Chapter 467: The Overturned Cart

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Some of the people who came to help were soldiers following Tang Jinghong. These soldiers came from extremely poor backgrounds, and Tang Jinghong had specifically asked them to go out and earn some money to support their families.

There wasn’t much going on in the military camp at the moment, so taking away dozens of people wouldn’t be a problem.

Upon hearing Chu Qingzhi’s instructions, they immediately moved quickly to tie up Tao Yuansong and the group of thugs. They bound them back-to-back in pairs and left them in the scorching sun.

The sun in late August was still intense, and as soon as they were exposed to it, Tao Yuansong felt like he was being cooked. He was wearing dark-colored robes today, and dark clothing absorbed heat quickly. Soon, he was drenched in sweat.

Tao Yuansong roared, “Chu Qingzhi, are you trying to roast me alive?”

Chu Qingzhi continued to focus on her painting and didn’t even lift her head. “Don’t worry, I’m watching over you. You won’t die even if you want to.”

Tao Yuansong’s face turned ugly, and he said viciously, “You better release me right now, or my uncle won’t spare you.”

Chu Qingzhi ignored Tao Yuansong. She knew it was a waste of time to talk to someone like him.

“I’m so hot, release me, Chu Qingzhi, have someone let me go!”

“I’m about to pass out from the heat, I can’t take it anymore.”

“Chu Qingzhi, if you have the ability, tie me up for the rest of my life. Otherwise, I’ll ruin your food festival.”

Tao Yuansong continued to shout and threaten, but no one paid any attention to him. After he had shouted himself hoarse, the Guangxi Garden became quiet again, and by that time, it was already noon.

Lunch was sponsored by the nearby Hongyan Restaurant.

Shopkeeper Qian and his assistants brought over plates of freshly cooked rice dishes. “It’s time for lunch, everyone, come and eat…”

There were about twenty to thirty people who had come to help, and each of them had a generous portion of food.

Chu Qingzhi had them set up tables and chairs in the shade of trees. “It’s cooler in the shade with a nice breeze. Let’s eat outside.”

Not far from where they were eating, Tao Yuansong and the others were still bound.

Tao Yuansong smelled the delicious aroma of the food, and his mouth watered. He watched as everyone held their bowls, and his eyes turned green with envy. He was so hungry!

“Chu Qingzhi, release me, I want to go back and eat.”

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

“Let me go right now, or I’ll definitely file a complaint. You won’t enjoy peace after that.”

Tao Yuansong started to rant and rave in frustration again.

In all his years, he had never been tormented like this before. He was hot, thirsty, and hungry. He really wanted to eat something!

However, he could only watch as Chu Qingzhi and the others enjoyed their lunch, and he didn’t even have a sip of water.

After lunch, Chu Qingzhi and her group took a short break and continued to work in the afternoon.

The sun was at its hottest in the afternoon, and Tao Yuansong felt like he was being roasted alive. He was drenched in sweat, and his clothes were sticking to his skin like he had been pulled out of water.

“Chu Qingzhi, what do I have to do to make you let me go?”

“I want to go back to eat, I’m so hungry.”

“I can’t take it anymore, I’m so hot. Let me go, let me go…”

Tao Yuansong shouted weakly.

While Chu Qingzhi was painting, she raised her head and glanced at them. She was very satisfied with this result.

In the Chu Village.

A villager hurriedly ran to the old house, “Ruyue, something has happened.”

Shen Ruyue’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly came out of the accounting room. “What happened?”

The villager spoke rapidly, “The cart carrying fruits overturned, and the fruits are scattered everywhere. One person is injured, bleeding heavily.”

“Let’s go take a look,” Shen Ruyue called for Chu Qingning, who had a medical kit strapped to her back, and they hurried over.

These were villagers whom Shen Ruyue had arranged to collect the fruits. There were three of them in total. On their way back, one person was leading the horse-drawn cart at the front, while the other two were walking on the left and right, guarding the cart.

For some unknown reason, the cart’s cargo suddenly slipped off, and it happened to fall onto the person on the left.

The cart was loaded with over four hundred catties of apples, and when combined with the weight of the cargo box itself, it had all landed on the man.

By the time Shen Ruyue arrived, the villagers had already managed to lift the cargo box and clear away the apples. However, the injured person was still lying on the ground, with his clothes soaked in blood.

Chu Qingning put down her medical kit and checked the villager’s pulse before examining his body. “His lower back is broken, and his left elbow has a minor dislocation. I can’t handle this situation. Get a few people to carry him to the medical hall, and I’ll go and fetch my fifth sister immediately.”

Rescuing the injured was the priority, and everyone quickly followed Chu Qingning’s instructions.

Upon hearing about the accident at home, Chu Qingzhi rushed back.

After a round of treatment, the villager’s bones were put back in place, and his arm was set properly. With a few months of proper care, he would recover completely.

Chu Qingzhi came outside and reassured the villager’s family, “Don’t worry, we will take full responsibility for his injuries. In addition, I’ll provide fifty taels of silver as compensation. What do you think?”

The villager’s wife nodded. “Let’s do as you say.”

Chu Qingzhi then wrote a compensation agreement, and with the villagers as witnesses, the villager’s wife stamped it with her handprint. She was given fifty taels of silver as compensation, and everyone was happy with the resolution.

Chu Qingzhi walked over to the location where the cart had overturned and carefully examined the road.

During this period, as their business had been booming, they had been transporting goods back and forth frequently. The road had been damaged, with potholes everywhere. Therefore, the overturning of the cart wasn’t surprising. If it rained, the road would become even more difficult to traverse. Considering the ongoing business, the road needed to be repaired.

Chu Qingzhi walked to the village chief’s house. The village chief had just returned home. “Village chief, I have something to discuss with you.”

The village chief looked at his village lucky star and beamed. “Tell me. As long as it’s reasonable, I’ll agree.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “I want to repair the road from the village to the county town.”

“Repair the road?” The village chief stroked his beard. “What kind of road are you thinking of?”

If they were going to do it, they should do it properly. “Pave it with bluestone slabs, make it ten feet wide.”

The village chief became serious. “That’s going to cost a lot of money.”

“Money isn’t a problem,” Chu Qingzhi thought to herself. Repairing the road would make it more convenient for her family to conduct their business. “Our family will provide the funds, and the villagers can contribute their labor. How does that sound?”

Repairing the road would not only benefit her family but also the entire village.

Under these conditions, the village chief had no reason to refuse. “The road is also used by neighboring villages, not just ours. I’ll mobilize them, and we can all work together.”

“In that case, I’ll leave this matter to you, Village Chief.”

“No problem. Repairing the road is a good thing for everyone.”

The village chief was efficient, and by the afternoon, he had reached an agreement with the neighboring villages. Each village would contribute thirty workers, and together, they would repair the road.

There was a specialized stone workshop that sold bluestone slabs. They bought the slabs directly, and each slab was priced at three copper coins. Each bluestone slab was three feet long and one and a half feet wide.

As they worked, the villagers chatted.

“This road hasn’t been repaired in over twenty years.”

“That’s true, the last time it was repaired, it was done by that family in Zhou Village that became wealthy.”

“It’s good to be wealthy. Now that Chu Rong’s family has made a fortune, they are also repairing the road.”

“Don’t think about things that don’t concern us. Let’s focus on our own work..”

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