There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 56 Residential Completion

As usual, Li Shuchen paid a deposit of fifty taels of silver.

Kong the craftsman directed them to haul load after load of red tiles.

Li Shuchen plans to replace all the tiles.

But not with bricks; you just need to patch up the missing or broken ones.

The group followed Li Shuchen, who led the way, pulling their belongings along.

Li Shuchen entered the house and tried calling out "Dad" and "Mom" again, but no one answered.

Well, he went out to play again. I don't even know what time he came back last night, and he didn't say a word to her. Oh well, what can she do with parents like these? She'll just have to live with it.

Still supervised by grape growers

Li Shuchen went out to buy items: new tables, chairs, benches, screens, cabinets, desks, lamp stands, lamp bases, flower arrangements, curtains, incense burners, and two dressing tables.

I also bought a rocking chair, which is nice for lying in the sun and cooling off.

These cost a total of sixty taels of silver, which was really not cheap.

The shopkeeper arranged for someone to escort Li Shuchen back to his residence and also helped with the tidying up.

It took most of the day to finally put all these items away.

Li Shuchen offered them tea, and the craftsmen also...

As the day draws to a close, the brick and tile work is completed.

The more Li Shuchen looked at the residence, the more he liked it. "Okay, well done."

Li Shuchen paid the remaining balance, and the craftsmen all went home.

Tomorrow she'll tidy up the yard, add some small decorations, and then the house will be fully renovated.

I'm exhausted today, and tomorrow will be another busy day. Time to sleep; I can dream about anything.

Early one morning, Li Shuchen once again stepped into Kong's craftsman shop.

Kong the craftsman finished his jade carving and was wiping it with a cloth. Li Shuchen recognized the animal as a Pixiu, holding a copper coin in its mouth, its entire body a vibrant green.

The item was about the size of two palms, and Li Shuchen liked it very much. He asked the craftsman Kong, "How much silver does this item cost?"

Craftsman Kong: "This Pixiu has already been reserved by someone else."

Li Shuchen said with some disappointment, "Is that so?"

Fine

The craftsman, Kong, asked, "Is the young lady planning to create a landscape today?"

Li Shuchen: "Exactly."

Craftsman Kong: "There are many scenic spots in the backyard. Miss Li, you may choose one if you wish."

Upon hearing this, Li Shuchen nodded: "Yes, it is necessary."

Kong the craftsman accompanied Li Shuchen to the backyard.

The backyard is a breathtaking sight, densely packed yet not cluttered, demonstrating the skill of craftsman Kong in landscaping.

Li Shuchen chose two potted Chinese pines, a large artificial rockery, and a large maple tree, the trunk of which was just the right size to make a swing.

Li Shuchen also bought a lot of pebbles, flowers and plants.

The pond in the yard has dried up completely; we need to buy some lotus flowers.

I bought a lot of things here and there, and the total cost was sixty taels of silver. The main items were the beautiful pine tree, the large artificial mountain, and the large maple tree, which were all very expensive.

Li Shuchen paid for the scenery and asked, "How much silver do the craftsmen need to tidy up the courtyard for me today?"

Craftsman Kong: "The scenery the young lady has chosen is simple and not troublesome; it only requires one hundred taels of silver."

Li Shuchen calculated the money; it was ten taels of silver over the limit, but it wasn't a big problem.

Li Shuchen still paid a deposit of fifty taels of silver first.

Kong the craftsman selected seven people to load all the goods onto the cart. After loading...

Kong, the craftsman, led the horse: "Let's go, Miss Li."

Li Shuchen looked at Craftsman Kong; she hadn't expected him to be away from the mountains so much, but it turned out he was busy with landscaping.

The craftsman, Kong, explained, "There are some things they can't do well yet, so I have to do them."

Li Shuchen replied, "It saves money."

The group arrived at the Li residence.

The craftsman, Kong, surveyed the entire residence and nodded; his apprentices had all done a good job.

He then asked Li Shuchen, "Miss Li, how would you like the set design?"

Li Shuchen felt that the scenery craftsman Kong created was definitely better than hers, after all, craftsman Kong was a professional, while she wasn't even an amateur.

Li Shuchen: "Craftsman Kong can use his skills freely; I have faith in his abilities."

The craftsman Kong nodded: "Since Miss Li trusts me, I will make the decision myself."

Craftsman Kong and his men first cleared away the weeds in the yard, and then turned over the soil.

The fallen leaves in the pool were also cleaned up.

Craftsman Kong first planted the large maple tree in the southeast corner. After planting the tree, he planted some flowers and plants next to it.

Li Shuchen: "I want to build a swing under this tree."

Craftsman Kong: "Sure, all you need is a wooden board."

Li Shuchen found a rectangular wooden board in some corner; it was quite sturdy.

The craftsman drilled holes in the wooden board, tied one end of a rope to the maple tree trunk, and the other end to the wooden board.

A simple swing is now complete.

There was a pavilion in the southwest corner, and craftsman Kong and his men planted many flowers around it.

Next, work on the other two corners and plant some flowers and plants.

Then, cobblestone paths were laid, leading from the doors of each room to the central pool, forming four paths in total.

The craftsman Kong placed the artificial hill in the center of the pond, made some modifications to it, and added some flowers and plants to it.

While the craftsman Kong was repairing the artificial hill, Li Shuchen returned to the inn and retrieved twenty taels of silver. On his way back, he encountered a vendor selling koi and goldfish, and bought six koi, many goldfish, and some fish food.

After Li Shuchen returned

The artificial hill was finished, and craftsman Kong had water poured into the pond, causing a waterfall to flow from the hill, creating a truly ethereal scene.

Li Shuchen stood there staring for a long time, still not understanding the principle.

Craftsman Kong then transplanted the lotus flowers that Li Shuchen had bought into the pond.

Li Shuchen secretly scattered some lotus seeds, produced by Xiao Jizi.

Then they added koi and goldfish.

Craftsman Kong moved the remaining two potted pine trees to the north side of the pond, on both sides of the road.

Kong the craftsman led a group to fix the minor details, while Li Shuchen and Grape strolled around the courtyard, even swinging on the swings for a while. It was quite pleasant.

The courtyard scenery is well-arranged and pleasing to the eye; overall, it was worth the money.

After everything was arranged, Li Shuchen readily paid the remaining balance, saying, "Craftsman Kong's skills are excellent; I am very satisfied."

Kong the craftsman laughed heartily: "If Miss Li needs anything, she can always contact me."

Li Shuchen: Okay

After seeing off craftsman Kong, it was nearly dusk. Li Shuchen returned to her room and practiced calligraphy for a while. The environment was pleasant, and her mood was also good, so her calligraphy looked exceptionally beautiful.

She had almost finished writing and it was time to feed the fish. Li Shuchen stepped out of the room and saw that her parents were already feeding the fish.

Today is unusual; my parents came home exceptionally early.

As Mrs. Li fed the fish, she remarked, "These fish are so beautiful."

Master Li chimed in, "She is quite beautiful, but no matter how beautiful she is, she can't compare to my wife."

Li Shuchen watched them, and they continued their display of affection. It turned out that all her hard work had turned into a stage for her parents to flirt.

Master Li asked, "Madam, are you tired from feeding the fish? Shall I give you a push on the swing to rest?"

Mrs. Li replied, "That's for children."

As Mr. Li pulled his wife toward the swing, he said, "Madam is not that old, what's wrong with swinging? We used to swing all the time."

Mr. Li carefully pushed Mrs. Li on the swing, the two of them deeply affectionate and in perfect harmony.

Watching this scene, Li Shuchen thought, "I'm too old, my heart is weary, I can't handle it."

She doesn't have to feed the fish, nor can she go swing on the swing.

She should go back to practicing calligraphy.

Li Shuchen returned to his room and had just picked up a pen to write a single character when Li Lingxiao's voice came from inside.

"Sister"