Chapter 278: Moving Into A New Home
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“We must have a home. In the future, you will stay with your great-grandparents here.”
“What about you, Mother?”
“We have our business in County She. Mother will oversee it there. But when it gets cold, especially around the New Year, I’ll return.”
“Huh? Mother will live there?”
“Yes. Otherwise, with everyone being a foodie, what will your mother use to support you all?”
“Mother, I’ll earn money once I grow up. I’ll give all my salary to you.”
“Your salary won’t be enough even for yourself. Just focus on being a good official to serve the people. Your mother will support you from behind.” “Mother, you’re too kind! No wonder Father likes and respects you so much.”
As they were talking, Old Master and Mistress Wang came out. They urged them to move.
“Let’s go. I can’t wait. It’s a mansion worth a million taels.”
“Haha, let’s go.”
The four got on a carriage and headed straight for Huangdao Street. Fifteen minutes later, they stopped in front of an imposing gate.
As soon as they entered the gate, they all smiled. “Haha, it’s also called Lucky Garden?”
“Yes, it feels like we’re back in Tianshui Town.’
With hands behind her back, Qiao Mai knocked on the door. Someone promptly opened it from the inside. Two young servants bowed when they saw Qiao Mai.
“Greetings, Boss.”
“Alright, from now on, my grandfather, grandmother, and son will live here.
You must serve them well.”
“Yes, Boss.’
They quickly bowed. Qiao Mai helped Old Mistress Wang while Chuan’er supported Old Master Wang into the house.
The entrance gate was replaced with a large artificial mountain with flowing water, creating a pleasant sound.
As they walked, Qiao Mai spoke.
“The front layout is similar to our house in Tianshui Town. Both sides are for guests, with the kitchen on the left and rooms for servants on the right.”
“This is how it’s arranged in big households. It’s convenient.”
“Our backyard has a small kitchen, convenient for cooking. The brothers are not young anymore; they will each have a courtyard. They live in the three courtyards on the east side. You and Grandma will live in the northernmost part of the west side, close to me.”
“Whatever you arrange is fine.”
“Ling’er will live next to you in the middle of the west side. There’s also a detached courtyard and a guest courtyard. When we have guests, my husband and I will live in the main courtyard.” “That’s natural; this is your home.”
“You two can choose to live here.”
Old Mistress Wang gave Qiao Mai a stern look. “I won’t go. We’re too old to be interrupting you.”
The four wandered around the garden and were satisfied, especially with the bathhouse.
Old age makes it inconvenient to go out at night. Qiao Mai built a toilet adjacent to their bedrooms, convenient and accessible, with 24-hour lighting and no need for assistance.
Going into the bathroom feels comfortable, and everything is done in one flush. It’s great.
Moreover, they found that since entering the garden, they haven’t felt damp, and there are no mosquito bites. It’s incredibly refreshing.
Entering the room, there was even a brick bed. This meant that it would be warm here in winter.
Seeing the excited looks of Old Master and Mistress Wang, she knew they were
satisnea.
So, Qiao Mai took them to the backyard garden again. When Old Mistress Wang saw the chicken coop and such, she was even more excited and hugged Qiao Mai, crying.
“You understand me.”
“I just wanted to find something for you to do. This way, our kitchen staff can relax a bit. When we get eggs, we can have the kitchen prepare them and enjoy fresh meals every day.”
“Don’t worry; I promise to fatten the chickens and quails.”
“The housekeeper, the accountant, and some servants have been hired. When we move, they will come with us. The beds and everything are ready in your rooms. Each room has a dressing mirror and a full-length mirror.”
“I saw. You’re considerate.”
“With the playground and martial arts field, this home is better than Tianshui Town. Chuan’er will take the exam after the New Year. Later, I’ll transfer your household registration back to the capital. It’s more convenient. We have two homes and can live wherever we want. If you get tired of living here, you can return. It’s only a ten-day journey. Consider it a change of scenery.”
“Yes.”
“Rest. I’ll go back to arrange for the move.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
On September 8th, the family moved in. Yuan Jiaqi also received the news and returned to Lucky Garden that night.
Seeing the whole house, they were stunned.
This house was probably one of the best in the capital – luxurious, practical, and wonderful.
As the Emperor was clearing corrupt officials, living in such a lavish house wouldn’t attract suspicion, would it?
Seeing his concerns, Old Master Wang said, “Don’t worry. Every official in the capital has properties. As long as you don’t take bribes or involve yourself in corruption, there’s no problem. This is your wife’s property, not yours. Besides, the Emperor isn’t ignorant. He will find out if he investigates.”
“That’s good. I’m worried that if I become a high-ranking official, I might be framed and implicate my family.”
“Your wife is clever and strong. Just trust her.”
The next day, Yuan Jiaqi got a day off. The twins also received the news and returned to the new house. They gathered and re-examined the house.
Everyone praised it; this house was magnificent, warm, peaceful, and free of insects. They could live here with peace of mind.
Old Master and Mistress Wang lived in Penglai Residence, Ling’er’s courtyard was called Xianyue Residence, Feng’er’s was called Tingfeng Pavilion, Yun’er’s was Liuyun Pavilion, Chuan’er’s was Haichuan Pavilion. They had a guest courtyard, and the main residence was called Yuexian Residence.
Qiao Mai named them all, and everyone liked them.
Coincidentally, they brought two chefs from home. They stayed in Lucky Garden in the capital.
If there weren’t enough people, they could train more.
At noon, everyone celebrated together. After all, it was a family gathering to warm up the house.
After all, this is the South, and there are still vegetables available, so there’s no need for any greenhouse here.
Anyway, the kitchen staff has her recipes. As long as there are ingredients, she can make any dish, just like in Tianshui Town.
There are two public warehouses in the house, and with a wave of her hand, they were filled to the brim.
After warming up the house, the steward led them to check the storage. The surprise came when they discovered high-quality supplements like ginseng, bird’s nests, and deer antlers.
Dry goods and seasonings were stacked in baskets, eliminating the need to purchase from outside. It was sufficient for a year’s worth of consumption.
Looking at the fresh fruits and vegetables, they couldn’t help but be tempted to sneak a taste.
A dozen boxes of silver were placed, totaling several tens of thousands of taels. It wouldn’t be spent in the short term.
Qiao Mai left one hundred thousand taels of silver for Yuan Jiaqi, asked Feng’er about the progress of the betrothal gift, and gave him another one hundred thousand taels.
She left ten thousand taels for Yun’er and two thousand for Chuan’er. Old Master and Mistress Wang didn’t want any, saying they had money.
Everything at home was arranged. Next was to prepare for Feng’er’s wedding.
When they had time, they discussed the wedding. They decided to invite matchmakers to discuss the marriage. This was the first step.
Yuan Jiaqi took the lead in handling this matter, inviting three official matchmakers to the Duke’s mansion.
As the two were in love, Yuan Jiaqi hired all the matchmakers. They had to be decent and follow the procedures to complete the marriage properly.
Old Mistress Wang guided Feng’er to arrange the remaining forty gift carriages. The betrothal gifts were decent, costing three hundred thousand taels of silver.
These were just the betrothal gifts. On the day of the proposal, Qiao Mai knew her daughter-in-law liked shiny jewelry, so she carefully selected a complete set on the platform..
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