Chapter 241 Reward
The sun was obscured by dark clouds, and a gentle breeze was blowing.
A faint fishy smell still lingered in the square, but it wasn't as noisy as it had been before.
The yamen runners carried out something covered with red silk, which immediately attracted the villagers' attention.
Everyone knows that the Chen couple made contributions in suppressing bandits and were rewarded with land, but no one expected that they would receive an additional reward.
Everyone eagerly awaited the magistrate's reading of the imperial edict.
For decades, no one from Lianhua Village has received an official title or honor.
Unexpectedly, the woman who has emerged now is the very same poisonous woman everyone used to talk about!
Wan Qiqi remained calm, though her legs were a little numb from kneeling.
Fang Ziming has already given away the house, so there's no guarantee he'll give anything else as a reward.
Moreover, in ancient times, women were rarely rewarded.
Even if she participated in the bandit suppression, the reward she received would certainly not exceed that of a man.
Fang Ziming hesitated under the watchful eyes of the crowd, unable to make a further move.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves rang out.
In the distance, a man rode up on horseback.
"Whoa!" The horse stopped behind the yamen runner.
Chen Yongnian dismounted, tied his horse to the roadside, strode into the crowd, and knelt down beside Wan Qiqi. "This humble subject greets Your Excellency, the County Magistrate!"
Wan Qiqi smelled the ink fragrance on him and guessed that he must have come from the academy.
The clothes were cool and icy, but they swept away Wan Qiqi's previous discomfort when they touched the back of her hand.
Even though Chen Yongnian hadn't done anything, she felt as if he was protecting her.
This feeling gave her an unprecedented sense of comfort.
Once everyone was present, Fang Ziming beckoned to his attendants and asked them to produce the imperial edict.
As soon as the imperial edict was issued, everyone knelt on the ground.
Wan Qiqi listened as Fang Ziming recited a long, useless passage, which finally got to the point.
"Chen Yongnian of the Chen family in Lianhua Village, for his meritorious service in suppressing mountain bandits, is rewarded with one hundred taels of silver and granted a position in the local county government, exempt from military service and poll tax; his wife, Chen Wanshi, distinguished herself in the battle of Lianshan, creating favorable conditions for the suppression of the mountain bandits. Her intelligence and talent are unparalleled among ordinary women. Therefore, a plaque is hereby awarded, and she is exempt from poll tax..."
Wan Qiqi tapped the ground with her finger, which was immediately covered by Chen Yongnian's finger.
If you could see her face, you would definitely see Wan Qiqi pursing her lips, with a hint of displeasure.
She kept complaining to herself, why was Chen Yongnian exempted from corvée labor and even received money, while she only had a broken plaque?
What good is a plaque? You can't sell it or exchange it for food.
After the imperial edict was read aloud, Fang Ziming closed it, walked up to Chen Yongnian, and handed it over.
Chen Yongnian raised his hands above his head to receive the imperial edict, and together with Wan Qiqi said, "Thank you for your great grace, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
Wan Qiqi's words were actually devoid of emotion, and even contained a hint of gritted teeth.
After receiving the imperial decree, everyone stood up to congratulate Chen Yongnian and Wan Qiqi.
The village entrance was unusually lively.
Wan Qiqi looked at the plaque that had been untied, which read "Beautiful inside and out" inscribed on it.
Although the plaque looks grand, it's not practical at all and takes up a lot of space.
His gaze swept across the box and landed on a box of gleaming silver coins, which shimmered slightly.
She wanted the box of silver more than the plaque.
A full hundred taels of silver—how long would it take me to earn that back?
Fang Ziming and Chen Lizheng stood outside the crowd, watching the couple who were surrounded, their expressions calm.
I've seen the former so often that I'm no longer bothered by it.
The latter was extremely excited, but he couldn't lose face in front of the county magistrate.
At this moment, Fang Luxue, who had changed into new clothes, came out of the carriage.
She wore soft silk and had her hair styled in a beautiful bun, with pearl flowers swaying gently as she stepped off the carriage.
This outfit makes her look every bit the rich heiress, a stark contrast to her previous disheveled appearance.
Chen Sanyuan stood aside, amazed by her beauty.
He had always doubted whether the other person was really Miss Fang, but now he was certain that she was the county magistrate's daughter.
When Fang Bowen saw his sister come down, he quickly put a cloak on her to prevent her from catching a cold.
Fang Luxue watched her brother's actions, a faint sadness appearing in her eyes.
Wan Qiqi is right. She doesn't actually hate her brother, nor does she hate her father, because that's their responsibility.
Just like the case of Chen Sanyuan.
He knew his father meant well, but he still went against his will and wanted to fight for it himself, which led to this predicament.
Fang Luxue knew from the beginning that her father was the county magistrate, and his decisions had to be for the sake of the entire Yunhe County.
When necessary, he needs to set aside his personal feelings for his children.
He was a competent county magistrate, but not a competent father.
Fang Luxue looked at her attire, touched her hairpin, smiled, and walked inside.
When Fang Ziming saw his daughter coming over, a smile finally appeared on his face. He thought to himself that Wan Qiqi was still useful, making his daughter stop avoiding him.
However, Fang Luxue walked past him without hesitation and squeezed into the crowd.
"Make way, make way..."
Upon seeing Fang Luxue dressed in her finest attire, the villagers immediately made way for her.
This was the first time Wan Qiqi had seen Fang Luxue so exquisite, and a look of amazement flashed in her eyes.
Wu Gousheng was stunned!
He had to admit that Ms. Fang was really beautiful!
Fang Luxue raised her small head and said proudly, "Everyone, please disperse!"
Although some villagers wanted to stay, they dared not disobey Fang Luxue's words and dispersed.
Before long, the village entrance was deserted, with only Wan Qiqi and her group and the county government officials remaining.
Wan Qiqi stared at Fang Luxue, raised an eyebrow, deliberately lowered her posture, and said in a gentle voice, "Miss Fang, what are your instructions?"
Fang Luxue's pupils dilated instantly, then she pouted, "You've already received the rewards, shouldn't you treat yourself to something nice?"
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