The head of the Mu family

Chapter 173 Yuan Su's Background

"Keep the main gate along the street. The largest courtyard on the east side can be connected to our main courtyard, so we can expand the main courtyard."

Our original greenhouse and side rooms remain unchanged, but we will add a shower room and a water room.

Then move the study in the main bedroom to the west courtyard, turn the entire porch there into a study, and build a viewing pavilion on the second floor.

The room next door is for resting, and all the other rooms are also complete. There is also a small kitchen there.

The entire west side was cleared out to become a garden, and the original large courtyards were reduced in size, with eight separate small courtyards built along the south side of the garden.

"Ah."

"It connects perfectly with the guest courtyard on the south side of the original west wing."

Thus, the original council hall was divided into three small rooms in a guest courtyard to the east for them to live in.

Now we can move that space out and make a small kitchen there too. We can keep the other side rooms as well; it will be more convenient for those who need to serve guests there.

"Very good!"

The two exchanged a smile, and Huai Sheng continued:

"Their original courtyard, which was divided up and had everything in place, was left untouched."

Just move the few people who were moved out into the park.

The west side of the screen wall was used as a stable, and the east side was connected to the front yard by a reverse-facing structure.

The second row of seats facing the garden, with the backrests facing the back, will be used as a rear-facing room, so that each person can have their own room and feel more comfortable.

The rear-facing room and the covered room each have a side room, a bathroom, and a heated room at both ends, and it would be more convenient to have one in the middle as well.

"Take another look, is there anything else you'd like to add?"

"Just one thing, let's also make a washroom in the side room of the study where we rest."

As for the rest, my wife can make all the decisions. Once you've thought it through, I'll draw up a sketch.

"Have the people in the Yellow Department do a detailed calculation, then come to the lady for the money to start work."

Upon hearing this, Huai Sheng glared at him shyly and said helplessly:

That's pretty much it. You can draw it out when you have time.

When they come back in the evenings these next two days, everyone should check again to make sure nothing was missed.

Just as the Mu family was bustling with activity, a rare guest arrived—Miss Arui.

After not seeing her for years, Ah Rui had lost all her former charm and looked dull and lifeless.

Huaisheng hurried to the front yard and welcomed the person in, while Qianyan avoided him.

"Heroine Arui, what brings you here?"

“Miss Huaisheng, it’s been a long time. Oh, I misspoke, Madam Cui.”

"It's alright, call me whatever you like."

"I didn't want to trouble you, but since all the doctors in the clinic are men, I thought of you."

"Heroine Arui, um~"

"Your body is like this?"

"It's a long story... I want some abortion pills..."

Huai Sheng was shocked for a long time before he came to his senses and asked:

"Miss Arui... does your man know?"

"He doesn't know, but it's my own body, and I will make my own decisions!"

"Excuse me, but what happened to that person?"

After all, not having children is a big decision, and I'm afraid you'll regret it.

"Don't worry, I've thought it through. I'll burn your prescription after I get the medicine."

"Where do you plan to take your medication? Do you need me...?"

"I have my own plans for what comes next, so I won't trouble you, Madam!"

Huai Sheng guessed that she had something difficult to say, so he wrote down separately the symptoms that would appear after she took the medicine and how to deal with them.

"I am extremely grateful!"

After reading it, the female knight-errant left four words and strode away.

After the minor incident, Huaisheng resumed his busy schedule with the New Year celebrations and garden renovations.

That evening, Qianyan began working on the homework of the children who were preparing for the exam.

Seeing a hint of doubt flash in Yuan Su's eyes, after checking the homework of several people, he said to Yuan Su:

“Yuan Su, come here for a moment. Your background is different, so I’ll give you a separate test.”

"Come with me outside, and don't disturb them while they're doing their homework."

"Yes, Master."

Qianyan led him to the outer study, where Huaisheng and the others were discussing the garden. When they saw that they had arrived and wanted to test their studies separately, they moved to the main study.

Huai Sheng took a few steps, then realized something was wrong:

It's definitely not a separate test of teaching skills; Jing Tang has never needed to take separate tests of teaching skills before.

"You guys go ahead, I'll be there in a bit."

Qingyue and the others left as instructed, and Huaisheng turned back alone.

Qianyan smiled helplessly as Huaisheng walked in with a grin, and pulled her to sit next to the floor heater.

"So your original surname was Su? The Su family of the eastern part of Suzhou?"

A look of panic flashed in Yuan Su's eyes, but when he saw the patriarch sitting beside him with a calm expression, he composed himself.

"yes..."

"Indeed, I recognize your elder sister. You look very much like her."

I am Cui Yao from Shangjing.

Yuan Su was so shocked that it took him a while to come to his senses.

“I heard my elder sister mention you in a letter. My elder sister was pregnant the year her family went to Beijing.”

I even wanted to see who you were, but I didn't expect you to be out of Beijing for six months.

Huai Sheng became more and more confused as he listened, and Qian Yan couldn't help but chuckle at her expression.

He reached out and touched Huai Sheng's soft cheek, took her hand, and continued:

"Back when I was studying at the Imperial Academy, the eldest prince threw stones at me."

When the Regent summoned me to the Imperial Academy, he told the princes about my extraordinary intelligence in my childhood.

The princes were young and very curious about me, but as time went on, they finally discovered that I was not as intelligent as rumored.

Then he started to act a little temperamental, intentionally or unintentionally.

Once, after finishing my studies, I was practicing archery in the Imperial Garden when the First Prince pointed his arrow at me.

Although the eldest prince was young, he was already seven or eight years old, and your elder sister, who had come to see the third prince, saw him.

The stern rebuke startled the eldest prince, causing him to miss his target.

However, I also heard a little about the later court infighting.

Ah, it's just a matter of the winner taking all and the loser being condemned.

Your eldest sister must have used her last strength to save your life.

The person who replaced you must be dead, otherwise they wouldn't have given up.

I think it must be your family watching over you from heaven...

"Yes! I often think that I have been blessed with such good fortune because they are protecting me from the shadows."

In a previous letter, my elder sister said that you were a child prodigy who was renowned in the capital when you were only two years old.

He disappeared for many years, and after being found, he became very ordinary due to the great shock he experienced.

I've always felt that I'm smarter than other kids, and I'm also good-looking and come from a good family.

Normally, there is no one in Suzhou who I can look up to.

In her letters home, my eldest sister always told me not to be complacent and to keep a low profile.

Even someone as intelligent as you has fallen into the mortal world due to a great upheaval.

When I saw the letter, I always just laughed it off.

I always felt that my elder sister had been in the palace for too long, and she had lost even a trace of the beauty and temperament of the eldest daughter of the Su family who was once the most beautiful woman in Suzhou.

Who would have thought that, years later, my family would also end up like this?

"I want to advise you that our two families have had similar fates, both perishing in court infighting."

You need to think more positively.

"Don't worry, I never thought about revenge."

Who can I turn to for revenge for this grudge against my family?

My elder sister and her family's great cause failed, which can only be blamed on those people who had unrealistic ideas. They brought it upon themselves and also brought disaster upon the family.

My mother, my second sister, and my younger sisters—I sold myself into prostitution to rescue them, but they still left me.

Upon hearing this, Huai Sheng couldn't help but sigh and asked:

"So you must still have some loyal servants in your household?"

Then why did you still choose to leave your home and come back with me, a complete stranger?