frightfiction Chapter 36 Farewell to Lotus Pavilion
Chapter 36 Farewell to Lotus Pavilion
Running and sprinting, the journey up the mountain took nearly an hour, but the descent took Wu You less than half an hour, a little over twenty minutes, to reach the Lotus Pavilion at the foot of the mountain.
Wu You took out her phone and Polaroid camera and took many photos of the Lotus Tower from various angles and perspectives. She had designed and drawn the blueprints herself, and the thought of never seeing it again made her sad.
Without much time for sorrow, Wu You ran back to her room and paced back and forth, thinking about what to do before leaving, what to write, and whether she would ever come back again. She was completely lost and had no idea what to do.
Never mind, there's no time to waste. I'll just do whatever comes to mind first, and add the rest later if I have time. Wu You quickly picked up the whistle and blew it. A moment later, Nanfeng appeared in the Lotus Pavilion.
Nanfeng bowed his head: "Greetings, Master."
"Go to the city quickly and buy a two-courtyard house. The location needs to be quiet and secluded, with a well. Obtain the official deed and give me the key and the deed first. After that, go and furnish the house. If you have time, plant a grapevine or a peach tree inside."
"Then put another whistle like this in that house in the courtyard. Go do it now and get the key. How long will it take?" Wu You said to Nanfeng in front of him.
This was a backup plan Wu You had left for himself. In case he came back again, he didn't know when, and if the situation was bad, he could deal with it first.
Here, buying and selling houses and land requires a deed, which includes the house address and type, the seller, the reason for selling, the intermediary, and the buyer's surname. However, the buyer's surname is optional. Therefore, this deed is particularly important and must not be lost.
Contracts are divided into red contracts and white contracts. Simply put, red contracts need to be stamped and copied by the government and are protected by the government; while white contracts are informal and temporary contracts generated by the people and have a low degree of security.
Because obtaining a red deed requires paying a certain amount of money, many people opt for a white deed to save money. As for Wu You, of course, the higher the security level, the better; otherwise, if he returns one day to find his house occupied, it will take time to reclaim it.
Nanfeng thought for a while before speaking: "Reporting to Master, the area around here is Xiangzhou Prefecture. A two-courtyard house costs about two or three hundred taels of silver. I didn't bring that much money with me. There are no Chunlu Qiushuang branches here, so I have to go to Xuancheng to get it. The whole round trip will take at least three or four days."
"Three hundred taels, I have the cash here and I'll give it to you right away. How long do you need it?" Wu You said hurriedly. Three or four days would be too late.
"An hour is enough."
"Wait a moment, I'll get it for you right away. Hurry back, we're in a rush." Wu You didn't give Nan Feng a reply before quickly stepping into the inner room.
Arriving at the dressing table, Wu You took the box containing the silver notes and handed half of it to Nan Feng.
"There should be around ten thousand taels here. You can buy whatever you want. With the rest, go to the bank and exchange it for some gold and silver. Go now."
"Yes." Although Nanfeng didn't understand his master's unusual behavior, he still obediently accepted the silver notes and went to buy the house.
Looking at the time, almost an hour of the three hours had already passed. Wu You needed to finish everything quickly. Now she was thinking about the arrangements for Chunlu and Qiushuang, or whether to just give up.
After a few seconds of thought, Wu You abandoned the idea of ignoring the spring dew and autumn frost. If left unattended, it might fall into the hands of the imperial palace, and this was a martial arts organization; who knew what it would become?
Let's make some simple arrangements and give them a general overview of the direction. That way, regardless of whether I can come back again, everything will be running smoothly.
In order to save time, Wu You picked up a pen and started writing. If he wasn't afraid that they wouldn't understand, he would have written the simplified Chinese characters quickly.
The gist is this: my innate talent is extremely poor, and if I want to master a martial arts manual, I need to go into seclusion. This seclusion could last for several years, or even decades, I don't know.
During this period, the development of Spring Dew and Autumn Frost will require the joint consultation of the chief stewards. One-tenth of the profits from Spring Dew and Autumn Frost will be retained and not used except for major events; the other tenth will be sent to the Lotus Pavilion Master every month for his free use, and he shall not interfere.
One-tenth is used for expansion to other cities; one-tenth is used as the monthly allowance for all employees; the other two-tenths are stored up, with one-tenth going to disaster relief in the name of autumn dew, spring dew, and autumn frost in case of natural disasters; and the remaining one-tenth is sent to the Princess's residence for disaster relief.
Another portion will be sent to Princess Zhaoling, a gift from my aunt. (If the profit is too low, I'll wait a few more months and send it all at once.)
As for the remaining portion, the chief stewards can decide how to use it, whether it's to help homeless beggars or to build bridges and roads. However, it must absolutely not be used for evil deeds, such as arson, murder, or looting.
If the owner of Lotus Pavilion has any needs, you must provide assistance at any time.
At the same time, no matter where Lotus Pavilion goes, wherever there are branches in spring and autumn, it will always send a festive or local delicacy on every auspicious occasion.
He picked up his pen again and wrote a letter to Nanfeng Beiyi, using the same excuse, without mentioning where he was in seclusion or when he would return. He emphasized that he had already given the Lotus Pavilion to Li Lianhua.
During my seclusion, you two may go to Spring Dew and Autumn Frost, or return to the Princess's Residence in the Imperial City; it is up to you. There's no need to look for me; I am perfectly safe. By the time you read this letter, I will be in deep seclusion and cannot be disturbed.
After writing these two letters, more than half an hour had passed. With only an hour and a few minutes left, Wu You felt a mix of excitement at being able to go home and sadness at having to leave soon.
Thinking of Li Lianhua, so pure and serene, Wu You picked up her pen but put it down again, unsure of what to say. After much thought, not wanting to leave any regrets and also fearing that Li Lianhua might search for her elsewhere, she wrote down a few paragraphs.
To Li Lianhua:
I'm leaving now. I'm leaving Lotus Tower and returning to where I came from. I don't know when or if I'll ever come back.
Coming here was by chance, but returning was inevitable. Although it was only a little over a year, meeting you was the greatest gain of this trip. Thank you for dispelling my uncertainty about coming here, thank you for your companionship.
This lotus pavilion was built with my meticulous blueprints. It would be such a waste if it were overgrown with weeds and left to gather dust. So I'm giving it to you. I hope you will take good care of it.
I know you have many questions about me, but since they are questions, I won't answer them for you. Answering them will only create more questions. Think of it this way: from the moment I came into your life until now, I've been kind to you and haven't done anything to hurt you, and that's enough.
Okay, I promise you, if we ever meet again, I'll answer any questions you may have.
My reason for leaving Spring Dew and Autumn Frost is that I need to master unparalleled martial arts and go into seclusion for several decades. I hope you won't expose me.
Each month, spring dew and autumn frost will leave you ten percent of your silver, giving you time to travel and enjoy life. If you feel lonely, you can keep a pet for company.
I cannot see all the rivers and seas, so you should ride the Lotus Tower to see them, as if I were going with you. Forgive me for breaking my promise to accompany you and protect you; I'm sorry.
You are wonderful, always have been, don't doubt yourself. Because of you, I feel that many things have meaning. You are the light I follow. I don't ask to possess the light alone, I would be content if the light paused beside me for a moment.
The cabinet next to me contains healing medicine I prepared for you; please remember to brew and drink it. There are also about ten thousand taels of silver notes nearby. I took half of them, but I'm keeping the rest for you. Use them with peace of mind.
Time is running out, so let's stop here. When you return from Pudu Temple, please give the other two letters to Nanfeng Beiyi.
There's no need to search. I have nowhere to go in this world, so naturally I can't find a way out. What separates us is a vast expanse of time and space.
Goodbye, and I wish you a smooth life. If we never meet again, I also wish you joy and good health.
Wu Youliu.