CHAPTER 247: CHAPTER 247 ORIGINAL SIN 56

The seventh courtyard is the largest in area, and inside it’s all superior rooms. Of course, calling them superior rooms is a bit inaccurate; they should be called superior courtyards because the seventh courtyard is filled with all kinds of standalone courtyards.

Each of these courtyards includes three upper-class rooms plus a corridor pavilion, each with unique scenic views. Each courtyard is filled with various flowers, such as the Plum Garden full of plum blossoms, the Peach Blossom Spring full of peach blossoms, the opera house full of pear blossoms, the Bamboo Garden and the Bamboo Forest Villa, which is also full of bamboo, with even the rooms built from bamboo...

A total of thirty-seven superior courtyards are distributed in a fan shape within the seventh courtyard, surrounding almost half of Red Dust! Each superior courtyard comes with three dedicated attendants who take care of all the guests’ needs, even preparing wash water in advance, allowing guests to perfectly experience the life of an ancient aristocratic family.

Of course, the prices for these superior courtyards are also outrageously expensive. Just looking at the price will certainly deter a large number of tempted people because it’s really too pricey! It’s not something an average person would be willing to spend on.

Apart from this, Yun Shuangshuang also spent a large sum to commission the construction of a four-story ancient-style tower ship, docked right across from Red Dust on the river. This river facing Red Dust is quite wide, nearly a hundred meters. When Yun Shuangshuang’s tower ship is docked there, it truly gives the impression of a massive vessel.

The tower ship is exquisitely built, with flower lamps hanging all around. When the lamps are lit at night, it’s dreamlike and infinitely enchanting, another kind of extreme magnificence different from Red Dust’s main hall!

The first floor of the tower ship is a restaurant, and the three upper floors are accommodations. Of course, these accommodation rooms do not have various classes like superior, mid-tier or lower; they are all priced uniformly, with rooms of the same size. Those residing here are mostly experiencing something novel; if one wants true comfort, staying inside Red Dust is still preferable.

When Yun Shuangshuang began working, the government and surrounding villagers were also busy. The items mentioned in Yun Shuangshuang’s proposal have been implemented, and now the gate and road to the scenic area have already been constructed. Official ticket sales have begun, with prices similar to what Yun Shuangshuang knew from her previous life—neither cheap nor expensive.

Several villagers with adjoining lands at the mountain’s base have built a huge parking lot together, and the parking fee is quite fair. The road into the scenic area is long, and the villagers have been quite industrious in coming up with many ways to transport tourists into the area. Among these, the cheapest option is the ox cart, ten yuan per person directly to Red Dust, a price not too high, making many frugal tourists opt for the ox cart ride.

Inside and around the scenic area, country inns are sprouting up like mushrooms after rain; the hygiene is quite good. The most unacceptable part for many countryside inn enthusiasts, the dry toilets, have all been upgraded to flush toilets.

There are also many mountain and farmhouse-style restaurants, and although their business isn’t quite as good as Red Dust’s, they’re not doing poorly either. After all, no matter how delicious barbeque and hotpot are, one cannot eat them every day and at every meal. Villagers also set up stalls to sell home-grown fruits, and business is quite good.

Currently, many guests are already visiting this scenic area, most of whom are from the province and F City. This isn’t due to Yun Shuangshuang’s efforts alone but also because the government was willing to spend on a long TV advertisement, promoting the scenic area, which indeed attracted a lot of provincial and nearby F City tourists.

Yun Shuangshuang’s Red Dust, once fully constructed, has now successfully stepped onto a stable business path. Lower and mid-tier rooms are over half occupied, and there are also many staying in the upper-tier rooms, with only two superior courtyards currently occupied.

One is the Plum Garden, reserved long-term by Zhao Ying. Actually, Zhao Ying reserved a superior courtyard for the long term, but currently staying in the Plum Garden because the plum blossoms are at their peak, with beautiful scenery.

Zhao Ying plans to stay in all the superior courtyards on a round-trip, a true display of wealth and indulgence. Even Professor Zhang, a lifelong frugal old scholar, originally couldn’t bear to spend the money. Yet, after discovering that his little grandson Qiangqiang especially loved these classical courtyards, he changed his stance, completely supporting his daughter’s extravagant decision.

The other person with a similar wealthy indulgence is Wan Yan, who also reserved a superior courtyard for the long term. At least Zhao Ying’s reserved courtyard always has Professor Zhang and Qiangqiang living there daily, making it not a waste. However, due to work, Wan Yan can only come with Feng Jing every weekend to stay for two days. Sometimes, when Li Ming has time, he’ll join for a two-day stay, but usually, the courtyard is left vacant, costing unused money.

Unlike Zhao Ying, who wants to stay in all courtyards, Wan Yan particularly likes the Bamboo Garden. He directly booked it entirely! Sometimes, when doing business with important clients, Wan Yan will bring them over, then ask Yun Shuangshuang for help to prepare a good meal.

Wan Yan has tasted Yun Shuangshuang’s culinary skills and knows how excellent her cooking is. One must admit, under the beautiful scenery and delicious food, it indeed enhances Wan Yan’s business discussions, and those clients who come with Wan Yan also become return customers of Red Dust.

Nowadays, the scenic area has several major features. The first highlight is the classical scenic area that transcends time. Both transportation and accommodations are filled with classical charm. To align with Red Dust, except for the surrounding countryside inns, all inns and restaurants within the scenic area are built in an ancient style.

This initiative came from the leadership of the government, and one must say, their foresight was excellent. After completion, the scenic area suddenly gained a major feature! Nowadays, people dressed in ancient costumes can be seen everywhere in the scenic area, making those not dressed in ancient garb feel out of place!

To accommodate most tourists’ reluctance to spend much on renting ancient costumes, Yun Shuangshuang specially ordered a large batch of more affordable ancient costumes and accessories. These clothes and accessories are rented for fifty yuan per day, with a deposit of two hundred yuan, ensuring those who come to play can afford to spend this money.

The second major feature involves boating and taking photos while dressed in ancient costumes on the river, dining on painted or canopied boats in an even larger lotus pond after another expansion!

The third major feature is staying and dining in the tower ship and Red Dust! Additionally, see if you’re lucky enough to enjoy the culinary skills of Red Dust’s young owner.

Because Yun Shuangshuang occasionally prepares dishes other than barbeque and hotpot at Red Dust. However, each time is limited, with each person allowed to buy only one portion. It can be said that those who have tasted Yun Shuangshuang’s cooking always yearn for the next time!

The fourth major feature is the unique method of entering the scenic area: riding horses, taking horse-drawn carriages, riding ox carts, sitting in the grand eight-carrier sedan or the smaller four-carrier sedan, and the most luxurious yet, the sixteen-carrier sedan that resembles a small house! Visitors are generally reluctant to spend money on this luxurious ride.

Calling it a sedan is already inaccurate because it’s essentially a beautifully crafted small house with carvings and paintings. The front of the small house has a crystal bead curtain and sheer fabric curtains on the sides, accommodating four people at once. Wearing an ancient costume while riding around in it feels like experiencing the ancient emperor and empress’s travel treatment!