I, Sun Shan, and the Imperial Examination

Chapter 1552 Letter of Commendation

Upon receiving the letter from home, Sun Shan hurriedly replied, taking advantage of the last wave of mail at the end of the year to hand the letter over to the escort agency and try to send it out.

Of course, just to be on the safe side, we also need to send a letter home after the New Year to prevent the arrival of Big Fatty.

A few days later, Sun Shan felt very cold while sleeping. He heard howling sounds coming from outside and quickly ran to the window. Sure enough, it was snowing again.

In a daze, I thought about the residential area in the south of the city, where there were many dilapidated houses, and I was afraid that such heavy snow would not be able to withstand it.

Then, remembering that the residents of that area had long since moved to the City God Temple outside the city due to the violence of the government, I felt much more at ease.

Yun-jie was sleeping when she turned over and found the next room empty. Startled, she opened her eyes wide, looked out the window, and screamed, "Ahhhhh!"

After recognizing Sun Shan, she gasped, "Brother Shan, what are you doing by the window so late at night? Are you trying to scare me to death?"

He muttered to himself, "Brother Shan, you know people can scare each other to death." Luckily, he was brave enough not to be scared out of his wits.

Sun Shan was recalling how Yang, the head constable, had used a combination of coercion and enticement to force the people to abandon their ancestral homes and move to the City God Temple.

When dealing with troublemakers, there's no logic to it; it all comes down to one word: "strike!"

Anyone who disagrees and refuses to move out doesn't need to be arrested; they can just be dragged out and beaten.

Even if the people are shouting: "In broad daylight, is there no law?"

Officer Yang ignored them all and simply dragged the people to the City God Temple in a crude and ruthless manner.

Sun Shan secretly hid in a corner and witnessed the entire process of Officer Yang dealing with the "holdout" residents. He could only write two words: brutal!

As I was thinking, I was startled by Sister Yun's scream.

Then he shouted: What! What happened!

Sister Yun and Sun Shan exchanged a silent glance, then burst into laughter.

That laugh made Sun Shan feel even colder, so he ran back to bed and lay down under the covers.

The world is vast, but at this moment nothing compares to lying in bed on a cold winter's day.

Sister Yun asked in confusion, "Brother Shan, are you admiring the snow by the window?"

Staring at Sun Shan with suspicion is normal for a scholar to wake up from a nap to look at the scenery and find inspiration for poetry.

But Sun Shan was no ordinary scholar; his mind was filled with nothing but farming, and he knew nothing of romance or poetry.

Sun Shan explained, "I was woken up by the rustling sound of snow falling outside. I opened the window and saw that it was indeed snowing. Wow, it seems like it's been snowing for a long time, and it's quite heavy."

"Won't those houses in the south of the city collapse under the weight? If they do, we'll have to rebuild them next spring."

Sun Shan gets annoyed when this topic comes up.

The previous donation could only solve the immediate problem. If the entire residential area were to be demolished, it would be a huge project that would cost a lot of money. Where would the government get the funds?

As for the common people, they can be counted on even less.

If they had money, they would have rebuilt or bought a house and moved away long ago.

Sister Yun relaxed her eyebrows; as expected, Brother Shan wasn't admiring the snow or composing poetry.

Her brother Shan is currently concerned about the country and its people.

Sister Yun comforted him, saying, "Brother Shan, there's still a lot of money left from the donations. People always have a few copper coins in their pockets. The government can lend them some more, and with a little effort, it should be enough. Brother Shan, don't worry. Things will work out in the end."

He paused, then continued, "Brother Shan, this snow may look heavy, but it's not actually that heavy. The houses in the south of the city won't be crushed. Brother Shan, thinking about it won't change the outcome, so don't overthink it."

Then he said with relief, "Moreover, the government has already moved the people to the City God Temple. The houses have collapsed, so no one will die or be injured. It's a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."

Hearing what Sister Yun said made Sun Shan feel a little better.

So he asked, "What was the reaction from everyone after the last donation? If we were to call for another donation, would there be strong opposition?"

At this point, Sister Yun had something to say.

Looking admiringly at the back of Sun Shan's head, he said with a smile, "Brother Shan, Uncle San often says that the back of your head is made of gold, shining brightly, and that you're the best at making money. I think Uncle San is absolutely right, Brother Shan, you really are good at making money."

Sun Shan laughed and immediately denied it: "Sister Yun, if we believe even one out of ten of Uncle San's words, we will all suffer losses. We absolutely cannot trust him."

Sister Yun shook her head repeatedly and said, "Brother Shan, you suggested issuing a letter of commendation to the ladies of each household before. Hehe, many of the merchant ladies who were not invited want to participate and want the official letter of commendation."

Brother Shan simply wrote a letter, and he won over the ladies of various households, making them smile and willingly donate money and goods. He really is got a silver spoon in his mouth; he's a master at making money.

After Yun Jie'er led Madam Wang, Madam Wu, and Madam Ma to register the donated items, she arranged for servants to collect old clothes and items from each household the next day.

This family donated some, that family donated some, and Sister Yun received a lot of supplies, just like collecting scraps.

After recording everything, we delivered warm clothes and some daily necessities to each household according to the donation list provided by Sun Shan.

Afterwards, he pawned all the donated gold and silver jewelry.

Because it was pawned by the most powerful and wealthiest women in Yuanlu County, the pawnshop dared not be a swindler and pawned it for a good price.

Including the previously donated silver, the total amount is 300 taels.

The money was used to purchase another batch of supplies, which were planned to be distributed before the Lunar New Year. The remaining money was left untouched and saved for reconstruction after the New Year.

Later, Sun Shan acted in the name of the government.

First, a "List of Donors for Snow Disaster in Yuanlu County" was posted on bulletin boards, in the villages of the villagers who received assistance, and in places like the City God Temple, so that people throughout the county could see which families had donated money and supplies.

Then, Sun Shan, on behalf of the government, wrote a letter of commendation to the wives of the various prefectures, thanking them for their support of the government's charitable work and expressing gratitude on behalf of the disaster victims.

The clever part is that the award was given to the "Madam" instead of the "Master," and Sun Shan's letter of commendation was officially stamped with the official seal, making it as authentic as it could be.

When the ladies of each household saw the notice, they first compared whose family had donated more and whose family had donated less, secretly resenting that their own family had donated a tiny bit less than their arch-rivals.

If given the chance, I will definitely surpass my arch-rival and, incidentally, make a good impression on Lord Sun.

The excitement was palpable when I received the letter of commendation and saw my name written on it.

Seeing the official seal was a completely new experience, unlike anything I'd ever had before. A surge of pride and honor welled up inside me, bringing an unprecedented sense of spiritual fulfillment.

More importantly, the ladies showed off their award certificates in all sorts of ways.

She was especially arrogant towards her sisters-in-law and concubines who didn't participate in the donation.

Even towards their own masters, they had a "serfs rising up and becoming masters" mentality.

It's as if Sun Shan instantly became the man behind them, endorsing them and becoming their support in their power struggles within the family.

They walk with a powerful and majestic gait, like a victorious rooster.

Stand tall and walk with an air of indifference, as if you don't recognize your own family.