BDSMST -Chapter 87 The Will of the People — Jiang Suisui’s Prestige

The shadow of the plague was finally dispelled through the efforts of the Peaceful Safety Decoction and the people of Woniu Village.

When the last patient recovered and stepped out of the quarantine zone, all of Yong’an County erupted in celebration.

The common people voluntarily flooded to the foot of Qingping Mountain. They did not approach the estate, but from afar, they knelt in great swathes toward the direction of Woniu Village.

“Thank you to the Marquis and Madam for saving our lives!”

“Madam is a living Bodhisattva descended to earth!”

Their cries of gratitude rose and fell like crashing waves, echoing for a long time.

Jiang Suisui stood on the hillside, looking at those sincere, grateful faces. Her heart was filled with complex emotions. What she had done was merely to apply knowledge beyond this era and follow her unwillingness to stand by and watch others die. Yet what she received in return was the most simple and genuine devotion of countless people.

This feeling—being revered by thousands—was something she had never experienced in her previous life as a powerful businesswoman, no matter how much wealth she accumulated.

From that day on, the three words “Woniu Village” became a sacred symbol in the hearts of the people of Yong’an County and even neighboring counties.

It represented not only prosperity—fresh vegetables in winter—but also safety and hope in times of disaster.

Jiang Suisui’s prestige reached its peak.

People no longer called her “the Marquis’s wife.” Instead, with reverence and affection, they addressed her as “Bodhisattva Jiang.”

Everything produced by her estate was given a sacred halo.

Strawberries were “immortal fruits” that could brighten one’s mood.

Vegetables were “spiritual greens” that strengthened the body.

Even the eggs laid by the chickens raised in the estate were reserved at high prices, rumored to prolong life.

Jiang Suisui could only laugh helplessly at this, yet she could not explain too much. She instructed Steward Fu to strictly control the output of the “Woniu Village” brand and shift toward a more high-end boutique strategy.

Scarcity made things precious. And mystery was the best marketing.

The wealth of Woniu Village accumulated rapidly, like a snowball rolling downhill.

In stark contrast stood the situation of the magistrate of Yong’an County.

At the beginning of the plague, this same magistrate had been so frightened that he shut himself indoors. After it ended, however, he brazenly submitted a memorial to the imperial court claiming credit.

In it, he portrayed himself as a calm and decisive official who loved his people like his own children. Jiang Suisui and Woniu Village were described merely as “righteous local gentry” who cooperated actively under his “wise leadership.”

Through his own channels, Gu Yan obtained a copied version of the memorial immediately.

“Utterly shameless!” Wei Ziqian cursed angrily. “That man surnamed Zhang has no shame at all! He did nothing, yet claims all the credit!”

The others in the study looked equally displeased.

Only Gu Yan and Jiang Suisui remained calm.

“Let him write,” Gu Yan said lightly, tossing the copy aside. “The more extravagantly he praises himself, the higher he lifts himself up, the harder he will fall in the future.”

Jiang Suisui lifted her teacup and gently blew on it. “The will of the people is the greatest record of merit. He may deceive the court, but he cannot deceive the hundred thousand people of Yong’an County.”

As she had predicted, although the magistrate’s memorial was sent, his reputation in Yong’an County was completely ruined.

The common people privately made up all sorts of stories to mock this so-called “Magistrate Zhang the Just.”

“Have you heard? That day, Magistrate Zhang was so scared in the yamen that he wet his pants!”

“That’s nothing! I heard he tried to sneak out the back door, but his own wife blocked him and forced him back inside!”

The rumors spread wider and more outrageous by the day. Eventually, even three-year-old children could sing a nursery rhyme:

“Magistrate Zhang feared the plague,
Hid at home and would not show.
Bodhisattva Jiang, kind of heart,
Saved us all and gave us medicine.”

Where the people’s hearts lay was perfectly clear.

After the plague ended, the estate returned to its former tranquility.

But everyone knew that something had changed.

The once-idle young dandies had undergone a complete transformation through this trial of life and death. They no longer complained about the hardship of labor, and they trained with greater diligence. When they looked at Jiang Suisui and Gu Yan, their eyes were filled with sincere admiration and conviction.

They were proud to be members of Woniu Village.

As for Xie Zi’an, he too found new purpose through the plague. Not only did he assist Jiang Suisui in managing the quarantine zone, but he also combined his medical knowledge with her “new concepts” to compile a thick manual titled Handbook on Plague Prevention and Treatment.

The handbook recorded in detail the formula for Peaceful Safety Decoction, as well as preventive measures such as quarantine, disinfection, and wearing face coverings.

“Madam, if this book could be promoted throughout the land, who knows how many lives it could save,” Xie Zi’an said solemnly as he handed the neatly copied manuscript to Jiang Suisui.

She accepted it and looked at the orderly handwriting, filled with emotion.

She knew that this small volume was worth far more than gold.

She carefully put it away and said to him, “Sir, this book is of great importance. Now is not yet the time to make it public. But I believe that one day, it will fulfill its proper role.”

Xie Zi’an nodded. He understood as well. In an era where life-saving methods could be dismissed as “unorthodox tricks,” how difficult it would be to promote a medical revolution.

But he believed in Jiang Suisui.

This woman always created miracles.

The winter sun shone warmly upon them.

Jiang Suisui stood on the ridge of a field, gazing at the revitalized farmland in the distance and the villagers working with smiles on their faces. A sense of fulfillment unlike any she had ever known filled her heart.

The paradise she had built with her own hands was not only materially prosperous but spiritually united into a force that no one could ignore.

That force came from the hearts of the people.

And she was its core.

As she took it all in, she suddenly understood the deeper meaning behind Gu Yan’s words: “Let him write.”

On this land, she already possessed something far more stable and powerful than official rank or noble title.

She turned her head to look at Gu Yan, who had been quietly standing beside her all along, and gave him a radiant smile.

Under the sunlight, her smile shone brighter than flowers blooming across the mountains.