The little fellow's appearance alone was rare even in Chang'an.
It was said that when Li Er ascended the throne, he couldn't even find six pure-colored warhorses to pull his chariot.
Zhang Yuanwai was so generous, Fang Er was genuinely surprised.
Since my brother is willing, then this brother will not be polite. With this little fellow, it makes a total of ten horses, so I'll shamelessly accept them.
Fang Er happily cradled the little fellow's large head. The little fellow didn't dodge, allowing Fang Er to hold it like that.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanwai also smiled and said, "It seems this little fellow is quite fond of my brother. In that case, I'll also send my brother a groom to look after it, so that uninformed servants don't spoil it."
Zhang Yuanwai's eagerness to curry favor made Fang Er feel quite pleased. He took out a small bottle from his pocket containing two pills and threw it to him, saying, "I won't let my brother be at a disadvantage. These two pills are a token of my gratitude."
"Oh!"
Zhang Yuanwai hastily caught the bottle, carefully tucking it into his embrace before he relaxed.
Then he said, "Fang brother is truly magnanimous! If you ever need anything of this nature in the future, don't hesitate to ask. My horse farm is yours to visit and choose from. Just pick whichever one you fancy. I can't do without your miraculous medicine now, hahahaha."
"Old Zhang, you are too polite. I can't guarantee more, but I can usually get a few pills a month."
Fang Er dared not exaggerate, as he only had six pills left.
"It's fine, a few are enough. To be honest, eating it every day would be too much even for me. My waist has felt a bit heavy these past few days,"
Zhang Yuanwai said, holding his lower back.
"What the heck! Eating it for several days straight, feasting every night, it'd be a miracle if your waist didn't feel heavy!"
Fang Er wasn't surprised at all. This was a potent aphrodisiac; it was only because of his good constitution that his body wasn't completely drained.
With the horse matter settled, Fang Er proposed returning to the city.
Since Zhuzi hadn't returned yet, the three-courtyard house couldn't accommodate these horses.
Horses couldn't just be fed; they needed to be taken out for a run regularly, otherwise, they would become unmanageable over time.
Only the little fellow was brought back.
And also the groom Zhang Yuanwai sent, specifically to care for the little fellow.
Fang Er didn't get into the carriage but sat on the shafts, leading the little fellow with a rope. It was very cooperative, following the carriage obediently, and the rope didn't even straighten out the entire way.
Sitting in the carriage, Zhang Yuanwai saw how much Fang Er liked the little fellow and joked, "Brother Fang, since you and the little fellow are so compatible and you like it so much, why don't you give it a name?"
Fang Er's mind stirred. He tilted his head to look under the little fellow's belly.
"Hmm, no such appendage."
He then said, "Well, it's a mare, so let's call her Bai Xue."
Zhang Yuanwai looked at Fang Er speechlessly.
"What! Are you going to ignore whether it's male or female just because it doesn't have a name?"
The carriage took Fang Er directly to the Fang manor's entrance.
Fang Er hopped off the carriage, bid farewell to Zhang Yuanwai, and then led Bai Xue into the courtyard.
Hu Zi and Zhang Bo had gone to Jiangnan. Currently, Er Gou and Da Li were manning the gatehouse.
Er Gou went directly to the gatehouse to relieve Da Li.
Xiao Qing was watering the courtyard and, upon seeing Fang Er leading a horse back, quickly came forward to take the reins from Fang Er's hand.
"Young Master, this horse is truly beautiful!"
Xiao Qing said happily, stroking Bai Xue's coat.
"Of course. In Old Zhang's horse farm, this is the only pure white horse, and it's just a month-old foal. I managed to spirit it away. Old Zhang was worried we wouldn't know how to care for it, so he sent a groom. He should be at the gatehouse now; please go arrange things for him."
Fang Er picked up a cup of cooled boiled water left in the courtyard, took a sip, and then said.
"Ah! Bai Xue, that's a lovely name, very fitting for it. Don't worry, Young Master, Xiao Qing will take care of it."
Xiao Qing happily led Bai Xue towards the front courtyard.
"Young Master, the shops have all been dismantled according to your instructions. What should we do next?"
As soon as Fang Er sat down, Niu Liang entered the courtyard to ask.
"They've already been dismantled? That fast?"
Fang Er was somewhat surprised. "How many days has it been? Three days?"
"You instructed for the work to be completed as soon as possible, so I secured some funds from the steward and hired twenty carpenters. They finished this morning."
Niu Liang quickly explained.
Hearing Niu Liang's words, Fang Er was no longer surprised, but he was quite pleased with Niu Liang's work attitude.
"In that case, you'll be rewarded. Go find Xiao Qing later and receive two taels of silver. You did excellent work on the previous tasks, and this is a reward for you. Continue to work hard in the future."
Fang Er said generously.
"Thank you for the reward, Young Master. I came back just to ask how to proceed with the next phase of the work."
Niu Liang was overjoyed. Having signed the indenture, he was technically the property of the household, so he had never expected to receive a reward. He quickly knelt down and said.
"Get up. You are not allowed to kneel from now on; we don't have such rules in this house. Wait a moment, I'll draw you some plans."
Fang Er finished speaking, returned to his room, and retrieved paper and charcoal sticks.
Spreading a large sheet of paper on the table, Fang Er began drawing while asking Niu Liang.
"For the floor, ceiling, and walls, all should be covered with a layer of wooden planks. Additionally, the floorboards should be of hardwood, finished with a single layer of clear varnish for durability and longevity. The wooden planks for the walls and ceiling should be of softwood to provide sound insulation, and they should be painted white. Any questions?"
"This is not a problem. The lumber and paint can all be procured."
Niu Liang replied affirmatively.
"Very well. The tables and benches inside should all be crafted in the same style as those in the house. Furthermore, in the center of the first floor, build a platform ten meters square and one meter high, covered with a red carpet. It will be useful later. Any problems with this?"
"Young Master, no problem. As for the carpets, those Persian merchants sell them."
Niu Liang continued to answer.
"Then, the next item... Any problems?"
"Young Master, no problems!"
The master and servant continued their conversation, with questions and answers.
For each question Fang Er asked, he drew a diagram of the items he had inquired about and their desired style.
Niu Liang found it quite easy.
Finally, when Fang Er had used up most of the paper, he threw down the charcoal stick, rubbed his sore wrist, and said, "Alright, proceed according to these blueprints. Get it done as soon as possible and ensure the quality. I will reward you again later!"
"Please rest assured, Young Master. I will have it completed within a month as you requested."
Niu Liang rolled up the blueprints, tucked them into his embrace, and guaranteed to Fang Er.
"I believe you. Go find Xiao Qing and collect your reward."
Fang Er waved him away.
"Yes, Young Master, I take my leave."
Niu Liang bowed and then happily went to collect his reward.