All Hail Cousin Brother

Chapter 494: Cousin, You’re So Kind

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

During the battle in Shandong, the Northern Barbarians had probably received the news.

Now that his reputation had soared, even the vassal lords had to avoid him.

The Northern Barbarians had suffered greatly under him and his father. Before figuring out the truth, they definitely did not dare to act rashly.

Chang Ningbo had rushed to the north to help in the war a few years ago and was quite experienced in fighting the Northern Barbarians.

Yu Youyao was finally relieved.

Yu Youyao’s eyes darted around as if she had thought of something. She quickly said, “Cousin, you said that you had brought me a gift. Where’s the gift? Quick, show it to me.”

He knew that no matter what she had forgotten, she would never forget a gift. Zhou Linghuai’s smile deepened. “It’s in the reception pavilion. I’ll bring you over to take a look.”

Yu Youyao happily followed her cousin to the reception pavilion. At a glance, she saw a table full of gift boxes. She said in surprise, “These are all prepared for me?

Zhou Linghuai nodded. “Some of them are specialties from the north. Most of them were brought back from Shandong. There were also medicinal herbs and spices that were banned, so I asked Chang An to send them to the Jade Courtyard.”

The others in the residence only had one gift from Youzhou, but she had two.

Yu Youyao was overjoyed. “Thank you, Cousin!”

The gifts that her cousin had prepared were all very exquisite. Clearly, they had been carefully prepared. Yu Youyao couldn’t wait to take out a gift box and untie the silk around it. It was a rosewood box with pine and cypress cloud patterns carved on it.

As soon as the box was opened, she saw an inkstone inside. It was green and pure, like a parasol leaf. The stone patterns looked like pine branches and cypress leaves, strong and bright.

Yu Youyao’s fondness was almost overflowing. She quickly took the inkstone.

The inkstone was cool to the touch, as if she was holding an ice stone in her hand. After holding it for a long time, she couldn’t bear to part with it. “Cousin, what’s the story of this inkstone?

Zhou Linghuai smiled. “This is a Wutai inkstone. It’s produced on Wutai Mountain, also known as the Dragon Resting Stone. It’s as cold as ice and good for fine ink. It’s also a rare good inkstone. I carved it myself.” At this point, he recalled that he had given her a red silk inkstone previously, so he explained, “I heard from Yin San that you liked the red silk inkstone I gave you previously very much. I think you also like these strange stones and inkstones, so I specially found one for you.”

The Great Zhou Dynasty especially valued stone carvings. High-quality stone materials could all be carved into inkstones, so stone inkstones were also very popular in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

On the other hand, the famous inkstones of the previous dynasty were not as popular as stone inkstones because they needed to be burned.

In the past, Yu Youyao had never shown a special interest in inkstones. However, after giving her the red silk inkstone, he realized that Yu Youyao had an extraordinary liking for inkstones. She probably liked to collect these rare and good inkstones.

Indeed!

Yu Youyao was overjoyed as she held the Wutai Mountain inkstone. “Wutai Mountain is a holy land of the Buddhist Sect. Could the Dragon Resting Stone produced on Wutai Mountain also be related to Buddhism?”

She indeed liked the inkstone very much, but only because it was given to her by her cousin.

The purple gold inkstone that Song Mingzhao had given her was also a rare strange stone inkstone. She did not even touch it and did not think that she liked it much.

He did not believe in Buddhism, but Yu Youyao seemed to have some Buddhist affinity, so Zhou Linghuai smiled. “If you think it’s related, it’s related. It depends on the person.”

Yu Youyao smiled.

Zhou Linghuai changed the topic. “I obtained a few high-quality Dragon Resting Stones. As the stone is relatively large, it will take a while to be transported into the capital. The Dragon Resting Stones are as cold as ice. When the time comes, I’ll carve them for you. In summer, they’ll be placed in the study, bedroom, and hall. They’ll be as cold as ice. It’s a beautiful and cooling way to relieve the heat. When it’s summer next year, it won’t be too difficult to deal with the heat.”

Yu Youyao had a bitter summer. Ever since May, she had been complaining about the heat.

Although there was an ice cellar at home, Nanny Xu did not allow her to use too much ice. Ice melted when it was hot. Although it could relieve the heat for a while, it could not continue to reduce the heat. Yu Youyao had also suffered a lot.

After thinking about it, Zhou Linghuai thought of the Dragon Resting Stone.

The stone was naturally cold, so it naturally cooled down and relieved the heat. It was not like ice, which had cold air. If used too much) it was easy for coldness to enter the body, and this was not good for the body.

However, the best Dragon Resting Stones were rare, and it took him a few days to find a few.

When the time came, he would give one to Matriarch. It was rare for the others in the residence to give her small gifts.

Yu Youyao smiled. “Cousin, you’re the best.”

It had been too long since he had heard the little girl say this. Zhou Linghuai’s lips curled up slightly. “As long as you like it.”

As the first gift was a huge surprise, Yu Youyao looked forward to every time she could open a gift.

Her cousin did not disappoint her. The gifts he gave her were all exquisite and unique items that were rare in the capital. Just based on their rarity, Yu Youyao’s horizons were broadened.

When the little girl opened her gift, her joy pleased Zhou Linghuai. It was not in vain that he had spent a lot of manpower and resources.

Towards the end, when Yu Youyao unwrapped a purple-gold inkstone from Langya Mountain, she couldn’t help but be stunned.

Zhou Linghuai was so sharp. How could her subtle changes in emotions escape him? He asked calmly, “What’s wrong? The purple gold inkstone is as famous as the red silk inkstone in Shandong. Do you not like it?”

Yu Youyao reacted and held the purple gold stone lovingly. “Of course I like what Cousin gave me. A while ago, Heir Song came to thank me and gave me a purple gold stone from Langya Mountain. I was just a little surprised.”

Zhou Linghuai’s gaze darkened slightly as he said calmly, “Oh, is that so? Purple gold stones produced in Langya, Shandong, are very rare. This piece of mine is also an old item that the Leng Residence has kept for many years. It took some time to carve it into an inkstone. I think the item he gave you is also an ancient item with a strong historical background. I want to see it.”

Yu Youyao pursed her lips. “I took a look at the purple-gold inkstone that Heir Song gave me. It’s indeed a rare antique. As for its background, I’m not sure. I asked Nanny Xu to put it in the storeroom. If Cousin wants to see it, I’ll get someone to find it.”

They were both purple-gold inkstones, but when Yu Youyao mentioned Song Mingzhao’s piece, she seemed to lack interest. Instead, she held the purple-gold inkstone in her hand and admired it seriously.

The love in her eyes was as if this was the first time she had seen such a rare thing.

This purple-gold inkstone was engraved with the words, “The purple qi will come out from the east.” There was a hint of purple in the gold, making it look rich and noble. The piece that Song Mingzhao had given her seemed to be mostly purple with gold.

At first glance, there did not seem to be any difference.

However, on closer inspection, she realized that the texture of her cousin’s inkstone was a little better than Song Mingzhao’s, making it look extremely elegant.

This should be the best quality among the purple gold stones.

Zhou Linghuai shook his head. “Since it’s in the storeroom, forget it. I’ll look at it again when I have the chance in the future. Although my purple-gold inkstone isn’t an antique, its quality is top-notch and very rare..”