Chapter 18: House Structure

Madam Zhou was the eldest daughter of a prominent family in Peach Blossom County. Her family made their fortune in the textile and tea trade, and over the generations, their influence and experience gradually expanded into other industries.

The Li family, headed by Master Li, was the wealthiest in Peach Blossom County. Their business spanned across the southern regions of the Great Yu Kingdom, dealing in various sectors. The Li family had two daughters and two sons. Madam Zhou was the eldest, named Li Tingyu, followed by her younger sister Li Tingshu, her third brother Li Huai, and her youngest brother Li Zhou. It was Li Zhou who specialized in the construction business.

Despite the family’s vast wealth, Li Zhou was never interested in managing the family business. From a young age, he preferred tinkering with construction projects. Over time, the family stopped insisting that he take on a more traditional role.

As Lin Nuo became closer to Madam Zhou, she gradually learned more about the love, hate, and complex relationships within the Zhou family.

Madam Zhou sent a servant to fetch Li Zhou from the county magistrate’s residence. The couple then escorted Lin Nuo back to the county government office.

In the end, the meal wasn’t eaten. The group decided to return and personally host Lin Nuo.

After a quarter-hour’s ride in the carriage, they arrived at the magistrate’s residence. The couple warmly welcomed Lin Nuo inside.

Upon entering, she was greeted with a view of pavilions and terraces, ponds and pavilions, surrounded by green pines and cypress trees. There were rockeries and flower beds, bonsai, and climbing vines, all beautifully arranged.

Turning east, they passed through a corridor and arrived at the main hall, a grand courtyard with an impressive central building and two side rooms with mountain-like roofs. The building was grand and magnificent, with an intricate design that spanned several paths.

They took a left turn, then another right, and arrived at the main hall.

Madam Zhou gently guided Lin Nuo to sit down. “Sister, please rest for a moment. Dinner will be ready soon.”

Then, noticing that she had addressed Lin Nuo as “sister” despite their age difference, Madam Zhou looked at her with a slightly embarrassed expression. “I hope you don’t mind me calling you sister. I just feel like you’re a little younger than me.”

Lin Nuo quickly waved her hand and smiled. “Of course not! It’s a blessing for me to have another sister. How could I mind?”

“Thank you, sister,” she said, calling Madam Zhou “sister” warmly.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Madam Zhou responded with a smile.

The meal was eventually served, and everyone ate happily, with the hosts and guest thoroughly enjoying each other’s company.

Soon after, Li Zhou arrived. After a brief introduction, they began discussing the details of the house construction.

Lin Nuo took out the blueprint she had drawn. The drawing method was unfamiliar to everyone, but it was simple and clear to understand.

It was essentially a modern-style sketch, though this technique was unknown in this era.

The blueprint was for a traditional courtyard house, though Lin Nuo had expanded the rooms. Each room included a bathing area, as she was accustomed to bathing every night and wanted to have a bathroom within each room.

She also separately planned for two outhouses, one for men and one for women.

In the center of the courtyard, she planned to dig a small pond and later create a miniature rockery. Fish would be kept in the pond, and it would also help maintain humidity in the environment.

Around the outside of the courtyard, she planned to plant a row of bamboo along with pear trees and osmanthus trees.

After hearing all of this, Li Zhou had a rough estimate of the costs.

He was the first to speak, “The cost for the bricks, tiles, other timber materials, and some auxiliary supplies will be around 200 taels.”

“I can bring 15 workers with me, and the labor costs will be approximately 50 taels.”

“You can find seven or eight people in your village, and the work should be completed in about a month and a half.”

Lin Nuo thought for a moment and felt that it was a reasonable deal.

“Alright, Li Ge (Big Brother Li), let’s start tomorrow.”

After finishing the discussion, Lin Nuo left a 100-tael deposit for Li Zhou and bid everyone farewell.

Thinking that she had come to town with the purpose of shopping for supplies, she planned to hire a cart to carry everything back later.