Chapter 93: Yixia Manor

 

After resting at home for two days Jing Yi took Chuxia to the medical clinic to see Doctor Cen. After Doctor Cen confirmed that everything was fine and suggested moderate activity, he resumed his normal life.

 

Initially, Jing Yi proposed resting at home to ensure a safe pregnancy, temporarily putting aside the soap shop. Chuxia didn’t object at the time.

 

However, coming out of the medical clinic, he confidently told Jing Yi that the doctor advised more activity and not constant rest. He asserted that he would continue to manage the soap shop, reducing the time spent sitting in the store.

 

Helpless, Jing Yi agreed, arranging daily transportation and even finding time to deliver lovingly prepared lunches.

 

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend the whole day with Chuxia at the soap shop; rather, the work of planting in the orchard needed to be completed. Old Man Yang persistently urged him to inspect the planting, and he needed to return home to accompany his little grandson.

 

So, Jing Yi was busy inspecting the transplanted seedlings with Old Man Yang.

 

At the same time, three elderly men were hired from the nearby villages to take care of the orchard. Old Man Yang, seeing them, even taught them some maintenance techniques for fruit trees free of charge.

 

After happily sending off Old Man Yang, who was both cold-faced and warm-hearted, Jing Yi’s focus shifted back to the orchard’s development. The construction of the pond, residential area, and recreational area had not yet begun.

 

The completed large estate could aptly be called an “ecological orchard resort.” Of course, such a name would be too avant-garde for the Da Yuan Dynasty.

 

Now that the busy farming season was over, the local men had plenty of time. It was an opportune moment to build the “resort.” In the past couple of years, not only Xiwang Village but also nearby villages had earned quite a bit thanks to Jing Yi.

 

The construction of the resort was still a significant project. Old Man Yang had already taken care of the orchard section, leaving the rest to Master Liao.

 

With the Jing family prospering, owning several shops and fertile fields, money was not an issue. When they heard about Jing’s construction project, even construction teams from the county tried to contact him, hoping for cooperation.

 

However, Jing Yi declined. His collaboration with Master Liao had always been pleasant. Master Liao readily accepted some of Jing’s bold ideas, and there was no need to find someone else and go through unnecessary explanations.

 

Jing Father was responsible for recruiting workers. He contacted the village chief in his own village and sought help from Wangjia and nearby villages. Additionally, they asked the tenants of the Jing family. In total, forty men were selected, along with fifteen from Master Liao’s construction team. The project was expected to be completed in about two months.

 

Once the news of building the large estate spread, it ignited heated discussions in the village.

 

“Hey! Can you believe it? Why didn’t we realize how promising Xiao Yi is? If we had known earlier…”

 

“What’s the use of knowing earlier? Your family either has a talented eldest daughter who caught Jing Yi’s eye, or the second daughter who manages a soap shop in town!”

 

“Stop arguing! I reckon Xiao Yi might be wealthier than other prominent families in the town now. Remember, when the Liu family built their mansion, they only hired around twenty people.”

 

“Speaking of which, will there be a feud between Xiao Yi and the Liu family in the future?”

 

“Whether there will be a feud or not, I don’t know. If it happens, I’ll support the Jing family. Look at those households that helped out earlier; see how well they are living now.”

 

“Sigh, indeed.”

 

In the midst of these discussions, Jing Yi was oblivious, and even if he were aware, he probably wouldn’t care. Adding beauty to something already beautiful was never difficult; it was the timely help that held true value.

 

Jing Yi continued to contemplate the business of the resort. With its completion two months away and winter setting in, opening the resort then wouldn’t be very appealing. Therefore, he decided to carve out a separate area in the garden, closer to the river, to build a hot spring bath that would include both indoor and outdoor facilities.

 

Of course, they couldn’t unearth natural hot springs here, so they would rely on heated water for winter baths.

 

Hot springs in winter and swimming pools in summer – wouldn’t that be delightful?

 

This resort model was still quite novel in the current Da Yuan Dynasty. Jing Yi had heard about similar private leisure places in the capital, Qingzhou Prefecture, and wealthy southern cities, but they were expensive and offered limited entertainment.

 

Jing Yi thought that even though he was situated in the small Fuyang Town, as long as the entertainment was novel, attracting customers from Anchang County and nearby areas wouldn’t be a problem.

 

Therefore, he was quite invested in the construction of the resort. Seeing his dedication, Chuxia was also looking forward to the garden. Sometimes, he would even come over to supervise, though he would just stand at a distance and watch.

 

On the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, after a snowfall in Fuyang Town, Jing Family’s resort quietly opened for business, named “Leisure Summer Villa.”

 

Leisure Summer Villa didn’t have a grand opening ceremony. Jing Yi believed that to attract high-end customers, avoiding clichéd practices was essential. Therefore, he only selected quality customers for promotion in Nìngxia Pavilion, the hot pot restaurant, and the Icy Nectar Pavillion.

 

The resort’s pricing included some affordable options, but Jing Yi wasn’t worried about this segment. Once the wealthy clients arrived, it would naturally attract a wave of well-off common folk.

 

In this era, good wine needs no bush. Jing Yi wasn’t in a hurry to recover his investment. He always believed that enticing people patiently was better than rushing them into a purchase. No matter where you are, there will always be people who recognize value.

 

This wasn’t Jing Yi boasting about himself. A few days ago, after the resort was completed, he invited the Lin family, Uncle Jing’s family, and Second Brother Huang’s family to visit and experience it. Everyone unanimously praised it.

 

“Hey buddy, how much longer until we get there?” A portly old gentleman asked from inside the carriage.

 

“Young Master Li, we’ll be there shortly, it won’t even take the time to burn an incense stick.” The servant replied, sitting on the carriage shaft, still wearing the uniform of the Jing Family hot pot restaurant.

 

This was a considerate service provided by Jing Yi. For first-time high-end customers, he arranged for a servant from the Jing family’s restaurant to guide them, preventing them from getting lost and disrupting the customers’ enthusiasm.

 

Today, there are two carriages on the road, carrying a group of wealthy merchants from the town, including Young Master Li, a loyal fan of the hot pot restaurant.

 

He was also a premium member buyer for various Jing family stores, supporting almost every business under the Jing name.

 

In trust, Jing Yi mentioned Leisure Summer Villa to him, and without a second word, he wanted to come and experience it. Unexpectedly, his father found out and thought he was going to some questionable place.

 

After a tumultuous commotion, even the protective old lady, who hurried over upon hearing the news, was persuaded by him to endorse Leisure Summer Villa.

 

“Hey! There are plenty of places for people to play in the capital and the prefecture. Why can’t my obedient grandson enjoy himself? It’s just that you don’t like him.” The old lady said with a stern face, addressing Master Li.

 

“Mother, he doesn’t even go to school anymore. How can he get anything done if he doesn’t focus on his work every day?” Master Li complained.

 

“How is he not focusing on his work? Here’s the deal. I heard you have business dealings, so let’s arrange the meeting at this ‘Leisure Summer Villa.’ It must be a deal related to the Jing family, and it’s definitely not bad. When the time comes, bring the third son along and let him learn something.” The old lady, quite domineering in her youth, decisively settled the matter, and Master Li could only nod in agreement.

 

He wasn’t afraid of messing things up because his third son was quite talented in such matters.

 

“Dear sirs, young masters, we have arrived at ‘Leisure Summer Villa.'” The hot pot restaurant attendant took charge, handed over the distinguished guests to the welcoming staff, and quickly returned to the hot pot restaurant.

 

“Dear guests, welcome to ‘Leisure Summer Villa.’ I am the steward for your stay here. You can call me Renyi. The estate is divided into the orchard area, fishing area, hot spring area, leisure area, and accommodation area. The hot spring area is a public space, but if you have any reservations, we can provide exclusive courtyards with private hot tubs. Please take a look at the introductory brochure.”

 

Renyi handed a brochure with a brief description of the accommodation environment and marked prices to Master Li, the head of the group.

 

With limited manpower, Jing Yi personally arranged for his trusted aides to receive this first group of genuine customers at Leisure Summer Villa. The newly recruited stewards observed and learned.

 

At the entrance, a hall specifically for handling admission procedures was built. Following the consistent trend in Da Yuan Dynasty, the hall was grand, magnificent, and impressively large, making Master Li, who already had some apprehensions, feel particularly honored.

 

“Today, I have invited distinguished guests, so naturally, we want the best. Can your Huaxi Pavilion accommodate all five of us?” Mr. Li inquired.

 

Huaxi Pavilion is the highest-priced courtyard in the brochure, with a nightly rate of eighteen taels of silver. Of course, if you stay for three days, five days, or even longer, there are corresponding discounts.

 

“No problem, Master Li. Huaxi Pavilion has a total of six guest rooms and three different-sized baths, symbolizing prosperity and good luck. I hope the five esteemed guests have a smooth and fulfilling stay at Leisure Summer Villa,” Renyi sincerely conveyed the phrases Jing Yi had trained him.

 

“Well, this is for you! Hahaha, Boss Jing sure knows how to do business.” Master Li was delighted and handed over a tip.

 

Even the third son, proudly lifted his head high, feeling fortunate that the Jing family didn’t let him lose face in front of his father.

 

“Thank you, Master Li. Please board the carriage, and I will take you to Huaxi Pavilion for changing and resting. Along the way, I’ll introduce the entertainment activities in our leisure area and the cuisine at the resort.”

 

There’s no need for much introduction to the orchard, fishing, and hot springs; you can experience those when you arrive. In the leisure area, Jing Yi has introduced many fresh elements, and each steward needs to present them properly.

 

For example, traditional sports like Cuju (ancient Chinese football), Touhu (pitch-pot), Mahjong, and Flower Cards commonly seen in Da Yuan Dynasty, as well as Jing Yi’s innovative simplified versions of bowling, table tennis, and billiards, plus some puzzle tabletop games.

 

They even constructed a water amusement park in the public water area, ensuring that staying here for a week would never get boring.

 

Different entertainment activities come with different fee standards, and the same goes for meals – whether it’s a formal meal, fast food, snacks, or even self-service barbecue and hot pot – as long as the money is paid.

 

The monthly salary of the stewards is linked to the customers’ consumption amount, so there’s no need to worry about them not putting in effort – who would have a problem with money?