly, these things were uncomfortable to wear. In both her past and present lives, she had never planned to wear such things.
"Sis, why didn't you buy your own?" Xiao Gang asked after checking the items.
Li Xiaonuan patted Xiaogang's head and replied, "Sister wants to go to the shop across the street to buy it." Li Xiaonuan pointed to an exotic-style shop across from the jewelry store.
After buying the jewelry, Li Xiaonuan took her family to the shops across the street. The shops were filled with a dazzling array of imported goods. Among them, the glass and crystal products were particularly eye-catching.
Looking at the delicate, transparent little glass bottles, Li Xiaonuan was filled with emotion. These things, in her previous life, were clearly worthless. But in this era, they were worth hundreds of taels of silver.
"Sis, don't you think these bottles are much better for storing medicine powder than porcelain bottles? You can easily see how much has been used and how much is left." Clearly, Xiaogang also really liked those bottles.
“Xiaogang, these bottles are indeed very pretty and convenient. But some medicines shouldn’t be exposed to light. So, it’s better to store them in porcelain bottles. As for these bottles, they’re fine for storing things like oil, salt, and soy sauce,” Li Xiaonuan said.
"Oh? Using these bottles to store oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar? That's such a waste of good stuff. These pretty bottles are great just for display. Don't use them to store those filthy things," Su said regretfully after hearing Li Xiaonuan's words.
"Mom, I was just saying. We're not going to buy these bottles. If we did, you wouldn't let us put those things in them, it'd be a waste to just leave them there." Li Xiaonuan put down the glass bottle and continued walking inside.
As she passed the crystal ball display, she saw something extraordinary. No, it was something that could save her and her entire family's lives. The crystal ball's stand—wasn't it just a crystal base shaped like a concave lens?
At this moment, Li Xiaonuan was overjoyed. Crystal balls come in different sizes, so the bases must also come in different sizes. Furthermore, on the crystal display stand on the other side, Li Xiaonuan also found several convex transparent crystal blocks of different sizes.
Actually, those crystal pieces were supposed to be polished into diamond shapes. But for some reason, they ended up as smooth, convex, round discs. Once Li Xiaonuan held those crystal pieces in her hands, she couldn't put them down.
"Shopkeeper, do you still have crystals of this shape here? And do you still have the base for the crystal ball? If so, could you sell me a few?" Li Xiaonuan asked the shopkeeper, who had been standing quietly to the side the whole time, with great anticipation.
“Replying to this young lady, the quantity of each item is limited. Besides the few pieces you have, the shop only has three to five more of the same style. As for the crystal base, they are all made to match, and there are no extras. However, we do have some unpolished crystal stones in our shop. If you prefer any type, you can have it custom-made here. Once it's finished, we will personally deliver it to your door.” The middle-aged man respectfully replied to Li Xiaonuan.
"Custom-made? That's great," Li Xiaonuan thought. Since it can be customized, she could simply order all the convex and concave lenses that meet the specifications, saving her the trouble of finding someone specializing in this area.
Thinking about the lens specifications from her previous life, Li Xiaonuan asked the shopkeeper to pay for the crystal lens she had first, explaining that she would bring the blueprints to customize it the next day. The shopkeeper respectfully agreed as before.