Chapter 240
Give Back To The People
“Lord Li is flattering me . Actually, I have other thoughts in my mind . I only hope you don’t laugh at me when I say it . ” Mu Yunyao lowered her head slightly and smiling a little more nervously .
“Please speak, Miss Mu . ”
“During my stay in Jingling City, my mother and I have come into contact with many madams and ladies from various families . They are very kind-hearted and take great care of us . Previously, my adoptive mother and I were discussing the Laba porridge festival . Many madams regret that they were unable to partic.i.p.ate in the festival . This time around, we can consider it as having a meaningful act of kindness to the entire Jingling City . If it is feasible, could Lord Li call for more people to partic.i.p.ate in it?”
Li Munian’s eyes moved and quickly thought about it: “Miss Mu is indeed intelligent . If more people partic.i.p.ate in it, it would be a fortunate thing for the people of Jingling City!”
Mu Yunyao nodded her head . “It’s good that Lord Li doesn’t think I’m doing whimsical . I’ll have to trouble Lord Li to manage this matter . For Ni Yun Fang and Bu Xian Luo, I’ll follow Lord’s arrangements . ”
“Alright, I’ll give you all the credit . ”
“Everything was arranged by Lord Li . I just paid some silver coins, so you can’t consider it a big deal . ”
After Li Munian and Mu Yunyao finished talking about their proper business, Lady Zhou asked Mu Yunyao to have dinner in the mansion before going back . She had refused it as the reason to go home and pack up her things . Lady Zhou ordered someone to send Mu Yunyao home . After Mu Yunyao had left, she couldn’t help but praise, “If Mu Yunyao hadn’t come from too low a family background, I would even want to bring her to the Zhou family . With her intelligence and disposition, she will definitely be of great help to the family . ”
Li Munia let out a chuckle, “You think that her background is too low, but who knows if she might be looking down on the Zhou Family? Miss Mu has quite an interesting mind . ”
Lady Zhou raised her brows . “Master, what do you mean by that?”
“Madam, please don’t be angry . It’s not that I look down on my father-in-law’s family . But when I look at Mu Yunyao’s every word and action, I don’t think she’s a person from the pool . Why does Madam think that she want to hurriedly give back to the people of Jingling City before she left?”
Lady Zhou’s eyes moved . “… … …This was … if you want to make a name for yourself, why don’t you give the Su family a bad impression?”
“During this time, the Emperor had suppressed the Li family, and the Su family is very proud” Li Mu Nian smiled and nodded as admitting it . “I will find someone to discuss now . If it’s too late, I can sleep in the study room . Madam doesn’t have to wait for me . Mu Yunyao wanted to light the fire, so I’ll add two sticks of firewood and pour a ladle of hot oil for her . . . ,”
In the following time, many ordinary people found that the entire Jingling City seemed to be bustling with activity . Mu Yunyao united with other families to donate silver, and the total amount reached one hundred and fifty thousand silver taels .
Li Munian was also a courageous person . He did not use all the silver to buy grain and distribute it to the people . Instead, he used a portion of his silver taels to build water ca.n.a.ls, repair rivers, rebuild the streets, and rebuild the charity bureau . . … All kinds of good deeds causing the entire Jingling City to appear prosperous and flourishing, as though the future is full of infinite vitality .
When the commoners heard the news, they rushed to tell each other, especially Mu Yunyao, who had donated a hundred thousand taels of silver . Previously, they had thought that her Ni Yun Fang and Bu Xian Luo was too eye-catching, but now that they knew she had taken out all the silver she had earned in a year, even the envious peers could not help but raise their thumbs and praise .
Wen Mama and the others stood next to Bu Xian Luo’s window and allowing them to see the entire Su family clearly from here .
In front of the Su family’s residence, many people brought over fruits and vegetables . They quietly placed them at the door and paid their respects before leaving . Some people even tied some hens in baskets and left them at the door .
Liu Mama, who had accompanied Wen Mama, had an unfriendly look in her eyes . “This Miss Biao really knows how to win a good reputation . In terms of reputation alone, I’m afraid that even Eldest Miss will be slightly inferior . ”
Wen Mama turned around and glanced at her . Liu Mama was the person beside the Eldest Lady . Although she couldn’t be considered a confidant, she still had quite a bit of trust in her and had some face in the Su family . “What is the comparison between the two of them?”
The corner of Liu Mama’s mouth rose . “Indeed . It’s really nothing similar! One was a phoenix flying in the sky, while the other was pheasant plowing on the ground, which is different from the root . ”
Wen Mama shut her eyes and didn’t say anything .
Batches after batches of food had been sent into the Jingling City . Many of the surrounding cities had shocked as well . It was unknown just how many people were envious of the people of Jingling City!
Over the past year or so, the entire Jingling City has undergone tremendous changes . The women in Jingling City have learned the best embroidery skills, and they can earn two taels of silver with a slight movement of their needlework . With the support of Ni Yun Fang and Bu Xian Lou, the men have frequent business contacts . Even hard-working men earn more than ten cents a day than other places .
When Mu Yunyao heard that someone had placed something in front of the Su family’s residence, she immediately wrote a sign and hung it up . She hoped that the people would not be so polite, but it didn’t work . The people still kept putting things at her door .
Mu Yunyao thought about it carefully and then asked people to gather the things together and put them in Jin Xiu Garden . She was only waiting for the day when she would give these things back to the people of Jingling City . She will make these things into food so that more people could benefit from it .
After hearing this, ordinary people even more moved . Many people specially delivered the items to Jin Xiu Garden and begged Steward Qin to accept them, saying that they would also contribute to Jingling City’s people . Many merchants also rushed over, the status of merchants was not high, and they were considered unwelcome in the past . After Mu Yunyao had done many good deeds for the people, the people’s att.i.tude towards the merchants had changed a lot . The merchants naturally returned the favor, hoping to earn some good reputation for themselves .
Mu Yunyao didn’t decide on her own accord . She recorded down the person who wanted to donate the silver and pa.s.sed the name list over to Li Munian .
Li Munian was not a pedantic person, and he didn’t mean to look down on the merchants at all . After he knew about it, he even made the government announce a notice to commend the merchants who took the initiative to offer silver . The merchant who went to deliver the silver just a moment ago had almost trampled on the threshold of the government office .
Li Munian received nearly 40 thousand taels of silver again . After making up 200,000 silver, he used some of it to buy food . The other part was written as a notice and was posted on the wall at the government office’s gate, stating that the remaining silver was for future emergency use . The weather in Jingling City was smooth sailing . If he used it now, it would be like icing on the cake of the ordinary people . However, if it was a year of disaster, these silver taels could save countless lives .
In order to prevent the people from thinking over much, he wrote down the items for the silver taels in detail . He also explained what kind of things they would buy in the future, then posted a notice to inform the entire city .
The commoners were not greedy . After hearing this, they think it is very reasonable, and not many people oppose it .
After preparing for nearly half a month, July 20th, a drizzle had fallen in the morning . After the sky had cleared, the breeze was gentle, and the weather was surprisingly fresh . Jingling City’s people took to the streets one after another and concentrated on several streets near Bu Xian Luo .