Astonishment

Mrs. Wang smiled: "They're both my grandsons, and I love them equally."

The old man said: "Then the second and third should stay at home! You two brothers will decide the family affairs. If you can't decide, ask Qibao."

Second and Third Xu heard this and saw nothing wrong with it. They agreed without hesitation.

"All right, everyone, let's get a good rest tonight." The old man said: "We need to be up before sunrise tomorrow to reach Qingyun City early."

Qibao suddenly remembered she hadn't taken out the diamond jewelry set she had made. She was worried that if her grandparents left early the next day, she wouldn't have time to show it to them.

"Aunt, wait a moment, I'll go get something." Qibao rushed into her room, grabbed the box containing the jewelry from her space, and ran back to the front hall.

"Auntie" Qibao said: "This is the set of diamond jewelry I promised to make. I'm also giving it as part of the dowry. It's all finished now."

Mrs. Zhang accepted the wooden box and opened it. In the firelight, the butterflies on the jewelry glinted with dazzling brilliance, leaving everyone breathless.

"It's absolutely stunning! Wow, such amazing sparkle!"

The entire Xu family, including Jing Chen and Su Chenyu, were astonished.

They had never seen such sparkly, glowing jewelry before.

"Qibao, what is this? Why does it glow?" Su Chenyu asked curiously.

"This is made of diamonds, something I stumbled upon by chance!" Qibao explained.

"If these could be sold as jewelry in the capital, they'd be snatched up in seconds." Su Chenyu said, eyes shining: "Even at thousands or tens of thousands of taels each, the wealthy ladies and maidens would be desperate to get their hands on them!"

Qibao said: "I don't have much of this material. Even if I opened a jewelry store, I couldn't just make diamonds whenever I wanted."

Su Chenyu suggested: "Even one or two sets every few months would be fine. That would give your shop a reputation and business would be booming."

Qibao thought for a moment and said: "That would require me to go to the capital first!"

In reality, Qibao had hit upon a good idea. Su Chenyu's suggestion was feasible, and since Qibao could draw, she could mimic popular jewelry designs of the time. By finding skilled artisans to craft them, her plan would surely be a success.

"Sounds good!" Su Chenyu said: "When the time comes, I'll help you find a shop in the capital."

Qibao nodded: "Great. But I'll also need two skilled jewelry-makers. Could you keep an eye out for me?"

Jing Chen stepped forward: "Leave finding the craftsmen to me!"

Su Chenyu pursed his lips— He had to admit, Jing Chen could find expert craftsmen. After all, the palace was full of artists who made jewelry for the imperial harem. Only the best could even work there.

Mrs. Wang spoke up: "This suit must be quite expensive, isn't it?"

Su Chenyu agreed: "You're right. Rarity drives up the price. In the capital, you'd easily find people offering over ten thousand taels for a set like this."

"Goodness! Jewelry that expensive?" Mrs. Zhang remarked: "Our bracelet probably isn't cheap either!"

Mrs. Li thought of the bracelet Qibao had given her, which she still cherished in her locked cabinet: "Qibao." She said, touched: "You always think of us. Giving your mother and grandmother each a piece shows your filial heart, but you also gave one to me and your aunt. We're truly grateful."

Qibao stepped forward and took both Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Li by the hand. She said: "Auntie, Second Auntie, you've always treated me like your own daughter, so it's only right that I care for you. Sharing good things with family is what makes them truly special."

Mrs. Zhang stroked Qibao's head affectionately: "Look at you, worrying about your brother's betrothal gifts! Are your hands hurt?"

Qibao shook her head: "No, my brother's wedding is important to me as his sister. Besides, my brother has always been kind to me. Making this set of jewelry didn't take much effort at all."

Xu Wenwu felt warmth in his heart. His sister was so considerate that it nearly broke his heart. She always thought of her family first, and he could only express his deep love for her.

Jing Chen observed carefully. The butterfly wings on the jewelry were all cut to the same size – clearly the work of someone very thoughtful. He wondered how long it must have taken the little girl to make this expensive set of jewelry, feeling a twinge of sympathy for her.

The family packed up and counted the betrothal gifts, which included eight sets of gold head-pieces, eight sets of silver head-pieces, and eight sets of jade head-pieces, as well as a large number of gold, silver, and jade ornaments, and various fine brocade fabrics. In addition, there was the 10,010 taels of good omen prepared by the Xu family, Qibao's set of diamond head-pieces, and a pair of live geese. The betrothal gift was not light.

After recording the gift list, the old man tucked it into his robe: "Let's wait till we get to Qingyun City. We'll find a reputable matchmaker to help us deliver the gifts."

Mrs. Wang nodded and asked: "Hasn't Zhiyong decided to go to Qingyun City to do business with the Boss Qian?"

Mrs. Zhang sighed: "Yes, that's right. My son is packing his things in his room right now."

Mrs. Wang agreed: "Your child is grown up now and has his own ideas. We should support him. Okay, it's getting late. Let's all get some rest. We have to be up early tomorrow."

The guests finally dispersed and went back to their rooms.

Early the next morning, before the sky was even bright, sounds of activity could be heard from the Xu residence.

Qibao thought she could sleep until dawn, but noises from outside woke her up. She got dressed, rubbed her eyes, and stepped out of her room.

She saw Kui Wu and several servants loading gifts onto a carriage.

Mrs. Wang was dressed in her finest, with fresh clothes and a hairpin in her hair—quite a change from her usual simple look.

"Qibao, did we wake you up?"

Qibao replied: "No, I just wanted to arrange for Yueyang, Yue Xiao, and Yue Bing to escort you to Qingyun City. Having a few martial-trained people around will keep you safe."

Mrs. Wang agreed without hesitation. With such valuable gifts, safety was a must.

After Qibao gave her instructions, the trio smiled and nodded in excitement.

The other nine servants looked on jealously—they'd never been on a long journey before!

"Don't look so glum." Qibao said: "I plan to send you all out soon for some experience and training too."

"When, Miss?" Yue Xue asked, full of anticipation.

Qibao announced: "Wait until Yueyang and the others return from Qingyun City."

Eyes lit up with excitement across their faces.

Then she warned: "Don't get too excited just yet. Even if your training is good, the outside world can be cruel. If you come back crying after being taken advantage of, I won't help you."

"Miss, don't worry." Yue Jiao vowed: "If anyone tries to take advantage of us, I'll beat them so hard they'll be crawling on the ground!" She clenched her fist angrily.

Qibao laughed: "Knowing you best, I'm actually most worried about you!"

Yue Jiao huffed: "Miss, I'm not the same crybaby you knew before. Don't underestimate me now."

The others chuckled at her words.

Over these years, the twelve of them had grown close, like a family. Qibao was very content. With her team united, she could focus on her work without worrying about internal strife.