save the bachelors

Chapter 4742 [Grand View Garden]

After Xiang Nan learned about this, he sent automatic writing pens to Shi Xiangyun, Sanchun, Xue Baochai, and Lin Daiyu.

As long as this pen hears its owner's voice, it can write down her words and even embellish them to a considerable extent.

In this way, Shi Xiangyun's hands were freed, and she could do knitting and needlework while chatting with her sisters, thus killing two birds with one stone.

"The magic of immortals is truly amazing. It is truly breathtaking that there are such things." Seeing this automatic writing pen, Sanchun, Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, Shi Xiangyun and others were all very amazed.

"That's nothing special. In fact, there are many automatic things." Xiang Nan smiled, "I even have things that can cook, wash pots and dishes, wash and fold clothes, clean, make tea, and embroider automatically. But if we take out all of them, almost all of the servants in our Jia family will be unemployed, and that will be a big problem."

With Xiang Nan's ability, even if he didn't have any maids or servants around him, his quality of life would not decline. But once those maids and servants lost their jobs, they would not be able to find any good jobs.

Working in the Jia Mansion, the monthly salary for a senior maid was one tael, the monthly salary for a lower-ranking maid was one tael, and even a junior maid was five hundred coins. In addition, during festivals or when luck was good, there were various rewards.

According to what Grandma Liu said, twenty taels of silver was enough for a farmer's family to live on for a year. The monthly salary of a maid was enough to support a family. Moreover, the Jia family provided food and accommodation, and the work was not very tiring, so it was definitely a good job.

Therefore, when Qingwen, Xiren, Jinchuan, Siqi and others were about to be kicked out of the Jia Mansion, they all cried and made a fuss, and were extremely unhappy. This is the reason.

If Xiang Nan dismissed all the servants and left everything to the automated magic props, I wonder how many people would jump into the well.

……

Two months later, the villa for visiting relatives was officially completed.

Afterwards, Xiang Nan accompanied Jia Zheng on a thorough tour for inspection.

Of course, I also helped to name several scenic spots, such as "Winding Path to a Secluded Place", "Yihong Courtyard", "Xiaoxiang Pavilion", "Hengwu Garden", "Qinfang Pavilion", etc.

Jia Zheng was very satisfied with these houses. Not only were they magnificent and impressive, but each courtyard was cleverly designed with ten different views in one step, which was truly a breathtaking sight.

"Baoyu, this garden was designed by you, it's really nice." Jia Zheng praised Jiang Nandao very rarely.

"Thank you for the compliment, sir." Xiang Nan said with a smile, "Sir, please see, these houses do not need any lights or candles for lighting, they are only illuminated by magnetite, so there is absolutely no risk of fire."

As he spoke, he demonstrated it. The room was very bright, but there was only light, no sign of fire, let alone any smoke. It was naturally astonishing.

Each room is also equipped with a magnetic-driven air conditioner that can automatically adjust the temperature according to human body temperature, keeping the room temperature at a comfortable level at all times.

"These rooms are warm in winter and cool in summer, and they can always maintain the most suitable temperature for the human body." Xiang Nan said with a smile, "If you like it, I will make a set for you and my ancestors."

"How can we do this? This garden was built for the Empress to visit her parents, and it should be enjoyed exclusively by the Empress. If we use the same things as the Empress, that would be an usurpation of power. We absolutely cannot do this." Jia Zheng immediately objected.

When Xiang Nan heard this, he curled his lips. He was really suffering from his own stubbornness.

……

"This garden is wonderful, but the flowers and trees are still small and not grand enough." After touring it, Jia Zheng said with some dissatisfaction.

Some of the flowers and trees in the villa were transplanted from the gardens of Ningguo Mansion and Rongguo Mansion, and some were bought from nurseries.

Although these flowers, plants and trees are all alive, they are all small in size. After all, trees that are too big cannot be planted. This is also the only thing that Jia Zheng is dissatisfied with.

Because there is an old saying in Beijing, "If the house is new, the trees are small, and the paintings are not ancient, then this person must be from the Imperial Household Department."

This sentence means that the emperor's inner house is prone to nouveau riche. Nouveau riche have money to build houses and gardens, and they also blindly pursue elegance.

But because they had no background, the house was new, the trees in the garden were short, and the calligraphy and paintings hanging in the house were all fakes, which made people laugh. The Jia family was a family of two dukes, and had been passed down for nearly a hundred years. How could they be like those nouveau riche?

"Don't worry, sir. This is simple." Xiang Nan said with a smile, and then he made some hand gestures and chanted a spell. Suddenly, the trees, flowers and plants in the garden grew rapidly as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

In a short while, the green pines and cypresses, red peaches, green willows, green bamboos and banana trees... all grew much taller, completely different from their previous appearance.

"Master, do you think that's enough?" Xiang Nan asked with a smile.

Jia Zheng just nodded.

"Brother Bao really has the skills of a god," Jia Zhen said admiringly.

"I didn't expect Brother Bao to have such a trick." Jia Lian also laughed, "It would be even better if all the flowers in the garden were in full bloom on the day when the queen came to visit her parents."

"That's easy." Xiang Nan nodded.

……

After the villa for visiting relatives was built, other items were gradually completed.

For example, the flowers, birds, fish and insects in the garden, the little Taoist nuns in the Taoist temple, the little nuns in the Buddhist temple, the little actors in the opera troupe, etc. were all purchased.

In addition, there is a girl named Miaoyu who is a nun. She is also from an official family. Because she is weak and sickly, she became a nun. She was also invited to the Jia Mansion to be the host of the Longcui Temple.

Taoist nuns and Buddhist nuns all learned several volumes of scriptures, and the young actors also rehearsed twenty variety shows. In addition, the furnishings for each room, such as gold, silver, jade, antiques and collectibles, were also prepared.

Jia Zheng saw that it was almost time, so he formally submitted a petition, hoping that Yuanchun would return home to visit her parents.

The emperor then approved and the empress was allowed to return home to visit her parents on the fifth day of the fifth month, the Dragon Boat Festival.

When the Jia family saw this, they naturally became busy with preparations, working day and night.

In the blink of an eye, it was the first day of May, and the eunuchs came out to look at the directions: where to change clothes, where to sit, where to receive gifts, where to have a banquet, and where to rest.

There were also eunuchs in charge of local inspections, and they brought out many young eunuchs to set up gates and block curtains at various places. They instruct the people in the Jia residence on where to retreat, where to kneel, where to eat, and where to announce things, with all kinds of etiquette.

Outside, officials from the Ministry of Works and the Five Cities Military Preparations Department were cleaning the streets and driving out idlers.

Of course, the Jia family is not an ordinary family.

These eunuchs, officials from the Ministry of Works and the Five Cities Military Department, were all very respectful when they arrived at the Jia family, and did not dare to be as arrogant as they were in the books and the drama.

Soon it is the fifth day of May, Dragon Boat Festival.

At the fifth drum, all those who held titles, including Lady Jia, dressed in formal attire according to their rank.

In every corner of the garden, dragons danced in the tents, phoenixes flew in the curtains; gold and silver shone brightly, jewels competed for splendor; lilies were burned in the tripods, and evergreens were inserted in the vases; it was quiet and no one coughed.

Jia She and his men were waiting outside the West Street Gate. Xiang Nan was also among them. Lin Daiyu, Sanchun, Xue Baochai and others followed Jia Mu outside the Rong Mansion Gate.

The streets and alleys were all blocked by curtains, and no one was allowed to pass. The atmosphere on the scene was solemn and sacred.

When daybreak came, they heard the sound of horses galloping outside. At the same moment, a dozen eunuchs came running in, panting and clapping their hands.

The eunuchs understood what was meant and stood in their respective directions. Everyone in the Jia residence also straightened up and prepared for battle.