Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 1084: Envy

Sister Erqing smiled and said, "Miss Shang, the Young Master has gone to the Qin family, he is not at home."

Yuanyuan felt quite disappointed. Ever since she returned from the prefecture, she hadn’t seen Sister Xiao Yu. Today, she got up early to come to Sister Xiao Yu’s house with her mother and grandmother’s family, eager to see her and play with her, but still didn’t get to meet her.

Yuanyuan felt a bit sad, but her mother said she was grown up now and couldn’t be as wilful as before. Hearing this, she could only say, "Thank you, Sister Erqing, for informing me. I’ll head to the flower hall first and wait for Sister Xiao Yu to come back to talk."

"Take care, Miss Shang." Erqing escorted Shang Yuanyuan and her two servants out of the courtyard.

Gu Jinli listened to the sound of Yuanyuan’s footsteps fading away and whispered to herself, "Sorry, Yuanyuan, Sister Xiao Yu will come to play with you later."

Saying this, she deftly climbed out the window, went down to the wall, and climbed over it to leave the house.

Just as she landed, she saw Qin San Lang standing in the alley between their two homes, waiting for her.

"Let’s go." Qin San Lang supported her waist, helped her over the wall into the Qin house. After she landed in the Qin house’s courtyard, he himself jumped over into the house.

"Are you hungry, Xiao Yu? Let’s have a meal before heading back." Qin San Lang looked at her, his gaze landing warmly on her.

She was wearing a newly made light green summer dress, looking even more spirited, making him suddenly not want to visit the Gu family guests, but rather stay here alone with her.

Gu Jinli looked up at him, seeing the anticipation in his eyes, she asked, "Do you want to spend some more time with me?"

Qin San Lang nodded, "Yes, I came back just to see you."

Each time he returned, it was almost always to see her, and to catch a glimpse of her, he would travel through the night without sleep.

Gu Jinli smiled, reaching up to playfully tug on his face, "You can’t be so wilful, we’re the hosts, we have to help entertain the guests... But seeing as you’re so pitiful, I’ll make you some breakfast before we head back."

Qin San Lang was delighted, yet he didn’t let her cook. Instead, he said, "I’ll do it, you just wait and eat."

Xiao Yu in her new dress, looking so pretty, he didn’t want her clothes to get dirty.

Gu Jinli nodded in agreement, staying by his side, watching as he skillfully prepared a piece of fresh lamb, slicing it into small pieces, making a soup, and baking some flatbreads. It was all done in just over a quarter of an hour.

"You work really fast," Gu Jinli said, wringing a damp cloth, gently wiping the sweat from his face.

Qin San Lang enjoyed these everyday moments alone with her, standing at the kitchen door, letting her wipe his sweat. After wiping, he brought the lamb soup and flatbreads under a tree in front of the house’s room, where the two of them sat at the stone bench eating the flatbreads.

The summer breeze gently blew past them, and the leafy shade overhead covered them, bringing a bit of coolness, making them feel both tranquil and comfortable.

Gu Jinli narrowed her eyes comfortably and said, "This feels so nice, if only all summer could be this pleasant."

By June or July, the weather would become unbearably hot, and it would start to feel uncomfortable.

But she still liked June very much, because Qin San Lang’s birthday was in June.

She tilted her head to look at Qin San Lang and asked him, "What do you want for your birthday this year?"

Qin San Lang paused his spoon-stirring in the lamb soup, looked at her, and the words "you" caught in his throat, almost slipping out.

However, he eventually said, "Whatever gift Xiao Yu gives, I’ll like it."

Gu Jinli looked at him and said, "That’s like saying nothing. But I’ve already prepared the gift for you; it’s very suitable for you. You’ll know when the time comes."

But she had been working on it for over two years; it was just too difficult to make, and it was only this year that she managed to finish it, enough in time to give it to him for his birthday.

Qin San Lang knew everything about her, and with these words, he guessed what the gift could be, but he still wanted her more.

"What about next year?" Qin San Lang pushed the now-cool lamb soup towards her and asked casually, "Next year, I’ll be twenty, the age for the coming-of-age ceremony."

For men in Great Chu, the coming-of-age ceremony was significant, so the birthday gift he wanted was also important.

Gu Jinli, while drinking the lamb soup, mumbled, "This year’s birthday hasn’t even come yet, and you’re already thinking about next year’s. You really are greedy."

Qin San Lang laughed; he was indeed greedy because this year he wanted the gift to be her, and next year to be their child together.

However, Qin San Lang didn’t say it out loud but buried it in his heart, not wanting to scare her.

But she seemed to figure it out, glancing at him and saying, "It’s not impossible. If we marry earlier, it should be doable."

Being a mother, she was also looking forward to it.

"Really?" Qin San Lang was taken aback, almost not believing what he heard, his eyes full of radiance as he looked at her and asked.

Just as he asked, and before she could answer, he couldn’t wait and took large strides to embrace her when Brother Cheng’s voice suddenly reached them.

"Second Sister and Brother San Lang, what are you doing? Why are you taking so long to come back? The guests are almost all here, if you delay any longer, you’ll be scolded."

Gu Jinli looked at Qin San Lang’s body as it froze abruptly, bursting into laughter, handing him another bowl of lamb soup and saying, "Finish eating quickly, we have to go."

"Second Sister, Brother San Lang, you’re hiding here again eating secretly." Brother Cheng was already approaching with Sister Erqing, and seeing the lamb soup on the stone table, he said, "You’re having lamb soup? There’s yummier food at home; hurry back, mother and father are anxious."

Qin San Lang replied, "Alright, we’ll head back now."

He looked at Gu Jinli, his heart filled with joy because of what she had just said. She wasn’t afraid; she didn’t reject it. She was happy to want to have children with him.

Qin San Lang’s heart swelled with warmth, almost too hot, like something was about to break free from his chest and fly out, filling him with profound joy.

He suppressed the elation in his heart, picked up the bowl, finishing the lamb soup in a few sips, then ate the remaining half bowl of her lamb soup.

Brother Cheng thought he was starving, took his hand, and said, "Brother San Lang, poor you, let’s go quickly, we’ll go home and have some good food."

Qin San Lang laughed, taking Gu Jinli’s hand, the three of them walked towards the Gu family.

...

That day, the Gu family was bustling with noise and excitement from morning till night, filled with laughter and joyous voices.

Gu Jinxiu and Luo Wu’s engagement ceremony was an impressive affair, with many families coming to congratulate them, bringing lots of gifts.

But the most dazzling of all was the jewelry from the Luo family, which, apart from the usual golden headwear, included a gemstone hairpin.

The appearance of that gemstone hairpin stunned all the guests present.

Gu Jinli was also taken aback, for Luo Wu to be able to present a gemstone hairpin was indeed surprising.

However, both Qin San Lang and Gu Jin’an insisted that there was nothing suspicious about the origin of the hairpin; Brother Luo Wu had specially acquired it for the eldest sister.

Because of this gemstone hairpin, Gu Jinxiu’s engagement ceremony turned out to be very respectable. Mrs. Cui was overwhelmed with joy, there was no one happier than her for Gu Jinxiu and Luo Wu to finally become a couple.

Gu Jinxiu was so happy she shed tears, making Luo Wu so anxious, wanting to help her wipe away her tears, yet fearing gossip, he could only restrain himself, quietly handing a handkerchief to Brother Cheng to take over to Gu Jinxiu to dry her tears. That carefully anxious demeanor was something people couldn’t help but envy.