After Hai TangXi hung up the phone, she suddenly felt strange about herself.
Why was she affected emotionally by Jiang Beicheng's personal affairs?
She was certain she didn't like Jiang Beicheng now—at most, they were good friends.
His current indulgent lifestyle wasn't something she admired either.
As for the childhood betrothal, that was even more ridiculous, just something to joke about.
All signs pointed to her having no emotional attachment to Jiang Beicheng.
Yet, vaguely, she felt a sense of connection.
She couldn't quite describe it.
Hai TangXi sighed, deciding not to dwell on it. It was probably just the sibling-like bond from their childhood.
She was going to the United States eventually, so why bother thinking about domestic matters?
Adjusting her mood, she went to chat with Grandma Wang Ying.
---
Jiang Beicheng floored the accelerator and sped back to his hometown.
After parking the car, he walked toward Grandma and Hai TangXi with a smile. Both of them looked at him with the same expression.
"Are Grandma and Sister Xi about to interrogate me?"
"I'm not that bored," Hai TangXi said, standing up. "Grab the tripod and the rangefinder."
Jiang Beicheng complied.
Hai TangXi: "Do you know how to use them?"
Jiang Beicheng: "I think so."
Hai TangXi shook her head, deciding she'd handle it herself later.
Grandma Wang Ying followed along. When it came to the farm's construction plans, Jiang Beicheng prioritized her needs.
This was a knot in her heart.
When her late husband was alive, he always talked about seeing a new house built in their hometown before he passed.
The older generation had a deep attachment to their homeland. Before returning to their roots, they wanted to build a house to embody their lifelong sentiments.
If it weren't for the little secretary's wife whispering in his ear, the farm would've been built when Jiang Tao was still around, and her husband could've seen it before he left.
Wang Ying directly shared her thoughts.
Following behind Hai TangXi, she said, "For the residential house, I'd like it built in the style of a Song Dynasty courtyard…
The decor should be new Chinese style!"
"There's a small ditch over there. I want to divert the water to create an artificial lake of about 20 mu, for raising ecological fish and planting lotus flowers."
"Around it, build lakeside pavilions and a covered bridge. I personally prefer the Huizhou architectural style."
"Enclose this area for a vegetable garden and orchard, and build a two- or three-story small building nearby for the farm manager and staff to live in."
"This side will be for livestock. Besides the usual poultry, I also want ostriches and peacocks."
Hai TangXi glanced at Jiang Beicheng.
Jiang Beicheng nodded with a smile.
This farm had probably taken shape in the old lady's mind countless times.
They would follow her wishes, and the rest depended on the designer's skill.
Wang Ying continued, "For greenery, I like camellias and osmanthus flowers. For the entrance decoration, use Luohan pines.
You can plant some ginkgo trees; they're especially beautiful in autumn.
Little Xi, make sure to reserve a spot for a playground here. In the future, when my grandson comes back, he'll have a place to play.
That's about it…"
Before finishing, Wang Ying gave an awkward smile.
It seemed like she was asking for too much.
She was eager to describe the environment she envisioned but forgot about the Jiang family's current situation.
The few million she had in the bank was just a drop in the bucket.
Her grandson was busy with his career—was she causing trouble for him?
Jiang Beicheng knew his grandma well and smiled. "Grandma, tell us all your needs and ideas so Sister Xi can start drawing the plans and we can break ground."
"That's all for now. You can arrange the rest, and Little Xi can feel free to get creative," Wang Ying said with a smile.
**[Smile Count: 11/100]**
Whether or not they could actually start construction, expressing her vision for the farm made her happy.
"Grandma, I've got your requests clear. I'll go measure the land with Beicheng now," Hai TangXi said.
"Good, good, good. I'll go cook lunch for you," Wang Ying said, heading back to the house.
Once she left, Hai TangXi spoke up. "I didn't want to say this in front of Grandma, but you need to be mentally prepared.
I've worked on private estate designs in the U.S. too. Though I'm not familiar with the domestic building materials market or labor costs, building to Grandma's standards could be very expensive."
Jiang Beicheng: "How expensive?"
Hai TangXi: "If you aim for high standards and quality, it could go over 100 million."
Jiang Beicheng gave a faint smile. "Sister Xi, I have only one request: on top of Grandma's ideas, plan a horse ranch for me.
Design it according to a standard equestrian obstacle course.
If the land we measure later isn't enough, I'll negotiate with the village committee."
Hai TangXi stared at Jiang Beicheng. "Are you sure you want to increase the budget?"
Jiang Beicheng nodded. "That's just how I am. If I'm going to do something, I do it right.
Don't stress about cutting costs for me. That would limit your creativity as a designer.
Just plan and design based on a budget of 200 million."
Hai TangXi's eyes widened, staring at Jiang Beicheng.
Even with money, you can't squander it like this!
If you throw 200 million into this, how much of the inheritance Jiang Tao left you will remain?
Just for a moment of pleasure? What about your future?
Hai TangXi didn't want Jiang Beicheng to spend all his money on housing.
Money should be used to make more money.
But then she thought about it—this silly little brother had no investment mindset, only chasing a life of pleasure and indulgence in women.
"I can draw the plans for you and even make a budget estimate for free. It's just a matter of spending time on market research. But you need to think about your long-term future," Hai TangXi kindly reminded him.
"Don't worry, Sis. How much can food and clothes cost?" Jiang Beicheng didn't even consider these concerns. Build it early, enjoy it early.
The farm's construction would take at least a year or two. With his monthly living allowance of 20 million, allocating a few million or 10 million each month to the farm wouldn't affect his material lifestyle.
Plus, as his system level increased, his monthly allowance would grow.
At worst, he could use the real estate developer's loan model to complete it smoothly.
Jiang Beicheng had no anxiety about the issues Hai TangXi raised.
"Sometimes, seeing you act so smug makes me annoyed, but other times, I really envy how you live so carefree," Hai TangXi said while taking notes.
"You could live like that too."
"Forget it. I'm chasing…"
"The palace of art," Jiang Beicheng finished for her.
Hai TangXi laughed. "You know your sister pretty well, huh?"
Jiang Beicheng teased, "Well, I am the man Aunt Zhou picked for you."
"Get lost," Hai TangXi said with a look of disgust, then mimicked a voice she'd heard during their morning call, cooing, "Hubby~ Tsk, tsk, tsk, how gross is that?"
Jiang Beicheng: "When *you* say it, it's gross. When she says it, it's sweet."
"Jiang Beicheng!" Hai TangXi couldn't outtalk him, losing every verbal spar. "Are you trying to piss me off?"
"Hard work, hard work, Sister Xi," Jiang Beicheng said with a grin, giving her shoulders a quick massage.
"Your massage technique is too sloppy. You're just rubbing randomly."
"Tonight, Tianlan. Beauty treatment, massage, SPA—I'll cover it," Jiang Beicheng said generously.
Tianlan was the top-tier wellness club in Jiangnan City.
Of course, excluding those so-called "private bespoke" clubs that were just scams.
"The full package?"
"The full package!"
"Wait, haha, what are we even talking about?" Hai TangXi burst out laughing, amused by her own words.