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The sudden lightning strike caught the runners off guard, pushing and pulling Zhang Yaosheng. They felt as if their eyes were about to be blinded, their hands tingling, and soon they caught a whiff of burnt odor.
When they finally opened their eyes, they saw a large area of scorched earth beneath their feet, and Zhang Yaosheng, with singed hair, looking half-dead and unrecognizable in their hands.
The runners looked at each other in shock.
Lightning striking in the first month of the lunar year? This was unheard of.
Especially a lightning strike hitting a person directly!
Most importantly, it struck only Zhang Yaosheng, with the rest of them left unharmed.
It seems that one cannot get away with wrongdoing; the heavens are always watching!
In the following days, Li Zhongan conducted a thorough investigation of the case, revealing Zhang Yaosheng’s theft and attempt to frame Song Jingyun.
Simultaneously, the news of Zhang Yaosheng being struck by lightning spread like wildfire throughout the entire county.
A lightning strike hitting a person in the first month of the lunar year, especially someone with malicious intentions, stirred up emotions among the populace. Good people felt moved, while wrongdoers grew anxious.
For a time, the entire county enjoyed peace and tranquility, with no further thefts occurring. Even those who were prone to arguments and bickering kept their voices down, fearing any potential slip of the tongue that might reach divine ears.
In summary, it was a period of calm and order.
After the Lantern Festival, as the schools reopened, Song Jingyun and Jiang Mixia moved back into their residence in the county town.
Upon their return, they heard a few things…
The first piece of news was about Zhang Yaosheng being punished, imprisoned, and soon to be sent for labor service.
The second report involved Mrs. Niu leaving the county town with her child, unable to face the disgrace. Upon returning home, due to the incident involving Zhang Yaosheng, she faced abuse from the Zhang family. It was said that before Mrs. Niu returned to the county town, everything went smoothly for Zhang Yaosheng. However, after her return, her son failed to conceive, and Zhang Yaosheng ended up in his current state.
Later on, it was heard that Mrs. Niu, unable to bear the abuse from her in-laws, set their house on fire. With the Zhang family left without support or reliance, their resentment towards Mrs. Niu grew. They expelled Mrs. Niu and Zhang Daya back to her maternal home.
Harboring resentment towards the Zhang family, Mrs. Niu even began to dislike Zhang Daya. She took Zhang Daya to meet a well-to-do woman.
Coincidentally, this woman had lost her daughter and found similarities between Zhang Daya and her deceased child. She was fond of Zhang Daya and purchased her, deciding to raise her as her own daughter instead of finding another buyer. She even changed Zhang Daya’s name.
Upon learning about her daughter’s improved circumstances, Mrs. Niu now harbored intentions about bringing Zhang Daya back, hoping to establish a familial relationship with the woman.
The woman who purchased Zhang Daya was accustomed to such business dealings and had a tough and assertive personality from her years of work. After scolding Mrs. Niu harshly and subjecting her to a beating, she declared that any future misbehavior would result in further punishment.
Fearing the woman’s stern demeanor, Mrs. Niu did not dare to return.
The businesswoman, known for her various enterprises, eventually left the area, making it difficult for Mrs. Niu to locate her. Mrs. Niu occasionally caused trouble at the Zhang family’s home.
However, these events were just the beginning of the story.
Many people felt that both Zhang Yaosheng and Mrs. Niu deserved their fates and gradually began to forget about them.
As the new year arrived and spring blossomed, the days grew warmer. With the arrival of March, birds sang, and grass grew lush, painting a picture of the beautiful spring.
Li Zhongan’s visits to Song Jingyun’s home became more frequent, discussing workshop matters with Jiang Mixia.
Before and after the New Year, several villages surrounding the county town had started various workshops: noodle factories in Qijia Village, brick kilns in Lujiazhuang, and weaving workshops in Gejia Village…
The workshops gradually flourished, yielding considerable profits. These ventures operated under a cooperative shareholding system, with profits distributed among the households in the villages.
As a result, every household worked diligently and wholeheartedly, fostering a strong work ethic that enhanced the success of the workshops.
This positive cycle led to not only current prosperity but also the promise of future earnings for the villages. Each village attributed their success to Li Zhongan, with representatives from each village visiting the county office to express their gratitude by presenting goods from their workshops.
Li Zhongan, upon receiving these items, promptly forwarded them to Jiang Mixia without alteration. This gesture was a testament to the fact that the prosperity stemmed from Jiang Mixia’s efforts, not Li Zhongan’s position as the county magistrate.
Upon receiving these goods, Jiang Mixia accepted them graciously without hesitation. With an abundance of noodles, some were shared within the village, distributed to neighbors in the county town, and the surplus was donated to the Wende Academy.
Initially hesitant, the Wende Academy eventually accepted the goods upon learning they were heartfelt gifts from the villagers. Master Yue Shanchang readily received these items, instructing the academy’s kitchen to prepare pork stew with noodles, ensuring that the students enjoyed a hearty meal to encourage diligent study, aspiring to serve the people and prosper upon achieving academic success.
After distributing the noodles, Jiang Mixia moved on to distribute bolts of fabric. Following a similar arrangement, a portion of the fabric was returned to the county office.
Li Zhongan understood the gesture and stored the fabric for potential distribution to disaster victims during harsh winter conditions.
With the fabric matter settled, the next issue was bricks… No, actually, blue bricks.
After careful consideration, Jiang Mixia found no suitable use for the blue bricks and decided to donate them to nearby temples to aid in staircase construction for those ascending the mountain.
After busy months of preparations, the peonies planted in the courtyard blossomed. The large and vibrant flowers bloomed in clusters, resembling colorful clouds, creating a breathtaking sight.
Jiang Mixia had some petals harvested and dried to create fragrant sachets, hung by the bedsides to fill the room with the rich scent of peonies, ensuring a pleasant sleep.
Zhucui, observing Jiang Mixia’s fondness for peonies, decided to experiment with making peony cakes.
These cakes had a filling made of peony petals mixed with red beans, resulting in a soft, fragrant, and sweet delicacy that Jiang Mixia found delightful.
Song Jingyun also enjoyed them immensely, often indulging in four or five peony cakes whenever they were available.
Encouraged by the success of the peony cakes, Zhucui proceeded to experiment with rose fillings, lotus flower fillings, and more, each with delightful flavors that pleased both Song Jingyun and Jiang Mixia.
As the lotus flowers reached their peak bloom, not only were lotus flower cakes enjoyed but also lotus flower pastries. During this time, when the lotus flowers were in full splendor, Song Jingyun and Jiang Mixia began preparing to embark on a journey.