With a "snap", Su Jinli slammed the wolf-hair brush down on the map, and the ink splashed onto the edge of the red circle marking the flood, as if declaring war on the disaster. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. The moon-white skirt swept across the abacus beads scattered on the ground due to the panic just now, making a crisp sound. "Jinyun Bookstore will immediately launch a 'book sale for disaster relief', and all storybooks will be sold at half price!" Her voice was firm and powerful, revealing an unquestionable determination. She raised her hand and pointed to the carriage being loaded outside the window, her eyes full of determination, "Every penny earned will be used to buy food and send it to Yangzhou City."
Jiang Yan pushed up his glasses, a faint glint of light gleaming through the lenses in the daylight, like the wisdom and determination in his eyes. "I've contacted my colleagues in the Hanlin Academy, and they've signed a petition in the name of civil officials to solicit donations." He paused briefly, then pulled out a densely packed list from his account book. "Li Xiu has already listed the names of twenty-three censors, and they'll be able to present their names to the palace tomorrow." His words were steady and measured, each one carrying power, conveying his enthusiasm and dedication to disaster relief.
Upon hearing this, Su Qingyao suddenly yanked open her dressing table and dumped dozens of boxes of rouge into the wooden basin with quick, decisive movements. "I'll go set up the furnace at the front shop, and the notice for exchanging rouge for rice will be posted tonight," she said, her fingertips lightly tracing the "Tian Shui Bi" cream. A flicker of regret flashed across her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a firm determination. She suddenly smiled, "Perhaps the women of the disaster-stricken families can use my rouge and exchange it for a hot meal while fleeing the famine." Her smile, brimming with optimism and open-mindedness, felt like a ray of warm sunshine amidst the heavy atmosphere.
Upon hearing this, Young Marquis Su slammed his broadsword into the ground, the sound sending dust cascading down from the beams. "Sister! I'll go to the docks and watch to see which corrupt officials dare withhold food!" The young man's eyes lit up alarmingly, as if that toy sword could truly cleave through all suffering and carve a path to salvation for the victims. His youthful yet resolute face was now filled with a sense of mission.
At some point, the sound of rain gradually subsided, as if even God was moved by the determination of this family. Su Jinli watched the busy figures of her family quietly, and a warm feeling surged in her heart. She slowly walked to the window and gently opened half of the window. The Literary Street in the distance was still bustling with traffic. The sign of Jinyun Bookstore fluttered gently in the breeze, and the word "Jinyun" on it was washed particularly clearly by the rain, as if it was glowing with new vitality. Her thoughts could not help but drift back to the time when the bookstore was first opened, when Jiang Yan squatted on the street to sell sugar paintings in order to raise capital. At that time, although they were struggling, they were full of hope. Thinking of this, the corners of her mouth unconsciously rose, revealing a warm smile.
"Jiang Yan," she suddenly turned around, and the wolf-hair brush in her hand skillfully circled in her palm, her eyes revealing agility and wisdom, "Let's print "Flying Fox" for the disaster relief special, and let the fox carry copper coins to deliver food to the victims." Her voice was soft but full of power, as if injecting a beautiful expectation into this disaster relief operation.
Jiang Yan, intently drafting a joint letter, looked up upon hearing this. His eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses, forming crescents, a smile and approval evident in them. "Alright. Let the fox's tail sweep away the clouds, revealing the sun." His voice was gentle, as if painting a picture of hope, stirring longing.
At that moment, the abacus in the accounting office, as if sensing the power of this united effort, suddenly rang twice, perhaps as beads that had been stuck when knocked down finally returned to their proper places. The crisp sound was particularly melodious in the quiet accounting office, as if it were an encouragement to their actions. Su Jinli gazed out the window at the gradually clearing sky, sunlight filtering through gaps in the clouds, creating streaks of golden light, and a surge of emotion filled her heart. She suddenly realized that the sweetness of this life is never about easy wealth and prosperity, but about having family members who stand shoulder to shoulder with you when disaster strikes like a storm, facing it hand in hand, transforming all the hardships into sweetness that can save others. And her Jinyun Bookstore, like that spiritual flying fox, will eventually fly to every corner of the world shrouded in disaster and in need of warmth, carrying their love and care, bringing hope and light to those who live there.
In the days that followed, Su Jinli and her family threw themselves wholeheartedly into the disaster relief effort. Su Jinli personally selected popular-read novels and arranged for the bookstore staff to work overtime to print a "disaster relief special," "Flying Fox." She also meticulously designed promotional posters, which were posted throughout the streets of Beijing, drawing the attention of passersby. The posters depicted a lifelike flying fox, clutching a copper coin, its tail gently swaying, as if truly delivering hope to the victims.
Jiang Yan busied himself contacting his colleagues in the Hanlin Academy, visiting each household and explaining in detail the disaster in Jiangnan and the significance of this joint fundraising campaign. His earnest words, appealing to both emotion and reason, ultimately garnered the support of numerous civil officials. They responded with a joint petition requesting increased relief efforts for Jiangnan and severe punishment for officials who embezzled relief funds. Throughout this process, Jiang Yan also leveraged his connections to establish connections with wealthy merchants in the capital, persuading them to contribute generously to the relief effort.
Su Qingyao set up a furnace in the front shop and opened the exquisite rouge boxes one by one, watching her carefully blended rouge melt into liquid. Although she felt a little reluctant, the thought that the rouge could be exchanged for food and save countless lives made it all worth it. She personally wrote a "Rouge for Rice" notice and posted it outside her shop and in busy areas of the capital. The notice detailed the amount and method of exchange for food, attracting many women in the capital to come and share their treasured rouge to contribute to the disaster relief.
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