Chapter 141 Wicked Stepmother and Poor Child 34
Respecting the children's choice, Shen Ci immediately ordered people to find a suitable house in that area.
Persistence pays off. After paying more money, the broker quickly sent word that he had found two very special mansions.
These two houses originally belonged to a wealthy family surnamed Lin. Later, when the descendants divided the family property, they split the five-courtyard house in half, creating two three-courtyard houses standing side by side with similar layouts.
The two houses are separated only by a narrow alley, and their courtyard walls are connected.
It was originally a large house, but it was divided into two houses. The adjacent courtyard walls had doorways, and with a little repair, the two houses could be connected instantly and combined into a spacious mansion.
If the gate is closed, they become separate households, which is perfect for Gu Mingzhang and Gu Mingzhu!
They are siblings born of the same mother and should be the closest of relatives, but after growing up, they will have their own families and lives. It's not good to live too close, nor is it good to live too far apart. It's best to live like this.
Shen Ci made a quick decision. After personally inspecting the properties, she bought both mansions at a price slightly higher than the market price, and the deeds were signed by Gu Mingzhang and Gu Mingzhu respectively.
This expense cost nearly 60,000 taels of silver, and the task was almost half completed in no time.
For the rest of her tasks, she casually bought some ancient books and rare objects, stored the finest timber and stone materials in her new house, and bought some shops to slowly generate more money. She quickly spent all 100,000 taels of silver.
If you really want to spend money, it won't last long; it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance.
"Ding-dong!"
Congratulations, host, for completing the limited-time mission "Spend Money Like Water" (Advanced Version)!
Reward: The land deed for a luxurious five-courtyard mansion in a prime location on Zhuque Avenue in the capital has been issued. Please check your account.
It's done! A huge weight was lifted off Shen Ci's shoulders.
Zhuque Avenue! That's the most valuable area in the capital, where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold, and where high-ranking officials and nobles gather! This five-courtyard mansion, a reward from the system, is worth a hundred times more than those two mansions in the west of the city!
Money is something you can never have enough of, the more you spend it.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one in the mansion was paying attention, Shen Ci would go out for a walk or to inspect the shops every day under the pretext of doing so. She began to quietly move the truly valuable dowry items from her storeroom. Her family was a wealthy household in Yizhou with a vast fortune, and her dowry was no less than that. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to elevate Gu Hongjian to the rank of a first-grade official.
Antiques, gold and silver valuables, as well as the core account books, land deeds and house deeds of shops in various places, were broken down into smaller batches and secretly transported to the new house on Zhuque Street.
Fortunately, the other two were busy with their own things at the time, which made it easier for her to move around.
But she was still very careful, changing routes and personnel each time to ensure everything went smoothly, and never taking too much with her so that no one could tell anything was amiss.
There was no way around it; her dowry was simply too much. After taking stock, they discovered that the dowry list was incredibly long—it was practically a mountain of gold! This couldn't be allowed to fall into the hands of Gu Hongjian and Zhou Jingxuan. Even if they threw it into the water, it wouldn't benefit them.
The sun was shining brightly.
Shen Ci led Gu Mingzhang and Gu Mingzhu to the grand new mansion on Zhuque Street.
The vermilion gate slowly opened, revealing carved beams and painted rafters, flying eaves and brackets, a deep courtyard, and lush vegetation, exuding an air of extravagance.
It is said that this place was once the villa of a highly favored prince of the previous dynasty. After changing hands several times, it finally fell into the hands of the common people. Without the system, even if you have money, you may not be able to buy this place.
Above the door is a brand-new black plaque with gold lettering, bearing two powerful and vigorous characters.
Sinking into the house.
"Mommy, this place is so big and beautiful!" Gu Mingzhu exclaimed softly, her eyes wide. It was even bigger and more beautiful than her own home.
"Mother, is this our new home?"
Gu Mingzhang asked seriously, with a hint of doubt. He could sense that his parents' relationship had changed, and the family was different from before. His father was no longer just the father of him and his sister.
Children's hearts are always so sensitive.
Shen Ci squatted down, embraced the two children, looked at the words "Shen Residence" and nodded.
Yes, this is our home.
The Shen residence belongs only to us and has no further connection with the Gu family.
No matter how many children or concubines your father has, this will always be your home, and always your mother's home.
If one day your father treats us badly, we'll abandon him, move out on our own, and not tell him this place exists, okay?
Shen Ci asked, "Children are sensitive, but some principles are not as easy for them to accept as adults. We have to tell them in a way that they can understand."
Gu Mingzhang looked down at his toes, thought for a long time, and finally his eyes became firm.
"Mother, I will protect you and my sister."
If Father treats us badly, we will abandon him.
"Little sister, you can't tell Daddy about this, okay? If Daddy finds out, he'll definitely come and take Mommy's things away!"
The two little children nodded firmly, indicating that they would never tell Gu Hongjian about the existence of this place. Since their mother and the others had another home, their father... should stay with his new aunt. It was he who abandoned them first.
"Ding-dong!"
Give the children a home, a permanent support and safe haven, a place where they won't have to sleep on the streets or endure the elements.
Villain Salvation Value: +10%.
Current rescue value: 30%.
In their original storyline, after losing their mother, they were subjected to various forms of abuse by Zhou Jingxuan, who often went without food. After growing up, they were kicked out of their home for a long time and she schemed to make Gu Hongjian distrust them, causing the brother and sister to suffer greatly.
This time, they won't be kicked out of their homes and forced to sleep on the streets.
The Gu family mansion was actually bought with Shen Ci's money. Shen Ci came from a wealthy family and had never suffered hardship or lacked money. When she first came to the capital, she didn't want to live in a dilapidated house, so she had to buy a house with her own money.
Gu Hongjian, however, accepted this arrangement with a clear conscience, even treating the Gu family mansion as his own property. He felt that since he was Shen Ci's husband and had become an official, he no longer needed Shen Ci, and since the mansion belonged to the Gu family, it was only natural that it was his.
Next, she wants to make Gu Hongjian realize his true colors.
"Madam, our people say that the master wrote a letter in his study that day and sent someone on horseback to his hometown in Yizhou."
I heard they were going to pick up the old lady.
Dan Gui said softly, "Although Shen Ci doesn't care about household affairs now, only the servants in the main courtyard, comparisons are painful. The other servants in the mansion have discovered that the main courtyard is a better place."
The lady is not short of money; she even receives double the monthly allowance. There are also rewards for good performance. The lady is also not prone to mood swings or mistreatment of servants, making her much better than the newly arrived Aunt Zhou.
Although Aunt Zhou had the power to manage the household, she only knew how to bully the servants by abusing her authority.
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