Chapter 58: Frost melts on Suzaku Street, in front of the Golden Branch Pavilion...
Zhuque Street, in front of Jinzhi Pavilion
"Jingwen, is this the shop where you buy wood and stone?"
Li Funing sat in the carriage, squinting at the Jinzhi Pavilion a few meters away. This time, the flow of people in front of the pavilion was like a winding stream, and the inside of the pavilion and the area a few meters away were all filled with people shopping.
There were women from the street standing at the door with baskets on their shoulders to watch the fun, and there were also ladies wearing expensive clothes walking together, surrounding the Jinzhi Pavilion inside and out.
Jingwen glanced at the "Golden Branch Pavilion" with a gilded plaque, frowned, scratched his neck helplessly, and said embarrassedly: "Yes!", thinking to himself, I don't know what these people are doing for a living, they actually found out this, don't they know the relationship between this Golden Branch Pavilion and His Highness?
The subordinate: I don’t know!
The Golden Branch Pavilion is located in the center of Zhuque Street, which already has an advantageous location. This time, it has surrounded half of the long street completely.
From a distance, one can see crowds of people moving like a tide. Even the street vendors’ stalls are swept forward by the flow of people, and finally all gather in front of the attic, creating a bustling and noisy scene.
Although Li Funing knew that Song Youning had handed over the Jinzhi Pavilion, formerly the Zuixian Pavilion, to Lin Qinglan.
But he never imagined that this old friend who grew up with him had such talent.
Previously, he had only considered her exceptionally intelligent, well-versed in literature, and a gifted poet. Even when she was young, even her father had praised her, saying she was as capable as any man. If she weren't a woman, she'd probably hold an official rank just as high as his...
But I didn't expect that he would have such achievements in business, and I couldn't help but feel emotional.
Although Song Youning is far away at the border, this Jinzhi Pavilion is her territory after all.
The servant in front of the pavilion was also one that Song Youning had used to, and he was very clever. As soon as he saw the "Li" flag flying high on the carriage, he turned around and ran into the pavilion like a rabbit to report the news.
At this time, Lin Qinglan was dealing with the Hu merchants from the southern border.
The palace's moonlit evening banquet is about to begin, and the palace needs to purchase a batch of new and rare treasures for appreciation.
Logically speaking, this business should not have fallen into the hands of her Jinzhi Pavilion, but the aristocratic royal merchants in the capital were too greedy and wanton, and they divided up all the treasures presented to the emperor. Now, due to uneven distribution of the spoils and insufficient stock, they are searching for treasures and antiques everywhere, trying to pass off inferior goods as good ones and make up the numbers.
Although the price of goods from her is not cheap, but if the quantity is considerable...
Before leaving, His Highness told her that he wanted to have more exchanges and friendships with the Hu merchants who traveled between the three countries and establish long-term cooperative relationships.
Now the opportunity had arrived. She could purchase in bulk directly from the Hu merchants and resell them, making a considerable profit from the difference. This would also make His Highness a large sum. If she could obtain the palace's purchases for a long time...
Lin Qinglan was mulling over her own thoughts when she suddenly saw Xiao Ba, frantically running towards the pavilion. His steps were rapid and noisy, and he showed no signs of restraint. She had reprimanded him many times before, but his impulsive nature hadn't changed at all.
Before the person even arrived, a voice could be heard from afar, with a bit of panic and urgency: "Shopkeeper Lin, Master Li is here! In..."
"Outside...the pavilion!"
Lin Qinglan poked her head out from the account book, glared at him, then handed him the tea in her hand and said angrily, "You naughty monkey, why are you so anxious? His Highness sent a letter to inform us a few days ago... saying that Master Li would come to the pavilion..."
"We entertained them as planned. You're so flustered, it's like we've done something wrong..."
Xiao Ba took a huge gulp of tea, and before he could even finish it, he seemed to suddenly remember something. He stretched his neck and chuckled, then wiped his mouth with the corner of his sleeve. He then raised his head towards Lin Qinglian, revealing a mouthful of exceptionally shiny white teeth. He turned and rushed out, "I...I'll go and invite Master Li in right away!"
Li Funing, who had stayed outside for a while, frowned and was thinking about whether to go in. Although she handed over the store to Lin Qinglan, it was still her territory after all.
If I openly go into the store and ask around, and she finds out, how am I supposed to explain it to her...
Thinking of this, her beautiful eyebrows twisted into a ball, and she looked at the bustling Jinzhi Pavilion with worry.
Just as he was hesitating, a gray shadow quickly jumped out from the pavilion, passed through the crowd, ran to his sedan chair, looked at him with a smile, and his big white teeth sparkled in the sunlight.
Xiao Ba had just come running all the way here, and his breathing was already disordered. He spoke intermittently, and his words were stumbling: "Master Li... His Highness sent me to take you in..."
"Go in..."
"She's back?"
Before he finished speaking, Li Funing's beautiful eyes suddenly lit up, and like an arrow shot from a bow, they pierced the depths of the Golden Branch Pavilion. It was as if he wanted to penetrate the door and glimpse the person in his dreams who had been haunting him for so many days.
"No." Xiao Ba was stunned when he heard that, touched the back of his head, and then flatly denied it.
Upon hearing this, the light in Li Funing's eyes dimmed, replaced by a hint of doubt: "Then why did she send you to pick me up?"
"It was His Highness who wrote to me a few days ago saying that Lord Li would come to the pavilion. In the letter, he wrote that he wanted me to take you to a place, so I said that His Highness sent me to pick you up..." Xiao Ba suddenly realized that he had said the wrong thing and hurriedly explained.
Li Funing was even more confused after hearing this. How did she know that I would come to the Golden Branch Pavilion...
Could it be... Li Funing lowered his eyes, his eyelashes drooped, and a fluttering shadow was reflected in his eyes.
She had deliberately let the Golden Branch Pavilion know about the purchase of wood and stone materials because she knew he would check...
Thinking of this, a hint of mocking sneer appeared on Li Funing's lips.
In the past, he always cleaned up her messes and cleared away her troubles, but now, she actually saw through him so thoroughly that every move he made was within her expectations...
For a moment, my emotions were churning, and I didn't know whether I was more relieved or more sad.
"Lead the way!" Li Funing pulled the curtain, stepped on the step stool and jumped off the sedan chair, then followed Xiao Ba into the pavilion.
Although he already knew that Song Youning had meticulously renovated the Zuixian Pavilion, he was still shocked by the scene when he saw it with his own eyes.
The entire Jinzhi Pavilion is completely different from ordinary grocery stores. It sells everything from daily necessities such as food, clothing, housing and transportation to rare and exotic goods from the Three Kingdoms. The store design of Jinzhi Pavilion is also unique and exquisite, which he has never seen before.
He followed Xiao Ba through the stacked shelves and picked up a piece of southern coral stone from a nearby cabinet and played with it in his palm. The coral stone was soft to the touch and had strange textures. It was obvious that it was not an ordinary item sold by the Hu merchants.
This coral color is precious and rare, I'm afraid she must have personally gone to the southern border to find it...
He couldn't help but let out a doting smile. It seemed that she had been traveling abroad all these years, even without him by her side.
He finally felt relieved. He had always worried about her heartless nature. If she left him, she would inevitably suffer hardships and live in the open air.
Although he felt a little sad, he was relieved.
Li Funing's eyes swept over Lin Qinglan, who was reconciling accounts at the round table on the first floor. She also poked her head out from the account book and just nodded respectfully to him, not paying much attention, and then put her mind back on the account book in front of her.
It was as if his arrival was already within his expectations.
Li Funing followed Xiao Ba along the bluestone steps in the pavilion and turned into the third floor of the Golden Branch Pavilion. The two stopped in front of a giant carved wooden door.
Xiao Ba turned around and said respectfully, "Master Li, this is a surprise that His Highness has prepared for you. Would you like to go in and take a look?"
Li Funing's gaze fell on the door in front of him, and his brows unconsciously frowned.
He has never been able to figure out her thoughts. It has been like this since childhood. Now that she has grown up, this confusion seems to be even more profound.
He carefully looked at the seemingly simple wooden door in front of him.
The material is the finest ebony agarwood. If you get close, you can smell the subtle and elegant fragrance, which makes people feel peaceful.
The door panels are made of light, breathable silk balls, and their texture is as fine as mist.
The ball of silk is moistened with a layer of warm luster, as if there is water flowing slowly underneath, emitting a pearly soft light.
"What is this?" Li Funing asked with raised eyebrows.
Xiao Ba's big round eyes slanted towards the door, a sly glint flashed in them. She spoke in a long tone, with a hint of mystique: "Master Li, open it and take a look..."
Li Funing glanced at Xiao Ba, then glanced sideways at the mysterious ebony and agarwood door in front of him.
Without hesitation, under Xiao Ba's expectant gaze, he reached out and pushed open the wooden door.
The door opened silently, and a warm, dry, sunny scent of books blew in, making people feel as if they were in a quiet afternoon.
The left side of the room is arranged as an elegant and complete study, with two sets of Huanghuali wooden tables and chairs placed opposite each other. The tabletops are as smooth as mirrors, reflecting the faint light coming in from the window.
On the back wall opposite the table and chairs, there is a scroll painting that they painted when they were in Lingnan. The ink on the painting is still as moist as new and has been preserved with great care.
On the right are rows of neatly arranged mahogany bookshelves, one part of which is filled with various classics, while the other part is completely empty. The spines of the books on the shelves all exude warmth from the gentle sunlight.
The whole room was filled with a quiet and warm atmosphere, as if time had slowed down here.
Xiao Ba blinked his round eyes and slowly explained, "Before His Highness left, he instructed me to set aside a small study on the third floor of the Golden Branch Pavilion for her to use as an office."
"But when she came up that day and took a look, she found that the light on the third floor was surprisingly good. The whole room was bright but not glaring. She immediately changed her mind..."
"Not only did he order the entire floor to be renovated, he also turned the entire third floor into a study."
Xiao Ba looked thoughtful. "At first, I was puzzled. Your Highness has always been obsessed with money. The Golden Branch Pavilion is now making a fortune. Based on her usual personality, she would definitely convert the remaining space on the third floor of the Golden Branch Pavilion into shipping containers..."
"Your Highness has always been a man who doesn't mind small details and can handle anything. Why is he suddenly so particular this time?"
Xiao Ba lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret, and quietly approached Li Funing's side, muttering softly: "I heard from Sister Chuntao that the other day the prince went to look for Master Li, and happened to see you drying books in the mansion..."
"The servants in the mansion said that you, my lord, are obsessed with books. Every month, you move the ancient books in the mansion out to dry in the sun. I took this to heart. Since the top of the Golden Branch Pavilion has perfect sunlight, I specially partitioned off the entire space on the third floor, saying that it is for your use..."
Li Funing was startled when he heard this, and looked around the study room that was full of sunlight and filled with the fragrance of books.
His fingertips trembled slightly, and an indescribable warmth suddenly surged in his heart.
He had thought she was always casual and never took such trivial matters to heart, but now it seemed that she had never ignored him...
The scene of that day suddenly emerged in his mind - out of spite, he deliberately told her that Miss Lin was considerate and knew that he loved books, so she specially completed the book collection for him...but she was busy with work and never cared about these things.
Only now did he realize that Lin Qinglian had only completed a few books, but she...this room full of sunshine, these neatly organized bookshelves, were filled with her love.
His eyes fell on the two sets of tables and chairs placed opposite each other, and his heart suddenly felt warm.
She knows everything...
If you are just looking for a nice place with sunshine, you can go anywhere. You don't have to choose Jinzhi Pavilion where every inch of land is worth a lot of money.
She knew that he wanted to be with her all the time but was unable to express it. She had already seen through him completely.
And these seats facing each other were her response - they gave him the possibility of intimacy while protecting his fragile self-esteem.
Li Funing unconsciously raised the corners of his lips into a bitter smile.
He thought he had hidden his thoughts well, but she had seen through them long ago. Her response was so gentle and considerate that it made his angry thoughts seem so childish and ridiculous.
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The author has something to say: I forgot to post it on time [burst crying]
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