"Now that the formalities are done, you younger ones can go to the warm chamber and chat. Mingzhu, as the eldest sister, take your sisters and entertain your cousins well," the Old Madam instructed.
Qi Mingzhu curtsied. The young lady was slender and graceful, with a face like a painting, truly captivating. Qi Zhenzhen noticed how her cousin's eyes were fixated on her!
The warm chamber was spacious, with a long line of soft couches by the window. Qi Mingzhu invited the young ladies to sit.
Qi Yi, meanwhile, attended to the male cousins.
"We didn't have a chance to talk in Grandmother's room earlier, and I don't even know all of your names. Now that the elders aren't here, let's be more relaxed. I'll introduce myself first. My name is Qi Mingzhu, and I'm fifteen this year," Qi Mingzhu said with a smile.
The young ladies from the Li family introduced themselves one by one.
The one in the peach-pink dress, fourteen years old, was named Li Nuan. The one in the goose-yellow dress, thirteen years old, was Li Qing. The one in the flowing white gown, twelve years old, was Li Rou.
The elder cousin, fifteen years old, was Li Zheng. The younger cousin, six years old, was Li Yu.
Qi Zhenzhen, Qi Xuanxuan, and Qi Yi also introduced themselves, marking their formal acquaintance.
"These are the welcome gifts I've prepared for all of you, my younger sisters and brother," Li Zheng said, standing up. A young servant behind him presented the gifts one by one.
The young ladies each received an exquisite small box, while Qi Yi was given a dagger.
"Sister Mingzhu, Sister Zhenzhen, Sister Xuanxuan, aren't you going to open them? My elder brother is always the best at giving gifts," Li Qing said with a giggle.
Generally, in such situations, gifts are not opened on the spot to avoid awkwardness.
However, since Li Qing had specifically mentioned it, it would be impolite not to.
Qi Mingzhu's gift was a hairpin adorned with a pearl the size of a pigeon's egg at the tip, surrounded by small pink pearls the size of fingernails. It was unique and elegant, and most importantly, it perfectly matched Qi Mingzhu's name, indicating a thoughtfully chosen gift.
The gift struck a chord, and Qi Mingzhu's smile became much more genuine.
"Mingzhu thanks you, cousin. Grandmother mentioned that you are a brilliant scholar. I present this set of stationery to you, wishing you great success on your path to the imperial examinations."
Fusu quickly handed the sandalwood box, about a foot long, to the attendant beside Li Zheng.
Li Zheng's face lit up with joy. He opened it personally. "Sister Mingzhu, your return gift is too precious!"
"Cousin, you are so talented. I was worried these items might not be worthy of you," Qi Mingzhu said softly.
"My dear cousin, you jest. If I may say, this inkstone alone could be a family heirloom. As for being worthy or not, it is I who am not worthy of this inkstone."
They exchanged pleasantries, speaking in refined tones, as if no one else were in the warm chamber but the two of them.
"Brother, Sister, knowing you two have hit it off so well, but what about us younger sisters and brothers here? Could you at least give us a chance to speak?" Li Qing said with a playful smile.
Li Zheng quickly cupped his hands. "My dear sisters, I apologize for my rudeness."
Qi Zhenzhen and Qi Xuanxuan also opened their sandalwood boxes. Inside lay hairpins, but without pearls, just ordinary pearl hairpins.
"Brother, your gifts are too different! Sister Mingzhu's is so valuable, while Sister Zhenzhen's and Sister Xuanxuan's are so ordinary. Aren't you afraid they'll be unhappy?" Li Qing asked, looking as if she were enjoying a show.
Li Zheng felt a bit awkward. He had been so focused on Qi Mingzhu's reaction that he had forgotten the disparity in the gifts.
"Cousin Qing, you jest. I like cousin Zheng's gift very much. Gifts are not about their value, but whether the recipient likes them," Qi Zhenzhen said calmly. "Xuanxuan, do you like it?"
Qi Xuanxuan nodded without hesitation. "I like it, I like it very much."
Saying "like" three times in a row indicated that she truly cherished the hairpin.
Li Qing pouted and muttered softly, "Country bumpkin."
Li Nuan, who had been silent, stood up and handed a small round box to each of the four Qi siblings.
"Cousins, sisters, brothers, this is a perfume I blended myself. It's better than some ordinary perfumes sold outside," Li Nuan said with a gentle smile. "I wasn't sure what scents you sisters and brother preferred, so I made a guess when I prepared them."
The small round boxes were made of plain wood, simple and elegant, and looked very pleasing.
The four Qi siblings thanked Li Nuan and, in turn, presented her with gifts.
Qi Mingzhu's gift was the most precious, a set of glass jewelry, which Li Nuan accepted with a smile and thanks.
Qi Zhenzhen's zodiac cloth dolls brought even more joy to Li Nuan's face.
Li Nuan also expressed her fondness for Qi Xuanxuan's needlework.
Qi Yi presented a set of nine interlocking rings, which he said he had made after seeing them in an ancient book. They were quite interesting.
When it was Li Qing's turn, she produced jade pendants. Naturally, Qi Mingzhu's was the best, followed by Qi Yi's, while Qi Zhenzhen's and Qi Xuanxuan's were the most ordinary.
The return gifts again saw Qi Mingzhu's as the most valuable, while Qi Zhenzhen and the other two received gifts that were treated equally.
The delicate Li Rou presented Buddhist scriptures she had personally transcribed, one for each person, in a beautiful small-character calligraphy. Even Qi Mingzhu praised them.
Qi Zhenzhen breathed a slight sigh of relief. This reciprocal gift-giving session was finally over.
Qi Mingzhu instructed Fusu to prepare tea for everyone. Fusu's skillful technique drew much admiration from the Li siblings, who declared it comparable to a master's.
"It's my young lady who taught me. I've only learned the basics and am not worthy of your praise, masters," Fusu said humbly.
A chorus of praise was then directed towards Qi Mingzhu. Tea ceremony was a highly elegant pursuit in Dafeng, and many families hired masters to teach their children. Those skilled in tea ceremony were always held in high regard.
Qi Zhenzhen asked Feixu to bring out the white jade rolls and crystal peach blossom cakes. "Tea is incomplete without snacks. These were made by Xuanxuan and me. Please, cousins, have a taste."
The white jade rolls were made of mashed yam rolled with red bean paste, alternating layers of red and white, rolled into cylinders, and then sliced evenly. They melted in the mouth, a very popular pastry. The crystal peach blossom cakes were made primarily of glutinous rice flour and sugar powder, with the highlight being the peach blossoms embedded within the crystal cakes. Qi Zhenzhen had made them for the Old Madam before.
"They look so beautiful," Li Nuan said with a smile. "You two sisters are so skillful. I've tried making them at home, but unfortunately, I lack talent. My creations are quite unpalatable, and my aunt has often laughed at me."
Aunt, Qi Zhenzhen caught the key point. This eldest young lady of the Li family was born to a concubine.
"Sister Zhenzhen is truly unusual. A young lady from a marquis's mansion actually cooks and makes pastries. My grandmother always said that women should take good care of their hands and not let them become rough. Cooking is the most damaging to one's hands. Are you not concerned, Sister Zhenzhen?" Li Qing asked with feigned surprise.
Qi Zhenzhen was not foolish enough not to detect the mockery.
Although she didn't know what had offended this cousin, she was never one to passively accept insults and remain indifferent.