Jiang Ling responded, put on her shoes, got out of bed, and pushed open the bedroom door.

"Are you alright?" These were the first words Magistrate Duan asked Jiang Ling upon seeing her.

Jiang Ling shook her head, sat down on the chair next to her, and replied, "You've worried me too much, sir!"

If it weren't for the presence of others, Magistrate Duan would have already grabbed Jiang Ling's hand and examined her closely. Only he knew how anxious he was when he heard Zhao Liu say that Jiang Ling had fainted.

If it weren't for his position as a county magistrate and the pile of official duties he had to handle, he would have rushed over long ago.

These past few days, I've had Zhao Liu come to Lujia Village quite often to investigate. I only felt a little relieved after hearing that Jiang Ling had woken up. To avoid arousing suspicion, I deliberately waited a few more days before coming over.

Seeing that Jiang Ling's complexion was rosy and she was in good condition, I finally felt relieved.

Magistrate Duan coughed lightly and recited his prepared remarks: "I've come here today about fertilizer. With the busy farming season approaching, I'd like to know what your opinion is about the fertilizer factory?"

Jiang Ling glanced at Magistrate Duan's anxious eyes but didn't expose him. She replied, "The fertilizer is ready, sir... Brother Duan, why don't you come with me to take a look?"

The two men led Zhao Liu to the entrance of the fertilizer plant. Before they even went inside, Magistrate Duan frowned at the pungent smell inside.

But when he glanced at Jiang Ling, there was no sign of anything amiss on her rosy face. Magistrate Duan could only suppress his physical discomfort and follow Jiang Ling inside.

The workers were still busy at work, and bags of fertilizer were neatly stacked in the warehouse next door. Magistrate Duan glanced at what the workers were holding and couldn't help but gasp, "Is this stuff really useful?"

Although he had some doubts about this thing, he trusted Jiang Ling completely.

"What should we do next?" Magistrate Duan asked Jiang Ling as they walked out of the fertilizer plant.

Jiang Ling thought for a moment and then spilled out everything she had planned: "Sir, I hope you can help with this matter. You can mainly be in charge of publicity. Although I am a lady, most people don't trust me!"

"If you provide a guarantee, people's trust in the product will increase!"

Magistrate Duan seemed to understand but not quite, but he still thought Jiang Ling was really amazing. At least, he had never thought of this during his time as magistrate.

Jiang Ling glanced at the somewhat bewildered Magistrate Duan and asked, "Brother Duan, is there something I didn't understand earlier?"

Magistrate Duan quickly shook his head, "No, no, please continue!"

"We can offer two options. The first is direct purchase with a discount. The second is a deposit and final payment arrangement, where you sign a contract, pay a small deposit to buy the fertilizer, and then pay the difference at the autumn harvest. However, this option offers no discounts!"

"Oh? Young lady, your method sounds quite unusual. Could you explain it in detail?" Magistrate Duan asked Jiang Ling with the curiosity of a child.

"After all, almost no one has ever seen or heard of fertilizer. Moreover, farmers don't earn much throughout the year. The fact that they can pay us in full shows that they have a great deal of trust in us, and we should repay them for that. As for the preferential treatment, I think we can have two options: price discounts and tax breaks!"

At this point, Jiang Ling suddenly paused, bowed to Magistrate Duan, and said, "Brother Duan, I dare to ask you for a tax incentive!"

Magistrate Duan was somewhat bewildered by Jiang Ling's sudden action. He opened his mouth and said, "Sister, please finish explaining this matter first. I don't quite understand!"

Seeing that Magistrate Duan hadn't refused her, Jiang Ling felt there was hope and continued, "Fertilizer can increase grain production, and while the tax may seem like a discount, it's actually more than before!"

Magistrate Duan was even more confused upon hearing this. He glanced at Jiang Ling somewhat embarrassedly and whispered, "Sister, it's my fault for being so dense. How can taxes be higher than before when they've been reduced?"

Jiang Ling was somewhat helpless. These ancient people really had simple ideas. She patiently continued to explain, "Suppose, I mean suppose, if a household harvests 100 catties of grain a year, according to the rules, they need to hand over one-tenth, which is 10 catties, right?"

Magistrate Duan, unaware of Jiang Ling's true intentions, did not press for details and simply nodded with a blank expression.

"If we use our fertilizer, conservatively estimating that each household can harvest 130 jin of grain per year, and pay taxes at our discounted rate of one-eleventh, it seems like we're getting a discount, but in reality, we'll harvest 12 jin of grain, while the farmer will receive 118 jin. This is almost 30 jin more than their original 90 jin. Why wouldn't we promote this mutually beneficial approach?"

Jiang Ling's words immediately enlightened Magistrate Duan. Just then, the sun shone obliquely on Jiang Ling, and the soft orange-red light made her whole body seem to be plated with a layer of golden light.

For a moment, Magistrate Duan was in a daze. Jiang Ling in front of him seemed like a fairy descended from heaven. How could he, a mere mortal, still be so delusional as to dream of spending the rest of his life with her?

Thinking of this, Magistrate Duan couldn't help but feel annoyed. "Duan Kang'an, Duan Kang'an, stop dreaming of eating swan meat like a toad. Do you think you can have the woman in front of you?"

But as soon as that voice fell, another voice followed: "Duan Kang'an, you're spineless. So what if she's a fairy? You, a dignified county magistrate, aren't good enough for her?"

The two voices clamored in Magistrate Duan's mind, giving him a real headache. Annoyed, Magistrate Duan pounded his head hard, the movement so exaggerated that Jiang Ling frowned and asked, "Brother Duan, are you feeling unwell?"

Magistrate Duan shook his head somewhat flusteredly and replied, "No...it's nothing. Then we'll do as you say. Have you chosen the time and place?"

Jiang Ling glanced at the nearly completed fertilizer plant, thought for a moment, and replied, "The location hasn't been chosen yet, but the timing will be ready once this batch of fertilizer is finished!"

"Alright, don't worry about the location. Just let me know in advance before you're ready, and I'll help you find a place! It's settled then. Take good care of yourself!" After saying this, Magistrate Duan hesitated and glanced at Zhao Liu.

Zhao Liu, being the shrewd one he was, ran up to Magistrate Duan and said to Jiang Ling and Magistrate Duan, "Sirs, it's getting late. I'll go tie up my horse first and wait for you to go back!"

After saying that, he disappeared in a flash from their sight.

Magistrate Duan pretended to reprimand her for a few words, then turned to Jiang Ling, took a bag from his pocket, placed it in Jiang Ling's hand, and scratched his head, "Um... I... this is for you! I... I'll go back first!"

After saying that, Magistrate Duan disappeared in front of Jiang Ling in a flash.

Jiang Ling stared at the vanished Magistrate Duan with a puzzled look on her face. After a long while, Jiang Ling's gaze fell on the pocket in her hand. When she saw what was in the pocket, her expression changed.