Chapter 94

Li Fuzi stroked his beard and said, "Mr. Su, as the ancients say, one should not accept a reward without merit. Er Lang has worked hard for Hesheng Quan, which is his duty. This house is in a very good location. I estimate that it would cost no less than three to five hundred taels of silver, including the land. Such a reward is far too generous."

He was Chu Huan's elder and a scholar. Suddenly receiving a house made him feel it was too much, and he wanted to refuse it on Chu Huan's behalf.

Su Bo smiled and said, "Mr. Li, I have already said that I cannot make the decision."

He clasped his hands and said, "Mr. Li, Young Brother Chu, since you have returned safely, I will not disturb you further. I will take my leave!"

Li Fuzi hurriedly said, "Mr. Su, what about our game of chess?"

"Another day!" Su Bo said, "The head of the house has returned, and I need to report back. I will take my leave!"

Chu Huan pondered for a moment and finally said, "Su Bo, I will go with you to meet the head of the house. I will personally discuss the matter of the house with her!"

Su Bo nodded and said, "That would be best."

Chu Huan then followed Su Bo out the door. It was already dark, and under the lamplight, the snow on the ground was a vast white expanse. Chu Huan had intended to ride a horse to take Su Bo, but Su Bo waved his hand and smiled, "There's no need for a horse. The Su residence is just one street away from here. It's a short walk."

Chu Huan did not say more and walked out with Su Bo.

Walking down the cold winter street, Chu Huan felt no chill. However, being new to the city, the unfamiliar surroundings made it hard for him to adapt.

"Su Bo, I heard that Hesheng Quan has other businesses in the city?" Chu Huan asked as they walked down the street. There were few pedestrians, and the atmosphere was rather desolate. Chu Huan could not remain silent and asked to break the silence.

Su Bo, though old, was still in good health and walked briskly. He nodded and smiled, "Actually, our main business at Hesheng Quan is the wine trade. You know about the wine from Qingliu County. In this city, we have three wine shops that sell wine, and two cosmetic shops. These were set up by the young lady after the old master passed away. The business is not bad."

Chu Huan sighed, "The head of the house must be very busy managing so many businesses."

"Who would say otherwise," Su Bo sighed, "But the young lady is not one to sit idle. If she stayed at home, it would be too quiet. Managing the business is not a bad thing. Moreover, our family is considered a large household. There are dozens of people in the house, all of whom followed the old master from Guanxi. When the old master passed away, he instructed the young lady to take good care of them and not to abandon them... The young lady has to support all these people, so she has to work hard!"

"Guanxi?" Chu Huan asked curiously, "Su Bo, you are from Guanxi?"

Su Bo nodded, "Yes. The Su family was originally a large household in Longshan, Guanxi. The old master was a collateral branch of the Su family. Although he helped the Su family expand their business, he was often marginalized. Because he was from a collateral branch, he was looked down upon, and people often tried to undermine him, even taking away his power. In his youth, the old master left the Su family and decided to do business in the pass. At that time, he was very popular among the servants of the Su family. When he left, a group of people were willing to follow him to start a business in the pass, and I was one of them... No one could have imagined that the Su family in Guanxi would decline, while the old master would establish a successful business in Yunshan."

Hearing this, Chu Huan was deeply impressed by the old master of the Su family. Starting from scratch and having a group of people willing to follow him, it was clear that the old master had both ability and character, which explained why he had such an outstanding daughter like Linlang.

"Indeed, the old master of the Su family was a great man," Chu Huan nodded, then thought of something and asked, "Su Bo, you and the head of the house went to Taiyuan. The head of the house mentioned to me that it was to seek grain?"

Su Bo's expression turned somber, and he sighed, "Yes, it was to seek grain. Taiyuan, located in Anxi, is known for its grain production. The head of the Lu family, Lu Lao Ye, is an old friend of the old master and is also the president of the Taiyuan Chamber of Commerce. Therefore, seeking grain from him was the most appropriate."

Chu Huan asked with a hint of doubt, "Actually, I also asked the head of the house before. Yunshan also produces grain. Why not buy grain locally? The head of the house only said that Yunshan's grain is not sold to Hesheng Quan... This seems a bit strange!"

Su Bo immediately showed a cold smile, "Someone is deliberately making things difficult for our family, trying to make things hard for the young lady... But they probably didn't expect that the young lady could buy grain from Taiyuan!"

"Making things difficult for our family?" Chu Huan frowned, "Who is it?"

Su Bo smiled, "You don't need to be in a hurry. You will know in time." As they walked, they soon turned onto a wider street and stopped in front of a large residence.

Compared to Chu Huan's house, this residence was incomparable. It had high walls and a red gate, with two stone lions guarding the entrance, exuding a sense of authority.

Chu Huan marveled at the grandeur of a true large household.

Su Bo went up to the door and knocked. A voice from inside immediately asked, "Who is it?"

"Xiao Liuzi, open the door!"

The door slowly opened, and a young servant came out, bowing respectfully, "Su Bo, you have returned!" The attitude of the servant showed that Su Bo held a high position in the Su residence.

Su Bo only nodded and led Chu Huan into the residence. Chu Huan looked around and saw that it was indeed magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters, red doors, and white tiles. In the center of the courtyard were several plum trees, their fragrance wafting through the air. Chu Huan remembered that there were also two plum trees at the Qingliu County wine shop, indicating that Linlang had a particular fondness for plum blossoms.

Several servants and maids were sweeping the snow in the courtyard. Seeing Su Bo, they all showed great respect. A maid came forward and bowed, "Su Bo, the young lady instructed that when you return, you should go to the back garden to find her. She is waiting there!" She then bowed to Chu Huan and smiled, "Young Master Chu, do you remember me?"

Chu Huan looked at her for a moment and saw that she was about sixteen or seventeen years old, quite pretty, and her face seemed familiar. After a moment of thought, he remembered and smiled, "I remember, you were there that day!"

This statement might be confusing to others, but Su Bo and the maid understood. When Linlang went to Taiyuan, she brought two people, one of whom was this maid.

The maid smiled, "Young Master Chu has a good memory, my name is Cuiping!"

Chu Huan asked, "The young lady is waiting for us, does she know I am coming?"

"Of course, our young lady is very smart and naturally guessed it," the maid smiled, "Hurry up, don't let the young lady wait too long!"

Although Cuiping was just a maid, Chu Huan did not neglect his manners, bowed, and then followed Su Bo to the back garden.

The Su residence covered a vast area, with many buildings and red corridors. It was indeed a well-known large household in Yunshan. They passed through several corridors and finally entered a palace-like gate. The area in front was spacious, with artificial hills, stone bridges, and red plum blossoms. After the heavy snow, the entire back garden was covered in snow, and lanterns were lit in various places, making it bright and beautiful at night.

It was clear that the back garden had been carefully designed, showcasing the art of garden architecture.

Following a path of blue stones to the depths of the garden, they saw an octagonal pavilion not far away. Lanterns were lit at each corner, making the pavilion very bright.

Inside the pavilion, Linlang was there.

She was dressed in a white fox fur coat, her hair styled in a palace bun, looking dignified and noble. Under the lamplight, her skin appeared even more fair, and her features exuded a natural charm. She was standing in front of a small table, holding a brush, leaning slightly forward, as if writing something.

Su Bo did not approach and smiled, "Young Brother Chu, the young lady is over there. You can discuss the matter of the house with her. I will check if dinner is ready!" Without waiting for Chu Huan to respond, he left.

Chu Huan felt a bit awkward but knew he had to clarify the matter of the house. He walked slowly to the pavilion and approached. He saw that Linlang was actually painting.

Chu Huan was very curious, not expecting that Linlang, who was skilled in business, also had such talent.

He looked closely and saw that the painting was already complete, depicting the night snow scene outside the hall. The brushwork was natural and smooth, vivid and lifelike. Although Chu Huan was not an expert in painting, he knew it was a very good piece.

Linlang was now writing a poem with the brush.

He saw the following words: "In the moonlit night, stars are plucked from the desert, the moon in the distance brings sorrow, who dances with the flying immortal?" This was the first half of the poem, and the second half was not yet complete. Linlang wrote with a divine touch, her handwriting elegant yet free, and finally finished the last word. She then gently placed the brush on the inkstone, holding the sleeve of her robe.

Chu Huan could not help but softly recite the second half: "In the days of joy, snow flies in the south, the sword and rain bring tears, who sings the song of the heart?"

Linlang had already known Chu Huan was there and smiled, "I was just passing the time, don't laugh at me!"

Chu Huan shook his head and smiled, "Why would I laugh? Both the painting and the poem are excellent." He secretly admired Linlang, not only a businesswoman but also a talented poet and painter.

"The food should be ready soon," Linlang smiled, her beauty natural and unpretentious, "I am inviting you to dinner tonight, truly to thank you!"

Chu Huan felt awkward and said, "The young lady knew I was coming?"

"Of course, I gave you such a house, you wouldn't accept it," Linlang said calmly, "Su Bo would only say he couldn't make the decision. If you wanted to return the deed, you would come to me personally. I didn't need to send an invitation, just wait for you to come."

She spoke casually, but Chu Huan admired her wisdom. Seeing her smiling face and the faint fragrance around her, he guessed she had bathed and changed after returning home.

Chu Huan was about to take out the deed from his sleeve, but Linlang said calmly, "You don't need to take it out. Although I know your intentions, if you return the deed to me, I will tear it up!"

Chu Huan was taken aback and then smiled bitterly, "Young Lady, one should not accept a reward without merit. You are...!"

Before he could finish, Linlang said, "Chu Huan, since I met you, I have always thought you were a free-spirited person, a man who can let go... But I didn't expect you to be so bound by convention!"

Chu Huan sighed, "I am just an ordinary person, naturally bound by convention."

Linlang smiled, her beauty unparalleled, and shook her head, "I will not take back the deed, unless you really don't want your family to live better? As a son, making your mother live a worry-free life as soon as possible is a way to fulfill your filial duty."

Chu Huan, seeing Linlang's determination, knew she was serious about not taking back the house. He pondered for a moment and took out a bag, which contained the gold leaves given by Ma Jing, "Young Lady, if you won't take back the house, I have no choice, but you must take this!"

Linlang did not know what it was and asked, "What's inside?"

"Gold leaves!" Chu Huan said, "They should be worth six to seven hundred taels of silver."

Linlang did not take it and smiled, "I didn't know you were a wealthy man, Linlang never noticed."

"Please don't mock me," Chu Huan said awkwardly, "Take it, consider the house as bought by me with silver!"

Linlang did not take it and instead sat down on a chair, smiling at Chu Huan, "Chu Huan, I won't take the deed or the gold leaves. If you really want to pay for the house, I have an idea!"