After dinner, Zhao Wu went to the main room, and Ma Zi stayed in the second room. It was familiar with Hua Zi, and the bird and the dog lived in the south room of the east wing. To prevent Ma Zi from flying around, they tied him to the table leg with a rope.
Sleeping on the warm kang at night, Xu Lanyin's nervous heart finally relaxed. Zhao Wu came home smoothly without arousing anyone's suspicion. In the future, she no longer had to go into the mountains in such bad weather.
The next day Xu Lanyin invited a bricklayer and a carpenter.
Zhao Wu has also been helping out in the west wing. Many people from the second branch of the Xu family, who have bad relationships with their staff, have come to visit or hang around outside her house, mostly young girls.
When the news that a handsome young man from her family had come to rent a house spread, the village, which had never heard of such news, was in an uproar.
In the past, Gu Wangchen was both talented and handsome, but he was already taken, so other girls, besides Wang Sanni, dared not pursue him. Meanwhile, Zhao Wushi was single, had the money to rent a house, and his demeanor and presence didn't seem like a country boy, so many girls of marriageable age were attracted to him. This was especially true of Xu Lizheng's daughter, Xu Yulan, who had previously looked down upon Xu Lanyin, but now her attitude had undergone a complete about-face, calling her "Sister Lanyin."
There was also the infatuated Wang Sanni, Li Daya, Xu Erniang, and others. After a few words with Qin and Xu Lanyin, they ran outside the west wing to watch the fun. Even Gu was vaguely praising her niece's beauty and diligence. The next day, even young girls from Xinghua Village and Dahe Village came to watch the fun.
Wang Sanni was the most frequent visitor, dressed up in all her finery, wearing rouge and lipstick. The Xu family ignored her, so she left awkwardly, only to return soon after with another girl. She would come at least five or six times a day.
Qin, Xu Lanyin, and Xu Lanzhou were all annoyed, but only little Xu Lanting was happy. He loved the hustle and bustle.
Of course, the villagers still had some doubts. Would Xu Lanyin squander her fortune for a gigolo again? Most of them secretly cursed the little girl, wondering how this prodigal had such good luck, with so many handsome young men flocking to her house...
The west wing's existing doors and windows remained intact, and a small door was simply built into the outer wall. It was completed in two days. A fence was also erected around the door, making it extremely cramped, only about two steps wide. This structure was an illegal construction project, occupying less than half an acre of land and being temporary. Xu Lizheng inspected it but didn't do anything about it.
When the house was being renovated, a kang was built in the north room of the west wing, and people could live there after laying out bedding.
After the door was locked, Zhao Wu went to the main house. He thanked Old Man Xu and his wife, and Xu Mingqing and his wife, and gave Old Man Xu a pot of liquor he had bought from the peddler. Then he took the small package and returned to his "own home."
Xu Lanyin was holding a bundle of firewood to heat the kang. The west wing had been locked since it was built and was very damp.
Seeing Zhao Wu coming, she joked, "You've received countless glances along the way, haven't you?"
Zhao Wu said in a bitter tone, "Alas, being remembered by so many people is really a frustrating thing."
He used to be a hated man in the capital. Even when he occasionally attended a "banquet", the noble ladies would avoid him. Even the maids in the mansion didn't like to talk to him. But now he was so popular with the opposite sex, which was a very novel feeling for him.
Xu Lanyin said with a smile, "Narcissism."
Zhao Wu often heard Xu Lanyin say some new words and sentences, and he roughly understood what they meant.
He suddenly remembered something, leaned over and took a closer look at Xu Lanyin, then said, "Sister, Tingdi said you were only fifteen years old, and asked me to call you Miss Xu, not Big Sister. How could you lie to me?"
Xu Lanyin said stubbornly, "It doesn't matter if I'm twenty or fifteen, as long as I'm older than you, I'm your sister. Unless you feel you don't need me anymore and don't consider me your sister anymore."
Zhao Wu quickly said, "How could that be possible? In my heart, you will always be my sister."
"That's it."
Zhao Wu added, "Brother Ting also mentioned Gu Wangchen. Wait, sister, I'll find a way to deal with him later."
Xu Lanyin hurriedly said, "Don't cause trouble, just stay put. Gu Wangchen is a very good student. If nothing goes wrong, he will definitely pass the imperial examination next year. Don't mess with him."
Zhao Wu asked, "Are you still sad now that you left that person?"
Xu Lanyin said, "What's so sad about that! Stop it, don't talk about him anymore, he gets upset when you talk about him."
Zhao Wu thought to himself, he had said such swear words and still said he was not sad, but he did not dare to mention Gu Wangchen again.
The two chatted and laughed as they cleaned up the house. They brought in a small table, two stools, a box, some daily necessities, and a newly bought water tank, wooden barrel, and wooden basin from Xu's house. Xu Lanyin also brought in the new bedding that Qin had brought out in the past two days and spread it on the kang.
Except for the box placed in the bedroom in the north room, all other things were placed in the living room. The south room was left empty and he used it specifically for practicing martial arts.
This is a simple and warm home.
Xu Lanyin walked out with a big lock in her hand and said, "Take a break and come to my house for dinner tonight."
Zhao Wuyang begged, "Sister, this outer door is for outsiders to see, so please don't lock the inner door. It will be convenient for me to go in and out of the house."
Xu Lanyin shook her head and said, "That door must be locked. Otherwise, it would be bad if outsiders saw it, and my mother and Lan Zhou wouldn't agree." Seeing his uncomfortable face, she smiled and said, "It's just a few more steps. When you have exercised your body, you will feel better."
She ignored the disappointment in Zhao Wu's eyes, went out and locked the door behind her.
Zhao Wu walked to the bedroom window, opened it, and watched the tall figure walk into the kitchen. He felt happy again, as he would be able to see this figure in his "own home" every day.
Xu Lanyin kneaded the flour in the kitchen and steamed it on the stove in the upper room. Then she went back to the kitchen to mince and season the remaining venison, cut the pickled cabbage and tofu, and made a venison meatball soup.
This is what we have for dinner.
The meal was ready and it was already getting dark.
She went out and called out to the west wing window, "Zhao Wu, come and eat."
He wanted to go outside the yard to call Xu Lanting, but he saw the window of the west wing open. Ma Zi flew out first, then Hua Zi jumped out, and then Xu Lanting was carried out of the window by Zhao Wu and put on the ground.
Xu Lanting was very happy and grinned from ear to ear.
Zhao Wuchong smiled at Xu Lanyin and closed the window. He walked out of the door, locked it, and went out of his own fence. On the right was the main gate of the Xu family.
Before he even entered the Xu family's house, a little girl who "occasionally" passed by here greeted him with a smile, "Brother Zhao, let's go eat..."
Zhao Wu nodded and said, "Yes, that's right."
The door was ajar. He pushed it open and shut out the little girl's unfinished words.
Xu Lanting smiled and said, "Brother Zhao, you are more favored by the young lady than Gu Wangchen."
After saying that, he belatedly covered his mouth, fearing that his sister would be unhappy.
Zhao Wu laughed, picked him up, held him under his armpit and walked into the house.
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