The Whole Village Thrives After Adopting a Lucky Girl

After offering her thanks, Yingbao asked, “Are you comfortable living here, Mrs. An?”

“Very much so,” An replied with a warm smile. “My son and I are at ease here. Last month, the villagers built a mushroom shed for us and taught me how to grow fungus.”

Yingbao, relieved, talked to her about Chu Man.

With a sigh, An said, “That Chu Man is a bit troublesome. She often comes here to disturb my son. I can’t speak frankly about it, but she’s getting increasingly unreasonable, even asking my son to teach her to read and write.”

“Despite my son’s constant rejection, she seems deaf to him, persistently sending him sachets and fans. Once, she even sent a handkerchief embroidered with a pair of lotus flowers.”

With a helpless tone, An continued, “The Clan Leader and her in-laws have warned her, but not long after, she repeats her antics. She even claims that her husband is my son’s good friend, and that she’s caring for our family on his behalf…”

Living here as a guest with her son, it’s difficult to argue with others, let alone incite gossip. But this woman is like a pesky plaster that won’t let go—it’s truly infuriating.

The more Yingbao heard about Chu Man, the more she felt that the woman wasn’t right in the head—a complete headache.

While she could be considered stupid, she knew how to benefit herself. She used her own wealth to manipulate the Chen Family and also used her previous husband’s identity to control others.

Yingbao estimated that Chu Man was deliberately provoking the Chen Family this way to express her discontent towards them and the Feng Family.

But while she herself courted disaster, she couldn’t drag innocent people into it.

Yingbao contemplated for a moment, strolled around the school grounds, and then excused herself to leave.

Upon returning, she reported to her father, requesting that a wooden fence be built around the schoolyard, along with a guardhouse.

Then, they could assign someone to guard the entrance to prevent idle people from disrupting the students.

Jiang Sanlang fully agreed with his daughter’s suggestion and promptly arranged for its implementation.

In less than two days, the schoolyard was encased in a sturdy wooden fence. Students planted flowers and Gourd Vines along the edge of the fence, making it both attractive and safe.

Afterwards, Jiang Sanlang relocated the martial training ground to the vicinity of the school and planned to build a three-room brick house as a classroom, naming it the Martial Arts Hall.

Of course, this matter still needed to be discussed with the Clan Leader and village elders. The funds for building the Martial Arts Hall had to be pooled together.

According to Yingbao’s vision, the school in Dongchen Village should be expanded. In the future, it would not only have a Literature Hall but also a Martial Arts Hall.

Following their academic lessons, students could take martial arts classes, exercising their bodies to increase their physical strength.

In their spare time, students who weren’t interested in martial arts could plant some vegetables in the backyard, water the fruit trees, catch bugs, and identify herbs.

The plaque of the Ai Chang Women’s Medical Academy was still there. Yingbao planned to rebuild a female medical academy after the busy farming period, specifically recruiting girls from the village to learn medical skills.

She didn’t expect all of them to become female doctors, but knowing some medical knowledge was necessary.

Since ancient times, pregnancy and childbirth have been extremely dangerous, especially for the mothers. Many die due to difficult labor or postpartum diseases.

Moreover, due to improper care, there are countless cases of infant mortality.

Therefore, the continuation of the Ai Chang Women’s Medical Academy was necessary.

Yingbao was now wealthy—building a few schools was a trivial matter.

However, to emphasize the importance of female education, she had to receive donations and engrave a stele with the names of the donors at the village entrance, showcasing their good deeds.

She shared her plans with her father, and Jiang Sanlang also fully agreed.

Their family and the villagers didn’t lack money now, but they did lack prestige.

Having prestige meant that when visiting others, they would be seated at the head of the table—a highly respectable honor.

Especially this year, a significant number of people flocked to Dongchen Village, making the village lively inside and out.

Some people who temporarily didn’t find work set up small stalls along the road outside the village, selling home-made items like baskets, straw sandals, rain capes, and bamboo hats.

Many people from surrounding villages also came to join the bustling scene, bringing their pickles, chicken eggs, and other things to sell at the South Slope.

In recent days, the situation had become even more chaotic. Stalls filled the roadside, selling vegetables, tofu, pork, and even peddling odds and ends. The gathering of numerous merchants seemingly turned the place into a small market.

Since the South Slope was now inhabited by more than a hundred households, all of whom had money, during the busy farming season, the number of people buying meat and tofu was particularly high.

The young girls from the neighboring villages, under the pretext of shopping and buying items, secretly noted the young men of the East Village, especially those of the same age with handsome features.

Some people also walked around the village, their eyes gleaming green at the sight of rows of green-brick and tile houses.

In the past few days, Yingbao helped her family buy vegetables and meat. She met many small traders and even encountered a tax collector named Xiang Zhi.

Tax collectors were omnipresent—they were everywhere. She didn’t know if the tax he collected went into his own pocket or into the state treasury.

However, Xiang Zhi was still fairly courteous to the people of the East Village. Even if some of them also set up small stalls there, he didn’t collect their taxes.

Like Wang Erya’s aunt, who set up a fruit stall at the corner, she sold peaches, apricots, and melons from her garden. Her business was quite good.

Most of those who bought her fruits were outsiders, because every household in the village grew fruits and they didn’t find her peaches, apricots, and melons strange.

Yingbao also saw Leng, Erni’s mother, set up a small stall there, selling sugar water boiled with apricots and peaches.

These sour-sweet fruit drinks were well-received, especially by the young women from the neighboring villages, each of whom would eat a bowl each time they came.

When Leng saw Yingbao, she insisted on giving her a bowl to taste and wouldn’t let her leave without trying it.

Left with no choice, Yingbao sat at the small table and ate a bowl of fruit drink made from boiled peaches and apricots.

At this time, Chen Zhao arrived with his younger brother Xubao to stroll around the stalls. Seeing Yingbao, he ran over immediately, “Yingbao, so you’re here.”

Yingbao nodded. Seeing Xubao staring at the fruit in her bowl, she pushed half of it to him.

Xubao didn’t mind and began spooning the fruit into his mouth.

Chen Zhao pulled Yingbao aside and whispered, “I have to tell you something important. You must pay close attention.”

Clueless, Yingbao asked, “What is it?”

“Chen Erya’s father is back. He visited our house a few days ago and said a lot to my grandfather. He even threatened to make your family pay,” Chen Zhao whispered. “I overheard it. My grandfather advised him not to be impulsive.”

Yingbao asked in a concerned tone, “Did he say anything else?”

Chen Zhao whispered in her ear, “He said he wants to take Big Sister to the home of a noble person. My grandfather didn’t agree.”

Chen Wan was thirteen years old this year and was in her prime of maidenhood. She had an uncanny resemblance to Chen Changping, possessing an ethereal beauty.

Yingbao asked, “Did he mention who this noble person is?”

“No,” Chen Zhao said cynically, “He’s got a good heart? I think he’s up to no good. He probably wants to trick my big sister away out of revenge.”