Chapter 4 The Guesthouse
"It's just that I don't really like them. It's pretty good to be back in my parents' old house," Tang Yao mumbled her answer.
"This child. You never tell anyone when you've been wronged. Never mind, they aren’t blessed to have such a beautiful daughter," Aunt Li comforted her.
"Now that you're back, I'll return all the things you gave me before," Aunt Li said.
"No need, Aunt Li. I'm planning to renovate the guesthouse, so I won't need those things anymore."
Under Tang Yao's insistence, Aunt Li could only reluctantly agree.
Aunt Li and Tang Yao chatted for a while. When someone came to buy something, she could only hurriedly leave.
Tang Yao returned to her room and put her things away.
Although she had only been away from this world for two days, for Tang Yao, it had felt like countless days and nights.
The room's decor was exactly as she remembered, unchanged. Even the duvet cover was the one her mother had chosen for her, covered in large, blooming flowers. She had once thought it was tacky, but now only nostalgia remained.
She had cleaned every room before leaving and covered them with dust covers, so there wasn't much dust.
But the courtyard was empty. If she wanted to reopen the guesthouse, everything would need to be replanned and reorganized.
Tang Yao doodled on a piece of paper as she thought about this.
When her thoughts gathered back, she realized it was already dark outside.
Tang Yao entered her personal space and pulled out a round, metallic lump from a pile of things.
After moving the metal out of her spatial dimension, Tang Yao skillfully tapped it a few times. The silver sphere lit up and popped out a screen. A soft, mechanical voice announced, "Household Robot 8196 is at your service. Please select your preferred appearance."
This was a robot she brought back from a small interstellar world. The robots there were incredibly sophisticated and advanced, with humanoid robots being remarkably lifelike.
One robot could do the work of several people. And household robots, in particular, were very popular in that world.
Tang Yao had bought one while doing a mission, intending for a salted fish life later on; she never expected it would be useful in her guesthouse.
This robot operated using an energy stone called crystal. Tang Yao had piled up almost a small mountain of these crystals in her spatial dimension, enough to last her a long time.
She created a cute girl appearance for it, taking her surname and naming it Tang Li. Normally, she would be called Xiao Li (Little Pear).
Its main job was cooking.
"Hello, Master. I'm Xiao Li, your housekeeping robot. I'll be at your service from now on." A chubby baby-faced girl stood before Tang Yao.
"Don't call me Master. Just call me Tang Yao or Yao Yao. There aren't any robots like you here. Remember, don't reveal your identity," Tang Yao instructed.
"Okay, Yao Yao. I'll go make you dinner now." Xiao Li's demeanor and tone were indistinguishable from a real person.
Quite satisfied, Tang Yao nodded. This was exactly the effect she wanted when she spent millions of interstellar coins to buy a few robots.
The food Xiao Li prepared was delicious. After dinner, Tang Yao went to the rooftop, where a table and chairs were still set up. When her parents were still alive, the three of them would sometimes sit on the rooftop, look at the stars, and chat.
Tang Yao sat in her usual spot, looking up at the night sky. The town wasn't like a big city, but it had its own advantages, such as the incredibly clear night sky.
Footsteps approached from behind. Tang Yao didn't turn around. A coat was draped over her shoulders. "Yao Yao, it's chilly at night. Don't stay outside too long."
"Thank you," Tang Yao said to Xiao Li.
Xiao Li tilted her head. A hint of confusion in her eyes, as if she didn't understand why she was being thanked. "Yao Yao, no need to thank me. It's what I should do."
Tang Yao smiled. "This is basic etiquette as human beings. You can learn it from me later."
"Okay, Yao Yao."
On her first night home, Tang Yao fell asleep under the stars and had a beautiful dream.
The next morning, Xiao Li had already prepared breakfast.
After breakfast, Tang Yao took the blueprints and started contacting construction teams.
The construction team leader knew Tang Yao's dad. After looking at Tang Yao's simple blueprints, he confidently assured her he would do a good job.
The leader brought a large team and the work progressed quickly.
Not long after, a glass room, a fishpond built of bluestone, and a rockery with flowing water appeared in the once empty courtyard.
A pigsty and a shed for raising poultry were installed in the backyard.
The guesthouses on both sides were also repainted, looking brand new.
Tang Yao took out some of the plants that had piled up in her spatial storage.
There was a green plant that looked a lot like a spider plant. It was a spiritual herb she had picked in the Xianxia world and could purify the air.
There was also a plant with small purple flowers. Its scent was faint but could help with sleep.
These spiritual herbs were the lowest grade in the Xianxia world and were almost everywhere. Tang Yao, adhering to the principle of not wasting anything, had brought them all into her spatial storage whenever she encountered them.
Now, she and Xiao Li were hanging them one by one in each room.
Various exotic flowers and herbs brought back from the Xianxia world were also taken out by Tang Yao and planted in the greenhouse and the open space outside.
Tables and chairs made of rosewood and sandalwood were placed in the glass room and courtyard. She planned to turn the glass room into a restaurant.
Next, Tang Yao took out some poultry from her spatial storage and placed them in the backyard, along with some beautiful fish and aquatic plants in the fishpond.
The entire guesthouse seemed to come alive and its colors instantly became richer.
Several acres of land outside the back door were used to grow various fruits and vegetables. The vegetable seeds and fruit trees were also brought back from the small worlds.
Tang Yao then took out another metal object and assigned it the tasks of tending the garden, vegetable patch, and feeding the poultry. This time, she assigned it a gentle female character and named her Xiao Yue.
There was also a cleaning robot named Xiao Ling.
Of course, they all shared Tang Yao's surname. Although the robots didn't care about such things, Tang Yao had her own principles. It was as if, in doing so, she had gained a few more accompanying family in this world.
After being activated, Xiao Yue and Xiao Ling immediately began their work.
The advantage of robots was that they don't rest until their energy is depleted, and they perform every detail flawlessly.
Besides these, Tang Yao also took out several small, round balls that could be held in one hand. Despite their unassuming appearance, they were very useful. Tang Yao was able to catch the maid sneaking things in the Xu Family's house thanks to these little guys.
These were also robots from Interstellar, called Spirit Eyes. They were essentially surveillance systems, only more active. Once a patrol area was defined for a Spirit Eye, it could monitor that area comprehensively and without blind spots.
Spirit Eyes weren't as intelligent as the earlier three. They were much cheaper, but their work capabilities were still very strong.
After activation, eye-shaped cameras appeared on the front of Spirit Eyes. They also grew a pair of wings.
After Tang Yao set the patrol area, Spirit Eyes flapped their wings and went to their respective posts.
The images seen by the Spirit Eyes' cameras were transmitted to Tang Yao's phone in real time. Like a chameleon, it would change color to adapt to its surroundings, making it generally undetectable to the average person.
It was over a month later when the guesthouse was completely renovated.
Tang Yao re-registered with the business bureau and hung up the original signboard, featuring five large, elegant characters: "The Garden Within The Memories."
This signboard was custom-made when Tang Yao's dad was still alive. Some of the paint had peeled off, but Tang Yao had it touched up and a layer of clear varnish applied, making it look brand new again.
The name was inspired by an animated film she watched when she was in elementary school and her parents had used it ever since.
Standing outside the gate, Tang Yao looked at the newly renovated guesthouse. A satisfied smile was on her face.
"Is it all done? It looks really nice. There are even green plants hanging on the signboard. When are you planning to open for business?" Aunt Li walked from the convenience store to the guesthouse entrance, praising it.
Tang Yao nodded: "I've completed all the formalities at the Business Bureau, and the information is online. It can be officially considered open for business."
"That's good. Your parents would be so happy if they were still here. It's amazing how quickly that little one has grown up and can stand on their own now," Aunt Li’s tone carried a touch of emotion.
The weather gradually warmed up and Wanhua Town slowly regained its color. Flowers and greenery were everywhere. Even the air was filled with a faint fragrance.
More and more tourists and vacationers came.
Tang Yao received her first call to book a room.
It was a pair of best friends traveling together. Both were university students and were attracted by the name of the guesthouse.
"Are we really going to book this guesthouse? There aren't any reviews. Will we get a bad deal?" After hanging up, one of the girls, Xiaoyuan, asked worriedly while looking at the information online.
"Probably not. These pictures look pretty good," Xiaomei said uncertainly.
"Don't you know the tricks of the internet? Some pictures are specially edited," Xiaoyuan said.
"We haven't paid yet. Let's check out the place first. If it's not good, we'll just run away."
After discussing it, the two girls packed their bags and embarked on their first trip together.
The few-hour journey didn't dampen their excitement.
The train station was also meticulously decorated, with flowers, greenery, and many beautiful murals on the walls.
Before even leaving the station, the two girls were already snapping photos with their phones.
After exiting the station, the scenery along the way was even more beautiful. The buildings were enveloped in flowers and greenery and the whole town resembled a giant fairytale garden.
Carrying their luggage, the two girls decided to find the guesthouse to drop off their things before exploring further.
The town had charming tricycles and the prices weren't too expensive. The two girls enthusiastically waved one down and gave the name of their guesthouse.
As soon as they arrived at the entrance, Xiaoyuan and Xiaomei exclaimed in surprise. On the snow-white wall outside the guesthouse, a large bamboo grove was painted on the left, complementing the bamboo forest, while lush flowering trees were painted on the right.
The greenery hanging on the signboard looked as if it had grown out of a painting.
“We don’t seem to have made any mistakes,” Xiaomei said to Xiaoyuan beside her.
Xiaoyuan’s eyes were also full of amazement. She nodded, “Come on, let’s go in and take a look.”