RPAGF Chapter 211 The First Birthday Banquet: A Lucky Dish
Chapter 211 The First Birthday Banquet: A Lucky Dish
"Ruyan, stop fooling around. What if you don't take good care of your injury and it develops into a chronic condition?"
Chu Ruohan felt guilty towards Song Ruyan. If she hadn't asked Song Ruyan to kill Gu Chengyan, Song Ruyan wouldn't have fallen into the ambush and narrowly escaped death.
Song Ruyan lowered her head and remained silent. After a long while, she nodded gently.
Dr. Qian breathed a sigh of relief, "Don't worry, it will definitely be better in half a month at most."
Song Ruyan looked up at Doctor Qian. It was the first time she had been protected by someone, and a hint of shyness flickered in her eyes...
Just then, a series of steady and powerful footsteps approached.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Gu Junze dressed in a black robe, standing tall and straight.
These past few days, he's been training day and night in the military camp, and his face has lost its previous sickly look, replaced by a more resolute and heroic air.
Chu Ruohan went to greet her, "You're back!"
Gu Junze nodded slightly, looked at Chu Ruohan with tenderness, and said softly, "I brought a gift for Xuan-ge'er."
As he spoke, he took out a delicate little wooden box from his pocket. The box was carved with a qilin pattern, which symbolized good fortune.
Chu's father and mother came over when they heard the commotion.
Gu Junze immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, father-in-law and mother-in-law."
Father Chu smiled and nodded, his gaze falling on the wooden box in his hand. He asked curiously, "Junze, is this for Xuan-ge'er?"
Gu Junze smiled and opened the wooden box, inside which was a small longevity lock, made of pure gold.
“I specially sought out this longevity lock, hoping that Xuan-ge’er can grow up safely and smoothly,” he explained.
Chu Ruohan took the longevity lock and examined it closely. "You've put a lot of thought into this. It's really beautiful."
Father Chu sighed, “Time flies so fast. Xuan’er is already a year old. By the way, Ruohan, Yue Shu and Ying Qing’s wedding is coming soon. We must make good preparations.”
Chu Ruohan smiled and replied, "Yes, I was just thinking about it too. I'll definitely give them a grand wedding."
"Father, elder sister..." Chu Yueshu blushed and called out coquettishly.
Chu's father joked, "You're almost getting married, and you're starting to get shy!"
Chu Yueshu stamped her foot, feigning displeasure, "Father, please stop teasing me."
As she spoke, she quickly walked to the side and picked up Xuan-ge'er.
The little one giggled, waving his chubby little hands in the air, full of curiosity about everything around him.
"Call me Auntie..."
Xuan-ge stared at Chu Yue-shu with his big, round eyes for a while, then blew out two bubbles.
Ying Qing stood beside Chu Yue Shu, lowered her head slightly, and leaned close to Chu Yue Shu's ear.
His voice was deep and gentle as he whispered, "Let's have one after we get married, a child as adorable as Xuan-ge'er."
Upon hearing this, Chu Yueshu's cheeks burned even hotter. She glanced at Ying Qing reproachfully but did not refute him. Instead, she lowered her head even further, but couldn't help but smile.
The first birthday celebration was about to begin, and everyone gathered around.
Lu Ge'er and Lan Jie'er stood in the front row, their little heads huddled together, staring curiously at the table displaying a dazzling array of items.
"Brother, what do you think Xuan-ge'er will catch?"
“Xuan-ge’er is a boy, so he should know how to handle swords and the like.”
“No,” Lan-jie tilted her head, thought seriously for a moment, and replied crisply, “I guess it’s that sachet, it’s so pretty!”
Xuan was placed in front of the table. Like a curious child, he opened his big, round eyes and looked around at everything.
He excitedly waved his chubby little hands, making a few gestures in the air while making "ee-ee-ya-ya" sounds.
Chu Ruohan said, "Brother Xuan, go and choose what you like."
"Brother Xuan, choose this one..."
"This one will work too..."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Xuan-ge'er seemed to receive a command, and his little hands quickly reached out, weaving among the various objects.
He paused for a moment by the abacus, touched it lightly with his fingers, and then quickly moved away.
Just as everyone was filled with anticipation, Xuan-ge suddenly crawled to the side.
His eyes lit up instantly, and his chubby little hands reached for the snacks, grabbing one in one go. Before anyone could react, he stuffed it into his mouth.
"Hey, who left the snacks here..."
Lan Jie'er was taken aback at first, then clapped her hands and giggled, "Brother, you guessed wrong, it's what Xuan Ge'er likes to eat!"
Chu Ruohan was both amused and annoyed, and shook her head helplessly: "This little guy, all he knows is how to eat."
Gu Junze couldn't help but chuckle and teased, "He'll definitely be a lucky eater in the future."
Chu's father stroked his beard and laughed heartily: "This child is so straightforward and adorable. He might just grow up to be someone who knows how to enjoy life."
Mother Chu: "No matter what he catches, it's all a blessing for our Xuan-ge'er. As long as he's healthy and happy, that's all that matters."
Chu Yueshu picked up Xuan Ge'er, gently poked his chubby cheeks, and said affectionately, "You little glutton, this is your first birthday celebration, and all you know is to eat."
With his mouth full of snacks, Xuan-ge'er's cheeks were bulging, and he responded with mumbled "ee-ya" sounds, while tightly clutching the half-eaten snack in his hand.
This caused everyone to burst into laughter again.
Amidst the commotion, a servant hurried in and announced, "Young Master, Young Madam, the Countess has arrived."
Chu Ruohan and Gu Junze exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes. Gu Junze then nodded slightly, and Chu Ruohan softly instructed, "Please come in quickly."
As soon as the Countess entered the main hall, she greeted everyone with a smile, "Oh my, what a lively scene! I've arrived just in time to congratulate Xuan-ge'er!"
Upon hearing this, everyone bowed in respect.
The Countess smiled broadly, her gaze sweeping across the crowd, and she saw Xuan Ge'er being held in Chu Yue Shu's arms, eating with great relish.
"Look at this little guy, how cute he is."
As she spoke, she raised her hand and touched the jade bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet had a warm and lustrous color and a delicate texture, and it was clearly very valuable.
Without hesitation, she took off the bracelet and handed it to Chu Ruohan, saying, "I came in a hurry and didn't prepare any decent gift. Consider this bracelet a small token of my appreciation for Xuan-ge'er."
Chu Ruohan quickly declined, but the Countess insisted on putting it in her hand, saying, "Don't be so polite, this is also my blessing as an elder."
After exchanging pleasantries, the Countess picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and then revealed her purpose.
"We were discussing with you about my grandson seeking out Yingqing to become his apprentice and learn martial arts, but because of the Feng family's matter, I was too embarrassed to visit them in person, so it was delayed..."
Chu Ruohan was slightly taken aback. It was indeed true, but the Countess had never come to visit, so she thought it was just a casual remark.
Gu Junze coughed lightly, looked up at the Countess, and the two exchanged glances, understanding each other without saying a word.
"Auntie, you're too kind. Since Cheng-ge'er wants to learn martial arts, he can keep Lu-ge'er company."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Ying Qing and nodded slightly.
Yingqing stepped forward and bowed respectfully, "Madam, rest assured, I will do my utmost to teach you well and live up to your expectations."
Chu Ruohan's gaze lingered on Gu Junze's face. He already knew, or rather, he did it on purpose...