Although teasing Shen Zhiyu, Li Yueshu still added stir-fried rice noodles to the dinner menu.
With more and more people in the household, Li Yueshu felt her home was almost becoming a restaurant.
Fortunately, Wei Zimao was generous and directly gave her fifty taels of silver per month for food expenses.
For this reason alone, he deserved two extra pieces of meat in his bowl every meal!
Ji Mobei's arrival quickly spread through the village, but everyone only knew that a young master surnamed Bai and a child named Manxing had come, not that he was the legendary divine physician.
The villagers were already accustomed to strange people always appearing at Li Yueshu's house, so they didn't say much.
What everyone was most concerned about now was the dam training and the establishment of the pharmaceutical factory.
The workers Li Yueshu found were diligent, and just a few days after the prefectural examination ended, the pharmaceutical factory was built.
More than half of the villagers participated in the dam training; they would be working in the pharmaceutical factory from now on.
Thinking of this, Li Yueshu bought a pig from the village head's house and held a pig-slaughter banquet in the village to celebrate the opening of the pharmaceutical factory.
By chance, the butcher was Yang Shi's newly married husband, Wang Pozi.
Yang Shi also came along. She had a scar on her face and would hide whenever she saw familiar faces in the village. When she saw Li Yueshu, she lowered her head, looking panicked and scared, showing none of her former arrogance.
This was all her own doing. Li Yueshu felt no sympathy and didn't give it much thought.
Hearing that Li Yueshu was holding a pig-slaughter banquet, almost ninety percent of the villagers came. Some families didn't even participate in the training.
Li Yueshu didn't mind.
She was always busy with various things, and her relationship with the villagers had always been distant. Now that there was an opportunity to get closer, there was no reason to turn people away.
Moreover, although these people were here for a free meal, they were also helping out.
However, she didn't expect people from the Shen family to shamelessly show up.
Seeing the three of them trying to minimize their presence in a corner, Li Yueshu sneered but didn't chase them away.
On such a joyous occasion, there was no need to ruin her mood over such a small matter.
"Uncle Liu, hang the firecrackers a bit further away. I'll light them later!"
Li Yueshu hurried to the entrance of the pharmaceutical factory and hung firecrackers with Old Man Liu.
Except for New Year's, the village had never been this lively. Even Wei Zimao was organizing guards to help.
He had seen countless lively scenes, but for some reason, only this one made him feel genuinely happy.
Even Ji Mobei, who usually preferred quiet, sat with the villagers and chatted. Manxing was pulled by Shen Tingyi to help in the kitchen.
"The auspicious time has arrived! Light the firecrackers!" the village head shouted loudly.
Hearing this, everyone gathered around, their faces beaming with smiles.
Li Yueshu, holding a fire starter, quickly ran back after lighting the fuse of the firecrackers.
"Pah pah pah!"
The sound of the firecrackers was deafening, and everyone couldn't help but cover their ears, but the smiles on their faces never diminished.
Li Yueshu stood behind Shen Zhiyu, covering the little guy's ears with her hands.
The firecrackers exploded loudly, and occasionally, some scattered pieces flew far away.
One of them flew directly towards Li Yueshu.
Just as the firecracker was about to land on Li Yueshu, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and accurately caught the flying firecracker.
Li Yueshu caught a glimpse of a hand appearing out of the corner of her eye and instinctively started to turn her head. The next moment, her ears were suddenly covered.
The sound of the firecracker explosion immediately faded, and a slightly calloused palm covered her ear, tickling her slightly.
Li Yueshu looked at the person beside her in surprise and met those beautiful eyes.
She had always known Shen Wei's eyes were beautiful, but she had never felt before that they were as deep as the night sky, with only a few stars visible, yet each one was incredibly bright.
The next moment, Shen Wei suddenly smiled, looking a bit simple-minded, "A'shu, don't be scared, I... I'm covering..."
Because her ears were covered, Li Yueshu couldn't hear what he said, but a warm current inexplicably surged in her heart.
No one noticed this scene, except for one person.
Wei Zimao's gaze fell on a firecracker that had exploded at Li Yueshu's feet, and a thoughtful glint appeared in his eyes.
He saw that Shen Wei had precisely caught the flying firecracker, and his eyes were clearly fixed on Li Yueshu.
Such agility and alertness were beyond even the guards beside him. Was he truly a foolish person?
Perhaps because his probing gaze was too obvious, Shen Wei turned his head to look.
The moment their eyes met, something flashed between the two men.
The next moment, Shen Wei revealed a friendly smile and turned his head back.
After the firecrackers were finished, the aroma of meat from the pot also wafted out.
The villagers were frugal and poor, and even during the New Year, they couldn't eat much meat. Yet, Li Yueshu was not only willing to cut meat but also added a lot of seasonings.
As the aroma spread, everyone's mouths began to water uncontrollably.
Yang Shi was the first to smell the aroma, but she was busy running around, carrying dishes with her inconvenient legs, and couldn't eat a single bite.
Especially when she saw the Shen family three looking like starving ghosts, her unwillingness and resentment almost reached their peak.
Just then, a voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts, "What are you standing here gawking for? Are you trying to slack off!"
Wang Pozi was still wearing a blood-stained apron, and his fierce demeanor looked rather frightening.
Upon hearing this voice, Yang Shi instinctively trembled. All her resentment and unwillingness vanished instantly, afraid that any delay would result in a beating.
When a person struggles just to survive, they naturally have no time to think about revenge.
...
While Li Yueshu was busy entertaining the village head and a few influential villagers, a man on horseback rushed in from the village entrance.
Since most of the villagers were at the pharmaceutical factory, the man went to Li Yueshu's house and couldn't find her, so he hurried to the pharmaceutical factory.
Seeing such a lively scene, he was stunned for a long time. After inquiring with someone nearby, he understood what was happening.
This Madam Shen was truly capable. It was a pity that such a person always attracted those who wished her ill!
The man lamented inwardly and, seeing the good atmosphere, did not step forward to disturb them.
Only after the pig-slaughter banquet ended and everyone had left did he approach Li Yueshu. "Madam Shen, I have been entrusted by someone to deliver a message to Madam Shen."
Li Yueshu had already noticed him.
This man looked unfamiliar, and his demeanor was entirely unlike that of an ordinary person.
She smiled gently, "Where are you from, young man?"
The man instinctively glanced at Wei Zimao and Ji Mobei beside her, clearly seeing them for the first time and becoming vigilant.
Seeing this, Li Yueshu spoke proactively, "It's alright, they are all friends I trust."
The phrase "friends I trust" seemed to strike a chord with Wei Zimao and Ji Mobei.
Hearing this, the man no longer hesitated and respectfully cupped his hands. "Your subordinate is a yamen runner from the prefectural office. I was ordered by the prefect to secretly come and report to Madam Shen."