Chapter 92: The Impolite Brother-in-law (2/2)
“My sister is asking you for too much!” Shi Fengju smiled and shook his head. After thinking for a brief moment, he smiled and answered, “This season is the best to have crabs. How about this. When that time comes, I’ll have someone deliver two large baskets of crabs. You can invite Mother and Second Aunt along, too! As for the wine, the aged chrysanthemum wine will be good. It has a sweet scent and taste, but it won’t be easy to get drunk over it. I’ll have a servant send that as well. As for the other dishes, just preparing a few complementary dishes will be fine!”
Sang Wan was glad, and she quickly exclaimed, “Then we’ll go with it. When your sister and I have settled for a date, I’ll tell you about it.”
“En!” Watching her as her eyes glistened when she smiled, Shi Fengju could not help but feel a sense of happiness deep down, and he blurted out, “You’ve been working hard these few days. Once Big Sis has settled down, I’ll take you to my country farm to relax for a few days!”
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Sang Wan’s eyes were on the dishes as she remained silent.
On the following day, Sang Wan and Shi Fengju invited the other two before heading to Banana Courtyard together. The moment when Shi Yumei saw Shi Fengju, she frowned slightly before casting a glance at Sang Wan. She then asked, “Second Brother, how can I trouble you for something this minor? You should return to whatever you’re busy with! We’re a family, so there’s no need for you to pay so much attention to me!”
Shi Fengju then explained the reason which Sang Wan had given him beforehand, and hearing him so, Shi Yumei went silent. But Ren Zhixian seemed to have taken much interest with those words, and he glared at his wife before speaking calmly, “Fengju is indeed thoughtful! The study room is not something women understand at all!”
Shi Fengju could not help but roll his eyes discreetly before gesturing for them to enter the courtyard and acting as if he had not heard him.
With Shi Fengju around, Shi Yumei could not be fussy at all. The decorations for the living room, the partitioned room, chamber, bathroom, and side rooms were discussed very quickly. Shi Yumei half-heartedly smiled at Sang Wan and said, “Then I’ll have to trouble Younger Sister-in-law for the arrangements! I also do want to go pick a few displays with Younger Sister-in-law…”
Sang Wan quickly agreed, and Shi Fengju smiled. “Big Sis, when that time comes, just have Sang Wan open the storage room for you to pick a few paintings, tea sets, and antiques! If there isn’t anything you like, then I can have someone buy those that you’d like!”
Shi Yumei smiled. “Then if I want a few things from your house, will you give them to me?”
“I will, why not!” Shi Fengju quickly gave a glance at Sang Wan and could only say so.
Shi Yumei only said that without much thought, but seeing how Shi Fengju had to look at Sang Wan first before agreeing, she felt somewhat uncomfortable. That made her think that she should just pick a few things that Sang lass likes a lot!
When they came to the study room, that’s where the trouble began.
The study room was the east-wing room located at the right side, with the courtyard right outside of it. Consisting of four partitioned rooms, it was spacious and allowed lots of light in.
Ren Zhixian looked at it with his arms behind his back. He claimed that the building was slightly narrow and should have all the partitions taken down. By the wall, a large bookshelf should be there, and the decorative window should be changed to a circular window with a bamboo curtain hung over it. In front of the window, a couch or bed should be placed there, and right outside the window, two plum trees should be moved and planted there, together with a few bamboos. And right by the bamboos, there should be a pile of rocks…
After that, he began to give even more requests, saying how high the desk should be, how large and beautiful the hung painting should be, where the incense burner should be placed, the four scholarly treasures that he needed, and many others. Finally, he concluded, “Furniture matching the building will make the entire view blend together seamlessly. Only then will the study room look beautiful and elegant to the eyes!”
Before Ren Zhixian even finished with his requests, Shi Fengju’s expression had already changed numerous times! Does this person even know how to write those words? Just who does he think he is ah!
“Brother-in-law, to make all these changes, I’m afraid it will take almost half a year to complete. Brother-in-law, during that period, what do you plan to do?” Shi Fengju asked with a faint smile.
“Nothing!” Ren Zhixian said without shame, “I can just put up with it for a while!” He then added, thinking that he was already being extremely generous already, “Just take your time. I’m also doing this for the Shi family’s sake! With such an elegant study room, if any of your family’s young masters wishes to use this room, they can! This is what a real study room should look like!”
In other words, he was implying that only someone like him who came from a literary family knew how to decorate a study room. You people who reek of money, do you even know?
Shi Fengju almost wanted to let out a laugh. Having come across someone like him, he must think that getting him angry should be something they should be grateful for!
“Yes ah, Brother-in-law is truly a knowledgeable person, a real scholar. This has really let me open my eyes! Where can our Shi family compare with your Ren family? En, but in the eyes of a businessman, I think that this isn’t worthwhile to do so! In any case, it won’t be used in the future, so it’ll only be a waste of money!”
Shi Fengju saw Ren Zhixian’s mouth move, almost wanting to say something like “How dare you, you imbecile!” or words with similar meaning, but he interrupted by adding on, “Why don’t we do it like the way I think we should! I mean, it won’t be used by us in the future, and I don’t wish to waste any money. As long as Brother-in-law is comfortable, I’m sure it should be fine! Then, should we just follow the way Brother-in-law’s study room used to be? That way, Brother-in-law will be more used to it. What does Brother-in-law think?”
Ren Zhixian was suddenly at a loss for words, and his face was slightly red and pale.
His house’s study room? When his parents were still alive four or five years ago, that room looked more like a study room, but two to three years ago, did it even look like a study room? It looked more like a miscellany room!
Seeing her husband unable to refute, Shi Yumei quickly tried to close the topic, “Second Brother ah, my husband is only thinking for our good mah! By decorating this study room, it can then be used in the future. Why don’t—”
“Big Sis! It’s still too early!” Shi Fengju smiled and said, “When my child does have a need for a study room, it’ll only be seven to eight years after he’s born. By then, I’m afraid the study room will be too old and will have to be rebuilt!”