Besides the cheery atmosphere, the furniture in their houses had become better and more beautiful. The ceramic glaze vase that they hadnât even dared to look at several years ago, let alone touching it, now every family had one to decorate. And, they no longer wore patched or ragged clothes. Now they would make two new sets of clothes for every member of the family every new year.
Whenever they went to the city, they were able to buy anything they liked. They could spend money even more confidently than the city women. It was the moment the Fan Hua Townâs women felt satisfied the most; their vanity fulfilled. All thanks to the merits of the three private mansionsâ owners â the real owners of He Yuan.
They didnât bat an eye on the rumors the people in the city saying that they had become slaves or peasants. Well, first, no need to mention they werenât peasants, they stayed in their own houses and worked on their own paddy fields. They just helped the private mansionsâ owners to earn extra income in their free time. Anyway, if they were actually the peasants and they could enjoy a life like this, it would be absolutely no problem, as long as they lived well and healthily. The villagers lived in harmony and they had beautiful sceneries around⌠For so many good benefits, it didnât matter if they were ridiculed as slaves or peasants! Did the people in the city not work for anyone? Did their money not come from their hired jobs? How ridiculous!
They didnât know that the people in the city spread the rumors because they were jealous. Especially the Hua family, who moved out of Fan Hua Town three years ago. Their life in the city wasnât really good. The grocery store the oldest son of the Huas had invested in didnât have as many customers as Yong Qiangâs one-room shop. When they bumped into each other on the streets, Mrs. Hua was so bitter and jealous as if they had been forced to move to the city.
Thinking about that, Aunt Lao became even more pissed off. Anyway, she still felt pleased. The harsher Mrs. Hua had become, the better proof it was to show that they were so jealous of people living in Fan Hua Private Mansion. Ha ha⌠Who asked them to persistently move out of Fan Hua Town? It was good, wasnât it? If they hadnât gone, she would have been annoyed a lot. He Yuan now was protected by Private Mansion and the union of villagers who loved the town. They would never let that old hag destroy their homes!
In the afternoon of the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, a group of women gathered in the kitchen of the main house in Fan Hua Private Mansion. They were happily talking while wrapping zongzi. The air was so lively and pleasant.
âWhy do we need so many zongzis today?â Si Chong had some free time and he heard the noise in the kitchen, which was suspicious to him, so he slipped there to check. As he was the friendliest and liveliest among the three, after quitting his assassin career, he had established Guangci House â an intelligence organization, and he earned himself more free time.
âAh, is that you, Third Master Si? How did you make time to come to the kitchen today?â Aunt Tian warmly welcomed Si Chong when she saw the man standing by the kitchen door, leisurely watching them. Third Master Si was the title the women had given him after he had introduced himself. Talking about age, he ranked third among the four brothers. Si Luo was three months younger than him.
âI saw you busy wrapping zongzi so I came to see.â Si Chong pursed his lips and smiled.
âThird Master, Guye asked the kitchen to make many zongzis to give to the various shops. Guangci House has sent people to deliver them. These will go to the pickle shop.â The executive chef of the kitchen explained smilingly.
âGuye instructed?â Si Chong arched his brow. Ha⌠It must be a plan that his wife had come up with to earn peopleâs favor. Otherwise, with Si Lingâs ruthless temperament, how could he come up with such an idea?
âThird Master, you must try the zongzis this year! We added more varieties this year!â The female chef brought a zongzi to the stove.
âOf course.â Si Chong smiled and nodded to the busy women. He left the kitchen, heading to Lin Si Yaoâs courtyard.
When he was about to pass the gate, he heard the hurried footsteps. Being a good prankster, he decided to hide in the flower bush behind.
âI told you, heâs just a customer. What more do you want me to say?â An anxious female voice came running from a far distance. âItâs been so long and youâre finally back. Please, donât be mad at meâŚâ The voice weakly subsided.
âIâm not.â A stiff voice sounded. Heaven, itâs Si Luo! Since when did he get a girlfriend? That voice sounds like the second manager of Yue Yun Embroidery House! Si Chong held his breath, his body stiff. Then, he caught Si Luoâs sharp eye.
Then, the man turned around to scoop Jiang Ying Yun, who was chasing after him to explain, walking back to his room.
âWow⌠Luo⌠I feel really dizzy in this position!â
âShut up!â
â
âTsk tsk⌠How marvelous! Thereâs actually a woman in this world that could touch that guyâs heartâŚâ Among the four brothers with the name Si in Feng Yao Court, only him was left lonely. Although Si Tuo didnât admit it, his happy relationship with Jian Yue â Xue Liâs guard â was about to be fulfilled. And now, even Si Luo got a girl. It seemed he must try harder. He would never let himself rank last. It would affect his reputation as the Master of Guangci House!