A little over half an hour later, a certain young master appeared in front of Liu Yusheng again.
"I told you, it's impossible for grandparents not to love me! From now on, there will be a place for me in the second courtyard!" Qian Wanjin stepped on the wall that had been mostly demolished with arms akimbo and smirked proudly.
"Grandparents agreed?" Liu Yusheng blinked. "The foundation has already been laid, so how could they add an extra courtyard?"
Was she going to share her pharmacy room with this guy?
It wasn't impossible. She just processed and refined medicine, and actually didn't use much space. She just needed a room to stack herbs.
But two people in one courtyard really didn't sound good. Just because Qian Wanjin had a good relationship with her family over the past few years didn't mean he wasn't a foreign male. When she got older, it would be inconvenient.
She didn't want to break certain feudal conventions in this space and time, not for fear of damaging her reputation, but she didn't want to have the Lius' lintel to be blackened.
"Don't worry; I won't take up your place." Seeing through what the little girl was thinking, Qian Wanjin grunted and pointed his finger towards the back of the second courtyard. "I've seen it. There's still a large empty space behind the wall of the second courtyard. I'll just build a small courtyard directly out there, and use it all by myself!"
" ... That piece is for Grandma's vegetable patch."
"Yeah, my room is going to be right next to the vegetable patch!"
"…"
"I'll be on my own world when the windows are down, and I'll be able to see a field of rapeseed when they're open! A house filled with the aroma of scallions, celery and rapeseed, a vegetable garden and farmhouse; it's picture-perfect!"
Liu Yusheng smacked the corners of her mouth. Her hands were so itchy, she wanted to hit someone.
Did this guy have any idea that when fertilizing the vegetable patch, they'd be pouring manure, dung, ah!
Ten miles of floral fragrance!
Against the stare of the little girl that seemed they could swallow someone, Qian Wanjin's condescending demeanor dwarfed. "What are you planning to do? I'm telling you, Lucky Nannan, don't be impulsive. Everything's negotiable ... Grandma, help!"
On this day, the little girl chased and hit Qian Wanjin several times with a bamboo stick she raided in the corner of the house.
The dust settled.
Qian Wanjin lived with the two Liu brothers in the second courtyard, and the extra small courtyard was used for guests.
Liu Yusheng moved to the detached third courtyard that was later added.
As for Grandma Liu's vegetable patch, they reclaimed a piece of land outside the courtyard wall.
The stench also didn't smother people.
Only then did Liu Yusheng calm down.
Knowing that his life and safety was guaranteed, the damned brat, Qian Wanjin, immediately inched closer to the little girl. "Have you calmed down? Look, I was just kidding yet you chased me around the yard a dozen laps ..."
Liu Yusheng squinted at him. She used to think that this guy was wayward, but now, she knew he was downright shameless.
"You recommended someone to the restaurant. As soon as I heard him say your name, I made him a young steward without saying a word to learn from the shopkeeper. I'm not as nice to my own brother as I am to you, so don't be mad, alright?" He would have looked more agreeable if he had said it without that hippy smile.
"Did Haizi report to you?"
"He did. I just got back to town, when I saw him waiting in the lobby. He's been waiting for two days."
"His family conditions are poor. He only has one grandmother left at home, and has no skill to find a job. I remember you say before that the restaurant was busy, and there wasn't quite enough manpower to go around, so I recommended him to be a waiter and earn a paycheck." She didn't think that Qian Wanjin would directly give him a job as a young steward in her name.
As far as she was concerned, she was just introducing an opportunity for Haizi. What step he could take to achieve it would require him to work hard and rely on his own skills.
"Don't worry, I'm a merchant. I don't dare to say anything else about my skills, but I have a good eye for people. That kid has the courage to move forward. As long as he is well-trained, he is a usable one." Qian Wanjin didn't mind. "I also provided a room for him in the backyard of the restaurant. I heard that you treated his grandmother before. He'll have a place to stay when he picks her up for follow-up check ups."
Liu Yusheng was stunned, and she smiled openly. "It's rare to see you so easy to talk to."
With a blank look at her, Qian Wanjin sneered. "Silly. You can even give free medical treatment to someone's grandmother. What's wrong with me lifting my hand to help him?"
At the end of the day, it was still due to her.
Silly girl.
The Lius' new house was completed at the end of November.
It was already winter and the weather was freezing cold.
After picking the closest auspicious day for the housewarming, the Liu family moved into their new home and invited the villagers to a feast.
The new home was spacious and bright. Three courtyards; the first one was the sleeping quarters of the elders and a hall for guests. On both sides were two side rooms, one was a kitchen, and the other was Liu Yusheng's regular medical treatment room.
The second courtyard has four yards, which were allocated early on to the Liu brothers and Qian Wanjin. At this time, Qian Wanjin shamelessly classified himself as a member of the Liu family, and occupied an acre of land in the Liu family's territory. Whenever he introduced himself to outsiders, he would directly point to the Liu family compound. "This my home."
From the archway that opened out from the second courtyard wall to the inside, there was the small third courtyard where Liu Yusheng lived alone.
The area was much smaller compared to the second courtyard. Inside, there were no other bedrooms and a pharmacy. It has three wing rooms in a row with carved wooden eaves up the porch and a yard beyond it. The path was paved with bluestone slabs with small spaces in between. Qian Wanjin called them flower beds. Scatter seeds and plant flowers in them next spring, so there would be a gardenful of flowers in brilliant purples and reds, delicate and elegant, which was the most suitable for Nannan.
Grandma and Grandpa Liu believed him.
They wanted the best for Nannan. Qian Wanjin came from a wealthy family out of the gentry. He was insightful and rich in knowledge, so his opinion was certainly pertinent. Thus, the two elders spent the whole winter discussing what kind of flowers should be planted in Nannan's yard until the beginning of spring.
As the cold winter approached and the New Year drew nearer, families closed their doors and didn't go out much. They nestled at home and holed up for the winter. Families spent time discussing various topics, and every day was incredibly lively.
Qian Wanjin still lived in town and at the Lius. He would always stay for three or five days when he came back from a trip. One day, he brought back a wagon piled with odd-shaped stones, and said they were to be moved to the third small courtyard.
A pile of rockery.
In the face of the family's enthusiasm, Liu Yusheng could only facepalm.
The next spring, her modest yard had a corner of flowers and grass, a corner of green bamboo, a corner of peach tree and a corner of Boston Ivy, plus a small rockery that the family joined forces to pile. She really couldn't describe what this picture was like.
At the end of November, the weather got colder and colder. The wind was already blowing outside, and people's faces could be scraped just by standing outside for a while.
Hitching a ride in Qian Wanjin's carriage, Liu Yusheng went to town.
At first, the family wasn't at ease. Grandma wanted to accompany her, but Liu Yusheng dissuaded her.
It was too cold outside. The old lady's body couldn't stand it. She didn't want her to suffer along with her.
When she finally went out, Liu Yusheng was almost wrapped up like a dumpling, and only managed to board the carriage after Qian Wanjin repeatedly assured them that he would take good care of her.
She was going to town for a follow-up check up with Haizi's Grandma.