It was quite hot at noon.
Few people would have imagined that Caoshe Village, not far from Beijing, would be so lively.
Everyone knows about the charity department's affairs; it's a hot topic of discussion in the village.
For most people, even if they don't support it, they don't care, since the Charity Department hasn't done anything outrageous.
Moreover, the charity department said that if mothers take good care of themselves and children are born well, things will only get better and better.
That sounds good. Just like if a pregnant woman eats well, the fetus will definitely grow better.
Even some harsh mothers-in-law, for the sake of their eldest grandson, still feed their daughters-in-law well, so asking her to clean up a bit more now is perfectly reasonable.
When choosing a wife, people prefer someone clean and tidy; they don't like someone who is slovenly.
Now we need to be clean from the outside in. Don't dress nicely on the outside but smell bad on the inside. It's like having a belly full of flies and excrement.
It's a little embarrassing to say, but the charity department didn't go around advertising it, so there's nothing wrong with that.
But there were quite a few people who shared the same idea as Liu the old scholar and came to Caoshe Village to block the road.
These intellectuals put on quite an impressive show.
A group of women from the village came out and started swearing at Gong Yun.
It's true that we don't dare to criticize too harshly, but there are also many things that are not too harsh yet still unbearable.
It's alright, Gong Yun has heard it so many times, you can say she's thick-skinned.
The other village women weren't happy about it, so they argued back!
Several villages versus several villages, that's quite a scene!
The scholar's grandson shouted, "The great scholar Zeng has entered the palace; today we will depose the wicked concubine!"
Someone else responded, "Too early! Zeng Bing was rebuked in the palace, deeply realized his mistake, and went home to recuperate."
Another large group arrived from Sheng'an, probably because something big was about to happen here. They didn't mind the heat to watch the excitement.
Some of them came with the government officials.
The Liu family and several other families blocked the intersection, shouting at the yamen runners, "Get out!"
The leader waved his hand.
A group of constables rushed forward and tied everyone up! Those who resisted were beaten! Those who resisted fiercely were beaten to death!
These yamen runners looked like the Imperial Guards had changed their clothes; they were quite menacing.
Other onlookers cleared the area at the village entrance and under the old locust tree.
There are so many yamen runners, some are here blocking the way, and some are charging into the village!
Gong Yun sat under the elm tree and in the car, watching the excitement.
A group of women were arrested; probably not a single one was spared.
The village of Caoshe was thrown into chaos, leaving the onlookers scratching their heads in bewilderment.
This isn't something to watch or enjoy; the situation inside is chaotic, so how can you get involved?
This Caoshe Village is quite unique. There is an old locust tree at the entrance of the village, but there is a mountain pass in front of it. You have to turn into the pass to reach Caoshe Village.
In other words, the mountain pass blocks the view from both inside and outside, so it is impossible to see from the outside.
Gong Yun didn't go inside to join the fun; she sat here, indicating that she was determined to carry on with this matter.
Actually, even if there are 10,000 sets, it's perfectly fine regardless of the location of Caoshe Village.
A girl quietly came over and asked, "What is that fabric made of? It feels really comfortable."
The servant said, "The cloth, sugar, and wooden basin were specially made. Don't think about using them for anything else or being reluctant to use them. Whoever the Empress says she will give them to, that's who they can use."
I've emphasized all of this before, but some things are useless no matter how many times you emphasize them, so I'll just nag about them from time to time.
A village woman said, "The wooden basin is nice, but I didn't have anything this nice when I got married."
The shrew smiled and said, "We'll replace them with better ones for everyone when we have the chance."
The village women were thrilled!
Gong Yun smiled and said, "That's why we need to plant trees first to get good timber. This time, we'll prioritize young women and newlyweds, but we'll consider more options in the future."
An old woman said, "This basin will last a lifetime. It brings not only good fortune but also children."
Gong Yun knew that she meant the outside was carved with bat patterns and children playing.
Sending just a basin isn't bad, but wouldn't it be more appealing to have some simple carvings?
It has a lotus leaf pattern inside; although simple, it represents cleanliness.
An old lady laughed and said, "The girl next door is already preparing it as her dowry."
Many people said, "This is better than what I made myself."
"The hoops are also very sturdy."
"I think this basin would be perfect for the third-day bath!"
Someone else asked, "Did Chang Dalang's wife give birth to a big, healthy boy?"
Gong Yun nodded: "The Chang family also made a thousand sets to give away separately."
Someone chuckled, "Can the Chang family ever save up any money?"
Gong Yun said, "No need to save. If we use it all up this year, there will be more next year, right?"
The Earl of Fumin has an annual income of two to three thousand taels of silver, and Lady Anle also has a considerable amount.
As for whether Consort Huan will provide further subsidies, there is really no need for outsiders to worry about it.
The villagers are concerned about the fields: "This year, Changhe County's yield might reach eight shi (a unit of dry measure)!"
A gasp of surprise rippled through the room.
This is simply a dream!
Here, a yield of six shi per mu is quite good!
The imperial court purchased grain but prohibited grain merchants from hoarding it, so grain prices remained stable, and those who did so earned more income.
A whoosh! Someone from Caoshe Village ran towards the village entrance.
A group of onlookers rushed forward to help block the way!
Another large group of scholars and graduates rushed over, losing their shoes in their haste to support Old Scholar Liu!
Old Scholar Liu had already been tied up and was just thrown on the ground.
Several scholars were so anxious that they wanted to fight with the yamen runners!
The constables drew their swords! Let them try and hit you!
Several scholars rushed to Gong Yun's side.
Gong Yun faced all the civil and military officials and none of them were as lewd and disgusting as these people.
Of course, Gong Yun has encountered many disgusting things, and she is not delicate. She just sat there without moving.
She was a fourth-rank virtuous lady; it was more appropriate for ordinary people to pay their respects to her.
Another woman lunged at her and tore her apart!
The constables grabbed his hair from behind and slammed it to the ground. Several young ladies were also grabbed.
Are the onlookers, who are not very clear about the situation in Caoshe Village, so confident?
An elderly woman, leaning on a cane, perhaps a relative by marriage to the Liu family? She asked aggressively, "What are you doing?"
The constables tied her up and threw her aside.
Soon the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice arrived!
People from Sheng'an also rode out to watch the spectacle. News of General Lü's annihilation of the Dele Kingdom had spread throughout Sheng'an, but was there really such a lively event outside the city? Just look at the yamen runners carrying out box after box of things.
The Vice Minister of Justice looked at it and exclaimed, "Forbidden book! Where did the Liu family get such audacity?"
A spoiled brat approached and saw that the cover read "Purple Cliff Mountain," so he knew it couldn't be anything good.
Zichanshan is selling like hotcakes right now; most people wouldn't dare to pirate it.
If the Liu family were to sell among the middlemen, the buyers might not even be able to tell.
Someone laughed: "I heard that Old Scholar Liu's youngest son was born to his grandson and his concubine. I never expected this!"
Everyone was excited!
It's quite normal for an old scholar like Liu to have a concubine who takes a liking to his grandson.
Gong Yun is checking on the situation in Caoshe Village.
The actual situation in this village is quite different from what was reported.
Actually, there are a total of seventy-four households, fourteen of which are surnamed Liu.
Old Scholar Liu's children and grandchildren did not separate from each other. He had a total of seventeen sons, from his eldest son to his youngest son, and countless daughters, granddaughters, grandsons, and great-grandsons.
The family should have 300 members.
Caoshe Village has a total of 1,800 mu of land, of which 1,500 mu belong to the Liu family.
Everyone else in the village helped his family farm and worked like slaves for them.
The yamen runners brought out these oxen and horses for everyone to see; they said humans were treated worse than dogs.
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