"This is Tokyo Bianliang. I don't think it's much bigger than Suzhou..."
"But outside Bianliang City, it feels as prosperous as inside Suzhou City."
Fang La heard Shao Min's words behind him, turned around and glared at his brother-in-law, indicating that he was embarrassed.
Then he slowly rode his horse through the scattered Zhuangyuan streets outside Tokyo Bianliang City, and then entered Tokyo Bianliang City.
Just getting off the boat at the dock fifteen miles away from Bianliang in Tokyo and entering the city took more than an hour.
Especially when passing through the city gate, it was blocked for half an hour. You must know that the time they came was not in the morning and evening rush hours.
But there is nothing we can do. There are more than a million people in and around Bianliang, Tokyo.
Moreover, land in Tokyo's Bianliang City has long been extremely expensive, and many officials cannot afford to buy houses in Tokyo, so they simply rent.
And there are many idle officials who don't have to work, and the rich ones just buy houses outside Bianliang City in Tokyo.
The richest ones will naturally buy them directly in Tokyo, while the poor ones will simply rent them outside the city.
Fang La looked at the level of prosperity and was also greatly shocked in Bianliang, Tokyo, which was just above Suzhou and Hangzhou.
In particular, the main roads in the city are very wide and can accommodate horse-drawn carriages. As for the densely packed shops in the city, under the cover of clouds and sun, the sounds of hawking in various local dialects from all over the world can be heard one after another, which is really dizzying.
In the carriage behind him, his wife Shao also poked her head out, looking around with curiosity on her face.
"It turns out that this is Tokyo. It's so prosperous... Husband, I heard that everything in Tokyo is good, but every inch of land here is precious."
"Our family, this time we came to Tokyo with my husband on his assignment, and we don't know if we can buy a house outside the city."
After hearing Shao's words, Fang La also felt a little guilty. Although he was considered a local rich man in Qingxi, when he arrived in Tokyo, he could only be regarded as a bumpkin at best.
The closer we get to Bianliang, Tokyo, the more exaggerated the rumors we hear about officials being as numerous as dogs and dignitaries walking everywhere.
Maybe a bachelor can emerge from the small shabby house you see, or even the inn you rent, maybe the neighbor is a doctor.
Even if you go to a restaurant and want to have a drink, the person sharing the table with you may be the host.
In a place like this, you must be cautious, no matter how cautious you are.
Fang La was quite uneasy. After all, he was only a military officer. In a big place like Bianliang, Tokyo, it was safer to be a little more cautious.
"Madam, don't worry about anything else. Don't forget what my little sister said. After we arrive in Tokyo, the first thing we do is to go find her quickly."
"It's not too late to find a place to stay after meeting my little sister."
After hearing this, Shao couldn't help lowering his voice and asked quietly.
"Husband, the prodigy champion who has a special eye for girls, is he really attracted to her?"
"The prodigy number one scholar is the beloved son of Captain Gao, and he is also the prodigy number one scholar. On the way here, we heard that he is now a dignified third-grade Hanlin scholar..."
"Girls are pretty good at judging people. Think about it, she is in Qingxi, and she doesn't speak politely to any man."
"Only this little champion, alas, my little sister feels as if she has been possessed by him when she sees him. As an elder brother, I can't persuade him at all."
The couple muttered quietly while walking along the market. Fortunately, it didn't take long before they arrived at the mansion of Captain Gao in the north of the city.
#####
Hearing that they were from the Fang family in Qingxi, the high-ranking servant guarding the door quickly saluted Fang La with a smile on his face and asked them to wait.
"Brother, big brother..." Excited shouts were accompanied by the figure of his sister Fang Baihua appearing in front of Fang La.
Looking at this biological sister who had been separated for several months, Fang La couldn't help but blush, looked at Fang Baihua up and down, and couldn't help but blurt out.
"Have you been wronged?"
As soon as the words came out, Fang Hao on the side said loudly.
"My aunt has not been wronged. My uncle treats my aunt very well."
Hearing his son's shouts, Fang La couldn't help but change his face, and looked at the girl carefully again.
"...Little uncle, you, you guys..."
"Ah, it hurts, it hurts...Dad, mother, and aunt bullied me."
"Let your kid talk nonsense again. Brother, don't listen to this kid. Little sister, Xiaolangjun and I have always treated each other with respect, okay?"
Fang Baihua gritted her teeth for a long time before letting go of the nephew who had ruined her innocence. She blushed and quickly defended herself.
Fang La looked dumbfounded at his own son, who was rubbing his ears and grinning, and stretched out his hand to help the boy.
The son got into the carriage unconvinced, and the mother-in-law showed her motherly kindness and son-filial piety when they met.
Since there was nothing unusual between the two of them, Fang La naturally breathed a sigh of relief and asked about Gao Zhang's whereabouts after the excitement subsided.
Only then did we know that the future brother-in-law, who had become a Hanlin bachelor, was on business.
Fukang, the high-ranking butler who had been waiting aside for a long time, saluted Fang La.
"General Fang, my young master has already told me that if General Fang arrives, your family will live in that house over there. Please come with me."
"this……"
Fang La couldn't help but look at his girl Fang Baihua, who blushed slightly.
"The young man said, brother, if you think we are a family, don't be polite to him. That is the house we bought after we came back from Jiangnan."
"I just want to wait for the future..."
At this point, Fang Baihua couldn't go on. Fang La was still there trying to figure out the root of the problem and what's next.
#####
Shao on the side rolled his eyes helplessly.
"Husband, don't rush to ask. What else can we do in the future? Of course we are getting married, right sister-in-law?"
These words once again turned Fang Baihua's pretty face into a piece of red cloth.
"Then what's wrong with calling me uncle? My uncle likes it when I call him that."
"You still said that!" Fang Baihua's eyebrows were raised, and Fang La couldn't help but hurriedly smooth things over, finally not making the girl angry.
Although the courtyard purchased by Gao Zhang was not very large, it was within the Bianliang City of Tokyo, where land was at a premium.
It cost a lot of money to buy such a house with three entrances, a large garden, and a large open space in the back.
"Little sister, would it be inappropriate for our family to live here?" Fang La couldn't help but look a little worried.
Ever since he was tied to Changzhou and met Gao Zhang on the official ship, Fang La felt that his fate had taken a great turn.
He also has two cousins, both of whom have been awarded positions. Although he has made his own efforts here, Fang La still feels that the prodigy champion has given him too much.
(End of chapter)
