nucmednet Chapter 311 Arriving at Daming Mansion
Chapter 311 Arriving at Daming Mansion
Jia Guizhi has developed a psychological trauma from these matchmakers of unknown origin, because she has failed every time. Now she simply doesn't take these matchmakers seriously, whose backgrounds she doesn't know.
Why bother investigating? Doesn't it take time, money and energy to investigate? If they find out that the matchmaker is talking nonsense, won't they be depressed? Just reject the offer right away, which will be better for their wallets and mood.
As for Gu Wenhai, he is still young, and it will be plenty of time for Jia Guizhi to find a reliable matchmaker to help him find a suitable candidate.
In the third month after Bai Jingzhou and his friends returned to the academy after their vacation, Gu Wenxuan took people into the mountains to pick wild grapes for the first time without Bai Jingzhou's presence.
She bought all the necessary tools and materials in advance, and hired people to pick the grapes and transport them out of the mountain. More people means faster work, so they produced more wine this year, but the time used was greatly shortened.
After the wine was brewed, Gu Wenxuan personally went to supervise the farmers in harvesting rice and picking cotton bolls.
As for the watermelons, strawberries and other fruits that she also paid special attention to, during the summer and autumn of this year, people who were close to Gu Wenxuan and her friends had the chance to taste them from the Gu and Bai families.
The college entrance examination in late August required students from all over the country to rush to Daming Prefecture to take the test. Because it happened to be at the critical time of the harvest season, Gu Wenxuan did not bring too many people to accompany the test this time.
In addition to Jia Yuelan, Fang Youfu and Yang Wandong, Gu Wenxuan only brought the four servants they left in the house in the state capital: Zheng Rong, Wu Erniang and their two children, Zheng Yongping and Zheng Yongfang.
Zheng Rong and his son and Yang Wandong were responsible for driving the car, running errands and doing odd jobs; Wu Erniang and her daughter were responsible for washing clothes, cooking and cleaning; Gu Wenxuan, Jia Yuelan and Fang Youfu acted as accompanying guards to ensure the personal and property safety of the students taking the exam.
During the college entrance examination, it would be difficult to find a suitable accommodation if you arrived too late. In addition, the journey might not be smooth, so no one dared to rush there on time. Instead, they set out nearly half a month in advance and set off early in the morning on August 8th.
If everything went smoothly, it would take them two to three days to get from Xingzhou to Damingfu by carriage. But if something unexpected happened, it would be hard to say how long it would take.
In the end, the group spent four days on the road. On the afternoon of August 11, they drove into the city in the drizzle before the city gates of Daming Prefecture were closed, looking a little embarrassed.
As they were exhausted and it was already late, they stayed in an inn in the city that night.
They asked three inns before deciding on this one, which is one of the few inns in the city that still has rooms upstairs.
After resting for a night in an inn where the price was twice as much as usual, Gu Wenxuan went out to look for a house the next day.
This time, Bai Jingzhou was still accompanied by Bai Jingshan, Gu Wenhai, Bai Lizheng's eldest grandson Bai Yaoheng, and Bai Yue, the youngest son of the Bai family elder. The five of them had already agreed on the way to pool money to rent a small courtyard with two entrances near the examination hall.
At this time, not only the inns increased their prices, but the houses that were temporarily rented out by the owners also increased in price. However, a small courtyard with a private entrance and yard close to the examination hall is obviously more comfortable and convenient to live in than an inn, a temple, or those private houses that need to be shared with other students taking exams.
The five students, including Bai Jingzhou, were relatively well-off. In order to be in the best condition for the exam, they did not mind spending more money on food and accommodation.
Thinking that it is better to sharpen your sword before the battle, even if it doesn't shine, it will shine at last, Bai Jingshan and his friends took Bai Jingzhou to study together in the inn, and entrusted the matter of finding a house to Gu Wenxuan and others.
What they didn't know was that Gu Wenxuan was not only looking for a house to rent, she also planned to buy a shop and a house in Damingfu.
She made inquiries from many sources and found a reliable broker with an excellent reputation. After she stated her two demands, the broker immediately took out a list of the best houses he had and asked her to pick a small courtyard with two entrances for short-term rental.
Gu Wenxuan was mentally prepared for the price increase, and she picked the one with the best value for money among the three houses that met her requirements. She readily paid the rent for half a month to the real estate agent.
The broker took the money and gave her the key to the big copper lock on the front door of the house. He then took out two other booklets and introduced her to the houses and shops for sale in Daming Prefecture.
Gu Wenxuan selected a few that she liked, and then asked the agent to take her to see the house she rented first.
The house was exactly as the agent had described. All the furniture had been prepared by the owner. Gu Wenxuan and her friends only needed to do a little cleaning and then move in with their luggage.
Zheng Rong and his son were sent back to the inn, and they were asked to move here with Bai Jingzhou and others. Gu Wenxuan took Jia Yuelan and Fang Youfu and followed the broker to look at houses and shops.
In the end, Gu Wenxuan bought another three-courtyard house in the alley next to the two-courtyard house they rented, and then bought two shops in the less prosperous area of Damingfu.
Gu Wenxuan could send someone to take over the shop immediately, but the three-courtyard house that had been abandoned for a long time by its previous owner needed to be simply renovated before people could move in.
After paying the money and receiving the red deed, the sun had already risen directly above their heads. Gu Wenxuan was too lazy to buy vegetables and cook them, so she simply waved her hand and bought a lot of food from a small restaurant that smelled delicious and brought it back.
When she returned to the rented courtyard with two entrances in the carriage, Bai Jingzhou and others had just packed their luggage. Seeing Gu Wenxuan's carriage slowly driving into the house, Bai Jingzhou immediately headed towards the gate to greet them.
"You came just in time. I bought lunch." Gu Wenxuan handed the backpack filled with oil paper bags and the food boxes filled with delicious dishes to Bai Jingzhou and others. "Try it and see if it's delicious. It smells good to me."
Bai Jingzhou smiled, "It must be delicious."
When it comes to identifying delicious food by its scent, Bai Jingzhou knows that Gu Wenxuan is more professional than anyone else.
A group of people washed their hands and divided into two groups to eat at the table.
After being busy for the whole morning, everyone was already hungry. Moreover, the food was indeed delicious as Bai Jingzhou said, so everyone's appetite was whetted.
Fortunately, Gu Wenxuan bought enough, and she and Fang Youfu both had very elastic stomachs, so even if they let others eat a few more bites and they ate a few less, they would not feel hungry.
After eating and drinking, the servants began to clean up the mess. Gu Wenxuan took Bai Jingzhou back to his room and showed him the three freshly-issued red deeds for the mansion and shop, as well as their rental deeds.
After reading it, Bai Jingzhou smiled and gave Gu Wenxuan a thumbs up, "Well done!"
Maybe it’s because the three-story mansion is difficult to rent out, but even at this time, the money Gu Wenxuan spent on the house is still within a reasonable range, and there is not too much premium, which makes them feel that they are at a disadvantage.
The same goes for the two shops. The area where they are located determines their value. The current personnel composition of Daming Prefecture means that it is impossible for them to make a small profit like a house just by being close to the examination hall. Therefore, the prices of the two shops are also very reasonable.