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墨書 Inktalez
Uncertain how long he had been sitting, Liu Qingxi noticed that the noise in his home gradually diminished. The servants and the master alike slowly returned to their rooms to rest, and he finally got up to head back to Hao Wangfu.
At this time, the sky was beginning to lighten, and the reflection of the white snow on both sides of the road made the colors appear even brighter.
On New Year's Day, the streets were still early, and the people who would be paying New Year visits had not yet set out. A tall black figure wandered aimlessly, the only solitary silhouette on the long street.
Suddenly, a burst of firecracker sounds startled Dugu Hao from his thoughts. He quickened his pace, taking advantage of the moment when the guards in the manor were at their most dazed, and returned to his room.
That night, no one knew that Dugu Hao had gone out; that night, no one knew he had quietly sat on the roof of a certain household.
Half an hour later, daylight broke, and the intermittent firecracker sounds indicated that people were already awake.
In Liu Qingxi's home, despite having stayed up all night yesterday and feeling somewhat tired, his spirits were high. Liu Qingxi took Liu Qingyan with him as they walked out from deep within the alley, going from house to house to pay New Year visits.
“Aunt, Happy New Year! Wishing you become younger every year.”
“ Miss Liu knows how to talk! Happy New Year!” The woman beamed at Liu Qingxi's compliment; which woman doesn’t like being told she looks young?
“Happy New Year, Uncle!”
...
As they walked along, Liu Qingxi exchanged auspicious words with everyone. The festive mood of the New Year lifted their spirits, and they received many blessings in return.
By the time they completed their rounds of New Year visits, half an hour had passed. After nearly staying up all night playing, everyone in the courtyard now looked drowsy. Since there were no relatives left to visit, Liu Qingxi decided to go back and catch some sleep.
In the following days, Liu Qingxi and the Wen Family began preparing for hosting a meal.
During the New Year, almost every household takes turns hosting a feast, inviting friends and family to celebrate together.
When Liu Qingxi was in the countryside, she often did this, inviting close acquaintances like the village chief and Zhang Sanyou's family.
As fellow villagers who had grown accustomed to hard lives, no one would complain as long as the food was plentiful and meaty; everyone could enjoy several bowls.
After moving to the capital, things were somewhat different. With the efforts of recent years, she had enough money on hand, and this time the dishes prepared were quite exquisite.
Aunt Xu and Ye Aunty showcased their culinary skills, along with two cooks from Yang Yichen's side.
Although it was just one meal, the number of people made it substantial. This street had about ten households, and even those with fewer family members had five or six people. Additionally, a few families lived together with their brothers.
So altogether, there were nearly eighty people, which was quite a crowd.
After a quiet celebration for three days, on the fourth day of the New Year, several cooks began preparations—chicken, duck, fish, meat, and steamed dishes. Four cooks and a few maids helping out managed to prepare everything.
The seventh day of the New Year was when Liu Qingxi would host her neighbors.
Early in the morning, Liu Qingxi opened the Crimson Door and set off a string of firecrackers to welcome guests.
The first to arrive was Zhou, who was the most familiar person in the alley with Liu Qingxi.
As soon as she entered, she called out in her distinctive loud voice: " Miss Liu, I'm here! Happy New Year! I wish you all your wishes come true and smooth business!"
Behind her was Zheng Hao from the Grain Shop, accompanied by two children.
Liu Qingxi came out to greet them first: "Thank you, Sister Zhou! Happy New Year and may you have prosperity!"
"That's right, Miss Liu! You should be the one wishing yourself prosperity; after all, we’ve all benefited from your success!"
At that moment, another woman entered: "From the Zheng Family, you’re not wrong. Just last year, in a little over a month, we all made a good profit and had a prosperous year. Miss Liu, we owe you our thanks."
"Aunt, there's no need for such politeness. It's what I should do. If it weren't for all of you, I wouldn't have won the competition against Lin Shuhong. It's all thanks to everyone's hard work day and night."
Liu Qingxi's humble words made the several women who entered later feel good inside.
Liu Qingxi continued, "This year, with the children getting warmer, I will still need help from several Aunties and brothers."
"Oh dear, don’t let Miss Liu ’s youth fool you; she’s reliable in getting things done. We’ll follow your lead."
To be honest, those living in this alley were not from wealthy families, and there weren’t many with special skills; most were just doing hard labor.
However, compared to places like Linyi County, the capital city certainly had plenty of work available, though it was equally exhausting.
In just over a month of following Liu Qingxi, life had improved significantly; they ate well and drank well, and the working hours weren’t long: " Miss Liu, after the New Year, will you continue building houses?"
The question came from an Aunt who followed closely behind Zhou. She was quite concerned about Liu Qingxi's plans for this year and had been preparing to seize opportunities, even wanting to bring her two brothers from her family along.
She was worried about not needing that many people and having her earlier boasts to her family come back to haunt her.
After hearing this, Liu Qingxi smiled and assured her: "Of course! If I say it, it counts. If any of you Aunties or sisters know honest and capable people to recommend, that would be even better."
Taking advantage of the free time before the New Year, Liu Qingxi visited the outskirts of the capital several times and found a piece of land near the North City Gate.
When she first arrived in the capital, she noticed a large open space, later discovering that it produced very little grain and had become barren over time.
Fortunately, Liu Qingxi had inspected the soil, which was relatively hard, meaning there would be no worries about loose earth causing uneven settling of the foundation when building.
She initially thought she could purchase it before the New Year, but at that time, there was turmoil in the court, making it unwise to discuss buying that piece of land.
However, now? The weather remained cold, with severe ice outside, making it an unsuitable time for construction. This period was just right for preparing the necessary tools.
Additionally, she could take this opportunity to secure the land and recruit workers so that construction could begin immediately after spring.
In a place like the capital where land is extremely valuable, building something as large as Ten Li Pu would require a significant investment.
Over the past few years, Liu Qingxi had earned quite a bit of money but had also spent a lot. Even if she emptied her pockets, it wouldn't be enough to support construction in the capital.
But then? Just when she was feeling drowsy, an opportunity presented itself. Wouldn't it be a loss not to seize it?
If Lin Shuhong knew Liu Qingxi's thoughts at this moment, she would surely want to slap herself twice.
The original plan was to ruin Liu Qingxi's reputation; instead, what happened? The attempt backfired and provided her rival with a great opportunity.
This allowed Liu Qingxi to make a substantial profit from the gambling situation. Now, she had the initial funds ready!
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