Capítulo 1476: Chapter 1452: The House
Manbao directly stepped forward and pulled Mr. Zhuang out of the door. There was no other way; Xiang Mingxue and the others were not at home, so only Mr. Zhuang and the couple Daji were at home.
Eunuch Wu had people carry the boxes and various gift boxes inside.
Manbao opened the box containing gold, and as soon as it was opened, the gleaming gold stunned Mr. Zhuang for a moment.
Tens of gold, each weighing ten liang, filled a small box, totaling fifty pieces.
It was also Manbao’s first time seeing so much gold; she found its bright yellow color particularly appealing.
She grabbed a handful and directly stuffed one into Mr. Zhuang’s hand, “Sir, this is for you.”
Mr. Zhuang caught it, stunned, and said, “Why give me gold?”
Manbao tilted her head and thought for a bit, then shook her head, “I don’t know. I’m just happy to give it. Sir, take it and have some tea.”
Mr. Zhuang smiled and put the gold back, saying, “No need for gold to drink tea; you should keep it for buying a house, property, or as a dowry in the future.”
Manbao couldn’t help but sigh, “If my father were here, it would be great…”
If her father were here, she’d give him one ingot, and he’d reach out for ten ingots. Just thinking about it made her happy.
Mr. Zhuang couldn’t help but chuckle, “If you miss your father, go ahead and send a letter home. Just in time, Erlang plans to send a letter home. You can ask him to take yours along.”
Manbao nodded, deciding to write the letter later.
As soon as Eunuch Wu had delivered everything inside and bid farewell, leaving the alley, the emperor’s attendants came with more gifts…
The residents of Changqing Alley were all stunned.
From the end of last year to this year, they had frequently seen people from the government and the royal palace coming and going here.
They already knew that across the way lived a family of influence, not only students from the Imperial Academy but also a Divine Doctor Zhou Junior.
Especially this Divine Doctor Zhou Junior, not only high officials but even the emperor and empresses from the palace often sent gifts here.
But such continuous deliveries in four batches and so many gifts, like today, was still a first.
Unlike receiving gifts from the Crown Prince and Princess in the palace, the emperor sent gifts directly here.
So Manbao could only set up incense to receive the decree, accept gifts, and express gratitude; after sending people off, she had to receive the decree, accept gifts, and express gratitude again…
When Bai Shan and others returned from school, Manbao had just sent off the attendants from the Empress Dowager’s harem.
Then a group of people followed to see the piles of things filling the entire courtyard. Zhou Lixue dumbfoundedly said, “There are so many things, Aunt, can’t all fit in your room, can they?”
Zhou Ligu said, “Maybe we can squeeze them in. Didn’t she receive a lot of gifts before without complaining of crowding?”
Zhou Liru, who often visited Aunt’s room, dumbfoundedly said, “Right, Aunt, how come I didn’t notice that the things in your room had decreased a lot?”
Manbao waved and said, “I hid them.”
Manbao wasn’t interested in other things, but she had to keep that box of gold herself.
And jewelry, which was quite valuable and easy to liquidate.
But the easiest to liquidate were the fabric swatches, which could be used as money…
Calculating this way, it seemed like most of the things would be stuffed into her system space.
Manbao felt this wasn’t good and was planning which things to temporarily place in Zhou Liru’s room and which to use as an excuse to put in her own room but keep hidden when Bai Shan opened a box and asked, “What’s this?”
Manbao turned her head and saw it, immediately delighted, “Oh, right, I got so happy seeing the gold I forgot, the Crown Prince also gave me a house. Let’s go check out the house.”
Bai Shan asked, “Where is the house?”
Before Manbao could answer, he had already seen the address on the property deed, “Chongyuan Courtyard, Daze Street…”
He silently raised his head to look at Manbao, and Bai Dalang, who had also rushed over to join the excitement after school, was taken aback.
Mr. Zhuang was amazed, looking at Manbao.
The others were clueless and asked, “What’s going on?”
Bai Shan folded the property deed neatly back into the box and said calmly, “Oh, nothing, just suddenly remembered a saying: Living in the capital, it’s not easy, seems a bit difficult to buy a big house.”
Manbao said, “Why buy such a big house?”
Bai Shan nodded repeatedly, “I also think having too big a house isn’t good.”
But when they all appeared in front of the house in Chongyuan Courtyard, Manbao felt she should take back what she said yesterday.
Knowing their sister had acquired a house, Zhou Wulang and the others, who had specially closed the shop for a day to recognize the place, were preparing to clean the house for moving in, stood in front of the door, all looking up at the blank plaque on the door, their mouths agape.
Apart from the already prepared Bai Shan and Mr. Zhuang, even Bai Dalang, who had vaguely guessed some of it, was taken aback, not to mention Manbao and the others.
Old Madam Liu supported Ms. Zheng’s hand as she got out of the carriage and also looked up at the gate briefly, then turned her head to glance at the quiet and spacious surrounding street, smiling, “It’s indeed a nice place.”
Ms. Zheng also nodded in surprise, wasn’t it a nice place?
When she accompanied her husband to the capital for study years ago, the Bai Family’s main branch had a house in the capital. They came to Chongyuan Courtyard for visits, but when several sons couldn’t pass the Imperial Academy exams and due to poor relationships, couldn’t get in, with the increasing expenses in the capital, they had to move back to Longzhou.
But the house was still there, seemingly not far from here.
Almost twenty years later, her memory wasn’t very good, almost forgotten where it was.
Manbao swallowed her saliva, turned her head, and confirmed with Bai Shan, “Is this the address written on the property deed?”
Bai Shan confirmed with a nod, “It’s precisely here.”
Zhou Lixue was itching to move, “Aunt, where’s the key, I’ll open the door!”
Bai Erlang finally came to his senses and shouted, “What key? A house like this definitely has servants left behind, just knock on the door!”
With that, he bolted forward.
Zhou Lixue and Zhou Ligu hesitated for a moment but then chased after him, pulling him left and right. Zhou Lijun also quickly grabbed his back collar and shouted, “Even if you knock, it’s not you who should knock…”
Before the words were out, Bai Shan already pulled Manbao past them, rushing forward and pounded on the door…
Those who wanted to seize the opportunity, like Zhou Lijun and others…
After Bai Shan knocked on the door, he proudly raised his brows to look at them behind him, Bai Erlang and others crowded forward. Seeing the door didn’t open, couldn’t help but say, “No one inside? Should we climb over the wall to open the door?”
Old Madam Liu saw their mischievousness, couldn’t help but smile and shake her head.
From inside came some noise, everyone immediately held their breath, then the big door slowly opened before their eyes.
The doorman opened the door, seeing so many people, felt a bit at a loss. Both sides stared at each other for a long time, Manbao finally spoke, “This is my home.”
The doorman froze for a moment and then said, “Are you Divine Doctor Zhou Junior?”
He looked at the group behind her, didn’t open the door entirely, but cautiously asked, “Um, didn’t anyone bring you here? That property deed…”
Manbao quickly took out the property deed to show him.
Seeing the property deed, the doorman immediately broke into a smile, opened the door wide, and warmly welcomed them inside.
With outsiders present, everyone looked into the large courtyard with shining eyes but restrained themselves, staying outside the gate and watching the doorman.