The old village chief made the final decision: "From now on, the girls in our village can marry if they want. If they bring a son-in-law back, they can also get land to build houses. They can clear wasteland to grow potatoes and not starve. They can also raise rabbits and grow medicinal herbs."

If Magistrate Wu doesn't bring any men, fine. But if he does come and the girls in the village have to fight, then no one is allowed to say anything afterward!

They've ruined our village's reputation... But this isn't just a ruined reputation, it's an achievement. Anyone who dares to say anything bad about them will be let off the hook once or twice, but the third time, their business dealings in rabbits, medicinal herbs, and herbal medicine shops will all be shut down."

After speaking, he looked at Shui Qing.

Shuiqing understood that the old village chief was waiting for her opinion, since the medicinal herbs and the herbal medicine shop belonged to her family, and the rule could only be implemented if she agreed.

How could she possibly refuse? She couldn't be happier!

“Okay, they earned the land and houses themselves. If there are any mean-spirited people who look down on us, our family’s herbal medicine shop and all our future businesses will not tolerate them.”

The old village chief breathed a sigh of relief.

For those who do evil, village rules can be used to expel them from the village. This is, in a sense, a violation of the law, but it is only a matter of expulsion from the village. If they disagree, they can go to the government, and then it will not be just a matter of expulsion from the village!

Verbal arguments or gossip, though infuriating, are useless if they don't cause serious consequences, so expelling someone from the village is not an option. To stop this mockery, we must find other ways.

The best solution is to stop making money from other sources, but this requires Shui Qing's consent.

The others around the fire also felt reassured!

Having experienced poverty and hardship, they know all too well the importance of money. The refusal to buy medicinal herbs or the refusal of certain herbal medicine shops to employ their staff are all obvious losses.

He could sell medicinal herbs and rabbits without going out with the village team, but going out alone would require far more manpower and resources than going out in a team! And the income wouldn't necessarily increase.

And then there are those scoundrels and street thugs who pick fights with you, making it even more unbearable.

This punishment is extremely severe! It's not much lighter than being expelled from the village.

The group of people felt their blood boil again, and their whole bodies felt warm.

Shui Qing thought for a moment and then added, "The girls in our village all wear skirts, which are very inconvenient for climbing up and down. I have some fabric left. I'll bring it over to the girls who need it later. They can make short clothes so they can be much more agile and flexible when they're working."

The short-sleeved shirt was worn under trousers, which were worn by people at the bottom of society for work. Among the lower class, only men wore them, while women wore skirts.

The dress is pretty, but being pretty isn't enough. What's most important now is safety and convenience!

The people gathered around the fire listened with increasing excitement, as if they could feel a slight sweat breaking out on their backs.

Shui Qing even sent fabric to make clothes!

While they were still agonizing over reputation, she had already thought of making short-sleeved clothes. She, a woman, was more enlightened than they were.

No wonder she can make so much money.

Only Shuiqing's family in the village still had a whole piece of cloth. Other families were lucky if they had some scraps of cloth. Especially since it was New Year's Eve, all the cloth they bought had been made into new clothes, so it was impossible to make short-sleeved shirts.

So, Aunt Li and Aunt Zhang, blushing, still spoke up: "I want one."

Shui Qing nodded and noted it down, adding a suggestion: "Tighten the cuffs and trouser legs a bit, and tie cloth strips on both sides of the shoes so they won't fall off easily."

Aunt Li and Aunt Zhang hurriedly replied, "Okay!"

"If they really come, don't panic. Just stay on the dam and use lime, itching powder, and pepper spray to keep them all out."

"Yes! Let them not get in!"