Falling into the mortal world

Lan's mother said anxiously, "What should we do? I don't even know if my poor child has any clothes to wear or any food to eat." As she spoke, tears streamed down Lan's mother's face.

"Father, Mother, don't worry. Now that we have a direction, there will always be a way," Lan Qingqing said.

At this time, Lan Dagen was serving as a vanguard in the Northern Camp army. The most dangerous place in the army was the vanguard, which were essentially cannon fodder. The soldiers who died the most were those who charged at the front.

Fortunately, the border region has been peaceful for the past few years, and no major battles have occurred. Even in the few small-scale battles that have taken place, Lan Dagen has successfully dodged the enemy's swords.

The border region suffered from a lack of food and clothing, and many soldiers avoided freezing to death by huddling together for warmth.

It was only the beginning of winter, yet the border was already frozen solid.

Lan Qingqing was also thinking about how to get close to the Northern Army camp.

According to what I know, the weather here is extremely cold, and many soldiers often freeze or starve to death during the winter.

Lan Qingqing suddenly realized that the border region was short of food and clothing, so naturally they needed supplies. Ancient times were different from modern times. When the imperial court couldn't keep up with the demand for supplies, there were no supplies coming from all directions.

Lan Qingqing thought of this method and immediately sought out her mother and father.

When Lan's father heard Lan Qingqing's method, he was also taken aback. Sending supplies to the military camp was not something that could be accomplished with ordinary financial resources.

Lan Qingqing took out all the money in her hand, money that hadn't been obtained through honest means. Using this money to help those she could was also a good deed.

Mr. Lan hesitated for a moment and said, "If this family fortune is all gone, my little grandson will have nothing left."

Lan Qingqing smiled and said, "This money never belonged to us. It's fine to spend it. Besides, your daughter is very capable; she'll earn it all back in a few years."

Mr. and Mrs. Lan never expected their daughter to be so wonderful.

The next day, Lan Qingqing asked her father to go to town to buy supplies. Lan Qingqing, heavily pregnant, went to the clinic. These past few days, the old doctor had been engrossed in cesarean sections. Lan Qingqing wrote down some precautions for the cesarean section for him.

When the old doctor saw Lao Qingqing approaching, he took out a thousand-tael silver note and said, "This is money sent by the Yu family. Madam Yu is now able to walk a few steps." He then told her to go home and rest.

The old woman seemed rather cold-hearted, but upon learning that Madam Yu was not dead, she immediately sent people to take meticulous care of her. Perhaps it was Madam Yu's decision to undergo a cesarean section that moved the old woman, thus changing her attitude towards her. The old doctor sighed.

Lan Qingqing never expected that Yu would also benefit from this misfortune and gain the approval of her husband's family.

Lan Qingqing bought some herbs for typhoid fever from the old doctor. It's too cold at the border, so it's good to have some on hand.

The old doctor was also very shocked when he learned what Lan Qingqing was going to do. So he took out all his savings of ten thousand taels of silver. Lan Qingqing immediately said: Master, I can't take your money. I have selfish reasons for doing these things. It's not as noble as you think.

"Were the cotton-padded clothes and trousers you sent to the soldiers at the border fake?" the old doctor asked.

"Of course not," Lan Qingqing immediately retorted.

That settles it then. Since it's not fake, the money I gave you is going towards the soldiers stationed at the border. What's wrong with the money I gave you? Although your motives weren't entirely pure, you did indeed help those soldiers guarding the border. The old doctor handed over the money again.

This time, Lan Qingqing didn't refuse. She took the money, counted it, and then said with a shocked expression, "Master, do you think being generous makes money like this?"

The old doctor rolled his eyes at Lan Qingqing and said, "This is the money I've saved up my whole life. Do you think it's a lot or a little?"

Um, Lan Qingqing is a bit at a loss for words. A lifetime! That's not much, not much for Lan Qingqing. But for ordinary people, it would indeed take several lifetimes.

Mr. Lan bought all the coarse cloth in town. The quantity was quite large, so he could only use some cheap fabrics.

All the fabric in town had been bought up, so Lan's father went to the prefectural city and other counties to buy more.

The Lan family's actions have attracted a lot of attention.

I heard that the Lan family had given away all their wealth just to send some warm clothes to the soldiers on the border.

Many people were moved by this, especially since many villagers had family members stationed at the border. Upon hearing about the Lan family's situation, they all sent over chickens, ducks, fish, and meat from their own homes. They simply hoped to do their part, so that perhaps their husbands, children, and relatives could eat their food.

During this period, many people from other villages have been coming and going in Lihua Village, all of whom have come voluntarily to make clothes.

The old Lan family house was filled with women who had come to help, all of them making clothes.

When the village chief learned of this, he held an emergency meeting with the villagers. Everyone agreed to suspend the workshop's operation, since every family in the village had one or two relatives serving in the military.

The workshop was just starting out, and the vermicelli they were making hadn't been sold yet. So the village chief had everyone put all the vermicelli in the warehouse.

Since the workshop space had become available, the village chief asked the Lan family to move their work area into the workshop. This way, the space would be more spacious.

This matter also alarmed the county magistrate. The magistrate summoned Lan Qingqing to inquire about the situation.

Lan Qingqing explained: "My older brother is serving in the military, and I'm worried that he won't have enough to eat or wear. Military camps aren't places just anyone can enter."

So I plan to donate supplies to the barracks so that poor people like my brother can receive help. My brother will no longer have to suffer from hunger and cold.

The magistrate thought to himself, "In the whole town of Yiyang, there aren't many poor families as wealthy as yours."

Lan Qingqing continued, "If this donation of supplies is made in the name of the county government, I think your promotion won't be far off."

The magistrate's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Indeed! Once such a good reputation reached the ears of those in power, how could he not be promoted and make a fortune? This might be an opportunity for him. He had already served seven consecutive years and thought his career was over, but unexpectedly, he could still achieve some notable success.

The magistrate said, "This money came from your family. If I were to take it, wouldn't that be unfair to your family?" If the magistrate weren't worried about the people behind the Lan family, why would he be here speaking up for them?

Lan Qingqing knew in her heart that this county magistrate wasn't a good person either. But how many good people could become high-ranking officials in the world? One more or one less wouldn't make a difference. When all the bad deeds are done, Heaven will surely punish them.

Lan Qingqing said: "My lord, the credit I'm talking about wasn't paid for by the county government."

Before the magistrate could even finish listening to Lan Qingqing's words, his expression turned rather unpleasant.

Lan Qingqing, unconcerned about the magistrate's expression, continued, "If the county government provides the funds, wouldn't that be tantamount to admitting corruption? That would be counterproductive. It would be a losing proposition."

Lan Qingqing's next words finally brought the magistrate's expression back to normal.