Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 324: Zheng Family Carpentry Shop

Chapter 324: Chapter 324: Zheng Family Carpentry Shop

"Anise fennel?" The servant was taken aback.

He knew what it was.

It was the Western Region spice that had become popular recently!

A package that size, wouldn’t it cost at least ten or twenty taels of silver?

"Hmm." Qingyan lowered his eyes, smiling faintly as he looked at the neatly wrapped thin linen package in his hand.

It seemed that his calculations had been off.

After seeing off Hu San and Qingyan, Nanzhi was eager to take the key and go to the courtyard next door for a look.

The small courtyard had been vacant for some time, and she had only taken a brief tour with Qingyan and Hu San before paying the silver.

Now that the courtyard was hers, she naturally wanted to take a good look at it.

The small courtyard was long and narrow, with some bamboo planted along one wall, isolating it from the adjacent shop. It might seem a bit messy on an ordinary day, but Nanzhi liked what she saw.

The two rooms, despite being vacant for some time, were still in good condition. They were just a bit dusty and would be ready to use after a simple clean-up. However, due to the narrowness of the yard, building a staircase would be challenging and would require some planning.

The back of the courtyard faced the back of Sanwei Residence, which was another satisfactory point for Nanzhi.

She could open a small door in the courtyard wall, allowing for direct access from Sanwei Residence into the yard for serving dishes and such.

Lin Shougui was lounging in the carpentry shop, eating cakes and swinging his legs leisurely when he saw Nanzhi coming over.

"Fatty, what brings you here?" Lin Shougui sat up cheerfully, bringing over a small stool for Nanzhi to sit on.

"Dad, I have a job for you." Nanzhi giggled, kneading his shoulder.

If things were strange, there must be mischief, thought Lin Shougui. He gave his daughter a suspicious look, not agreeing immediately but instead asked, "What are you up to now?"

"Oh, nothing big. I just bought a courtyard and would like you and my brothers to help me build a two-level staircase there." Nanzhi didn’t dare speak too loudly, mumbling a little.

Lin Shougui was a bit taken aback, looking at the person massaging his shoulder and back, confirming that it was indeed his daughter, before asking, "You bought a courtyard?"

"Yes."

Nanzhi was a bit guilty.

After paying salary to the workers and the tax this month, there was still a profit of more than two hundred taels.

She had taken one hundred and seventy taels or so for herself, and it was because of this sum of money that she had been bold enough to buy the courtyard.

Based on the current earnings, as long as she could keep the cold drink shop running, she would be able to recover the investment within three months.

"You think your father is omnipotent?" Lin Shougui sneered.

Though he had some talent for carpentry, there was still a lot he hadn’t fully learned yet. Did his daughter really take him for someone who could do anything?

"What do you need a staircase for?"

Nanzhi was a bit guilty under the suspicious eyes of her father. "You know about my women’s floor incident, right? I thought after buying that courtyard, I could build a staircase leading directly from there to the women’s floor. This way, when female guests want to come to eat or drink in the future, they can just go through the courtyard without being disturbed by drunk male guests."

Lin Shougui furrowed his brows, he was, of course, aware of his daughter’s women’s floor incident.

Nanzhi’s idea was feasible, but he didn’t know what the yard looked like.

Even for him, this was a bit difficult. After all, the staircase was not for personal use in the village. Since his daughter intended to use it for business and catering to female guests, it needed to be well made.

"Fatty, why don’t you try finding someone else?" Lin Shougui didn’t dare to agree casually, since this would affect his daughter’s business. He couldn’t take it lightly.

"Dad, are you not up for it?" Nanzhi was inevitably disappointed.

Her father and two brothers were very skilled at their craft now, and the designs of their carvings were beautiful. Otherwise, the Liao family’s young mistress wouldn’t have commissioned them to make her dowry furniture.

If her father was unwilling, she really didn’t know who else she could ask.

"Look, there is a Zhèng’s Carpentry Shop on the northern end of this street. You could go ask Master Zheng." Lin Shougui took another piece of Osmanthus Cake and pointed down the street.

If they were good at making furniture and rocking beds, Master Zheng was a master of building houses.

This job should be left to him.

Nodding her head, Nanzhi gave her father another shoulder rub before heading in the direction he pointed out.

After sending Nanzhi on her way, Lin Shougui laid back down, holding a piece of Osmanthus Cake in one hand and a bowl of tea in the other, eating contentedly.

Life had been tough in Stone Village. For most of the year, they could only enjoy sweet food during festivals. When the children were small, they had to share with them; when the children grew up, they had grandchildren. But now, things were good. He could have whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

And things were good at home, too.

Ah, he remembered Auntie Zhuang at home.

Lin Shougui’s previously good mood suddenly soured. Somehow, the Osmanthus Cake in his hand didn’t seem so delicious anymore.

He had to find a way to get rid of her. Otherwise, she would surely mess up the house.

Nanzhi, following her father’s instructions, arrived at Zhèng’s Carpentry Shop.

Master Zheng was in his forties, a bit younger than Lin Shougui. When he saw someone enter, he just lifted his eyelids, said nothing and kept working.

Being ignored like this, Nanzhi felt a bit awkward. She figured he might be busy, so she waited quietly on one side.

About fifteen minutes later, Master Zheng finally spoke, "What can I do for you?"

Hearing Master Zheng speak, Nanzhi hurriedly stated her purpose. "I’d like Master Zheng to build a staircase for me."

Master Zheng lifted his eyes, no longer messing with the thing in his hand. "Repair or construct? How high, how big, and what materials?"

Nanzhi was a bit stunned at the flood of questions, and replied as best she could, "I was hoping you could build a new one on the outside. I’ll need some high-quality materials. As for how high or big, could you please come have a look and see what’s possible?"

Upon hearing her, Master Zheng took interest and finally put down his work to stand up.

"Which family’s girl are you? Never mind, lead the way. I’ll go have a look."

Since the arrival of the Lin Family’s Carpentry Shop on the street, business had been a bit slow. Even though he wasn’t too keen on making things like dressing tables, he still needed to make a living. He noticed that this girl looked a bit like the Lins, and hoped they weren’t of the same family.

"Right."

Nanzhi didn’t reveal her family background, simply leading him to the courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, Master Zheng couldn’t help frowning slightly. The layout of the yard was a little strange.

"Master Zheng, I’m thinking of building a staircase here to connect the three floors directly. What do you think?"

Nanzhi pointed in a certain direction, and Master Zheng followed her pointing finger, letting out a soft ’tsk’ sound.

This was a big project.

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