Chapter 227 Fang Shijie wants to build a house in Jishui Village
Jiang Ling got up and poured Grandpa Zhao another cup of hot ginger tea:
"Uncle Zhao, have some tea to warm yourself up. Now that all the ingredients are ready, we'll be counting on you for the rest."
"Don't worry, Miss Jiang, I've got it covered!" Grandpa Zhao took the teacup, downed it in one gulp, and exhaled a satisfied puff of white air.
"You two keep chatting, I'll go back to the construction site and keep an eye on things. I'll make sure they get some extra work done while the sun is shining."
After saying that, he turned around and went out to get busy again.
Seeing that it was getting late, Dong Hao finished the remaining ginger tea in his cup, put down the cup, and formally bid farewell to Jiang Ling.
“Miss Jiang, you’ve had your tea and rested. We still have to rush back to the escort agency to report, so we won’t bother you any longer.”
"By the way, Miss Jiang, if you need anything else while building your house, just contact our escort agency. We guarantee you the best price!"
Jiang Ling smiled and nodded: "Okay!"
Xiaolin quickly put down the little toy he was curiously playing with, stood up straight, and glanced at it with some reluctance.
Jiang Ling escorted them to the shop entrance.
The winter sun slanted into the courtyard, and the construction site was still a scene of bustling activity.
"Please drive carefully and be safe on your way." Jiang Ling stood at the door, smiling as she watched them go.
"Miss Jiang, please wait. We'll meet again!" Dong Hao clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming.
"Goodbye, shopkeeper! Goodbye, little brother Yi!" Xiaolin waved back.
Just as the mule cart rounded the village entrance, Xiao Ran drove his horse-drawn carriage down the official road from another direction.
Surprisingly, behind Xiao Ran's carriage was a rather exquisite-looking green-canopied carriage.
The two carriages came to a stop in front of the shop one after the other. Xiao Ran nimbly jumped off the carriage shaft and breathed hot air to warm her exposed hands.
Before he could speak, the curtain of the carriage behind him was lifted, and Fang Shijie leaned out.
He wore a moon-white brocade robe with a dark fox fur cloak over it, looking every bit the handsome and wealthy young master.
Jiang Ling hadn't seen him since their encounter at Black Wind Stronghold.
Judging from his current appearance, he seems to have recovered completely.
"Sister Jiang!" Xiao Ran quickly walked up to Jiang Ling, looked at the carriage behind her, and explained,
"I happened to run into Young Master Fang on my way back. They said they came specifically to visit you, so I brought them back with me."
"Miss Jiang, I apologize for the intrusion, and I hope I have not disturbed you." Fang Shijie bowed with his hands clasped, his tone gentle.
Jiang Ling felt a slight surprise in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face and stepped forward with a smile:
"Young Master Fang, you flatter me. Please come in. It's cold outside, let's talk inside the shop."
Xiao Ran skillfully led the carriage to the backyard for placement.
It's much warmer inside the shop than outside.
A charcoal brazier burned in the front hall of the shop, the flames licking the charcoal and making a soft crackling sound.
Jiang Ling brewed another cup of hot tea to serve them.
Fang Shijie's gaze swept quickly and meticulously across the shelves, a fleeting hint of amazement flashing in his eyes before he quickly looked away and focused on Jiang Ling, his expression becoming extremely serious.
He bowed deeply again, his tone sincere and even somewhat excited:
“Miss Jiang, if it weren’t for your selfless rescue in the mountains that day, I would probably have perished in the snakes’ jaws. This kindness is like a second life. Although I am just a merchant, I know that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude. In the future, if you need anything, whether it’s manpower or financial resources, as long as it’s within my power, I will definitely do my best without hesitation, even if it means going through fire and water!”
Jiang Ling felt a little embarrassed by his overly serious attitude; she wasn't that noble at the time.
If she hadn't saved Fang Shijie, she wouldn't have been able to escape either.
Jiang Ling waved her hand and said, "Young Master Fang, you flatter me. At that time, we were both in a critical situation. No one would have stood idly by. It was just a small favor. We really don't deserve the words 'going through fire and water'."
She skillfully steered the conversation away from the topic, asking with a hint of curiosity:
"By the way, what brings you here today, Young Master Fang? Where's Hongxiu? Didn't she come with you? It's been so long since I've seen her; I miss her quite a bit."
Upon hearing the words "Hongxiu," Fang Shijie's smile froze for a moment, then he revealed just the right amount of regret and sighed, saying:
"Sigh, I originally wanted to bring her along, as she has been talking about wanting to see Miss Jiang. But unfortunately, she caught a cold a couple of days ago and fell ill. I was afraid she would pass on her illness to Miss Jiang, so I didn't let her come along and told her to rest and recuperate at her lodgings."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling nodded in understanding, as catching a cold is common in snowy weather these days.
"I see. Then please ask Young Master Fang to convey my message to her that she should take good care of herself and that she is welcome to visit anytime she recovers."
"I'll definitely bring it." Fang Shijie readily agreed, then casually mentioned...
"Actually, besides thanking the young lady for saving my life, I have another matter to discuss with you. I found Jishui Village to be a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains, and the people are very kind and honest. So I bought a piece of land at the foot of the western mountain in front of it."
He paused, gazing at the bustling construction site outside the window, his tone filled with admiration and a desire for advice: "I heard that Miss Jiang is building a new house, and that the design is exquisite. I thought I'd humbly come and take a look. If Miss doesn't mind, I'd like to build my own house in the same style and layout as yours when I start construction in the future. Would that be alright?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling's thoughts shifted slightly.
Jishui Village was an unremarkable little village, with inconvenient transportation and an underdeveloped market. There were practically no business opportunities there, so why would a wealthy merchant like him need to build a house here?
Jiang Ling recalled her chance encounter at the Song family's cloth shop in the capital, which seemed too coincidental.
There are also speculations at the foot of Black Wind Village that he is not a subject of the Great Yu Dynasty.
I became wary again.
But she maintained a polite smile: "Young Master Fang, you are too kind. This country house is just something I wanted to make sturdy and spacious. It's hardly worth mentioning. If you are interested, you are welcome to come and take a look anytime. It's just that it's very rough, and I'm afraid you'll have to laugh at it."
"Miss Jiang, you are too modest." Fang Shijie's smile remained unchanged.
"I think this house has a square layout and solid materials. Grandpa Zhao is also a very experienced craftsman, so it must be excellent. I would like to ask Grandpa Zhao and these villagers to help me build a house in the future."
He spoke with utmost seriousness, his eyes burning with conviction, leaving no room for doubt about his sincerity.
In this year of disaster, and in winter it was winter again.
For the villagers of Jishui Village, having an extra stable job and income is undoubtedly a godsend.
From this perspective, it is indeed a good thing.
Jiang Ling looked at him, her mind filled with many guesses, but she could only keep them to herself for the moment and nodded slightly.
“My house will take about another month to complete. If you are interested, Mr. Fang, you can discuss the details with Mr. Zhao at that time.”
"That's wonderful, thank you for your kind offer, Miss Jiang." Fang Shijie bowed and expressed his gratitude.
The two chatted for a while about building a house, with Fang Shijie expressing mostly praise and gratitude, adopting a very humble attitude.
Jiang Ling felt as if he was trying to please her.
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