Clouds and Moon Shadow

"I'm telling you, you're just a young boy, where does your temper come from? Do I have a grudge against you?" Gu Yuanen was annoyed and was about to ask.

"We don't even know each other, so what grudge could there be? You're overthinking it," Gu Qingyue said, taking a sip of tea in a very irritating tone.

"Ha, you're quite magnanimous," Gu Yuanen said, not one to argue unreasonably, and he wasn't angry.

"My name is Gu Yuan'en, a native of the capital. May I ask your honorable name, sir?"

"Gu Qingyue was from Mingzhi County, Lizhou."

“You also have the surname Gu? What a coincidence, we might have been from the same family five hundred years ago,” Gu Qingyue continued.

"Are you so young, and you've come to Lizhou Prefecture all by yourself?" Gu Yuanen asked, somewhat curious about the boy in front of him.

Gu Qingyue looked the boy up and down and said, "Have you grown up? You're still the same as me."

The boy choked.

"Did you manage to save your senior brother?" Gu Yuanen remembered the purpose of his trip to Tiger Peak Village that day.

"We've been rescued, and we should thank that old gentleman for his guidance," Gu Qingyue said, pushing the tea and snacks toward the boy.

"Is the old gentleman in Lizhou City? I'll go and thank him another day," Gu Qingyue said sincerely, remembering the old man's kind advice.

“Mr. Lin has already returned to the capital,” Gu Yuanen paused, “You can thank me as well, I am his student.”

After saying that, he took a piece of tea and snack, took a bite, raised his eyebrows slightly, and straightened his posture with an expression that said, "Come and thank me."

Gu Qingyue chuckled.

It was half an hour later when they came out of the teahouse.

Unexpectedly, our first meeting was unpleasant, but today we actually have something to talk about.

As she walked along the road, Gu Qingyue suddenly remembered what she had overheard about the border at the teahouse, and her mood soured.

This is a truly war-torn land. Without a stable environment, the chances of getting rich by building a business empire are slim, unless you have a powerful background or powerful backer. Otherwise, you will only end up being exploited.

What about them? Powerful backers? None! Their own background? None either!

So it seems her ideal life of having money, land, and a sweetheart will have to wait a while longer.

First, we need to protect ourselves.

Back at the inn, Liu Feng had already returned and distributed a large amount of food to the boys. At this moment, everyone was gathered in a circle in Liu Feng's house, eating and drinking happily.

Gu Qingyue followed the sound into the room.

Xiao Nian jumped up and hugged her leg. Gu Qingyue sighed. How afraid was this child of her running away? She always hugged her leg whenever they met.

"Where's the little moon? I want to play with it," came the little guy's clear voice.

Gu Qingyue: Uh, it seems I've been deluding myself.

"It...is..." Before she could finish speaking, Rong Qingqing interrupted her.

"It's time to sleep, Little Moon needs to sleep too, we can play again tomorrow," he said, winking at Gu Qingyue.

Gu Qingyue sighed again, "Yes, it's already resting. It might be a little unwell due to the change in environment, so it hasn't woken up yet." Gu Qingyue made up a story.

Remembering how the little guy had ruffled Little Moon's red fur all the way, Gu Qingyue became clear-headed. She decided that if she could avoid letting them get together, she should. The little fox had a bald patch on its tail, and the little guy was quite upset when she went to the space last night.

Seeing Xiao Nian's aggrieved expression, Gu Qingyue continued, "Everyone should rest early and recharge their energy. There's still a lot to do later."

Upon hearing this, the boys rubbed their hands together in anticipation, their eyes shining with reverence as they looked at Gu Qingyue as if she were their savior.

Gu Qingyue was startled; she hadn't intended to be a savior!

The next morning, upon arriving at the house arranged by the broker, Gu Qingyue, Rong Qingqing, and Liu Feng looked up at the three-courtyard house before them. It was magnificent, with understated yet luxurious decorations. The broker explained that the house belonged to a wealthy merchant who had put it up for sale because his family had moved to the interior. They were the first buyers to come and see it.

Upon entering the main gate, you are greeted by a tall white jade screen wall, carved with the imagery of mountains and flowing water, symbolizing harmony and prosperity. To the left is a courtyard, a guest house furnished entirely with huanghuali wood furniture and rows of bamboo and jade-hooked curtains, exuding understated elegance.

Because the southwest region is hot and humid in summer with many mosquitoes, bamboo blinds are a standard feature of wealthy families. However, hanging them on covered walkways and garden pavilions is something that ordinary families can't afford. They basically need to be replaced every month because they are prone to mold and rot from rain. So, this alone costs a lot for such a house. According to the broker, this is only the equipment in the guest courtyard. If you go to the main courtyard, it will be even more luxurious.

This house is priced at five thousand five hundred taels.

Rong Qingqing's lips twitched. It seemed they were being treated like nouveau riche. They had walked all the way here and hadn't even hired a carriage.

Liu Feng looked left and right, appearing very interested. Their Willow Leaf Manor was much more impressive than this. In his mind, even if the sect leader's courtyard was simple, it was still more luxurious than this. He wouldn't accept any arguments against it.

Gu Qingyue looked around and touched the furniture. She was more curious about what kind of houses wealthy families in ancient times lived in.

The largest mansion she had ever been to before was the Pan family mansion, but she had only ever visited it when she was looking for someone and hadn't really looked at it closely. This time, however, seeing the house was a chance to get to know it up close.

The broker then showed them the main courtyard, the backyard, and the garden with its artificial hills and lake. Everything was understated yet luxurious and high-quality. In Gu Qingyue's opinion, it was excellent. The courtyard was large enough for everyone to stay in, and the overall design was elegant and refined, basically meeting her expectations.

She wanted to take direct action.

She would never compromise herself if she had money; this was her principle from her past life, and it remains unchanged now.

But Rong Qingqing was clearly against it. She only said one sentence: "It's best to keep a low profile and not attract attention."

Gu Qingyue and Liu Feng exchanged a glance and thought for a moment: That makes sense!

They have plenty of money, but their immediate priority is to establish a foothold and get the business up and running. The money needs to be used for more important purposes.

So, in one morning, I looked at four houses, but they were either too big or too small, or the prices were too high.

In the afternoon, the broker led them to the fifth house.

Upon entering, a screen wall depicting the rising sun and the auspicious purple clouds standing in the east immediately comes into view.

Upon entering the courtyard, one sees a tall and spacious main hall with three side rooms on each side. The layout is orderly, and the house is decorated in a simple and elegant style. There is no furniture, but the house is obviously not old and should have been renovated within the last three years.

Entering the backyard, there are two more courtyards and a garden. The master bedroom, guest rooms, side rooms, servants' quarters, kitchen, storage room, stables, and so on are all available and the layout is reasonable.

The garden is surrounded by several towering trees, with a rather large lawn in the middle. However, it is divided into several irregular areas by a stone path connected by several artificial hills. There are pavilions and seats along the path, which are shady and lush. Even in winter, the garden is still full of greenery, which is a typical southern garden layout.

Turning past the covered walkway, there is a small lotus pond. An arched bridge over the pond connects to a delicate little pavilion with wooden tables and chairs, creating a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

This courtyard is simple, grand, practical, and comfortable, just right for their needs.

As Gu Qingyue looked around, she pondered how she would renovate the place if she bought it, so that it would be both comfortable and livable, and also provide a place for these young people to practice martial arts.