Chapter 387: Chapter 387: Receiving New Year Gifts Chapter 387: Chapter 387: Receiving New Year Gifts The next morning, Yuan Jianing took Luo Qiao to the Geng Family early on, and to everyone’s surprise, Geng Yanqiu was already waiting there.
Luo Qiao picked two puppies that caught her eye, one pure black and the other with some white on its legs. It was agreed that they would be raised at the Geng Family for the time being, and she would come to pick them up when she left.
Geng Yanqiu saw that they had made their selection and did not say much else.
Luo Qiao thanked them and left the Geng Family with Yuan Jianing.
After breakfast, the Jing Family came over. Luo Qiao informed Yuan Jianing where they would meet in the afternoon. Then she told Master Yuan that she would not return that evening, as she was going to her grandparents’ place and would come back on the second day of the Lunar New Year to offer New Year’s greetings.
Old Master Yuan understood, given that it was already the twenty-ninth of the twelfth lunar month. He asked Luo Qiao to pass on his regards and insisted she take the gifts prepared in advance. He watched as she departed.
Upon leaving the courtyard, Luo Qiao asked the Jing Family servants to wait a moment and went to a row of bungalows at the front, looking for a carpenter surnamed Li.
It was quite easy to find him; she ran into someone right at the main entrance, explained the situation, discussed her ideas, and the carpenter agreed to the task, saying that she could come and pick up the finished work on the second day of the first lunar month. She paid a deposit and then headed off.
When Luo Qiao arrived at the Jing Family’s place, Elder Jing mentioned that he had been feeling better and better these past few days.
After completing the acupuncture, Luo Qiao left three jars of the ointment, explaining how to use them and stressing that the herbal soup prescriptions should not be interrupted. She would adjust the prescription on the third day of the New Year when she visited again.
The Jing Family had prepared many New Year’s gifts for her. Unable to refuse, Luo Qiao accepted them, and the Jing Family arranged for a car to take her back to her grandparents’ place.
It was only when she got out of the car that Luo Qiao realized how many gifts there really were; she had thought it was only what she had seen in the back seat, but the entire trunk was packed full.
Since the car couldn’t enter the alley due to its size, she had to unload the gifts and carry them back little by little. The neighbors, who were chatting at the street corner, were extremely envious.
All the items were high-quality goods: meat, eggs, fish, and vegetables for the New Year, as well as a large bundle of spices, some pieces of fabric, milk candies, and tobacco and alcohol.
Uncle Sun came forward with his sons to help carry the gifts back, and when they left, Luo Qiao slipped some milk candies into their hands as a token of her thanks.
When Uncle Sun returned, the people visiting his house asked, “Sun Bro, what’s going on here?”
“Exactly, this granddaughter the Luo Family just acknowledged, didn’t she come from Ji City? How come she’s being dropped off in a small car now?”
“Yeah, that’s not a factory car; I recognize the factory cars—they are jeeps. This car is a Santana; I heard it costs quite a lot of money.”
“Has this granddaughter of the Luo Family met some wealthy people? Look at all those gifts, they must be worth a lot of money.”
“Looks like the Luo Family is on the rise. But with only a cripple and a simpleton at home, it’s useless even if they do become wealthy.”
“Sister-in-law Wu, you should really keep some virtue on your tongue,” Uncle Sun said.
Luo Qiao had just escorted the driver out and happened to overhear this last part of the conversation.
Luo Qiao was kind-hearted but not a pushover. After seeing the driver off, she came over and stared intently at Sister-in-law Wu.
Sister-in-law Wu, looking displeased, said, “Why are you staring at me? I haven’t said anything wrong.”
Luo Qiao replied, “I advise you to be kind-hearted and hope that one day you won’t come begging in front of me.”
Her voice was loud enough for everyone sitting around and chatting to hear.
Luo Qiao had no time to entangle herself with people who were jealous of others and spitefully spiteful; she believed in the power of showing strength rather than arguing.
When she got home, she asked her grandparents to take care of the gifts and instructed them to share some with the neighbors who had helped them out.
Zhou Guifang was a perceptive person, “Qiaoqiao, may I tell others about your medical skills?”
Luo Qiao smiled, “Of course, but I don’t have a license to practice medicine yet. It looks like I’ll have to ask Grandpa Yang tomorrow to see if there’s a solution.”
Zhou Guifang laughed, “Alright, I’ll just say you’ve been studying medicine with your master. Your elder and second brothers won’t be able to keep it a secret anyway; I’m just letting the news out a little earlier.”
Luo Qiao had no objections, “Grandma, you handle it as you see fit.”
Zhou Guifang knew that with so many New Year’s gifts received today and all the neighbors having seen them, it was necessary to explain the situation or who knows what rumors would spread. Since it would come out eventually, and it was not a matter to hide, she preferred to be open about it to avoid idle gossip about her granddaughter.