"What? Is it true?" Li Wenshan was shocked.

  "Come on, don't be like that," said the old man with a slanted smile, pulling Li Wenshan aside and walking a few steps. "It's really true, but don't take it to heart. Just consider it as me treating everyone to a meal, no need for gifts. Gu Yan knows, don't believe me? Ask him. It's been like this for years, just everyone getting together to have some fun. You must come, and bring your sister and brother too. It's perfect, neither will you miss out on taking your sister out to play, nor will I miss out on treating everyone to a drink."

  Knowing it was Liu's birthday, Li Wenshan could no longer decline and hastily agreed, bidding farewell to the crowd with a bow and mounting his horse to hurry back to Hengshan County.

  Qin Wang and the others also got on their horses. Gu Liu mounted his horse while complaining to Jin Zhiyan, "We agreed not to tell him, why did you have to say it? Now that you've said it, he's definitely going to prepare gifts. His family is so poor, and you're really...!"

  "No matter how poor, it's not like you can't even afford this birthday gift. You're not saying anything now, but can you still hide it in two days? At that time, won't Li Wu be embarrassed? Don't worry, with someone like Li Wu, I think he might just write a few words and hand them over to you as a birthday gift."

  Lu Yi couldn't help but nod in agreement with Jin Shu's words, and that Li Wu really brought a few of his own written characters over, he wasn't surprised at all.

  "Brother Huan, you just said that in previous years on your birthday, you would invite everyone to eat a meal and didn't prepare any gifts?" Qin Wang poked Gu Liu with his horse whip and asked him sideways.

  "I'm just saying, if I didn't say this..."

  "That's just talking nonsense!" Jin Zuo Yan's whip struck from the other side, "You're actually saying that you've put our reputation on your face and pinned this free meal on us? This won't do, you need to give an explanation."

  "I didn't mean it that way, you know, Li Wu..." Gu Liu hastily explained.

  "What does this have to do with Li Wu? I've been sending generous gifts every year, and you dismiss it with one sentence. Does that mean all the birthday gifts were sent in vain?" King Qin refused to give in.

  "And I, I remember last year's birthday gift, was chosen by you yourself, that piece of Qing Yu'an case written by the hands of the former dynasty's money family, you said it was a poem of your ancient ancestors, and it should be given to you, return that piece of calligraphy to me." Jin Zhiyan followed closely behind Gu Liu.

  Gu Liu exclaimed repeatedly, seeking help from Lu Yi, "General Lu, you be the judge, say something, I didn't mean it that way, I just..."

  "I also spend a lot of effort every year to choose birthday gifts for you." Lu Yi smiled and said seriously, showing that he was slightly dissatisfied.

  "Alas, alas, you... Alright, alright, I was wrong, it's all my nonsense. Forgive me, Prince Wang, forgive me, Young Master, forgive me, General Lu. Tonight, I'll... wherever you say, I'll set up a banquet to apologize, is that okay? And tomorrow, I'll invite you again for another day." Gu Liu resignedly made four bows to apologize.

  "Just serving wine is not enough, it's not sincere. Tonight, you'll stand from head to toe and pour wine and serve dishes." Jin Zhenyan's face was stern, but Qin Wang had already started smiling, "This is more like it, who wants your wine and dishes if you don't have sincerity?"

  Gu Liu let out a long sigh, his face bitter, "Alas, I had good intentions... all for nothing!"

  ………………

  Li Xia heard that Wu Ge said the next day was Gu Liu's birthday, and he couldn't not go. After thinking about it, this wasn't a bad thing after all. It was just right, taking advantage of this opportunity to take another look at Qin Wang, to see if he could find any clues. If he got drunk with excitement, then the chance would be even greater.

  As for the case in Xigou Village, I'll let Guo Sheng take a look at it later. It's a good opportunity for her to check out this Guo Sheng through this small matter.

  "Don't bring Sixth Brother along." Li Xia made up her mind and first took out Li Wenlan, who was getting in the way. "I think Qin Wang was different last time he came compared to before. This time is a good opportunity to take another look. Sixth Brother is too much of a hindrance. If he's there, I'll have to spend a lot of energy keeping an eye on him."

  Li Wenshan scratched his head, nodded in agreement, "Then this matter should not be told to Lan Ge...it's not possible, nor can it be told to Mother, if Mother is told, she will definitely be busy with this and that, at least a car needs to be prepared, when Mother is busy preparing the car, Lan Ge will definitely know we are going to Hangzhou City, and will definitely want to follow us, who can bear his crying?"

  "Gu Yu Yan, you arrived at noon, which is quite early. If you don't plan to tell your mother, we'll have to prepare gifts ourselves and go to Hangzhou City to pick one out. We'll have to leave very early."

  "Tomorrow, as soon as it's light, we'll leave. Just tell them you're taking me out for a horse ride and say we'll ride to Lin'an City and back. Once we arrive at Lin'an City, send the servant boy back home. Firstly, this way he won't follow us. Secondly, have him tell Mother that we'll be having lunch in Lin'an City before returning, otherwise if we're out for a whole day, Mother will definitely worry to death."

  Li Xia waved her foot and arranged it, Li Wenshan nodded repeatedly.

  The next day early in the morning, Li Wenlan had not yet gotten out of bed when Li Xia and Fifth Brother had already gone out to ride horses outside the city.

  All the way running to not far from Lin'an City, Li Wenshan sent off Wu Tong and brought Li Xia, rushing into Hangzhou City in one breath, putting the horse in Mr. Qin's small courtyard, bringing Li Xia, and rushing straight to the most bustling street in Hangzhou City to pick out gifts.

  Li Wenshan was very particular about gifts, while Li Xia didn't really care, as long as it showed thoughtfulness.

  The Gu family, a prominent clan with a hundred years of wealth and prosperity, had accumulated immense riches. They were so impoverished that even if they spent all their resources, they couldn't afford anything that would catch Gu Yu's eye. In that case, it was better to choose something cheaper and just buy what suited her taste.

  Li Wenshan fully agreed with Li Xia's words, and after some thought, decided to buy a pen or a stack of elegant paper, which was both cheap and convenient, and could be used.

  Next to the best stationery store in Hangzhou was Xiangji Silver House, Li Xia stood outside the stationery store, looking at Xiangji Silver House, feeling a mix of emotions.

  This Xiangji Silver Building is a shop opened by an old family's manager after leaving the old family, and now there is only one in Hangzhou.

  In the past, their mother took the four siblings to Beijing in a hurry. When they arrived at Shiliping outside Hangzhou City, it rained heavily, and the children huddled under the eaves of a house to avoid the rain.

  The owner of the Hejin Nian silver building, Mr. He, saw them in the tea shop across the street and took pity on them. He invited them into his tea shop and later lent them his large carriage, complete with horses and a coachman, and gave their mother several dozen taels of silver, allowing them to barely scrape by as they entered the capital...

  Later she made Xiangji Silver Building an imperial merchant, and when she returned that year, Xiangji Silver Building's business was all over the world...

  "Axia, what's wrong? Come in quickly." Li Wenshan entered the shop and turned around to look for Axia, but couldn't see him. He hastily turned around again to find him.

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