"Master, Miss Bei, have you arrived? The courtyard is all prepared. I've arranged for you in the main building of the main yard for now. For further details, please advise." Duo'er was just fetching water at the well outside the courtyard, still pondering how to arrange the rooms and servants. Seeing the embracing couple, she couldn't hold back and called out. The old gatekeeper, a thin and clear-headed man, found it amusing to watch the silly girl without giving any reminder. He thought happily that he might go find a few old buddies in the street for a celebratory drink.
"Xiangbei, you should still stay at Fuhai Tower. After all, you're the owner."
"Yes, this courtyard will be registered under Sizhong's name. He and the house guards can come for schooling. Other people coming down just need a place to stay. Duo'er will live here regularly, helping me manage some business affairs. I'll also come by often, but I need to find a few assistants for her."
"Your arrangement is good, but Xiangbei, what kind of people are you looking for? Honestly, this courtyard was idle, and I arranged for some people with old injuries or those who are elderly or weak to live here and do some cleaning work. Could you take a look at them first? If you can use them, prioritize them. I'll arrange those you can't use elsewhere. Please trust me; they are all reliable people. I'll hand over their contracts to you for anyone you choose to keep."
"In these past few days, have I ever not believed in you? However, I don't know how big this courtyard exactly is. In the end, it's meant for Sizhong. When he grows up, he should use his own people. For now, let me take a look and see how to arrange it. We need to leave a few rooms for the people coming down from the mountains. I don't want the contracts; you handle it. We're making big moves from now on, and I'm afraid we might not have enough manpower. We won't consider it too many; we can adjust later. It's convenient."
"Yes, yes, yes. My people— they're all yours. You handle the arrangements."
This statement from Cheng Mo sounded strange, but it made sense. Xiangbei shrugged and stepped into the courtyard.
"Duo'er, are you familiar with this area? How about you introduce it?" Xiangbei walked around the flower-windowed screen and entered the front courtyard, which was nearly a hundred square meters, asking Duo'er.
"Yes, the maids have tidied up all three main houses in the courtyard. The uncles who used to live here have watched Duo'er grow up, so it's quite familiar."
Duo'er stepped forward and began to introduce, "The gatekeepers are Feng Bo and his wife. These two are their adopted sons, both under sixteen, and they live in the ear rooms on the south side. They are mainly responsible for running errands and delivering messages in the streets. Occasionally, when they're at home, they go to the school to attend classes. The eldest son in their family, who is over eighteen, doesn't live here anymore."
"The main courtyard has been arranged with five large rooms, four rooms in the north wing, two rooms in the south wing, connected to the kitchen and the ear rooms, leading directly to the rear courtyard of the second gate. The maids' living quarters are in the south wing, just inside the second gate," the group entered through the second gate from the main courtyard.
"Here, we've arranged living spaces for two maids, adjacent to a small kitchen. Originally, these two rooms were occupied by the wives of the artisans, who are responsible for needlework and cleaning in the rear third courtyard," Duo'er pointed to the two rooms on the west side, introducing, "They are Rain Aunt and Sea Aunt. The two little girls are both Rain Aunt's, one is eleven, and the other is nine."
After passing through the courtyard with more than a dozen wing rooms, Xiangbei stood at the back door of the courtyard, facing the street.
"The other buildings are approximately the same as the front courtyard, all cleared out. Exiting from here, the second courtyard is the town's market street. Across the street is the third courtyard. So, our second and third courtyards are separated by the street," Duo'er stood by the door, continuing to explain, "Both sides have storefronts. One side sells wooden works, and the other side sells bamboo crafts."
At this moment, someone emerged from the storefronts on both sides and bowed in the direction of Cheng Mo.
"This is Master Yu, the carpenter, with a bit of difficulty in movement due to a leg injury. This is Master Hai, the bamboo craftsman. He's getting older, so the master has him here to train some apprentices. In the third courtyard, due to the presence of bamboo and wooden tools, and custom-made goods, it hasn't been cleared yet, only three main bedrooms and the north wing room have been arranged. The back door of the third courtyard directly connects to the road leading to the county and the fields over there. If you want to go into the mountains, it's also through this side."
Duo'er's explanation was concise and clear, with well-thought-out arrangements. Xiangbei looked at Cheng Mo with satisfaction. This person's arrangements were indeed considerate.