Chapter 354: A Misunderstanding

to Li's house to see Lao Tai Li and was taken by Lao Tai Li for a simple lunch.As he was leaving, he took out the pair of jade bracelets from his pocket and hesitantly offered them to Jiayin, afraid o...Tao Hongying got angry on the spot, "This Yan family is never going to end, is it Again and again, what do they want to do this time They should still remember the beating they received before!"

The old woman thought Zhou wasn't so unreasonable as to go to such lengths for the Yue family.

After all, when the old and young members of the Yan family were beaten before, he didn't stop them.

She persuaded him, saying: “Don’t get angry first. Let’s go and see. Perhaps Zhou has something else going on…”

Li Laosi also thought so, and he stepped out first. The crowd followed suit.

Jiyin wasn't worried either, she smiled and hugged the fruit, nibbling on it while watching the commotion.

When the Yan family came to cause trouble before, only she and her grandmother were at home, and she had to protect her pregnant master. She had no choice but to step forward.

Today, both parents are at home, and my godfather from next door is also home.

Whoever dares to cause trouble will likely be eliminated before they even have a chance to make a move.

So, just sit back and relax...

No, enjoy the fruit!

Zhou Da's expression seemed a little haggard. Behind him were ten or so craftsmen, each carrying various tools, moving about at the village entrance.

He was taken aback when he suddenly saw the Li family members arriving "in a menacing manner."

The craftsmen behind him were also pretty good, they quickly surrounded him in the middle to protect him.

Mr. Zhou quickly explained, "Don't panic everyone, we're not here to fight, just to talk things out."

Having said that, he stepped forward and bowed to the Li family with a warm smile. "Madam Li, I'm here today on official business. The 'Feng Shui Treasured Land' archway bestowed by the Emperor for Suijin Tan is ready to begin construction."

“We’re here to take a look and see where would be the most suitable location for construction. If Madam and the villagers have any thoughts or ideas, please don’t hesitate to share them. We’re happy to make adjustments at any time.”

The Li family breathed a sigh of relief, but then they felt a bit embarrassed because they had misunderstood Zhou.

Old Mrs. Li hurriedly called out, “Zhou sir, please come in and have some tea first. It’s not proper to just jump into work upon arrival, especially when there's no urgent matter at hand.”

Zhou Da was about to refuse. “Thank you for your kindness, madam, but there’s a lot of work at the yamen. I can’t stay long. These dozen or so craftsmen are all skilled. I brought them over today to choose their positions, and tomorrow they’ll be able to start digging the foundation.”

Otherwise, if it takes too long and the weather turns cold, what if the archway is only half built and we have to wait until next spring to continue That would be a terrible sight.

Everyone nodded in agreement, not finding Mr. Zhou's attitude to be intentionally distant. After all, when the valley was first built, he had also been this impartial and responsible.

At first, the village head and Li Laer led people back with the jade gourd after offering it. They discussed this matter and later, after consulting everyone, they decided to build the archway on the west side of the river.

It's on the road from Xindu, turning onto the path to Suijintan. It's near that spot across the small river.

Thus, everyone entering and leaving Suijin Tan had to pass under the archway. It was both a deterrent and the pride of the entire village!

Next year, the villagers will also pave the path well and rebuild a stone bridge...

Mr. Zhou also thought the place was good, he took everyone there, and after a long while of busy work, finally settled on a spot, and then pointed it out to everyone.

At this time, the village head and Zhao Shu and others also arrived.

It has to be said, Zhou Daren truly possesses some real skills. He explained things clearly and thoroughly to everyone, leaving them all pleased.

The village head bellowed to the villagers, “Go pick a basket of fruit and bring it over to quench the thirst of Master Zhou and all the craftsmen!”

Immediately, villagers ran away. Zhou tried to stop them but couldn't. "Village Chief Uncle, with this archway, your fruits and vegetables will likely sell for a better price. Don't give us any now, it would be a waste!"

"How could this be considered a waste" The village chief beamed. "Not to mention that the Hot Spring Valley was built with the help of the adults, and now they're helping us build this archway. We can't express our gratitude enough."

"It's just a few fruits. Master Zhou and the other masters can try them to see how they taste. After trying, if they praise them a little, we won't have to worry about selling them."

Li Lao Si and the others also laughed as they advised, "That's right, Zhou Da Ren, we're following in your footsteps and getting to taste the fruit you've grown. You see, our village head treats the fruit like his eyes; he never lets us pick even one during the day."

The village head took an eye-poking pot and pretended to hit Li Lao Si, laughing and scolding, "You stinky boy, you just talk nonsense with your eyes open! If you don't dare to take it off, what is in Fu Niuer's hand"

Jiao Yin sat in her mother's arms, the fruit in her hand already eaten, leaving only a thin core.

Seeing that everyone was looking at her, she immediately threw the seed core away, shaking her two chubby hands and said with utmost innocence: "I didn't eat it, Funiu didn't eat it!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

"Funiuer, wipe your mouth first, or you'll attract ants!"

Soon, the fruits were picked and everyone washed them directly by the river. They found stones by the road and sat down, each holding a fruit in their hands, chatting as they ate.

A craftsman couldn't help but exclaim, "No wonder the emperor bestowed a grand archway on this feng shui treasure land, it's perfectly justified! These fruits are even sweeter than any I've ever tasted before!"

"Yes, the fruits that grow in a geomantically auspicious place are indeed different!"

Everyone was praising and chatting, it was quite lively.

But Zhou Da Ren privately told Li Lao Tai, "Madam Li, when do you plan to start building the County Lord's mansion"

The old woman frowned.

There are just so many things going on at home lately, one after another. I haven't had a chance to discuss this yet.

After all, the imperial edict was issued previously to punish those in the Yan family. It was a sudden event and unavoidable.

Actually, there's plenty of space at home, and we don't really need to rush to build the princess mansion.

On the other side, Tao Hongying also heard a few words. She didn't think too much about it, she just felt that after the county princess's mansion was built, would the young girls have to move out

Wouldn't that mean leaving home, leaving her!

Well, where else could we go!

Therefore, Tao Hongying難得搶過話頭，說：“The village is about to harvest fruit, and we are still building the archway. It's not a good time to build the County Princess' Mansion, why don't we wait until next year”

The old woman also nodded, "Hongying is right, let's wait until next year. When spring arrives and the flowers bloom, we can discuss this matter again. A courtyard is different from a gate tower; there are many things to do in a courtyard, and it can't be built in a day or two."

Jia Yin felt her mother's reluctance and anxiety, so she quickly hugged her mother's neck and sneezed loudly.

Tao Hongying immediately stood up and said, "Mother, the wind here is strong. I'll take Funi back first."

"Go ahead, if they're busy over in the valley, send Funiu to play with the Marquis for a while." The old lady instructed, and Tao Hongying walked away carrying her daughter.

"Master Zhou casually asked, 'Is the Lord of the Manor in the village' "

The old woman replied, “Yes, the Marquis has been very busy lately, and this is just his first night back home.”

Zhou Da ren thought for a moment and said, "If the old madam decides to build the county princess's mansion next year, it would be best to ask the marquis to step forward and go to the Ministry of Revenue to get the silver back. That way, construction could begin immediately whenever she wants."

The old woman understood.

It seems like the imperial court has moved to the new capital, and everything here is paid for with silver. The Ministry of Revenue is struggling to make ends meet. They're hiding wherever they can and dodging responsibilities whenever possible...superb, the broth is milky white, and neither the offal nor the mutton has any gamey smell. Add a few layers of scallion pancakes, it's simply a match made in heaven!"The first to speak was a gaunt ja...