The Gu family had spent tens of thousands of taels to buy the land in the southwest border — Songyang County.
Huarong found her family's land and looked at the two rows of dilapidated houses. She squeezed out a few words with difficulty, "This is a cowshed, right?"
The one guarding the land was the Old Man's personal nanny's son, Niu Dazhuang. He smiled honestly and didn't understand what Huarong meant. He only thought that since his surname was Niu, wouldn't he live in a cowshed? He scratched the back of his head, "Miss, the place is not very good. Don't worry, I will find someone to fix it tomorrow."
Huarong pouted and remembered Gu Changheng's words. They would have to stay for a while. How could they just fix it? She gestured to Shuxiu, "Take some more money and build a decent Zhuangzi. It doesn't have to be as exquisite as Yutian Villa, but at least it doesn't look like a cowshed."
After finding a passable inn in the county to stay, the construction of the manor began in a rush. Songyang County had never produced any great figures, and even the richest person in the area had been squeezed out by the Gu family.
Plus, Huarong was generous and paid well. Soon, the news that the richest man in Songyang County, the Gu family, had come from the capital was known throughout the city. The number of local people who came to visit Huarong never stopped.
Huarong wasn't like other young ladies who didn't leave the house. She was a person who knew how to dance. She was good at discussing and praising each other. She had heard about the struggles in the business world.
Therefore, when Gu Changheng arrived late, Huarong had already mingled with the locals. The house was almost finished, and only the last layer of paint was left.
"Anin, you're messing around again!"
"Ask Shuxiu, how am I messing around?"
As Huarong's die-hard fan, Shuxiu naturally didn't think that there was anything wrong with her master. Even if there was something wrong, it was someone else's fault first. She naturally couldn't blame her master.
"Miss didn't mess around. She even formed a friendly relationship with the local big families. Sixth Young Master, this is the invitation. Tomorrow is the local Fairy Festival. The county magistrate's daughter has invited our Miss to participate."
Gu Changheng knew that this younger sister of his was very capable. Even if she were to take care of the several thousand mu of land in the Southwest, she would still be able to manage it in an orderly manner.
But … he shook his head helplessly and pointed at Huarong's forehead. "You're asking for it. I won't save you if Grandmother gets angry."
"Grandmother won't be angry with Anin. I've already left a letter before I came. Don't worry, we'll go back after the New Year." Huarong giggled. He didn't take Gu Changheng's words to heart at all. He picked up the invitation card and kept reading it.
Gu Changheng fiercely gulped down a mouthful of saliva and winked to make his face less stiff. Then he moved the rest of his body. He had to pull himself together to take care of the property in the Southwest and protect his younger sister. Otherwise, he didn't know if that heartless younger sister of his would be punished when they returned to the capital. But if she was the slightest bit unhappy, he was dead meat.
Everyone said that sons were important. Sigh, he didn't feel that he was more important than this younger sister of his.
The next day, after tidying up and bringing gifts, Huarong went to the county yamen early in the morning. The county yamen was rather rundown. There was no helping it. Songyang County was poor.
There was a classic three years of corruption and a hundred thousand silver. Huarong wondered how Songyang County could give the county magistrate a hundred thousand silver in three years. It probably wouldn't be possible, right?
Before coming, Huarong had asked Shuxiu to inquire. Originally, he wanted to buy land in the neighboring county, but Songyang County gave him a lower price and even gave him a large paddy field. Only then did the Gu family buy it in Songyang County.
It wasn't that the county magistrate was corrupt. He was just too poor and owed the imperial court taxes every year. After dragging it out for many years, the higher-ups were angry. Songyang County Magistrate Zhang Bingqiu had no choice but to sell the land.
"Good morning, Miss Gu. My daughter was thinking of looking for you at the inn and was just about to say that you were here." The woman at the back of the yamen immediately smiled when she saw Huarong. Her eyes glanced at the gift box in Shuxiu's hand and her throat moved. She was swallowing her saliva.
Huarong came from Jinling. The gifts he gave were things that no one in Songyang County had seen before. Naturally, the woman wanted to see them.
Hearing the commotion, Zhang Bingqiu's youngest daughter, Zhang Yingying, walked out with ladylike steps. "Sister Gu is here. Please come in. Have you had breakfast?"
"I have."
"Then let's go." Zhang Yingying seemed very anxious and excited. Huarong suspected that she was going to meet her lover.
Huarong's carriage was soft and much more comfortable, so she invited Zhang Yingying to come along. After a few days, Zhang Yingying clearly saw Huarong as a friend, so she didn't stand on ceremony.
The Fairy Festival was held in the temple. After leaving the city, it was about a four-hour journey on foot. It was much faster in a carriage.
The journey was boring, but Zhang Yingying chattered non-stop. "Sister Gu, let me tell you, the Prince Of Qi and the Crown Prince are also coming to Lianshan for the Fairy Festival this year. If you go early and get a good position, you might even be able to see the Crown Prince."
Huarong wasn't interested in any prince or Crown Prince. She was the type that dozed off as soon as she got on the carriage. Her head was bobbing up and down, so she didn't listen to Zhang Yingying's words at all.
Zhang Yingying's heart was thumping. Her face was red and she was so shy that she didn't notice that Huarong wasn't listening to her.
After finally arriving at Lianshan, Huarong had already slept. When she woke up, she was in good spirits.
Lianshan couldn't be compared to the beauty of Qilin Mountain, but it was just as majestic. The mountain peaks reached into the clouds. It was lush and full of all kinds of trees that weren't planted by humans.
Zhang Yingying thought that she was early enough, but when she got off the carriage, she found that the road up the mountain was already blocked. She was actually late!
Huarong didn't know how long they would have to wait in line, so she asked Zhang Yingying, "Younger Sister Zhang, does the county yamen have any priority passes?"
Zhang Yingying shook her head with a bitter face, "There's only one way up the mountain. Even if other people give way to the county yamen, they can't give way. Especially the cliff plank road at the top, only one person can pass."
When Gu Changheng, who was accompanying them, heard that there was a plank road and cliff that only one person could pass, he immediately became worried and said, "Why don't we go back? You've been to the temple fair in Jinling many times. How can a temple fair in such a small place compare to Jinling? It's definitely boring. "
Huarong rolled her eyes at him, "Brother Six, you should go back by yourself. Since we're already here, wouldn't it be a pity if we don't go up?"
"It's the same if we come when it's not crowded. Why do you have to come when there are many people?"
"Don't you know how lively it is?" The two siblings began to bicker again. Zhang Yingying looked a little awkward at the side, but Shuxiu and the others were used to it.
As they bickered, they suddenly heard a light laugh. Huarong angrily turned around and wanted to glare at the person who laughed. In the small Songyang County, there weren't that many officials, so she could do whatever she wanted.
However … she was stunned when she turned around.
"I didn't expect to meet Miss Gu thousands of miles away. It's really fate."
Hua Rong tried his best to squeeze out a smile. He was embarrassed but did not lose his manners. "It seems that this Lotus Mountain is really a land of treasures. The fairy worshiped on the mountain is probably a powerful person. Otherwise, the Crown Prince would not have come, right?"
Zhenguo Gong, the Crown Prince, opened his folding fan and grinned, "Whether it's a treasure or not, we'll know once we get up there. I wonder if Miss Gu is willing to go with me? I happen to know of a shortcut. "
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