Noble Lady

"What's wrong?" Xue Chenyu looked at her with a smile in his eyes.

What else happened?

The one that General Xue and Prince Cheng mentioned earlier, the one who brought those 20 to 30 people and killed the people from the Black Tiger and Black Bear camps, was she?!

For the first time, Chu Yao understood the true meaning of the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover."

"Ms. Xue, I've long heard of your name." She saluted Xue Chenyu with a fist. "Seeing is believing. Chu Yao admires you."

"Hmm?" Xue Chenyu glanced at Xia He subconsciously.

What bad things did this girl say about her?

Xia He quickly waved her hands: No, how could I say bad things about a girl?

I only say good things about girls!

"Miss Chu's righteous act is truly admirable." Xue Chenyu praised sincerely.

She leaned forward slightly, her eyes clearly gleaming with excitement. "I heard that Miss Chu founded a charity home with a few young sisters, and even broke into the mountain stronghold in the dead of night to save people. You are truly a man of great skill and courage!"

"If it were me, I definitely wouldn't have the guts to do that. It's also thanks to you that my father and his men were able to suppress the bandits so smoothly and greatly avoid casualties. Thank you so much."

Then Xue Chenyu asked carefully, "Can I hold your hand?"

Chu Yao was stunned for a moment, "...Yes, it's okay."

She thought that the noble ladies in the capital were all arrogant and looked down on others. They ignored others and didn't even look at them straight in the eye.

She didn't expect him to be so sincere and enthusiastic, which made her feel embarrassed.

"You have calluses on your hands. I heard that all of you martial artists have them. Are these calluses from practicing hemming or swordplay?"

“…Yes, a knife.”

As Chu Yao spoke, she observed Xue Chenyu's expression.

Xue Chenyu thought for a moment and said with some regret, "It's a pity that Qiuhua is practicing swordsmanship. When she recovers, you two can spar with each other."

"Who is Qiuhua?" Chu Yao subconsciously looked at Xia He, the only person she knew.

Xia He explained: "Sister Qiuhua is another maidservant beside our girl, and Sister Qiuhua is very powerful in martial arts."

Chu Yao blinked, and for a moment she was a little confused as to why Xue Chenyu told her this.

She is a noble lady from the capital, there is no need for her to do this.

Just like before she came, Prince Cheng and General Xue handled their business with her in a strict and impartial manner.

"Miss Xue..."

"Miss Chu, I see you are better than me. If you don't mind, I'll call you Sister Chu."

Xue Chenyu paused and said, "I know that your orphanage is entirely supported by your grocery store in the city. I'm afraid this is not a long-term solution."

"I also do some business. If you don't mind, I plan to pool my money with a few sisters to open a shop here. All the revenue will be used to maintain the daily expenses of the orphanage. What do you think?"

"I'm grateful to Miss Xue for her generosity, on behalf of the Salesian Home and those poor innocent women!"

Chu Yao was very excited.

"Don't thank me too quickly. There's one more thing I need to make clear to you in advance."

Xue Chenyu always spoke upfront, "The shop is in Haicheng County. It's thousands of miles away from the capital. My parents and family are all in Shengjing, so I can't stay here for long."

"So, I'll have to ask Miss Chu to take care of the business when the time comes."

Chu Yao also understood.

It was like Miss Xue paid money to open a shop and put her name on it. In fact, she only paid the money and would not interfere in the management of the business. The revenue would also be used for the orphanage.

This is an act of kindness that couldn't be purer.

"If Miss Chu thinks it's okay, we can sign the contract later. If you have time in the near future, you can choose a shop in the city. It's also best to decide on the business category as soon as possible so that you can start the business sooner."

"Once the shop is open, you won't have to run back and forth to cover the expenses of the Salesian Home. You can also set up a donation box at the door, and customers can donate as they please. It will help to alleviate the burden."

Without the Black Tiger Village and the Black Bear Village, she had no place to get extra money, and the pressure to maintain the daily expenses of the orphanage would naturally be greater than before.

But with the shop, she no longer has to worry about those things, nor does she need to make ill-gotten gains.

It makes white jade flaws.

"Ms. Xue, how can I thank you?" Chu Yao's eyes were filled with tears and she almost choked.

People have already said so much, if she still doesn't understand, she would be a fool.

Chu Yao came to the county government office today because of her identity as the leader of Qingmu Village.

She was originally a poor person who was abducted and taken to the mountains. Later, by chance, she became the leader of Qingmu Village. However, after taking over, she never did anything to harm others.

Moreover, she had made contributions to the suppression of bandits this time, so Xue Hou and Situ Zhen also wanted to commend her for this, so that she could get rid of her identity as a bandit and live a decent life from now on.

With Xue Chenyu's help, she is not only able to live a decent life, but also can continue to do what she wants.

Moreover, once the shop is opened, it will bring in a steady stream of income in the future. It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.

It is more long-lasting and stable than a one-time deal.

She subconsciously wanted to kneel down to Xue Chenyu, but Xue Chenyu held her back and said, "Miss Chu, there's no need to do this. Many people can't do what you do."

"Also, if it weren't for you, it wouldn't have been so easy for my father and the others to capture the stronghold. There were no casualties this time, and you should be credited with the greatest credit."

Situ Zhen chimed in at the right moment, "Miss Xue's words are full of pearls. This prince and General Xue will write to His Majesty to commend Miss Chu for her achievements."

"Thank you also to General Xue and the Crown Prince!"

Situ Zhen waved his hand and said generously: "The person you should thank most is Miss Xue. It was her maid who worked with you, and it was she who calmed down the bandits who attacked the county government office and prevented them from causing any major impact." That was why she left this way out for Chu Yao.

Otherwise, if the bandits had done anything in the county government office, they would not have been let off so lightly.

"Thank you all!"

Marquis Xue looked at his daughter with great pride.

The conversation ended with thanks being exchanged.

From today on, Qingmu Village will no longer exist.

And she, Chu Yao, would only be the person who founded the orphanage, a commoner who was familiar with the local conditions and was chosen to help suppress the bandits.

And because Xue Chenyu's maid was involved, this statement will only be more true.

Situ Zhen submitted a memorial to His Majesty, firstly to report on the suppression of bandits.

Secondly, I also want to ask for mercy for Chu Yao and those innocent women in Qingmu Village who were raped.

He has the right to act at his own discretion, but it is still necessary to report it.

Thirdly, Xue Chenyu was mentioned very "in passing".

She said that when she saw Chu Yao single-handedly supporting an orphanage that housed the elderly, children, women and young women, she found a group of sisters, pooled their own money, and opened a shop in Haicheng County, donating all the revenue to the orphanage to cover its daily expenses.

Later, the news of the Salesian Home spread, and Haicheng County also expressed its willingness to allocate funds regularly from the county to expand the scale of the Salesian Home to accommodate the homeless elderly, children, women and children.

In addition, free private schools were established later.

Haicheng County will be changing with each passing day.

But that’s another story.