Du Yiyi not only gifted a horse whip but also a horse.
Su Xiaoqi had never owned a horse, let alone ridden one, in her life.
In modern times, she had only managed to go around once in a scenic spot, led by a handler.
The thought of actually owning a horse now felt utterly surreal.
No, wait…
A jolt ran through Su Xiaoqi. Wasn't today Shen Yun's successful examination? It was supposed to be his day of triumph, so why were so many of the gifts from his family of three intended for her?
What had she done to deserve this?
"Hehe, dear sister, don't think about it too much, just accept it. Even my mother said this horse whip suits you.
She said you resemble my maternal aunt when she was young, even in temper and personality. Seeing you makes her incredibly fond of you.
She even said if my eldest aunt hadn't gotten there first, she would have adopted you as her goddaughter."
Du Yiyi's words were astonishing.
They made Su Xiaoqi’s mind conjure up an entire novel.
The original owner of this body had been an orphan beggar since childhood.
Could she be related to this maternal aunt Du Yiyi mentioned?
No, she didn't even know where Du Yiyi's maternal aunt was, whether she was married, or if she had ever had a daughter. Yet here she was, thinking such things.
Su Xiaoqi patted the back of her head, urging herself to snap out of it.
Chen Jinniang felt a bit embarrassed by Du Yiyi's grand gesture.
Her own prepared gift seemed rather ordinary in comparison.
It included a hundred taels of silver, along with rice dumplings, and a ten-item gift set.
For an ordinary family, this was already a generous gift.
But it couldn't compare to the Du family's offering.
It truly was a case of comparing oneself to others and feeling utterly disheartened.
Su Xiaoqi, however, didn't feel that way.
On the contrary, she felt Chen Jinniang's gift was too generous.
One hundred taels of silver in Mianzhou City could buy a two-courtyard house with a shop out front.
"Generous? Nonsense, without you, I wouldn't have what I have today," Chen Jinniang said with an open mind.
Su Xiaoqi had enabled her to earn countless times more money than before.
And her son always told her that money was inexhaustible.
The best way to cooperate was for everyone to earn together.
She had always believed and acted on this principle.
She was fortunate to have met Su Xiaoqi.
With her help, she felt she could restore the Chen family's former glory, and perhaps even find the valuable items left behind by their ancestors.
After chatting for a while, Su Xiaoqi invited them to stay for a meal. Once they had eaten, Du Yiyi invited Su Xiaoqi to her home, as her mother wished to meet her.
Su Xiaoqi, having just received the two precious pearls from Yu Rong, readily agreed to this small request.
They bid farewell to the hidden guards who remained at the estate and took a carriage to the back hall of the Prefect's residence in the city.
Yu Rong was delighted to hear of Su Xiaoqi's arrival and quickly had pastries and tea prepared to welcome her.
Her gaze was filled with the affection of an elder for a younger generation.
She praised Su Xiaoqi for her intelligence and good fortune, saying she was a good person who had married a good husband, and that her future was bound to be limitless.
Su Xiaoqi's cheeks flushed as Yu Rong spoke, making her feel a little shy.
As Yu Rong was about to say more, Su Xiaoqi lowered her head, a thought crossing her mind. She called over Guo'er, who had accompanied her, and took a red wooden box.
"Aunt, this is a beauty cream I prepared for you. After you wash your face, apply some to your face to moisturize and reduce wrinkles."
What woman didn't desire beauty? Su Xiaoqi's gifts were always extraordinary.
Yu Rong trusted her implicitly and was overjoyed to receive the beauty cream, her gaze towards Su Xiaoqi becoming even more affectionate.
She wished, more than ever, that Su Xiaoqi were her own daughter.
While Yu Rong was examining the beauty cream, Su Xiaoqi pulled Du Yiyi aside and whispered, "By the way, Yiyi, did you apply medicine after you came back yesterday?"
Du Yiyi replied nonchalantly that she was used to bruises and it was nothing.
Yu Rong overheard and shot her daughter a reproachful glance. "This girl! I only found out about this last night, and I've already scolded her.
She's thick-skinned, and a few bumps and bruises are nothing. But you, so delicate, don't let her hurt you." Yu Rong said, her heart aching as she reached for Su Xiaoqi's hand.
She rolled up Su Xiaoqi's sleeve to check and found no severe injuries, only a few bruises.
She couldn't help but glare at her daughter again.
She chided her for being so thoughtless, only caring about her own amusement.
Furthermore, for a young lady to gift a horse whip was inappropriate; they should be buying flowers to wear or tailoring beautiful clothes instead.
"Aunt, you exaggerate. I was the one who wanted to compete with Yiyi," Su Xiaoqi said, her heart warming, and quickly defended Du Yiyi.
"Exactly, exactly, Mother. Sister Xiaoqi is very skilled.
My elder brother can only last ten moves against me, but Sister Xiaoqi can last thirty.
Not only was she not defeated by me, but she also kept me in check at every turn.
So, the horse whip I gave her is exactly what she wanted."
Du Yiyi wasn't afraid of Yu Rong's stern expression.
Her mother was like that – sharp-tongued but soft-hearted.
Upon hearing that Su Xiaoqi also enjoyed martial arts, Yu Rong's eyes widened in surprise.
She had genuinely worried that Su Xiaoqi might not like the horse whip and that her daughter had missed the mark with the gift, but she was pleased to find out she did.
Looking at Su Xiaoqi now, she felt she resembled someone more and more.
Previously, it was just her features, but now she felt her entire being was similar.
Her speech, actions, and demeanor, even her hobbies, were all identical.
Her heart fluttered, and she felt a slight dizziness, quickly covering her chest.
Du Yiyi and Su Xiaoqi immediately reacted, stepping forward to support her to a recliner.
Guo'er, standing nearby, promptly offered a bolster pillow.
Su Xiaoqi accepted it and gave Guo'er an appreciative nod, recognizing her perceptiveness.
"I'm fine, I'm fine, it's just an old ailment," Yu Rong said, patting her chest. She was already feeling better.
She noticed Guo'er and remembered that she was the maid Su Xiaoqi had brought.
She recalled Su Xiaoqi hadn't had a maid when she visited before, so she asked a question.
"She's from the newly purchased estate. She studied under Miss Li and knows how to read, so I brought her along to help with small tasks."
Su Xiaoqi hadn't intended to use her as a mere servant. She actually felt Guo'er had faced hardships as well.
Moreover, she needed someone to carry things when she went out, so she called for her casually.
Now, seeing that Guo'er was quite clever, she thought that perhaps she could mentor her if the opportunity arose.
Yu Rong smiled upon hearing this. "Your status has changed, and you should have someone to attend to you.
She seems quite clever, but her etiquette is still a bit lacking. I have a seasoned nanny, Zhuang Momo, whom I brought from the capital.
If you need assistance, you can have her for a few days."
This was a true display of an elder's affection and care for a younger generation.
Su Xiaoqi was touched and immediately accepted, saying that Zhuang Momo would surely be troubled.
Yu Rong replied gently, "It's no trouble. She will certainly serve you wholeheartedly when she sees you." She truly resembled someone so much.
"Mother, you keep feeling faint like this. It's not good. Sister Xiaoqi knows some medicine; perhaps she can examine you," Du Yiyi suggested after they had spoken for a while.
Yu Rong remained noncommittal, looking at Su Xiaoqi with some surprise.
"You really know medicine, child?"
She had heard her elder sister mention this in their correspondence, but she hadn't believed it.
After all, Su Xiaoqi had grown up among the common folk.
It wasn't that she had any objections to Su Xiaoqi's background; in fact, she felt that precisely because of her upbringing, she might be the person their family had been searching for.
She was simply curious how Su Xiaoqi had managed to learn so many things while struggling to even get enough to eat or warm clothes to wear.
Not to be rude, but Su Xiaoqi knew too much.
She could make delicious pastries, even producing lotus root starch, whose preparation method had always been a mystery.
She also knew grappling and combat techniques, and now even medicine.
Furthermore, her social graces were impeccable, showing no signs of being an undisciplined, self-raised individual.
Instead, she behaved like someone raised in a noble family, with perfect etiquette and cultivation.
It was as if it were ingrained in her very bones, something that couldn't be learned in just a few months of staying with the merchant Su family.
Despite her inner doubts, Yu Rong was a compassionate person.
Since Su Xiaoqi didn't volunteer the information, she didn't press, instead extending her hand to signal that she could take her pulse.
Su Xiaoqi reached out and placed two fingers on Yu Rong's pulse, concentrating and listening to it.
After a short while, Su Xiaoqi had a clear understanding, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly.