Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Preparing to Build a House with an Apparent Rise and Hidden Decline
Feng Xi, upon hearing this, playfully rubbed his little sister’s nose and said indulgently, "Okay, I’ll listen to you. Let’s head back then."
"Yeah, let’s go back." Feng Xuxu took her big brother’s hand and walked towards the morning glow, their shadows stretching longer and longer behind them.
"Shopkeeper, are you around?" Feng Xuxu arrived in town; her family wanted to build a house but were worried local builders wouldn’t do a good job, and they didn’t know any others. After much consideration, she could only ask Shopkeeper Ma from the restaurant for advice.
"Miss Feng, I remember you, you’re the one who bought the potted plants last time." The waiter recognized her at a glance; it was he who had guided this young lady to the third floor last time.
"Hehe, yes, it’s me. I’m not sure if your Shopkeeper is around, I need to see him," Feng Xuxu turned her head, looking around in hopes of spotting the Shopkeeper.
"Miss Feng, please follow me. Shopkeeper Ma is in the kitchen," the waiter said, leading Feng Xuxu straight to the restaurant’s kitchen.
"Shopkeeper Ma, someone is looking for you." The waiter shouted as he entered the kitchen.
"Coming, who’s looking for Ma?" The voice came before the man, still that loud and resounding tone.
"Uncle Ma, it’s me, Feng Xuxu," Feng Xuxu said with a sweet smile, affectionately calling him "Uncle Ma."
Shopkeeper Ma came out and instantly broke into a broad smile when he saw it was Feng Xuxu. "Girl, you finally remembered this old man. It’s been more than ten days; where have you been?"
"What else could I be doing? As a farmer’s daughter, I’ve of course been farming. I bought a thousand acres of wasteland in the village and just finished clearing it yesterday. I came to look for you today; see how much I missed you," Feng Xuxu said boastfully, almost ready to say, "Hurry up and praise me."
"You little rascal, as if I don’t know what you’re thinking. Miss me? Tell me, do you need my help with something?" Shopkeeper Ma tapped Feng Xuxu’s forehead and looked at her sternly with a furrowed mustache.
"Hehe, nothing gets past your discerning eyes. I really do have something. I want to build a house, and I have all the blueprints drawn up, but I can’t find the right people to do the construction," Feng Xuxu said, presenting the blueprints to Shopkeeper Ma with a look of worry, hoping to see a glimmer of hope on his face.
Shopkeeper Ma unrolled the blueprints and was captivated by the design. It depicted two-storied pavilions with an orderly charm, pavilions built against a hillside, winding wooden bridges, with a large garden at the bridge’s end, and underneath the bridge was a large Lotus Pond, where a flat boat was placed. Beyond the garden at the back of the second floor, aside from a narrow path, the sides were filled with a variety of trees and a profusion of blossoms.
From the second-floor room, one could see green trees blanketing the hills and various lively, adorable animals. Gazing at this scene was just like stepping into it. When Shopkeeper Ma came back to his senses, he excitedly praised the design and layout of the courtyard as superb.
"Girl, I’ve lived for most of my life and this is the first time I’ve seen such a house. I really like it. The mayor indeed has someone capable of building this house. Let me go find them and see if they can make it as beautiful as this painting. Wait here for a moment," Shopkeeper Ma, unable to contain his impatience to see the finished courtyard, hurried off to find the craftsmen.
Feng Xuxu pressed her lips together and shook her head with a smile. It was just a painting; the finished house would be much more beautiful than this. The old man was truly adorable.
Cough, cough, cough, a discordant cough arose from behind, startling Feng Xuxu, who was immersed in thoughts of building the house.
"Hey, if you’re not feeling well, go rest. Why scare someone from behind for no reason? Don’t you know that scaring people could scare them to death? Really," Feng Xuxu turned to face the person who had startled her and scolded them irritably.
The seemingly helpless and cool attendant just shrugged and bypassed Feng Xuxu, heading straight for the kitchen. Shortly after, he emerged with a food box in hand and, standing beside Feng Xuxu, towered over her and said, "Little sister, don’t stand in front of the kitchen entrance next time. With your big frame blocking the way, I couldn’t get in." After saying that, he left without looking back.
Feng Xuxu glanced at the kitchen doorway, then back at herself and finally reacted. Her face immediately fell—it was a blatant mockery of her weight. Little rascal, daring to mock me, I’ll let you know what ’fat’ is. Humph, revenge is a dish best served cold, just wait, if looks could kill, Tian Yi’s back would be riddled like a hornet’s nest by now.
Xiao Chen stood by the window on the third floor, watching everything happening below, chuckling at Feng Xuxu’s confused gestures and vivid expressions. Downstairs, Feng Xuxu was startled by the laughter and looked up to see a strikingly handsome man with well-defined features, half his jet-black hair loosely tied back, and beneath his sword-like eyebrows were a pair of slender phoenix eyes. His high-bridged nose and moderately thick red lips were now curving into a dazzling smile. She couldn’t help but stare in awe.
Xiao Chen looked down, not angry at Feng Xuxu’s infatuated expression but rather carrying a hint of anticipation. The two just gazed at each other.
"Master, the meal is ready," Tian Yi’s inopportune voice sounded again, interrupting the two’s eye contact. Xiao Chen gave Tian Yi an annoyed look—he hadn’t realized before how talkative Tian Yi was and decided he had been too lenient with him. By the time Xiao Chen turned back to look for Feng Xuxu, there was no trace of her charming figure downstairs; the courtyard was empty.
Seated at the table with cutlery properly arranged, he reached out with his distinctively knuckled hand, picked up the chopsticks to taste the food, and said, "You’ll take over Di An’s duties this afternoon."
Tian Yi, stunned, came back to his senses only to imagine crows flying past, trailing a series of black lines. He looked pitifully at his master; it was a demotion in disguise, clearly a punishment. Di An’s job was that of an accounting manager who barely slept three hours a day, constantly dealing with ledgers. Thinking about staring at the accounts all day gave him a headache; he’d rather do some physical labor. Scratching his head, he reminisced about how he might have offended his master, with question marks bursting from his head, but he couldn’t figure it out.
After Xiao Chen finished speaking and saw the troubled expression on his personal guard’s face, he thought of Feng Xuxu. If the girl knew he had punished Tian Yi, she would surely laugh brightly. Dropping his chopsticks, he hastily stood up and headed out, his steps light and fast. Within moments, he arrived at the tavern’s main hall and saw Feng Xuxu chatting and laughing with Shopkeeper Ma, darkening his expression and casting cold, sharp looks towards Shopkeeper Ma.
Shopkeeper Ma, who was enjoying the conversation, suddenly felt a chilly sensation on his back and turned around to see his master standing a few meters away, glaring at him. Touching his head, he looked puzzledly at his master, wondering why he was there instead of having his meal and why he was showing such a displeased face. Glancing at the sullen Tian Yi, Shopkeeper Ma became even more cautious with his master. Despite his confusion, he still stepped forward to greet his master respectfully.
