All Hail Cousin Brother

349 Don’t Go Back On Your Word

It was unknown what wood it was made of, but the color of the wooden comb was light yellow. It was quietly placed in a box, like beautiful jade, delicate and smooth.

The back of the wooden comb was thick and the teeth were thin. The teeth were fine and even. There were apricot patterns carved on the back. The light yellow patterns looked simple and elegant, but they were very exquisite.

Yu Youyao smiled happily. “Cousin, this wooden comb is the gift you wanted to give me for the Dragon Boat Festival, right? It’s really beautiful. It’s even carved with my favorite apricot patterns. What wood is it made of?”

The wood was delicate and warm, even more so than the rosewood.

Zhou Linghuai smiled and said, “It’s boxwood.”

“It’s actually boxwood?!” Yu Youyao looked surprised. She turned the boxwood comb over and over in her hand. “It’s rare for boxwood to grow in a thousand years. According to the book, the boxwood grows an inch every year without anything extra at all. In leap years, it shrinks by an inch. It’s hard to come by.”

Yellow boxwood was known as “Thousand-Year Shortness” and did not have much potential to grow. Even so, it would take at least a hundred years to barely produce anything.

A good boxwood tree could last for hundreds or even thousands of years.

The price was more expensive than rosewood, comparable to ebony.

The boxwood comb that her cousin had given her was almost comparable to gold and jade.

Zhou Linghuai nodded. “The boxwood grows in three years, but it’s not long in leap years. I planted boxwood on the mountaintop of a manor in the suburbs of the capital and raised an old plant that’s hundreds of years old. I found an obscure night without a single star and took this wood. It won’t crack if it’s cut. I tested it with water. It won’t burn and it’s heavy. It’s an especially expensive item, so I made this wooden comb.”

It wasn’t easy to make a boxwood comb either. From the beginning to the end, it took more than 30 steps.

He was very particular about carving, tracing, scalding, carving, grinding, and so on.

He had also started making this early in the morning.

Yu Youyao felt as if she had obtained a treasure. The fragrance of the boxwood was very light and faint, but it exuded elegance. “Cousin, why did you suddenly think of giving me a boxwood comb?”

Zhou Linghuai was stunned for a moment before saying, “According to the ‘Essential Herbs’, boxwood is good for wood carving. It can be used as a comb to reduce heat, remove moisture and detoxify..” There was an old saying that said, ‘A thousand years of combing is a hundred years of longevity.’ The boxwood can remove wind and moisture, circulate qi, nourish blood, clear heat, and detoxify poison. After combing a hundred times a day, it can also clear the meridians, awaken the mind, and extend one’s life.”

There was such a boxwood comb in his mother’s makeup box. His father had also made it himself.

Every morning and night, his mother would comb her hair a hundred times with a boxwood comb.

When he was young, he often saw his mother sitting in front of the glass mirror with disheveled hair. His father, who had always been careless, was rarely gentle as he helped his mother comb her hair with a boxwood comb.

The wooden comb scraped gently down against her scalp until it reached the end of her hair.

He did it over and over again, tirelessly.

It was as if a wooden comb could be used until her hair turned white.

“From now on, I’ll comb my hair with the boxwood comb that Cousin gave me every day. I’ll comb it a hundred times every time.” Yu Youyao smiled and lifted a strand of hair on her chest, then gently combed it with the boxwood comb.

The wooden comb was very smooth.

The way the little girl combed her hair stunned Zhou Linghuai.

He had given the little girl a boxwood comb that he had personally made because it was good for her health. The little girl was also very busy with her studies and managing the household.

Using a boxwood comb to comb her hair in the morning and night could also relieve her fatigue and nourish her blood.

However, he did not think about anything else.

However, at this moment, when he saw that the little girl was holding it in her hand and using the personally carved boxwood comb to comb her hair again and again. His hand that was holding the armrest couldn’t help but tremble slightly. He wanted to personally take the boxwood comb and help the little girl comb her hair, just like his father had helped his mother comb her hair.

Zhou Linghuai lowered his eyes, and his grip on the armrest gradually tightened before slowly relaxing. After doing this a few times, he lowered his hand and rubbed the wooden rhinoceros incense beads on his wrist with his right hand. “Great!”

With that, he lowered his eyes.

The wooden rhinoceros incense beads on his wrist were yellow and warm, without a trace of roughness. They wrapped around his wrist circle after circle, as if even his heart was restrained. However, this restrained fragrance seeped into his heart, making him feel happy.

Zhou Linghuai looked up. On one wrist, the little girl was wearing the blood beeswax prayer beads that Old Madam Yu had given her. They shone brightly and were beautiful. On the other wrist, she was also wearing the same wooden rhinoceros incense bead bracelet as him.

He couldn’t help but laugh when he heard the little girl’s cheerful voice. “I simply like the gifts Cousin gave me today. They’re too surprising. This is the happiest Dragon Boat Festival I’ve ever had. Thank you, Cousin.”

Zhou Linghuai nodded. “I have to thank Cousin too. This is also…” He tilted his head to look at the Acacia Rope on his arm and gently rubbed the sachet at his waist with his fingers. “I’ve had the most interesting Dragon Boat Festival.”

The best Dragon Boat Festival was when two people meticulously prepared the best intentions for each other.

At this moment, Chun Xiao came over. “Young Miss, breakfast is ready.”

Yu Youyao quickly smiled. “Cousin, let’s go for breakfast.”

With her cousin accompanying her, Yu Youyao felt that even breakfast had become more delicious, so she ate another bowl of porridge.

Zhou Linghuai couldn’t help but chuckle. “You eat very little?”

Yu Youyao was embarrassed for a moment, but she had always been pampered in front of her cousin. She pouted and said, “I got up at dawn today and was too hungry, so I ate so much. I usually don’t eat so much. At most, two small bowls of porridge.” At this point, she puffed up her cheeks and glared at her cousin fiercely. “Cousin, do you dislike me eating too much?”

How could Zhou Linghuai dare to say “yes”? He quickly shook his head. “No, I just think that it’s a blessing for Cousin to be able to eat and to be in good health.”

He suddenly recalled the day he had first entered the Yu Residence. The little girl was a round little person with baby fat, but her heart was like glass, and her eyes were clear and flawless.

At that time, he did not expect the Yu Residence to hide such a little girl.

He also felt that the little girl was cute when she was round.

It seemed better for her to eat more?!

Yu Youyao tilted her head and looked at her cousin. “I don’t care. Even if I eat too much, you can’t go back on your promise!”

He had said that in the future, when she was down and out, he had to support her. He couldn’t go back on her word.

Zhou Linghuai suddenly laughed. “I’ll remember.”

Yu Youyao finally felt happy. She scooped another bowl of porridge and placed it in front of her cousin. “Then Cousin, eat more. It’s a blessing to be able to eat and to be in good health.”

Zhou Linghuai had actually already eaten one more bowl than usual. Now, he was already full. However, when he saw the little girl looking at him with a smile, he felt that he could still have another bowl.