Chapter 13

Ning Qingxi pretended nothing had happened and changed the subject by picking up her clothes: "Where should I change?"

Huo Yanci was studying the bow in her hand when she heard this, and pointed to the house next to her without looking up.

The shed containing the horse harness and that other shed were in the same courtyard. The shed was the west wing, and the other shed was the north wing. The courtyard was small and had no pond. There were only two vats under the eaves, in which koi and lotus flowers were kept.

Ning Qingxi stepped inside in a few strides, and immediately sensed something was wrong.

This house... doesn't look like it's uninhabited.

Standing in someone else's courtyard, Ning Qingxi felt extremely reserved. Looking at the house, which was completely different from her own in the Zhang family mansion, it wasn't hard to guess whose it was.

Ning Qingxi: "..."

What a jerk!

She didn't mince words, quickly taking off her outer coat and putting on her fitted outfit. Her winter clothes were all underneath, making her feel particularly bulky. When she went out, she felt her shoulders and arms were constricted. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Huo Yanci standing in the courtyard and immediately called out, "Perfect timing! I always feel like these clothes are too tight. Can you help me see if I've put them on wrong?"

Huo Yanci looked at her, scrutinized her shoulders and back, and nodded: "I reckon it's a bit small, but I don't have any suitable ones here."

Ning Qingxi waved her hand: "It doesn't matter, as long as it's wearable."

The outfit is dark blue with narrow sleeves, which should theoretically make it look quite dashing. However, Ning Qingxi's hair is still styled in a girlish braid, so it doesn't really give her a dashing look.

Huo Yanci produced a strip of cloth, about three fingers wide and the same color as her clothes, from somewhere. Holding a comb in one hand, she said, "You need to tie your hair up when riding a horse, you..."

Ning Qingxi said "Oh," took the comb, loosened the light green hair ribbon on her head with one hand, and combed her hair with the other. Before long, all her long hair was gathered on top of her head, and then Ning Qingxi was in a dilemma.

She hasn't learned how to tie her ponytail with a hairband yet.

Huo Yanci, being very perceptive, came over to help. When the handover took place, her hair was a little loose. Huo Yanci was too lazy to use a comb, so she inserted four fingers into her hair and slowly tidied it up.

This moment was incredibly awkward, and with no one around, Ning Qingxi couldn't shift her attention. The awkwardness made her feel like ants were crawling all over her.

"Speaking of which, what do you think of that house, fifty taels?" Ning Qingxi made conversation. "I really don't know much about the prices here. Although I trust you, I should at least have some idea of ​​what's going on."

“I think the price of that house is fair,” Huo Yanci said slowly. “A shop in a less desirable location would cost one or two taels of silver a year, let alone this place where you have to live.”

Ning Qingxi closed her eyes and thought for a moment: "What you said makes sense. I'll think about it carefully when I get back... Hey, speaking of which, aren't you really planning to redo this courtyard?"

Huo Yanci: "I would like to hear the details."

Ning Qingxi pointed randomly: "Build houses on all four sides and enclose it. The roofs are all tilted inward so that rainwater can be collected when it rains. Then dig a square water channel in the yard as a landscape feature. When the rainwater flows in, it will bring wealth from all four directions."

Huo Yanci tied her hair up with a hairband: "Miss Ning is right. If you don't have any work to do tomorrow, come and help me with this."

"Even between brothers, accounts must be kept clear; I need my money."

Huo Yanci chuckled and casually tapped Ning Qingxi on the head: "Are you obsessed with money?"

Ning Qingxi remained noncommittal, then stood up excitedly and asked, "Is it all tied up? Where's the mirror?!"

"It's inside."

Ning Qingxi: "..."

That's a bit impolite!

However, seeing Huo Yanci's open and honest demeanor, Ning Qingxi felt that she was mistaken. After a moment of doubt, she stepped into the house, found a brass mirror, and could barely see that she looked very handsome.

Ning Qingxi was extremely satisfied. She stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself from left to right, unable to get enough of it. It wasn't until Huo Yanci called her that she reluctantly left the room.

When they arrived at the gate, a carriage was already prepared and waiting for them to leave.

The carriage headed towards the west gate of the city. The afternoon sun was high and there was a rare warmth. Ning Qingxi felt warm all over and her heart became more adventurous. She lifted the curtain and found everything new and exciting.

There are many shops on the west side, and the closer you get to the west gate, the more stalls there are selling goods, mostly things from the mountains, some of which are still covered in mud.

Huo Yanci probably couldn't stand her naive and unsophisticated manner, and said disdainfully, "Can't you be a little more dignified? Looking at you like this, people will think you're a maid I bought, who just arrived in the city."

Ning Qingxi scoffed and slammed the curtain shut: "Why don't you just say you were bought by the young lady? Why are you throwing a tantrum like a spoiled princess here?"

Upon hearing this, Huo Yanci looked her up and down, then closed her eyes.

The implication is self-evident.

He was looking down on Ning Qingxi.

Despite her disdain, Ning Qingxi was now living and playing in other people's company, so it was normal for her to be a little indebted to them. Therefore, she didn't dwell on it.

Once outside the city, there were still some houses with smoke rising from them, but after walking for a while, even that sparse population disappeared.

Huo Yanci said, "It's too close to the capital, so these places are hard to get into. We usually play in the mountains, where there's plenty of space and we can ride horses freely."

Ning Qingxi asked curiously, "Did Boss Zhang acquire his land in this way?"

"Of course, otherwise, who are you planning to kick out if you build a courtyard in the capital?"

In the very center of the capital was the Imperial Palace, surrounded by imperial mausoleums, sacrificial altars, and royal summer gardens. These areas were the residences of high-ranking officials and nobles. Further out were bustling commercial and residential areas. Apart from these, poverty was everywhere. Wandering through the alleys, one would find many families who could not afford charcoal.

However, despite this, the location is still very good, and you can make a fortune by building or doing anything here. So the local residents know this too. Anyone who wants to dig this place up will be ripped off at an exorbitant price. As a result, almost no one can afford to pay that amount. Even those who have money have to consider whether it is worth it.

In this way, a subtle harmony was achieved.

The situation is different outside the capital.

The area is clearly divided into two worlds. Seven miles away, turning up the mountain, you won't see a single sign of human habitation. Nobody would be foolish enough to do business here. Over time, this place has become a good place to build relationships.

Is the wife at home so fierce that she can't keep a mistress?

Find a pretext to get a sum of money to build a manor here.

Therefore, that's how Zhang Fuhu acquired his land.

It's cheap, spacious, and you can do whatever you want.

Ning Qingxi looked thoughtful, and Huo Yanci opened one eye to look at her: "What? You want it too?"

"If you give me some more silver, I'll consider it," Ning Qingxi argued with him.

As they spoke, they arrived at the horse farm.

Huo Yanci jumped off the carriage first, then turned around and helped Ning Qingxi down as well.

The weather was perfect; the sunlight shone on the snow, so bright it hurt your eyes.

Ning Qingxi shielded her eyes from the light and looked at the rough but well-equipped horse farm in front of her, asking, "How do we run horses? Bring the horse we came with over here?"

"Let it go," Huo Yanci said, pressing down on her shoulder and using a little force to turn her around. "The horses are over there."

The horse farm was full of horses, and there were people here to take care of them. All of these horses were plump and strong. Ning Qingxi paused for a moment, looked up and met the eyes of a horse that was more than two heads taller than her, and then turned her gaze to Huo Yanci’s face, asking with her eyes: Are you kidding me?

Ning Qingxi wasn't joking. She had already started to wonder if she had offended him in some way. It was obvious that he didn't want her to leave unscathed.

“Your horse isn’t here,” Huo Yanci turned and pointed, “it’s over there.”

Ning Qingxi turned her head to look.

Although she didn't know much about horses, she couldn't help but notice the words written all over the faces of the horses pulling her: old, weak, sick, disabled, and young.

Ning Qingxi accepted it readily: "Give me the gentlest one."

Huo Yanci immediately led out a young horse for her: "This one will do, it hasn't run around much."

Ning Qingxi nodded, touched the horse's face, and seeing that the horse didn't bite, she accepted it gladly.

What Huo Yanci didn't say was that this horse was the foal born from Xinghua, the one that people in the martial arts world called his son.

After choosing a horse, someone came to put on the tack. While Ning Qingxi was standing and waiting, a set of protective gear was also handed to her. When she was dressed and riding the pony out, Huo Yanci was already waiting.

Huo Yanci has never been particular about riding horses; he only wants the best, the fastest, and the wildest.

Therefore, when he rode his horse and looked at Ning Qingxi, he had to lower his head, giving Ning Qingxi the illusion that he was inferior.

Huo Yanci, completely unaware of the situation, pulled on the reins and gave her a bright smile, his expression that of a spirited young general: "What's wrong? Got bored drawing these past few days?"

Ning Qingxi glanced back and nodded: "A little."

"I'll teach you how to relax."

Having said that, Huo Yanci cracked his whip, and the horse, in pain, galloped wildly towards the field.

From afar, one can see Huo Yanci's hair fluttering in the wind, a sight that captivates the soul.

Ning Qingxi squinted as she watched his carefree figure as he rode away on horseback, recalling what she had heard during a gossip session a few days ago.

Although Prince Jing was a good-for-nothing and incompetent, he had a handsome face, and people relied on that face to get by.

Ning Qingxi prides herself on being a looks-obsessed person who values ​​inner qualities, but at this moment she has to agree with this gossip that's just chasing shadows.

Huo Yanci returned from his lap, sweating slightly. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve, jumped off his horse, shoved the riding whip into the arms of someone nearby, and asked Ning Qingxi with a smile, "Have you learned it?"

Ning Qingxi exclaimed in surprise, "Did you teach me?"

"Do I need to teach you that? You just need to remember to hold on tight to the rope, and everything else will be fine."

"Like this?"

As Ning Qingxi spoke, her hand suddenly loosened, and she swayed, about to fall.

Huo Yanci hadn't yet grasped the meaning of her words when she was suddenly startled. She reached out to catch it, but Ning Qingxi swayed back with a mischievous grin, holding the reins steadily in her hand. Then, she spurred the horse's belly, and the pony leisurely walked towards the riding arena. Ning Qingxi's voice drifted on the wind: "I'm playing by myself, don't worry about me."

Ning Qingxi has a problem: when she's doing things by herself, everything is fine, but if someone is there to teach her step by step, she's doomed and will demonstrate what it means to be useless.

Huo Yanci watched her as she rode a horse for a stroll.

The sunlight was so bright that the light reflecting off the snow made his eyes water, and he felt that Ning Qingxi was shining.