Have You Written Your Will Today?-Chapter 504 - 497: New Year’s Gift

The weather has turned cold, but Shen Hua still spends New Year’s Eve in Shengjing.

The customary desolation of the past is no more, as Duke Fu’s Mansion welcomes the spring everywhere.

Inside the house, superior quality silver bone charcoal burns. After the New Year’s Eve dinner, the Duke and his wife handed out red envelopes to the younger generation.

As dusk approaches, the streets are as bright as day.

After leaving the house, Xie Xun called out to the two of them.

"Keep this safe, what I give as a brother wishes for your safety and peace year after year."

Shen Hua’s pouch bulged as she, taking advantage of Xie Xun chatting with Xie Yinong, crouched and stealthily moved toward a certain spot.

"M’lord has been so busy these past few days he’s barely touched the ground, and I’m afraid he won’t have much time today either."

Yingwu revealed, "A murder case has emerged at the Ministry of Justice."

Shen Hua pursed her lips.

"Is he still at the Ministry of Justice now?"

"Yes."

"Did Ying Yi get in touch with you?"

"Yes."

"You are certainly quite close."

Yingwu: "...Yes."

Shen Hua returned to her room, pondered for a moment, then came out carrying a large chest that had been settled for months.

"Take it to him."

Yingwu was about to take it, but Shen Hua drew back.

"I’ll go myself."

Shen Hua did not want to interfere with his official duties, nor did she wish to visit the cold and stern Ministry of Justice’s Imperial Prison. Instead, she went straight to Marquis Yangling Mansion.

This time, she didn’t startle anyone and went directly to Sui Courtyard.

Cui Yun’s room, arranged with elegant simplicity.

The chest was large, but not heavy. Shen Hua looked around, found a conspicuous spot to set it down, her dark eyes blinked, and she moved towards the Eight Treasures Cabinet.

Opening it, she scanned the contents.

He had many robes, but they were mostly of the same style, simple yet dignified, with colors mostly either white or black, or in shades of ink.

Arranged neatly, from light to dark hues.

Ji Xin always cleaned his room, but such personal belongings, he never allowed others to touch.

Shen Hua took out one and sized it up. Indeed, it was much larger than last time, making it inappropriate to hastily tailor the celebratory garments.

Shen Hua tried hard to fold it, hoping to restore its original look, but her once skilled hands were no more, leaving the fold wrinkled and uneven, as if maliciously crumpled into a ball.

Hmm.

It stood out at a glance.

In order not to expose her shortcomings, Shen Hua pondered and decided to take out all the clothes, jumble them up, refold, and put them back.

Who else would bother on New Year’s Eve to come over and fold his clothes!

It was Yangyang!

She! Was truly virtuous!

She was full of energy and moved herself.

And just at that moment, a small garment for a girl floated down to the floor.

Shen Hua blinked, bent down to pick it up, her fingertips resting on the delicate begonia flowers of the garment.

She pursed her lips, her expression indistinct.

In the background, she could faintly hear the sound of firecrackers outside, joy unceasing.

When Cui Yun returned, it was an hour later.

After he paid his respects to the elders at home, he then rushed to Sui Courtyard.

He was about to ask Ji Qing to prepare water when he saw Yingwu standing outside the room. Cui Yun’s frosty brows slightly relaxed.

The lamplight flickered, and the girl standing outside the window looked up at the bright moon in the sky without turning around upon hearing the door open.

"You said you would accompany me to tour the lake."

He smiled lightly: "Though it’s late, it’s not past midnight, so of course it counts."

He also intended to change into clean clothes upon his return to go meet her.

"Mama and the others didn’t know you came, so they asked me to pass these on to you."

Cui Yun took out a stack of red envelopes.

Shen Hua counted, there were a good six of them.

Presumably, Old Master Cui, Dowager Cui, Cui Xuan, and Qiao Si each gave two gifts, representing Old Marquis and Cui Bai.

"What about yours?"

"What, do I need to hand it over?"

"It’s a pity, as per the Cui family’s traditions, once you start serving as an official, there is no reason to accept red envelopes anymore."

He didn’t have any.

Not only that, every year, he was always the one giving them out.

There’s no need to mention Cui Rong, the Cui family relatives also have little children.

"Keep it for now, at most for another year, afterwards you’ll have to start giving them to the younger generation along with me."

Shen Hua cuddled in his embrace: "That’s not necessarily the case."

She thought of something, beckoning with her fingers, looking seductive like a fox that has stolen a taste of fish, and moved closer to Cui Yun: "After we get married, try hard, and if we have children, why would there be any worries?"

Cui Yun’s eyes were deep.

Just that Shen Hua pulled away, as if the daring words just spoken weren’t from her at all.

The boat had been reserved long ago, with luminous glass lamps lit inside, while Ying Yi remained on the shore. The boat slowly moved, eventually stopping somewhere secluded.

The surface of the lake was dotted with various sizes of wishful lotus lanterns, emitting a faint blue light. They enhanced the lake’s countless pleasing aesthetics.

Lights from thousands of homes on the city’s edge, and the Milky Way runs through the water’s center.

That large chest was now placed on the table.

Cui Yun’s voice was cold: "A yearly gift?"

The girl shook her head.

"Your birthday is on the twentieth day of the eighth month, but it was a time of rebellion, I was in Fengzhou, you were in Shengjing. It was something I should have given you directly without anyone else’s help. But it could only be delayed again and again. I was also thinking, since it was late, I needed to find a good day, it couldn’t be done carelessly."

Cui Yun paused: "Hmm, postponed for a few months, with this item, there’s no need to give another yearly gift, you really calculated it well."

Shen Hua choked up. Her thoughts were guessed correctly by him.

But she stood her ground righteously.

"Initially, it also took me months of hard work to complete. Gifts are treasured for their quality, not quantity."

"It’s also because I was sincere. I haven’t seen you preparing a yearly gift either."

As she spoke, she suddenly turned her face away.

"I can choose not to prepare one for you! But why could you forget to prepare one for me!"

"Are you slandering me?"

He approached, and Shen Hua’s hand was pulled by his, her wrist now feeling a cool sensation.

"I made it by hand, as soon as I obtained this jade, I thought of making it into jewelry for you."

He let go of her, but it was his fingertip that flicked, unlocking the chest.

Shen Hua was stunned, looking down.

It was a bracelet.

Fully penetrated with red, of excellent quality. Made of red jade with beads of consistent size.

The girl’s wrist was creamy, the red jade bracelet dazzling like fire, its beauty striking.

Shen Hua trembled slightly, reminding her of the Vajra Bodhi Bracelet she had before. Her finger gently brushed over it, her lips curling into a smile.

She glared at the person opposite her.

The girl suddenly closed the chest.

But Cui Yun had also seen clearly what was inside.

It was the Xue Tuan portrait that Shen Hua had seen in his study at Hui State, created stitch by stitch with Su Embroidery techniques.

Although he was a layman, he was aware of the complexity, and how much effort Shen Hua had put in.

Just the layering itself includes the direction of the fine fur curls and the overlapping coverings. Adding color layer by layer, not forgetting the varying intensities under the light, clearly delineating every layer until achieving the soft and fluffy fur texture.

The choice of threads might have also included hundreds of shades, maybe even more.

The head’s fur covers the neck, and the neck fur covers the chest and abdomen... The whole body works in harmony with each part, and not a single area can be overlooked to appear natural. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Mainly using the connecting needle technique, supplemented by the rolling needle and others.

The raised tail, the fluffy cat head, the chubby ears, the shiny and spirited eyes.

Every detail is critical.

The eyes, the eye sockets, the colors of the pupils.

The delicate nose, the lips made more prominent with deeper colors.

"I really like it." He said softly.

He liked the embroidery, and he liked the person who embroidered it even more.