In the morning, the village path was very quiet, with everything just awakening and carrying a touch of drowsiness.

Mrs. Dong from Dafeng Village carried a bamboo basket filled with salted duck eggs, walking with a radiant face towards the path leading to Lin Family Manor.

The path, turning pale, was lined with frost from the night. The cold was biting, yet it couldn’t dampen the traveler’s fiery heart.

Lin Family Manor had already started its morning routine. Although the workshop wasn’t open so early, the women had risen early, mending, weaving, lighting fires, and making breakfast for the family.

As soon as Mrs. Dong stepped into the village entrance of Lin Family Manor, she was spotted by a Lin clansman rinsing his mouth in front of his courtyard gate.

"Old woman, who are you looking for so early?"

Mrs. Dong looked over in response to the voice, raised her hand with the bamboo basket, and replied with a smile, "I’m bringing something to Village Lady Le’an!"

"Oh, looking for Wanwan again. Go ahead, she’s up front."

"Alright!"

Mrs. Dong walked along the village road, responding to the early-rising Lin clansmen along the way.

Soon, one of the older Lin clansmen recognized Mrs. Dong’s identity, knowing she was from Dafeng Village. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Recently, people from Lu Family Manor and Dafeng Village have been entering the village every day, and everyone is used to it.

Dafeng Village, Lu Family Manor, and Lin Family Manor, totaling 103 households, together make up a mile.

In the Great Tang, a village of four households was a neighborhood, five neighborhoods formed a security group, and 100 households a mile, led by a Village Chief, which was the Lin Clan Leader for this mile.

Within a mile, everyone’s interests were interconnected, naturally forming an alliance, moving together when fighting over water or mountain lands.

Now, since Lin Family Manor produced a Village Lady Le’an, who brought high-yield grain seeds, miraculous white-feathered chickens, and Kang Beier ducks, these benefits gradually radiated out from Lin Family Manor, benefiting the surrounding people.

Last year, people from Dafeng Village, due to each having their own surname without a major leader, didn’t follow the Lin Family Manor and Lu Family Manor people to plant cotton.

Thus, they missed a great opportunity for wealth, a decision they regret to this day.

This year, everyone learned from this mistake, determinedly following Lin Family Manor’s lead. Whatever they planted, they followed.

Those without seeds would send representatives with thick skin to borrow.

So, Dafeng Village now had high-yield crops, cotton, white-feathered chickens, and Kang Beier ducks... Life visibly improved.

During past winters, by this time, people worried about labor and winter rations, and deaths were common.

But this year, with the dual subsidies of sweet potato flour and cotton, even people from Dafeng Village could ensure ample food and clothing.

Plus, with the county government sending people to teach them how to brew corncob wine, they could sell it in the town for money, which was another source of income.

Life was looking up more and more each day.

Daily, everyone’s faces were filled with joy.

In these people’s hearts, the most respected and grateful figure was, of course, the generous and supportive Village Lady Le’an.

Next in their admiration was the Xiao Mingfu, like a heavenly figure from a painting, a true parental official working for the people.

Relatives from other counties visiting would bring local news, and everyone envied their having a Village Lady Le’an and a Xiao Mingfu.

When they went out, they felt proud.

Mrs. Dong came today to give Lin Wanwan their newly cured salted duck eggs.

Though not anything particularly good, it was the only presentable gift from their family.

They came to give these to Lin Wanwan, not for any ulterior motives, but simply to honor the Village Lady with a small token of gratitude.

If not for the miraculous egg-laying ducks credited to Village Lady Le’an, they wouldn’t even have extra eggs to cure into salted duck eggs!

Their gratitude was beyond words.

Even without modern scientific feed, the Kang Beier ducks, raised in the Tang Land traditional way, laid far more eggs than the native Tang ducks.

Of course, Kang Beier ducks in the Great Tang weren’t called Kang Beier ducks, but simply Lin Family gray ducks.

The Lin clan now held a transcendent status in the surrounding miles, with no village untouched by their benevolence.

Under the gaze of the Lin clansmen, Mrs. Dong arrived at the west corner gate of the Village Chief Mansion.

Originally, Lin Wanwan always had the main gate wide open, allowing the clan members to enter freely.

Later, the Lin Clan Leader suggested that since Lin Wanwan had been officially titled a Secondary Fifth Rank Village Lady by the court, she must observe proper decorum, as big families didn’t leave gates open for casual entry.

The Great Tang had strict hierarchies, and being overly approachable without rules wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Lin Wanwan readily accepted the advice, immediately converting the east and west corners into two corner gates, for daily access by slaves and clansmen.

Early in the morning, with daylight just breaking, Lin Wanwan obviously wouldn’t be up so early.

However, her estate’s servants had already risen, with gatekeepers guarding, cleaners cleaning, and cooks preparing breakfast, each performing their duties as the day began.

Mrs. Dong stood at the corner gate and explained her purpose to the gatekeeper, leaving the salted duck eggs and preparing to depart.

If Lin Wanwan happened to be available, those bringing farming gifts would naturally come in to pay respects before leaving. Otherwise, they mostly left the items and left.

Mrs. Dong, having come so early to deliver salted duck eggs simply out of gratitude to honor Village Lady Le’an, wasn’t seeking anything in return, thus didn’t need to wait for an audience.

Not meeting Lin Wanwan, she wasn’t disappointed.

She came before breakfast to offer a gift precisely to avoid taking something back from the Village Lady’s house.

Neighbors who had sent food before had long shared their experience, saying if you encountered Village Lady Le’an while bringing something, you would often get a return gift of pastries or fruit.

These items were worth much more than what they offered, and taking a return gift would not seem like paying respects, but more like seeking favors from Village Lady Le’an.

Thus, families with intentions would intentionally come early in the morning.

Just as Mrs. Dong was about to leave, she was called back by the gatekeeper from the gatehouse, who handed her a bag of oranges as a return gift, said to be at the Village Lady’s behest.

Mrs. Dong repeatedly declined, but they were still pressed into her hands by the gatekeeper. It was, after all, his duty, and not doing it would result in scolding.

The staff at Lin Wanwan’s estate had only formed in the last two years, so no seasoned veterans demanding bribes or favors had appeared yet.

Moreover, with people like Cui Ying and Ji Yue, who came out of the palace, naturally ensuring that all maids and servants were managed well.

Lin Wanwan didn’t pay much attention to these matters. With everything organized and in order, she simply felt comfortable.

Wherever there are people, there is a society. Lin Wanwan never thought of trying to make everyone equal through her own efforts.

She only ensured that in terms of food, clothing, and shelter, she didn’t mistreat any servant following her, leaving the rest to the top maids and elevated stewards.

Hiring so many people was like running a company, with leaders, department managers, vice managers, and so forth, needing proper setup so she could act as a carefree head manager.