After comforting her grandfather and asking Haohao and Xiaobo to accompany their great-grandfather, Tian Jing left the main house. Ah Guang informed her that the young lady had already left with that man.
"Don't mind her," Tian Jing waved her hand. "Send out all the bedding from the east wing and Xu Ma's room. It's best to find someone with a tricycle to help. Rent both the tricycle and the driver, and we'll start moving tomorrow."
"Moving?"
"Do your job and don't ask questions."
"Yes."
In the evening, Li Zhengguo returned, his face beaming, only to hear the upsetting news. "Tiantian, is it Chen Yaoshi, not Chen Guangfu?"
Tian Jing shook her head. "No matter who it is, they and their son are definitely of one mind. When Xiao Wei said she wanted to give the child in her womb to Chen Yaoshi, something flashed through my mind, but I couldn't grasp it."
Li Zhengguo held his wife's hand. "No matter what, we'll face it together. Life or death, I'll be with you."
"Okay."
"Wife, look." Li Zhengguo took out the property ownership certificates he had brought back. "These are eight ordinary single-story courtyards."
"Eight ordinary courtyards? Not that many." Tian Jing pushed her worries aside, took the certificates, and looked them over. "Where are these?"
Li Zhengguo smiled. "Behind the International Hotel, facing Nanxiao Street, the site of what will be the most famous office building in the future."
"I've already entrusted them to my comrade's management and told him to buy any adjacent courtyards he sees for sale."
"This plot of land is, as far as I know, the most valuable piece of land within the Second Ring Road. If possible, I plan to acquire it all."
"That sounds great. How much did you buy them for?"
"Forty-five hundred. I gave the remaining eighteen thousand yuan to my comrade."
"You converted it all into cash?"
"Yes, I exchanged it at twenty-six per gram."
Tian Jing didn't press further about whether this comrade was reliable. Zhengguo wasn't naive and didn't need her reminders.
"You go and book the train tickets tomorrow. Don't forget to inform those three masters. Give Ah Guang the key and address of the courtyard in the front gate and tell him to bring people to move the old furniture tomorrow."
"Mhmm."
…
The next day was a busy one. Originally, Grandpa Xiao had thought they would live in this courtyard for a long time, so he had asked Xiao Shuyuan to collect a lot of old furniture from various households to fill the rooms. Now they had to move it all again.
However, Tian Jing happily comforted her grandfather, saying, "This old furniture will be antiques in the future, so it's worth it no matter how tired we are."
Grandpa Xiao's eyes crinkled into a smile.
Li Zhengguo booked nine sleeper tickets for the next day and notified the construction masters. After sending an urgent telegram home from the post and telecommunications office, he sent Grandpa Xiao's car to his comrade to sell and hurried back to pack and move furniture. All rooms were emptied except for a few people's beds and the dining room.
Looking at the rooms as empty as when they had first taken possession, Xiao Shuyuan smiled. "Little lady isn't losing out at all, is she?"
Losing out? Not even a little. When Xiao Xueqi came to take over the property, she had extended her hand, "Compensation for the tea set, one thousand yuan, thank you."
Xiao Xueqi's mouth twitched as if he were having a stroke. "Jingjing, a set of high-quality celadon teaware doesn't cost a thousand yuan!"
Tian Jing shook her head. "That's for others. For me, it's this price because it's Grandpa's favorite tea set, it has emotional value and commemorative significance."
"Now there's only one teapot and two cups left. He's heartbroken that the other six teacups were smashed to pieces."
Xiao Xueqi felt something was amiss.
Tian Jing didn't give him time to think. "Pay or leave. It hasn't been three days yet. Come back this afternoon to take over the property."
Xiao Xueqi thought Tian Jing was letting him off the hook and turned to leave, but a voice called from behind, "When you come to take over the property this afternoon, remember to bring money."
"Of course, if you can't afford to pay, buying a set of high-quality celadon teaware as compensation is also acceptable."
Xiao Xueqi almost tripped. He had only mentioned buying a set of high-quality celadon teaware, which wouldn't cost a thousand yuan, not that he would compensate with it! To avoid giving Tian Jing any more excuses to delay handing over the property, Xiao Xueqi came with a tea set after lunch.
Li Zhengguo and Ah Guang were carrying the dining table and chairs. Tian Jing, holding her daughter and accompanied by her two sons, sat with her grandfather under the covered corridor.
Xiao Xueqi inspected every room before going to the third courtyard. To his surprise, a woman was tying up chickens and vegetables there.
"These… you can't take these on the train, can you?"
"I know. They're for the train driver's family."
Willing to give them to outsiders rather than leave them behind? Xiao Xueqi felt a pang of injustice. He went back to the inner courtyard and asked Tian Jing, "Do you have to be so ruthless?"
Tian Jing sneered. "Touch your conscience and ask that question again."
All the items were moved. The tricycle driver, full of gratitude, accepted the fare and two chickens and several bundles of vegetables. Tian Jing waved her hand, and the small stools they had been sitting on were also given by Ah Guang to the tricycle driver. She wouldn't let these scumbags use anything her husband had casually made.
The tricycle driver pushed the tricycle away. "Wait a moment. I'll take these things home and come back immediately to take the old man to the train station."
…
A dilapidated tricycle, piled high with bundles of various sizes and colors. In the middle of the bundles sat a spirited old man, with two infants beside him and another infant in his arms. Several men and women followed, like guards escorting the old man on his journey. It was inexplicably amusing.
Xiao Xueqi watched the convoy leave with a smile, but as he smiled, the smile faded. A spirited old man? Had his third uncle recovered? Damn it! He wanted to chase after them, but then he stopped. What would he do if he chased them? Question them? Question his third uncle about why he was fine? Turning back to the empty courtyard, from which even the unruly roses on the wall were gone, Xiao Xueqi felt an emptiness and panic in his heart. He quickly locked the courtyard and returned to the hotel.
…
At the train station square, after unloading all the bundles, the driver left in his tricycle. The three masters and apprentices from the construction team were already waiting in the square. Li Zhengguo called them over to help with the moving. With the addition of these three, Li Zhengguo's group could move all their luggage into the waiting room in one go.
Grandpa Xiao pulled at his two great-grandsons. Tian Jing, who had "packed" her daughter again onto her chest, carried food and followed behind, protecting them, while everyone else's hands were full. They didn't wait long in the waiting room before their train was announced. Li Zhengguo carried his two sons on his shoulders and held two fragile bundles, protecting his wife from behind. Grandpa Xiao watched with satisfaction; this was the model of a good husband and father. As it was the starting station and a sleeper car, boarding was easy.
Were they in three rows of upper and lower bunks? Tian Jing glanced suspiciously at her husband. Li Zhengguo mouthed two words to her. Scalpers? Tian Jing was stunned for a moment before understanding. At this time, ticket scalpers were rampant, and without paying extra to a scalper, it would be impossible to get consecutively numbered tickets so easily.
After a peaceful thirty-odd hours, they got off the train early on the third morning. As soon as they exited the station, they were met by Li Liguo, who had been waiting for a long time. Li Liguo excitedly patted his brother on the shoulder. "You're finally back. The village is in chaos…"
"We'll talk when we get back," Li Zhengguo interrupted his elder brother. "This is Tiantian's grandfather. Beside Grandpa is the steward, Uncle Xiao, Uncle Xiao's son, Ah Guang, the cook, Ah Feng. And the other three are Master Zhao, who was invited to build the courtyard, and his two apprentices."
Li Liguo quickly greeted Grandpa Xiao. "Hello, Grandpa. You must have had a tiring journey."
"Good, good. Thank you for picking us up."
"No problem, no problem. I come to the provincial capital often."
Grandpa Xiao, Tian Jing, and the three children sat in the cab, while everyone else got into the rear carriage. As the large truck stopped by the Ku River, it was surrounded by a group of people, startling Grandpa Xiao.