“What did they say?” Gu Yundong’s brows furrowed deeply as she listened, her expression turning stern.

Feng Daneng felt especially sorry, unable to even lift his head to meet her gaze. “The Peng family said that those blueprints belong to them, that we stole them. So they won’t allow anyone to build the house shown in the blueprints. If anyone dares to build it, they’ll have the house demolished.”

Gu Yundong let out a sarcastic laugh. “That’s really domineering. My own drawings, my own desired house, not only were they taken by someone else, but I’m also not allowed to build it.”

How audacious! How capable! Why doesn’t he just ascend to the heavens?

Feng Daneng felt extremely guilty, but he couldn’t overturn the situation.

The Peng family were local tyrants, and this sort of thing wasn’t their first time doing it. In the eyes of wealthy and influential families like them, taking someone else’s hard work as their own wasn’t anything surprising.

For ordinary folks like them without connections or backing, they weren’t even given a second thought.

Not to mention just a few blueprints drawn by herself, even some ancestral trade secrets had been swindled away for profit or even at the risk of life.

What could one achieve by complaining? Even if they dared to, whether the authorities would support them wasn’t certain, and they might face retaliation later on.

“Yundong, it’s my fault,” Feng Daneng regretted deeply not locking the box earlier, which would have prevented it from being stolen by Changfu. “But the Peng family isn’t easy to deal with. Your family still has your mother and younger siblings to consider. If we build a tile-roofed house similar to the village chief’s, how about that? I’ll spare no effort, and you won’t have to pay a penny. This time, it’s my fault, but whenever you need my help, I won’t refuse.”

Although Gu Yundong also felt that Feng Daneng had been too careless, the real culprits were Changfu and Peng Zhongfei.

In fact, her blueprints weren’t particularly valuable, but they were novel. Perhaps the internal structure of the house adopted some modern elements, but strictly speaking, they weren’t her original creation.

If the Peng family wanted to build such a house, then let them. She wouldn’t stop them, nor did she care if it was exactly the same as hers.

But why did they steal her blueprints and forbid her from building? Did they think they were the king of heaven?

Gu Yundong sneered. “I’ve decided to build it anyway, Feng Daneng. Let everyone continue working according to the original blueprints.”

Feng Daneng was surprised. “Yundong, you…”

“It’s my own thing, and I’ll personally take it back!”

Her things were stolen, so was she supposed to just swallow her anger? That’s not how it works.

Feng Daneng was extremely worried. “Yundong, the Peng family might not even fear the county magistrate.”

When he returned home yesterday, he heard from Liu Guihua about the incident with the four young thieves, and he even suspected that Gu Yundong might know the county magistrate.

Therefore, he thought Gu Yundong dared to be so tough because she relied on the county magistrate’s influence.

“I know,” Gu Yundong said, but she still didn’t change her mind.

County magistrates come and go, but local gentry are different. Nobody wants to offend them.

“I’ll go to the county town now,” Gu Yundong turned back to the house, and when she came out again, she carried a small bundle in her hand, unsure of its contents.

Seeing Feng Daneng still standing there, she urged him, “You go and let everyone continue working.”

Feng Daneng pursed his lips, and his eyes gradually became firm. “This is my negligence. I’ll… I’ll accompany you.”

Gu Yundong looked at him in surprise, thought for a moment, then nodded. “Let’s go.”

With that, she strode forward, and Feng Daneng hurried to catch up.

However, as they had only walked a short distance, a figure emerged stealthily from behind the woodpile near the house.