Right now, all he had left was some cloth and food. He would bring them to the Gu house tomorrow.

When he looked at these things, Mo Beihan felt that they were just too pathetic. But he had no choice. Sigh…

Jiang Yingqiu came over and looked at the things he had prepared. She said, “These things look very respectable. When you bring them out tomorrow, everyone in the brigade will be envious.

“But the Gus are different. They used to be a well-to-do family and Yao Yao is their only granddaughter. They've doted on her since she was young. You have to get some better things for the engagement. Even if you can't present them publicly, you can give them to Yao Yao privately.”

Mo Beihan thought about it. Yao Yao kept all his valuable items. Actually, any set of jewelry that they had would do. But he did not wish to use those.

He had obtained them in exchange for food on the black market. They had plenty of those. He was getting engaged to Yao Yao and he wanted to give her something special.

Even if it was jewelry like a jade bangle, he wanted to customize one for Yao Yao, and not give her something he had bartered from someone else.

Mo Beihan said, “I bought an imported watch for Yao Yao. There's nothing else that's valuable. We'll just have to make do. It can't be helped.”

If anyone else heard that he had bought an imported watch for an engagement, they would certainly think he was making too much of a fuss. But Jiang Yingqiu was different. She knew that the Gu family was exceptional.

Jiang Yingqiu frowned. “An imported watch is not enough. Didn't you prepare anything else? You… you brat, you've been spending all your time away from home, and you're still such a stick in the mud?”

Jiang Yingqiu was a little skeptical. She knew how clever her son was. How many good things had this fellow obtained on the black market?

In recent years, the family had lived better and had enough food, mostly because of the food and money that Mo Beihan had obtained on the black market.

It was easy to obtain something valuable there. He just had to barter some food for it.

Mo Beihan understood his mother's meaning and smiled. “Mother, it's enough that you treasure Yao Yao so much. Those are all items that others have worn before. There will be an opportunity to obtain them later and give them to Yao Yao. She can just wear them for fun. But I want to give her something special as an engagement present.

“I don't have anything yet. I'll make up for it later.”

Jiang Yingqiu frowned. “I won't interfere in your affairs, but what about the Gu family? At least you have to make a show. You can obtain a special gift for Yao Yao later, but now you have to give something better. I saw that you were always going out and thought you had prepared everything! You brat, you don't know anything!”

Mo Beihan smiled and took a small box from under his bed. He opened it for Jiang Yingqiu.

Inside was an entire set of red gold hair ornaments, a set of emerald jewelry, as well as two jade bangles.

Be it in terms of purity or workmans.h.i.+p, these items were outstanding, and they were definitely of top quality.

Jiang Yingqiu was fairly knowledgeable, so she smiled the moment she saw them. “That's more like it! Here! This is for you too!”

As she spoke, she took out a small cloth bag. Inside was a pair of icy blue jade bangles.

The bangles were sparkling, translucent, and completely flawless. One could tell at a glance that these were good items.

Although they were not of the best quality, in twenty years' time, this pair would be worth ten thousand dollars or so.

Mo Beihan was shocked. “Mother, where did you get these from?”

Jiang Yingqiu smiled. “This is my gift, from a mother-in-law to her daughter-in-law. Take it. I have more!”