Chapter 139
This house in Fuxue Hutong was left in the capital by a retired cabinet minister from the previous dynasty. He sold it to a friend, reportedly a calligrapher and Jinshi (Jinshi) named Yao. This Jinshi's family was very wealthy, so he expanded the house, adding pavilions, terraces, attics, and courtyards to create a very elegant and charming atmosphere. Luo Shenyuan purchased the house from a descendant of this Jinshi Yao.
The courtyard where Yining currently resides has two entrances. The front entrance houses Luo Shenyuan's study and living room, with wing rooms on either side also providing rest areas. The back room has a small kitchen. The back entrance primarily houses Yining's residence, consisting of the main hall, two side chambers, and an annex. Several towering ancient cypresses, their trunks requiring several people to embrace, are planted in the front yard. The grounds are covered in greenery, with crabapples, crape myrtles, and phoenix-tail bamboo dotting the Taihu rocks. The scene is truly poetic, and although the vegetation has already yellowed at this time of year, it possesses a unique charm.
Yi Ning followed Luo Shenyuan through the Moon Gate. He was tall, and the bamboos planted along the path brushed against his shoulders. He reached out and held her, protecting her from the brush of the treetops. "This area is so overgrown with vegetation, I didn't think it could be changed, so I left it alone. If you don't like it, you can move it."
Yi Ning turned her head to look at his big hand that was around her, but he quickly took it back without any change in his expression.
It seems that she has really made up her mind to get along with her brother and sister.
Last night, Yi Ning seriously considered her feelings for him. She relied on him, admiring him as a brother. But when he approached her, pressing her, she couldn't help but blush. After much thought, she could only come to one conclusion: he was too handsome. After all, everyone loves beauty.
Yining didn't know if she had any lustful thoughts. She had never noticed that she had this problem before.
She looked at the grandeur of the mansion and was a little curious: "Third brother, how did you suddenly become so rich? How much silver do you have?"
Only someone close to you would ask you this directly. Luo Shenyuan didn't think anything of it. He looked at her and asked, "Are you planning on my property?"
"I'm just asking out of curiosity. The Luo family's annual income is only five or six thousand taels, how come it becomes so extravagant in your hands... If you have any way to get rich, I'd like to hear it." Yi Ning thought of the sixty thousand taels in his hand and was very interested in making money from money.
"You can't make that kind of money. It's a dicey business," Luo Shenyuan said casually. Trying to get the skin of a tiger wasn't for her. She looked resilient, but in reality, she was too innocent and delicate for people like them. It wasn't that she was unworldly, but sometimes people's worlds were just too different.
Luo Shenyuan never thought this was a big deal. Although the money came easily, few people dared to do it, and the psychological burden was not something everyone could bear.
"Don't worry, I still remember what we said on the wedding day. If you really want to take care of it, I will ask the housekeeper to give you the account book." He added.
Yi Ning had no interest in managing his money. As they talked, they walked to the door. Several guards were standing outside. When they saw Luo Shenyuan coming out, they bowed respectfully and said, "Sir."
These guards called him "Sir" instead of "Third Young Master". They must have been trained by him and only obeyed him.
Luo Shenyuan simply hummed a soft "hmm." He was cold and indifferent to his subordinates, but his tone when speaking to her was surprisingly gentle in comparison.
He took her to the main room.
Lin Hairu lived in the main house with Nan'er and their wet nurse. Luo Chengzhang's courtyard was right next to Lin Hairu's. Concubine Qiao and Luo Yilian lived in Shaoguang Pavilion, nestled in the peach orchard at the back. The eldest wife's family had lived in Fuxue Hutong since arriving in the capital, and Chen had also come along for the family reunion.
Lin Hairu, neatly dressed, sat in the main room, smiling at Yining with a kind smile that made her feel uneasy. Luo Chengzhang sat beside her, accepted the tea she offered him, and stiffly called her "father." He was supposed to give a red envelope after changing his words, but Luo Chengzhang didn't care and just gave her a red envelope.
Mother Lou, who was following behind Yining, looked at the red envelope, which was just wrapped in ordinary red paper, and her mind was clear as a mirror.
Lin Hairu was very happy. She asked the maids to quickly bring in the gifts she was giving to Yining.
It was a rosewood step-out bed with pure gold relief carvings, gleaming with gold. Yining approached and saw that the carvings were of fertility and good fortune. The child's belt was inlaid with rubies.
When Luo Chengzhang saw Lin Hairu's gift, his expression became even uglier. He coughed a few times in succession to ask Lin Hairu to be careful with her words.
However, Lin Hairu was always slow to express dissatisfaction with her husband. She smiled and continued, "Yining, do you like it? I specially asked the craftsmen to make it. If you like it, you can replace the bed in your room now! Look at how beautifully it is carved with the words 'Many Children and Blessings'..."
Seeing Lin Hairu's admiring look on her face as if she was about to move them into her room, Yi Ning coughed until her face flushed red. "Mother, there's really no need! My bed is fine."
No wonder Luo Shenyuan said it was a generous gift!
She glanced back at Luo Shenyuan, who had already sat down to drink tea. No one in the family dared to speak to him like that.
"You don't like this style?" Lin Hairu looked at Yining and continued with a smile, "Actually, I don't really like the pattern of Guanyin delivering a child, but if you want to change it to this carving, that's fine too."
Yining clearly saw a smile on Luo Shenyuan's lips, although it quickly disappeared.
"No need to change it, I quite like this pattern..." Yi Ning said with a slight twitch on her forehead, "But moving the bed after a wedding is a big taboo. How about moving it to the warehouse first?"
Lin Hairu didn't know much about the various taboos, as merchants didn't have these taboos. The most they feared was that the bad feng shui of their ancestral graves would affect their fortunes.
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