163: Chapter 163 When the Plums Ripen: Childhood Sweetheart Male Lead 41

In the evening, as the afterglow of the setting sun fell, the two of them finally returned to Qinghe Garden.

As soon as Lin Xi entered the door, she went to deal with the souvenirs she bought and the things she bought from shopping.

As for Nan Li, she didn't return to her own courtyard, but went straight to Old Madam's residence.

As soon as she entered the room, she saw Old Madam reading a book while wearing reading glasses.

Nan Li walked over quickly, like a little girl begging for candy, and hugged Old Madam tightly without letting go.

She buried her head in the crook of her neck, her voice carrying a hint of grievance.

"Grandma..."

Old Madam was taken aback by her, put down the book in her hand, and affectionately patted her back.

"What is the matter? I heard that you and Lin Xi went to Honglu Temple today, didn't you have a good time?"

Nan Li shook her head, raised her little face from her arms, and spoke softly.

"Grandma, tell me, what have you kept from me?"

Old Madam laughed, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes exuding kindness.

"What could Grandma keep from you?"

Nan Li raised her hand, gently touched the golden jade hairpin on her bun, and muttered softly.

"Just this..."

Hearing this, Old Madam's gaze fell upon the golden jade good match on her head, and then she realized with a sudden understanding.

"You know everything already? How did you find out?"

Nan Li leaned back against Grandma's shoulder and recounted everything she encountered at Honglu Temple today from beginning to end.

At the end, she raised her head, her clear eyes flashing with curiosity and disbelief.

"Grandma, is this really the 'golden jade good match'? Have you really worn it before?"

Old Madam looked at Nan Li, her heart softening.

"Indeed."

She reached out, gently stroked the hairpin, her eyes filled with nostalgia.

"This is something passed down through generations to the eldest daughter-in-law in our Meng Family, and at the same time, it is also the token of the Incense Workshop."

"The token of the Incense Workshop?"

Nan Li was stunned, somewhat puzzled.

Learning Nan Li's thoughts from Lin Xi's mouth, Old Madam no longer needed to hide anything now.

She explained with a smile.

"You have also been to the Meng Family's Incense Workshop; that is the private property of the eldest daughter-in-law through the generations. This Incense Workshop only recognizes the 'golden jade good match' and the golden seal of its master. Ever since Xiujie took you to the Incense Workshop last time, it has already been yours."

After listening, Nan Li was completely dumbfounded.

This heavy weight made her momentarily flattered, and even somewhat panicked.

"Grandma, this is too precious, I can't..."

"Silly girl."

Old Madam interrupted her, clasped Nan Li's hand in return, and comforted her earnestly.

"You are a child raised by the Meng Family since childhood. Regardless of whether your name is on the genealogy or not, your share should naturally be among the family business of the Meng Family."

Old Madam looked into Nan Li's eyes, her voice gentle and full of affection.

"Brother Xiujie gave the Incense Workshop to you. If you two are fated, then this Incense Workshop is the betrothal gift he gave you; if you truly lack fate, then this is also the dowry he prepared for you, so just accept it with peace of mind."

[So healing]

[Today is simply Nan Li's lucky day, the kind you couldn't even dream of]

[This is the true group darling treatment, everyone is a good person, no need to fight or grab]

[Daytime was a shocking emotion, nighttime is a warm emotion]

[It seems secure now, can you believe they still haven't confessed?]

[I think the movie betting can be settled, Meng Zhu is my God of Wealth]

[Don't be like this, you're making me lose any sense of anticipation for the subsequent plot]

[Indeed, if I were moved to this extent, I definitely couldn't wait half a year; either I'd go find him, or confess via phone]

[No she won't, Nan Li doesn't want to distract Meng Zhu, it's just confessing half a year later, I think Nan Li can endure it]

The bullet comments were filled with emotion, analyzing back and forth.

In reality, Nan Li didn't think about these; she was still immersed in being moved.

Her eye sockets grew hot, and tears dripped down patter by patter.

She hugged Old Madam tightly once again, her voice choked with sobs.

"Grandma, thank you..."

Old Madam patted her back gently and said with a smile:

"What is there to thank? Besides, you also like Xiujie. After turning in circles, the two of you still caught each other's eyes, which can be considered a happy ending for all."

Having her inner thoughts exposed to her face by Old Madam, Nan Li felt a bit shy again at this moment.

She retorted in a muffled voice from her embrace.

"I am not... I didn't..."

Old Madam couldn't help teasing her.

"What is not? Is it that you don't like Xiujie?"

Hearing this, Nan Li was both shy and anxious, and added in a low voice with a red face.

"I didn't... I didn't dislike him..."

Looking at her shy and embarrassed appearance, Old Madam laughed heartily and sighed:

"Grandma has been through it. When you came back from Jinling back then, Grandma knew the little girl had someone in her heart, but Grandma didn't expect at the time that person would be Xiujie."

Speaking of this, there was a bit more heartache in the old woman's eyes.

"It's just a pity, it's been hard on you. That child Xiujie went abroad and won't be able to come back for a while, yet still has to make you wait for him here."

Hearing this, Nan Li hurriedly shook her head.

"That's not the case."

A gentle smile curled at the corners of her lips, her voice soft yet firm.

"Zhaoyu is not suffering, Zhaoyu will wait for Brother Xiujie to come back."

Old Madam raised her hand to wipe away her tears and nodded repeatedly.

"Okay, we'll wait for him to come back..."

...

In the days that followed, life returned to a peaceful pace.

Just as some bullet comments said, Nan Li held back her impulse.

She did not fly abroad to find Meng Zhu, nor did she type out a confession across the screen when her emotions surged.

The most precious feelings ought to be saved for the moment of reunion.

However, although there was no confession, the contact between the two of them became frequent at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Or rather, it was unprecedentedly close.

The window paper that once spanned between the two of them, although not poked through, had already become transparent after Nan Li's unilateral change.

After all, longing overwhelmed the young girl's shyness.

Nan Li became unusually fond of sharing her life with Meng Zhu.

Whether it was the camellias blooming in the morning drizzle, the sweet-scented osmanthus cake eaten in the afternoon, or an interesting anecdote she heard, she would take pictures, write texts, and share them with him far away.

Their chatting frequency even far exceeded the time before Nan Li became enlightened.

There were no sweet words, let alone ambiguous love talk.

There was only naturally revealed reliance and joy. If she had to describe it, their chatting was more like an old married couple.

Besides the longing across the mobile phone screen every day.

Lin Xi was not idle either; she had been accompanying Nan Li.

The two of them sometimes stayed in Qinghe Garden all day long.

Accompanying Old Madam to cut window grilles and sort old books, and following Auntie Hua to learn how to make pastries.

Sometimes, the two girls would go out together in company.

Walking through Pingjiang Road, rocking a black-awning boat, browsing the theater gardens, and wandering along the shores of Taihu Lake.

Every wispy scenery of Suzhou left behind the footprints and laughter of the two.