Inside the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.
Upon learning that the perpetrators had been beaten up by the locals and even taken to the mansion, Mother Luo was not overly angry.
"What a bunch of useless trash."
"Gu Qinlan is indeed no ordinary person."
However, she still refused to give up and wanted to see Gu Qinlan.
After some thought, she picked up her pen and wrote a letter to Gu Qinlan.
Before darkness fell, the letter had been safely delivered to Gu Qinlan.
At the beginning of the letter, Madam Luo first expressed her sincere apologies to Gu Qinlan, admitting that her eagerness to see her had led her to come up with a rather terrible idea. To express her apology and to make up for the losses suffered by the restaurant, she also enclosed a silver note for five hundred taels of silver. Then, in sincere and earnest language, she pleaded with Gu Qinlan to spare some of her precious time to meet with her.
Her attitude was extremely humble, full of awe and respect.
After reading the letter, Gu Qinlan simply replied with two words—"No." The silver note was also returned along with the letter.
After receiving this brief reply, Luo's mother was filled with anger and dissatisfaction.
"That Gu Qinlan is utterly ungrateful! I've already humbled myself so much, yet she remains so arrogant!"
Wei Lin, her trusted confidant, had a gloomy expression and suggested, "Mother, why don't I send someone to bring her here by force?"
Madam Luo glared at him and said sternly, "Do you know who she is? She is the wife of the Crown Prince! Although she is not the wife of a court official, she is Zheng Dinglian's lawfully wedded wife. If we bring her here by force, do you know what serious consequences will follow? Besides, her residence is full of spies from all sides. If there is the slightest disturbance, the higher-ups will know immediately. Do you want me to die even faster?"
Wei Lin shut his mouth after hearing this.
Madam Luo's face was grim, and she gritted her teeth: "No matter what, I must see her! Starting tomorrow, you will keep a close eye on the Prince Duan's residence. Once she steps out of the gate, you must report to me immediately."
She didn't believe that Gu Qinlan would stay cooped up in the mansion forever and never step out!
"Yes, sir!"
Gu Qinlan didn't take Luo's mother's plans to heart; she had many busy things to deal with every day.
News came from the village that the continuous sunny weather had dried up the water in the fields, and the tenants had begun the busy work of replanting.
They planted most of their fields with various beans and root vegetables, as well as some leafy green vegetables.
It's currently the height of summer, and there are still three months until wheat planting. If we speed things up, we can still make it in time.
Other farmers are also replanting on their land, but they have chosen millet and rice.
Although the yields of these crops may be low, it is still better than no harvest at all.
Many people began to mock Gu Qinlan's tenants, saying, "Are you all crazy? You're not growing grains but vegetables and beans instead. The imperial court won't buy these things."
When they learned that the idea came from Gu Qinlan, their laughter grew even louder: "A government official's wife who has never stepped out of her house, you dare to listen to her? What will you do if she doesn't buy these crops?"
Beneath that smile lay unease in the tenants' hearts. They worried whether their future employer would actually accept the vegetables, since these cheap and perishable produce would likely go to waste if no one wanted them.
Therefore, the tenants went to the steward of the estate and insisted that he issue them a written receipt as proof.
Faced with this situation, the manager felt helpless and had no choice but to report the matter to Gu Qinlan.
Upon hearing the news, Gu Qinlan simply took out a sum of money and paid half of the tenants' deposits in advance. As for the remaining half, it would be settled according to the total value when the harvest came.
When the tenants received the money, their doubts were finally put to rest. They couldn't wait to show it off to those who had mocked them before. Seeing the envious looks from the tenants, they felt incredibly proud.
When Gu Qinlan learned of this, she could only manage a wry smile.
Meanwhile, reconstruction efforts for the disaster-stricken residents of the city were in full swing. The soup kitchens set up by the Prince Duan's residence never stopped serving meals, providing white porridge and pickled vegetables three times a day, as well as free boiled water.
Among the crowds who came to collect porridge and hot water were both ordinary people busy with reconstruction and beggars from the city.
Those who had received favors from the Prince Duan's Mansion were all filled with gratitude and expressed their thanks to the mansion.
Some wealthy families were also inspired and followed suit, setting up soup kitchens and starting to distribute soup.
Every day during Xiaoman and Chushu, Gu Qinlan would go out to supervise the porridge distribution. They saw that other people's porridge stalls were attracting large crowds, which also took away some of the honor of the Duanwang Mansion, and they naturally felt resentful.
Back at the manor, Xiaoman couldn't help but complain to Gu Qinlan: "Those people are shameless. They are not genuinely helping others; they just want to use this opportunity to gain fame and reputation! We have worked so hard to distribute porridge for so many days, and now they come and interfere, stealing most of our good reputation."
Gu Qinlan smiled and comforted her, "The conduct of a gentleman is valued for his actions rather than his heart. As for the heart, no one is perfect. Now that more people are doing good deeds, more people will receive help, which will reduce our pressure."
"Moreover, although they are latecomers, they can never compare to us who started the earliest. The people naturally have their own judgment."
Chushu added with a smile, "Madam is right. We just need to do what we want to do, and the truth will be judged by public opinion."
Gu Qinlan nodded slightly in agreement: "That's true."
As time went by, summer was coming to an end, the weather was gradually getting cooler, and the reconstruction work in the city was finally completed.
Meanwhile, news of disasters in other areas also began to emerge.
This sudden natural disaster has caused the number of affected people to exceed one million.
Upon hearing this news, Gu Qinlan felt as if a taut string had been suddenly ripped from her heart, causing her immense pain.
"Hongye, go and buy some bricks and tiles tomorrow. Be sure to reinforce and raise the courtyard wall."
Hongye asked in confusion, "Are you worried that the displaced refugees will flood into the city?"
Gu Qinlan nodded slightly: "Indeed, the number of people affected by this disaster is staggering. As Jindu is a transportation hub leading to the capital, we must make thorough preparations in advance."
Hongye offered her suggestion: "Then it would be best to add a few more guards. The existing guards in the manor..."
The Prince Duan's mansion does have guards, but their abilities are really nothing to brag about; even Hongye could easily defeat them.
After pondering for a moment, Gu Qinlan said, "Alright, then let's buy a few strong servants and train them properly. But we must choose them carefully, as the household is full of women and children, and we can't afford to be careless."
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