Chapter 750: Family
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In that case, it was indeed not good to delay any longer.
Yu Youyao quickly took the gift she had personally prepared from Chun Xiao and handed it over respectfully. “l made a headband for Grandmother…”
In the narrow box, there was a Ruyi-patterned Sichuan embroidery headband.
In the middle of the headband, there was a sapphire the size of a pigeon egg. It was as deep and bright as seawater.
Old Madam Xie smiled so widely that her eyes couldn’t be seen. “Our Little Yao’er’s embroidery skills are really good. I see that the Sichuan embroidery on it is a little different from usual. The Ruyi patterns don’t look like they were embroidered. They seem to be embossed on it. At first glance, the Ruyi patterns on it seem to move.”
Yu Youyao pursed her lips and chuckled. “The Sichuan embroidery is quick
and realistic, vivid and three-dimensional. It uses a cross st.i.tch, a spiral st.i.tch, and a solid st.i.tch. The needle technique is very special. A good friend taught it to me.”
Tang Yunxi was good at embroidery and was very interested in double-sided embroidery, so she taught her some of her skills.
Tang Yunxi did not want to take advantage of her, so she wanted to teach her Sichuan embroidery.
Yu Youyao, who had just learnt double-sided embroidery, expressed that she did not want to learn it at all. However, in order to let Tang Yunxi learning without any psychological burden, she could only bite the bullet and learn it.
Auntie Xu was overjoyed.
Madam w.a.n.g also leaned over to take a look. “Look at the sapphire on it. Such a pure and flawless sapphire is rare in the Great Zhou Dynasty…”
The two of them gathered together and praised the headband endlessly.
This scene reminded Yu Youyao of the first time her grandmother had received the embroidery she had personally embroidered. She couldn’t help but feel a little sad.
Old Master Xie felt a sour feeling in his heart. “We still have to go to Old Master’s house later. You can stop for awhile. It’s not the first time you’ve received a gift from Little Yao’er.”
Old Madam Xie rolled her eyes at him and grinned.
Yu Youyao’s heart sank. “Cousin brought the gems on it back from Youzhou. I still have many different colors in my house. If Grandmother and Eldest Aunt like them, I’ll get someone to send some over later.”
Old Madam Xie and Madam w.a.n.g were stunned for a moment before they realized that the “cousin” Yu Youyao was talking about was Zhou Linghuai, who had sent her to Quanzhou.
Old Madam Xie smiled. “This is a rare thing.”
Yu Youyao took the headband and helped Old Madam Xie put it on. Old Madam Xie’s face was filled with smiles.
Madam w.a.n.g also praised with a smile, “It’s indigo and the headband is embroidered beautifully. No matter what, it suits her well. It’s also suitable to wear a headband in this weather. Our Little Yao’er is really considerate.”
Yu Youyao hurriedly took the shoes that she had given to her maternal grandfather. “l have a maidservant in front of me who has an ancestral shoemaking skill. She knows how to make a thousand-layer sole. Not only is it breathable and soft, but it also absorbs moisture and perspiration. I heard that Quanzhou is near the sea and the climate is wetter, so I made a pair of cotton shoes for my maternal grandfather with the special soles. You can wear them at home and your feet will feel more at ease.”
There were no patterns on the black shoes, but the workmanship was very dense. There was even a layer of thin cow tendon soles on the thousand-layer soles.
Yu Youyao squatted on the ground and wanted to help him try on his shoes.
“Grandfather, try and see if it fits.”
“I’ll do it myself.” How could Old Master Xie bear to let his granddaughter put on his shoes? He quickly took off his shoes and put on the cotton shoes that his granddaughter had personally made.
He usually wore cotton shoes at home.
One step of the shoes and he could tell the difference. Old Master Xie stood up and took a few steps. He immediately said, “These shoes are good. They’re better than what I used to wear…
Now, it was Old Master Xie’s turn to be smug.
Yu Youyao took out another pair of shoes and a very exquisite fan with peony flowers embroidered on both sides. This was prepared for Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt.
Madam w.a.n.g did not have a daughter herself and had never enjoyed the gifts of a daughter. She was even more overjoyed when she held the fan.
The two sides of the two-sided peonies were different. One side was pink and white, looking elegant and refined, while the other side was purple and red, looking magnificent.
At first glance, she only felt that the double sided peony flowers were beautiful.
Madam w.a.n.g was overjoyed. “Little Yao’er, you’re too considerate. It’s too tiring to make needlework. You have to make less in the future…”
As a result, the family chatted a lot and wasted a lot of time before going to the main residence.
As Old Madam Xie walked, she even held her hand and said lovingly, “I’ll bring you over to meet them first. After that, you should go back and rest. You’re filial, so we won’t hold the welcome banquet. The family will gather for dinner tonight and get to know each other better.” At this point, she changed the topic. “Your second uncle’s wife is a straightforward person. Third aunt is gentle and easy to get along with…”
The old lady rambled on for a long time.
When she arrived at the main courtyard, her second uncle and third uncle’s family were already waiting in the hall.
Old Master Xie sat at the master seat. Yu Youyao respectfully kowtowed to her great-grandfather and handed over the cotton shoes she had personally made.
There were a total of two pairs.
One was azure, and the other was indigo.
Old Master Xie tried on the shoes on the spot and couldn’t bear to take them off. “Although this pair of shoes looks simple, it’s not easy to make a pair of shoes that not only fit your feet, but are also comfortable and wearable. If clothes are too big or small, we can still make do. However, shoes can’t be any bigger, but they can still be an inch smaller.”
In ordinary families, shoes were the only thing they never bought.
As long as there was any remaining cloth at home, they would use it to make shoes first.
After Old Master Xie finished speaking, he said, “A surname doesn’t mean anything. Since you’ve entered the Xie Residence, you’re a member of the Xie Residence. Don’t be an outsider in the future.’
Yu Youyao’s eyes turned red, and she quickly nodded in agreement.
What she had prepared for her second and third uncles were also shoes. Each of them had a pair. As she had made them herself, they were all the same. No one felt that she was not doing her best.
The only things that juniors could give their elders were shoes, socks, and waist seals. However, Yu Youyao was their niece, and socks were personal items. It was only right for his wife and daughter to make them. There were also many waist seals, so shoes were more suitable.
What she gave to her second aunt and third aunt were also double-sided embroidery fans.
Her second aunt, Madam Lin, liked camellias. Yu Youyao gave her a double-sided camellia fan. It was red and white, and looked extremely elegant.
Third Aunt, Madam Zheng, liked plum blossoms, so Yu Youyao gave her a double-sided plum blossom fan. One side was cinnabar colored, and the other was green. It symbolised strength in the face of challenges.
Her cousins were men, so it wasn’t appropriate for Yu Youyao to give them anything too personal. She gave each of them a hollowed-out silver incense ball. This was a small and exquisite incense ball that they could carry with them.
There were spices and incense pills in it. After burning it, the fragrance of smoke would waft out of the small hole.
The incense ball was not rare.
What was rare was the incense pills inside. As Quanzhou was near the sea and the climate was wet, Yu Youyao made incense pills that were moist and warm. Wearing them for a long time was light and nourishing. Something like that
was hard to come by..