HLnovel Chapter 1073 It’s not a bad thing for a woman to be ambitious
Chapter 1073 It’s not a bad thing for a woman to be ambitious
Shen Zheng thought of the agricultural books she had read before.
There is a saying in the book: If cattle get cold in late summer and are not treated in time, nine out of ten will die.
If a cow is infected with a cold for more than ten days, it will become critically ill and eventually die of organ failure.
A strong cow needs to be well raised for two to three years before it can be fully used for farming. For the tenants on the farm, the death of a cow is a huge loss.
Shen Zheng's eyes grew colder as she asked Zhang Diannong, "What else did Mei Li say?"
"Master Li said..." Zhang Diannong was selecting fodder for the oxen and whispered, "He said it's common for oxen to catch cold and they usually recover in a few days. He said I was ignorant and treated the oxen like my ancestors..."
As he spoke, he blew his nose hard and said in a deep voice, "It's common for cows to catch cold, but I can see that this time is different. This cold has lasted too long. One cow will spread to two cows, and two cows will spread to five cows. If this continues... I'm afraid all of them will be infected. There are twenty cows here..."
Never mind twenty cows.
Even a cow is something that ordinary tenant farmers cannot afford.
Although these cows belong to the farm and not theirs, isn't the extra 10% rent they pay every year the cost of raising the cows?
If the cattle are gone, the tenant farmers will suffer.
"I understand." Shen Zheng suppressed her emotions, took out the token from her bosom, handed it to Zhang Diannong, and said, "Go to the mudflats on the right bank of the stream and find a doctor named Li. Give him the token and ask him to come over."
Looking at the gleaming silver token, Zhang Diannong took it tremblingly, "Doctor Li... are you a veterinarian?"
Shen Zheng paused for a moment at his question. "The mechanism of cold symptoms is common to both humans and animals. You can go now."
A look of loss flashed across Zhang Diannong's eyes. He sighed lightly and turned away.
"Please don't blame Uncle Zhang for being rude." Watching Zhang Diannong leave, Mei Rui explained, "Uncle Zhang sought out a doctor from the next village. He said... he treats humans, not animals. He also said Uncle Zhang's behavior insulted his medical skills."
Shen Zheng sneered when she heard this.
He doesn't have much ability, but he's very arrogant.
Mei Rui carefully observed Shen Zheng's expression. Seeing that Shen Zheng didn't say anything, she knelt down.
"I am guilty, and I beg your Excellency to punish me." She looked up, ignoring the mud on the ground. "I knew that my brother had embezzled the repair funds and was perfunctory in repairing the shed, but I didn't report it to Father. Instead, I led you here under the pretext of 'picking pears', trying to exploit your trust in me."
She paused, her fingertips clenching the willow branches in her arms, her voice growing firmer. "But I know very well that my father is soft-hearted. Even if he knew, he wouldn't punish my brother severely. The tenants, out of fear, dare not expose my brother's actions in public. Therefore, I am the only one who can expose this matter."
"If I remain silent and allow my brother to continue like this, the cowshed will collapse, the oxen will die, the tenants will run away, the autumn harvest will be ruined, and the Mei family... will no longer be able to watch over Xiliu Manor for you, sir. I simply cannot bear to watch all this happen, so... no matter what, I feel guilty, and I ask for your punishment!"
After saying this, she banged her forehead heavily on the muddy ground. She did not wipe the mud off, but continued: "I will accept any punishment from you, sir. But I beg you to save those oxen first."
Shen Zheng was silent and looked down at her.
After calming down, Shen Zheng smiled and said, "You've said so much, but the actual point is only one thing."
The mud on Mei Rui's forehead slid down her cheeks, and she stared at Shen Zheng blankly.
Shen Zheng said, "The Mei family has protected Xiliu Manor for decades and is considered half-owner of it. If nothing unexpected had happened, Mei Li might have been the next steward of Xiliu Manor. But you know full well that Mei Li is incompetent and not suited to be a steward. You're afraid that the Mei family will be destroyed in his hands, and that your father's years of hard work will be ruined. That's why you've taken the righteous course of action today, right?"
Mei Rui's heart skipped a beat.
Shen Zheng continued, "It's a good thing that you have ambition and are willing to consider the family. I don't hate your ambition, nor do I hate that you used me as a pawn, but I do hate that you ignored the oxen in the shed in order to scheme against Mei Li."
"You clearly have the ability to resolve the current situation, but you allowed it to escalate, waiting until it was nearly over before you exposed it to the public. Your goal was to deal a heavy blow to your brother, Mei Li. You achieved your goal, but what about Old Man Zhang's worries and the ox's pain? Were they all used as leverage to scheme against Mei Li?"
After hearing the last part, Mei Rui's shoulders began to tremble.
The muddy water slid down her cheeks into her collar, and the cold touch made her heart chill.
She should have thought of it earlier.
The moment Lord Shen saw Uncle Zhang, he saw through her calculations. How could he not understand her thoughts?
She thought everything was under her control.
She thought that by checking the condition of the oxen every day, she could make the oxen "sick but not dead."
But what Lord Shen said woke her up.
She is not a doctor, so how can she guarantee that the oxen will not die from illness for a long time?
After all, she was just hoping for a lucky break. While thinking about defeating Mei Li, she prayed in her heart that the ox would not die from the illness.
Her teeth chattered and the willow branch in her hand was broken.
Her voice was no longer as resolute as before. "Your Excellency is right. I...have no words to refute. I was eager for quick success and instant benefits, and in order to make this matter a big deal, I watched the ox suffer for a few more days. I...I have one ounce and two cents here, and I have six ounces of silver in my room. I will use it all to treat the ox."
As she spoke, she hurriedly took out her purse and handed it to Shen Zheng with both hands.
Shen Zheng had been observing her expression.
False determination, real fear, real panic, real worry...
In just a short moment, her expression changed several times, and Shen Zheng's mood also changed several times.
"Get up first and wipe off the mud." Shen Zheng didn't take her purse, but said, "First, treat the cow, then punish Mei Li, and finally, we'll talk about your business."
This was not the first time Shen Zheng had met someone with Mei Rui's temperament.
But every time they met, she would be troubled.
She never thought it was a bad thing for women to be ambitious, and she supported women to fight and compete. However, Mei Rui's act of plotting against Mei Li by "protecting the cow" had a certain meaning of "using any means to achieve the goal".
This action needs to be punished, but how should it be punished?
Shen Zheng thought that she needed to go back to the mudflats, listen to what Grandma Gu had to say, and then make a decision.
"The doctor is here!" Just as he was thinking about it, Zhang Diannong rushed back with Li Shiyuan.
Li Shiyuan nodded to Shen Zheng and walked straight to the cowshed to check the condition of the working oxen.
"Miss Rui'er?" Zhang Diannong was startled when he saw the mud and water on Mei Rui's body. "What happened to you? Did you accidentally fall? Go change into dry clothes quickly. We're watching you here!"
Mei Rui didn't dare to look up at him and whispered, "Uncle Zhang, I'm sorry..."