"That's wonderful. Yi Yi and I are here. You're married and have children now. Your parents and Yao Yao are here too. It's truly a family reunion."

Ning Wenyi, holding Ning Yiyi, said, "Don't stand at the door, let's all go inside."

The group walked inside.

The others walked ahead chatting and laughing, while Ning Yao lagged behind, observing the manor.

We know from the original novel that Ning Qiong wouldn't have perished in the fire, otherwise the male protagonist wouldn't have had the chance to pursue her later.

Someone must have done something behind this, and there's almost no other possibility that it was someone from the Ning family.

After Ning Yao entered the book, it seemed to accelerate the development of the plot, and at the same time, it was confirmed that Ning Qiong's desperate attempt to survive was done by the Ning family.

So she finalized a suitable address with Ning Wenyi from the very beginning.

This place should not only provide Ning Qiong with a place to hide, but also provide a safe haven for her whole family after the disaster.

Ning Yao didn't say it explicitly, but hinted at it each time, letting Ning Wenyi understand on his own.

When Ning Yao learned that he had purchased a manor in Licheng, she knew that the plan had officially begun.

Ning Wenyi didn't say anything, and Ning Yao didn't ask; the father and daughter understood each other without saying a word.

Ning Yao proposed to renovate the manor and showed him the blueprints, which he agreed to without hesitation.

Ning Yao offered to buy grain and gave him gold. He didn't hesitate and did as Ning Yao said. At the same time, he made sure to prepare a copy of the purchased goods for Licheng.

The house belonged to a local landlord, who was moving his entire family north to the capital, just as Ning Wenyi had hoped.

He spent 20,000 taels of silver to buy the house, along with the surrounding fertile fields, bringing the total area to tens of thousands of acres, with the estate alone covering over a thousand acres.

At the same time, Ning Wenyi offered to help them settle down in the capital in exchange for dozens of shops in Licheng.

These shops were in excellent locations and were worth a fortune. The items in the shops were also sold to Ning Wenyi at low prices.

From then on, the Ning family moved almost all of their assets from the capital to Licheng, far away from that place of trouble.

Time was of the essence, and apart from this manor, the other fertile farmland and shops were still idle.

The blueprints for the manor's renovation were designed by Ning Yao herself.

The original manor was a residence with seven courtyards in the front and seven in the back. The front seven courtyards included a front hall, main hall, garden, banquet hall, council hall, dining hall, kitchen, guest courtyard, and so on.

The first three of the seven courtyards were where the masters rested, the last two were the servants' quarters, and the last two were where the servants did laundry and other daily work, as well as where the manor's warehouses were located.

The entire manor covers a large area, with symmetrical front and back gates. Entering from the front gate, there are covered walkways on both sides that lead directly to the back gate of the manor.

Because of its large size, a carriageway was specially built inside the manor, right next to the veranda, which leads to any of the courtyards.

Perhaps due to the previous owner's interests, a martial arts training ground was set up in the third courtyard of the first seven courtyards, with a library next to it, so that martial arts practice and reading could be done at the same time.

The first section consists of the front hall, the main hall, and the council chamber, where guests are received.

The second courtyard houses the kitchen and dining room, which is divided into a large dining room and a small dining room.

The third courtyard contains a martial arts training ground, a library, and a study.

The fourth section is a huge banquet hall that can host a banquet for over a hundred people.

The fifth and sixth courtyards are guest rooms, there are more than a dozen courtyards of various sizes, and there are also private rooms that can be occupied separately.

The seventh courtyard is a garden, with pavilions, towers, bridges, and flowing water, offering a beautiful view at every turn. However, all the flowers, plants, and trees have withered, leaving no trace of beauty.

Beyond the garden, you arrive at the rear seven courtyards.

Ning Yao was stunned when she received the blueprints of this manor. It was even more luxurious than the mansions in the capital. That's why people always say that rich people are landlords.

While the area is large, equally challenging problems have also emerged.

How can we renovate the place to ensure Ning Qiong's safety?

With limited time and a heavy workload, Ning Yao didn't really have any good ideas for the time being.

After much thought, they decided to use the most primitive cold weapons.

Set up simple traps and hidden arrows outside the manor, and apply a non-lethal but frightening potion to deter others.

If none of these can stop them, then only the manor walls will stand in the end.

Ning Yao gave the powder to Ning Wenyi, who then sent his trusted men to coat the entire outer perimeter wall with the diluted powder.

Anyone who touches it will be instantly poisoned, suffering from unbearable pain and itching all over their body. The closer the poison is to the manor, the more severe the symptoms become.

Over time, the manor's bad reputation spread, and fewer and fewer people came. Some even said that the landlord sold the manor because there was something dirty inside.

At the same time, a lot of the medicine powder was also prepared for Ning Qiong, so that she could learn how to use it herself when necessary.

But for the past six months or so, only at the very beginning were there any people who were foolish enough to try and take advantage of the manor; otherwise, everything has been quiet.

The only upsetting thing was that three months ago, someone came to my door and started harassing me for three consecutive months.

"Yaoyao, let me take you to your courtyard." Ning Qiong walked over excitedly.

Ning Yao nodded. She wasn't familiar with the manor yet, but Ning Qiong had lived there for two years and was very familiar with it.

Ning Qiong led her into the three-courtyard residence of the masters, stopping at the entrance of a small courtyard on the left side of the second courtyard.

"Qinyao Pavilion?"

Zhihe stepped forward and pushed open the courtyard gate, and Ningqiong led Ningyao inside.

“This courtyard is the only place in the manor with a two-story building, and the name of the courtyard has the character Yao in it, which matches you very well. I thought you would definitely like it, so I didn’t tell my parents and brought you here alone. Let’s go in and see if you like it.”

Ning Qiong looked expectant, and Ning Yao's heart stirred slightly. Being cared for by her older sister was a feeling different from that of her parents.

Ning Yao followed her inside.

The first thing you see is an exquisite two-story building. The first floor is named Qinting, and the second floor is named Yaoge. There are wooden stairs on both the left and right sides to go up and down.

The first floor consists of a simple reception room and a separate small dining room.

The second-floor pavilion is not just a room; the area is divided in two. In front is a small terrace with a gazebo for shade and wooden tables and chairs for tea and relaxation.

Further back are the rooms, which include a bedroom, a dressing room, and a washroom.

What's even more ingenious is that there's a four- or five-meter-tall tree behind the small building. The tree's canopy and branches can perfectly shade the bedroom and the small terrace in front, creating a natural shade.

The two-story building has a small kitchen and a study on either side.

Entering through the main gate of Qinyao Pavilion, a cobblestone path leads to the main building, lined with greenery on both sides. However, both the greenery and the tree on the main building are now withered and desolate.

"How is it? Do you like it?" Ning Qiong looked at Ning Yao expectantly.