Chapter 540 Return Home

Chapter 540: Chapter 540 Return Home

Having spent a night at the station, Wufu and his party arrived back in Huayang County past noon the next day after breakfast.

Ah Jiu escorted Wufu to the entrance of Wu Residence, where a servant went in to report their return.

"After sitting in the carriage for two days, you must be tired too. I won’t go in and disturb your mother," Ah Jiu said to Wufu, and then reached out his hand to Xiao Li, taking the case from him and passing it to Wufu.

Wufu took it and opened it to find the cross-stitch inside, and looked back at him with a puzzled expression.

What does this mean?

Ah Jiu said, "I need a hairpin."

Wufu was surprised. Was this his way of asking her to help carve it?

"When do you need it?" Wufu didn’t decline. A hairpin wasn’t a large item, and with the New Year approaching and no urgent matters at hand, carving for fun was an option.

"Before February."

"Just the hairpin?"

"I need a hairpin, but as for the rest, you can decide what to carve."

Wufu nodded. It was rare to open up a piece of Peach Blossom Spring, and she too wanted to see what she could carve from it. She handed it over to Purple Jade to hold and turned to go inside.

Ah Jiu opened his mouth as if to call out to her, but ended up swallowing his words.

"Is there something else?" Wufu asked, seeing his hesitant expression and growing curious.

"Nothing much. I’m heading back!" Ah Jiu smiled and turned to board the carriage.

How utterly perplexing.

"Wufu, Wufu you’ve come back." The voice of Madam Zhou approached from afar. Evidently, she had heard the news from the servant and couldn’t help but come out to meet her.

Wufu’s lips curled into a smile as she looked up and indeed saw Madam Zhou being helped out by Qiu Xiang, her face filled with eagerness.

"Mother, I’m back," Wufu greeted with a bow.

"It’s good that you’re back, good that you’re back," Madam Zhou looked her over and saw that she had returned safe and sound, whispering a prayer of thanks in her heart.

Then she turned her gaze toward the carriage and upon seeing the Ninth Master, she paused for a moment. Ah Jiu had no choice but to dismount and came forward to greet her with a bow.

"Mrs. Zhou, I hope you are well."

"It’s the Ninth Master," Madam Zhou said with a smile, returning the gesture and looking at Wufu with questions in her eyes.

"Mother, let’s go inside and talk," Wufu suggested, knowing she was puzzled, and took her hand.

"Yes, let’s do that."

Wufu waved to Ah Jiu and then helped Madam Zhou into the house. As for the items they had brought back, the servants would take care of them.

When they reached the main room, Wufu removed her cloak and set it aside, then helped Madam Zhou to sit on the Arhat bed, and proceeded to sit down next to her after kicking off her deerskin boots.

Qiu Ye brought over some tea. Catching sight of the cloak and the delicate deerskin boots on the floor, her eyes flickered. She smiled as she handed the tea over, saying, "Miss, it’s good you’ve returned. Madam has been talking about you daily!"

Wufu placed the tea on the kang table, "Didn’t I send a letter saying I’d be back later? Mother didn’t need to worry."

"You were traveling so far for the first time. A mother worries when her child travels a thousand li. How could I not be concerned?" Madam Zhou chided, then carefully observed her daughter’s complexion. "Hmm, your complexion looks decent, you didn’t get worn out, did you?"

"Not at all. I had a great find," Wufu’s eyes crinkled with mirth.

"Oh?"

"It’s definitely good news. From now on, Mother doesn’t have to worry about how we’ll live day to day. Just make yourself comfortable in whatever way you wish, buy whatever you want to eat—it’s all possible."

Madam Zhou retorted with feigned annoyance, "It’s just the two of us, how much can we possibly consume?" After taking a sip of tea, she cautiously inquired, "Speaking of which, Wufu, how come the Ninth Master also came back with you? Did you both return from the capital together?"