After crossing, I was forced to hold on to my thighs and build a kingdom

On New Year's Eve, Jinchu got up early and made a simple breakfast, then woke up Zhao'er. After the meal, the brother and sister took their school supplies, a piece of meat and some dried fruits and snacks from the prepared New Year's goods, and took them to Huizhen's house.

When they arrived at Huizhen's house, there was another round of arguing and pushing. Huizhen's mother finally gave in to Jinchu and accepted the gifts they brought. She was still complaining, "Jin girl, I originally wanted you and your sister to come home so we could have a lively New Year's Eve dinner together, but I ended up making you spend money again. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have let you come to my house."

Jin Chu smiled and responded, "Look at what you're saying, auntie. Are we, the younger generation, not allowed to bring gifts to honor our elders?"

"Jin girl's mouth is so adorable!"

Hui Zhenniang nodded at Jinchu's lips lovingly and said, "Auntie thanks you and Zhao'er for the gifts. I'll go pack them up and we'll set the table together tonight."

As she spoke, she pointed to Huizhen's room and said, "Go talk to Huizhen first. I'll call you when I need help."

Jin Chu knew that this was Aunt Zhao's euphemism. Besides, she herself was not very dexterous. She wanted to avoid being unable to help and even causing trouble for others. That would not be good.

So Jinchu smiled obediently and said yes, then went to find Huizhen.

Huizhen was rummaging through the drawers in the house looking for something. Seeing Jinchu, she raised her chin slightly and said with a smile, "Just sit down and wait for me to find a good treasure."

"Do you need my help?" Jin Chu asked from the side.

"No, no, just sit and wait, I'll find it soon." Huizhen's muffled voice came from the cabinet.

Jin Chu couldn't help laughing. She went to sit beside the bed and waited quietly for Huizhen to come out.

About half a cup of tea later, Huizhen finally exclaimed, "Finally, I found it!"

Jin Chu leaned over to look at Huizhen's hands, only to see a pair of small baskets carved from peach wood lying in her hands.

"Is it beautiful?" Huizhen looked at Jinchu as if she was presenting a treasure.

Jin Chu took the pair of peach wood baskets and looked at them carefully. Every detail of the small baskets was handled extremely delicately.

The color of peach wood is warm and deep, and it exudes a faint fragrance. Whether it is placed on the desk as a decoration or worn on the hands or feet as an accessory, this small peach wood carved basket looks unique and charming.

Jin Chu smiled and nodded in affirmation: "It is indeed very beautiful!"

The ancients regarded peach wood as a wood that could ward off evil spirits. Children with weaker bodies would always wear these small ornaments on their hands or feet to protect them from being disturbed by evil spirits, and also to express the hope that the children would grow up healthily.

Huizhen suddenly took out these two small peach wood baskets today. Could it be that she was planning to give them to her own Zhaoer?

Just as she thought of this, she saw Huizhen happily stuffing the pair of small peach wood baskets into her hands.

"This is a peach wood basket that my eldest brother carved a few years ago when he was bored. I originally wanted to give it to my younger brother Yue, but he's so restless and active that he found it a nuisance after just a few days and secretly took it off and refused to wear it anymore!"

Thinking of Wei Yue's carefree and unconstrained personality, Jin Chu also smiled: "That's normal. Brother Yue really doesn't like wearing these kinds of accessories."

"Yeah, my mom tried to discipline him a few times, but he didn't put on a show of resistance, and then he'd just find another place to throw it. My mom got tired of it after a few times, and since he's always been in good health, she just left him alone! Because it was carved by my eldest brother himself, mom put the little peach wood basket away. When I saw it, I asked for it. I played with it for a while, but it lost its novelty, so I tucked it away in the corner of the cabinet."

"Then why did you take it out again now?" Jin Chu asked.

"It was when my eldest brother mentioned hanging new peach charms this morning that I suddenly remembered this little peach wood basket! Zhao'er is still young, and we've been through so much trouble lately, so I wanted to dig it out and put it on Zhao'er to ward off all the evil spirits and keep him healthy and safe for the rest of his life."

Although it matched his own guess, Jin Chu was still quite touched: "It's amazing that you think so much of Zhao'er. I'll have him come to thank you in person later."

Huizhen waved her hand nonchalantly. "It's not worth much. It's just a bunch of small accessories. It's not worth Zhao'er coming to thank me again."

"The gift is small, but the thought is great!" Jin Chu said solemnly, "You think of him when good things happen to you, so he should thank you in return."

Seeing Jinchu's persistence, Huizhen didn't say anything else. She grabbed Jinchu's hand and shook it: "Today is New Year's Eve. Zhaoer and Yuedi should also be out of school early. Then we can watch my eldest brother write Spring Festival couplets together."

At this point, a smug smile appeared on her face. "By the way, Jin'er, you haven't seen my eldest brother write Spring Festival couplets, have you? I'm not bragging, but my eldest brother truly has a beautiful hand. Ever since he started writing couplets for our family five years ago, we haven't gone out to buy them anymore! After seeing his couplets, the villagers always take the opportunity to come over and get a few."

Seeing Jinchu smiling without saying anything, Huizhen confidently promised: "Don't believe it? Just wait and see in the afternoon. Someone will definitely come to your door holding red paper to ask for a calligraphy!"

Jin Chu was also a little curious about Huizhen's description. She could imagine that Wang Weiyuan's handwriting should be good, but to what extent it was good was unknown. He looked only about eighteen or nineteen years old. Could his handwriting be better than her grandfather's?

Thinking of this, she couldn't hide her curiosity and said with a smile, "I only knew that Brother Wang was talented and well-educated, but I didn't expect that he also had beautiful handwriting. Today I must see it up close."

Seeing Jinchu's interest piqued by her words, Huizhen's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. She put her arm around Jinchu's shoulders and lowered her voice, "Jinchu, let me tell you another secret! My eldest brother's handwriting is incredibly good. He's actually been hiding his talent. Now, the Spring Festival couplets he writes only take a third of the effort, and even so, they're praised by all the neighbors."

"Oh, how do you know that he is hiding his abilities?" Jin Chu asked with curiosity.

"Didn't I tell you before? My brother is very good at making money. He is not a poor man."

Recalling the first time they met, when Wang Weiyuan invited them to eat wontons near the academy, Huizhen mentioned that her brother was not short of money, and Jin Chu nodded.

"Let me tell you, the way he makes money is by selling calligraphy! Now, all the famous bookstores in the capital are begging to buy his works. I heard that even the famous calligraphy and painting shops in the capital have his calligraphy hanging on the wall!"

Huizhen looked outside again before continuing, "Last year, when I was cleaning my eldest brother's room, I stumbled upon a few calligraphy pieces at the bottom of his bookcase. On the lower right corner of one of the pieces, a drop of ink the size of a soybean had splattered on the inkstone where I had accidentally knocked it over."

Huizhen showed a smug look, looked at Jinchu and asked in a pretentious manner, "Guess what happened next?"

Jin Chu cooperated with a curious expression and guessed, "Did you sell it for a good price?"