Chapter 120 120 Another Slap in the Face
However, in June, four civil officials and one military officer received an appointment from the Ministry of Personnel, asking them to take up posts in Shaoqing Prefecture.
Everyone in the court knew that Shaoqing Prefecture was full of thieves and robbers, and the whole place was in a mess. However, even though they felt it was unpleasant and unwilling, they had no choice but to go to their posts as the emperor had ordered them to do so.
From Xiajing to Shaoqing Prefecture, they slowed down their journey as much as possible.
They only spend three or four hours on the road every day. If it rains, they will take the opportunity to stay in the local area for a few days until the weather clears up and the road is no longer muddy, and then they will set off again.
But as long as you keep on walking, you will eventually reach your destination.
The group took more than two months to arrive at Shaoqing Prefecture on the morning of August 30th.
Shoubei Wan sat high on his horse and looked into the distance. He could vaguely see a stone tablet as tall as a person standing beside the official road.
Soon, the three large characters "Shaoqing Prefecture" written in a flamboyant style on the stone tablet came into view.
The stone tablet is quite old. After being beaten by wind and rain thousands of times, the tablet is stained with mud and sewage, as well as mottled red marks.
Shoubei Wan could tell at a glance that the red color was a blood spot.
If nothing unexpected happens, it should be human blood.
Wan Shoubei: "......"
Guard Wan was silent for a moment, then reminded, "Everyone, Shaoqing Prefecture is just ahead."
The four people in the carriage lifted the curtains and looked forward.
Zhou Tongzhi looked at the deserted official road ahead. The mountains and forests on either side were silent, not even a bird's cry. His heart was quietly rising. "Everyone, cheer up! Help me get to the capital safely, and everyone will be rewarded handsomely!"
The guards and escorts were on high alert, gripping their swords tightly and keeping their eyes and ears open.
Wu Tongzhi looked at Shoubei Wan with concern: "It is said that the bandits in Shaoqing Prefecture are all desperate criminals and extremely vicious. Shoubei Wan, please be careful."
Shoubei Wan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. "Don't worry, if anyone dares to come near me, I'll make sure he never returns!"
Wu Tongzhi felt relieved and retreated into the carriage, chewing the pastries without any taste.
From the moment they entered the territory of Shaoqing Prefecture, everyone was prepared to fight at any time.
However, as they walked along until they saw the tall and majestic city walls in the distance, not a single bandit jumped out to block their way.
Shoubei Wan breathed a sigh of relief, but was secretly surprised.
Judge Zheng expressed his doubts: "Is it because we have so many guards and cannot afford to provoke them easily that the bandits have not shown up?"
Wang Tongpan agreed: "We are well-armed, each of us carries a sword, and we are all strong and healthy. Although those bandits are desperate, they are also afraid of death."
Shoubei Wan loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword and said, "This is the best. Otherwise, it will be another fierce battle. Killing one thousand enemies will only result in eight hundred casualties."
Zhou Tongzhi was about to agree when he suddenly heard a commotion in the distance.
Looking closely, I saw a group of government soldiers riding on tall horses, holding whips in their hands and waving them to drive away a group of ragged people.
Shoubei Wan's face suddenly changed. He clenched his teeth and clenched his fists, "How dare you, a bunch of scoundrels who rely on the power of others, bully and humiliate unarmed civilians like this!"
The other four were also furious.
"Du Qingtang has been in Shaoqing Prefecture for several months, why is Shaoqing Prefecture still in such chaos?"
"Your Majesty trusted her and handed over Shaoqing Prefecture to her, but she did nothing. She simply disregarded Your Majesty's trust!"
"Du Qingtang committed the crime of deceiving the emperor but escaped unharmed and even became a fourth-rank official, becoming one of only two women in Daxia to hold an official position. It's inevitable that she became complacent."
"Humph, women are short-sighted and can never accomplish anything great! When I see her, I'll definitely question her!"
During the conversation, the people scattered and the government soldiers disappeared.
"First go into the city and settle down first."
Everyone had to stop talking and hurried on their way angrily.
When they arrived at the city gate, they were stopped by the guards.
"Stop and check!"
As Wu Tongpan took out the appointment documents, he muttered, "The inspections for entering the city are quite strict. Why do they allow the government soldiers to bully the people?"
The five men presented their appointment documents. After reading them, the guards immediately changed their expressions and respectfully stepped aside: "Let them go!"
The group marched through the city gate and headed into the city.
The soldiers guarding the city watched them go away. Since no one was entering the city at this time, they leaned their spears on the ground and started chatting leisurely.
"It's been over three months since Zhou Wei and the others died, and the court has only just sent people here. This speed is incredible."
"Well, it's because Shaoqing Prefecture is located in a remote area."
"The garment factory should be open by now, right?"
"Almost. My wife has also gone. She embroiders beautifully, so she will definitely be chosen."
"The prefect is so kind. He has hired so many people to work and provided them with free accommodation and meals."
"I, Old Liu, have lived for thirty or forty years and have seen more than ten prefects, but none has ever been as good as the current one."
"Good people will be rewarded. Those who didn't treat the people as human beings before will naturally not have a good ending. The prefect loves the people like his own children and is honest and upright. He will surely live a long life."
"That's right, that's right. But those refugees were really arrogant. They clearly didn't pass the prefect's inspection and couldn't get a place on the Shaoqing Prefecture register, but they stayed in the refugee camp and refused to leave."
"The prefect has been very kind, taking them in and feeding them with free meals for several months."
At this time, people were walking towards us from a distance, carrying bamboo baskets.
The soldiers guarding the city stopped talking and stopped for routine inspection.
......
Zhou Tongzhi and his group entered the city and found it unusually quiet, so quiet that it was a little eerie.
"It is said that armed conflicts occur every day in Shaoqing Prefecture. To avoid being affected, people probably stay at home and don't go out."
"I have been an official for many years, but I have never seen a place like Shaoqing Prefecture. I am afraid it will be very difficult to rectify this place."
"But if Shaoqing Prefecture can be properly rectified, it will be a great achievement."
The four civil servants looked at each other, somewhat moved.
They are not young anymore. They have been serving as local officials for many years, moving around and suffering from the ups and downs of life.
If he could make great contributions, he might be able to stay in Xiajing and serve as an official after his term of office.
That’s Xiajing, the place everyone dreams of.
Just at this moment, there was a noise from behind.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a huge crowd like a whirlwind, rushing towards them from a distance.
"Hurry up, hurry up!"
“It’s too late!”
The hot summer wind blew the urgent words into their ears, and the expressions of the five guards all changed.
"Hey, old man!" Zhou Tongzhi called out to the man who was rushing to the front with the child in his arms, clenching his hands nervously. "What happened?"
Wu Tongzhi added, "Could it be that bandits are coming?"
Judge Zheng Tong said angrily, "How arrogant! Do they really think the city is their backyard?"
Wang Tongpan said anxiously: "We must hurry to the government office and send troops to drive out the bandits and protect the people!"
man:"......???"
The man was completely confused, with a strange look in his eyes: "No, what are you talking about? Where did these bandits come from out of nowhere?"
Zheng Tongpan's anger faltered. "Aren't they bandits who entered the city? Aren't they bandits?"
The man was stunned for a moment, then chuckled: "They are indeed not bandits, because they are long gone."
Zhou Tongzhi and his group: "Ah?"
The man glanced at the guards and escorts following the carriage and immediately understood: "You are from outside the city, right?"
Zhou Tongzhi nodded in agreement.
"No wonder." The man grabbed the child who was about to jump to the ground. "As early as May, the prefect had already eliminated the bandit problem. Now there are no bandits in Shaoqing Prefecture, not a single one!"
"What?!" Shoubei Wan exclaimed in disbelief.
The reactions of the other four people were not much better. Their pupils were throbbing and their faces were dazed.
Wu Tongzhi was about to ask what was going on when the man's face suddenly changed. "Oh no! I've been busy talking to you guys. I have to get to school quickly. If I'm late, I won't be able to register!"
Having said that, he ignored Wu Tongzhi's attempts to persuade him to stay, picked up his six or seven-year-old daughter, and ran away.
The little girl's clear laughter could be heard in the distance, and the five people including Liu Zhou Tongzhi looked at each other in confusion.
"The bandits are gone?"
"No wonder we didn't even see any bandits along the way."
"That person just mentioned some kind of school. If I'm not mistaken, everyone is heading in the same direction. Are they all heading to the school?"
Schools can be seen everywhere, and what surprises them is that the people just now are very eager, as if there are mountains of gold and silver waiting for them in the school.
"Why don't we go and take a look?" suggested Wang Tongpan.
The five people looked at each other and reached a consensus.
So, the group temporarily changed their itinerary and headed in the direction the man had left.
After walking two streets, I saw a huge crowd of people ahead.
It was estimated that there were tens of thousands of people, and the streets were so crowded that it was difficult to pass through.
“There are so many people.”
"What are they doing?"
"Even if it's to register for school, there's no need for so many people to gather here, right?"
"Instead of guessing here, why not ask someone?"
Someone happened to be coming out of Shaoqing Academy, and Wu Tongzhi quickly stopped him and said, "Sister, we are from out of town and were passing by. Seeing this grand occasion, we are very curious. I wonder what is so special about Shaoqing Academy that has attracted so many people to come here?"
The woman had just successfully enrolled her two grandsons, and she looked very proud. "This Shaoqing School is run by the prefect. It's divided into four branches: east, west, south, and north. Children six years old and older can attend for free, and they can also receive a monthly tuition fee of one penny."
Free admission?
Study grant?
The woman smoothed her hair and smiled contentedly, "We've all suffered from lack of education. Before the prefect came, we couldn't even have a hot meal. Now that we've caught up with good times, of course we have to send our children to school."
"Grandma!" the two grandsons yelled at the top of their lungs, "Hurry home! We have an appointment with Goudan for a cricket fight this afternoon!"
"I'm coming." The woman rolled her eyes, nodded to Wu Tongzhi, and trotted off, muttering, "Fighting crickets all day long. Crickets are more important than studying? This poor kid is really pissing me off!"
Zhou Tongzhi looked dazed: "One penny of silver per person per month, how much would four schools cost?"
Shoubei Wan was puzzled: "Isn't it said that Shaoqing Prefecture is extremely poor?"
At this time, two men passed by the carriage in a hurry.
"It's all your fault. You're so slow this morning that you can't even eat hot shit."
"Why rush? The garment factory is hiring thousands of people, it will be full in no time."
The confusion in Wang Tongpan's eyes was even greater: "What is a garment factory?"
Judge Zheng was equally confused: "What did Du Qingtang do?"
Zhou Tongzhi didn't know either. Faced with doubts, he made a quick decision: "Let's go and take a look!"
So, the group changed direction and followed the two men from the south of the city to the north.
After exiting the north city gate and walking a little further, the huge words "Shaoqing Garment Factory" come into view.
There are more people outside the garment factory than outside the school, and everywhere you look are the backs of heads.
"This garment factory takes up so much land. Is it just used to make clothes? This is such a waste of natural resources. If it were used for farming, it could produce a lot of food."
"I can't see anything."
"Why don't you come closer?"
They are so curious.
First it was the school, then the garment factory, and even the bandit problem that caused Shaoqing Prefecture to be so deserted that “even dogs wouldn’t come” was eliminated by Du Qingtang.
What exactly did Du Qingtang do?
How did she do it?
Zhou Tongzhi was the first to get off the carriage.
After all, Du Qingtang is the head of a prefecture, and they will have to obey her orders for the next three years.
A deep and thorough understanding is needed to avoid any grudges between the two parties.
Zhou Tongzhi and his four companions took a lot of effort and finally managed to push through the crowd and get to the front.
As soon as he stood still, he saw the crimson figure standing under the plaque.
The white and chubby little baby stood on tiptoe, raised his short, fat hands high, and swayed his little body as if he was about to fall down at any moment.
The stern-looking young prefect leaned forward, lowered his eyes, and a hint of imperceptible tenderness appeared between his brows.
The little doll's soft palm touched her cheek twice.
"Bobo~"
Du Qingtang was slightly startled, then raised his eyes to meet the little baby's round eyes.
From these eyes, she saw love and dependence.
——The child likes her and longs to be close to her.
Perhaps because his arms were sore from lifting them, the little baby landed on his heels, clenched his soft little fists and clasped them against his chest. He grinned, revealing his small white teeth, and his eyes were curved like the moon.
Ah, human cub.
Du Qingtang murmured silently, other people's children are still the cutest.
Taking a look at the pink flower, Du Qingtang squatted down and rubbed the little baby's bud: "Be good."
The little baby tilted his head back and blinked.
The next moment, he suddenly covered his eyes, squatted down and curled up into a round ball.
Du Qingtang: “?”
Du Qingtang glanced at the hand that had just rubbed her head. She had used this strength to coax Jun Jieer before, and it seemed like there was no problem.
Just when I was wondering, the little baby suddenly put down his hands, smiled sweetly, and covered his eyes with a red face.
She is shy.
......
The people who came to watch the interaction between the prefect and the little kid covered their hearts with their hands, looking as if they could not bear it.
"Oh my god, the little girl is so cute, and the prefect is so cute too. My heart is melting just looking at them."
"What nonsense are you talking about? Be careful, the prefect will find out and take you away to open up wasteland."
"The prefect wouldn't do that, and she can't hear it from such a distance."
Zhou Tongzhi said to himself, she can't hear it, but I can hear it.
Wang Tongpan whispered, "It seems she is deeply loved by the people."
Wu Tongzhi disagreed: "The fact that she allowed the government soldiers to bully the people is enough to prove that she is not a good official."
After the words fell, no one echoed them. Instead, several sharp gazes came from all directions.
"What did you say? The prefect is not a good official?"
"You look like a decent person, but why are you lying with your eyes open?"
"No wonder you're bald. This is what you get for telling lies!"
Wu Tongzhi: “???”
No, why are you making personal attacks?
Wu Tongzhi was in his forties, but he had already shown signs of the Wu family's inherited baldness gene, and the hair in the center of his head was becoming increasingly thinner.
At the beginning, the local governments could support the central government and barely cover up the ugliness, but as the hair loss became more and more serious, it has gradually become impossible to cover it up in the past two years.
Wu Tongzhi's baldness had been a lifelong pain. When it was pointed out to him in public, he immediately became enraged and said angrily, "Am I wrong? If she were a good official, how could she watch the government soldiers bully the people and cruelly drive them out of the city?"
After hearing this, the people around were stunned at first, and then their eyes gradually became subtle.
"The one you're talking about should be a refugee, right?"
"They often caused trouble in the city, causing unnecessary injuries to innocent people. The prefect specially built a refugee camp to accommodate them."
"Those people you see are those who performed poorly and failed the government's assessment. The government doesn't want to support idle people, so they asked them to leave Shaoqing Prefecture. The rest who passed the assessment went to open up wasteland and provide relief through work."
Everyone was talking back and forth, and Wu Tongzhi was sweating profusely, his eyes wide open: "So I misunderstood her?"
Everyone nodded in unison.
So next, Zhou Tongzhi and the other four were forced to explain the prefect's achievements, including but not limited to suppressing bandits, lingchixing corrupt officials, and opening schools.
Finally, the people gave earnest advice.
"Don't underestimate the fact that the prefect is a woman. She is much more capable than a man. Shaoqing Prefecture is what it is today thanks to the prefect."
"Let's talk about this garment factory. The prefect buys wool from Heyang County, so the locals can make money. Now they're recruiting workers from all over Shaoqing Prefecture. The daily wage is at least fifteen cents, and the more you work, the more you earn. That's why everyone is scrambling to get in."
"Tsk tsk, you're already old, but you still can't tell right from wrong."
Wu Tongzhi, who was inexplicably scolded, said: "......"
A group of five people stepped out of the crowd and walked towards the carriage with mixed feelings.
"So we really misunderstood?"
"I can't believe that Du Qingtang has done so many things in just four months."
Although there are petty officials, they know very well that there are many things that the petty officials have no authority to handle.
This means that during these four months, Du Qingtang was the only one in charge of the government office, supporting the huge Shaoqing Prefecture by himself, wiping away the shadows for this devastated northwestern town and allowing it to develop in a healthy direction day after day.
Zhou Tongzhi sighed and suddenly felt a pain in his face: "No wonder His Majesty entrusted her with such an important task."
The other three civil servants were speechless.
They couldn't help but wonder, if their identities were reversed and they were the prefect of Shaoqing Prefecture, would they be able to govern Shaoqing Prefecture in an orderly manner like Du Qingtang.
The answer is no.
They can't do it.
Wang Tongpan twirled his beard and sighed, "It's true that the waves behind push the waves ahead. Each generation is stronger than the last. We are old now."
"What Lord Wang said..." Zheng Tongpan glanced inadvertently and found a crimson figure standing next to their carriage. The words of agreement were stuck in his throat, "Lord Prefect!"
The others were immersed in their own world, in a trance, and were suddenly awakened by the sound. When they looked closely, their faces changed, and they quickly stood still and bowed.
"Your humble servant greets you, sir."
Du Qingtang took a quick glance and found that although these five new colleagues looked listless, as if they had suffered a heavy blow, their eyes were clear and upright, with neither perfunctory nor arrogant, and full of respect.
"I have been waiting for you all for a long time, and now I can finally put down the heavy burden on my shoulders."
When these words were spoken, Zhou Tongzhi and the other four were filled with shame.
Just because he was afraid of Shaoqing Prefecture, he kept delaying. This was tantamount to dereliction of duty and was a serious crime.
Zhou Tongzhi ignored the inquiring glances from those around him, bowed deeply, confessed his fault, and bowed again at the end: "I am guilty, please punish me, sir."
The other four people didn't expect Zhou Tongzhi to confess without being asked. After being surprised, they hesitated for a moment and then admitted their mistakes honestly.
"Please punish me, sir."
Outside the garment factory, five people stood in a row, waiting to be dealt with.
Du Qingtang's official robe was already eye-catching, and with their presence, he attracted the attention of the people.
"What are they doing?"
"It's like standing in the corner as punishment."
"Look at their guilty expressions. They must have done something wrong."
Zhou Tongzhi and the other five: "......"
Of course Du Qingtang knew that they were deliberately delaying time.
It would take at most one and a half months to get from Xiajing to Shaoqing Prefecture, but they walked for more than two months, which was even slower than a snail.
Just after playing with the little kid, Du Yi came to report that the Tongzhi, Tongpan and the garrison commander had arrived.
Du Qingtang was waiting here, originally planning to question them first, but he didn't expect them to confess without being asked.
In that case, don't blame her for being rude.
After all, she was really tired during these four months.
Things change, and it's time for her to enjoy some comfort.
Du Qingtang's thoughts raced, but he didn't show it on his face: "I'm sure he'll be punished."
The five people's eyelids twitched, and they held their breath, waiting fearfully for the guillotine above their heads to fall.
"Master Zhou is in charge of the garment factory, Master Wu is in charge of clearing wasteland from bandits and refugees, Master Zheng is in charge of the orchard, and Master Wang is in charge of hearing cases."
"As for Guardsman Wan..." Du Qingtang turned his head, his scrutiny causing Guardsman Wan's eyelids to twitch wildly. "The tribes surrounding Heyang County often cause chaos, harassing and plundering the people. I want to expand territory for Your Majesty, so why not leave it to you?"
Shoubei Wan was stunned for a moment before he realized that the prefect wanted him to lead the troops to attack those tribes.
It's just a war, it's not really a punishment.
Shoubei Wan breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, I will leave for Heyang County today."
Compared to him, the other four had many questions.
"My Lord, what is the orchard?"
"Where do the bandits and refugees clear the land?"
Du Qingtang turned and walked towards the white horse tied to the tree, saying nonchalantly: "If you don't know, go ask someone who knows. I've been working hard for several months, and it's time to take a break."
After saying this, he jumped on his horse, whipped it and rode away.
The horses' hooves kicked up dust, which made the five people cough.
"what to do?"
"Let's go to the government office first. Those petty officials will definitely know."
Zhou Tongzhi sighed, looked back at the crowded garment factory, and planned to understand the situation first and then come back.
Wu Tongzhi smiled bitterly: "If we offend this person, our future life will be difficult."
But who can we blame?
Ultimately, it was their own fault.
-
Du Qingtang handed over all the official duties to the newcomers, and the burden on his shoulders was lifted. He lay down comfortably for two days.
When I returned to the government office two days later, the three schools were already full.
On the fifth day of September, school starts.
The women's class was still taught by Wang Nianzhi and other women. Du Qingtang tripled their salary in recognition of their hard work in teaching.
The men's class was hired by minor officials from other places at high prices. There were both students and scholars, who were enough to teach these children.
"Xianyu, this is the outline I made. Please take a look and see if there are any problems. If there are any, I will revise it."
With the opening of classes in the school, popularization of women’s knowledge is imminent.
Du Qingju spent some time preparing for the lesson. Considering that she had never taught a class before, she was inevitably nervous, so she asked the youngest brother for help.
Du Qingtang read it word by word, thought for a while with his chin propped up, and made a slight revision: "This is better."
Du Qingju took it and looked at it, her eyes slightly brightened: "Thank you for the jade."
Du Qingtang snorted softly, his eyes lingering on her dark blue eyes: "Did you stay up late last night?"
"I knew I couldn't hide it from you." Du Qingju touched a piece of cake and took a bite. "The clinic's business has been good recently. Although we are all women, we are busy almost from morning to night. We also have to find time to teach Chu Xia, so it's inevitable that we are too busy to handle everything."
"I had been planning to make an outline a long time ago, but I kept putting it off until yesterday."
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows slightly: "Is this the trouble of becoming famous?"
Du Qingju laughed: "But I am happy with it."
Du Qingtang was about to reply when he saw Du Qingju slap his head and said, "Xianyu, let me tell you, I had a terrible dream last night."
Du Qingtang raised her chin slightly, motioning her to continue.
"In my dream, I returned to Taoyuan Village. The villagers said that I had an affair with Yuan Sheng and that I had no sense of shame."
Du Qingtang paused while playing with the teacup.
"That person didn't argue for me. Instead, he told everyone I was shameless. I was so angry that I dived into the water and never came out."
"This is not enough!" Du Qingju slammed the table angrily, her cheeks flushed with anger.
"I also dreamed of my fifth and sixth sisters. My fifth sister married a widower and was beaten to death. Not long after, my sixth sister also married the widower."
"Sixth sister wasn't beaten to death. She killed the widower and then committed suicide by jumping into the river."
Du Qingju gritted her teeth, her eyes reddened, as if she had experienced it herself. The feeling of excruciating pain was still lingering in her heart.
"Dreams are always the opposite." Du Qingtang poured two cups of cold tea and pushed one to Du Qingju. "My fifth and sixth sisters are doing well in Baoding Prefecture. They have become famous female teachers. Many families are vying to hire them."
Du Qingju sniffed and said in a muffled voice, "I just feel uncomfortable. I was especially scared after waking up."
Du Qingtang patted her shoulder gently and said calmly, "You've been too busy lately, so you had nightmares. Go to bed early tonight and don't think too much."
Du Qingju rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath: "I know it's fake. I won't be as stupid as in the dream and jump into the river when I can't get over it."
"If anyone dares to spread rumors about me, I'll bring people to tear their mouths apart and let them know how powerful I am!"
Du Qingtang smiled: "Yes, that's right, Eighth Sister is amazing."
Du Qingju would definitely not jump into the river to commit suicide.
That was Du Baya's life, not Du Qingju's.
......
On the eighth day of September, science courses were added to the girls' classes in four schools.
The person in charge of teaching this class is Doctor Du from Xinglintang.
That morning, Dr. Du appeared in the women's class of the East City Branch wearing an indigo dress.
There are ten girls' classes, let's start with Girls' Class One.
Du Qingju stood behind the desk, looking at the girls in the classroom, ranging from six to twelve or thirteen years old. She pursed her lips and said slowly, "Today we won't talk about nonsense. Let's talk about what it means to be a woman."
In this class, Du Qingju talked about the physiological differences between men and women, how to correctly view menstruation, and how to better protect oneself.
In Daxia, girls could get married when they reached the age of marriage.
Most girls aged twelve or thirteen have already started menstruating and have a vague understanding of love.
After listening to what Doctor Du said, they blushed with shame and dared not raise their heads.
The young girl didn't understand what was going on, but she still opened her confused eyes, listened attentively, and memorized the knowledge in her heart.
A girl asked, "Doctor Du, can we talk about this? I don't think we need to learn this."
"Women are just like that. There's nothing to be ashamed of." Du Qingtang said calmly, "I'm saying this just to help you understand yourselves more deeply and protect yourself better."
The girl who asked the question was stunned and remained silent.
Ever since she could remember, she often saw her mother hiding in the dim room to sew sanitary belts, and hiding the washed sanitary belts deep in the cabinet, without a trace of them being seen.
She didn't understand: "Why hide the menstrual belt when it's still wet?"
My mother said, "Menstruation is dirty and unclean. It should not be seen by others."
She pouted: "But there are only you and Dad in our family."
The mother was silent for a moment: "Even your father can't do that."
Later, when she got her period, she also followed her mother's example and sewed a sanitary belt in the dim room, hiding the wet sanitary belt so that no one could see it.
However, someone told her today that menstruation is a sign of a woman's maturity and represents beauty and health.
It is not a dirty thing.
It is not a shame for women.
There was a flash of confusion in the girl's eyes, which gradually settled and turned into deep thought.
Not only her, but all the girls who were menstruating in the classroom fell into deep thought.
In the end, is it that Dr. Du is right, or is it that what I have been exposed to over the past decade is right?
Du Qingju noticed the girls' expressions, smiled imperceptibly, and continued teaching.
-
The garment factory's recruitment lasted two days.
More than 20,000 people signed up, but only 5,000 were actually admitted.
Du Qingtang sent out five hundred palace soldiers to check each door one by one.
Not only do they need to verify the accuracy of the identity information, but they also need to visit the neighbors to ensure that the person has good character and will not do anything harmful to the garment factory.
The government soldiers took eight days to eliminate 15,000 unqualified people, and then went to the homes of the qualified people to inform them to start work in the garment factory on the tenth day of September.
Those who passed the test ran around celebrating, while those who failed were depressed and cried.
On the first day of work, Du Qingtang deliberately put aside his official duties and handed them over to Wang Tongpan and Zheng Tongpan to handle, and went to visit various departments of the garment factory.
The production department has fifty groups, and the fifty women who were previously convened by the government and taught personally by Du Qingtang serve as group leaders.
They are teaching their respective group members how to knit. The former teach seriously and the latter learn seriously as well.
Zhou Tongzhi rushed over after hearing the news. Du Qingtang had already been watching quietly for quite some time.
Seeing Zhou Tongzhi, Du Qingtang glanced at him expressionlessly and left with his hands behind his back.
Zhou Tongzhi looked at the prefect's back and smiled bitterly in silence.
It has been more than ten days, and the prefect is still ignoring them. He arranges their tasks as usual, but his attitude is lukewarm.
The clerks in the government office were all trying to guess what they had done to make the prefect look so cold.
How could they dare to say anything? They could only grit their teeth and swallow their grievances, work diligently, and dare not slack off in the slightest.
Du Qingtang went to inspect other departments, checked each one, and then returned to the government office.
"grown ups!"
As they passed through the lobby, Captain Zhang came up to them quickly and whispered, "Someone caused trouble in the Food Fragrance Pavilion not long ago, and it alerted the patrolmen."
Du Qingtang's eyes darkened slightly: "What's going on?"
Du Qingzhu and Du Qingju went in and out of the government office every day, and the officials and yamen runners all recognized them.
However, Du Qingtang had reminded them that they dared not reveal the identities of these two people to anyone, not even to their families.
"Someone found bugs in their food at Shixiang Pavilion and started smashing things up, demanding compensation."
"Fortunately, Miss Zhu was incredibly clever and uncovered the other party's scheme. She even tricked them into believing they were hired by Zuiyue Tower to slander Shixiang Pavilion, and in the end, she even turned the tables and ripped off Zuiyue Tower."
Du Qingtang felt relieved and said coldly, "If it happens again, there's no need to bother with him any more. Just put him in jail and investigate slowly."
If you go to the government prison, you will be skinned alive even if you don't die.
Du Qingtang has always been protective of his people and would never allow anyone to lay hands on Zhu and Ju, otherwise he would chop them off.
After finishing his shift in the evening, Du Qingtang returned to the third hall, but Du Qingzhu also came back after a while.
Du Qingtang waved his fan and asked, "Is someone causing trouble in the Food Fragrance Pavilion?"
Du Qingzhu was not surprised that the youngest knew everything. He patted the pouch on his waist and said with a grin, "I made a killing of one hundred taels from the owner of Zuiyue Tower."
Du Qingtang frowned slightly: "Next time, just leave it to the patrol and don't bother too much."
"Okay, okay, I get it. I'll definitely do it next time." Du Qingzhu and Du Qingju exchanged helpless glances. The youngest was always like this. Even though he was younger than them, he always took on the responsibility of protecting them. "In fact, falsely accusing the other family of having dirty things in their food happens all the time. Many restaurants have lost their reputation because of this."
Du Qingju held her chin in her hand and said, "This method is too despicable. It would be great if someone could come forward to rectify this trend."
Similar problems exist not only in restaurants, but in many industries.
Du Qingtang paused while fanning himself, and lowered his eyes as if thinking about something.
The next day, Du Qingtang summoned Judge Zheng and said, "I intend to draw 500 men from the prefectural soldiers to form an inspection team to conduct regular and irregular inspections of all the major shops in the prefecture and the four counties under its jurisdiction."
"Shops that meet standards such as fair prices and fresh ingredients will be given a certificate of compliance, while those that fail will be given a certificate of failure."
"Both certificates will be hung at the entrance of the shops. Shops that fail to meet the standards will have three chances to rectify the situation. If they still fail after three attempts, they will be fined and shut down."
After hearing these words, Judge Zheng was secretly shocked.
What is the difference between hanging a certificate of failure outside the door and tattooing as a form of punishment?
Unless one is thick-skinned and has any sense of shame, he would probably want to die on the spot.
However, if we think about it from another perspective, this measure will have a good deterrent effect on certain shops and will be beneficial to the people.
Du Qingtang emphasized: "You go to the military camp and select people yourself. Choose those who are tall and strong, and who can intimidate people the most."
Judge Zheng lit a row of candles for the various shops in his mind, and at the same time, he felt even more respect for the man before him. "Yes, I will go right away."
......
On the other side, Du Qingju went to Chengnan School in the morning to teach the girls in the girls' class, just like she had done in the past few days.
After an hour-long science class, Du Qingju closed the booklet with the outline and prepared to go to Xinglin Hall.
These days, women who are familiar with Zhang Meihua have come to see her for treatment one after another.
In addition, many women in the city also came here to visit.
Xinglintang's business has improved a lot, and correspondingly, Du Qingju, the only doctor in the hall, has become busier.
"Doctor Du."
As I walked out of the classroom, I heard a childish call from behind me. The voice was as soft as a kitten and barely audible.
Du Qingju turned around and saw a little girl of seven or eight years old. Her clothes were tattered and patched, her nails were full of dirt, her hair was greasy, and her cheeks were chapped and bleeding.
"What's wrong?" Du Qingju asked softly without any strange look in her eyes.
The little girl twisted her fingers, slowly moved forward, and said in a mosquito-like voice: "Doctor, my father...my father sometimes..."
Du Qingju's eyes changed slightly, and she leaned over and took the little girl's hand: "Don't be afraid, I'll take you to a place."
The little girl met Doctor Du's gentle eyes, shrank back, and leaned towards Du Qingju: "Okay."
Du Qingju took the little girl to the government office and went straight to Du Qingtang's duty room.
Du Qingtang was working at his desk. After listening to Du Qingju's explanation, he frowned and made a quick decision: "I'll have the bailiffs go and arrest the man. We'll know whether it's true or not after the first trial."
Du Qingju glanced at the little girl curled up in the armchair and sighed.
About an hour later, Captain Zhang returned and said, "Sir, the man has confessed."
Du Qingtang asked: "Is it true or false?"
"It's true." Captain Zhang's face looked grim, and he tried hard to suppress his anger, his brows furrowed so tightly that they could kill a fly. "Chen Dahong is my stepfather. He used to be a thug in the west part of the city. He has a low character and is not a clean person."
"You don't know, sir, that Chen Dahong said Chen Wenxiu seduced him, which is fine, but Chen Wenxiu's biological mother, Wang Lilan, actually said the same thing."
"Chen Wenxiu is just a child, what does she know?"
She doesn't understand anything.
She didn't even know what her stepfather had done to her.
Captain Zhang was so angry that he wanted to bite the couple to pieces and spit them out.
——He felt that it would dirty his stomach if he swallowed it.
Du Qingtang raised his hand and rubbed his brow: "This matter must not be leaked."
Captain Zhang responded repeatedly, "Don't worry, sir. I understand."
A woman's reputation is more important than anything else, and Chen Wenxiu should not have to endure such malicious public opinion.
Du Qingtang called Wang Tongpan again and said, "Have someone clean up the charity hall and recruit a few women with clean family backgrounds and gentle temperaments."
Chen Dahong was imprisoned, and Chen Wenxiu's mother Wang Lilan was also imprisoned as an accomplice.
But if this happened, Chen Wenxiu would have nowhere to go.
After much deliberation, Du Qingtang decided to clean up the charity hall so that not only Chen Wenxiu but also many homeless children could live there.
After settling Chen Wenxiu, Du Qingtang fetched the Daxia Code and turned to the section on adultery.
Anyone who commits adultery or incest will be hanged.
Hanging is a relatively severe punishment, but in Du Qingtang's opinion, it is far from enough.
Du Qingtang pondered for a moment, then picked up his pen and dipped it in ink. "Those who commit adultery or incest will be castrated, paraded through the streets for half a month, and ultimately torn apart by a chariot."
If she hadn't decided on a whim to add a science course, she wouldn't even know that there were people in the world who would harm little girls.
Such people should be cut into pieces and torn into pieces by five horses. They should never be let off easily.
Du Qingtang couldn't help but feel fortunate that she had opened a martial arts class for the girls' class.
There is a huge disparity in strength between men and women, and only by learning martial arts can one have the ability to protect themselves.
That afternoon, the punishment for the crime of adultery was announced to the public in the form of a notice.
The people in the city came to watch, and the clerk read aloud on the side.
When they learned the content of the notice, everyone applauded.
"If you can't control your lower body, then forget it!"
"This kind of person is worse than pigs and dogs. He deserves this fate."
“Why only men?”
"What nonsense are you talking about? Women are relatively weaker, how can they hurt men?"
On the other side, the government prison.
In the interrogation room, Chen Dahong was tied to the rack with hemp rope.
The interrogator, holding a knife, approached with a smile: "You bastard, you've fallen into the hands of your grandfather. I'm going to teach you a lesson today."
Chen Dahong's eyes were filled with fear. He struggled desperately, but it was all in vain. He could only be hung on the rack like a pig to be slaughtered.
"Don't come over here!"
"Don't come over here!"
"I know I was wrong, don't—ah!"
The heartbreaking screams echoed throughout the interrogation room, emerged from the crack in the door, and reverberated throughout the prison.
It was like falling into hell, suffering eighteen kinds of punishment. The screams lasted for half an hour, making the prisoners tremble with fear.
With a creak, the door of the interrogation room opened.
The jailer dragged the unconscious Chen Dahong out and threw him into the cell.
Wherever it passed, it left behind a trail of shocking blood.
Next to Chen Dahong, Wang Lilan looked at the large amount of blood on his pants, hugged her head and screamed, then her eyes rolled back and she fell straight down.
The jailer sniffed and found that he was dead.
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