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Her shop is here, which is her lifelong work. If she wants to leave, she has to plan carefully.

Because if she leaves, she’ll take everything with her.

However, since Yuan Jiaqi would be developing in the capital, having a house is essential. Living in their son’s house is inappropriate, so they need their place.

Their son’s house belongs to their son. As parents, they won’t take it away.

Having just organized a lavish feast for her son, she has to do the same for her husband. Qiao Mai wouldn’t mind hosting such feasts every day.

Due to the twin’s matters, Chuan’er didn’t take the imperial examination this year. Seeing his father and brother enjoying such fame, he was incredibly envious.

Nothing tasted good anymore. After attending Old Master Wang’s class, he would rush home to study.

In mid-June, Yuan Jiaqi handed over his duties to the new county governor and arranged the workshops. At the end of the month, he went to the capital for his new position.

However, accompanying him were Qiao Mai, Chuan’er, Old Master and Mistress Wang. Ling’er stayed at home. She wanted to check on her shop and manage the household, so she volunteered to stay.

This trip to the capital wasn’t just about settling down; there was also the marriage proposal with the Duke’s family.

Now that Yuan Jiaqi held a high position in the court, discussing marriage with the Duke’s family was reasonable. Although there was still a gap in social status, it was not insurmountable.

Now that the news had spread throughout the capital, people started talking about Yuan Jiaqi, a first-ranked official, being a live-in husband.

The Duke didn’t mind; what does it matter if his in-law is a live-in husband? He was young and promising, and the Duke even welcomed having a few more daughters for his family to marry.

Just thinking about it, he couldn’t help but crave the delicious meals.

Having them as in-laws was a good thing. It meant he could enjoy gourmet food whenever he wanted.

Thinking about this, the Duke couldn’t help but swallow.

His wife, however, was not thrilled at all. She found it embarrassing for a man to be a live-in husband.

It was humiliating.

She contemplated using schemes to break off the engagement, but when she thought of her daughter’s words, she hesitated.

The Duchess didn’t dare to take the risk.

She feared that her daughter might do it, and she would regret it for the rest of her life.

After a ten-day journey, Qiao Mai and the others arrived in the capital and settled into Bichun Garden.

Although the Emperor granted mansions to the brothers, they hadn’t separated. They currently live in Feng’er’s mansion, which hasn’t been decorated yet due to their busy schedules.

On the other hand, Old Mistress Wang’s Bichun Garden was well-maintained and convenient.

The old lady didn’t trust her children to stay in the capital alone, so she joined them to ensure Feng’er’s affairs were taken care of. Being a city person, she was knowledgeable about customs and traditions.

Chuan’er’s arrival was also due to his education. Old Master Wang planned to guide him in his studies.

After only a day of rest, Yuan Jiaqi went to the palace to express his gratitude and assume his new position. Old Mistress Wang was tired from the journey and needed rest, while Old Master Wang had to teach Chuan’er to study. Only Qiao Mai was left with nothing to do.

As she had come along, she intended to establish her residence in the imperial capital first.

During the day, she strolled to the broker center.

“Are there any good houses available in the capital?”

“Yes, madam. Could you please specify the type of house you are looking for?”

“Bring the catalog of your best houses.”

“Yes!”

The shopkeeper saw Qiao Mai’s head adorned with the most popular diamonds in the capital, and he was delighted, realizing they had encountered an important customer.

He hurriedly ran to the back and brought the catalog.

It was an exquisite catalog, one that could highlight the value of houses.

“Madam, please have a look. Currently, we have two houses in the capital, both valued at over five hundred thousand taels. These two houses are featured in this catalog.”

“Hmm.”

Qiao Mai extended her jade-like hand, flipping through the catalog while the shopkeeper explained.

“This first house is a five-in, five-out set with a large garden at the back, covering an area of one hundred acres. It’s located in the southern part of the city, which is a wealthy area—quiet and suitable. If you want to go to the bustling commercial street, you can get there in no time.” “How much for this one?” “Not too much or too little – five hundred thousand taels.’

“And the other one?”

“Eight, eight hundred thousand taels.”

“Shouldn’t the good one be presented first?”

“We hope our customers see something similar first, so there’s a basis for comparison. Otherwise, the difference of three hundred thousand taels might be unclear.”

“Hmm, tell me. What’s the difference of three hundred thousand taels?”

“Esteemed madam, although these two houses have the same area, there’s a significant difference in the quality of the materials used inside the houses and the scenery of the gardens. You see…”

Listening to the shopkeeper’s explanation, Qiao Mai nodded. “Is this the most expensive house in the capital?”

“Not exactly, but it’s close. The most expensive houses belong to the royal family. I heard they were built with over a million taels.”

“Then take me to see both houses.”

“Alright, but we’ll need to use a carriage. Otherwise, we won’t finish in a day.

We can get off at special places to take a closer look.”

Qiao Mai agreed, and the shopkeeper quickly arranged a carriage to take Qiao Mai to inspect the houses.

They first visited the house worth five hundred thousand taels. Qiao Mai remained silent, then looked at the second one. After finishing the tour, she pointed at it.

“I’ll take this one. I’ll need to modify the house. Do you have enough labor?”

“Available at your call.”

“Handle the procedures.”

“Aren’t you going to negotiate the price?”

“Am I the type who lacks money?”

“Oh.” This statement was imposing, leaving the shopkeeper nearly bewildered.

When they went to the government office for procedures, the shopkeeper directly stated the fees they covered. Qiao Mai smiled and said nothing, letting them process the house under her name.

She was not pretentious. Her money was her own. Her husband was a live-in husband; his possessions were also hers.

She wasn’t foolish or noble enough to write her assets under her husband’s name.

Once she obtained the deed for the house, she immediately signed the modification documents at the broker center.

After returning home, she handed over the modified drawings to the broker center in three days, along with special materials such as PVC and steel pipes.

She first had the workers fill in all the wells at home, then found new locations and taught them how to pressurize water wells with the new pipes.

Although such wells exist here, the cost is too high for ordinary families to afford.

With her pipes and guidance, the cost naturally decreased significantly.

This wasn’t important; what was important was that she let these country bumpkins witness high technology.

Their eyes widened several times, and they were dumbfounded. What kind of operation was this?

Apart from this, there was another thing that amazed the workers even more. That was building a not-too-big house in each courtyard, separating wet and dry areas.

Inside was for bathing, while outside was a squatting toilet and a large mirror embedded in the wall.

Heavens, what kind of family was this? So amazing!

This was not the end. What about the floor? What about the muddy substance under it? What about the smear and paste on the wall? What was going on with all these?

Many workers were confused, but Qiao Mai didn’t tell them what these materials were.

One house after another, she taught them how to paste walls, lay bricks around the bath, and smooth them. She was serious.

Lucky Garden didn’t have these. Mainly because this was the south; bathhouses were used too frequently. There was another point, which was the shower.

To achieve bathing freedom, she ordered several sun barrels from the immortal world.

The barrel was just a barrel, but it was magical. When water flowed in, it would turn into a temperature of forty-five degrees.

If the temperature was not high enough, there was a button to adjust it automatically.

She only taught these workers how to decorate two houses, and they all learned everything!