"The price mustn’t be cheap," Xu Nianhua nodded in agreement, and with her discerning eye, she reckoned this watch must be over a hundred yuan.
An image of Pei Yining’s delicate and pretty doll-like face surfaced in Xu Nianhua’s mind, and she couldn’t help but smile knowingly. Once upon a time, she kept her distance from everyone due to a disfigured face. At work, she was meticulous and serious. There were those who respected her, feared her, disliked her, but none treated her as a friend the way Pei Yining did.
"Mom, I remember we still have several rabbits at home, right? Let’s keep one and I’ll make a dried rabbit. Plus, we’ll buy some beef to make beef jerky," Xu Nianhua said as she recalled Pei Yining’s high praise for the Xu Family’s meals, and she couldn’t help but chuckle. Since Yining enjoyed it so much, she would make some extra.
"Sure," Ji Ying agreed readily, then asked, "But, these foods, they aren’t expensive. Isn’t the return gift a bit too light?"
Ji Ying wasn’t foolish; it’s just that she had been deferential in the Xu Family, always giving way to her in-laws. Moreover, Xu Qinghe often told her that if it weren’t for Xu Zhong and Liu Sanmei, he feared he might not have grown up. Although Liu Sanmei was partial, she at least made sure he was well-fed and clothed, growing up safely.
In social interactions, Ji Ying always conducted herself impeccably. Even when she didn’t have much in the past, she managed to take care of everything perfectly.
"So, my dear mother, what do you think we should give in return?" Xu Nianhua asked playfully, looping her arm through Ji Ying’s, leaning against her cosily. Her voice was naturally gentle and sweet, and when she deliberately acted coquettish, it made one wish to offer up the best of the world to her.
Ji Ying looked at her actions and pretended to be displeased, "You’re so grown up, yet you have no shame, still cooing at me."
"I will always be Mom’s daughter, of course I have to act spoiled with Mom," Nianhua nestled against her shoulder, thinking to herself: she, Xu Nianhua, was Ji Ying’s daughter, and she didn’t care about blood relations, recognizing only Ji Ying as her mother.
Ji Ying glanced sideways at her coquettish daughter. From this angle, she could see her smooth forehead and the corners of her upturned lips. She lifted her hand to touch Nianhua’s black hair, and thinking of her daughter’s origins, she couldn’t help but worry. What if, just what if her biological parents came looking for her?
Over the years, Ji Ying watched Xu Nianhua grow more and more graceful and sensible. The more she saw, the more afraid she became, fearful that Nianhua’s biological parents might suddenly appear.
"Mom, have you decided? What should we give in return?" Xu Nianhua had waited quite a while without hearing a response from Ji Ying, thinking that Ji Ying was still pondering. She looked up and suggested, "How about buying a piece of jade or some jewelry?"
Almost every woman held an indescribable fondness for gold, silver, and jewelry, or jade, and in later generations, diamonds were even more coveted.
Curing a hundred ailments was an exaggeration, but after some thought, Nianhua realized that Pei Yining was still a student, and in these times, it was not easy to find a bag that was to one’s liking, reasonably priced, and stylish.
There was no need to even mention skincare products. After much consideration, she felt that jade or gold ornaments would be best.
"You’ve already made up your mind, so why ask me?" Ji Ying pulled herself back from her thoughts, her face brimming with a full smile, and it just so happened that there was nothing particular for the mother and daughter to do, so they headed to the jewelry store to pick an appropriate gift.
Amidst the dazzling array of gold, silver, and jade articles, Ji Ying stepped on the gleaming, newly-polished floor, feeling a slight urge to back out. Her family had never been wealthy, and even after getting married, she rarely had occasion to visit the city. Therefore, it was the first time she had ever set foot in a jewelry store.