The reborn of paranoid boss cannon fodder wife(301-305)

Chapter 301: Such a Surprise


"Shrimp?"—Before Li Si could even finish the three words with a question mark attached, he froze in place.


He finally understood why Zhang San hadn't completed his sentence.


But Ah Dai and the others, unaware of the situation, nodded as if suddenly enlightened. "So, Big Sister-in-law likes shrimp."


No wonder Ah Wen always went to the southern market for no apparent reason.


Ah Wen worked as an assistant at his relative's grocery store, driving a small truck to purchase and deliver goods. The grocery store was not the only one in the city, and business was average, so he often went to the southern market. It turned out he was buying shrimp.


"Brother Cheng is really thoughtful. He knows that Big Sister-in-law likes shrimp, so he specifically sent Ah Wen to buy them from the southern market."


"I've never seen Brother Cheng buy things for anyone before. Today is the first time..."


As the brothers sighed at Xiao Cheng's rare exception, they eagerly bought the shrimp Ah Wen brought back from the southern market, completely oblivious to Xiao Cheng's blackened face.


All attention was focused on Ah Wen and the shrimp they had bought, leaving them puzzled.


"Ah Wen, did you make a mistake? Is this amount of shrimp enough for Big Sister-in-law to eat? Are you kidding me?"


"Even though we're broke, we can still afford to treat Big Sister-in-law to a meal of shrimp. What's with this small amount? Can she even get full?"


"Do you think Big Sister-in-law is a cat? Eating so little?"


Ah Dai and the others bombarded Ah Wen with criticism for not buying enough shrimp, completely ignoring Xiao Cheng's stern expression.


Meanwhile, Xiao Cheng remained silent, his face cold. He had no intention of revealing the truth that Bai Lu's stomach was as small as a cat's and she couldn't eat much.


Bai Lu enjoyed eating shrimp, but she couldn't eat too much of it, or else she would get tired of it and not want to eat it again for another half month.


It was best to eat just enough to feel satisfied but not too much.


She wouldn't be able to finish dozens of shrimp by herself and would intentionally leave most of them for him and Xiao Wei. She didn't like eating alone.


After being bombarded by Ah Dai and the others for buying too few shrimp, Ah Wen's explanation fell on deaf ears. Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by their indignation.


"Ah Wen, even though we're not well-off, we've always been honest and straightforward. But now you've bought too few shrimp and are pushing the blame onto Brother Cheng. What's wrong with you?!"


"Brother Cheng eats with Big Sister-in-law three times a day. How could he not know how much she can eat? This amount of shrimp is enough for her? Are you trying to fool us? Do you think we'll believe that Brother Cheng intentionally asked you to buy so few shrimp, intending to starve Big Sister-in-law? Do you think we're fools?"


"Brother Cheng isn't saying anything now because he's probably upset by your stingy behavior. You're wrong, yet you won't admit it. Ah Wen, when did you become so despicable?"


Ah Wen: "... I..."


"What 'you'..." 


Zhang San and Li Si silently watched Ah Wen being speechless, unwilling to reveal the truth.


The boss's anger had finally been diverted, and they had finally been unblocked. They didn't want to dig their own graves again.


Ah Wen would have to fend for himself.


Who asked him to be unable to hold onto the shrimp bought by the boss for Big Sister-in-law, unable to hold onto the exclusive favor the boss bestowed on Big Sister-in-law.


When Bai Lu received the gift of the top scholar from Ah Dai and the others, she was shocked, surprised, and at a loss for words.


Because the gift they gave, the top scholar gift, was too different, too sincere.


One shrimp per person.


Thirty-five in total, neither too many nor too few.


It was almost the same quantity that Xiao Cheng had bought before.


However, Xiao Cheng remained indifferent, as if he didn't welcome the brothers' stubborn return.


Bai Lu found it amusing. In a joking tone, she asked, "Don't you like them learning from me how to make candied chestnuts?"


Xiao Cheng glanced at her and nodded seriously. "Let them learn from Luo Shiliu, Xiao Dazhuang, and Wang Hao."


Luo Shiliu was the first to respond, "No problem."


Wang Hao and Xiao Dazhuang quickly agreed, "No problem."


With everyone's consent, Bai Lu had nothing more to say. She could only accompany Xiao Cheng to take the brothers to the empty house across the street, which had already been cleaned up.


The owner of the empty house had returned to Pingcheng to visit relatives a while ago and had met Xiao Cheng in the city. He mentioned that they had moved away and wanted to sell the house in town.


He asked Xiao Cheng to keep an eye out for potential buyers.


In the end, Xiao Cheng bought the house and the land at a low price.


When Xiao Cheng mentioned this on the phone today and asked Bai Lu to use the empty house as the teaching venue, Bai Lu was momentarily stunned. The amount of information was too overwhelming, and it wasn't until after she hung up the phone that she fully understood it. She then came over with Xiao Wei to clean up.


What surprised Bai Lu was that the empty house was very clean. There were no cobwebs in the corners, no dust on the tables, chairs, or windowsills, and even the roof tiles hadn't been blown away by the wind and rain.


It didn't look like it had been uninhabited for many years. Instead, it looked like it had been thoroughly cleaned by someone.


Neither she nor Xiao Wei needed to clean much. They only swept the fallen leaves in the courtyard, which had just fallen, and then swept the floors of each room once before they were done.


Whether Xiao Cheng had cleaned it in advance or the previous owner had intentionally cleaned it after deciding to sell the house was unknown.


At the time, Bai Lu didn't think much about it because Luo Shiliu, Xiao Dazhuang, and Wang Hao had already brought over the new electric chestnut roasting machine and pot that Xiao Cheng had made. They asked her where to put them.


With thirty-five people attending this teaching session, there was definitely not enough space in the kitchen for everyone to move around, so they had to be placed in the courtyard.


The courtyard was spacious enough to accommodate all thirty-five people for observation, learning, and practice.


After arriving in the courtyard, Bai Lu first sincerely thanked Ah Dai and the others with a bow. "Thank you all for escorting me to the exam site and ensuring that I arrived safely and on time to complete the exam and achieve good results."


Ah Dai and the others were startled by Bai Lu's bow of thanks. They had never been treated so seriously by anyone before.


Reflexively stepping back from the bow, they hurriedly explained, "Big Sister-in-law, you're too polite. It's our honor to escort you to the exam site. It's an opportunity we couldn't ask for. You're the national top scholar, and we're just fortunate to be around you."


"Moreover, it was Brother Cheng who asked us to escort you to the exam site. You should thank him."


However, Xiao Cheng said, "The big boss wanted me to find the person."


With one sentence, he took all the responsibility for Bai Lu's kidnapping. Instead of gratitude, there was more of a sense of indebtedness.


The big boss had always been responsible for his own actions, admitting when he was wrong without trying to change the subject with any form of gratitude.


Ignoring the consequences for others, he brought the conversation to a standstill with a single sentence.


The originally touching and warm atmosphere came to an abrupt halt, and the whole place fell silent, leaving everyone unsure of what to say to salvage the awkward situation.


Fortunately, they had the omnipotent Big Sister-in-law. She walked over and took the big brother's hand, smiling gently as she said, "Life is full of surprises, both good and bad. The good surprise on the day of the exam made me realize how important I am."


















Chapter 302


Xiao Cheng gently clasped Bai Lu's hand, feeling her sincere acceptance of his flaws and her public defense of him for the first time. Previously, when she expressed similar sentiments, it was either out of consideration for his reputation or the current situation. But now, it was genuine.


As they witnessed the tenderness in Xiao Cheng's eyes, Ah Dai and the others were astonished. They realized that the big boss's hands were not only capable of delivering powerful punches but also capable of gently holding a girl's hand.


The transition between brutality and gentleness was unexpected.


They seemed to understand why Xiao Cheng frequently sent Ah Wen to the southern market to buy shrimp. Because Big Sister-in-law was worth it, even though they couldn't afford it themselves.


However, the next moment, Big Sister-in-law turned their fantasy into reality by revealing their teaching goals.


Bai Lu said, "Once you all learn how to make sugared chestnuts, each of you can go to designated locations along a teaching route to sell them and earn money. You can also charge tuition fees for teaching."


"The teaching points are located in nearby towns or neighboring cities where business is good. The reputation of candied chestnuts has already spread, and there are plenty of people interested in learning."


"Due to the interference of market manipulators, nobody dares to enroll, and those who do are afraid to learn. But you don't need to worry. Once you take candied chestnuts to the market and follow our sales strategy, business will quickly flourish, and people will understand the principle of seeking wealth amidst danger."


As people familiar with the underworld, Ah Dai and the others knew that Li Chengbin had repeatedly suppressed the entry of candied chestnuts into the market, only to be defeated by Bai Lu each time.


This time was probably Li Chengbin's doing as well.


The brothers weren't afraid of Li Chengbin's men. In fact, they preferred to confront them directly, as the underworld respected strength. Beating someone into submission would prevent further trouble.


However, this violent approach was not suitable for their big brother and sister-in-law, who were now on the right path. They couldn't use force anymore; they had to rely on reasoning, or else it would be troublesome.


So, their current priority was to think of the best solution to the problem.


"If he's stopping students from learning how to make sugared chestnuts with us, will they interfere if we set up stalls there?" Ah Dai asked.


Bai Lu affirmed, "They won't."


And she explained, "Recent news reports from the provincial television station, as well as crackdowns on malicious incidents such as provocation and fighting, indicate that we're still in a period of strict law enforcement."


"Those who control the market will only dare to issue private warnings; they won't openly interfere by shutting down stalls, unless they want to test the strength of the national crackdown on maintaining social stability and experience the consequences of challenging national authority."


Xiao Cheng finally understood why Bai Lu watched the news every night. She wasn't fond of it; she used it to understand the current social situation and market trends so she could always make the best decisions.


The real-time reports from the provincial television station were much more accurate and reliable than the rumors collected by Luo Shiliu and the others.


After realizing this, Luo Shiliu's usually carefree eyes sparkled as he looked at Bai Lu. He had never known about this method of gathering information! He had to start watching the news when he got home, every day, at the same time as his sister-in-law.


Wang Hao and Xiao Dazhuang were also surprised to discover this hidden feature of the television. Like Luo Shiliu, they didn't have a TV at home before they started the candied chestnut business with Xiao Cheng and Bai Lu.


Who would have thought that a television, besides showing violence and romance, held such valuable information? They felt like they had been living in ignorance.


They had bought a TV but didn't know how to use it.


From now on, they would learn how to use the TV properly and watch the news regularly. After all, Sister-in-law always knew everything before they did.


Ah Dai and the others finally understood. Big Sister-in-law had already seen through the situation and the market and had made the most correct targeted strategy.


Big Sister-in-law was truly wise!


The television was indeed a good thing. Unfortunately, they didn't have one. They would definitely watch the news once they got one!


"Let's begin the class."


Luo Shiliu, Xiao Dazhuang, and Wang Hao started teaching, starting with selecting sand and hand-roasting chestnuts.


Ah Dai and the others surrounded the stoves, earnestly taking notes and paying close attention to their teaching.


In addition to the chestnut roaster machine they used before, there was another one left idle for Ah Dai and the others to practice with once they had learned enough.


With four stoves in total, including the one from Bai Lu and Xiao Cheng's home and the ones left by the previous occupants of the old house, they were all placed on the makeshift stove built by Luo Shiliu and the others.


Three stoves were immediately put to use by Luo Shiliu, Xiao Dazhuang, and Wang Hao, continuously roasting chestnuts.


The remaining stove was kept idle until Ah Dai and the others had learned enough and could take turns practicing.


With four stoves operating simultaneously and thirty-five people, they could rotate practice sessions without much delay.


Bai Lu and Xiao Cheng guided the big brothers practicing at the fourth stove while answering their questions.


On the third day, when they switched to using the electric chestnut roaster, the highly efficient and 100% successful results brought renewed confidence to the brothers, who had struggled with hand-roasting chestnuts for two days before finally succeeding once. They were almost moved to tears and fell in love with the electric roaster.


However, they had a question: "Since the electric chestnut roaster is so effective, will the students choose to only buy the roaster instead of learning the course?"


"If the electric chestnut roaster is so powerful and can roast so many chestnuts at once, with an authentic taste indistinguishable from hand-roasted ones, won't the students just buy the roaster and skip the course?"


"If students only buy the electric chestnut roaster and don't pay tuition to learn how to make candied chestnuts, won't we lose money? After all, we have to teach them how to use the roaster." Ah Dai looked puzzled.


Plus, there was the worry that half of their money would fly away.


Bai Lu, however, remained calm and said matter-of-factly, "If they don't pay tuition to learn how to make candied chestnuts first, why should we sell them the electric chestnut roaster?"


Ah Dai: "..."


Was there such a saying?


It seemed to make sense.


But, wasn't this, in a way, forcing people to buy and sell, monopolizing business?


Without guessing, Bai Lu knew what Ah Dai was thinking and shook her head with a smile. "Of course not."


"We call this targeted purchase restriction. The electric chestnut roaster is made by your big brother Xiao Cheng himself, and the technology is his patent. He can sell it to whomever he wants."


"If someone uses despicable means to forcibly buy the electric chestnut roaster without Xiao Cheng's consent, then it's considered forcing someone to buy and sell."


Ah Dai understood. It was others who engaged in forcing people to buy and sell.


Xiao Cheng had always known that Bai Lu had a way with words, and now she had surpassed herself.


















Chapter 303: Taking Her Home


Bai Lu spoke the truth, backed by sound reasoning: "Moreover, if you hadn't learned how to hand-roast chestnuts these past two days, how could you have learned to use the electric chestnut roaster so quickly? How could you have mastered the timing of adding ingredients?"


"How could you have quickly discerned the degree of heating of the sand, when to add the chestnuts, when to add the sugar syrup, and known when to take them off the stove?"


Ah Dai honestly shook his head: "We couldn't."


The brothers also shook their heads in unison: "We couldn't."


"If we hadn't learned how to hand-roast chestnuts beforehand, we wouldn't have known when to add the sand and chestnuts, when to add the sugar syrup, and adding too much or too little would definitely lead to burnt or undercooked chestnuts. We wouldn't have known when to take them off the stove, or whether they were semi-cooked or not."


Bai Lu looked at the earnest brothers, nodding in satisfaction: "The electric chestnut roaster is not a magical machine; it lacks the human taste discernment ability."


"The electric chestnut roaster is merely a production machine that replaces manual labor. To make delicious and authentic sugared chestnuts, humans still need to oversee the process."


"Without the electric chestnut roaster, we can still make sugared chestnuts and sell them normally because the technology is in our hands. Without us, the electric chestnut roaster is just a useless machine."


"A machine is just a machine; it moves when plugged in and stops when unplugged. It's neither intelligent nor skilled and can never be compared to humans."


"But, when you have both the machine and the skill, you'll be unbeatable, and business will boom because the machine doesn't get tired. It can keep roasting as much as you want to sell."


"So, learning how to make sugared chestnuts and having the electric chestnut roaster are both indispensable. Only by having both can you make big money."


With these words, not only Ah Dai and the others but also Luo Shiliu, Xiao Dazhuang, and Wang Hao were deeply impressed by Bai Lu's wisdom.


Because Bai Lu was right, logical, and reasonable. Teaching classes and selling electric chestnut roasters indeed needed to be done simultaneously, and neither could be neglected.


Probably only Xiao Cheng remained awake at the scene, because only he understood what Bai Lu was trying to convey.


Bai Lu said so much, but her message was clear.


Whether it was the electric chestnut roaster machine or the sugared chestnut teaching classes, the technology belonged to them.


They could sell to whomever they wanted and however they wanted.


When she said that students could acquire the technology by paying tuition for the sugared chestnut classes, she indicated that the technology was more important.


When you thought the electric chestnut roaster machine was optional, she explained its benefits—saving time, effort, and worry. As long as you had the technology, combining both would be unbeatable.


If you wanted to roast more chestnuts and make big money, you'd buy the electric chestnut roaster machine. If you didn't want to make big money, you'd just learn the candied chestnut technique and roast a few by hand.


Want to buy the electric chestnut roaster without learning the technique? She wouldn't sell it to you.


If someone asked her why she wouldn't sell it, she would probably say that it was difficult to make and took a long time to produce. Currently, only enough were made for the students.


If someone managed to force a purchase, asking her how to use the electric chestnut roaster, she would probably just say to pour sand and chestnuts in and plug it in.


As for the proportions of various ingredients and cooking times, she wouldn't specify exact times, only giving general guidelines based on experience, making it difficult for you to start.


Her expression was also particularly serious, making it impossible to doubt her. Even if you did doubt her, you wouldn't have a legitimate reason to refute her.


Xiao Cheng looked at Bai Lu, who was teaching earnestly, and could already imagine how she would respond to all questions.


Sure enough, the simple-minded folks immediately asked those questions the next moment.


Bai Lu gave the same answers.


Ah Dai and the others even took notes of everything Bai Lu said to deal with the students' challenges.


Bai Lu also gave them many tips, coping methods, and linguistic expressions.


The purpose was to quickly capture the last third of the planned teaching route's market share.


Ah Dai and the others were still immersed in Bai Lu's selfless dedication to teaching everything, moved to tears by her devotion.


Looking at their admiring and excited gazes, without surprise, Bai Lu had already won them over.


They were so naive.


Xiao Cheng shifted his gaze away, focusing only on Bai Lu. In the next moment, their eyes met.


She turned back towards him and walked over, her fair face radiant in the afternoon sunlight, with a sweet smile.


In that instant, he wanted to hide her.


He even felt that the yard was too noisy, everyone was annoying, and he wanted to take her home.


Before Bai Lu could react to what had just happened, he tightened his grip on her wrist, and she was already being led home by Xiao Cheng.


"Where are you going? We haven't finished teaching yet..." Bai Lu protested.


Xiao Cheng pushed the door open: "I have something to tell you."


Bai Lu watched him close the door, feeling the need to explain why she had suddenly called out to him just now: "I also had something to tell you just now, related to the last batch of candied chestnut teaching."


Xiao Cheng looked at her earnest and focused face, and for the time being, he suppressed his own matters.


"You go ahead."


Bai Lu couldn't hide anything related to work and couldn't wait to speak up: "I've come up with a solution that allows us to simultaneously sell the electric chestnut roaster and conduct the teaching classes, to quickly capture the last third of the market and wrap things up before Li Chengbin comes up with a countermeasure."


Xiao Cheng looked at the girl's radiant face, listened to her, poured her a glass of water, and watched her finish drinking before continuing.


After hearing her out, he agreed without hesitation: "Okay."


Bai Lu discussed the decision with Xiao Cheng, after all, he was the one who made the electric chestnut roaster machine.


She wanted to hear his opinion first, and if he had any doubts, he could bring them up directly, and she would tell him everything without reservation.


But Xiao Cheng didn't ask anything after hearing her out, nor did he hesitate. He agreed immediately.


It seemed as if listening to her was just a formality, and the crucial point was her decision.












Chapter 304 Bad Enough


It's not surprising that Bai Lu thinks this way. It's just that at this moment, the way Xiao Cheng looks at her is too indulgent.


It seems that no matter what she says, he will agree.


If she wants Ah Dai and the others to do something, he will also agree, and he will let Ah Dai and the others listen to her.


Ah Dai and the others will definitely obey unconditionally because Xiao Cheng has given them instructions or warnings.


You can tell from their clean and neat appearance and their positive attitude.


What about cursing? Of course, they do.


How can people who mix in society not curse?


But that was before. These past three days of learning to make candied chestnuts, even if they burned them several times and felt frustrated enough to kick the wall, Ah Dai and the others never cursed once.


Bai Lu remembers clearly that on the day of the college entrance examination, when they escorted her to the examination room, the way they cursed at passers-by and their ancestors could clear the entire street with just a few words.


It shows that they have restrained their temperaments.


The only person who can suppress their unruly temperaments is the leader they recognize in their hearts—Xiao Cheng.


They won't listen to outsiders' words at all.


Bai Lu can feel that Xiao Cheng's trust in her is becoming more and more unconditional, which is too heavy.


While feeling happy, she also feels a bit suffocated: "Aren't you worried that I'll make them do bad things?"


Xiao Cheng glanced at her, his tone unusually serious: "Have they done much bad yet?"


Bai Lu was amused for a second. The heavy burden that had pressed on her chest and made it hard to breathe disappeared instantly.


Jokingly, she defended Ah Dai and the others: "You are so unfair to say that. Ah Dai and the others would be heartbroken if they heard you. You are their leader. If they do bad things, it's because they follow you. You've done the most bad things..."


Xiao Cheng argued seriously, "I haven't done anything bad."


Bai Lu moved her face closer to him, resting her chin on her hands, smiling earnestly, "Look at how serious my expression is, how serious my eyes are, how serious my voice is. I believe in you from the bottom of my heart. Do you believe me?"


Xiao Cheng looked at her delicate face in front of him, met her clear and pure eyes like crystal, blinked, and agreed, "I believe..."


With an unabashedly trusting tone, it overflowed from the corner of Bai Lu's lips, accompanied by a gentle and tender breath that covered her softness.


The kiss was as light as a dragonfly touching the water, yet as gentle as the spring rain, stopping as soon as she realized what was happening.


The half-foot of a little foot that had just stepped into the main house outside the door hadn't landed yet, but it decisively retracted, changing direction to the backyard.


The leaves in the chicken coop hadn't been finished yet, and the chicks' heads were once again showered with lush green delicious leaves.


The old hen rolled its eyes at the leaves on its head.


Wanting to stuff it to death, huh!


When Bai Lu realized what had happened, Xiao Cheng had already let go of her chin. The refreshing and entwined breath had disappeared, leaving only the residual warmth at the corners of their mouths, proving that something had just happened.


Xiao Cheng actually kissed her in broad daylight!

This was too much against common courtesy. If anyone saw it, she would never be able to show her face again!


Bai Lu quickly scanned the surroundings. The courtyard door was still closed, and there was no one around the perimeter wall. There were no footsteps of neighbors passing by outside. Fortunately, fortunately, no one saw it.


Xiao Wei was not here either, probably writing summer homework in the room or going to the backyard to feed the old hen.


Fortunately, fortunately, she still had a face to see people.


After calming down, Bai Lu finally realized that Xiao Cheng was going further and further down the path of destroying her image.


He did bad things right after saying he didn't.


Really bad!

Xiao Cheng came out of the room and saw the girl still with a hint of pink on her cheeks, picking at the table.


The strength of her small white fingers was not great, but there was a slight creaking sound, like an angry little rabbit.


Since returning from Beijing, she hadn't shown such vivid little emotions for a long, long time.


Xiao Cheng smiled lightly and walked over, placing a few sheets of paper on her hand, speaking softly, "Take a look and see which one you like."


Bai Lu was slightly stunned. The hand that was picking at the table immediately turned over and picked up the piece of paper with a pattern on it.


The next second, she was directly amazed by the drawing on the paper, her eyes glowing with excitement, "These... are all drawn by you?"


Xiao Cheng nodded lightly, his long and slender fingers holding the teacup, taking a sip.


"Do you like them?"


Bai Lu was sure, firm, and determined, nodding like a little chick pecking rice, "I like them."


The drawings on the paper were all large Chinese-style houses, or, in modern terms, Chinese-style villas.


The exterior of the Chinese-style villa was not as flamboyant as the European style, but it matched the restrained elegance inherent in the Chinese people. It looked very simple from the outside, but in fact, it was rich and colorful inside, capturing all the scenes of the world, with a grand plan hidden within.


Not showing off, not concealing.


Not making a sound, but startling.


The Chinese-style villa drawn by Xiao Cheng on the paper was elegant and elegant on the outside, with a garden in front and a courtyard in the back, and a three-story main building in the middle.


There were moon gates between the walls, and around the round moon gates, a few strokes outlined the ancient and fragrant flowers, plants, trees, and pebble paths, unbelievably beautiful.


Each design drawing was standard, with plenty of facilities, covering a large area.


Bai Lu's favorite was the one at the bottom, a Chinese-style courtyard villa, which felt very homely.


In the front yard garden, there was a pavilion with eight corners. Inside the pavilion, there was a round stone table and stone benches. You could drink tea and play chess in your free time, or enjoy the moonlight while blowing the night wind.


In the garden, there was also a lotus pond. The lotus flowers, untainted by the silt, were vivid and beautiful.


In the courtyard behind the moon gate, the original vegetable plot was planned as a small vegetable garden. There were still the same circle of large trees by the side, probably those chestnut trees. The small river was enclosed within the courtyard wall, and on both sides of the riverbank were brilliant and blooming pink roses.


The architectural style of the three-story main building was similar to that of the Beijing mansion, facing north and south, spacious and bright, ancient and elegant, connected by corridors, with auxiliary buildings on both sides.


Similar to her grandfather's official residence, but the overall layout was more extensive and more beautiful than the official residence.


Bai Lu was shocked and surprised. Xiao Cheng had only been to Beijing once, and the family mansion didn't look like this. Her grandfather hadn't even moved into such a high-level official residence yet, and there was no such Chinese-style villa around the family mansion.


Where had Xiao Cheng seen a similar house and conceived such a unique Chinese-style villa?


Looking at Xiao Cheng, who was leisurely drinking tea and waiting for her final choice, Bai Lu smiled and decisively handed him the paper with her favorite design.


"I like this one."


After taking it, Xiao Cheng looked at Bai Lu with a smile, "The big house you drew is very beautiful, simple and elegant, and beautiful. Did you see something similar in Beijing that day?"















Chapter 305 Big House


Facing Bai Lu's clear and pure smiling eyes, Xiao Cheng involuntarily tightened the grip on the drawings in his hand, hesitating for a moment before speaking out a fact he himself wasn't sure of: "I've seen it in a dream, the exact same house."


Bai Lu was slightly stunned. Xiao Cheng rarely spoke about matters related to dreams, and she understood that he probably didn't believe in them.


She hadn't expected that the perfect and unique Chinese-style mansion on the paper was the one he had seen in his dream.


He even meticulously drew it down.


For a regular dreamer, it was almost impossible to remember scenes, buildings, and objects seen in dreams so vividly, without forgetting upon waking up. Usually, people would forget the events and surroundings of their dreams, remembering only vague details, like dreaming of a certain person or place. Detailed events, places, and surroundings would usually be forgotten upon waking up.


Xiao Cheng remembering the layout of the courtyard, the arrangement of rooms, and various details was quite incredible.


Bai Lu was astonished by Xiao Cheng's memory beyond the ordinary, but she didn't doubt the authenticity of the Chinese-style mansion he saw in his dream.


After all, Xiao Cheng had visited the capital once, and perhaps he had seen a similar Chinese-style courtyard there, and in his dream, he had conceived a more beautiful and picturesque mansion. It wouldn't be surprising.


Mainly because the Chinese-style mansion on the paper was indeed extremely beautiful!


She really liked it!


Bai Lu couldn't help but lean closer to Xiao Cheng, discussing their new home together: "This lotus pond is so beautiful. I like lotus flowers. After it's built, let's also plant lotus flowers, okay?"


Seeing Bai Lu's excited little anticipation, Xiao Cheng decisively put aside the surreal dreams in his mind.


No longer delving into them, he picked up the drawing again and discussed the future with her: "Alright."


Bai Lu suggested again: "We can put some red carp in the river pool. Koi fish bring good luck. When they grow up, we can catch them for good luck."


Xiao Cheng thought that she liked red carp at first and wanted to raise them for observation, but after hearing the latter part, he realized he had misunderstood.


Good luck was the key: "Hmm, I'll go along with your idea."


"But there are no red carp for sale in the town." Bai Lu thought carefully, "Is there any in the city? What about in the southern market?"


Xiao Cheng was also unsure: "I'll have Ah Wen check the southern market tomorrow."


"Then let's make this happy decision."


Bai Lu happily moved on to the next suggestion: "For the French windows on the second floor, let's install those retro-style curtains. Wait a minute, I heard there are no large glass pieces with French windows in the city, let alone this type of glass with that style..."


The more Bai Lu looked at it, the more she realized that the materials used in the construction of the mansion were rare and expensive. It was obvious that it was a Chinese-style mansion from the future.


If not for Xiao Cheng's extraordinary drawing skills, with all the details depicted clearly and vividly, making the mansion appear as if it were growing on the paper, Bai Lu wouldn't have been so certain.


Although Xiao Cheng had drawn many drawings, there was only one she liked, the big house she liked.


The big house that appeared in his dream.


At this moment, hearing Bai Lu's words and looking carefully, he realized that many things inside were not available here.


Not only was it not available in Pingcheng, but not even in the southern market.


Perhaps it was available in the capital, but when Xiao Cheng went to the capital with Bai Lu, he did not see the same type of building in the capital.


The hotel was indeed luxurious, and the building materials and decorations were indeed beautiful and rare, but they were far from the standards of the mansion in his dream.


The pebbles on the cobblestone road in the dream house were polished from jade, amethyst, and various colored gemstones, and the edge of the moon gate was inlaid with translucent white pearls. The entire river pool was built with warm white jade, and the building materials for the main building were unprecedented.


Xiao Cheng couldn't imagine what kind of existence would build such a luxurious mansion.


Moreover, there was even a rockery in the backyard of the mansion in the dream, and the flowers on both sides of the small river were not roses.


Instead, it was a kind of flower that was somewhat similar to roses but not as clustered, with fewer layers of petals, just a single flower per stem, bright red in color.


Because they were planted on both sides of the river, the flowers were in full bloom, giving the impression of a cluster of flowers.


Xiao Cheng remembered that Bai Lu liked the roses by the riverside, so he replaced that type of flower with roses when he drew it.


Now, seeing Bai Lu's excitement, he quickly put aside the surreal dream.


Xiao Cheng gently grasped the hand extended in front of him and shook it, dispelling his thoughts. He then lightly spoke, "There are no such materials available in the town, perhaps in another province. I'll go take a look in Guangdong province in a couple of days."


"Are you going to another province?" Bai Lu finally realized what Xiao Cheng meant, asking the question that had been on her mind, "If not, it's too far to specially buy building materials from there. We can use other materials instead of going to Guangdong province. This Chinese-style mansion has very innovative and unique designs. Even with ordinary materials, we can still build a beautiful and distinctive mansion. There's no need to go so far for materials."


It was already regrettable that they couldn't build the mansion exactly like the one in the dream, and Xiao Cheng couldn't settle for ordinary materials. Those kinds of things were not worthy of Bai Lu.


After a slight contemplation, Xiao Cheng spoke, "There's a problem with the appliances supply. I have to go to Guangdong province in a few days to deal with it and check the materials there."


"What's wrong with the appliances supply? Is it serious?" Bai Lu's thoughts about the big house were instantly thrown into the clouds.


There was no need for Xiao Cheng to personally handle minor matters. Was it because the appliances manufacturer had cut off supply and run away?