Tao Ying once again gave shopkeeper Dong a blessing, took the jewelry box containing the hairpins, picked up the slightly dull-looking Young Master Liu and walked towards the outside of the shop.
Looking at the two people walking away, the old shopkeeper silently weighed a bunch of copper coins in his hand, shook his head with a strange expression, and then prepared to close the door again.
Liu Mingzhi didn't react until he was pulled out of the store and walked for a while. He turned around and glanced at the jewelry box containing the cherry blossom hairpins that Tao Ying held in her arms, and the corners of his mouth trembled instinctively.
“Tao Ying...you...you have already made a reservation with the old shopkeeper of Shunxin Ruyi Jewelry Shop in advance for your favorite hairpins at a reasonable price?”
Tao Ying playfully blinked her watery eyes, not only did she not look pretentious, but she gave people a unique feeling.
“Hmm! Doesn’t the imperial court have regulations that prohibit people in the capital from booking the birthday gifts they want in advance?”
“No, not really, but the key point is that since you have already reserved the hairpin you want in advance, why should we walk around the capital like a donkey and then look for other jewelry shops?
Do you know how many places we visited in most of the day?
Eleven cities, a total of eleven cities have been transferred!
If we continue to turn around, we will leave our footprints all over the capital and inside and outside the city.
Brother, I almost broke my legs in order to help you buy a satisfactory birthday gift.
The results of it?
You actually told me that you had already reserved a satisfactory hairpin at a suitable price in advance?
You—you—you—I—I—”
Tao Ying looked at Mr. Liu's ferocious look with a somewhat embarrassed look. She didn't think it was anything at first, but after hearing Liu Mingzhi's words, it seemed that there were indeed a few more jewelry shops visited today.
“I...concubine, can’t I shop around?
What if someone else’s jewelry shop has a more suitable hairpin than the one I ordered?
Wouldn’t it be a loss if you just buy it without comparing it?
After all, our money budget is only a small amount, so it’s good to save a little!
I’m doing this to help you save money!
Could it be that if a woman wants to help her man save money, she also saves money?"
Liu Mingzhi looked at Tao Ying taking it for granted, and gave a thumbs up with a twitching corner of his mouth: "You are awesome!
But is this what you call shopping around? You are obviously shopping around, right?"
Tao Ying smiled and stretched out her hand to press Young Master Liu's raised finger: "Oh, please don't do this, okay?
This is how life should be at home, save money if you can.
Who was talking eloquently to me at the Gua stall? He said that he always lectured civil and military officials in the court, and that every porridge and meal should be remembered as hard-earned.
You should know that four copper coins can buy a big meat bun and two steamed buns.
After I bought this hairpin, it helped you save dozens of big meat buns at once.
It's okay if you don't praise me, but with this look, why do I think you are so angry now and can't wait to vent to me?"
"Nonsense, I would rather eat less in the future and save a bun a day than..."
Tao Ying saw Young Master Liu's unhappy expression, raised her hand to cover Young Master Liu's mouth, and breathed hot air into Young Master Liu's ear.
“Besides, wouldn’t it be better to hold in your anger and wait for it to be vented?
After all, haven’t I already promised you that after we return home together, I will let you pick it up?”
Young Master Liu's depressed eyes suddenly brightened up. He covered his mouth with his hands and coughed. He smiled and looked at Tao Ying, who was staring at him lovingly and smiling.
“Hmm, what about that? I’ve been lazing around the Gua stall for so long, and my body is almost rusty. In fact, it’s good to take some time to go shopping occasionally and exercise my body.
It’s better that my good sister is more considerate.”
Tao Ying looked at Young Master Liu licking his face and sighed faintly: "Look at your lustful and slutty look.
Sigh, sister, I really don’t know whether promising you that you can do whatever you want to your sister is for your own good or hurting you.
First, there are a large group of beauties at home waiting for you to come back to comfort you, and then there is your sister who is living outside the house, which makes you exhausted. You, if you are always like this and only indulge in women, your life will not last long.
Do you know?"
Liu Mingzhi took the jewelry box from Tao Ying with one hand, held Tao Ying's jade hand with the other and walked towards Li's house with a nonchalant smile on his face.
“Occasionally, I act recklessly, but my little brother’s body and bones are still intact.
Furthermore, as the saying goes, one can die under peonies and become a ghost.
Oh! I have worked hard for half my life, and now not only do I have all the fame and wealth, but I also control the mountains and rivers of Dalong.
Sitting on thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, wielding supreme authority in the world.
The most important thing is that I have Yun'er, Sister Ya... Wanyan and my good sister you, all of you are stunning beauties who will conquer the country.
Then the damn little brother didn’t work hard for half his life in vain?”
Tao Ying snorted and rolled her eyes at Young Master Liu: "Sister, it's not for your health that you don't appreciate it. Instead, she made a long speech.
“How could I not know my good sister’s thoughts? But I just said that if you die under peonies, you will be a ghost even if you die.
As long as I can accompany my sister well and stay in love with you, even if I die young, my little brother will be willing to accept her."
“You—stop talking nonsense. It’s not easy for the people of the world to meet such a good emperor like you. If you die young, what will the people of the world do?
Sister, I dare to say something unpleasant. If your son succeeds to the throne, he may not be able to put the people first in everything like you do.
It is true that the son resembles the father, but the son is not the father after all.”
Liu Mingzhi was silent for a while and was about to say something when the door of Li's residence came into view.
Darkness has fallen for a long time, and at this time, not only outside the door of Li's house, but also all the houses on both sides of Changshun Street have hung red lanterns in front of their doors.
Tao Ying let go of Liu Mingzhi's wrist, walked to the door and gently knocked on the door a few times.
The person who opened the door was still the old housekeeper whom Liu Mingzhi had met several times. There was no surprise on the old housekeeper's face when the two of them returned hand in hand.
With a nod and a low eyebrow, he welcomed the two of them into his home, and the old housekeeper returned to the doorway to rest.
Under the long corridor leading to the inner courtyard, Tao Ying looked at Liu Mingzhi who was silently sizing up the environment on both sides. She seemed to have thought of something, and her expression darkened slightly.
“What? Are you worried that your sister has arranged an ambush for you again?”
Liu Mingzhi shook his head hurriedly: "No, no! Good sister, please stop thinking so wildly.
If I were worried about this, I wouldn't go to the appointment to meet you.
It's just a bit of emotion, lamenting the impermanence of the world, and never imagined that the two people who were diametrically opposed to each other would eventually become a pair of loving children by coincidence.
It can be said to be a fate that plays tricks on people.”
“Yes, it’s really fate. My sister was originally for her husband... alas... I won’t say it anymore..."
While talking softly, the two of them had already reached the door of Tao Ying's boudoir.