Chapter 638: Fulu Village

“There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s actually a good way to get some exercise,” Wang Jinhe said gently, choosing not to criticize the tutors for giving the children such a heavy workload.

Su Yu looked at Wang Jinhe and said, “I thought you would be upset, especially since the children have only been at the academy for a few days and are already so tired.”

“Regardless of whether it’s an adult or a child, everyone faces different pressures, and they should only take on tasks that match their abilities. You know the situation with Xiao Bao and Xiao Zhi better than anyone,” Su Yu said seriously, looking at Wang Jinhe.

She knew that these matters were likely orchestrated by Su Yu.

“Darling, you make me feel so unaccomplished. You seem to figure everything out,” Su Yu said.

“It’s easy to figure out once you give it a little thought,” Wang Jinhe replied.

Su Yu laughed heartily.

“By the way, tomorrow, you should have Yuan Bao and Uncle go to the village to finalize the land deed. Chang San said that everything needs to be prepared before they can start construction.”

“There’s no rush for that. Building a granary is not the same as building a house,” Su Yu remarked. Although a granary may look simple, constructing one is much more challenging than building a house.

“You’re right.”

The next day, after dropping off the children at the academy, Wang Jinhe and Su Yu went about their own business. Meanwhile, Yuan Bao had already driven with Xie Kui to the village. On the way, Xie Kui kept chatting with Yuan Bao, discussing the situation in the village.

“The place we’re heading to is called Fulu Village. It used to be a very prosperous village, but it has declined since an incident a few years ago. It’s only started to recover in the past year,” Xie Kui explained to Yuan Bao, who listened quietly and occasionally asked about the situation in Fulu Village.

“Uncle, what happened in Fulu Village back then?” Yuan Bao inquired.

“It’s a tale of injustice,” Xie Kui sighed heavily and began to recount the events of the past to Yuan Bao.

It turned out that the son of the Village Chief in Fulu Village had fallen in love with a wealthy girl. They were deeply in love, but the girl’s family looked down on the young man for being of humble origins and severely injured him. He has been bedridden ever since. To make matters worse, the girl was married off to someone else, and upon learning about the fate of her beloved, combined with the fact that she was forced into a marriage she didn’t want, she tragically took her own life on her wedding night.

After that, Fulu Village became the target of the girl’s family and her new in-laws, who held a grudge against the village. They oppressed Fulu Village, and as a result, the village’s fortunes gradually declined.

“Why didn’t they seek help from the authorities?” Yuan Bao asked, puzzled.

“They did, but at the time, the county magistrate was different from the current one. The magistrate was bribed by the families involved, so even if they sought justice, it was of no use. The other families had the protection of officials, while the Village Chief of Fulu Village was just an ordinary person. They had no way to fight back and had to endure the injustice,” Xie Kui explained.

Yuan Bao nodded in understanding, surprised by the turn of events. “I see.”

As they arrived at Fulu Village, Yuan Bao immediately sensed that the villagers seemed numb, resembling lifeless shells. Seeing the villagers in this state, Xie Kui felt a pang of compassion.

“It’s a tragedy. In fact, the son of the old Fu family was a very good person,” Xie Kui lamented, regretting that the young man had been reduced to a disabled state.

Yuan Bao, intrigued, decided to go and take a look. If the person indeed had talent, he planned to invite them to work for the Wang family, and perhaps find a capable general for Madam Wang.

Soon, the two arrived at the house of the Village Chief of Fulu Village.

“Old Xie, you’re here,” the Village Chief greeted.

“Yes, this is a representative from the County Princess’s family,” Xie Kui introduced Yuan Bao.

The Village Chief nodded at Yuan Bao and said, “I’ve already discussed the matter with Old Xie yesterday. I’m even willing to forgo the payment and offer the land to the County Princess for free. I only ask for the County Princess’s protection for our villagers. It was trouble caused by our family, and they shouldn’t have to suffer for it.”

Yuan Bao felt a sense of goodwill towards the Village Chief. “I will definitely discuss this matter with the County Princess when I return. You can rest assured. Your area should be suitable for growing cotton. Have you received the seeds?”

“The Village Chief shook his head. There are people guarding the village, and we can’t leave. We rely on our own crops for food, but this is not a sustainable solution. What about the children in the village? How will they marry in the future without any income?” The ability to feed themselves was one thing, but without income, how would the children in the village fare? How would they marry in the future?

Yuan Bao furrowed his brow. “There’s still such a situation? If we come today, will the other party come to cause trouble?”

The Village Chief nodded with difficulty. “I suspect they are on their way.”

The Village Chief harbored deep hatred towards the two families. If it weren’t for them, how could his son have ended up like this? How could the village have deteriorated like this? It was all their fault.

As for the girl his son had liked, his feelings were quite complex. However, now that she was no longer alive, even if he had other thoughts, he shouldn’t express them at this time.

Yuan Bao remained silent, waiting quietly. He detested those who bullied the weak.

Sure enough, after about half an hour, a group of people entered. “You have the audacity to defy us and associate with the people of Fulu Village,” they said.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Bao sneered disdainfully. “Just a mere merchant, yet you dare to be so audacious. You really have some nerve.”

Upon hearing Yuan Bao’s words, the other party sneered and arrogantly retorted, “You know what to do, so just get lost.”

Even in the capital, the scions of noble families would show him deference, so it was the first time he had been told to get lost. Yuan Bao found the experience quite refreshing.

“I won’t leave. How about you show me how?” Yuan Bao said, and then proceeded to physically remove the intruders.

The Village Chief watched in astonishment as Yuan Bao took action. He was impressed by the young man’s prowess.

“Will this cause trouble for you?” the Village Chief asked, concerned that they might bring trouble upon themselves for standing up to the bullies who had targeted their village.

“Don’t worry, Old Fu. Yuan Bao is a capable person by the side of the County Princess. Nothing will happen,” Xie Kui reassured the Village Chief.

The Village Chief felt a sense of relief, and after Yuan Bao had dealt with the intruders, he asked the Village Chief for paper and pen to write a letter, which he then sent out with a messenger hawk to spread the news.

Upon receiving Yuan Bao’s message, Su Yu furrowed his brow slightly. “Yuan Xu, go and invite the county magistrate and the Governor to come over. We need to go somewhere.”

“Yes, young master.” The county magistrate and the Governor arrived promptly and accompanied Su Yu to Fulu Village.

Upon learning that the land in Fulu Village had been sold to the County Princess, the heads of the two families intended to disrupt the proceedings before they were finalized. With the County Princess as a backer, they would have to think twice about their actions in the future.

They brought a large group of people to Fulu Village and headed straight to the Village Chief’s house. When the villagers of Fulu Village learned of this, they came out in droves to show their support.

“What do you want? If you come to the Village Chief’s house again, we’ll fight you,” they declared.

“That’s right. Haven’t you caused us enough harm already? How dare you come looking for trouble,” they added.