Chapter 575 - 293 Gift_1
The New Year’s gifts for Sir Lin’s family mainly consisted of gold lotus root and preserved meats like bacon and sausages, as well as several sets of Liancourt.
As for the Liang Family, in response to the value of the gifts they sent, many culinary ingredients and Liancourt were presented.
There were also some other families, mainly Qian Manjiang’s friends from the military, to whom Wong Shou was entrusted to deliver the gifts.
Then there were filial offerings for the Empress Dowager, a jar of a mother and child double-headed Golden Crow Snake soaked in alcohol, a pair of red gold framed reading glasses brought by Old Foreign Li last time, two Foreign Emeralds, two Foreign Rubies, five pounds of Foreign Incense, two sets of top-grade cardamom cosmetics in jade boxes, as well as two sets of cotton robes and shoes personally made by Pan Yue, and a set of soft satin pajamas made by Qian Yixiu herself, on which her mother had also embroidered flowers.
The filial offerings for the Emperor were one pair of red gold framed reading glasses, a pocket watch, a purple mink fur shawl, and a set of top-grade cardamom in an ivory carved box. It wasn’t about not being willing to give him more; it’s just that under the whole sky, all land belonged to the Emperor, so he already had every fine thing. The gifts were truly a token of sentiment.
As for the degree of the reading glasses, Qian Yixiu was at a loss to help. They could use them themselves if they were suitable, or if not, give them away as a reward.
Qian Yixiu was very pleased with her own foresight. Except for the glass products which were sold at the instruction of Old Foreign Li, most of the items were kept for themselves. These items were rare and impressive gifts. In fact, the gold-plated sitting clock was excellent, but it wasn’t suitable for a New Year’s gift, given that giving a clock (which sounds like ’end’ in Chinese) was considered inauspicious.
After discussing everything, the sun had already set. Pan Yue had already brought Mingming and Jingjing to the hall, and Old woman Qian was also there, chatting with Lady Wu and the others.
After Wong Shou left, the people in the hall went to the side room to accompany Qian Sangui and shared laughs.
Lady Wu mentioned her brother in Jiaodong, and Qian Sangui said that now that the household affairs were almost settled, he would ask Manjiang to visit Jiaodong after the New Year, preferably bringing her brother and his family over for a reunion.
Suddenly, Old man Qian returned chilled to the bone.
He excitedly said, "I’ve found a business concept for Manchuan and the others, making Xishan spicy noodles. I saw an inn this morning with the signboard ’Ji’an’s Genuine Spicy Noodles,’ crowded with patrons, bustling with business. I’ve been craving that taste, so I went and had a bowl. My god, it was neither spicy nor flavorful. Lady Xu’s spicy noodles are much more authentic than theirs. I bet if they open a noodle house in the Capital City specializing in spicy noodles, it’d be lucrative."