Farmer girl swaps husbands: buys a sickly villain and pampers him

Chapter 164 Plaque
There were knocking and banging sounds coming from outside; the sounds indicated that government officials were out in force.

The people of Taoyaofang heard the noise and ran to the door to join in the fun.

The government procession drew closer and closer, finally stopping at the entrance of Taoyaofang.

"Boss Su, come out quickly..." An older woman ran into the store and said to Su Yaoguang, who was busy in front of the shelves, "The magistrate is here, he's standing at your store entrance!"

"Lord Chen is here?" Su Yaoguang asked in surprise, striding out.

When she saw Magistrate Chen standing at the entrance of Taoyao Lane with a group of constables, she quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Lord Chen."

Magistrate Chen helped her up: "Ms. Su, great philanthropist Su, living bodhisattva Su, please rise quickly. You are now a goddess in the hearts of the people, I cannot accept your courtesy!"

"Your Excellency, please don't say that, I'm so embarrassed," Su Yaoguang said. "You're..."

"The people of Taoyaofang have done such great good deeds, benefiting the people and relieving suffering. On behalf of all the people in the city, we present this plaque and hope you will accept it."

Zhang Zhaodi and the others looked at the plaque and carefully deciphered the characters on it: "What kind of family is this? What is the second character?"

Zhang Pandi and Jia Chunni shook their heads.

Several pairs of eyes turned to Zhang Yingdi, who smiled and said, "A family that does good deeds."

“There are also official seals of the government on it,” Wang Huanzhi explained from the side.

"That's great, I need to think about where to hang it." Zhang Zhaodi was overjoyed.

She saw Zhong Lanhua, Jiang Yihuan, and others standing at the entrance of Fenghua Pavilion, tilting their heads triumphantly in that direction, looking like victors.

"Sir, how many of these plaques are there? Do all the major shops have them?" Zhang Zhaodi asked.

“Of course not,” Magistrate Chen said. “The conditions promised to the various shops will be fulfilled as agreed, but only your Taoyaofang is qualified to accept this plaque.”

"You flatter me, sir. We were just doing what we should do." Zhang Zhaodi was even happier. "I believe that anyone else would have done the same."

The onlookers applauded and cheered.

Not everyone has this understanding in the face of great calamity. Taoyaofang's act of kindness is not a small favor, but a great act of benevolence and righteousness that saves lives.

Amidst the festive atmosphere of gongs and drums, government officials carried the plaque inside. Magistrate Chen praised Taoyaofang's charitable deeds at length and declared that the government would pay close attention to such benevolent merchants. He assured them that if any trouble arose in the shop, they should simply report it to the government, and they would come to handle it immediately.

These words were practically a clear message to everyone: Taoyaofang is protected by the government, and those who are blind to its power should stop causing trouble for them, or the government will be the first to object.

"What's there to be so proud of?" Zhong Lanhua said sarcastically. "Once Xiao Ci passes the imperial examination, he'll definitely become a high-ranking official. Our Fenghua Pavilion has a much stronger backer than theirs."

“Mother…” Jiang Yihuan looked at Zhong Lanhua, “I want to finalize the marriage.”

"What do you mean?" Zhong Lanhua asked. "Didn't we say before that if Xiao Ci passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, we will arrange your marriage? If he can't even pass the examination, what's the point of arranging a marriage? He might as well marry Qian Yongqiang, the son of Manager Qian, as soon as possible."

“Xiao Ci has been a bit cold towards me lately,” Jiang Yihuan said. “I’m worried that this guy surnamed Wen will steal his heart away.”

"Impossible. You're still a virgin, and that Wen guy is a slut. Any man with a brain wouldn't choose her over you."

Jiang Yihuan still felt uneasy.

However, Zhong Lanhua's concerns were valid. If Xiao Ci couldn't even pass the county-level imperial examination, she would only suffer if she married him.

Su Yaoguang and the others hung the plaque in the main hall of the shop, so that it would be visible as soon as one entered. This was their honor, and of course they wanted to show it off.

After seeing off the government officials, Su Yaoguang and her group brought out a batch of new goods to sell at a discount, so that both new and old customers of their Taoyaofang could share in their joy.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a limited quantity of goods, so we can only offer twenty of each item. Once they're sold out, we'll have nothing else."

A few days later, Taoyaofang officially opened for business, and Zhou Wangshu returned to the academy to continue his studies.

On the day Zhou Wangshu returned to the academy, Su Yaoguang personally escorted him there.

“Miss Su, our academy is having a polo match today. Wang Shu has just returned, so let him play. Would you like to stay and watch him play polo?” Zhong Chushan asked.

"Would it be inappropriate for me to stay here? Would it affect his performance?" Su Yaoguang asked, looking at Zhou Wangshu.

She knew that Zhou Wangshu's academic performance at the academy was mediocre, as were his mastery of the Six Arts; he had almost nothing particularly outstanding about him. If Zhou Wangshu didn't want her to stay and watch him play polo, she could conveniently find an excuse to go back, so as not to embarrass him.

"No, the academy is open to the public today, and students can bring their relatives to watch the competition. Look, some people are already on their way."

Su Yaoguang looked towards the entrance and saw more and more families entering the academy, searching for their loved ones. She also spotted Jiang Yihuan in the crowd.

Su Yaoguang leaned closer to Zhou Wangshu: "Do you want me to stay?"

Zhou Wangshu raised an eyebrow and said arrogantly, "Whatever you say."

“I’m mainly worried about making you lose face,” Su Yaoguang said. “If you fall off the horse or get hit by a ball and start crying, I’ll feel embarrassed for you and for me too if I’m there.”

Zhou Wangshu: “…”

He grabbed Su Yaoguang's ear and gently twisted it: "Open your eyes wide in a bit, and I'll show you how I win."

"Okay, okay, Young Master Zhou." Su Yaoguang coaxed him like a child.

Zhong Chushan and Chen Buyu looked at each other and smiled.

Zhou Wangshu needed to change into riding gear and discuss tactics with his teammates, but Chen Buyu and Zhong Chushan pulled him away.

Zhou Wangshu changed into his riding attire and came out, only to come face to face with Xiao Yanci, who was wearing white riding clothes.

Xiao Yanci hadn't expected Zhou Wangshu to return to the academy so soon. He glanced at Zhou Wangshu's red riding attire, a hint of sarcasm flashing in his eyes.

This time, they were divided into two teams: Xiao Yanci was in charge of the White Team, and Zhong Chushan was in charge of the Red Team. However, Zhou Wangshu returned, and Zhong Chushan directly handed over the coaching authority to Zhou Wangshu.

No one in the entire academy knew Zhou Wangshu's true abilities, but Chen Buyu and Zhong Chushan had witnessed his prowess firsthand. Now, both the Zhong and Chen families' businesses were under Zhou Wangshu's influence, and business was much better than before, practically raking in money every day.

The two teams appeared on the polo field.

The stands not far away were already full of people.

As soon as the contestants entered the venue, many people were already calling out their names.

Zhou Wangshu also searched for Su Yaoguang in the crowd, but couldn't find her.

Chen Buyu and Zhong Chushan also discovered it.

"Did Miss Su go back?" Zhong Chushan asked. "Or is she really afraid of seeing Wang Shu lose, so she doesn't want to stay and watch his match?"