◇ 【065】 Family Flower Base——Home of the Future (2)
Gu Juan suppressed his laughter and said, "All are possible. Let's go in and take a look. The interior is basically completed, with only some minor repairs left."
Two middle-aged men in their fifties, who looked like they were from Jixiang Village, were sitting at the gate, playing chess.
Seeing Gu Juan and Xi Lang, the one with the dark face waved his hand and said, "You two, this place isn't open yet. Come back another day."
Gu Juan didn't want to reveal his identity, so he called Lan Na directly. Lan Na called the black-faced man again, but he didn't reveal Gu Juan's identity, just asked him to let them in.
The dark-faced man said to Gu Juan, "Go in, but don't destroy the flowers and plants inside."
Gu Juan praised in his heart and said, "Don't worry, I won't make it difficult for Lan Na."
The black-faced man nodded.
There is a window on the left side of the gate, which is the ticket office.
Gu Juan and Xi Lang entered the main gate. To the left was a small service hall, and to the right was the parking lot. The layout was simple and clear, but directly opposite the gate was a tree wall. This tree wall was constructed of holly trees, tightly packed together to form a green wall. The tree wall was neatly trimmed and more than a meter tall. Except for an entrance that was wide enough for two people to walk side by side, this tree wall completely blocked the way out, which struck Xi Lang as a bit strange.
"Xiao Juan, what is the purpose of this tree wall?"
"Let me be your tour guide." Gu Juan pulled him forward, excited. "Because I plan to sell flowers, scented tea, and beauty products while developing tourism, I focused on making it more interesting when designing it. These tree walls form a rather complex maze. Try to see if you can get out of it successfully."
Xi Lang smiled and nodded, interlocking his fingers with his, and said with a double meaning, "Follow me."
"No cheating," Gu Juan said promptly. With Xi Lang's current spiritual awareness, he could easily "see" a three-dimensional diagram of the entire maze.
Xi Lang assured, "No." There was no one else in the maze, and he wished he could not get out so that he could stay close to them for a longer time.
He held Gu Juan's hand and walked slowly forward.
When they passed the same place for the third time, Gu Juan realized that the old man was not serious at all. He glanced at him helplessly and said, "Do you want to visit other places? We only have one day. We have to go to work and school tomorrow."
Xi Lang lowered his head and pecked him on the lips, "I'll follow you."
Gu Juan pulled him around and around, and soon they walked out.
There is a wooden bench on each side of the maze exit.
Xi Lang said, "This must be for people who have been walking through the maze for a long time and are so tired that they are about to collapse."
"You guessed right." Gu Juan pointed to the building on the left that looked like a stylish villa. "Over there are the hotel, restaurant, supermarket, staff dormitory, office and service hall."
Xi Lang took a look and said, "I don't think there are many rooms?"
Gu Juan nodded. "Too many tourists would be difficult to manage, and it would easily damage the base's environment. Therefore, we only accept 1,000 people a day. I also intend to promote the development of farmhouses here, so the hotel rooms are indeed limited."
Xi Lang glanced at him approvingly. "Although we don't receive many visitors, we can charge admission and attractions, and the monthly profit will not be bad."
"Yes, that's what I thought. I'll show you around first, and then we can have dinner at the restaurant over here."
As soon as Gu Juan finished speaking, a lively young man came running over, with his trouser legs rolled up and mud on his shoes.
"boss."
Gu Juan introduced Xi Lang, "This is Lan Na, from Jixiang Village, and currently my assistant."
Lan Na met Xi Lang's seemingly gentle but actually sharp eyes and was secretly shocked. This man must be quite important. He quickly looked away, "Boss, are these your guests? Can I show you around?"
"This is my good friend. You can just call him 'Mr. Xi'. Go and do your own thing."
"Okay." Lan Na said to Xi Lang again, "Mr. Xi, I hope you have fun!"
After saying that, he ran away in a hurry.
Gu Juan squeezed Xi Lang's hand and said, "Old man, don't think too much about the way I introduced you just now." It wasn't that he didn't want to admit his relationship with Xi Lang, he just didn't like the hassle. Now was not the time to make their relationship public.
Xi Lang shook his head. "I understand. Once we're strong enough, we won't have to fear anyone's gaze."
Gu Juan smiled slightly. He liked Xi Lang's understanding, trust and tolerance of him.
The two continued walking forward.
Xi Lang glanced back at the exit of the maze and said, "Xiaojuan, there's a missing signpost here."
Gu Juan smiled and said, "I deliberately didn't set up road signs, letting tourists find their way on their own. Think about it, when they get tired or hungry, they need to drink water, eat, and even buy wet wipes to wipe their sweat and sunscreen to protect themselves. These are all profitable."
Xi Lang laughed, "Swindler."
Gu Juan took it as a compliment, "Same here."
Facing the maze exit, head forward to Maple Grove Road. As its name suggests, Maple Grove Road is lined with maple trees, a breathtaking sight in autumn. Beyond the road lie flower gardens, divided into plots. Red, yellow, white, and pink roses, calla lilies, and other flowers are already in full bloom, their fragrance captivating.
At the end of Maple Grove Road lies Moon Lake. A long wooden arch bridge connects one side to the other. Green lotus leaves drape like umbrellas in the lake, a vibrant spring scene. Several small boats sit quietly on the shore. Willows sway gracefully along the lakeside, and four hexagonal pavilions offer restful opportunities.
"Besides Maple Forest Road, there are six other roads connecting to this lake. Ginkgo Road leads to the hotel, with lilies and tulips planted on both sides. Osmanthus Road leads to the DIY bouquet experience area, with orchids planted on both sides. Kapok Road leads to the flower planting experience area. Bauhinia Road leads to 'Tumble, Little Baozi'..."
Xi Lang laughed, "What is this place?"
"Some children want to pick flowers when they see them, or even want to roll on them. 'Roll, Little Bun' grows some low-cost, easy-to-grow flowers and plants specifically for children to roll on. The fee is 20 yuan per person, and they can roll as long as they want." Gu Juan said with a serious expression.
"Hehehe..." Xi Lang put his arm around his shoulders, "It's a very unique idea."
"The honeysuckle path leads to the children's playground. There's also a grape path in the playground that leads to the maze exit. Let's continue forward and come back around from the outside."
"Yeah." Xi Lang nodded.
As they walked, they admired the flowers in the fields. In the fields, some flower growers hired by Gu Juan were tending to the flowers.
After walking for about five or six minutes, the two arrived at the Moon Lake.
Xi Lang said, "Let's go to the DIY bouquet experience area first."
Gu Juan brought him to Guihua Road.
Xi Lang saw the sign for "Homemade Bouquet Experience Area", stopped, and said to him, "Wait a moment." Then he walked away quickly.
Gu Juan waited for a while, and when she saw him approaching with a bouquet of red roses, her eyebrows raised slightly.
Xi Lang handed him the roses and said, "I've looked up the meaning of forty roses."
"What is it?" Gu Juan asked.
Xi Lang smiled but said nothing.
Gu Juan planned to check it out later and took the flowers. "Does this count as offering flowers to Buddha?"
Xi Lang said calmly, "No, the roses are mine after I pay for them."
"You're right." Gu Juan felt it was inappropriate to carry the bouquet of flowers, but it was also awkward to hold it in his arms, so he simply carried it on his shoulder and said, "Let's go."
Xi Lang was at a loss for words, secretly snapping a photo with his phone, his eyes filled with indulgence and doting. Perhaps his beloved was the only one in the world who held flowers like this.
"Walking northwest from the homemade bouquet experience area is the 'Recuperation Center', which is mainly for the elderly who want to relax or recuperate. There are only nine houses in it. The environment in the base is beautiful, so the cost here is not low." said Gu Juan.
In Xi Lang's opinion, Xiaojuan has spent too much time and energy on this base, so it is reasonable to charge a higher fee.
To the right of the rest center is a vegetable field with an asphalt road in the middle leading to the mountain. There is a large natural lake on the mountain, which now has beautiful scenery.
Across the flower garden from the rest center lies a private residence: a three-story, rustic-style villa enclosed by a tree-wall fence. In front of the villa lies a neatly manicured lawn, flanked by a flowerbed to the left and a small fruit grove to the right, where a few peach trees still bear blossoms.
Gu Juan told her plan, "After I graduate from college, you will be almost back in the imperial capital, and we can live here. After the road is repaired, it will only take more than an hour to drive from here to the imperial capital city if there is no traffic jam."
Xi Lang took his hand and kissed it. "Okay, I'll listen to you. But I have to stay in Yangshan for a few days occasionally."
Gu Juan's ears lit up. "Let's go in and take a look. It's just been renovated, and the smell is a bit strong. I like living higher up. If you don't mind, we can live on the third floor. There are three master bedrooms in the villa, and two more on the first and second floors. Grandpa Xi and my uncle and aunt are welcome to stay anytime if they're interested. In addition to the three master bedrooms, there are eight guest rooms that can be used to entertain friends."
After listening to his introduction, Xi Lang couldn't help but look forward to his future life here.
As they were talking, they had already reached the third floor.
In addition to the master bedroom, the third floor houses a study, an activity room, and a collection room, making it a completely private space. The balcony is specially designed to be large, where you can enjoy tea and the view.
"Do you like it?" Gu Juan asked Xi Lang.
Xi Lang hugged him from behind and looked into the distance. "I like it. I really want to move in right away."
Gu Juan was also looking forward to it. "This place will be ready for living during the May Day holiday. We will stay here for a few days then."
"Okay, it's a deal." Xi Lang took the opportunity to kiss his lips.
The two stood on the balcony for a while and then went downstairs.
There is also a fruit grove to the south of the private residence. If the season is right, tourists can enjoy picking fruits here. Of course, there is a fee.
After hearing "Turning Over, Little Bun," Xi Lang couldn't help but curl up his lips. His youth was very talented.
After passing the children's playground, the two crossed Grape Road. A bamboo trellis formed a winding "tunnel" along the path. The lush grape leaves were dotted with white flowers. Though small, the blossoms were numerous, foreseeing the delightful sight of the trellises laden with bunches of grapes in summer.
After walking around for a while, the two felt a little hungry, so they went to the restaurant, ordered some food, and sat at a table by the window to rest.
"According to my estimate, it will cost at least 8 million to set up the entire flower base. Is that enough?" Xi Lang asked. He knew Gu Juan was a stock trader and had a sharp eye, so he knew he had some money, but he hadn't asked how much.
Only then did Gu Juan tell him that he had mortgaged his house.
Xi Lang scolded, "Why didn't you tell me you were short of money?"
"This is a betrothal gift. How can I use your money? Even if I borrow yours, it's not allowed." Gu Juan's attitude was firm.
Xi Lang was also very persistent, "At least let me do my best. I'm your boyfriend, I can't just sit there and do nothing. Didn't you say this? This is our home."
Gu Juan chuckled, "Of course you have to contribute. I'll leave the design of the flower base's logo to you. Come up with a final plan within a week to facilitate early publicity."
"No problem." Xi Lang raised the corner of his lips, his mind already thinking rapidly.
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