Chapter 067 – The Empty House

Moving house might be a huge hassle for most people, but not for Li Yuan.

Yan Yu insisted on taking the flowers from the backyard and even that lone apricot tree, barely enough to make the ox-cart’s cargo hold feel even slightly cramped.

Hong Gang and Lan Gang had eagerly volunteered to help with the move, but now they dared not linger, afraid that any extra attention might give Li Yuan the impression they perceived him as being poor and miserly.

“That’s all there is,” Li Yuan said with a clap of his hands. “Thank you both for your help.”

Nearby, Yan Yu strolled along arm in arm with her close friend, the proprietress.

Leaning in to whisper in Yan Yu’s ear, the proprietress said, “Please let Young Master Li know that tomorrow I’ll arrange for an ox cart to deliver some essential items to your new home.”

Yan Yu cast a sidelong glance at her friend. Slight in stature, delicate, and quietly intelligent, she was in stark contrast to the proprietress, who was tall, curvaceous, and ever so understanding.

In simple terms, the proprietress had more to offer. She was bigger in frame, had longer legs, and a presence that couldn’t be ignored.

“What are you looking at?” the proprietress teased softly.

Yan Yu laughed. “Just admiring my beautiful sister.”

A smile instantly spread across the proprietress’s face as she waved a dismissive hand. “Oh please, who’s more beautiful? You’re famous for your looks.”

“Really? I’m famous?”

“They say around town that you’re as fair as a goddess and a model wife, so devoted that the maid is an old widowed mother.”

Hearing this, Yan Yu burst into giggles.

“What’s so funny?” the proprietress asked curiously.

Yan Yu tiptoed closer, leaning in to murmur something in her friend’s ear.

Somewhere nearby, Li Yuan caught snippets of their hushed words, something about tonight and him being a brute. He called out, “Yan Yu, we should get going. It’s getting dark.”

Yan Yu waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t rush. Big Sis and I have agreed to deliver some more furniture to our new home tomorrow.”

Li Yuan turned his head toward the proprietress. She met his gaze openly, nodding slightly, her flushed, smiling face betraying a hint of bashfulness.

Li Yuan smiled back and said, “Great, then I’ll leave it in your capable hands, Big Sis!”

“Ah, Young Master Li,” the proprietress paused, looking a bit stunned. But then she simply shook her head with a wry smile, deciding not to fuss over things like differences in status and forms of address. “I’ll arrange for the ox cart to be at the gate of the Blood Blade Sect by tomorrow afternoon. Please confirm with your people inside the inner district so that it can gain entry.”

“Sure, no problem,” Li Yuan replied, and a brief silence fell over the group.

The proprietress lowered her gaze, revealing only the gentle rise and fall of her bosom. Meanwhile, with a swift flick of her hand, Yan Yu said, “See you tomorrow.”

The proprietress looked up then and replied, “See you tomorrow.”

Li Yuan hauled Yan Yu onto the ox cart while Hong Gang and Lan Gang steered their cart back. Once inside the inner district, Li Yuan flashed his identification token; the indifferent guards glanced at it, then at him, before letting them through.

Hong Gang and Lan Gang drove through the south gate, turned east, and soon arrived at a luxurious estate. The keys and other essentials had already been laid out on a table inside.

The two maids from Zhao Chunxin’s household unloaded the belongings, while Auntie Wang took her two small children to tidy up the place.

The house, already spotless upon handover, boasted brand-new wooden beds, cupboards, tables, and chairs.

After a flurry of activity that lasted nearly until midnight, everything was in place. Even the apricot tree had been replanted in fresh soil.

Once Hong Gang and Lan Gang took their leave, Li Yuan, accompanied by Yan Yu, Auntie Wang, and the two little ones, toured the new residence.

The estate, labeled 38, was situated in the southeast part of the inner district. To the east, it bordered Silver Creek, and just a few steps from the door, one could reach the lakeside. As night fell, the lake breeze, laden with mist, carried a uniquely soothing quality.

Not far to the south, by passing between the vacant houses numbered 41 and 42, one could exit through the south gate and easily reach the commercial center in the outer district.

The estate was divided into three courtyards—the outer yard, the inner hall, and a women’s quarter.

The outer yard featured a spacious reception hall, a dining hall, a training ground, and a row of side rooms along the gate, which appeared to be for the guards. The inner hall was styled like a garden, complete with flower beds, rockeries, a study, and two vacant rooms that the owner could put to use as desired. The women’s quarter was elegantly designed, with a central pavilion for the matriarch, flanked on both sides by rows of rooms similar to those in the outer yard, intended for maids and close relatives.

“This estate is enormous! With just the two of us here, it feels so empty,” Yan Yu sighed, her bright eyes scanning the vacant rooms.

A chill wind swept through the gaps in the rockeries, door cracks, window frames, and branches, producing eerie, whistling sounds. Moonlight streamed through the openings, spilling in through the open doors and casting shifting shadows across the space, making the grandeur seem both stark and haunted.

At that point, it wasn’t just a matter of whether to hire maids. It was almost non-negotiable. Without them, the place would feel uncomfortably deserted, even turning this luxurious estate into a ghostly shell.

Before Li Yuan could comment, Yan Yu declared, “Husband, we really need to hire some maids.”

Li Yuan didn’t object but replied, “You choose them.”

“No, you choose them...” Yan Yu protested.

Auntie Wang interrupted, “Master, Madam, I-I'll go boil some water first.”

Li Yuan said, “Alright, Auntie Wang. Once the water’s ready, please take Xiao Sheng and Niu Niu over to the west wing of the women’s quarter and pick whichever room they like.”

“Yes,” Auntie Wang answered.

Noticing her hesitation, Li Yuan teased, “Auntie Wang, this place is quite large, so you might find grocery shopping a bit inconvenient. Just try to get used to it, okay?”

Auntie Wang hurriedly protested, “No, no, no...it’s not that at all. It’s just...to be honest, I feel like I’m dreaming. I never imagined I’d live in a house like this, in a place like this...”

Li Yuan laughed. “You’ve been with Yan Yu and me for a long time. In the future, if any new maids are a bit reserved, that’s normal. Why should you be? Make yourself at home.”

Immediately, Auntie Wang dropped to her knees with the two little ones, saying, “Thank you, thank you...”

In the old shanty quarters, her gratitude and sense of duty had kept her in a servant’s role. But now, seeing Li Yuan’s rise in status in this grand estate, she felt wholeheartedly determined to serve loyally.

Helping them up, Li Yuan asked, “And what about you, Xiao Sheng and Niu Niu? What are Auntie Wang’s plans for you two?”

“They’ll naturally follow me and serve you both for life,” Auntie Wang replied.

After a moment’s thought, Li Yuan said, “I’d like them to learn some martial arts. Yan Yu, whenever you’re free, teach them that skill, and give them a bit more meat to help them train.”

Auntie Wang gathered the two children close, thanking him once more.

Moments later, only Li Yuan and Yan Yu remained. They sat together in the vast, empty courtyard of the estate. The rooms were dark and eerie, almost unsettling.

Yan Yu shifted her hips onto Li Yuan’s lap and snuggled into his embrace like a little bird. Gazing up at the moon, she teased, “Husband, why not take another woman?”

“Why bring that up all of a sudden?” Li Yuan asked.

“I worry one woman won’t be enough to keep you satisfied. Besides, you’re Young Master Li. Shouldn’t a great man like you have more than just one?”

“Yan Yu, I told you not to get upset,” he replied.

“You really do treat your wife so well...” she murmured.

“If I really wanted another woman, couldn’t I just get a maid?” he quipped.

“Oh...” Yan Yu rolled her eyes, a hint of irritation in her tone. “Are you planning to pack the west wing full of maids so they can keep you company every night?”

“Not exactly...”

Yan Yu fell silent for a moment, as if mulling over her thoughts.

Li Yuan held her close, whispering sweet nothings in her ear until she giggled again. Then, turning around to wrap her arms around his neck, she softly asked, “What about my best friend?”

“The proprietress?” Li Yuan questioned.

“Yes. If you take her, it’s like acquiring her entire family’s business. Then, whether you’re aiming to earn money, procure goods, or even scout new channels beyond the county, you’d have your own power base.

“Big Sis has known you since before you made your fortune, and she’s been on her own all these years. If you take her, given your talents, how could she ever be unhappy? She’d be utterly devoted to you.

“And most importantly, she...” Yan Yu’s voice trailed off.

Before long, the courtyard was filled with the sound of moans and giggles, and even the breeze seemed too shy to eavesdrop on such an intimate moment.