Wine-scented Beauty

Chapter 43: Discussion

The matter was almost settled, and Ji Meiqing went back with Lu Yu.

“I plan to have Lu Yu set up a dormitory building, and the living quarters for male and female workers will be separated. This will be more convenient. As for the food, it depends on Young Master Liu’s arrangements. Brother Lu, could you keep an eye on things here for me? I’m afraid I’ll be busy designing some things recently, and I might not be able to attend to everything.” Ji Meiqing looked at him earnestly, her eyes sincere. Afraid that he might disagree, she added, “Once these things are settled, we can rest.”

"Okay," he agreed. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"It's basically just supervising the construction. The double bed has already been entrusted to that boss, and it should take about three months. As for the room, I'll list the requirements when I get back. If Young Master Liu isn't satisfied then, we'll make a second round of modifications." She thought for a moment, then nodded when she realized there was nothing more to say. "That's about it."

There wasn't much to do. Once they finished dealing with their own matters, the newly opened shop would be almost ready. Ji Meiqing carefully considered the situation. Since Young Master Liu hadn't mentioned the budget, she decided to go with the best possible approach.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice anything unusual about the people around her.

She returned home, and the village chief immediately came looking for her. He couldn't hide his anger, and as soon as he saw Ji Meiqing, he couldn't help but yell, "You bitch, why did you ruin my plans!"

Ji Meiqing was stunned for a moment, but luckily Lu Yu stood in front of her and grabbed the hand that was about to hit her, otherwise her face would have been swollen.

"Tell me what you have to say. What kind of person hits a woman!" Lu Yu looked at him with a sinister gaze, his eyes chillingly cold. The village chief trembled, but his authority remained undiminished.

"Miss Ji, you've been spreading rumors that this place is bullying the villagers, which has made people from outside afraid to come. Could it be that this wasn't your doing?"

He questioned, his tone indignant, "If it weren't for you, everyone could have received two more acres of land!"

"What does it have to do with me?" Ji Meiqing raised an eyebrow. "You want others to not know what you've done?"

"I'm telling you, if this isn't over, you get out of here too!" He was furious, but he couldn't say anything more hurtful.

With Lu Yu present, he couldn't make a move. But couldn't he just leave him out of sight?

Ji Meiqing looked at him and said, "I think you'll leave here before me. Just wait and see."

Lu Yu stepped between the two, lowered his brows, and said solemnly, "If you dare to touch a single hair on Ji Meiqing's body, you, the village chief, will never have a peaceful home again."

"Hmph!" The village chief glared at her before slowly leaving.

Lu Yu, still with a stern face, watched Ji Meiqing about to return to her room, then suddenly called out to her, "What exactly have you gotten into trouble with?"

"It's nothing," she said casually. "It's just that some people who wanted to come and stay here left."

"Don't worry about these things anymore. Just be careful." Lu Yu said sullenly, then left without saying another word, ignoring Ji Meiqing's astonished expression.

Ji Meiqing stood there, not understanding what was going on.

She came out of her room early in the morning, when most people were already up having breakfast. She yawned and came out of the room.

As usual, everything was calm. A group of people passed by her and went straight to the back. Ji Meiqing glanced at them twice before returning to her place.

When Lu Yu came out of the kitchen, she went straight over to him and brought out the food.

“Outsiders will be coming to the village these days, so be careful,” Lu Yu suddenly said. “The village chief might send someone among them to retaliate against you.”

"Thank you..." Ji Meiqing hesitated for a moment. She looked at the sky outside, which was gloomy and looked like it was about to rain.

The Li family didn't come either, and the house was cold and quiet, which was rather boring. Ji Meiqing gave herself and Lu Yu a day off and went fishing with him. It was a perfect time before it rained, and the two sat by the water, quietly waiting for the fish to bite.

“You’ve been here for a while now, don’t you want to go back to the Ji family?” Lu Yu suddenly asked.

Ji Meiqing was taken aback, then said calmly, "I am no longer a member of the Ji family."

"That……"

Ji Meiqing interrupted him, saying each word clearly, "I have no relation to the Ji family!"

She gazed at the distant lake, its calm ripples making everything seem to slow down considerably.

Lu Yu fell silent and didn't ask any more questions about the Ji family. After sitting for a while without any fish biting, she got a little bored, so she stuck the bamboo pole in the ground and found a comfortable spot to rest.

She lacked patience and could only sleep there alone. The warm breeze was just right, and she fell asleep in no time. Lu Yu sat quietly, when suddenly a group of people appeared on the main road behind him. He still didn't make a move until they arrived.

"Young master, could you please tell me how to get to that village ahead?" The voice was soft, with the clear, melodious quality unique to a young lady.

Lu Yu didn't turn around, but simply pointed in a direction. The girl was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Thank you, young master."

Lu Yu did not answer or make any move.

The soft footsteps faded into the distance. Suddenly, Ji Meiqing opened her eyes and sniffed.

"Were you woken up?" Lu Yu asked, his bamboo cane remaining motionless, still in the same position. Ji Meiqing pondered.

"This fragrance is awful, it's too strong."

"She has body odor, and the fragrance is used to cover up the smell."

Ji Meiqing understood, but then suddenly asked in confusion, "How did you know that!"

"I could smell it; she smelled terrible."

“Okay.” Ji Meiqing rolled over and jumped down from the tree. “The smell is indeed a bit too strong.”

After waiting for half a day, the fish didn't bite, but the rain did start. Ji Meiqing and Lu Yu walked back together. The drizzle was quite heavy. As soon as they reached the gate, they saw many carriages parked in front of their door. They looked at each other in surprise.

The two walked in one after the other, and the room was quite crowded with people.

"Halt!" Two guards stopped them.

Ji Meiqing angrily said, "Since when can't we even enter our own homes?!"

"Make way." The voice came from inside, and the two men made way for Ji Meiqing to go in with him.

The two entered the house and saw a woman wearing a veil sitting in the main seat. Ji Meiqing raised her eyebrows as she looked at her. She had never seen anyone so blatantly break into a private residence and sit in the main seat drinking tea.

"Who are you?" Ji Meiqing asked directly. "Don't you know that guests should knock on the door and wait for permission before entering?"