The Daily Life of a Female Esper in Ancient Times C.121: Choosing a Gift

It really was money given by Li Hui. Li Xia's answer made Xu Xinyue slam her hand on the table. "Do you think I don't know how much silver you can earn each month?" She felt some regret for leaving Li Manor without keeping a close eye on Li Xia.

This money was indeed from Li Xia's carving work. Previously, a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan wanted to use his connections and was willing to pay ten times the price to commission a set of "Longevity Immortal" carvings.

There's no reason not to earn money when it's offered, so Li Hui took on the job. After Li Xia received the order, she completed it in two days, earning 10,000 taels in labor costs. As for the rest of the money, Li Xia won it at gambling houses at night.

Unable to use her righteous hero identity anymore, Li Xia pondered how to make money quickly. After some research, she thought gambling was a decent way to earn.

Especially with her wind-based supernatural ability to discern sounds, she spent nights either lying on the roof of Xu Mansion or observing and studying the rules at gambling houses.

Not long ago, in one night, she moved between several gambling houses and won hundreds of thousands of taels. Of course, the gambling houses later tried to catch her using various underhanded methods, but that's another story.

If not for fear of worrying Xu Xinyue too much, Li Xia could have given her more. But even this amount surprised Xu Xinyue, who insisted she couldn't accept any more of Li Xia's money. Li Xia had already given her over ten thousand taels in silver and jewelry before.

"I've already used what you gave me before to buy shops and properties. They're all rented out, bringing in considerable rent every month, enough for my needs," Xu Xinyue said.

At this point, Li Xia had much to say, "I was just about to talk to you about that. Why did you register all the shops and properties under my name?" This was essentially buying them for her.

"What's mine is all yours. They're just in my care for now. When you get married in the future, these will be your dowry," Xu Xinyue knew Li Xia had the ability to make money, but wondered how she would continue carving to earn money after marriage.

Xu Xinyue was clear that although Mrs. Lu had Li Xia registered under her name, the Li family didn't have much property. Mrs. Lu's dowry would go to Li Hui and Li Xin in the future. Xu Xinyue never expected Mrs. Lu to give anything to Li Xia. By setting up these properties for Li Xia now, it would be easier for her to use silver in the future.

Another point Xu Xinyue didn't mention was that if all these shops were registered under her own name, who knows what ill intentions the Xu family might harbor in the future. So from the beginning, Xu Xinyue planned to register them under Li Xia's name, keeping all potential troubles at bay.

How could Li Xia not understand Xu Xinyue's intentions? "Mother, with your daughter's abilities, earning money is very easy. You don't need to worry."

"No matter how easily you can make money, that's your own capability. But as your mother, I still need to do something for you," Xu Xinyue's words silenced Li Xia, but in her heart, she was certain she wouldn't take these shops and properties.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. Help me think about what coming-of-age gift to give to the eldest young lady," Xu Xinyue had been fretting over this for days.

"How about jewelry? Qiu Ling, which jewelry shop in the capital is the best?" Li Xia raised her voice to ask Qiu Ling, who was standing at the door.

"A new jewelry shop recently opened on Yongchang Street selling novel styles. Many ladies and young misses have gone there to make purchases," Qiu Ling replied.

"Mother, let's go to Yongchang Street and take a look," Li Xia suggested.

"Go now?" Xu Xinyue looked at the sun outside; it was almost noon. "Your young aunt knew you were coming today and arranged lunch early."

Not wanting to disregard Madam Jiang's thoughtfulness, Li Xia glanced at the blazing sun outside, "Let's go after lunch."

At noon, the men of the Xu family didn't return home. The four women dined at one table.

The table was laden with dishes from both the frontier and the capital, two distinct cuisines. Li Xia ate with great satisfaction, even having an extra bowl of rice. Seeing Li Xia's hearty appetite, Madam Jiang was delighted.

Xu Yiyou was also pleased. Growing up on the frontier, she followed her mother, Madam Jiang, in doing many chores daily and had quite an appetite.

After coming to the capital and attending banquets with Madam Jiang, she realized that the young ladies of the capital all seemed to have bird-like appetites, eating very little. This made Xu Yiyou self-conscious about eating more in front of them, always leaving such outings hungry, which made her dislike going out.

This time, with Li Xia's visit, Xu Yiyou was worried that she might also be one of those bird-appetite young ladies, making mealtimes uncomfortable. To her surprise, Li Xia ate even more than her. Despite eating heartily, Li Xia's manners were elegant, not at all crude. Her eating pace seemed quick but had a certain charm, making it a pleasure to watch.

After lunch, Li Xia followed Xu Xinyue back to her room for a nap. Lying on the bed, Li Xia quickly fell asleep. Last night, she had come to Xu Mansion and then ran to Tianyi Pavilion to fight someone. The back-and-forth had exhausted her.

Xu Xinyue gazed lovingly at the sleeping Li Xia. Recalling how Li Xia had grown from a little girl to the young woman she was now, always considerate and thinking of her, she felt a warmth in her heart. Unable to resist, she imitated what Li Xia used to do and kissed her on the cheek. Then she lay down beside her and closed her eyes. Li Xia, not yet in deep sleep, felt it and her lips curved into a slight smile.

After their nap, the four took a carriage to Yongchang Street. It was Madam Jiang and Xu Yiyou's first visit, and the bustling crowds dazzled them. It was truly prosperous here.

Qiu Ling led the way to the newly opened jewelry shop, Car*ier. Seeing this name, Li Xia felt it was oddly familiar, as if she had seen or heard it somewhere before.

The store wasn't crowded at the moment. As Li Xia's group entered, a female attendant approached and greeted them, "Good day, madams and young ladies. My name is Chacha." The name sounded a bit strange.

Chacha smiled, "Are you here to choose jewelry for yourself or as a gift?"

"As a gift," Xu Xinyue spoke.

"May I ask if it's for an elder or...?" Chacha continued to inquire.

"It's for a young lady," Xu Xinyue was starting to dislike this Chacha, asking so many questions without showing them any jewelry.

Chacha noticed Xu Xinyue's dissatisfaction. "Please follow me. Car*ier has just received a new batch of innovative designs." She led them to a private room. It wasn't large, with walls adorned by portraits of ladies, all dressed differently from current fashion. 𝒻𝓻𝘦𝑒𝓌𝑒𝓫𝓷𝑜𝓋𝘦𝓵.𝓬𝘰𝓂

Xu Yiyou looked at them with interest. Li Xia, however, lowered her head in contemplation. Everything here felt off, strange. After a while, she finally remembered: in the post-apocalyptic world, she had seen pre-apocalypse footage treasured by her teammates, and it contained records just like this.

Is this Fourth Miss Lu's doing, or has another time traveler appeared? If it's Fourth Miss Lu, then she truly has some skills. This place called Cartier—its location and decor must have cost a fortune. Without powerful backing, one couldn't sustain such an establishment. The Lu family's situation wouldn't allow her to open such a shop either. Li Xia felt that she needed to investigate this Fourth Miss Lu.

Chacha entered carrying a tray, followed by three young maids, each carrying their own trays. The four trays filled the table. The dazzling gemstones, eye-catching pearl earrings and necklaces, along with jewelry of various styles, were indeed a feast for the eyes.

Xu Xinyue was mesmerized by the sight, while Madam Jiang and Xu Yiyou also stared wide-eyed at the jewelry. Only Li Xia showed no interest, sipping tea off to the side.