"Master."
The shadowy figure knelt directly on one knee.
Song Qingzhao pulled him up without a word. "Does Xiao Guo have any news?"
The shadow's eyes lit up!
It was her first time seeing the Master!
After lingering here for so many days, she had finally waited for this moment!
She directly took out the letter from her embrace and handed it over, eagerly awaiting Song Qingzhao's reaction.
However, when Song Qingzhao saw the contents of the letter, her face quickly turned ashen.
"Mas- Master?"
The shadow knew the rules of Xi Yun Ge very well.
As a nightingale, exposing one's emotions was the most unforgivable offense!
But she was still too worried about Song Qingzhao.
Song Qingzhao finished reading the letter, then looked up at the shadow before her.
She wasn't very old, likely a child who had just joined.
"When did you arrive?"
"Yesterday," the shadow replied crisply.
Song Qingzhao drew a "checkmark" directly on the envelope and handed it back to the shadow. "This is for Xiao Guo. Be careful when you leave."
After the shadow left.
Song Qingzhao directly destroyed the letter and then walked back.
It seemed the situation in Mobei was very complicated.
She had originally planned to leave only after she had a clear understanding of Ling Shi Gu's situation.
She hadn't expected Bai Youan to cause such a stir outside because of her.
Two out of three factions had been offended.
Song Qingzhao sighed, a headache forming, and realized a truth: never provoke a man who was deeply in love, especially if he was a love-struck fool.
Although all of this was an accident, it had also helped her greatly.
Even though she and Bai Youan were in a mutually beneficial partnership, she didn't want to involve him in future matters.
After all, this could easily escalate into a matter of confiscation of property and extermination of the clan.
Song Qingzhao sighed heavily, "It truly is a long and arduous road."
"Master, where did you go? We finally found you."
Fang Yi, with a calm yet urgent gait, hurried to support Song Qingzhao.
Song Qingzhao smiled and walked with her. "I was just taking a stroll. Have Mu Mu and the others arrived?"
"They have."
Fang Yi's worried heart finally relaxed.
She became nervous if she couldn't see Song Qingzhao at a glance.
"They are all waiting in your cave dwelling, Master."
Song Qingzhao hummed in acknowledgement and nodded. "Do they know what I intend to say?"
"Yes, this old servant has already instructed them."
Fang Yi hesitated, but finally spoke, "Old Yu said that digging caves is not very feasible; the human and material resources would need to be doubled."
"Understood, let's go."
Song Qingzhao had considered this outcome, so she hadn't held much hope.
But she would take it one step at a time, and there would always be a way.
Upon entering the room, she saw a fair-faced youth and a slightly hunched old man sitting by the warm stove, engaged in a "friendly discussion" over a mess of scattered blueprints.
"You little brat, I, Old Man Yu, have built houses my entire life, and yours is unfeasible."
"Why?" Song Qingmu's voice was as cold as ever. "I have surveyed it; this structure is absolutely sound."
Old Yu sipped his tea. "I know, but it cannot be done under the current conditions."
He tapped the paper with his dark fingertip. "This would require at least this much."
He then spread all his fingers open and gestured towards Song Qingmu, his eyes wide and lips pursed.
"Fifty thousand?" Song Qingmu frowned.
Old Yu immediately chuckled, revealing his slightly yellowed teeth. He looked honest and upright, clearly a man who had spent his life working with the land.
He sighed and began to tug at the knotted wool on his clothes.
"Fifty thousand gold."
He stared intently at the brightly burning brazier. "Setting aside the fifty thousand taels, even transporting the necessary materials under these circumstances would be difficult."
"So."
Song Qingmu also fell into thought. "This plan isn't infeasible; it just lacks the necessary conditions for feasibility?"
"Yes."
Old Yu also fell into deep thought. "It's a good idea, but too difficult to implement."
"Not difficult."
Song Qingmu and Old Yu both turned their heads to look at Song Qingzhao, who was being supported as she gracefully walked in.
"I have a way to solve the problems you've mentioned."
Song Qingmu, however, frowned. "Eldest Sister, you don't need to do this."
Song Qingzhao took her seat at the head of the table, picking up the drawings the two had sketched on, while simultaneously using her spatial search engine to look up relevant knowledge.
If she had felt a hint of surprise when she first overheard their conversation,
that surprise grew with her subsequent research.
"This plan is indeed feasible," she said, putting down the paper in her hand, her eyes shining. "However, as Mr. Old Yu said, it will be somewhat difficult to implement."
Old Yu, hearing himself addressed as "Mister," blushed on his dark face and responded uncomfortably, "Master, it is what this old servant should do."
Song Qingzhao shook her head. "Not at all, you have considered all aspects very comprehensively."
She handed the blueprints back to the two. "You don't need to worry about these external factors. First, list out everything you need, and don't worry about anything else."
"But..."
This time, Song Qingmu was the one who hesitated.
"Eldest Sister, you'll be too tired doing this."
Song Qingzhao smiled reassuringly. "I won't be, don't worry."
She then met Old Yu's gaze again. "If the manpower and financial resources are fully allocated, how long do you estimate it will take?"
Old Yu hesitated, squinting his eyes in thought for a moment, and finally gave a reasonably conservative estimate. "Half a year."
Song Qingzhao nodded in agreement.
"Before the next winter, I hope to be able to move in."
Old Yu immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
The next winter.
Ling Shi Gu entered winter around December, meaning they had a few months of leeway on the half-year timeframe.
"But we still need to solve the housing problem. The forty-two people I brought back need a place to live."
Old Yu, who had just cheered up, immediately scrunched his face into a bun again.
"Master, we can build sheds, but those things don't block the wind, and people will still freeze to death if they live in them."
"What if we build the sheds inside caves and partition the space reasonably? Would that be feasible?"
Old Yu thought for a moment and then nodded. "That's a good idea, but we don't have any caves left. Even converting the one we're living in would barely accommodate ten people."
"Cave..."
Song Qingzhao smiled. "I discovered a hidden place while I was wandering just now. Although the cave entrance is concealed, it's quite something inside."
She took a sip of hot tea. "It should be able to accommodate a hundred or so people without much problem."
Old Yu and Song Qingmu both had the same "!!!" expression.
"A hundred or so people?"
"Yes," Song Qingzhao said with a sweet smile, boasting. "I looked at the entrance and saw that the space inside is very large."
Whether there was a cave or not, the size of the interior was not important.
Song Qingzhao took another sip of hot tea.
Immediately afterward, her spatial dimension was filled with stones piled as high as a small mountain.
The sudden pressure made it difficult for her to breathe, but she maintained her smile.
"Let's go, I'll take you to see it."