"Hehe, then let's ride bicycles." Zhang Shouyi said, but then realized it wasn't a good idea. Being high-profile wasn't good for either of them right now, and this wasn't as simple as buying some items.
Zhang Hongmei directed the car to stop in front of the house, where Xiao Li could see it from a distance.
Zhang Hongmei got out of the car and opened the door, then started carrying things out of the car little by little. She didn't realize how much she had bought that day until she started carrying them.
"Brother Zhang, I've spent quite a bit of money today, haven't I? I'll pay you back later."
"Should we do this?"
"Why not? Even close brothers should keep clear accounts. When it comes to finances, everything should be clearly separated."
"You make me extremely angry. You've trampled on my sincerity."
“Brother Zhang, I didn’t mean that. I just felt uneasy spending other people’s money.”
"This is the first and last time you'll say something like this to me. There won't be a next time, okay?"
Zhang Hongmei carried the rice cooker into the kitchen. It's alright, there are other ways to repay favors even if the money isn't returned.
Everything in the car was arranged. "Hongmei, let's go take a look at that courtyard."
"Okay, it's not far from here, let's walk there."
"Let Xiao Li drive. He can bring back whatever you need wherever he is."
"Okay, let's go take a look. There's no rush for furniture; a carpenter will come and make some tomorrow or the day after. We can move some kitchen furniture over."
"You decide what to do."
Zhang Hongmei put on her overcoat and hat before following behind Zhang Shouyi, who was wearing a wool overcoat and black leather shoes.
Upon arriving at the entrance, one sees the words "Xin Yuan" written on the plaque above the door.
Zhang Shouyi took out his key, opened the door, and said, "Come in and see if you like what I prepared."
Zhang Hongmei was like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden.
"Luckily I don't live here, otherwise it would take a whole day to clean. Small houses are much easier to maintain."
"Hehe, you're overthinking it. I've already found the right people to serve you."
"No, what if people say I'm a landlord or a rich man? I'm a genuine peasant."
"Don't worry, there won't be any problems. The person I found is the parents of one of my men. He sacrificed his life, and now the two elderly people are all alone. They came to look after the house for you."
"I see, then please move in."
"Don't worry, his character is absolutely flawless."
“I trust you, but I’m worried that they might hold a grudge against you after his son’s death.”
No, it won't.
"You know what I mean. I'm going to check the kitchen. The kitchen is the thing I'm most unhappy about in my house. It's too small, and we can't even move around properly."
“I’ll have someone combine the kitchen and dining room. As for the bedroom, you probably won’t be used to it. I’ll have someone install a heated floor here, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll install a heated kang bed there.”
"No need, just buy a few hot water bottles, I like that bed."
"Xiao Li, go buy a hot water bottle and a thermos."
When the two arrived at the kitchen, it was indeed quite well-equipped, with pots, pans, and utensils all prepared.
"Is there anything you need to take back?"
"We won't take anything. We can just fill in the missing parts. It's fine if no one lives here, but if we take it, we'll have to replace it. Let's leave it at that."
"The dining room is on the right, and the storeroom is on the left. Come on, let's see if you like your bedroom."
"Is there anything else special?"
"You'll see when you go and see for yourself," Zhang Shouyi said, which only fueled Zhang Hongmei's curiosity.
Zhang Hongmei lived in the master bedroom of the second courtyard. When she opened the door, her first impression was that it was antique and elegant, with brown sandalwood everywhere.
Zhang Hongmei looked at Zhang Shouyi with a puzzled expression. "Brother Zhang, isn't this room too old-fashioned?"
"Go into the bedroom and take a look; this is just the living room."
Following Zhang Shouyi's directions, Zhang Hongmei passed through a carved semi-circular archway, which was actually an antique shelf filled with bottles, jars, and jade ornaments.
After passing through the archway, you'll find a screen depicting the Four Gentlemen, the embroidery of which is truly exquisite.
The first thing that catches the eye is an enormous bed. "Brother Zhang, is this a canopy bed?"
"Yes, do you like it? This is the most authentic one, without any omissions, even the drawers are all there."
"It's so exquisite that I probably wouldn't be able to sleep lying on it. I'd have to be very careful, for fear of damaging anything."
"Hehe. Not at all. It's all made of wood. Come, look, I personally chose this bed canopy. This color should help with sleep. The bedding was all made by tailors over two months."
And all the furniture in the house was made by the same bed maker, what do you think?
"A room full of antiques, it's too extravagant."
"dislike?"
"Of course I like it, but how many favors will I have to do? How much money will it cost?"
"Hehe. Don't worry, I can afford it."
"Brother Zhang, are you preparing a dowry for your daughter?"
Zhang Shouyi's face immediately turned green.
Zhang Hongmei regretted her words immediately afterward, realizing she had let others take advantage of her and was incredibly naive.
“Brother Zhang, what I meant was, are you planning to do the same for your daughter in the future? Never mind, just pretend I didn’t say anything.” Zhang Hongmei was disheartened; the more she spoke, the more wrong she became.
Zhang Shouyi's expression softened a bit. "You need to have a daughter to prepare a dowry. Alright, go check the guest rooms."
"Brother Zhang, does this yard have a cellar or any secret passages?"
“The entrance to the cellar is in your bedroom, right here.” Zhang Shouyi pointed to the gap in front of the dressing table, where the stool was placed.
After saying that, he moved the stool and lifted the wooden board, revealing a hole that could only accommodate one person at a time.
"This was the former director's private vault. There are still quite a few things inside. You can take a look when you have time."
"You gave me everything?"
"Yes, I gave it all to you, but there's nothing of value in it."
"How could that be? Someone who can afford a three-courtyard house must have some good stuff. Of course, it's also possible that they took all the valuables with them."
“What you say makes sense. This was the residence of the former Minister of Rites. None of his family survived; they all died in the palace coup.”
"There won't be any darkrooms or anything, will there?"
"Hehe, maybe. You'll have time to figure it out yourself. Would you like to check out other rooms?"
"No, I'll take a look now." Zhang Hongmei stood at the door and looked inside. There was nothing wrong with it, but she just felt uneasy and couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.
I wandered into the bedroom. There was a soft couch under the windowsill, and a bookshelf on the headboard of the couch. Yes, this is not right.
"Brother Zhang, come here."
"What's wrong? Did you find something?"
"Don't you think this bookshelf is too thick?"
"What do you mean?" I don't know, did you move this bookshelf during the renovation?
"No, this bookshelf is made of rosewood, so we just replaced it with a soft couch. It hasn't been touched."
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