"Big sister, after Uncle Xiaowu left, do you think Grandpa and Grandma won’t let him come back?" Sanni was somewhat worried.
Yang Ruxin smiled, "Whether he comes back or not is his own choice, don’t fret over it."
Sanni nodded and then put the matter aside.
However, that very afternoon, Yang Baixiang did return. He intended to keep his word about working off his debt. As for whether the people of the Yang Family ancestral home had given him a hard time, he didn’t say, and Yang Ruxin didn’t ask. She simply arranged for him to go and supervise the work on the mountain.
In the evening, Little Liuzi’s mother, Liu Cuiyun, came by on her own initiative because Little Liuzi and Liang Xiaoyu were finally going to get engaged. The date was set for the eighth of November, with the village chief’s wife acting as the matchmaker, and the wedding to follow the next autumn.
Since both families had received some silver from the tiger hunt last time, they were planning to renovate their houses after the end of Yang Ruxin’s projects. They would have enough time to be ready for the wedding next autumn. Besides, Xiaoyu’s older brother Tie Dan wasn’t young anymore and still hadn’t discussed marriage. The plan was to settle his marriage matters during this time as well. It didn’t seem right for the brother to lag behind his sister.
Although the two families were very close and the Liang Family said that keeping things simple was enough and there was no need for extravagance, Yang Zhenli and his wife were not willing to shortchange Xiaoyu. After all, they had watched her grow up, just as they would their own daughter. Naturally, if it were their own daughter getting engaged, they wouldn’t want her to settle for less either, so they planned to provide everything that was necessary, especially since they could afford it.
Liu Cuiyun even came to see Yang Ruxin personally, hoping she would help with the cooking on the day of the engagement. They originally wanted to ask Aunt Hehua, but she was pregnant and Li Zhong had her resting on the kang, not letting her do anything. The cooking and other chores were all being handled by Xiaoxiang, so naturally, they couldn’t ask her. While others might not know, these familiar friends knew that Yang Ruxin’s cooking skills were even better than Aunt Hehua’s.
"Don’t worry, Auntie." Yang Ruxin said with a smile, nodding her head, "Even if you didn’t ask me, I would have come forward myself. I’ll make sure everything is beautifully done for you. You just tell me how many dishes you want to make, how many meat and vegetable dishes..."
"Okay." Liu Cuiyun nodded in satisfaction and patted the bundle she had brought with her, "These are two pairs of shoes I’ve made myself. I know you don’t like to sew, so don’t reject them."
"Your sewing is absolutely fantastic, Auntie," Yang Ruxin did not decline, "I couldn’t be more pleased."
"That’s great," Liu Cuiyun said joyfully, and then happily left.
Just after sending Liu Cuiyun off, Liang Zi arrived with news that the shop in town was renovated.
Yang Ruxin was delighted upon hearing it and, paying no mind to the fact that the sun was already setting, immediately went to town with Liang Zi. Qian Er was waiting in the shop.
"Xinxin, what do you think? If you’re not satisfied, we can make changes," Qian Er said eagerly as soon as he saw Yang Ruxin, with a face full of anticipation.
Yang Ruxin looked over the shop upstairs and downstairs and had to admit that Qian Er was pretty reliable. The entire shop’s decor was essentially what she had requested, and the cost hadn’t been too high, showing his genuine effort.
"Not bad," Yang Ruxin glanced at Qian Er.
"As long as Xinxin is happy, that’s what matters," Qian Er said, breathing a sigh of relief, "So, when’s the opening?"
"In these next few days," replied Yang Ruxin, scanning the area, "Just be ready for the notice. Also, my courtyard needs to be renovated too; I’ll leave that to you as well. I’ll give you the blueprints later."
"Sure thing!" both Qian Er and Liang Zi were excited.