Chapter 109 Washing Hands: Starting with Me (No Washing, No Food Version) ...
The angry mob instantly engulfed the Iron Anchor Merchant Guild's opulent grain store. As the first person in worn-out straw sandals stepped onto the gleaming marble steps, Steward Buck, before he could slip away, was dragged out of the crowd by several sharp-eyed mercenaries. The angry mob surrounded him, showering him with spittle and rotten vegetable leaves.
Faced with faces contorted with rage and roars filled with bloody accusations, the guards and henchmen who usually swaggered around felt fear from the bottom of their hearts for the first time.
The massive public demonstration continued until evening before gradually subsiding under the strong suppression of the city guards dispatched by Ryan.
Of course, everyone knew perfectly well that the city guards' appearance was merely a formality. They simply dispersed the crowd and didn't even arrest a single troublemaker.
Afterwards, even old lame Tom found it unbelievable that ordinary people like them, even beggars on the street, could challenge a force like the Anchor Merchant Guild and emerge unscathed. It turned out that they too had the opportunity to fight for their own interests and the truth.
The Iron Anchor Merchant Guild, a behemoth that had wielded immense power in Blackrock City for years, suddenly became infamous overnight.
In order to quell public anger and protect itself, the owner of the Iron Anchor Merchant Guild, a mysterious figure who had been hiding behind the scenes and was said to have a close relationship with Karl, had no choice but to cut his losses and survive.
He not only shifted all the blame onto Buck, claiming it was entirely Buck's personal greed that led him to adulterate the goods and frame him, but also publicly announced Buck's expulsion from the merchant guild and a permanent ban from employment. Furthermore, he feigned generosity by announcing that, to compensate for the harm done to the people of Blackrock City, all grain shops under the Iron Anchor Merchant Guild in Blackrock City would offer half-price sales for three consecutive days.
He thought that this act of cutting off his own flesh to feed the tiger would salvage some of his reputation.
However, he seriously underestimated the devastating impact of Lin Yue's microscope and the seeds of trust that the Soup of Hope had planted in the hearts of the people in those short two days.
Instead of gratitude from the people, they were met with a chorus of "Pah!"
"Half price? Bah!" Old Limpy Tom spat on the smooth marble steps of the Anchor Merchant Guild. "Your moldy bread is so bad that even a dog wouldn't eat it for free! And your salt, it's half sand in there, who would want your rubbish?"
His words immediately drew a chorus of agreement.
"Exactly, who knows what kind of poison you've put in this time."
"We want to drink Hope's Soup, we want to eat Hope's Snow Salt. Besides, we can buy everything you have on Yihaodian, and the quality is even better."
The common people who once dared not speak out against the Iron Anchor Merchant Guild now stood tall. They would rather queue for an hour at the entrance of the Hope Canteen to drink a bowl of warm Hope Soup than step into the Iron Anchor Merchant Guild's shops again.
The will of the people.
Taking advantage of the momentum, Lin Yue immediately launched a vigorous "Love Hygiene, Love Cleanliness, and Live Scientifically Every Day" campaign throughout Blackstone City.
At the entrance of Hope Cafeteria, overnight, a new wooden sign, even larger than the previous job posting, was erected. Written in prominent charcoal, it read "Hope Cafeteria Hygiene Rules," accompanied by his signature quirky, cute sketches.
The first rule is particularly eye-catching: "Please wash your hands before meals and after using the toilet, so that germs and insects stay away!"
To ensure this regulation was implemented effectively, Lin Yue spared no expense, having Li Ge and his team build over a dozen public handwashing basins with independent drainage outlets overnight using red bricks and cement at the entrance of the canteen. Above the basins, ceramic pipes connected purified water drawn from the original well at the building site. The current water volume is sufficient to support the canteen's operation and public handwashing, but expanding its use would be difficult. Next to each basin was a large piece of Hope Brand natural soapberry. This soapberry was made from the rendered fat of the first batch of wild boars from the Hope Town farm, carefully mixed with wood ash; due to limited oil production, the soapberry was also rationed and currently only for handwashing, not yet available for sale.
At the entrance of the cafeteria, Fei Ye and his companions stood there with serious expressions, each holding a short iron stick. Their task was not only to maintain order but also to ensure that everyone preparing to enter the cafeteria first went to the nearby public sink and honestly washed their hands with soap.
This new rule naturally met with resistance from many people at first.
"What's going on? I've drunk mud and water on the battlefield, what do I care about a little dust on my hands?" A one-eyed mercenary, looking at his hands as black as the bottom of a pot, with dirt under his fingernails, shouted nonchalantly. He tried to force his way in, but was unceremoniously blocked by Fei Ye.
“Our town mayor said,” Fei Ye said in a muffled voice, “If you want to eat, wash your hands first. That’s the rule.”
The one-eyed mercenary wanted to lash out, but when he saw that even the elite veterans sent by Ryan from the city lord's mansion were obediently rolling up their sleeves, lining up, and solemnly rubbing their hands with soap, he could only shut his mouth reluctantly and walk to the end of the line.
The children treated handwashing as a novel and fun game. They competed to see who could make the most and the biggest bubbles, and their cheerful laughter and the splashing water added a touch of brightness to this otherwise oppressive city.
"Hey, you know what," Stone said to Fei Ye beside him while supervising everyone's handwashing, "Back in town, when the mayor first brought this up, I thought he was just making a fuss over nothing, it was such a pain. But now, it's like, if we don't wash our hands for a day, we can't even enjoy eating, and we still have to wash our hands halfway through our meal."
“That’s right,” Fei Ye chimed in with a laugh. “Although it’s a bit of a hassle, haven’t you noticed? Since we got into this habit, we haven’t had many stomach aches. And who doesn’t want their hands to be clean? It’s unpleasant to smell a stinky mess.”
A young mother named Eileen became the most steadfast supporter and promoter of this new hygiene regulation.
She not only washes her hands thoroughly every time, but also patiently teaches her children how to properly scrub between each finger. She even voluntarily became a volunteer hygiene monitor at the cafeteria entrance. If she sees anyone trying to slip through without washing their hands, she'll be the first to step forward and remind them in a soft but firm voice:
"Sir, please wash your hands first. This is for your own sake and for everyone's."
Her persistence, along with the child in her arms who had become noticeably more energetic after drinking the "soup of hope" for several days, became the most powerful living advertisement for the new rules.
Gradually, the rule of "washing hands before meals," which used to seem superfluous, has been accepted by more and more people and has gradually become a new trend representing civilization and decency.
...
In a private room on the second floor of the Hope Merchants' No. 1 branch, Carwin was excitedly reporting the latest battle situation to Lin Yue.
“Boss Lin, your move is brilliant!” He rubbed his hands excitedly. “Now all the storytellers in town are telling the story of our poisoned soup case. The Iron Anchor Merchant Guild is now disgraced, and even a stray dog won’t bother going to their grain store. I heard they’ve also run into internal problems, and several managers have been dismissed because of this incident. They’re fighting amongst themselves.”
Lin Yue calmly took a sip of tea, unsurprised by the situation.
At that moment, Ryan appeared at the door of the private room. Looking at Lin Yue, he had a complicated smile on his face: "Brother Lin Yue, you're not just selling soup, you're clearly trying to win people's hearts."
Under the pretext of "rectifying market order and protecting the health of the people," he conducted a legitimate hygiene inspection of all businesses under the Iron Anchor Chamber of Commerce. He shut down several of their shops with extremely poor hygiene conditions and issued them hefty fines that could cripple them.
Although it didn't completely uproot the business, it significantly weakened Karl's financial resources and cleared the biggest obstacle to the future expansion of the firm.
Other small merchants and artisans in the city secretly rejoiced at the Anchor Merchants' setback. Some astute individuals began to actively court the Hope Merchants, hoping to establish a cooperative relationship with this rising power. An experienced potter on Craftsman Street even approached Carwin, expressing his willingness to provide the canteen with a large quantity of durable, shatterproof earthenware bowls at a low price on a long-term basis.
...
With the food safety scandal finally settled, another unexpected benefit came knocking on our door.
The old doctor, Herman, who was the first to stand up for Lin Yue during the crisis and use his knowledge of herbal medicine, took the initiative to come to him. He didn't mention any reward, but looked at Lin Yue with eyes full of thirst for knowledge and admiration.
"Mr. Lin, that germ theory you mentioned the other day, and that magical mirror that can see tiny insects... I've been thinking about it for days, and I can't sleep at night. Could you... could you explain it to me in more detail?"
Lin Yue looked at the old man before him, who, though poor, possessed a kind heart and a thirst for knowledge, and a thought struck him. He pondered for a moment, then proposed a cooperation plan:
“Sir, I admire your medical ethics and thirst for knowledge. I can tell you everything I know without reservation. I can even provide some herbs that are unique to our town to support your treatment. But... it won't be for free.”
"I hope you can come to our suburban base and conduct a basic hygiene and first aid training course for our newly recruited workers and all the residents of Hope Town in the future. Teach them how to deal with some common workplace injuries and illnesses, and how to maintain personal and environmental hygiene."
"At the same time, I also hope that you can help me find and train a few talented medical apprentices in this city who are willing to serve the common people. Blackrock City needs its own medical team that can truly save lives."
Old Herman was completely impressed by Lin Yue's grand vision of "not only treating diseases, but also training doctors and promoting health education for all people." He was so excited that he trembled and immediately agreed to cooperate.
Lin Yue added, "By the way, Mr. Herman, I have another friend who is also very interested in your knowledge of herbs and medicine. It's just... he's a bit introverted and doesn't like to interact with people. If possible, I hope he can learn from you sometime."
"Oh? That's great." Old Herman stroked his beard and said with a smile, "There aren't many young people these days who are willing to sit down and learn these tedious things. As long as he's willing to learn, I'll definitely teach him everything I know."
"Then I'll thank you on his behalf." Lin Yue gave a strange smile. "However... my friend might look... um... a little different from us. Please don't be disgusted by him then."
After hearing this, Old Herman immediately understood. This friend of Mr. Lin's was probably incredibly ugly, or had some kind of disability, which was why he was so insecure and withdrawn. He immediately waved his hand and said seriously, "Don't worry, Mr. Lin. A doctor's heart is benevolent. In my eyes, there are only patients, not beauty or ugliness. As long as he has good intentions and is willing to learn the art of saving lives, even if he looks like a monster, I will teach him without hesitation."
After hearing this, Lin Yue's lips twitched slightly, and he silently lit a candle for Norm in his heart.
That afternoon, a notice recruiting medical apprentices was posted on the bulletin board at the entrance of the Hope Cafeteria.
Soon, several young people, eager for medical help because their families had suffered from illness, came to sign up.
Among them was a young mother named Eileen.
Holding her child, who was now able to walk and whose complexion had improved considerably, she bowed deeply to Lin Yue.
“Lord Lin,” her eyes were filled with gratitude and longing, “thank you for saving my child and all of us. If… if I could, I would like to study medicine. I want to… like you, to help more people in need.”
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