Chapter 270 - 269: I am Willing
Afu had already inspected the small courtyard in Tang Garden and had specifically named it Yanxiang Pavilion. Tang Garden was not particularly large, so the courtyards were few and small. The unique feature of Tang Garden was its abundance of begonias, found everywhere inside and outside each courtyard. Afu had only asked for some renovation of the house, nothing too major.
Chen Ming also had someone measure the house so that Manager Luo could procure some high-quality elm wood. At first, Manager Luo suggested procuring some precious woods such as rosewood, but Afu thought it unnecessary. This was just a country house after all, there was no need for it to be overly extravagant, as long as it was comfortable, practical, and aesthetically pleasant.
The same carpenters as in Fu Garden, the father and son from the Wu family, were engaged. The blueprint was basically the same, only differing in dimensions. The wood was reportedly going to be delivered in a few days, and then, the carpenters would start work in Lu Garden.
In Dingzhou, they would stay in the grandest main court, which was also under renovation. The furniture there would be handled by Chu Lingxuan, and the craftsmen had already been dispatched to the mansion a couple of days ago.
Chu Lingxuan consulted Afu on her views on the furniture, to which she gave a general description. She didn’t request the carpenters to make major alterations but followed the popular style of the era. She did, however, mention a few specifics about the structure of the wardrobe for hanging clothes.
Chu Lingxuan mentioned that Mrs. Chu had sent someone with a letter, saying that the courtyard in the Marquis’ Mansion where he had lived as a child had begun its renovation.
Chen Shiying had already had someone measure the house and was preparing to have the furniture made in Dingzhou before it would be shipped over. The wood used was supposedly rosewood, and the craftsmen were considered the best in Jibei Province. Due to the short construction period and the high level of sophistication required for the furniture, over twenty craftsmen were hired. They were going for a luxurious style. Afu didn’t intervene there, she trusted the clever Mrs. Jiang would save face and win over Chen Shiying, while also preserving her own reputation.
Actually, their stay at the Marquis’ Mansion would be extremely short and there was no need for such extravagance. It would be more practical to put the good furniture in the Senator’s Mansion in Dingzhou. However, the Marquis’ Mansion was considered their true home and they would get married there, so most of her dowry would be shipped there.