Chapter 135: An Eye-Opener
Liu Zhuangtou nodded repeatedly. "Rest assured, I will take good care of our guests."
Chen Hu gave a few more instructions before bidding Gu Zhang and the others farewell.
Liu Zhuangtou led the group inside. It was a residence with two main courtyards. The front courtyard had a stable, a row of outbuildings, and flowers planted along the walls.
Passing through an ornate Flower-Pendant Gate, they entered the second courtyard. It featured a main hall flanked by wing rooms on either side.
This inner courtyard was even more exquisite. A large Taihu rock sat in the center, surrounded by flowers. A covered walkway connected the main hall and the wing rooms.
The doors and windows were ornately carved and covered with window paper.
Liu Zhuangtou beamed. "Mr. Gu, you may all stay in any of these rooms. If you need anything at all, just let me know. I’ll be in the outbuildings in the front courtyard."
Gu Zhang quickly cupped his hands in a salute. "Thank you, Liu Zhuangtou. We’ve just arrived, and I’m sure we’ll have to trouble you with more things later. Please, don’t let us keep you. I’ll come find you if we need anything."
Liu Zhuangtou bowed and departed.
None of them had ever seen such an exquisite courtyard before. They all looked around, wide-eyed with wonder.
Ms. Qian’s eyes lit up. She strode into the main hall to find a full set of matching wenge-wood furniture: several Grandmaster chairs, a long, narrow table, and two flower stands in the corners. It was sparsely decorated, likely because it had been unoccupied.
Doors on either side of the main hall led to two master bedrooms.
Ms. Qian walked into one of the rooms and gasped. "My heavens—"
Inside stood a massive, ornately carved bed. It was like a small room unto itself, with a wide platform at the front and small tables built in at either end. The entire frame was carved with flowers of the four seasons, gilded and lacquered, looking both exquisite and impossibly lavish.
Hearing Ms. Qian’s gasp, the others all came over to see.
Aunt Liu cried out in amazement, "That’s a bed? Who makes a bed like that? It’s practically a small house!"
Ms. Qian announced gleefully, "I’ve lived for decades and have never seen such a magnificent bed. It’s wonderful! I’m sleeping here tonight!"
The words had barely left her mouth when Aunt Liu snorted. "This is a master bedroom. What right do you have to sleep here?"
"We only have this free place to stay thanks to Mr. Gu. Naturally, the master bedroom should go to his family."
Ms. Qian bristled, but just as she was about to argue, an idea seemed to strike her. With a sidelong glance, she said, "Perhaps I’m not qualified to stay here. But such a fine room should certainly be given to Mother."
She turned to Xing’er and declared loudly, "Xing’er, you’ll stay here with your grandmother tonight. It’ll be perfect for you to serve her tea and water and whatnot."
Gu Fei pursed her lips and walked away.
’No matter how nice the room is, it still belongs to someone else.’
’What’s the point in fighting over it?’
After looking around, everyone found a room and began to settle in.
Perhaps because of what Aunt Liu had said, no one chose to stay in the master bedrooms.
The main building consisted of five sections: the central hall, two master bedrooms, and two smaller adjoining rooms.
Mrs. Chen quickly assigned the rooms.
Gu Fei, Lan Zhi, and Lian’er would take one of the adjoining rooms. Gu Qing, his wife, and Little Cao would take the other. Gu Zhang and Mrs. Chen took the second master bedroom. Er Lang and Sanlang would have to sleep on the floor in the main hall.
Once the rooms were assigned, Mrs. Chen began organizing dinner.
The kitchen was in the front courtyard. Mrs. Chen, Li Chunhua, and Lian’er went over, only to find it already crowded.
There were three large stoves in the kitchen.
Aunt Liu had claimed one, the great-aunt’s family had another, and Ms. Qian was using the third. The Yu Family and Shanzimama were waiting off to the side.
The courtyard was too exquisite, with pristine, snow-white walls. No one dared build a makeshift stove outside for fear of blackening them with soot.
Mrs. Chen smiled. "Everyone’s busy. I’ll come back in a little while."
The great-aunt called out, "Just a moment. My steamed buns are almost done. You can use the stove as soon as I’m finished."
Mrs. Chen nodded. "There’s no rush. Please, take your time. It’s still early, and we’re not hungry yet."
With that, she turned and headed back to the inner courtyard.