Wufu saw Shopkeeper Lin out the door. He got onto the carriage parked at the entrance and waved his hand, "Go back now, I will come pick you up from your home tomorrow."
"Safe travels, Shopkeeper Lin," Wufu bowed.
Shopkeeper Lin lowered the carriage curtain and said to the coachman on the shafts, "To the County Government Office."
The carriage clattered forward; Shopkeeper Lin leaned against the carriage wall, his hand brushed his sleeve where he kept the jade hairpin carved by Wufu. He closed his eyes, contemplating the possibilities of that matter.
Fourth Happiness Alley was only the distance of a cup of tea away from the Huayang County Yamen. Shopkeeper Lin straightened his collar and instructed his servant boy to present the gifts, having someone announce his arrival. It wasn’t long before someone led him to the Rear Government Office.
Upon seeing Wen Congrui, Shopkeeper Lin knelt to greet him, "My lord."
Wufu entered the backyard, where Madam Zhou, accompanied by Qiu Xiang, was registering the gifts sent by Ah Jiu and Shopkeeper Lin.
"The young lady has arrived," Qiu Xiang greeted Wufu and had Qiu Ye bring over some tea.
"You’re here," Madam Zhou drew her close and said, "We were just about to store these items. Wufu, with so many gifts, shouldn’t we return the favor?"
Wufu glanced at the items; indeed, there were many.
She had invited Ah Jiu in the name of a casual visit, yet he had sent over many things: fine silks and satins, precious nourishments, even a pair of vases, and various other ceremonial gifts, all laid out in abundance.
"No need to, put them away. When his family has a celebration, we can send a reciprocal gift then," Wufu said with a smile.
Madam Zhou nodded and then showed Wufu the gifts from Shopkeeper Lin too—eight types of ceremonial gifts and two bolts of cloth. They didn’t match up to what Ah Jiu had sent, but considering Shopkeeper Lin’s standing, they were quite respectable.
"Mother, tomorrow I will accompany Shopkeeper Lin to visit the Lord County Magistrate. What do you think we should present as a gift?" Wufu asked.
It was after looking through this pile of gifts that she realized the importance of bearing gifts when visiting; otherwise, people might say you’re rude or poorly mannered.
Madam Zhou was taken aback, "To visit the Lord County Magistrate? Wufu, how did you come to know such a person?"
Even Qiu Xiang and Qiu Ye, who had just brought in tea, showed some surprise.
"The current Lord of Huayang is the young master from the family that owns Shopkeeper Lin," Wufu explained. "I had met the lord before when I helped carve at the Silver House. Now that we have moved to the county, I thought it proper to pay a visit, which could do us no harm and might even be beneficial."
"I see," Madam Zhou looked towards Qiu Xiang, "Qiu Xiang, what do you think we should present as a gift?"
Wufu raised an eyebrow, noting that in these past days, Qiu Xiang’s performance must have been quite satisfactory to have earned Madam Zhou’s reliance.
With Wufu looking at her, Qiu Xiang pondered for a moment before saying, "For a first visit, and since we are not attending a banquet, in my opinion, presenting eight types of ceremonial gifts should be adequate."
"But to present to the Lord County Magistrate, would eight types of ceremonial gifts be too modest?" Madam Zhou hesitated.
In her opinion, the county magistrate was a high-ranking official. Now that they were going to pay a visit, eight types of ceremonial gifts seemed somewhat meager.
Wufu chuckled, "Eight types of ceremonial gifts are quite appropriate. It’s just a first visit after all. Giving too lavish a gift instead may not seem proper. Let’s settle on that. Qiu Xiang, please prepare them. Tomorrow, I will bring Hongyu and the others."
Qiu Ye, listening by the side, gently bit her lip and stealthily cast a glance at Wufu.
Today there was a Ninth Master—while his status was unknown, the nobility in his every move was not something a nouveau riche could feign.
And now, there was also a county magistrate. Could this head lady of their new household really be just a farm girl?