What’s an appropriate thank-you gift for a Chinese woman who owns my local takeout spot?

Hi everyone,

I have a question about gifts and what’s considered appropriate or thoughtful in Chinese culture.

I’m a Hispanic American woman, born in NY and in my 30s, and I’ve been getting takeout from the same Chinese restaurant on my block for about eight years. The cashier is a Chinese woman around my age whose whole family works there — her husband, grandparents, and sometimes I see her kids hanging out too.

About four years ago, she started crocheting and selling handmade items at the counter. She’s incredibly talented — I’ve bought a few over the years and sometimes tip her because I really admire her work. Over time we’ve gotten friendly — we make small talk, and we’ve even talked briefly about her kids and how they love cats (I foster cats, and one of the crochet items I bought was a cat, so we showed each other cat pictures).

She’s always been kind and friendly, which really stands out in my neighborhood and means a lot to me.

She speaks English when taking orders, but I can tell she might not fully catch complex or nuanced English, so I keep my conversations simple and friendly.

Today, I bought two crochet items (about $25) plus my food ($10). I gave her $40 and told her to keep the change as a small tip. She went to the back and came out with four beautiful hand-stitched handbags she’d made, and insisted I choose one as a gift to thank me for always buying from her and tipping her.

I tried to pay for the bag, but she wouldn’t let me — she kept saying it was a gift. I was really touched, and now I’d like to give her a small token of appreciation in return.

Would giving her a gift in return be appropriate in Chinese culture? And if so, what kind of small, simple gift would be seen as thoughtful or polite without making her uncomfortable?