175, Decision (5 more)
“What about this residence?” Yuan Liuwang asked anxiously.
“If you’re going to the county town, could you sell it to me?”
“Sell?” Xie Zhinuan pondered carefully, glanced at Grandma Chen drying chili peppers in the courtyard, Aunt Chen preparing breakfast in the kitchen, and the silly girl bustling in and out, and at the three animals playing in the yard, “I won’t sell this courtyard. It’s so that if one day I have nowhere else to go, I can come back here to have a place to stay!”
The most important thing was that there were things here she couldn’t bear to part with.
And selling it to Yuan Liuwang felt somewhat strange to her.
If she sold it, it would only fetch around a hundred taels of silver, after which it would no longer have anything to do with her. Moreover, this was her first home in another world, and she would be reluctant to sell it.
“You don’t want to sell it to me, do you?” Yuan Liuwang couldn’t help but ask.
“No, you’re overthinking it!”
Xie Zhinuan certainly wouldn’t admit it.
Admitting such a thing would be a bit hurtful.
Yuan Liuwang didn’t dwell on the matter, and they began talking about other things. When Yuanbao came to get breakfast, he frowned slightly upon seeing Yuan Liuwang.
After returning, he spoke to Li Hengyi, “I don’t think that Yuan Liuwang bodes well, he harbors ill intentions towards Miss Xie…”
Li Hengyi paused slightly with the bowl in his hand.
He remained silent and continued to eat his meal.
He couldn’t believe that with his looks, talents, status, and social standing, he would lose out to a country bumpkin?
It made no sense for Xie Zhinuan to prefer Yuan Liuwang over him!
At this thought, Li Hengyi’s heart skipped a beat.
He, he…
Li Hengyi gently set down his chopsticks, looking at the breakfast on the table. It was really very simple – just some porridge, cold cucumber salad, and bird’s nest. Simple indeed, but he was thoroughly enjoying it.
It was because of the person who cooked the meal.
“Yuanbao!”
“Hmm?”
“What does Yuan Liuwang call Miss Xie?” Li Hengyi asked.
“He calls her by her name!” Yuanbao replied earnestly.
Close or distant, related or not.
It seemed that Miss Xie was closer to Yuan Liuwang.
Upon hearing this, Li Hengyi’s complexion changed, “Call by name?”
He was still calling her Miss Xie…
A feeling of suffocation welled up inside Li Hengyi.
He picked up his bowl and continued eating, but it seemed like he was using more force, as though he had a grudge against the porridge, biting into the cucumber with such vigor that it crunched loudly.
Yuanbao cautiously touched his own neck.
Xie Zhinuan invited Yuan Liuwang to stay for breakfast under the porch at the entrance, “These are just leftovers from yesterday. If you don’t mind, then enjoy!”
“I don’t mind, not at all!” Yuan Liuwang replied with glee.
Having the chance to eat breakfast at Xie Zhinuan’s place made him very happy.
After breakfast, Yuan Liuwang remembered that he had other business to attend to. He needed to get his cloth shop in the town up and running. His brothers weren’t very reliable, but his two nephews were quite good, although he planned to take them out to gain more experience.
He was planning to hire a manager to look after the shop.
He bade farewell to Xie Zhinuan, who did not try to keep him longer. Once he left, Xie Zhinuan had the silly girl harness the mule cart and went to the town to speak with Xiaoyuan about some matters. They would be heading to Fengping County tomorrow.
“Miss Xie, are you going out?” Yuanbao arrived with a basket in hand.
Xie Zhinuan nodded, “Yes, to the town. Don’t worry, I’ll try to return by noon. If I can’t make it back, Aunt Chen will prepare lunch for your master!”
“Right, right!” Yuanbao nodded repeatedly.
He instructed Xie Zhinuan to be careful on the road.
Upon reaching the town, Xie Zhinuan first visited the shop. The business was a bit slower after the Mid-Autumn Festival, but it was still much busier than the other shops thanks to Dong Sheng’s efforts.
Xiaoyuan helped out by serving the braised meat, asking customers for the amount they needed, slicing the meat herself while Dong Sheng collected money, and there were also people who came with bowls to return them.
When Xiaoyuan saw Xie Zhinuan’s mule cart, she immediately shouted into the inner courtyard, “Sister, come help for a bit!”
She ran towards the mule cart, calling out, “Master!”
Chapter 176