Left with no other option, everyone took their leave, still full of questions.
As soon as the gate closed, leaving only their own family in the courtyard, Jiayin ran out and hugged her second uncle, laughing and shouting, "Second Uncle, we're rich!"
Li Lao Er was overjoyed.
Leaving aside the preparations and planning over the past few days, just last night, he stayed up late, his eyes closed but unable to sleep, thinking over and over in his mind how to treat the guests, how to speak, and how to deal with the Wang family...
Now that everything has settled down and the success has been achieved, he is still a little dazed.
Li Lao Er bent down to hug his little niece and laughed along, "Yes, we've really struck it rich!"
Grandma Li and Tao Hongying came out of the house. Grandma Li scolded her son a few times, "You never tell the family anything. You only know how to take responsibility when something happens. What if you suffer a loss?"
Mr. Wen chimed in, "Auntie, don't even mention you, I only found out when it happened!"
Li Lao Er, feeling guilty, explained, "I only guessed that Wang Zechen would do something, but I never expected him to actually cause trouble."
“In the future, if something like this happens again, I will definitely tell my family and make full preparations!”
Granny He stepped forward to interrupt, saying, "Madam, please come inside and have a piece of jade melon. We'll tidy up here quickly."
Everyone agreed and went inside to chat and eat melons, while Granny He led Shuiyun, Shuiling, and the others to get busy.
Keep only two sets of chairs and parasols; the rest need to be put away. Tea bowls and plates also need to be washed. There's quite a lot of work to do.
After they finished their work, Old Lady Li had them cut a jade melon, which she shared with the Cao family of four and the guards to quench their thirst.
Finally, Li Lao Er wrapped up red envelopes, and the six guards, the four members of the Cao family, and Granny He and others were all given one.
The guards, in particular, had stayed up all night and half a day, and each received a generous reward of five taels of silver, so they happily returned to the Marquis's residence.
Old Mrs. Li was still worried and said to her son, "Second son, if we can't sell all the melons in the village, why don't we invite Uncle Zhao and his family to help keep watch at night?"
"Hold on until the Marquis and the Fourth Prince return. Then our family can hire a few wounded soldiers or veterans as guards, and we won't have to worry about anyone causing trouble."
Li Lao Er also had this plan. After hearing his mother's words, he immediately agreed, "Okay, I was worried about that too. Mother's words have really solved everything!"
"Then let's arrange it this way. We'll invite Uncle Zhao and the others over tonight... Once the news spreads tomorrow, there will probably be many people coming to admire the flowers. I'll be staying here for a while, so Mother will have to take good care of things back home."
"Don't worry, there are plenty of people in the family, we won't miss your help with anything." Old Mrs. Li readily agreed, and then instructed her son, "Don't be stingy. Since you said in public that you would donate grain and medicine, don't be reluctant to spend. If people find out that you've kept some, you'll lose all face."
Li Lao Er quickly assured her, "Mother, don't worry, I will definitely keep my word and won't be greedy for such a small thing. Besides, we've collected quite a bit of silver today, enough for us!"
After chatting for a while, Jiayin took her second uncle to the East Garden.
The famous flowers on display today are only a portion of the total.
In fact, there are more than a dozen famous flowers in the East Garden, as well as a few golden lotuses, which is enough to satisfy the flower-viewing visitors who come later.
Jiayin knew what was going on, and then she remembered to send another bag of black soil from the nursery after she got home.
If any problems arise with these flowers that the Cao family father and son cannot solve, they will simply add a handful of nursery soil, and the "soil" will cure the disease!
Seeing that there was nothing much going on at the Hundred Flowers Garden, and remembering her pregnant granddaughter-in-law, Old Lady Li took a car to Luo'an Town.
Tao Hongying had originally planned to go as well, but she needed to go back to the village to ask Uncle Zhao and the others for help, so she took her daughter to Xianke to take a look, and then hurriedly hired a car to go back...
Not to mention that Uncle Zhao and Uncle Wei arrived at Baihuayuan that very night. With these two tough veterans joining them, Old Man Cao and his son were overjoyed.
As the guests who came to support the opening of Baihuayuan Garden departed, the news that Baihuayuan Garden housed all the world's most famous flowers spread throughout the entire city.
The homes of those who received the beautiful flowers were almost overwhelmed with visitors, as relatives and friends all wanted to admire their splendor!
In particular, when Lord Feng took the Golden Lotus back, his ailing mother miraculously sat up that very day.
Not only could he eat and drink well, but he could also recite scriptures every day, and he visibly got better.
This caused an even greater sensation in Xindu, with everyone saying that a Buddha treasure had appeared in the Hundred Flowers Garden!
The Feng family's grain, medicine, and doctors were delivered to Baihuayuan in a continuous stream, and Li Lao Er also sent them to the relief office without delay.
The Relief Office was located in an abandoned city defense camp in the north of the city. The area was large and had many buildings, but it had not been repaired for many years.
As a result, it leaks rain in summer, snows in winter, and is overgrown with weeds everywhere.
Previously, only a few beggars and widows stayed here, and the government would send a symbolic amount of old grain every year.
Occasionally, during festivals, a wealthy family might kindly send some food over.
But with the relocation of the capital, too many elderly people, children, and disabled people who had lost their support suddenly flooded into the area.
However, the houses were still not repaired, and the monthly grain allocation was only a few hundred kilograms, which was not enough to eat, let alone provide medical treatment and medicine for the elderly, weak, sick and disabled.
Those who were still able to move would go to the streets to beg for something or pick up leftover food from restaurants, just to fill their stomachs and survive.
But the elderly, the seriously ill, or the young cannot leave the relief office and can only wait to die, weeping day and night in utter misery.
The person in charge of the relief agency was a minor official of the seventh rank. Although he wasn't a mean person and had a kind heart, his abilities were limited. Even if he spent all his wealth, he couldn't feed so many mouths!
Besides, he has to support his family, his parents, his wife, and his children...
In just two years, the number of people in the relief agency was reduced by half, and the junior official in charge was so worried that half of his hair turned white.
Fortunately, today, he finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel and found his savior!
Seeing that Li Lao Er had brought so many vehicles, with grain, medicine, and even a doctor!
He repeatedly inquired to confirm that the donation was for the Relief and Relief Department, and then he knelt down on the ground, bursting into tears.
"Lord Li, you are truly a living saint who saves us from suffering! We have waited for so long, thinking that Tianwu had forgotten us, but finally we have a chance to live!"
Li Lao Er could tell that this was a rare, conscientious, and responsible official, so he didn't want him to say anything inappropriate in his excitement that might be overheard by someone with ulterior motives and cause him to be implicated.
So he quickly helped the minor official up and offered him a few words of comfort.
At this time, all the grains and medicinal herbs had been moved into the courtyard.
But there were just too many things, and they needed to be protected from rain and dampness. They searched all the dilapidated houses in the relief department, but there was no suitable place to put them.
Left with no other option, Li Lao Er quickly instructed Zheng Feng and Zheng He to hire carpenters and laborers. They spent most of the day urgently repairing three rooms.
Meanwhile, a fire was lit in the large kitchen in the courtyard, and thick rice porridge was being cooked...
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