Arc 15The Nie Family and the Famine
Zhou Wanwan outmaneuvered the Nie Family, won a public contest for the Zhou brothers, and used her power to leave the Nie household in disarray. As famine worsened, she organized relief and a farming plan for refugees, then returned to the Nie Family’s new residence and was drawn into a gathering of young ladies.
- Zhou Wanwan revived Xiao Che and took him into her service, while Old Scholar Tree secretly carried the Nie residence and its treasures away.
- At the lotus-viewing banquet, Zhou Wanwan wagered on the sweet potato harvest and arranged a match between the Zhou brothers and Nie Feng’s companions, then Zhou Qingchen and Shen Yunshu’s prospective marriage became a public dispute.
- The Zhou brothers defeated Nie Feng’s group in combat, cuju, and archery, and Zhou Wanwan collected the wagers for her supporters.
- Zhou Wanwan used Old Scholar Tree’s power to remove the Nie residence again and humiliated Nie Feng after he tried to have her beaten.
- Zhou Wanwan confronted officials over starving refugees, learned of Cheng Yue’s developmental difficulties, and advised county magistrates to prepare water, grain, and coarse-grain relief.
- Zhou Wanwan proposed porridge and a farming plan using sweet potatoes and cassava, and Shen Yu'an recruited refugees to cultivate leased wasteland.
- Nie Rou and the Nie family moved to the Cui household, where Zhou Wanwan sold fruit and served a seafood feast to Nie Rou and the Cui sisters.
- At Cui Yingying’s gathering, Lu Lan warned the young ladies about Zhou Wanwan and revealed that the Nie Family’s wager winnings had been stolen, after which Cui Yingying ordered Zhou Wanwan to bring out her rare flowers.