Immediately Little Dumpling explained the situation of how he met his new friend Liu Tián Qǔ. And everything that led up to him talking about sneaking out. He told them how Liu Tián Qǔ explained to him that the very first thing he should have done upon deciding to leave home was to make sure he had somewhere safe to go.
He told them how Liu Tián Qǔ told him it's okay to sometimes get upset with your family and to want to be alone. However, if he put himself in danger, that will also put his family in danger. He told them of how Liu Tián Qǔ tried to convince him to go back home, and he didn't want to. He explained how they were so busy talking that they failed to realize that they had been standing on a bust street announcing to the whole public that he ran away from home until it was too late.
"Liu Tián Qǔ? Who is this Liu Tián Qǔ? What family is he from." The Grand Prince asked.
"I didn't ask because it was obvious he didn't want to talk about his family. I think he has problems at home, and I think he runs away from home a lot."
"What makes you say that Jǐng Jiè?" The First Lady of the Manor asked. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief to hear his mother's voice back to normal.
"He was too knowledgable about the skills of running away from home. Too knowledgable, for some reason, I think all his knowledge is his first-hand experience."
If Liu Tián Qǔ would have heard him, she would have cried tears of innocence. She lived a great life in her past life. Okay? What runaway? To her, it was just all common sense.
"Wang Jǐng Jiè as punishment for running away from home and putting yourself in danger. You are confined to your courtyard for two months." The Grand Prince said.
"Ah!?!" Little Dumpling exclaimed in shock "Two months" He yelled in horror.
" What? Two months is not enough? Should I make it three?" The Grand Prince asked in a cold, stern voice.
"No, no no two months is enough." Little Dumpling stammered out in a hurry. He knew if he said one more word, it would have been three months.
"You may go," His father dismissed him.
"Royal mother, Royal Father although I momentarily left home to see the world, however, both of you were still in my heart. I bought back gifts for both of you."
His mother snorted, "See the world, ah? Humph. Is that what you call it now? What is this about gifts?" Lady Wǔ Gāng Huā asked with a face full of skepticism. "You ran away from home but came back bearing gifts?"
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"I just needed a little time to myself I wasn't planning on staying away forever." Little Dumpling said sourly.
"Alright, I will accept your gift in the vane that it is given."
Little Dumpling reached down and picked up the beautifully carved wooden box that he had rested on the floor beside him. Rising from the floor, he walked forward to hand the box to his mother. After his mother came around the desk and accepted the box, he then turned and called to his brother to bring the package with the map.
Wang Fèn Yǒng came forward and sat the package with the map on his fathers' desk in front of him.
Seeing that his gifts were given Little Dumpling bowed, and before taking his leave, he said, "Royal Father Older Brother knows more about your gift than I do. He will explain more about in detail to you. I will take my leave now."
*******
Imperial City: Chen Manor
At this time Liu Tián Qǔ and Butler Huang were in the meeting hall in Elder Chen's Eldest son’s manor. Using Wang Fèn Yǒng name, Butler Huang's explained to Elder Chen they wanted to buy the old garden residence. However, Elder Chen thought that Wang Fèn Yǒng was buying the residence garden, in order to curry favor with Wang Royal Manor. Elder Chen tried to gift the manor to Wang Fèn Yǒng instead. It took Liu Tián Qǔ and Butler Huang much insistence on paying the fair market price for the garden residence to change Elder Chen's mind.
After much going back and forth, Elder Chen finally agreed to sell the garden residence for 1000 gold. He wouldn't budge or accept any more than that no matter what they said. Inside Liu Tián Qǔ was as happy as a lark. However, outside, she pretended to encourage Elder Chen to accept the fair market price for the garden residence.
In her pretense of trying to get Elder Chen to accept the fair market price. The thought that was niggling in her mind finally bloomed. The Chen clan owned a mountain outside of the city they have been unsuccessfully trying to sell for the past two years.
They used to farm orchards on Veiled Mountain and had built a small village there for the workers. However, when the Chen Family got into a feud with another clan. The mountain became collateral. All the orchards were burned to the ground. The small little village and pretty much everything thing on Veiled Mountain was burned to the ground. The clan that the Chen Family was feuding with even went so far as to salting all the fields on Veiled mountain.
The mountain was now a skeletal barren mountain that had became an eyesore to the Chen clan. Although the mountain is worth thousands of gold, they were in talks to sell it for only 250 gold. However, there was something exceptional about this mountain. Shortly after Veiled Mountain was sold what was found on the mountain caused a major uproar throughout the whole of the Tolling lands and the continent of the Northern Lands. Liu Tián Qǔ thought gleefully 'If I could get my hands on this mountain that would solve all my money problems. I need a large amount of money to secure my garden residence and hire workers."
"Elder Chen," Liu Tián Qǔ called to him as he was in the process signing over the deed of the garden residence into Wang Fèn Yǒng name.
Looking up, Elder Chen answered, "Yes Young Master Liu, what is it?"
"Is your Chen family's Veiled mountain still for sale?"
A glimmer lit up in Elder Chen's eyes. Setting down his brush and focusing his full attention on Liu Tián Qǔ he said. "We are still currently in talks to sell it. Why are you interested in buying the mountain as well?"
Startled Bulter Huang turned to Liu Tián Qǔ, giving her a sharp look.
"Yes, since Elder Chen is determined to sell us the garden residence for under the market price value, then we will take it. In exchange, we will also purchase Veiled Mountain from you. Last we heard the person you were trying to come to an agreement with to sell Veiled Mountain was trying to push the price below 300 Gold. We will purchase it from you at no lower than 2000 gold that is non-negotiable. Is 2000 gold good enough? We are prepared to go higher if you feel 2000 gold is not enough." Liu Tián Qǔ said while praying deep inside with all her might that he wouldn't try to negotiate for a higher price.
"Enough. It's good enough. No need to go higher." Elder Chen hurriedly said in a voice of forced calm. It was clear to see he was very excited. "Good," Liu Tián Qǔ said, "Put the deed for the mountain under Wang Fèn Yǒng's name as well."
Bulter Huang sat with a look of amazement on his face as he looked back and for between Liu Tián Qǔ and Elder Chen. He didn't know if he should interfere or not. However, after considering the fact that Liu Tián Qǔ was the one who was paying. He decided to step back and just observe with the intention of reporting everything later on.
Elder Chen sent for the deed for Veiled Mountain as he completed the paperwork for the garden manor. Liu Tián Qǔ also began to count out 3000 gold.
So busy was she counting out the money. She never noticed the odd looks from Elder Chen, Bulter Huang, and the Chen manor servants that were present. They all wondered, who is this Young Master to be able to handle this large amount of money.