"What are they trying to do, inviting us to watch the lion dance? What’s this about?"
Elder sister Ye Luoqi felt that something fishy was going on and she didn’t want to be subjected to any snide remarks over the New Year—out of sight, out of mind!
"Hmph, don’t we know them? They just want to show off in front of us!" Third Sister Ye Xinqi sneered.
"I think so too. If we wanted to watch the lion dance, would we need their invitation?"
Second Sister Ye Mei Qi had always disliked them, their haughty airs unprovoked; they were sisters who hadn’t bothered anyone, yet rumors still circulated.
"Why be afraid of them? It’s just watching the lion dance; they wouldn’t dare openly bully us," said Fourth Sister Ye Fengqi, ready to take action.
Ye Shiqi stayed silent, just a bystander in these arguments; her sisters didn’t need her to fight their battles.
"Are you sisters planning to accept the invitation?"
After watching the lion dance and the family’s dramatic rivalries, Granny Li’s granddaughter and some teenage girls from the village planned to hang out with the Ye Family’s sisters.
They had overheard the discussions and knew about the invitations.
As friends and confidantes, the young girls all wore expressions of concern and worry.
"Yes, it’s the New Year; what are they planning now?" said one village girl.
"I think you sisters should just ignore them; why bother with them?" another girl suggested.
The girls spoke with concern, all dressed festively, regardless of whether their clothes were new or not. They shared something in common: wearing pink and red, auspicious colors.
Even if their clothing wasn’t lavish, the material of their dresses and shoes not the finest, their head decorations, all in pink and red, stood out.
They lacked the precious jewelry typical of wealthy young ladies, but they wore their favorite styles all the same.
In this group of girls, having silver jewelry was regarded as the most beautiful and precious.
As for the Ye family’s sisters, their jewelry was not too expensive either, given the rural setting where overly pricey, eye-catching things could attract thieves.
It was also about blending in with their friends, not making them feel outclassed by wealth, keeping their attire relatively similar.
Ye Shiqi had many precious pieces of jewelry that she did not wear; it wasn’t about showing off.
Some pieces indeed shouldn’t be worn in the village; many of her most valuable belongings, gifts from Tang Shunyan, were kept in her personal space, to be worn when she was older.
Ye Shiqi was well aware that wearing such jewelry would attract unwanted attention, and she didn’t want anyone brazenly stealing from her.
If it were outsiders, she could perhaps reclaim it, but it was different with her own people; she knew her family’s temperaments well.
Eventually, they concluded that there was nothing to fear; they were just going to fulfill the invitation!
Hand in hand, the five sisters proceeded, followed by two little maids, and their worried friends joined as well.
As this group appeared in the village alley, the village children and adults, noticing the Ye family’s five sisters, were very curious about where they might be heading.
Though the adults were curious and gossipy, they didn’t share the children’s eagerness to join in on the outing; only some children, seeing the group, also followed to see what they were doing.
Gradually, not only girls joined the group walking through the area, but a few teenage boys as well.
Ye Jiaxing had been close by, longing throughout the festival to create more chances to meet, particularly longing to visit in person.
Shy and feeling it inappropriate to visit without a gift, he had specifically bought a silver bracelet using money he earned, intended for Ye Luoqi especially for the New Year.
Because he had not given his mother his salary for the last couple of months before the festival, his mother had questioned him intensively about where his money had gone; she had bought his New Year clothes herself.
Under his mother’s relentless questioning, Ye Jiaxing kept his secret and had taken a long trek to the county two days before the New Year, spending two months’ salary on the silver bracelet.
It was his secret endeavor, not even shared with his own siblings.
The day Ye Jiaxing went to the county, he didn’t tell his parents where he was, and when he didn’t return for lunch, they thought he was at work since meals were provided there.
Thus, he truly bought the silver bracelet secretly; it was hidden in his chest, too many people around previously for him to comfortably offer it.
He thought that although the silver bracelet was costly for him, covering two months’ wages, it wasn’t an expensive item, nor was it meant as an engagement gift.
He was not confident that Ye Luoqi would accept his gift.
The jewelry that Ye Luoqi wore, though all silver and appearing no less valuable than his bracelet, might even be more expensive.
Ye Jiaxing understood his family’s status and pursuing Ye Luoqi might be difficult, and he anticipated a challenging path ahead. But since he was unmarried and she was unattached, he was determined to seize any chance he got.