Jinglan Courtyard is located in the northernmost corner of the Li Mansion. It is the largest courtyard in the entire Li Mansion except for the main courtyard, and it is also the most remote courtyard. It is separated from Ping'an Lane by a wall. Ma Yulian arranged this courtyard for him with good intentions. It not only prevented people from gossiping, but also kept him away.
Perhaps in the eyes of others, this was a sign that he was unpopular, but from Li Yaonan's point of view, he was extremely satisfied. What satisfied him most was the corner door on the side of the yard, which would make it convenient for him to go out and do anything in the future.
When Li Yaonan arrived at Jinglan Courtyard, Nanny Li was directing the servants to run around. When she saw him, she called out, "Second Young Master, come and take a look. Are you dissatisfied with anything? Madam has put a lot of thought into this courtyard. Do you think there is anything else that needs to be changed?"
Li Yaonan looked around and was quite surprised. There were quite a few furniture in the yard, and most of them were made of huanghuali wood. Could Ma Yulian be so generous
As if she could see his confusion, Nanny Li smiled and said, "This is the dowry sent by the new husband. The large pieces of furniture have been neatly arranged, and the rest will be brought in on the wedding day."
Li Yaonan nodded. He didn’t know much about the ancient wedding procedures, but he would have someone to teach him when the time came, so he wouldn’t make any mistakes.
But where did that strange feeling in his heart come from
After living for two lifetimes, the first time he got married was in ancient times, and the one he married was a man. Li Yaonan felt extremely awkward, and the slight nervousness in his heart was definitely not his typical emotion.
He didn't know whether the new husband was easy to get along with. Although he had no interest in men, they had to live together after all. Even if they couldn't be husband and wife, they could at least be friends, so that the future wouldn't be too difficult. After all, they saw each other every day, so their relationship couldn't be too bad. When they left the Li Mansion in the future, he would let him go free.
Yes, Li Yaonan had never thought about staying in the Li Mansion for the rest of his life.
In this age where filial piety is the most important thing, he is unwilling and does not want to have several huge mountains pressing down on him.
But he had no idea how to leave. However, people could always come up with a solution, and he firmly believed that the day would not be too far away...
His status in this mansion is really embarrassing, even worse than the illegitimate sons of ordinary wealthy families. As long as the parents are alive, the family will not be divided. This refers to the legitimate sons. As for illegitimate sons, after getting married, the favored ones can continue to stay in the mansion, and the unfavored ones will be separated from the mansion. It is better than being in such an awkward situation like him.
Li Yaonan walked around Jinglan Courtyard and was quite surprised. Jinglan Courtyard was indeed well decorated. In addition to some expensive furnishings, there were also calligraphy and paintings by famous artists.
Nanny Li puffed out her chest and raised her head, looking very proud, as if all this was her work: "What do you think, Second Young Master? If there is nothing that needs to be changed, please find a time to move it here as soon as possible."
Li Yaonan pointed to the northeast corner of the yard and said, "Add a small kitchen." In the future, he can go out through the side door to buy things for the yard and buy whatever he wants to eat. He is in the period of growth now, so he naturally needs to pay more attention to nutrition.
Nanny Li frowned and said unhappily, "The expenses of the mansion are all paid by the main kitchen. How will the cost be calculated for adding a small kitchen here? Has Madam agreed?"
Li Yaonan glanced at her with a half-smile and said lightly: "If I ask you to increase your salary, then increase it. Since you respect the Madam so much, I will go back to her some other day and let you serve her, okay?" When he was in the main courtyard before, the reason why he did not replace Nanny Li was because he was afraid that the Madam would not agree. But if Nanny Li wanted to leave and go to curry favor with the Madam, what would it matter if he disapproved of her wish
Nanny Li was shocked. At this moment, she didn't know what happened in the main courtyard in the morning, otherwise she wouldn't be so presumptuous. Even if she looked down on the Second Young Master, she would always have some reservations in her heart.
"If the Second Young Master is dissatisfied, just say so directly. Why use the Madam as an excuse? Although I serve you, the Madam is the mistress of the household. Without her permission, this small kitchen cannot be built." Nanny Li retorted righteously. She knew in her heart that the respect she had in the Li Mansion today was all thanks to the Second Young Master. If she left the Second Young Master, she would no longer be of any use to him. How could the Madam value her then
Li Yaonan was so angry that he laughed. He was really a daring servant. He pointed at a servant who was carrying a cabinet nearby and shouted, "You, come here!"
Wang Xiaohu was stunned for a moment and pointed at his nose: "Me?"
"I'm talking about you, come here." Li Yaonan looked impatient.
Wang Xiaohu put down the cabinet, and he was completely confused. He walked forward stupidly, and even stuttered when he spoke: "Second... Second Young Master!"
"What do you mean by 'two'? Go tell the manager that Jinglan Courtyard is going to build a small kitchen. I will move in the day after tomorrow. Ask him to get it ready as soon as possible." Li Yaonan gets a headache whenever he hears the word 'two'.
Nanny Li was stunned. She didn't expect Li Yaonan to be so disrespectful to her. She glared at Wang Xiaohu and shouted fiercely, "How dare you—"
Wang Xiaohu hesitated and didn't know what to do.
Li Yaonan's eyes darkened and he glanced at him coldly.
Wang Xiaohu shuddered all over and didn't care about Nanny Li anymore. He said hurriedly, "I... I'll go right away!" After that, he ran out of the yard in a hurry.
Li Yaonan sneered and walked away, leaving Nanny Li disheveled in the wind.
Nanny Li was so angry that she gasped for breath and covered her chest with her hands in disbelief. The Second Young Master actually dared to resist her and was so rebellious.
Li Yaonan returned to Luoqiu Pavilion. It was time for dinner. He took one look at the bland meal in front of him. He was not as hungry as he was yesterday and immediately lost his appetite. He was afraid that most of his meal today would go into Li Ma's stomach. No wonder she didn't want to build a small kitchen.
Li Yaonan had lived a life of luxury since his previous life and he never liked to put himself in a difficult position. He followed the places he remembered, took out a few taels of silver and a few banknotes. He planned to go out for a walk and see what the difference was between the ancient Yangzhou city and the modern one.
This world is strange. The geographical location and scenic spots are exactly the same as those in ancient China, except that there are more men who can give birth to children.
Li Yaonan still feels strange when thinking about this incident. He really can't imagine what a man looks like with a big belly. He feels ashamed just thinking about it.
Yangzhou has been a prosperous place since ancient times. After leaving the gate of Li Mansion and walking on the noisy street, looking at the pedestrians coming and going, the hawkers shouting, and the dazzling array of shops, Li Yaonan felt as if he was in another world. His heart instantly settled down, yet there was an inexplicable emptiness. Only then did he have a feeling that he was truly in ancient times.
There were too many things going on before and time was too tight. He had no time to think about the current situation, let alone be sad about the past. A feeling of loneliness suddenly arose in his heart, and he shook his head to put aside the weak emotion. He raised his eyes and saw a restaurant not far away. Li Yaonan grinned and walked over.
Zuixianlou is indeed a must-see scene in both TV dramas and novels in ancient times.
"Sir, would you like a private room on the first or second floor?" The waiter came up to him warmly, with a sly look in his eyes and a big smile on his face, and invited him to sit inside.
Li Yaonan felt happy and his mood suddenly improved. He really still liked the hustle and bustle and liked others to flatter him. As a second-generation rich man, he really couldn't stand sitting on the bench. Life in the Li Mansion was so damn depressing. In just one day, he felt that many brain cells had died. It seemed that he had to find a way to move out as soon as possible.
"Let's go to the second floor." Li Yaonan threw down two coins, walked up to the second floor with a swagger, and found a table by the window to sit down.
"Okay!" The waiter was delighted, his smile became more flattering, and his attitude became more respectful. After Li Yaonan sat down, he asked hurriedly, "What would you like, sir? Tianxiang abalone and braised fish lips in a jar are our signature dishes. I guarantee you will be satisfied."
"Then come up and give it a try. Order two more side dishes. It's up to you."
"Okay! Please wait a moment, it will be here soon." The waiter patted his chest to assure him and hurried to the kitchen to ask someone to prepare it.
Li Yaonan stared blankly at the window and suddenly felt a little funny. He was really too lonely and was trying to find a sense of existence in the waiter.
Soon, the food came up. It seemed that the two silver coins were not wasted, as the waiter served him very attentively.
"Sir, this is your first time here. Judging from your accent, you don't sound like you're from Yangzhou."
Li Yaonan was stunned. He had just relaxed and spoke unconsciously in the official language, which was the Mandarin of his previous life.
"How do you know I'm not from Yangzhou?"
The waiter smiled complacently: "We have a lot of people coming and going here. As long as we are from Yangzhou City, we basically know each other. Young master, you look very unfamiliar."
Li Yaonan was silent for a moment and decided not to tell him that he was a native of Yangzhou. Only then did he realize that the owner of this body was actually a stay-at-home. All he thought about was reading. He rarely came to Zuixianlou for meals and even went out to make friends.
Li Yaonan raised his eyebrows and asked, "You are very familiar with Yangzhou City, so do you know if there is anything new recently?"
"If we talk about something new, it's the second son of the Li family. I heard that he is getting married soon, and his wife is Shuang'er."
"What's wrong with Shuang'er?" Li Yaonan frowned slightly, feeling a little unhappy. It had nothing to do with Shuang'er or not, he just didn't like the waiter's vulgar tone when he mentioned the second young master of the Li family.
The waiter was always good at observing people's expressions. He thought that this guest was unhappy because he had a relative named Shuang'er in his family. He immediately changed his tone: "There is nothing wrong with Shuang'er. I heard that the young master of the Lin family is from a wealthy family in Beijing. The second young master of the Li family is very lucky to have met a kind stepmother. If it were an ordinary family, they would not treat the original wife's child so well."
"Oh?" Li Yaonan became interested: "You said that the Li family's stepmother treats the children of the original wife very well?"
"Isn't it? Otherwise, how could he find a good marriage? It's also because the second young master of the Li family is useless that Madam Li has to make plans for him. It's rare to find such a generous stepmother like her."