The commotion outside the manor eventually dispersed.
The person sent back to relay the news informed Su Xiaoqi that Liu Yuanming had first furiously cursed the onlookers.
Then, the crowd of onlookers retaliated against Liu Yuanming.
Those who stayed near the manor at this time were either manor farmers or tenant farmers who rented land to cultivate.
They all appeared to be honest and diligent.
Normally, no one provoked them, and they worked diligently.
But this time, Liu Yuanming had provoked them.
He adopted a lofty posture, yet his words were utterly vulgar.
Although they were intimidated by his status as the heir of the Marquis's mansion,
there were also those who were not afraid. Enraged by his curses, they called out to each other and began to curse back.
Finally, Liu Yuanming was so thoroughly cursed that he had to be escorted away by his guards.
After hearing about the commotion outside, Su Xiaoqi said, "We should still hire some guards."
This situation made her feel insecure.
Shen Yun, who had remained silent, surprisingly expressed a different opinion.
"Hired guards from outside may not be loyal," he said. He was not a person who trusted others easily.
"That's true. I recently heard about a merchant who was robbed. When the authorities investigated, they discovered the guards were the culprits themselves,"贺秋磊 (He Qiulei) chimed in.
Su Xiaoqi was not worried about this aspect.
Just like hiring security guards in modern times, one would meticulously check identification and provide good benefits and treatment.
They would primarily be responsible for guarding the premises.
If there were still concerns, one could specifically look for those with families, as having dependents would make them more cautious and less likely to do anything wrong.
Ultimately, Shen Yun vetoed her suggestion, not entirely against hiring guards, but insisting that he would find the people.
Shen Yun rarely concerned himself with such trivial matters, so Su Xiaoqi did not make things difficult for him. She smiled gently and said, "Then I'll listen to my husband." After appropriately lowering her gaze and making arrangements, Su Xiaoqi felt relieved.
After their discussion, the three returned to the residence located in Mao'er Hutong.
Upon sitting down,贺秋磊's (He Qiulei's) words caused Su Xiaoqi's heart to leap.
"That young marquis, I interacted with him when I was in Mianzhou City. He's incredibly petty and holds grudges. Given the loss he suffered at the manor today, and how badly we offended him, do you think he might resort to underhanded tactics for revenge?"
Although Su Xiaoqi had known Liu Yuanming for some time, she hadn't seen him behave so shamelessly before.
His loud cursing outside the manor earlier had truly opened her eyes.
After all, Liu Yuanming had maintained the demeanor of a perfect gentleman in front of her when he was trying to marry Su Yuru.
Now that he had become like this, Su Xiaoqi didn't know if this was his true nature and he had been faking it before.
If his previous self was the real him, then there might not be any retaliation.
But if he was the disgrace he appeared to be today, Su Xiaoqi believed he would not be content with being humiliated and suffering such a setback without cause. He might even be plotting something nefarious in the shadows.
In reality, Liu Yuanming, who had been thwarted in his attempt to buy the manor and had a confrontation with the crowd, returned to the Marquis's mansion in extremely low spirits.
As soon as he entered the gate, he was stopped by a maid, who informed him that his mother wished to see him.
Liu Yuanming, in a bad mood, still followed the maid into the main courtyard of the Marquis's mansion.
The Marchioness, Madam Huang Lian, was already waiting for him in the warm chamber.
Seeing him enter, she happily beckoned to him, signaling him to come closer.
"Ming'er, how did it go? Was the manor purchased?"
Liu Yuanming complied and was pulled by Huang Lian to sit on a hoop-backed chair beside her, looking at him with anticipation.
Huang Lian possessed the fair and beautiful features of a woman from Bashu. Despite having given birth to two children, her skin remained dewy, bright, and full of elasticity.
Sitting next to Liu Yuanming, she looked more like siblings than mother and son.
Facing his mother's expectant gaze, Liu Yuanming sheepishly lowered his head, wanting to tell her that the hot spring manor had not been acquired.
But thinking of his mother's expectations, he found it difficult to answer. As he hesitated, Huang Lian spoke, "Was it bought? Our family has all sorts of manors, but we lack a hot spring manor. Now that we've finally learned that the Jia family's hot spring manor is for sale, everything depends on this. We won't have to freeload hot spring access at the Grand Princess's villa anymore."
Huang Lian spoke continuously, making it even harder for Liu Yuanming to deny.
He clenched his fist, and the ambition that had just been extinguished surged back to his forehead. He said solemnly, "We're still negotiating, but Mother, don't worry. It's just a matter of time. They will definitely sell it to our family."
Huang Lian was a little disappointed to hear that it hadn't been bought yet, but upon hearing her son's promise, she regained hope and nodded repeatedly, stating that she would wait.
Fearing that her son might not be diligent enough, she added that summer was approaching, and soaking in hot springs then would surely be very pleasant.
Liu Yuanming understood that he still had time to secure the manor.
After their conversation, Liu Yuanming took his leave. Zhao Xiaohua, who had been sitting with Huang Lian, stood up and said she would see her brother off.
"Go ahead, go ahead," Huang Lian said, not thinking much of it. This newly recognized adopted daughter was extremely thoughtful.
She was also well-behaved and knew the rules, making her feel fully appreciated for her filial piety.
Thus, she held considerable sway with Huang Lian.
Sometimes, Huang Lian would consult Zhao Xiaohua on matters rather than her own daughter, Liu Ting.
Zhao Xiaohua and Liu Yuanming walked out of Huang Lian's courtyard and arrived at the moon gate.
Zhao Xiaohua said, "Big Brother, did some foolish person snatch up the hot spring manor before you?"
Liu Yuanming looked at her with some surprise.
This new younger sister had always been clever, but he hadn't expected her to see through his carefully concealed emotions so quickly.
He stared at her nervously, worried she might tell his mother.
"Don't worry, Big Brother. I won't tell Mother to avoid worrying her. Does Big Brother have any other hot spring manors for sale?"
Liu Yuanming shook his head. His mother had wanted to buy a hot spring manor for a long time.
Therefore, he had been keeping an eye out.
However, hot spring manors were scarce, with supply not meeting demand. It was not possible to acquire one simply by wanting it.
"Then has Big Brother figured out how to get the manor back?" Zhao Xiaohua probed.
Liu Yuanming replied irritably, "Isn't that what I'm trying to figure out?"
He told Zhao Xiaohua that the couple was not easy to deal with. Although they were not from high status or had any background, they were prickly like hedgehogs, difficult to handle.
"May I know their names?" Zhao Xiaohua asked suddenly, sensing something amiss.
"Oh, speaking of which, they're your fellow townspeople."
"Fellow townspeople? Could it be..." Zhao Xiaohua's question hung in the air as she already had an answer in mind.
Many scholars from Bashu had come for this imperial examination. Due to some special opportunities, she knew that some of them would achieve great things in the future, so she had met them all in advance.
She recalled there was only one among them who had a family.
"Brother Shen, uh, no, Scholar Shen and his wife..." Zhao Xiaohua realized she had almost revealed her thoughts and quickly corrected herself.
Fortunately, Liu Yuanming at this moment was not paying much attention. He was scratching his head, trying to devise a way to reclaim the hot spring manor.
However, he couldn't think of any other method for the time being and was in a dilemma.
"Big Brother, don't worry. Why don't you try to negotiate with them properly first? As long as the price is right, they shouldn't insist on keeping it, right?"
Liu Yuanming exclaimed angrily, "They're doing it on purpose! They know I want to buy it, and they're holding onto it even tighter."
Liu Yuanming recounted his visit today, how he failed to acquire it and was instead humiliated.
Hearing this, Zhao Xiaohua was silent for a moment and then said, "I do have a method here. I'm not sure if it's feasible."
Liu Yuanming urged her to speak quickly.
He was already impatient.
Zhao Xiaohua glanced around. Besides her two personal maids standing in the nearby corridor, there were no outsiders.
She then stepped forward and whispered her plan to him.
Liu Yuanming's eyes lit up upon hearing it, and he clapped his hands in delight.