The Exiled Villainess and Her Shopping Dimension

Chapter 171

Yueqian smiled slightly upon hearing that. This was one of Mu Heng’s strengths. Regardless of who it was, whether a person was male or female, a mere worker, or someone of high status, he never discriminated. If someone treated him well, he reciprocated with respect, listened to their opinions, and valued their importance, especially if they were under his command. He would never take advantage of others and was always ready to make sacrifices.

As his wife, Yueqian was happy to stand beside such a great man.

It wasn’t that the 500 soldiers didn’t feel anything; they kept this feeling to themselves. They had already witnessed his generosity during their journey, especially concerning food, but it hadn’t touched them as profoundly as it did now.

At this moment, Mu Heng was spending money on them even before any work had begun. Despite Red Earth City being almost a ghost town, he didn’t feel the need to act selfishly or prioritize his survival. All Governor Mu’s orders were focused on their well-being. How could they not admire him more?

Mu Heng delegated the task of organizing the accommodations to his master, the former general of the Du Region. With his extensive experience, the former general was well-versed in managing personnel. Mu Heng had given him a sum of money. If there was anything he wanted to improve, he could handle it. In the future, he hoped this man would become the training instructor for his army.

Afterward, he took his small family to the actual Governor’s manor. The manor wasn’t very large but still bigger than the one Yueqian had bought in the capital. For the six of them, it was quite spacious.

Of course, Yueqian wouldn’t let the household remain so small. She planned to hire additional workers to help out. Her plan was not to hire them directly for the Governor’s manor but for the overall estate. Similar to the two workers who took care of the trees and grounds, she wanted them to see the smaller Governor’s manor as part of their responsibility, treating it like another room or courtyard to clean occasionally.

As for food, Yueqian had no concerns. She could cook and believed that preparing meals herself was far better. At least she could use ingredients from the department store and wouldn’t have to endure the bland food they typically had.

Dividing the sleeping quarters wasn’t difficult, as there were more than enough rooms for just the six of them. Yueqian left many rooms unused, allowing Qu Yi and the children to help with the housework while she went to the wooden building used as the office and library by the previous Governors.

The young woman pretended to check the room’s tidiness but simultaneously signaled, summoning a man in black from the shadows.

"Please send a message to Brother Yuandong. I have arrived safely. The epidemic is as expected, and it can be handled. However, I need you to help find more herbs, and..." Yueqian glanced at the letter in her hand before handing it to the other party.

"There are other important requests in this letter. Please take it with you," the young woman said seriously. The man nodded before disappearing into the shadows again.

The two exchanged only a few words but communicated efficiently. It was obvious how great their abilities were.

After delivering the message, Yueqian inspected the workspace. It seemed the former Governor valued his privacy highly, as there was only one desk and a small tea table for one person. This indicated he didn’t want others bothering him.

But Yueqian and Mu Heng didn’t operate that way. They respected each other and had their own work to attend to, without interfering in each other’s tasks.

Mu Heng knew that Yueqian was a writer, a famous author who earned a substantial income. She said it was one of her joys, so he didn’t forbid it and even helped her work more efficiently.

Initially, Mu Heng didn’t have a defined job. At most, he practiced calligraphy to earn some money. However, recently, he started studying combat strategies, planning, development, social frameworks, and more. Therefore, Mu Heng spent his time quietly learning, while Yueqian copied novels from those available at the department store.

Sometimes, the children joined them, but they didn’t make noise. The children knew how to read and write, so they spent their time learning by reading books they were interested in. They were very well-behaved, and even though their older siblings didn’t say much, the two younger ones understood that developing this remote city was a challenging task. They stopped running around and instead dedicated their time to reading those beneficial books.

Yueqian saw this and supported it, often becoming their teacher. She would guide them when they misunderstood something or answer their questions if they didn’t understand a part of what they were reading.

Therefore, the study room needed some renovations. She understood that some of her husband’s future work would be confidential and not something she or the children should be involved in. However, Yueqian had a vision of how a study should look based on her time. She planned to divide the room into different sections: a private area for confidential work, a room for meetings, an open space for knowledge exchange, and a cozy reading corner for relaxation.

Implementing these changes wouldn’t be too difficult. After all, her husband had the help of over 500 soldiers. Besides, this plan wasn’t urgent. They wouldn’t have much to do until the epidemic was fully dealt with. It was expected that the problem they would encounter would mostly be treating people.

Based on her estimates, it would take about seven days for the 500 soldiers to build their accommodations. During this time, they could also rest from their long journey. After that, she planned to have them construct a simple, permanent camp to house the sick. This camp would be a free treatment facility.

When someone in a household fell ill, they could bring the patient to the camp for treatment without having to care for them at home. Although they might have to pay a bit, the cost would be much lower than that of regular doctors.

Initially, this plan would likely face opposition from village doctors. However, humans are highly adaptable. Yueqian planned to recruit skilled personnel to work for the government, offering them a salary. This meant they wouldn’t need to stockpile their own medicine or work risky jobs, as they would receive regular pay and benefits like holidays and leave. In exchange, they would share their medical knowledge.

She did not believe that once this system was in place, many would want to work at her medical facility. After gathering a group of skilled healers, she would establish a school for children interested in learning and working in healthcare. She could incentivize doctors by offering extra pay for teaching.

Traditionally, doctors sought apprentices to pass on their knowledge. However, children from poor families often saw becoming a doctor as a waste of time. Even after learning the skills, they felt it wasn’t worth it. They believed it was better to send their children to become scholars. Yueqian, however, wouldn’t let them think this way.

What do scholars have that doctors don’t? Money? Benefits like holidays? Titles and ranks?

Fine, she would establish these for them. She would support their abilities, build it up, and lay a foundation that would make the city enviable.

This wasn’t because Yueqian expected her and her husband to stay there forever. It was part of her husband’s plan to make the nomadic tribes willingly join Red Earth City, avoiding conflict and loss.

She had discussed this with him extensively, ultimately relying on the concepts she knew.

From Yueqian’s experience, for countries where the people were living in hardship, with little welfare, and living in poverty, it was not a big deal if the people did not see examples from other countries. However, many times, when they had the opportunity to compare and witnessed the advantages of other countries, they often willingly chose to join those communities.

In the country she used to live in, welfare benefits were better than in neighboring countries. Within ten years, most of the labor force consisted of migrant workers.

Having seen that strict measures didn’t work, Yueqian suggested to Mu Heng that they use the methods she had observed. Even if people from other tribes didn’t fall into the trap, the citizens’ lives in this city would improve. So, taking action wouldn’t hurt, would it?

When they paid for protection, everyone felt much more secure, knowing that illness wouldn’t be as difficult to handle as before. Every year, villagers had to set aside money for emergencies, education for their children, weddings, medical expenses, and food.

With medical costs reduced by more than half, they could use the saved money, boosting the economy. Eventually, this would lead to increased tax revenue because they had more capital for investment and didn’t need to spend time caring for the sick at home. All this would benefit the city and enhance Mu Heng’s reputation.

After planning the first hospital in the region, Yueqian turned her attention to the people’s sustenance. One of their major expenses was the high cost of food. Every time they went shopping, it was costly. If they lacked the funds or time to travel to other cities, they had to wait for middlemen to come to the city, allowing them to make a substantial profit.

This issue was just as important. If it weren’t for the severe epidemic the city was facing, the first thing Yueqian would address would be food supplies!

"Qian’er?" Her husband’s deep voice called from outside the library. Yueqian walked out to meet him, knowing she had been in there for quite a while. This was a new place, their future home, but they still needed to be cautious.

"Dear," the beautiful woman smiled gently at him. Mu Heng nodded and carefully helped his wife out of the room. Yueqian didn’t resist his care, extending her pale hand for him to hold. The couple squeezed hands lightly, signaling to Mu Heng that she had successfully sent her message.

"When do you plan to have Qu Yi manage the shop in the nearby city?" Mu Heng asked his wife.

"I think it would be best to wait until after the epidemic is dealt with. By then, Qu Yi can also build a story around her embroidery."

"A story about her embroidery?"

"Yes. People in well-to-do cities love to have something to boast about. Once Qu Yi showcases her skills, she can share her life story as well. She can present herself as a young girl who lost her parents to the epidemic. If it weren’t for her mother’s love of embroidery, she might have taken her own life. This way, those who buy her embroidery will feel they are helping her continue living, not letting her go without money to buy fabric, not letting her be without a purpose in life."

"After a while, as her business improves, she will be known as a resilient fighter. From a woman who had nothing, she became a strong woman admired by many. Her shop, run by the only female entrepreneur in the region, will become a model for other women."

Yueqian spoke as if she had already seen the future unfold. This was based on Qu Yi’s experience when she was with Liu Sun. Qu Yi’s mother had indeed passed away, and the young girl had similar thoughts. Fortunately, Yueqian found her early, and Qu Yi was fortunate to have Yueqian by her side. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Qu Yi’s future work would captivate the upper-class women, not just because of her craftsmanship but because she represented strength and resilience. Noble daughters, furens, consorts, and even the empress would love garments embroidered by her.Therefore, Yueqian was very confident in this plan. However, it would need to be delayed a bit. Qu Yi’s original identity was from the Du Region, so she would need to establish a new identity here first. The period when she becomes widely known would be an excellent time for her grand introduction.