A few days before grandma’s birthday, Luo Qiao received a phone call saying she could e pick up the bracelet.
When she drove there, the master in the shop was already waiting. The item was so precious that he hesitated to let it go even after finishing it a few days earlier, so he specially kept it for a few more days.
Seeing the polished bracelet, Luo Qiao literally couldn’t let go of it. The green color was vibrant and rich, and wearing it gave a sense of classical beauty, making her look softer.
The master not only made six Jade Gourds but also crafted two small gold inlaid Jade Maitreya Buddhas.
Luo Qiao was absolutely delighted, paid the labor and material fees, and then left the shop.
On Zhou Guifang’s birthday, the family gathered together, each with well-prepared gifts. As soon as Luo Qiao brought out the pair of bracelets, the women gathered around.
The translucency was truly excellent. Although not a top-grade Imperial Green, it had decent quality, and everyone praised it for a while.
In the end, Zhou Guifang took down one from her wrist and put it back on Luo Qiao’s wrist, saying: "I’ve heard this is very expensive. Since it’s your birthday gift to grandma, I won’t ask how much, but grandma does like it very much. However, just one is enough; you keep this one. It’s said jade nourishes people."
Luo Qiao declined for a while, but Zhou Guifang had made up her mind. Understanding grandma’s intention, Luo Qiao admitted she also liked the bracelet quite a bit: "Alright, I’ll follow your advice."
The room was filled with birthday gifts from everyone—high-end massage chairs, various supplements, and the large gold bracelet her eldest cousin bought for grandma, to which grandma likewise returned one.
And she said: "In case one day I need to go, remember to take off this bracelet; return it to whoever gave it. This item cannot be taken along, but those rings and earrings are fine."
Everyone laughed, and the old lady happily enjoyed her birthday.
Before leaving, Luo Qiao secretly took out the Bloodstone Seal she prepared for grandpa and teased him softly: "Don’t let anyone see it."
Luo Daoren didn’t expect his granddaughter had a surprise for him. Holding the Bloodstone with fondness, he asked: "Is it expensive?"
Luo Qiao shook her head: "I found this stone as a bargain at the recycling station earlier; I only paid for the processing fee. You keep it for fun."
*
When the New Year arrived, Luo Qiao and her lab had a breakthrough in their project, expecting results after the New Year, causing the entire lab excitement.
They even worked through the New Year without rest, truly working day and night in dedication. On New Year’s Eve, when their project reached a critical moment, dumplings were brought in by Lu Yichen. Other lab members’ families also delivered food, everyone gathered and exchanged New Year’s greetings.
Not until March did the project finally yield results and officially enter the experimental phase, allowing the lab members some rest.
With downtime, Luo Qiao recalled the earthquake from that year, anxiety gripping her as she realized she had forgotten such a major event, feeling restless with only over two months left.
Considering it cautiously, she decided to deliver the message without exposing herself.
She piled the information she remembered into a document on her puter, advising increased monitoring of geological and groundwater conditions, specifying that from May 12th to 15th Sichuan Province was likely to experience a geological disaster, stressing the need for vigilance.
Wearing disposable gloves, she made envelopes and enclosed three letters. Realizing that three days later she would attend a meeting at the city government, it seemed like an opportunity.
Thus, one letter was sent into the city government this way. On the meeting day, with many attendees present, it discreetly transferred from the space she managed directly into the mayor’s folder without touching her hands.
Another letter was placed in the city government’s visitor suggestion box, appearing safe, assuring her.
The last letter was specifically driven to a suburb, where she disguised herself before buying an envelope at a local mini-market and mailed it to the Geological Environment Monitoring Institute, feeling relieved, believing one of the letters would surely garner attention.
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