The cold weather in the capital city was like a cold-faced demon, wantonly shaking off the snowflakes, which fell softly, and the world was wrapped in a pure white and cold atmosphere.
Li Panmei and her family stood at the entrance of the courtyard house, their necks hunched and feet stamping, their breath instantly swallowed by the wind and snow.
Looking up, Li Panmei saw the "Li Mansion" plaque hanging high, its vermilion lacquer conveying the weight of time, and the gold characters dazzling in the snow. In a daze, Li Panmei felt as if she had been pulled into a dream of the past, her heart filled with a sense of unreality.
"Dad, has this taken us back to the old days?"
Li Erfa wrapped his down jacket tightly around himself, his nose red from the cold, his eyes wide open, and asked in a daze, his voice filled with curiosity and bewilderment, shivering from the cold wind.
"Don't talk nonsense, I'm going to make a phone call."
Li Panmei warmed her hands with her breath, shivering as she fumbled for her phone. Her fingers were so frozen they wouldn't obey her commands. If she didn't go inside soon, her old bones would probably be "frozen through and marinated" by the cold snow.
At this moment, the room was warm and cozy. Li Fagui was showing Ma Hehua the new clothes when his cell phone suddenly rang, the ringtone sounding very abrupt in the room.
"The phone is ringing, answer it quickly..."
He figured it was his brother-in-law who had arrived, so he quickly answered the phone. Upon hearing the situation, he raised his voice in a panic: "What? He's at the door? There's a doorbell! Press it! Stop waiting there, it's freezing cold here."
His words were full of disappointment and frustration. The red doorbell button was prominently displayed on the side of the door; how could he not see it?
"The red button?" Li Panmei looked in the direction of the sound, smiled bitterly and looked around for a long time before finally locking onto the target. When she saw it clearly, the corner of her mouth twitched violently.
"Good heavens, who would dare press that!"
Adorned with sparkling diamonds, it is dazzlingly luxurious and exudes an awe-inspiring presence.
"Sanfa, go press that red button." Li Panmei steeled her resolve and nudged her son.
"Okay! Dad!"
Without much thought, Li Sanfa strode forward and poked the doorbell with his finger—instantly, the doorbell rang loudly, and the piercing alarm also joined in the fun, startling the snow on the trees outside the yard into falling in a flurry.
Li Panmei's face darkened, and she cursed inwardly, "Hmph, I knew that dim-witted Li Fagui was digging a pit here!"
The moment Li Sanfa's fingertip touched the red button, a deafening cacophony of stern alarm and doorbell blared out, startling him so much that he trembled violently. Like a rabbit struck by lightning, he hopped back to Li Panmei's side, his eyes wide with terror, and cried out, "What's wrong, Dad?"
"It's okay, we'll be able to get in soon."
Li Panmei pretended to be calm, patted her son on the shoulder, but in her heart she scolded Li Fagui again. Just as she was complaining, the door creaked open.
Uncle Fu poked his head out, glanced at everyone's faces, and then put on a big smile, warmly greeting them in fluent Heifeng Village dialect: "You must be Madam's brother! Come on in, it's not so cold inside."
That familiar accent, like a warm breeze, instantly dispelled Li Panmei's slight embarrassment and awkwardness. Encountering a familiar accent in a foreign land felt incredibly comforting. He paused for a moment before hurriedly nodding and replying, "Oh! Okay, thank you!"
The family filed in, and as soon as Wu Xiao'e stepped across the threshold, she was astonished, like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden.
The courtyard house before us is like a hidden paradise in the city. In the spacious courtyard, there are craggy artificial hills and strange rocks, piled up to form shapes that are either majestic or ingenious.
The artificial stream murmurs and meanders among the rocks, shimmering with tiny, cold lights under a thin layer of ice, like a silver ribbon weaving through the water.
The covered walkways, with their carved beams and painted rafters, gleamed brightly in the sunlight after the snow, connecting the various houses and exuding a simple and elegant charm.
Under the corridor, several pots of wintersweet bloom proudly in the snow, their subtle fragrance wafting through the air.
The main house and side rooms are arranged in a staggered manner, with green tiles covering the roof. The flying eaves are like swallow tails fluttering lightly, as if they can take flight at any time. The whole courtyard is so big that it seems to have no boundaries. Every step reveals a new scene, and every place hides exquisiteness and ancient charm. Wu Xiao'e was overwhelmed by the sights and her feet seemed to be attracted by a magnet, unable to move an inch.
Li Erfa stared intently at the east wing in front of him, his eyes practically glued to the carved doors and windows, the vermilion beams and pillars. His mouth was agape, wide enough to fit an egg, his face filled with shock and envy.
The others seemed frozen in place, with only one thought buzzing in their minds—money, so incredibly money!
The air of wealth and luxury was overwhelming, like an invisible and luxurious net that enveloped everyone.
Although Li Panmei tried her best to maintain an air of worldly sophistication, her eyes were still drawn to the exquisite house, and she secretly marveled at her brother-in-law's wealth.
Before everyone could recover from their amazement, Uncle Fu had already led them to the east wing to settle their luggage.
"This...this can't be the place where princesses live in TV dramas, can it?"
Li Erfa's wife's voice trembled as she spoke, swallowing hard. Her eyes were wide with disbelief, and her fingertips lightly touched the carved bed, as if afraid that the slightest force would shatter this dreamlike "fairyland."
"What nonsense are you talking about? How could a princess be so lucky as to live in such a nice house? The princesses of the past didn't live such a good life."
Li Erfa frowned, tilted his head, his face full of disdain, and a smug look on his lips that said, "I am the only one who is sober while everyone else is drunk."
He strode around the room, looking at the gilded and painted ornaments and the exquisitely embroidered brocade curtains, wondering how much wealth his grandfather's family must have to decorate their residence so richly and elegantly.
Every inch of space and every decoration seems to be proclaiming the word "wealth," luxurious in just the right way, understated yet exuding profound charm, making it impossible to look away.
The children, each in their own room, curiously touched the antique desks and soft quilts, their exclamations rising and falling.
"Panmei, wasn't your family very poor before?"
Wu Xiao'e stood in the center of the east wing, her eyes wide open, filled with doubt and astonishment, and the scene of her early trip to Black Wind Village flashed through her mind.
At that time, the village was dilapidated. Panmei's mud-brick house was crooked and dimly lit inside, with very few belongings. The sight of poverty was deeply etched into my memory during that trip.
But now, the grand courtyard house with its vermilion gates, embroidered doors, carved beams, and painted rafters is a world apart from what she imagined. The dramatic reversal left her completely bewildered.
"Did I ever say my family was poor?" Li Panmei raised an eyebrow and replied slowly, crossing her arms with a calm expression, as if she had expected such a question.
Wu Xiao'e opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. Thinking about it carefully, Panmei really rarely talked about his family's past. She had only assumed that his family was poor based on what she had seen and heard back then, but now it seemed that she was very wrong.
"Alright, hurry up and put down your luggage, pack your things and go see my dad, my mom, and my sister."
Li Panmei clapped her hands, breaking the brief stalemate, her voice rising and revealing a hint of urgency.
He knew his mother's temper well. If he arrived late, he might get a scolding or even a sharp slap. His old bones couldn't take that kind of treatment.
As she spoke, she deftly opened her suitcase, rummaging through it to find gifts for her parents and sister, urging her family to hurry up. In no time, the room was filled with the rustling sounds of packing and hurried footsteps.
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