Chapter 252 - 252: New Home
Chapter 252: New Home
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Li Yu stood at the entrance of the garden and smiled at Zhou Jia. “This garden is indeed not bad! Let’s go back to our room first! After settling Yangyang down, we’ll come and take a look.”
“It’s indeed not bad.” Zhou Jia nodded, and the two of them turned around. They arranged for Mr. Qian, Zhao Cai, and the others to stay in the courtyard in front. Ruyi’s family, Old Madam Liu, and Aunt Zhang lived in the next courtyard. Li Yu’s family and Mr. Wen lived in the main courtyard. Ruyi and Zhao Cai were busy instructing everyone to dismantle the luggage and move the things into the house. Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhang found the kitchen and saw that it was clean. Everything they needed to prepare meals was there. The two of them were busy lighting the fire and cooking.
Li Yu asked Zhou Jia to look after Yangyang and Seven Pounds. She brought
Xiaoyu into the house. The doors and windows were polished from fresh paint. The fire in the house looked like it had been burning all along. When they entered the house, they felt warm. The house was very clean. There was no dust on the windows, The double windows inside had newly installed snow-white window gauze.
Li Yu and Xiao Yu placed the luggage that Ruyi and the others had moved in. Yangyang and Seven Pounds had already woken up and were looking at the flowers and plants in the courtyard with Zhou Jia. Old Madam Liu and Aunt
Zhang prepared the food and brought it to the hall. Everyone ate separately. Li Yu felt exhausted after busying herself for a long time. She quickly bathed
Yangyang and Zhou Jia washed up. After eating something, they rested tiredly.
Zhou Jia woke up early in the morning and saw that Li Yu was still sleeping soundly. After gently getting out of bed and putting on his clothes, he went to the outer room to kiss Yangyang’s ruddy face before going out to wash up and eat. Before he went to the front office, he instructed Old Madam Liu and the others not to wake Li Yu up and went to the front office to take over.
Zhou Jia followed the corridor and passed through the flower door into the courtyard of the magistrate’s office in front. Just as he entered the courtyard, the door to the room on the right opened. Wang Qinghai came out hurriedly with five or six scholarly-looking people in cotton robes. They cupped their hands and bowed respectfully to Zhou Jia. “Greetings, Lord Magistrate.”
Zhou Jia hurriedly cupped his hands and returned the greeting. They looked at the young and handsome magistrate with smiles. Wang Qinghai brought Zhou Jia to the main room and pointed at one of the rooms. He said to Zhou Jia, “Sir, this is your room. The east room is Lord Wu’s. The west room is for me. Lord Wu isn’t here yet. Please sit for a while.”
Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. He pushed open the door and entered the room. He looked at the spacious and neat room. There was a landscape painting hanging on the front. There was a high table below and a pearwood chair on the left and right. There were four chairs in two rows in front of him. There was a screen on the right side. Behind the screen, there was a wide rosewood table by the window. The table was clean and shiny. The four treasures of the literary room were neatly arranged on it. There was a curtain hanging on the west side. Behind the curtain was a big bed. The table and furniture on the bed were all complete. It seemed that they were used for resting when work was busy.
At this moment, a tall, square-faced man in his fifties walked to Zhou Jia’s room. He took a deep breath and finally squeezed out a smile before knocking on the door.
Zhou Jia raised his head and said, “Come in.” The man pushed the door open and walked in. He cupped his hands and bowed to Zhou Jia. “I, Wu Tingxian, pay my respects to the Lord.” After Zhou Jia cupped his hands and returned the greeting, the two of them exchanged a few pleasantries. When Wang Qinghai saw that Comrade Wu had arrived, he called all the officials in the government office to the hall and greeted the Magistrate God in a ceremony.
When Li Yu woke up, she found out that Zhou Jia had already woken up and
gone to the front office. Seeing that Yangyang was still sleeping soundly on the small bed, she kissed Yangyang’s chubby cheek and left the room. She followed the corridor through the corner room and went to the back garden. She stretched her body in the garden and practiced two sets of boxing until her face was covered in sweat before going back to wash up.
After changing her clothes, she came out and saw Mr. Wen bringing Yangyang and Seven Pounds to the backyard. Old Madam Liu came up and reported with a smile, “Madam, Master went to the front office after breakfast and instructed us not to wake you up. Do you think we should prepare your meal for you now?”
Li Yu nodded and went to the dining room. Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhang brought over egg buns and porridge. Just as they finished eating, Xiaoyu came to the dining room and said to Li Yu with a smile, “Madam, the house is almost tidied up, but this courtyard is too big!”
Li Yu also felt that there were too many courtyards and they were too big. It would take half a day to clean them up. Also, there were more people socializing with the state government office. The garden at the back also needed tending. It was probably impossible to rely on Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhang alone.
Li Yu stood up and walked out with Xiaoyu. She said, “That’s right! We still have to buy a gardener, two girls, two servants, and two general workers to help out in the backyard.”
Xiaoyu smiled and said, “This place is big, and the expenses have increased. Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai told Ruyi yesterday that they have shortlisted a few shops and want to invite you to take a look!”
“I’ll settle down first before looking at the shops.”
The two of them went to the courtyard. Ruyi and Zhao Cai were waiting in the front courtyard. Li Yu said to them, “Ruyi will be in charge of the courtyard in the future. Xiaoyu will help me take care of the children, and Zhao Cai and Ji Xiang will still manage the shop. Tiezhu will still follow Master. Uncle Liu will still guard the second gate. Since Ah Wei likes to take care of the manor, you can go out of the city and see if there are any suitable wastelands and courtyards for purchase and procure one. I know you’re all good, but you have to remember not to use Master’s name to bully those in the city and drag Master down.”
“Yes, Madam.” The few of them agreed in unison. Ah Wei happily pulled Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai out to look for the manor.
After Li Yu made the arrangements, she turned around and returned to the backyard. Yangyang and Seven Pounds walked hand in hand from the backyard, followed by the panting Mr. Wen.
Yangyang saw Li Yu and rushed over like a little firecracker. Li Yu carried Yang
Yang and looked at Mr. Wen who was panting. She said to the two of them, “The two of you must have tired Grandmaster out!”
Yangyang hugged Li Yu’s neck and said in a childish voice, “Mom, Brother
Seven Pounds is naughty. Yangyang is good!”
Seven Pounds looked at Yangyang aggrievedly. “It was the Little Young Master who dragged the Old Master away.”
Li Yu tapped Yangyang’s nose and said, “Oh! Yangyang lied. You’ll grow a long nose! What should Yangyang do?”
Yangyang touched his nose and got down from Li Yu. He took out a piece of candy from his pocket and handed it to Seven Pounds. “Brother Seven Pounds was good. Yangyang lied.”
Seven Pounds took the candy and smiled. They ran away hand in hand. Mr. Wen looked at the two little ones and chuckled. “I’m old. The two little fellows are too energetic for me.”
“You’ve been sitting in the cart for so long and haven’t recovered! You have to rest well.’
“No, I want to take a walk in the countryside and take a look.”
Li Yu smiled and said, “Wait a moment. Let Tiezhu go with you.”
Mr. Wen knew that Li Yu and the others were worried about him going out alone. He nodded in agreement and returned to the house with the medicine box and Tiezhu.
Li Yu handed the children to Xiaovu and walked towards the official brokerage with Ruyi..