Transmigrated into the role of the matriarch, I ensured my family had enough to eat and wear during

Tang Chengyu continued to explain the situation to the clan chief, his tone full of helplessness: "Fifth Master, people like the eldest son of the county magistrate of Qianjiang Town and the nephew of the wealthy merchant in Qintang Town have always been arrogant and bullied the weak by relying on their family background and power. I have never had any contact with them, let alone any relationship with them."

"Even if we were to meet by chance, they would never risk vouching for me in the academy entrance exam despite the rumors of me cheating. After all, offending them would mean I would have no way to pursue my studies, but for them, it would just be another problem. They wouldn't risk their future for someone they didn't know."

Tang Chengyu emphasized, each word clear and distinct: "The imperial examination system is strictly regulated. Without a guarantor, one is not qualified to register for the exam. According to the imperial examination system established by the court, a student who has completed the preliminary examination must have a government-subsidized student or someone from an official school as a guarantor to prove that he has a clean background, is not a fraud, and has no bad deeds. Now I cannot even obtain this most basic guarantee. My path to education has been completely blocked, with no chance of turning things around."

Upon hearing these words, Chief Tang swayed and froze on the spot. His expression gradually changed from confusion to shock, and finally, only deep helplessness and regret remained.

He had always thought that Tang Chengyu's expulsion from Chongwentang was just a minor squabble among the younger generation, or that Tang Chengyu was young and impetuous and refused to admit his mistakes.

Unexpectedly, this matter involved the county magistrate's son and escalated to such an irreparable point.

Having lived most of his life, Chief Tang was well aware of the feudal principle of "officials protecting each other." He knew that once he offended an official, a whole string of officials would take the opportunity to make things difficult for him and kick him when he was down.

Now that the son of the county magistrate of Qianjiang Town has spoken on his behalf, even officials and students who are on good terms with him would never risk offending the magistrate by vouching for Tang Chengyu. After all, no one wants to joke about their future.

Chief Tang slowly raised his hand, gently stroking his beard, his face filled with heartache, and murmured to himself, "How did it come to this... The Tang family's once-in-a-century academic genius has had his future ruined just like that. It's truly a cruel twist of fate..."

Old Mrs. Tang was terrified, her face as white as paper, her whole body trembling slightly. She quickly stepped forward, tightly grasping the sleeve of the Tang clan leader, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. She pleaded urgently, "Fifth Brother, we can't just let this go! Please think of another way, okay? We're willing to pay any price, even sell our pots and pans, just so that Yu'er can go back to school and save his future!"

Chief Tang looked bitter, shook his head slightly, and replied helplessly, "Now that things have come to this, I have no other choice. There is only one way to go: Yu'er must personally visit him and try to persuade the eldest son of the county magistrate of Qianjiang Town to forgive him and resolve the grudge between the two. Only in this way will she have a chance to regain her ability to study and act as a guarantor. There is no other way."

Upon hearing that he was to bow down and beg for mercy from the eldest son of the magistrate of Qianjiang Town, Tang Chengyu's expression instantly turned cold, his eyes blazing with anger, yet his gaze revealed unwavering determination and defiance. He immediately retorted, "He relied on his family's power and influence to force me to collude with him, to help him cheat and pass the teacher's assessment. I refused to compromise and stood firm in my principles. What's wrong with that?"

Tang Chengyu spoke with a firm and resolute tone, each word carrying weight: "If I begin to fear the oppression of others and bow down in submission before achieving academic success, I will inevitably encounter countless more instances of such bullying in the future. Am I to spend my entire life bowing my head, swallowing my pride, and enduring humiliation?"

"I study so that I can pass the imperial examinations and stand up for the people. If I become an official and can't even stand up straight, or clear my own name, how can I stand up for those who suffer injustice and are powerless to resist?"

The villagers of Yangqu Village who were watching were filled with admiration after hearing Tang Chengyu's words. They all clenched their fists, wishing they could cheer for him on the spot.

They may not express these principles in flowery language, but they deeply feel that these words are full of power, revealing the most unyielding spirit of ordinary people when facing tyranny.

Tang Susu gently shook her head, stepped forward, patted Tang Chengyu's shoulder, and patiently persuaded her: "Yu'er, I understand your backbone and your perseverance, but stubbornness is not a good thing."

"If you reject power in your heart, you should strive to change it, instead of being self-righteous, avoiding it, and only knowing how to condemn it harshly without making any changes. In the end, you will only ruin your own promising future."

Tang Chengyu turned to look at Tang Susu, her brows furrowed, her eyes full of doubt, and asked softly, "Does elder sister mean that younger brother should abandon his pride, bow down and compromise with the son of the county magistrate of Qianjiang Town, and humbly beg for his forgiveness?"

Tang Susu responded softly, her tone calm yet tinged with advice: "If this is the only narrow path left, this is the only thing you can do."

She knew perfectly well that in this feudal era, for ordinary people to resist powerful forces was tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock and courting death.

People should know when to bow their heads. There's no need to ruin your future because of a moment of anger. As long as you're alive, you can always make a comeback.

At the same time, Tang Susu also vaguely felt that Tang Chengyu might have other options and was not limited to compromising with those two spoiled brats. However, she had not yet figured out a specific method.

Old Mrs. Tang was filled with grief and indignation, tears streaming down her face. She would rather die than abandon her beloved grandson and beg the arrogant and spoiled brat for forgiveness.

She quickly grasped Tang Chengyu's hand tightly, choking back tears as she said, "Yu'er, don't go! Let Grandma handle this! Grandma will beg him. I'll kneel before his door for days and nights, kowtowing as many times as I want, until he's willing to let you go and forgive you..."

Tang Chengyu was slightly taken aback. Looking at her grandmother's aged face and tearful eyes, she felt a pang of sorrow and guilt, and her eyes instantly reddened.

He absolutely could not allow his elderly grandmother to kneel down and beg for mercy for him, enduring such humiliation.

Tang Chengyu took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions. He knew that the two spoiled brats had completely offended him, and they feared that if Tang Chengyu achieved success in the future, he would retaliate against them.

Therefore, he would never be given any chance to get ahead. Even if his grandmother knelt down and begged, it would be to no avail; she would only suffer humiliation in vain.

Tang Chengyu remained silent for a moment, then lowered his head and pondered. He gradually came up with an idea: since he was going to ask for help anyway, instead of asking those two narrow-minded spoiled brats, he should ask Magistrate Lu.

This path was indirectly suggested to him by Tang Susu, and it is currently the most feasible and promising path.

Tang Chengyu slowly raised his head, turned to look at Tang Susu, his eyes firm, and said in a strong tone, "Elder sister, I understand. I will find a suitable time to go to the Dongtai Town government office in person to ask Magistrate Lu for help!"

Tang Susu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a faint smile appearing on her face.

She was genuinely worried that Tang Chengyu would be stubborn to the end, going down a dead end without any flexibility. Now that she saw that he was willing to ask Magistrate Lu for help, she was immediately relieved and saw a turning point.

Tang Susu secretly pondered that County Magistrate Lu was upright and honest, and his methods of locust control and water diversion in Yangqu Village had helped him a lot, earning him great merit in front of his superiors in the prefecture. He also had a good impression of Yangqu Village and Tang Chengyu.

Furthermore, Tang Chengyu is a candidate from Dongtai Town. If Tang Chengyu passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, County Magistrate Lu, as the magistrate of Dongtai Town, will also benefit from it and feel honored. He will certainly be willing to lend a helping hand to help Tang Chengyu resolve the guarantee problem and clear his name of the injustice of cheating.

When Old Lady Tang heard that Tang Chengyu was going to plead with Magistrate Lu, she jumped up and down in a panic, waving her hands repeatedly and advising him with great distress, "Yu'er, what nonsense are you talking about! That's the magistrate, a high-ranking official who holds the power of life and death. How could he possibly see a student like you who has been expelled from school and has a stigma of cheating..."

Old Mrs. Tang wiped away her tears and said frankly, "I've lived most of my life, and most of my body is buried in the ground. I've never even seen a glimpse of the county magistrate's robes. In my heart, the county magistrate is an unattainable 'heavenly being,' more awe-inspiring than the emperor in the hearts of us common people. He's not someone ordinary people like us can easily meet. Your trip will only result in a wasted opportunity!"

No sooner had Old Lady Tang finished speaking than a powerful, resonant voice boomed across Yangqu Village, its penetrating force deafening: "Lord Lu, the County Magistrate, has arrived—"

These words exploded in everyone's ears like a thunderclap, leaving everyone present stunned and their faces filled with disbelief.

Old Mrs. Tang stared wide-eyed, her body trembling slightly, her face filled with disbelief. Everyone turned their heads and looked in the direction of the village road.

At the end of the village road, a magnificent carriage slowly drove towards them and finally came to a steady stop in the open space in front of Tang Susu's house.

Four yamen runners stood neatly in front of and behind the carriage, dressed in uniform yamen runner uniforms, with upright postures, serious expressions, holding sticks, and sharp eyes.

This single scene perfectly showcased the magistrate's imposing manner and awe-inspiring presence.

Following the horse-drawn carriage was a familiar oxcart, driven by Yang Defu, carrying Yangqu Village's resident son and his two sons.

It turned out that County Magistrate Lu had deliberately slowed down his carriage to wait for Village Chief Yang to come to Yangqu Village together; otherwise, this magnificent carriage would have arrived at the village entrance long ago.

The carriage curtain was slowly lifted, and Magistrate Lu, dressed in a brand-new official robe and wearing an official hat, stepped down from the carriage with a composed and dignified demeanor.

Clerk Yan and Clerk Liang followed closely to his left and right, respectively. Both of them were dressed in official robes and exuded an aura of authority, displaying the dignity of officials. They dared not slack off in the slightest.

At this time, most of the villagers in Yangqu Village gathered in front of Tang Susu's house to join in the fun.

Upon seeing Magistrate Lu arrive in person, they all turned pale with fright, immediately kneeling down with their hands on the ground, shouting in unison, "Greetings, Magistrate Lu! Long live the Magistrate! Long live the Magistrate!"

The crowd lay prostrate on the ground, heads bowed low, not daring to breathe loudly, much less to look directly into Magistrate Lu's eyes.

The vast courtyard was filled only with the gentle sound of the breeze, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere that vividly demonstrated the strict hierarchical distinction between officials and commoners in the feudal era.

Registrar Liang stepped forward, cleared his throat slightly, raised his voice, and said loudly, "Fellow villagers of Yangqu Village, listen up! The county magistrate's visit to Yangqu Village this time is not for official business, but specifically to bestow a reward! At this moment, all villagers of Yangqu Village must obey orders—"

Liang, the registrar, spoke loudly, his voice echoing throughout the courtyard. The villagers kneeling on the ground held their breath, not daring to make a sound, quietly awaiting the announcement of the reward.

In a solemn tone, Registrar Liang announced the first reward word by word: "The villagers of Yangqu Village have done a great job in diverting water to fight the drought and save the crops; and then they worked together to fight locusts, which is a remarkable achievement and has benefited the local people."

"After careful deliberation by the county magistrate and the prefectural governor, it has been decided that the land tax rate for Yangqu Village will be reduced to six percent for the next three years!"

After Liang, the registrar, finished speaking, the villagers of Yangqu Village were all stunned on the spot, their faces showing shock and their eyes wide open. For a moment, no one could react, and the entire courtyard was deathly silent.

The villagers knew perfectly well that in previous years of good harvest, the imperial court had set a land tax rate of 10%.

In years with poor harvests, taxes can rise to 20%, putting immense pressure on the villagers.

Previously, everyone was worried that after experiencing locust plagues and droughts, the government would increase taxes and even take away all the grain that the villagers had worked so hard to save.

To everyone's surprise, the government not only did not increase taxes, but also took the initiative to reduce them for three years. This was an incredible surprise.

The villagers secretly recalled that all their previous efforts in drawing water and killing locusts were to protect their food and prevent themselves and their families from going hungry.

I never imagined that such an action would be rewarded by the government and personally commended by the county magistrate. My heart was filled with surprise and disbelief, as well as a hint of undisguised joy.

After the villagers had calmed down from their shock and joy, Registrar Yan stepped forward, cleared his throat, and continued to announce the rewards loudly: "Now listen to my command, there is a second reward—"

Originally, Registrar Yan wanted to announce that the villagers of Yangqu Village had made a great contribution by capturing wanted bandits and assisting the government in successfully suppressing them. County Magistrate Lu had specially ordered that the villagers be given extra gold and silver rewards.

However, Yang Lizheng was wary, worried that if the matter was made too public, it would attract retaliation from the remaining members of the bandits' hideout, bringing utter disaster to Yangqu Village. Therefore, he privately asked Magistrate Lu not to mention the capture of the bandits, but only to give a small reward in private.

Magistrate Lu, understanding the villagers' difficulties, agreed. Therefore, Registrar Yan specially changed the wording of the reward.

Registrar Yan raised his voice and said loudly, "The villagers of Yangqu Village are kind-hearted, honest and simple. In the face of natural disasters, the whole village worked together, helped each other, and fought against the disasters together. They never abandoned each other and are a model for the times, worthy of learning by all the surrounding villages."

"Lord Lu, deeply moved by the villagers' simplicity and resilience, has officially designated thousands of acres of unclaimed wasteland surrounding Yangqu Village as part of the village's jurisdiction. These lands are now under the joint control of all Yangqu villagers, who may cultivate and dispose of them as they see fit!"

Upon hearing these words, everyone was once again shocked, raising their heads and looking at Magistrate Lu with disbelief.

Only Yang Lizheng had a complicated expression, his mouth slightly open, and his eyes showed little surprise, but rather a hint of helplessness, as he secretly began to make plans.

Yang Lizheng knew that the world was not peaceful, the population was dwindling, the land was vast, and barren lands were everywhere, so they were worthless.

The thousands of acres of wasteland bestowed by Magistrate Lu are located on the hillside behind Yangqu Village. The land is overgrown with weeds and strewn with stones, making it extremely barren and unsuitable for growing crops. Even if it were cultivated, it would yield very little grain.

Yang Lizheng understood that although wasteland could be cultivated and sold for a meager amount of money, Yangqu Village was extremely poor. The land in the villagers' homes was basically passed down from their ancestors, fertile and easy to cultivate, enough to sustain their livelihoods.

Only families with many sons who need to divide the property and have no extra land will spend money to buy some wasteland to cultivate in order to make a living.

For many years, Yangqu Village itself has had hundreds of acres of wasteland lying idle, with no one interested and unable to sell them.

Now there are thousands more acres of such barren wasteland, which can only remain idle and have no practical use.

But Yang Lizheng was not a greedy or insatiable person. He knew very well that regardless of whether these thousands of acres of wasteland were useful or not, they were personally bestowed by County Magistrate Lu. This was the glory of Yangqu Village, an honor that no other village in the surrounding area had ever received.

In the past, Yang Lizheng always felt inferior because Yangqu Village had no educated people or private schools, and most of the villagers were illiterate. He couldn't hold his head up in front of neighboring villages.

Now, with the personal reward from Magistrate Lu and these two tangible blessings, he can now stand tall and proud in front of the village leaders in the neighboring villages.

Without pausing, Registrar Yan continued announcing the third reward. His gaze swept over the kneeling crowd, and he proclaimed loudly, "There is a third reward, specifically for those who have rendered meritorious service—Lord Lu, I have heard that the method of diverting water and digging ditches in Yangqu Village, and the ingenious plan to control locusts, were not accidental. They were finally developed by Yang Tangshi (Tang Susu) through repeated experiments and tireless exploration, overcoming numerous failures. She has made a tremendous contribution to the village's disaster relief and crop preservation efforts, and her merit is invaluable!"

At this moment, Tang Susu was in the midst of the kneeling crowd. Not wanting to be too conspicuous and arouse jealousy, she tried to make herself invisible and quietly made small movements.

I shifted my hips back slightly, landing lightly on my heels. Kneeling like this was more comfortable, less tiring, and also helped to minimize my presence.

But just then, she suddenly heard her name called and referred to as "Yang Tangshi".

Tang Susu instantly stopped all her fidgeting, her body stiffened, and she quickly and obediently straightened up, kneeling properly with her hands at her sides and her head slightly lowered. She dared not slack off in the slightest, quietly waiting for Magistrate Lu's reward, but a ripple of emotion stirred in her heart.

Registrar Yan announced the reward for Tang Susu in a loud voice, his tone filled with praise: "Yang Tang is exceptionally intelligent and quick-witted, with a meticulous mind. She also cares deeply for her fellow villagers, demonstrating exemplary virtue. Lord Lu is deeply gratified and hereby awards her one hundred taels of silver as encouragement!"

After saying this, Clerk Yan waved his hand, and a yamen runner next to him immediately stepped forward with a vermilion wooden tray in his hands and gently lifted the red cloth covering the tray.

Ten dazzling silver ingots were neatly stacked on a wooden tray, each ingot weighing ten taels. The ten ingots added up to a total of one hundred taels. Under the sunlight, they gleamed with a dazzling white light, making them exceptionally eye-catching.

The surrounding villagers, mustering their courage, secretly glanced at the silver in the wooden tray out of the corner of their eyes. They were all stunned, gasping in shock, their hearts filled with astonishment. They exclaimed to themselves, "My goodness! A hundred taels of silver! A hundred taels of silver! No one in the entire Yangqu Village has ever seen so much silver in their entire lives!"

The villagers secretly calculated that so much silver was enough for an ordinary family to live a peaceful and stable life, free from worries about food and clothing, and to have enough to eat every day. They would never have to go hungry again, and would never have to worry about a few copper coins.

Some villagers secretly envied Tang Susu, thinking how lucky she was to receive such a generous reward from the county magistrate. It was a blessing she had accumulated over several lifetimes.

Tang Susu looked up and quickly glanced at the ten silver ingots on the wooden tray. A ripple of surprise and joy stirred in her heart.

She initially researched methods of water diversion and locust control partly to protect her family's food supply, ensuring that she and Tang Chengyu wouldn't go hungry and could survive.

On the other hand, it was also to pave the way for Tang Chengyu, so that he could gain a foothold in Yangqu Village and win the recognition of the villagers.

She never expected that Magistrate Lu would be so generous, bestowing upon her such a large sum of silver at once; this reward truly exceeded her expectations.

Tang Susu secretly calculated in her heart that this hundred taels of silver was her property, which was aboveboard and did not need to be hidden.

She could use that money to buy several acres of fertile land, hire people to cultivate it, and harvest more grain each year.

They could also build a new house made of bluestone bricks, get rid of their current dilapidated mud-brick house, and let her and Tang Chengyu live in a more stable place.

They can also raise the capital to open a restaurant, and use their culinary skills to make some specialty dishes and earn more money;

In addition, they could buy Tang Chengyu the best writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, hire the best tutors to help him with his studies, and help him clear his name and return to school in the future.