Chapter 275 A Great Blessing
"Tribute orange? Fu'an tribute orange?"
When Shi Lizheng heard Xiao Jiuyue talking to him, he thought he had misheard. He felt his feet go weak, as if he was stepping on cotton, not steady at all. He said, "Miss Xiao, did I hear it wrong just now?"
"Shi Lizheng, the imperial edict will be issued soon. We should carefully select the oranges to be sent to Shengjing." Xiao Jiuyue picked up the tea and took a sip. She had anticipated Shi Lizheng's shock.
Not to mention Shi Lizheng, even when she told the Xiao family the news of the "Fu'an tribute orange", the Xiao family was extremely happy. Mei Renniang cried with joy, and Aunt Lan and Xiao Yurong held each other's hands tightly, as if this was not the Fu'an tribute orange, but the Xiao family's vindication.
Third Aunt Xiao was even more exaggerated. She held Xiao Jiuyue's hand with a look of wholehearted trust. Xiao Jiuyue could feel that Third Aunt Xiao had more confidence that the Xiao family could be redressed.
Even the Xiao family was so excited, let alone Shi Lizheng.
"The emperor ordered us to pick the oranges." Shi Li was about to drink some tea to calm his nerves, but his hands were shaking. He looked at Xiao Jiuyue and asked again and again, "Miss Xiao, how come our oranges have become tribute oranges?"
"I'm not dreaming, am I?" Shi Lizheng still felt like he was dreaming, and he pinched his leg hard.
Xiao Jiuyue put down the teacup and reminded him, "Shi Lizheng, the news hasn't spread yet, so you don't need to tell the villagers. You just need to pick carefully and find some experienced people to pick some oranges that can be stored for a long time. It would be best if they can mature by the time they are sent to Shengjing."
"Okay, okay." Shi Lizheng responded. Slowly coming back to his senses, he immediately put on a stern face and said with an unprecedented serious look: "Don't worry, Miss Xiao, I will keep my mouth shut and not tell anyone until the imperial edict arrives."
After saying that, Shi Lizheng continued, "Miss Xiao, Shengjing is so far away. Will all our oranges go bad? What if the oranges we pick are not sweet? What if..."
Shi Lizheng's words became incoherent. He stood up excitedly and said, "Miss Xiao, I don't know how to choose!"
"Lianxin, tea." Xiao Jiuyue said, letting Shi Lizheng drink another cup of tea. After Shi Lizheng's mood gradually calmed down, she said, "It's just like selling oranges every day. However, the customer buying oranges this time is of higher status. You can just choose the highest-level ones."
When Shi Lizheng came out of Xiao's house, he was smiling foolishly as he walked. "What about the tribute oranges? The oranges in Fu'an Village are delicious, and we can sell a lot of them every year!"
Unfortunately, too few people knew that the oranges from Fu'an Village were delicious, so even if Shi Lizheng sold them to nearby areas, he still couldn't sell all of them.
There isn't much else in Fu'an Village, except for the orange trees.
"Old man, what's wrong with you?" Aunt Shi had just returned from the fields. Seeing Shi Lizheng grinning foolishly and then standing still, she thought he was possessed by evil spirits. She quickly stretched out her hand and waved it in front of him: "Old man, didn't you run into something dirty?"
"Go, go." Shi Lizheng looked at her hands covered in mud and slapped her hands away, saying, "Good news, great news."
"What good news has Miss Xiao brought?" Aunt Shi's eyes lit up. She looked at Shi Lizheng and asked, "How much money can you make?"
"You're always thinking about money." Shi Lizheng's mouth twitched. "Take the boss and gather the villagers. I have something important to announce."
"Hey, old man, tell me first." Aunt Shi walked quickly to Shi Lizheng and said, "Otherwise, how can I tell everyone?"
"Good news." Shi Lizheng didn't reveal a word until everyone gathered. Then he said, "This year's orange harvest is good again. The oranges on the top of Yangjiao Mountain are the sweetest. I think we should build a fence around Yangjiao Mountain. Also, we need to build a house at the foot of the mountain. Then the villagers can take turns to guard it."
"Uncle Shi, is someone stealing oranges?"
"Whoever dares to come to our Fu'an Village to steal oranges is tired of living. I will beat him to death!"
“…”
The villagers were talking at once, all of them were angry at the orange thief. Oranges were how they could make money, and they hadn't been able to sell them before. They didn't bother to tell any relatives or anyone passing by who wanted to pick some oranges to eat!
But things are different now. Every orange on the tree can be sold for money. In the past, when the oranges were in harvest every year, they would almost eat them as meals. At this time every year, adults and children would have blisters at the corners of their mouths.
Now they are reluctant to eat oranges. They sell them to workshops and Lei Yan’s grocery store. That’s all money!
"There are so many oranges now. If they don't steal them now, they will definitely come to steal them in the future. We have to prevent them from harming our orange trees." Shi Lizheng later chatted with Xiao Jiuyue. He thought Miss Xiao was really smart!
Not to mention how well-informed she was, they were clearly ordinary oranges, but once they fell into Miss Xiao's hands, they became tribute oranges.
Miss Xiao was smart. She was so happy that she didn't think that after the oranges in Fu'an Village became tribute oranges, the orange forest in Fu'an Village would definitely be coveted by others!
What if someone poisons the orange grove in Fu'an Village? What oranges will they offer to the emperor next year?
Shi Lizheng now wishes he could fence off all the orange groves. He is really afraid of accidents. He wants to fence off the best orange grove in Yangjiao Mountain first, and then all the orange groves in the village. He also has to set up an orange protection team to guard them day and night!
…
Although the villagers of Fu'an Village did not think that the thieves would be so bold, no one said anything because Shi Lizheng insisted. When the county magistrate Rong and the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict arrived in Fu'an Village, Shi Lizheng knelt in the village ancestral hall to receive the imperial edict. At that moment, all the people in Fu'an Village fell silent!
When the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict left, Shi Li was kneeling on the ground, holding the imperial edict in both hands, not daring to move.
This imperial edict was like a huge rock thrown into a calm pond.
"Oh my God, have the oranges in our village become tribute oranges?"
"Is this imperial edict true?"
“Who dares to fake it?”
"Why do I feel like I'm dreaming?"
"Ah, what are you pinching me for?"
"You're not saying you're dreaming?"
“…”
The villagers were in an uproar. When the eunuch who delivered the decree was here, no one dared to breathe. But now, everyone focused their attention on Shi Lizheng.
No, it was mainly the imperial edict in Shi Lizheng's hand.
"Uncle San, what should I do with this imperial edict?" Shi Lizheng raised his hands so high that he felt sore unconsciously. He had been the head of the Shi family for his entire life and believed that he had seen many big scenes. But at this moment, he subconsciously looked at his uncle San, the most prestigious man in the village, to seek his advice.
Third Uncle's skinny hands trembled with excitement as he gripped his walking stick. His face flushed, and his old yet resonant voice rang out, "Of course it should be placed in the ancestral hall for worship. This is a great blessing for our Fu'an Village!"
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