The Fierce Farm Girl Has A Secret Space Chapter 2429: Gift Giving (1)

Yang Ruxin instantly recognized the arrival of Hao Jian and Qin Shou. Though they attended the same school, their background in business families and status as only sons meant they couldn't be absent indefinitely, needing to engage in family affairs. Consequently, they were typically only able to attend classes for a few days each month.

The new semester had commenced, yet these two were nowhere to be seen.

However, their absence wasn't without cause.

Just before the year's end, Hao Jian's father suffered a leg injury, compelling the young man to return and assume control of the family enterprise. Managing such a vast business and numerous shops was undoubtedly a significant task. Thankfully, as Hao Jian himself put it, his astute father's injury was confined to his leg and not his mind, allowing him to still offer advice from the sidelines. This meant Hao Jian couldn't join the New Year festivities, but he did send a substantial gift.

As for Qin Shou, his grandmother had fallen ill. Being the sole grandson, his presence was naturally required to care for her. Seizing the opportunity to put his son through his paces, Qin Shou's father declared his intention to pray for his grandmother's recovery, then promptly whisked his mother away for a spiritual retreat in the mountains, leaving the entirety of the Qin family's affairs in his son's hands. The young man was so overwhelmed he barely had time to eat, spending his days poring over ledgers. He even had a servant relay to Yang Ruxin when sending his New Year's gift that he had lost two pounds in just half a month.

Could it be that these two companions in misfortune had arrived together today? Had they finally been released from their filial duties?

Yet, they didn't approach Yang Ruxin directly as they had before; they halted their advance three steps away.

"Sister Ruxin, are you truly expecting a child?" Qin Shou inquired, gazing at Yang Ruxin's belly with undisguised wonder.

"Can't you see for yourself? Why ask?" Hao Jian retorted, rolling his eyes at Qin Shou. "Sister Ruxin, do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Are you dense? The baby hasn't even been born yet," Qin Shou shot back, mirroring Hao Jian's eye-roll.

"Alright, you two," Yang Ruxin interjected, waving her hands dismissively. "Did you come here for a particular reason today?"

"Of course, we heard Sister Ruxin is pregnant, so we've come to offer gifts," Hao Jian declared swiftly. He gestured, and four servants who had been waiting by the door advanced in pairs, carrying two large lacquered boxes into the room.

"And mine as well," Qin Shou called out, motioning his own attendants forward. "My mother mentioned that Sister Ruxin might not need anything, but it’s tradition, so she asked me to convey her apologies if you find the gifts unnecessary."

Each family presented two sizable boxes. Unsure of the baby's gender, one box was designated for a boy and the other for a girl.

Within these boxes lay miniature shoes, jackets, trousers, and hats, accompanied by small quilts and blankets. Each set featured four seasonal outfits, meticulously arranged with varying colors and patterns.

Interestingly, the custom of offering gifts upon a child's birth, known as 'Give Soup Rice,' persists in later generations. Neighbors and close friends would present items like fabric, millet, and brown sugar to signify the community's support for the child. In return, the host family would distribute boiled red eggs to the gift-givers.

However, the traditions of this era differed from those of later times. During pregnancy, close friends and neighbors would bestow items such as shoes and clothing, symbolizing the act of 'wrapping' the child and hinting at a nurturing upbringing. Once the child was born, the nature of the gifts would shift to staples like millet, eggs, brown sugar, and pastries.

The Fang family had already presented the handcrafted four-season attire prepared by Yuan Mengzhu.

Upon hearing the news, villagers also contributed clothing, tiny shoes, and for those less skilled in embroidery, simple pieces of red cotton cloth.