CHAPTER 177: CHAPTER 177: BENEFITING THE PEOPLE

The year unfolds in four seasons: spring arrives in the morning glow, in the mists, on the hillsides, and across the fields.

As the climate warmed, spring was at its most beautiful.

A carriage traveled along an official road in the countryside.

Su Li lifted the curtain, observing the wheat shoots, previously bound by snow, now stretching taller joint by joint, an expanse of vibrant green that looked fresh and clean, pleasing to the eye.

Upon reaching the manor, the steward came out to greet them.

"Miss, you’ve arrived."

Su Li nodded and said, "Butler Jiang, have you received the seeds? It’s spring now, we can begin sowing and cultivating the seedlings."

"We’ve received them. Yesterday, everyone re-tilled the land, and we can start planting immediately."

Su Li nodded, following the steward outside.

In the fields, the farmers, seeing them approach, paused their work and greeted them with smiles.

Su Li smiled and responded to each in turn.

Behind them, the farmers’ laughter and whispers could still be heard, all praising the beauty and kindness of their young mistress.

Su Li noticed rows of trees on the athletic field, different from the bare or newly budding trees nearby; these were lush and green.

"What kind of trees are these? They’re growing so well."

The steward smiled and replied, "These are mulberry trees, Miss. Look, this entire area is filled with them. They’ve already borne fruit; in another two months, they’ll be ready to eat. We’ll send some to the manor for you then, or you can come pick them yourself."

The distant village faintly appears, smoke curls gently from the hamlet. Each tiny seed was gathering strength, preparing to break through the soil.

Su Li gazed at the scenery, feeling utterly refreshed.

After half a day of touring, her legs grew somewhat tired, so she returned to the courtyard.

Su Li smiled and said, "Since everyone has gotten the hang of it, I’m at ease. I’ll visit again in a while. If anything comes up or if you don’t understand something, you can come find me at the manor."

"Miss has arranged everything so meticulously. Those who plant the medicinal herbs were all taught by your own hand, Miss. Please rest assured."

Su Li and her entourage drank some tea and rested enough before boarding the carriage they came in.

"Miss, are we returning to the manor now?" the coachman’s voice came from outside the curtain.

"To Apricot Blossom Clinic."

"Yes, Miss."

Upon their arrival at Apricot Blossom Clinic, the common folk curiously watched her, veiled by a wide-brimmed hat.

They had long heard that the proprietor behind this Apricot Blossom Clinic was County Princess Changning.

The County Princess’s reputation for virtue was known to all.

But this County Princess was very mysterious, almost always veiling her face when she went out, which only piqued people’s curiosity further.

Doctor Changchun welcomed them into the back hall and served tea.

Su Li said, "Please don’t trouble yourself, I’ll only sit for a moment. You should sit down as well, old sir."

Doctor Changchun nodded, taking a seat beside her.

"Have the Merchant Guild members been causing trouble recently?" Su Li asked softly.

Doctor Changchun shook his head, his face beaming with joy. "No, ever since I visited those few patients and told them that the prescriptions were from your formula, Miss, they all know you’re the proprietor, and they haven’t dared to stir up trouble since."

Su Li nodded. "That’s good. I see there are even more patients outside than before, and quite a few are richly dressed, which shows that Apricot Blossom Clinic’s reputation has spread."

"This is all thanks to you, Miss. Now, we no longer face difficulties when acquiring medicinal herbs. Our daily income also allows us to provide free medicine to more impoverished households." Doctor Changchun’s cloudy eyes gleamed with joy.

Su Li felt reassured. "Our medicinal herbs have already started being planted. In the future, the cost of purchasing medicine will be further reduced. Recruit more staff; you’re too exhausted working alone."

"Yes, I will obey your wishes, Miss."

Su Li added, "Oh, and about providing free consultations and medicine to the poor, while it’s a good deed, some might try to take advantage. To ensure free medicine goes to those truly in need, we must have people visit their homes to understand their situation and register them. This way, we can prevent such incidents. So, we really are short-handed right now."

"Miss, you’ve thought of everything. I’ll immediately spread the word about recruiting workers."

Doctor Changchun’s admiration for Su Li grew even deeper upon hearing her words.

Their current method indeed made it easy for people to exploit loopholes, and continuing this way indefinitely would not work.

Registering the truly impoverished households would not only prevent such abuse but also allow them to periodically check on these individuals’ health conditions.

Many poor households consisted of only one person living alone; if they fell seriously ill and didn’t show up for a long time, they could be discovered promptly, and the clinic could send staff to check on them.

Su Li put down her teacup and said, "By the way, old sir, did you hear about the disfigurement case involving Yu’s Cosmetics Shop a few days ago?"

"Not only did I hear about it, but this old man also went to treat those people. I don’t know what was added to that cosmetic powder, but those ladies’ faces were covered in red rashes, painfully itchy. After a few days of conditioning, the rashes have subsided, but the areas that were scratched badly might scar. So, those ladies are still furious and are threatening to have Yu’s proprietor imprisoned for life," Doctor Changchun sighed.

Su Li paused, then remembered that Yu’s rouge and powder were not cheap.

Those who could afford them were government officials’ wives and daughters with some family background.

They valued their appearance immensely; now that their faces might be scarred, they would surely harbor a deep hatred for Yu’s proprietor and wouldn’t let up easily.

Su Li sighed. "They truly brought this upon themselves."

Doctor Changchun also lamented, "Indeed. It’s just pitiful for Lord Yu. For his daughter’s sake, he’s been circling the doors of these families all day, speaking humbly, enduring countless glares. This old man encountered him several times while making house calls; he even kowtowed and apologized for his daughter, but it was no use."

"The other party said they will not relent unless their faces are restored to their original state."

Su Li knew Doctor Changchun was deliberately telling her this.

Su Li curved her lips into a smile and said, "Bring me paper and brush."

Doctor Changchun’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected the young mistress to actually be willing to intervene.

He quickly brought paper and brush.

Su Li wrote a prescription and handed it to him. "Make this into a cream and apply it to the face daily. In half a month at most, not only will the scars disappear, but the skin will become smoother than new."

Doctor Changchun accepted the prescription, expressing his thanks profusely.

"There’s no need for thanks. I’m merely pitying Lord Yu, who at his age still has to run around for his daughter. I’ve been out for quite a while, so I’ll return to the manor now. If anything comes up, send someone to the Minister’s Manor." Su Li finished speaking and left with Si Qin.

"This is truly benefiting the people, Miss is truly benevolent! Worthy of being Minister Su’s daughter!" Doctor Changchun exclaimed, watching Su Li’s retreating figure.

In the carriage, Si Qin hesitated, wanting to speak.

Su Li smiled. "Just say what’s on your mind, don’t keep it bottled up."

"Miss, Yu Banxia has targeted you so much, why help her?"

"As I said, I’m not helping her, I’m pitying Lord Yu. This private salt case went so smoothly largely thanks to some evidence Lord Yu provided; consider it returning a favor to him."

Lord Yu was a good father and a good official.

This time, Jun Hui wanted to shift the blame to Lord Yu, and coupled with this recent imprisonment, even if Yu Banxia was previously oblivious, she should finally see the light now.

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