Madam Gu pressed further, "Then where did these oranges come from?"
Meng Zhao pursed her lips without answering, but Xu Yunrong smiled and continued, "This morning, the Xiao family specially sent someone to deliver it. I heard that they deliberately left the stems on when picking the fruit, then sealed the cuts with beeswax, and stored it in a specially made cellar, which is why it has been preserved for so long."
"The Xiao family?" Madam Gu raised an eyebrow, her gaze shifting to Meng Zhao. "Could it be that young master Xiao from Chunfeng Pavilion?"
Meng Zhao nodded. Seeing this, Madam Gu smiled meaningfully and said, "The way these oranges are preserved is so meticulous. I suppose that young master Xiao must have put a lot of thought into it."
Before she could finish speaking, Gu Shi noticed that Shen Qinghe, who was sitting to the side, suddenly put down the orange segment he had just eaten. Gu Shi asked in confusion, "Qinghe, why aren't you eating anymore?"
Shen Qinghe said calmly, "Too sour."
"Sour?" Gu Shi tasted another segment in surprise. "This orange is sweet and juicy, where is it sour?" Shen Qinghe remained silent, but his expression grew increasingly cold.
As the New Year's Eve vigil approached, taking advantage of the lull in the fireside chatter, Shen Qinghe finally found an opportunity to block Meng Zhao's path as she was about to return to her room to change.
"You didn't listen to what I said." His deep voice was particularly clear in the night, carrying a hint of suppressed anger.
Meng Zhao had only drunk a few too many drinks and was thinking of going back to change her clothes to get rid of the smell of alcohol. Now, being questioned like this, she was still a little dizzy: "What...what did you say?"
"It's naturally about that Xiao family." Shen Qinghe took another step closer, the crisp scent of sandalwood wafting over him, easing Meng Zhao's slight soreness. "I warned you, the Xiao family is far from being as peaceful as it seems. If you have no feelings for him, you shouldn't have accepted his gifts."
Meng Zhao rolled her eyes. "It's almost the end of the year, and everyone is exchanging gifts. I don't know how many people have come to my house to give gifts. Didn't you also send a lot of New Year's goods over?"
“How can he be the same as me?” Shen Qinghe suddenly interrupted.
"What's the difference? I've known Xiao Youzhi for almost as long as you have, and besides, we've been business partners for many years. We're involved in the starch business, the braised food business, and now the greenhouse business. He's coming to give me a gift; am I supposed to turn him away?"
Shen Qinghe's eyes darkened. "If you have no feelings for him, you should have made it clear as soon as possible." His voice was a little hoarse. "Just like you rejected me."
Meng Zhao didn't want to say anything more and tried to walk past him back to her room, but Shen Qinghe followed behind relentlessly, "Can't you just reject him?" His usually aloof and self-possessed voice carried a hint of pleading.
Annoyed by his persistent pestering, Meng Zhao simply locked him out, finally finding a moment of peace. When she changed her clothes and went outside, Shen Qinghe was still waiting at the door. She sighed, knowing she couldn't delay any longer.
So after the New Year, Meng Zhao immediately contacted a real estate agency to look for restaurants for sale and suitable courtyards. Before the agency could reply, Xiao Youzhi came to visit in person.
"I heard you're thinking of moving?"
Meng Zhao stared blankly: "Where did you hear that from!"
"The Anshun brokerage firm you're looking for is owned by the Xiao family." As he said this, his eyes grew cold. He had only just learned that when Meng Zhao came to the capital to buy the courtyard house, someone secretly bribed the broker, paying the difference out of their own pocket to lure Meng Zhao into buying the current house. As for who that person was, Xiao Youzhi had already guessed. So this time, upon hearing the news, he came in person.
Meng Zhao rubbed his temples and said helplessly, "What other businesses does the Xiao family have? Can you just tell me all at once?"
Xiao Youzhi chuckled twice upon hearing this, a hint of pleasure creeping into his eyes and brows. "What, are you starting to audit the accounts?" He deliberately took a step closer. "If so, I can take you to each shop right now."
"I wanted to figure this out so I could avoid it later," Meng Zhao said, rolling her eyes at him. "What you're doing is a breach of customer privacy, a serious violation, you know that?"
Although he didn't quite understand some of it, Xiao Youzhi grasped the general meaning and said, "Alright, this was my fault, but I do have a shop here that would be perfect for you. Are you sure you don't want to take a look?"
Meng Zhao had always trusted Xiao Youzhi's business acumen, and seeing his recommendation, he became interested. So he drove with him to the shop. When they arrived, they saw that the shop had a square layout and was well-ventilated, but the location was a bit remote, and there were few pedestrians in front of it.
Meng Zhao walked around the shop for a while, then asked thoughtfully, "Is there something you haven't told me?" She didn't believe that Xiao Youzhi would recommend such a seemingly deserted shop for no reason.
Xiao Youzhi chuckled upon hearing this, and led her to the window on the third floor. He pointed into the distance and said, “Now that the court is stable, merchants are traveling more and more frequently. Every day, long queues of carriages and horses have to be formed at the west gate to enter and leave the city. The court plans to open a new city gate there. This shop looks remote now, but once the city gate is opened, it will be the only way to connect the west of the city with the main street.”
Meng Zhao looked in the direction he pointed, his eyes gradually brightening. If what Xiao Youzhi said was true, then this shop would soon become an excellent location. No, not just this shop, the entire street would become a prime location!
She quickly asked, "Are there any other shops for sale on this street?"
Xiao Youzhi naturally knew what she was thinking, so he said, "Of course there is, but this matter was proposed by the cabinet and His Majesty has already approved it. After the court session, it will be handed over to the Ministry of Rites to review the location and structure of the city gates, so this news cannot be kept secret for long. If you want it, you have to act quickly." So after Meng Zhao returned, she tried to find out whether what Xiao Youzhi said was true, while she began to raise silver.
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