I, Sun Shan, and the Imperial Examination

Chapter 1542 Fundraising (6)

Yun-jie secretly gave Granny He a wink.

Granny He was so excited.

Having stayed in the backyard for so long, I've forgotten what it's like to be a palace intrigue. Although there's still no palace intrigue now, the wives of the various households are having quite a good time fighting each other.

It's been so long since I've watched "Beyond the Realm of Conscience" that I've almost forgotten the joy of victory.

It's all the fault of the young lady marrying too well, the fault of the son-in-law being too kind-hearted, and the fault of Su Shi, a mere country woman who has no idea what palace intrigue is.

Granny He leaned close to Madam Su's ear and whispered, "Madam, it's your turn to make your appearance."

Hehe, the old lady will be the first to donate her hairpin, then the young lady will follow, and the little young lady will follow...

If the Sun family donates something, I suppose the ladies from all walks of life wouldn't dare not donate as well.

This is being swept along by the "highest moral standard." If she doesn't, well, tomorrow we'll have Granny Wang badmouth her everywhere, making her feel utterly ashamed.

Madam Su was taken aback, and asked in confusion, "Granny He, when will she appear?"

Sitting high in the old lady's "eldest" position, Madam Su forced a stiff smile.

Whether it was Sister Yun or Little Fatty, they babbled on and on, but it was impossible to understand what they were saying.

They waited and waited, until Su was almost asleep.

As for the old lady surrounding her, she also forced a smile, which looked rather unpleasant.

Granny He's eyes flickered, and she whispered, "Madam, step forward and gently place the gold hairpin on the table. Leave the rest to me."

Speaking of the gold hairpin, Madam Su felt a pang of heartache and made a last-ditch effort: "Granny, do you really have to donate it? Can't we just not donate it? How about donating a silver hairpin instead?"

Granny He's eyes narrowed, and she said repeatedly, "Madam, no!"

After a pause, she had no choice but to bring up Sun Shan: "Madam, we are no longer in Sun Family Village, but in the rear office of Yuanlu. Your every move concerns the master, so you must not make any mistakes."

"Madam, only after Master's promotion will you receive an imperial title and have the opportunity to receive a government salary. You'll be far superior to the Old Master, no, even superior to the Grand Madam. Madam, for the sake of this title, you must donate!"

Upon hearing the words "imperial decree," Su's eyes lit up.

Yes, in Sunjia Village, she had the best chance of obtaining an imperial title. I heard that after her death, her burial was of a higher standard than that of ordinary people.

Shanzi is only a seventh-rank official, so it is possible to apply for an imperial decree for her, but there is a long queue of applicants, and no one knows when her application will be approved.

Oh dear, as long as Shanzi gets promoted by one rank, he can quickly jump the queue. Hmm, Granny He is right, what's a little money if it's to show off in front of others?

With a determined look, Madam Su stood up abruptly. She took a few quick steps forward, closed her eyes, shook her hand, and with a resounding thud, placed the gold hairpin that was stuck in her hair on the table.

The elderly lady watching was startled by Su's "jump".

He was sitting there peacefully, giving a fake smile, when suddenly Su jumped out. It was terrifying, you know?

Granny He gave Su a look of approval and gently helped her up.

Instantly, I felt Su's body trembling.

It seemed to be the first time the old lady had done something like this, and she appeared slightly nervous.

If Madam Su knew what Granny He was thinking, she would definitely yell at her: "Am I nervous? I'm heartbroken! Heartbroken! Heartbroken!"

Important things should be said three times.

With a forced smile, Granny He said, "Ladies, my lady doesn't understand the Yuan-Lu dialect and can't speak with you personally. Please understand."

The old lady, who spoke Mandarin, waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "It's alright, it's alright."

Everyone knows that before her son became an official, Madam Sun was a peasant woman who was illiterate.

They would secretly laugh at Su's poor and shabby appearance, but they wouldn't dare say anything to her face.

Regardless of whether Su was ugly or poor, it was all because her son was successful.

Thinking of this, the old ladies felt a pang of envy, jealousy, and resentment.

Granny He continued to act as Su's spokesperson: "Ladies, my lady has heard that the heavy snow has collapsed many houses, and the people outside who have been affected by the disaster are homeless."

Especially with the Lunar New Year approaching, a time for family reunions and celebrations, some disaster victims are tragically separated from their loved ones by death. It's truly heartbreaking. My mother has been unable to sleep these past few nights, constantly worrying about the situation outside.

Unfortunately, as a woman, there's not much I can do. I can only offer my meager assistance so that the disaster victims outside can have a peaceful, warm, and well-fed New Year.

Pointing to the donated hairpin, he continued, "This hairpin was my grandmother's favorite. She had it blessed by a master to ensure her eternal peace. The people suffering from the disaster outside must be feeling uneasy."

My grandmother donated the gold hairpin, hoping to raise money to help the disaster victims through their hardship, and also hoping that the hairpin would protect them from future disasters and ensure their lives are peaceful and safe.

Everyone stared in disbelief at Madam Su and Granny He.

It's unbelievable that such a rough and ordinary hairpin has so many hidden meanings.

Many of the ladies clearly expressed their disbelief.

It is highly suspected that this was a story that Granny He added on the spot and made up herself.

Su looked like a simple-minded peasant woman, and it was hard to believe that Su was such a wise old lady.

Granny He glanced smugly at the onlookers.

Whether they believe it or not, I believe it myself!

Su smiled slightly but looked at everyone stiffly.

She couldn't understand a word Granny He was saying. All she had to do was act as a decoration and smile politely.

Yun Jie walked up slowly and gently, and held Su Shi's hands tightly.

Su was suddenly stunned and wanted to break free.

Then she saw that Sister Yun was desperately trying to wink at her, so she had to suppress her discomfort and let Sister Yun hold her hands.

Yun Jie'er's eyes were red-rimmed, and she sniffed the air as if she was about to shed tears.

Moved, she looked at Madam Su and said, "Mother, I've always known you're the kindest person and can't bear to see people suffer. Mother, I'm so touched that you've donated your most beloved hairpin."

Mother, since you donated your gold hairpin, your daughter-in-law also wants to donate a gold hairpin. She wants to follow your example. She will teach Xiaoxiao well through both words and deeds.

After saying that, she pulled out a gold hairpin from her hair.

She placed the hairpin to the side and said, "Mother, this is a small token of my appreciation. I'm donating it to raise money to help the disaster victims get through the cold winter."

She turned around, gently wiped away her tears, and said apologetically, "Everyone, please excuse me. I hope you won't mind that I donated so little."

"Many grains of sand make a pile, drops of water make an ocean, and small contributions add up. If everyone donates a little, we'll be better able to help the disaster victims. Ladies and gentlemen, am I right?"

The wives of officials and merchants: .....

Yes, how could it not be right? It's because your husband has a high-ranking position.

A higher-ranking official can have absolute power over a person; what could they say but go with the flow?

And Madam Sun, you don't need to put on such a show; it's all so fake.

Should they wipe away their tears, or not?