It was not easy to live in the capital. No matter which dynasty or generation it was, the ecology of the capital was always the most complicated. As far as the purpose was concerned, the first thing Ning Yi wanted to do when he led his people to the north was to make preparations for Su Tan'er's arrival. He needed to buy a house, inspect the location of the shops, investigate the layout of the shops in the capital, and the ecology of the restaurants. Whether it was the Su family or Yunzhu's side, he needed to make a general arrangement. All of this had to be done in ten days or at most half a month. It was indeed a bit rushed.
In the past, the Su family could only be regarded as a small family in the capital. To be able to become a big cloth merchant, every family had some secret manuals. The two kinds of cloth that the Su family was best at, they would send some to the capital every year for consignment. They knew some shopkeepers, but that was about it. If you came to travel, people would naturally welcome you, and they might even greet you. But it was another matter to come to do business and fight for jobs. It was not easy to figure out the purchase of raw materials, where to open the workshop, and how to hire people in a short period of time. If it were not for the fact that it was necessary to separate from the family, presumably Su Yu also did not want his granddaughter and son-in-law to face such a mess with nothing.
After the separation, the most that the Su family could give to Su Tan'er was probably a lot of silver. As for some of the workshops, shops, and technical power that the Su family originally had in the north of the Yangtze River, they were still very far from Bianliang. And in Bianliang, after a certain amount of silver, it was not very meaningful.
This was the most prosperous era in the history of this land. The status of merchants had increased, and the hoarding of wealth and the gap between the rich and the poor had reached an extremely shocking level. However, under the feudal system, all of this did not have too much of an impact on people, because wealth did not necessarily mean unlimited resources. Power was the most practical thing in this era. An official with a net worth of tens of thousands of taels would not envy a merchant with a net worth of millions of taels. Whether it was the resources that could be obtained, the enjoyment that could be obtained, the respect that could be obtained, or any other aspect, the former had the advantage.
This was especially so in the capital. It was not surprising that a person with a lot of money would not be respected. Of course, things would only be different if there was a background.
"… It's not a big place, but it's not bad in terms of elegance. There are only four courtyards, and the main hall is quite spacious. It's just that it hasn't been cleaned for some time, so it'll be fine after some tidying up … The guest quarters are at the side, and the master quarters are at the back. The kitchen and the servants' quarters are all there … The tree in the main hall is not bad, and I like it a lot. The yellow leaves fall in autumn, and the atmosphere is very good … There's a lotus pond in the courtyard of the master quarters.
On the third day after they arrived in Bianliang, Monk Jueming found a place for Ning Yi and the others. It was not far from the Big Goods Street with the most shops in Bianliang City. This place was located in the transitional area and the environment was quite quiet, suitable for living. It consisted of four courtyards and faced the river. There were several trees in the main hall. The biggest locust tree was probably more than a hundred years old. Its crown was green, giving people a sense of familiarity. It did not disrupt the formal atmosphere of the main hall.
Every courtyard had some garden buildings of various sizes. It seemed that they had all been meticulously arranged, but what stood out was not their aesthetic value but the atmosphere of the living environment. In the backyard, there was a lotus pond accompanied by pavilions, rocks, and fields of lotus leaves. The lotus flowers had already bloomed, and there was a refreshing atmosphere in the summer light. One could imagine how lazy the atmosphere would be in autumn when the leaves in the courtyard gradually turned yellow and slowly fell to the ground.
These gardens must have been created by a master. Every season and every weather had its own meaning, and it was not outstanding. Instead, it made it easier for people to immerse themselves in it. Even though Ning Yi did not do much research in this area, he could see its benefits.
"There is a river outside, and there is running water around, so it won't be too hot in summer … The one next door is on duty in the Supreme Court, but I heard he is okay …"
Monk Jueming had a handsome face, and he was dressed in a white robe with wide sleeves. He stood under the eaves and casually introduced the place to Ning Yi and the others. It had been three days since they arrived. After their first conversation, Ning Yi had a rough idea of his background. His original name was Zhou Changfu, and his courtesy name was Shaoqin. He was the descendant of a royal prince. He was famous in the capital when he was young, and then he shaved his head and became a monk. He practiced Zen, and he had a master, but he did not enter the monastery. He had a wide circle of friends in the capital, participated in all kinds of poetry meetings, and interacted with all kinds of people, but he was very strict.
It was said that when he was young, he was a famous romantic scholar. After becoming a monk, there were still many girls in the brothel who fell in love with him. But after becoming a monk, he did not get close to women, nor did he drink or eat meat. He would attend the gatherings of the upper class, and he had also interacted with the lowest class. In winter, he gave out grain and porridge, and practiced medicine to save people. It was said that someone had even seen him suck out the pus and blood from the wounds of a half-dead beggar in an emergency. Ning Yi thought that the monk might have been an idealist in the beginning, but when he was in his forties, there weren't many sharp points on the monk's body. He was like a round stone that had been washed by the river for many years, smooth and bright. He was the kind of person who was the easiest to get along with, but also the most difficult to get along with. His voice was not high, but it was clear and free.
This time, besides Xiaochan, Yunzhu, Jin 'er, Su Wenyu, and Su Yanping, Ning Yi came to see the house. On the other side, there were Jueming, Cheng Zhouhai, Qin Shaoyu, Wenren Bu' er, and the three Qi brothers. On the way here, although the three Qi brothers were Wenren Bu 'er's subordinates, they got along well with Su Wenyu and Su Yanping. They walked around the house in admiration. Although Qin Shaoyu was arranged by Qin Siyuan, he could not say much with Cheng Zhouhai and Monk Jueming around. Xiaochan and Jin 'er looked around. Yunzhu was following Ning Yi at a distance, but not long after, she was pulled away by Jin' er. She and Jin 'er would not actually live here.
The intention to buy this house was immediately decided. The house was good, so money was not a problem. From Cheng Zhouhai's words, Ning Yi also heard that this house might have been the property of the Jun Wang Mansion. Monk Jueming became a monk after his parents passed away. Part of his family's property was given to his relatives, part of it was taken back by the imperial court, and part of it was used by him to help the poor. What remained of his courtyard was half sold and half given away, but it was also a symbol of his status and connections. Taking advantage of this would save him a lot of trouble in the future.
They did not care about this advantage. After the discussion, they walked around. Although Cheng Zhouhai also asked about other matters, Ning Yi wasn't the type to take advantage of others. He didn't need to trouble the heads of the Office of Secret Investigations with matters like cloth shops, workshops, and searching for people. Soon, the topic shifted to poetry and romance. For example, they talked about the recent poetry gatherings and Yu Shaoyuan's "Ode to the Way of the King."
"Liheng finally came to the capital. We have to go to this kind of place, right? Shaoyu should be very good at this. "
After all, the Qin family was the owner. It was not good for them to completely ignore Qin Shaoyu, so they had to find some topics to talk about. Qin Shaoyu's character seemed to be relatively simple. He blushed a little, "Actually … I'm not that good at poetry. But if I want to go to this kind of poetry gathering, I have already inquired about it. Uncle said that I have to treat Young Master Ning well …"
Ning Yi did not feel bad for this kind of young man who had just come into contact with the complicated world. He laughed and expressed his gratitude. "However, I am not very interested in these poetry meetings. Instead, I want to take a look at the most famous buildings in Bianliang."
"Oh?" Cheng Zhouhai laughed. "Liheng only wants to take a look?"
"I just want to take a look. Hmm … Brother Cheng, you know, it is mainly about the restaurant. Yunzhu's Takeshi is going to open in the capital. I want to see the best place in the capital with my own eyes. Of course, I don't want to compete with them in the future … Also, I might want to visit a friend of mine in Fan Lou."
Hearing him mention Fan Lou, Monk Jueming laughed. "Is it Miss Shishi? I heard from Wenren that she and Liheng have known each other for a long time. I'm afraid I have to meet her."
Ning Yi smiled and nodded. This kind of contact was made for the sake of their past friendship. Naturally, it would not be a big deal. At most, when Li Shishi was free, he would ask a few other people to sit down. Ning Yi just agreed and wanted to go to Fan Lou to take a look. As for whether his other "childhood friends" had any deep feelings for him, he did not have any expectations.
They chatted for a while and had lunch outside. Cheng Zhouhai and Wenren Bu 'Er had to go back to the Prime Minister's Mansion. Jueming also said goodbye. In the afternoon, Qin Shaoyu led Ning Yi and the others to choose various kinds of furniture and daily necessities. They kept shopping until dusk.
After all, the house had been chosen and they were not short of money. Ning Yi also regarded this as accompanying the others to go shopping and see the scenery of Bianliang. Therefore, he did not only choose a few pieces of furniture. The few of them strolled along the street. Jin 'er pulled Yunzhu and Xiaochan in and out of various shops. Usually, she would not behave like this. If it was just her and Yunzhu, or if she brought one or two servants with her, it would be inappropriate for a girl to shop too much. However, since Ning Yi and the others were with her today, she could treat it as her husband's family accompanying her out to shop. The feeling of having a shield behind her back was different.
The furniture that they liked was sent by the shop owner after a certain time. As for the small items that they bought at the last minute, including food and drinks, fruits and candied fruits, they were sent to two servants. Then there was a small interlude. When Jin 'er happily bought a few pieces of clothing that she liked, one of the servants who had free time was sent away to do other things. Ning Yi and Qin Shaoyu were looking at things in the shop next to them. Su Wenyu came over to pay for her and then carried her parcel for her. She could not refuse him.
This kind of small thing happened a few times in different ways. Su Wenyu was a little braver and tried to say a few words to her. He was not rejected by Jin 'er too much. Her answers and responses were quite polite. Compared to her bickering with Ning Yi, it was a very different look. It seemed that this was what a truly cultured lady should be like.
As the sun set in the west, the group was not far from the Wenhui Building. On the way back, they passed through a relatively remote alley and heard a burst of laughter in front of them.
"Little ~ Mi ~ Mi! Miss Mushroom, have you seen my little ~ Mi ~ Mi? Hahahaha … It's a golden monkey. I'm looking for my little golden monkey … It's so tall … so big, so cute … but now it's gone. Miss Mushroom, you're wearing a dress. Can you let me see … "
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