She imagined building a swing in the yard, so she and her dear Xavi could relax and play together.
Or maybe, she'd plant a tree right in the center of the courtyard. After a few years, when the tree had grown tall and full, she could sit under it with Xavi and their future baby. In spring, they'd enjoy the blooming flowers; in summer, they'd eat and relax in the shade; in autumn, they'd watch red leaves fall like a dream, too beautiful to sweep away; in winter, they'd sip tea by the window while watching snow fall on the branches outside.
Jewel thought about all of this while she toured the house. The peaceful and lovely scenes in her mind made her feel incredibly warm and gentle. So, when the owner asked for her decision, she agreed without hesitation.
After that, the paperwork went quickly. Once she paid for the house, everything was finalized.
Jewel had been awake in this world for a while now, and most of the hot summer had already passed.
She planned to make up for the wedding she owed Xavi this fall—a season of harvest and fiery colors. It would be a proper wedding, full of joy and love!
On that day, everything would be red and festive!
☆☆
At the entrance of Xie family village,
a group of men from different families had gathered. They were like a "super information center" of gossip.
Right now,
the place was buzzing!
"Did you hear? That daughter of the Xie family, the one who never did proper work, seems to have gotten rich…"
"I heard she started a big business in town! Bought several houses too…"
"What? Are you serious? Where'd she suddenly get all that money?"
"Yeah, sounds like a made-up story…"
"It's true! My uncle's aunt's cousin's second son's cousin works in town. She saw Jewel looking at houses with her own eyes. They say one of them was a huge three-section mansion!"
The man, now the center of attention, became even more excited as he talked:
"And listen to this—apparently the biggest tavern in town is hers too! A few days ago, she didn't even charge money, just gave out free food for a whole day! That must've cost a fortune—like pouring silver into water!"
Everyone started to believe it more and more, since he sounded so convincing.
A few days later, when Jewel was getting ready to move, the gossip in the village had taken a strange turn.
Now, many people were talking about how many husbands she would take after becoming rich. Some families even started thinking about sending a matchmaker to her house, hoping their sons could become her concubines…
But there were also those who disapproved. They didn't want their sons to marry a woman who might not give them a proper husband title. They avoided Jewel, afraid she might propose marriage.
Even Jewel's father started acting oddly.
First, he secretly watched and tested the feelings between Jewel and Xavi. Then, he called Jewel for a private talk and gave her some advice.
"Jewel, no man really likes being one of many husbands! If you bring home a bunch of other men, it'll definitely hurt your relationship with Xavi… But still, it's your life. If you really want to take other men as husbands,