Group pet Xiaopangbao: I have four big daddies

Chapter 1352 The Rainy Season in Beili
As summer draws to a close, the rainy season arrives in Beili.

The dark clouds were so thick they seemed to hang heavy over the capital, shrouding the entire city in a damp, gloomy atmosphere.

Less than half a day later, a torrential downpour began.

The continuous heavy rains have made Beijing exceptionally crowded.

The wide street was mostly submerged by floodwater, forcing pedestrians to carefully move along the walls.

Most of the shops along the street had their doors half-closed, and the shop assistants were busy piling sandbags at the entrances to block the water.

A horse-drawn carriage drove by, its wheels splashing through the puddles, sending up high waves that caused passersby to scramble to avoid it.

Unlike the chaotic scene in other parts of the city, the western part of the city presented a completely different picture.

The western part of the city is a gathering place for literati, and the tents that have been set up in a flurry of activity for days are now being erected.

These tents are not ordinary temporary dwellings, but were specially built to be raised, more than three meters higher than their original location.

It is firmly erected in the low-lying western part of the city.

The tent complex was enormous, with one tent connected to another, their bluish-gray tarpaulins forming a continuous expanse in the rain.

It occupied almost the entire open space in the west of the city, and from a distance, it looked like a neat temporary camp.

The heavy rain has been falling for two days, and the riverbanks outside the city have already risen.

Inside the tents in the west of the city, however, everything appeared peaceful and comfortable.

Each tent is lined with a thick moisture-proof mat to keep out ground moisture.

In the past few days, Gao Qi's figure has been constantly moving among the tents in the west of the city.

After meeting Ye Qianning and learning that she was going to build the west of the city, Gao Qi got excited and led a team of people to guard the place every day, working hard and enthusiastically.

During the day, he directed his craftsmen to reinforce the tent frames and check the sealing of the tent fabric.

He worked alongside the workers, moving timber and laying moisture-proof mats; wherever manpower was needed, he was there.

When he got tired, he would find an empty tent and rest with the other scholars who were chatting. Most of the scholars were gentle and kind, and seeing that he was unpretentious despite his noble birth, they were particularly happy to talk to him.

They talked about poetry and songs, discussed the current situation, and talked about the local customs and traditions.

Most of the time, Takasaki would just listen quietly, occasionally saying a few words, which would elicit frequent nods from the writers.

If you get hungry, there's no need to worry; someone will bring you food.

The food wasn't luxurious, but it was hot and delicious, with a homely warmth.

A group of people sat around in the tent, enjoying simple dishes and warm tea.

What comforted Gao Qi the most was that he could occasionally see Ye Qianning.

Ye Qianning kept the scholars and construction workers in the west of the city in mind, and would occasionally take the time to come and visit.

Every time Ye Qianning came, Gao Qi would temporarily put down his work and go up to talk to her for a while.

Ye Qianning would also have a long talk with him, speaking in a gentle tone, like an old friend.

I don’t know when it started, but Takasaki felt that this kind of life was actually pretty good.

In the past, in the Prime Minister's mansion, he faced his father's strict discipline, open and covert struggles, and the unpredictable events in the court every day.

I felt so oppressed by life that I couldn't breathe, and even living felt like torture.

These past few days in the western part of the city, I've been busy setting up tents and spending time with a group of pure-hearted literati.

There's a place to rest when you're tired, and a hot meal when you're hungry.

Occasionally, I can still see the person I'm thinking of and exchange a few words with them.

These days were fulfilling and peaceful, allowing him to experience the true meaning of being alive for the first time.

Nan Xiang leaned the oil-paper umbrella against the corner of the tent, patted the water droplets off her skirt, and walked over: "You, the son of the Prime Minister, have such a large Prime Minister's mansion, yet you come to the west of the city to compete with a group of scholars for a place to stay. You really have the nerve to do that."

"Stealing space?" Gao Qi raised an eyebrow and retorted, "I personally led the people to set up this cluster of tents in the west of the city. What's wrong with me living in the place I built myself?"