At that thought, Lin Dashan wasn't angry anymore. He patted his son on the shoulder, his eyes smiling into crescents. "Not bad, not bad! You're really something, kid! Fourteen shops in one go. You're truly my son… getting more and more promising by the day…" He looked as proud and pleased as a child.

Lin Feng smiled and said, "I plan to finish the renovations before the New Year."

Lin Dashan nodded. "There's enough time. As long as the funds are in place, they can get it done for you in a month or two." After a pause, he asked with concern, "Tell me honestly, how much money do you have left? If it's not enough, tell your dad. I've got some money here that you can use."

Zhang Fuyong also offered his full support. "I've got money too."

Lin Feng was touched. "I'm not short on money, Dad. You don't need to worry," he said with a smile.

"Alright, but if you need money, let me know. Don't be shy about asking."

"That's right."

Lin Dashan then asked, "So, will Lin Jiajun and Jiang Anmin be the shareholders again?"

"I included Brother Yu this time, too."

Lin Dashan had no objections. Yu Zheng had always been a good kid and had treated their family exceptionally well. Not to mention, he had always been close with Lin Feng.

"However…" he added, "Your brother Rui and Sister Lan probably won't be too happy about it."

Zhou Cuilan sighed as well.

"Whether they're happy or not has nothing to do with me," Lin Feng said indifferently. "I'm going upstairs. You two go to bed early after you finish watching TV."

"Go on, go on," Zhou Cuilan said. "We'll take care of the kids. Prioritizing the shops is what's important right now."

"Mhm."

When Lin Feng went upstairs, he spotted Zhang Yuxi eavesdropping around the corner of the landing. He raised an eyebrow slightly, and she smiled in awkward embarrassment. Lin Feng took her hand and led her back to their room. Before he could even ask, Zhang Yuxi rushed to explain, "I thought I heard you arguing, so I wanted to check. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Lin Feng chuckled. "I wasn't going to accuse you of eavesdropping."

Zhang Yuxi followed closely behind him. "Honey, do you have enough money?"

Lin Feng looked surprised. "Yes, I have enough."

She took his hand. "Honey, we're a married couple. You can be frank with me."

He was even more puzzled. "I really do have enough. If I run out of money, I'll figure something out." He paused before adding, "Don't you believe your husband?"

Zhang Yuxi shook her head. "It's not that I don't believe you, I'm just afraid you're pushing yourself too hard."

Hmm, isn't that just a different way of saying the same thing? But she had a beautiful way with words, and he loved her sweet nothings.

He couldn't resist teasing her. "Honey, what would you do if, one day, your husband went bankrupt and lost everything?"

Zhang Yuxi blinked. "We'd start over from scratch. In life, you can't expect everything to go your way or for the road to always be smooth."

Lin Feng was sitting down, and Zhang Yuxi gently cradled his face, her expression tender. "And if you get tired and don't want to work anymore, that's okay too. I can support you."

Lin Feng laughed. "You'd support me?"

Zhang Yuxi nodded with great seriousness. "I might not be able to give you a life of luxury, but I can at least make sure we have food on the table and a roof over our heads."

Lin Feng was deeply moved. He didn't doubt her for a second; that was just the kind of woman she was. She trusted you completely, gave without expecting anything in return, and acted without dwelling on the consequences. If she had hesitated to think things through, she never would have chosen to have the children and shoulder everything by herself.

He hugged her, chuckling at how silly she was. "Your husband is a man. How could I ever fall into such a sorry state?"

Zhang Yuxi simply smiled faintly without saying a word.

「...」

The news that Lin Feng had bought fourteen storefronts in Yuhuali quickly reached others—"others," of course, referring to Lin Dahu and his cronies.

That very night, Yu Zheng and Jiang Anmin supervised the workers as they began knocking down walls. They started at eleven at night and worked straight through until the mall opened in the morning.

「...」

"Let's go! Let's go see that villa today, Mingyue Villa."

The weather was sunny and breezy, cool and pleasant. It was Lin Dashan who had suggested they go take a look at Lin Feng's new villa.

The group arrived at Mingyue Villa and was immediately captivated by the grand entrance gate, which was reminiscent of an ancient royal residence. Mingyue Villa was poised to become the most iconic villa estate in Meicheng, so its level of luxury was hard to imagine. The complex was filled with pavilions, terraces, artificial mountains, and waterside gazebos, making it feel as though they had stepped into an ancient imperial garden.

The villas came in three sizes: three hundred, five hundred, and seven hundred square meters. Only two of the seven hundred-square-meter villas existed. The architecture blended the style of ancient palaces with modern art, creating a unique and beautiful aesthetic.

Lin Feng led them along the paths... and then they got lost.

He looked left and right. "This is only my second time here. I'm not sure which way to go."

Zhang Yuxi pointed to a nearby signpost that marked the different areas. "This way..."

The beauty of the community alone was enough to make one want to linger forever.

"Wow, you really do get what you pay for," Zhou Cuilan exclaimed happily.

Zhao Lizhen nodded. "It is very nice."

As Meicheng's landmark villa estate, it had naturally been designed by renowned architects.

Finally, after a few more twists and turns, they arrived at the villa Lin Feng had purchased. Its exterior was similar to the others they had passed. Two classically carved wooden doors opened into a front courtyard featuring an artificial mountain, a waterside pavilion, and a lotus pond. A small bridge arched over the water, leading towards the main building.

The layout was akin to a traditional courtyard home. After crossing the bridge, they found themselves in what would normally be the living room. However, this space had been completely omitted, replaced instead by an expansive courtyard. In the center of the courtyard was a uniquely styled garden planted with a wide variety of flowers.

"With such a big space, the babies can run around and play as much as they want!" Zhou Cuilan said immediately.

Zhao Lizhen smiled. "Laying down a rubber track here and putting in some playground equipment would be amazing."

"And if it's still not big enough, we can just remove the garden," Zhou Cuilan nodded.

Looking at the beautiful flowers, Zhao Lizhen suggested, "We could transplant them into pots and you could take them over to your place."

On the left and right sides of the courtyard stood two-story buildings. The blend of modern design with an antique charm gave them a particularly elegant and exquisite look. Inside, each wing housed bedrooms with an ancient, scholarly charm and their own en suite bathrooms. A covered walkway on the second floor connected the rooms on both sides.

The main living room and kitchen were situated at the far end of the courtyard. Above them, on the second floor, was a very large master bedroom. Similarly, a corridor on the second floor connected the master bedroom to the rooms on either side. All the upstairs bedrooms featured large, protruding balconies.

The garage, with three parking spaces, was located on the basement level. As a bonus, the purchase included a roughly one-hundred-square-meter basement room adjacent to the garage.

Everyone who saw it was full of praise.

"As expected of a multi-million-yuan villa… The interior has imported wood flooring, and just look at these beams, these windows…"

Zhang Fuyong inspected the details closely. "Even the craftsmanship on these lanterns is exquisite. It looks a bit like the cloisonné enamel filigree technique."

Mingyue Villa was a new development in a secluded location, making it very quiet. It would be an excellent choice for a peaceful retirement.

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