Chapter 359: Celebrating a Birthday

Gu Fei had always lived by a simple principle: Settle a grudge on the spot if you can.

If you can’t, then bide your time and wait for the perfect opportunity.

Since Shen Qingluan wanted her dead, Gu Fei wouldn’t hesitate when her chance for payback arrived.

Just as she was lost in thought, a mule cart pulled up to the entrance. Er Lang hopped down from the driver’s seat, came inside, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Sis, I finally found you!"

"Lian’er said you went to some place called Luan Garden. I walked all around the outside but couldn’t get in. Good thing you’re back. If I hadn’t found you, Mom would’ve skinned me alive."

Gu Fei looked up. "What’s wrong? Is something the matter at home?"

Er Lang scratched his head and grinned. "Mom wants you to come home. You’ll find out when you get there."

A summons from her mother could not be ignored. Gu Fei told Lian’er and Yan’er to watch the counter, then climbed onto Er Lang’s mule cart and headed home.

The moment she stepped inside, she found her mother, her sister-in-law, and Lan Zhi all sitting in the main hall, beaming at her.

Her sister-in-law was the first to speak, handing her a small box. "This is for you."

Gu Fei opened it to find a sandalwood comb, its rich, woody fragrance wafting out.

Next, Lan Zhi handed her another box. Inside was a green jade hairpin.

Lan Zhi smiled. "I finally managed to save up twenty taels of silver from doing embroidery every day. It all went toward this gift for you."

Holding the hairpin, Gu Fei blinked. "What’s the special occasion? Why is everyone giving me gifts?"

Mrs. Chen smiled. "Of course it’s a special day! It’s your birthday—you’re fifteen now. Silly girl, you’ve been so busy you even forgot your own birthday." Her eyes welled up as she spoke.

"Lan Zhi told us that a girl should have a hairpin ceremony when she turns fifteen. We’re just a humble family, so we don’t really know how to hold a proper one, but we wanted to do a little something to mark the occasion."

Mrs. Chen turned to look at Lan Zhi, who smiled and said, "Little Fei, go change your clothes first. We’ll hold the hairpin ceremony after you’ve changed."

Lan Zhi pulled Gu Fei into the room. Laid out on the bed was a long-sleeved, silver-blue jacket made of embroidery silk, with a single branch of peach blossoms embroidered on it. Beside it lay an ivory-white skirt and blouse set made of silk gauze.

Lan Zhi pointed to the outfit. "Beautiful, isn’t it? I made it myself. I’ve been staying up all night for the past few days just to embroider this peach blossom branch."

She finished and stuck her tongue out playfully. "Although, your mom was the one who put up the Silver for it."

"Technically, you’re supposed to wear a formal ceremonial dress for the hairpin ceremony, but I figured for a family like ours, we’d never have another occasion to wear it. It would just be a waste. So I made this instead. Do you like it?"

Gu Fei nodded emphatically, her hand gently stroking the exquisite peach blossom embroidery. "You’ve gone to so much trouble. It’s so beautiful, of course I like it!"

She couldn’t resist pulling Lan Zhi into a tight hug. "Lan Zhi, you’re so good to me."

Lan Zhi hugged her back just as tightly. "Little Fei, you’re the one who’s been good to me. I..."

Her voice caught in a sob. "I’ll be good to you for the rest of my life."

Gu Fei laughed. "Listen to us, acting like we’re exchanging eternal vows. Oh, this won’t do. I need to take a bath before I change. I’m covered in sweat."

Lan Zhi sniffled, then went out to ask Er Lang to fetch water. Gu Fei came out only after she had finished her bath and changed into the new clothes.

Mrs. Chen couldn’t stop staring at Gu Fei, looking her up and down. ’How did this child get to be so beautiful?’ she wondered. ’I can hardly believe she really came from my own womb.’

’It seems like it happened overnight. I just looked at my daughter one day and she had suddenly become this incredible beauty. I have no idea how it happened.’

Just as she was watching, Li Chunhua called out in happy surprise, "Father and Da Lang are back!" Da Lang had been studying in the city recently and didn’t come home every day.

Gu Fei beamed. "Father, Big Brother."