Chapter 33
Feng Jiao Xue returned back to her courtyard and though about it before deciding to try and make this place livable.
"Are you sure that’s possible?" Huang Jin De mused appearing beside her with his arms crossed looking at the place with distain.
"The roof is barely holding together. The walls are crumbling, the floor is overrun with weeds, and that’s just the structure. The bedding looks like it’s been used by ten generations of beggars, and let’s not forget the mold..." He continued listing the flaws with exaggerated drama, pointing at each detail with the flair of a critic.
Making Feng Jiao Xue not even have the indignation to be mad because everything he pointed out was mere facts.
"Xiao Xue why don’t we just try to find a more befitting place?" he concluded with an exasperated sigh.
The courtyard bore the quiet melancholy of a place long forgotten, its grandeur eroded by time but not entirely erased. The stone tiles underfoot, once meticulously laid, now lay uneven, their surfaces cracked and softened by creeping moss and stubborn weeds that thrived in the neglect. A faint, musty scent of damp earth lingered in the air, mingled with the sharper tang of decay, as if the courtyard itself was exhaling the memory of its prime.
The walls enclosing the space stood weathered and scarred, their surfaces streaked with the telltale marks of rain and years of disrepair. Tendrils of ivy climbed through the cracks, their delicate leaves a stark contrast to the grim, mottled stone. Faded carvings hinted at an era of artistry and care, though much of their beauty had been obscured by grime or chipped away by time. Rusted lanterns dangled from tilted brackets, their glass panes cracked or missing, casting distorted reflections in the soft, shifting light.
Yet, amidst the decay, traces of its prosperous origins remained undeniable. The symmetry of the courtyard, the intricate design of the pathways, and the imposing arch of the gate, though worn, hinted at a place once alive with dignity and pride. It was as though the space still clung to the memories of its vibrant past, festive celebrations, the clinking of tea cups, the rustle of silk robes, whispering faint echoes of a time when it had been a jewel in a grand estate, now reduced to a haunting shell.
"This was her... is my home" Feng Jiao Xue told him. "And the Feng Clan can be a great backing. You said it yourself, I need allies"
"Oh~ We can do that" Huang Jin De’s eyes brightened as he had a flashed of brilliance, grinning like a cat that managed to steal a fresh fish. "Let’s take over!"
"Where not doing something that drastic. Not yet, I’m thinking of something more official" a restricted mountain peak came to her mind. Before Feng Jiao Xue raised a brow. "And are you a bird or a cat?" she softly laughs.