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The yard was somewhat dilapidated, with some cabbages and radishes planted on both sides, their leaves turning yellowish and not looking very healthy.

At the entrance, an old man and woman each sat on one side, holding walking sticks, their faces covered with wrinkles, and their shaky postures indicating their difficulty in moving.

At their feet, a little boy with clothes full of patches, his face and hands covered in dirt, was playing with mud. At the age of three or four, he was oblivious to the hardships of life, his eyes innocent and pure.

Wang Yuanping noticed the boy’s shoes were torn, and his clothes were just layers of thin fabric. In December’s weather, when everyone else wore cotton- padded clothes, the boy’s thin attire looked particularly cold.

A frail girl around eight or nine years old came out of the house, dressed even more poorly than the boy, her hair somewhat messy, her hands red from the cold, carrying a dark bowl. She approached the old man, “Grandpa, I’ve cooked some porridge for you. Please have some.”

The old man gently pushed the bowl away, “Xiaoyun, you drink it. You’re still young and need to grow. Grandpa isn’t hungry.”

The girl then offered the bowl to the old woman, “Grandma, then you have it?”

The old woman also shook her head, “Grandma isn’t hungry either. You drink it. If you fall ill, there will be no one to take care of us.”

The girl didn’t drink it, instead offering it to the little boy, “Brother, you drink it. Weren’t you saying you were hungry?”

The boy, not understanding much, started eating.

Wang Yuanping approached them, “Young lady, where are your parents?”

Xiaoyun was startled, immediately standing in front of the boy, wary, “Who are you? What do you want with my parents? I don’t know anything, don’t ask me.”

The once peaceful and loving girl suddenly became defensive, as if triggered by something.

The old man and woman also became aggressive, using their walking sticks to approach Wang Yuanping, “Get out, get out!”

Previously, someone had intruded into their home wanting to sell the siblings, hence the family’s strong aversion to strangers.

Wang Yuanping used a soothing tone, “Don’t be afraid. My name is Wang Yuanping. I work for Chu Qingzhi. We learned that Xu Dongguang was taken by the officials, and I’ve come to help.”

Upon hearing this, Xiaoyun immediately burst into tears, asking while wiping her eyes, “Did Sister Qingzhi really send you to help us?”

The old man and woman, hearing this, couldn’t help but tear up as well.

Wang Yuanping nodded, “It’s true. As long as the situation is real, I’ll immediately go to the county town to bring your father back.”

Xiaoyun immediately knelt in front of Wang Yuanping, pleading, “Uncle, please save my father. Next time, we’ll definitely pay the full land tax.”

Wang Yuanping helped Xiaoyun up, “First, answer a few questions truthfully, or I won’t be able to help.”

Xiaoyun nodded eagerly, “I’ll answer honestly.”

Wang Yuanping asked, “Why didn’t your family pay the full land tax?”

With teary eyes, Xiaoyun explained, “Actually, our crops were okay even after the drought. But during the autumn harvest, my mother fell ill. My father didn’t want to lose her, so he sold the crops to pay for her treatment. When it was time to pay the land tax, he didn’t have enough crops and couldn’t borrow money, so the officials took him away.”

A man of principle and love, Wang Yuanping asked further, “And your mother?”

Xiaoyun cried again, “After my father was taken, my mother blamed herself, crying every day until she went completely blind. Now she’s bedridden and can’t do anything.”

Seeing the young girl’s plight was heart-wrenching. Wang Yuanping couldn’t help but feel sympathy, “I understand your family’s situation. Now, I’ll check on a few other families. Then, we’ll bring everyone back together. If everything goes as planned, you should be able to see your father this afternoon.”

Xiaoyun immediately bowed deeply in gratitude, “Thank you, uncle. Thank you, Sister Qingzhi.”

“Get up; it’s all right now,” Wang Yuanping consoled her and took out a coin from his pocket that Du Qiaolan had given him for emergencies, placing it in Xiaoyun’s hand, “Go buy something to eat.”

Seeing the silver coin, Xiaoyun broke down crying, “Uncle, I will never forget your kindness for as long as I live.”

After comforting her a bit more, Wang Yuanping quickly moved on to the next household.

The family’s situation was dire without the head of the household, emphasizing the urgency of bringing them back as soon as possible.

After visiting five families whose heads had been detained, Wang Yuanping immediately headed to the county town. Following some negotiations and after paying off the land taxes, the five individuals were released.

At the entrance of the county office, Wang Yuanping said to the five, “Follow me to thank Marquise and also to collect some seeds for your homes. If you plant them now, it’s not too late.”

The five, with tears in their eyes, responded, “Yes, young master.”

Wang Yuanping led them to Chu’s village and then to the ancestral hall’s entrance.

Just as Chu Qingzhi finished her fourth painting, she heard Wang Yuanping’s voice and came outside, “Yuanping, have you explained everything to them?”

“Everything that needed to be said has been said.”

“Then later, you’ll have Yuanlin check if there are suitable wastelands around their villages. Hire some people with a wage of one silver coin for a day’s work to help clear the land and plant the crops. After planting, if they wish to find work, they can help with building houses or the brick kiln, where there’s a great need for labor.”

“Yes.”

The five, moved by Chu Qingzhi’swords, knelt and kowtowed, “Thank you, Marquise. Thank you, Miss Chu.”

“I’ve done what I can. From now on, it’s up to you.”

“We will work hard and not let Miss Chu down.”

“Stand up. Go about your business. The New Year is approaching; try to earn more money to buy New Year goods.”

“Yes.”

Watching the figures receding into the distance, Chu Qingning remarked, “If you had become Marquise earlier, people’s lives would have been even better.”

“It’s not bad now.”

“That’s true.”

Chu Xuhua joined them, “Fourth sister, fifth sister, the bacon is ready, and the sausages are all hung up.”

“Let’s go have a look.”

In the old house’s yard, everyone was busy cleaning and washing the various tools…

Chu Qingzhi walked towards the backyard. The salted sausages were hung in the stables, and the sweet sausages were in the cattle sheds. Both sheds were full of sausages, giving off a somewhat extravagant vibe.

She checked a few at random; the sausages were well stuffed with a mix of fat and lean meat. Those hung in the morning were already slightly dry on the surface, while those hung more recently were still shiny. Close up, there was a fragrant aroma of yellow wine, and the meat was tightly packed without gaps, indicating a job well done.

She then visited the room where large pots neatly contained the cured meat, covered with oil paper to prevent dust and other particles from falling in.

Chu Qingzhi lifted the paper slightly at one pot to take a sniff, which was enough to tell her about the curing process.

After inspecting all the pots and finding no issues, she went out to the courtyard.

“Thank you all for your help. In six days, we’ll need to butcher pigs again. I hope you can lend a hand once more.” Chu Qingzhi gave everyone a piece of meat weighing two pounds as thanks.

Normally, such help wouldn’t require payment, so giving some meat was just right.

Everyone happily agreed, “We’ll definitely come.”