On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhang Hulan bought a few more pigs and slaughtered them.
At the end of the afternoon, she let the working villagers go home and notified them to collect their wages at the village entrance.
Zhang Hulan paid all the villagers' wages, gave each of them an extra thirty coins, and also gave each of them two kilograms of pork.
Zhang Hulan received a lot of words of thanks again.
After distributing the villagers' wages and meat, Zhang Hulan left a pig for the servants she bought for them to eat during the New Year.
Zhang Hulan also gave some money to the forty-five people as a New Year's gift.
It wasn't much, only 100 coins per person, but it still made those people very happy.
It was the first time for those servants to meet such a good boss.
Everyone else has a holiday, but the braised meat business is still going on and I can’t take a break until the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.
Not only can I not take a holiday early, but the workload has also increased.
Many people buy meat during the Chinese New Year, so business is much better than usual.
And the sausages could be sold. Zhang Hulan asked Zhang Hujun and others to take the sausages to ask the three shopkeepers if they wanted to sell them. If they didn't want to sell them, she would sell them herself.
The price of sausages is one hundred coins per pound.
Zhang Hulan was also busy. She went to the county government office on the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month.
Wu Deyong and Ye Hongyun have already returned to the capital. She went to give gifts to Xiong Zhubu and Hu Xiancheng.
Instead of giving them any money, Zhang Hulan gave each of them five pounds of sausages and a cured pork trotter.
When Chief Clerk Xiong and County Magistrate Hu saw Zhang Hulan giving them something, they both thought that Zhang Hulan wanted their help with something.
Xiong Zhubu asked, "What can I do for you?"
Zhang Hulan smiled and said, "I have nothing to ask you two masters. I just made some food at home and sent some to you two masters. I hope you don't mind."
Chief Clerk Xiong and County Magistrate Hu were a little skeptical. How could one give gifts without asking for favors?
But Zhang Hulan thought differently.
She estimated that Wu Deyong was here to gild his reputation and would stay in Changning County for three years at most. When his three-year term was up, he would definitely be transferred back to the capital.
But the county yamen’s chief clerk and county magistrate are different; they won’t leave for a while.
If she could establish good relations with Chief Clerk Xiong and County Magistrate Hu, when a new county magistrate was transferred in the future, she would at least have someone she could speak to in the county government office.
And it’s a rule not to ask someone to do something for you when giving a gift.
If you don't build good relationships with people before, you will only think of them when you need help. Why should they help you? They don't need your help.
Therefore, the relationship must be maintained in advance, and the gift-giving must not stop, it must be done every year.
If you can give gifts for three years and see that there is no need for help, and you suddenly stop giving gifts in the fourth year, then the gifts you gave in the previous three years are just given in vain.
In the fifth year, when you suddenly encounter problems and need help from others, if you want to use the favors you had before, they will simply ignore you.
Xiong Zhubu said: "Just tell us what you need, we will help you if we can.
The county magistrate said hello before he left, saying that if you need help with anything, he can help you as long as it does not violate the principles. "
Zhang Hulan felt a little touched. This must be the greeting Ye Hongyun asked Wu Deyong to say.
"Master Xiong has misunderstood. I really don't need any help." Zhang Hulan said, "To be honest with you, my Lords, these are also the things I sent to Lord Wu.
I have troubled you two many times before, so this is my token of appreciation."
When Chief Clerk Xiong and County Magistrate Hu heard Zhang Hulan say that she had given the same two things to County Magistrate Wu, they smiled and accepted the things.
The main thing is that it’s not something valuable, so there won’t be any big problem if the two of them accept it.
County Magistrate Wu is very strict now. If Zhang Hulan gives money, Chief Clerk Xiong and County Magistrate Hu would not dare to accept it.
Seeing that Chief Secretary Xiong and County Magistrate Hu had collected their things, Zhang Hulan smiled and said goodbye, "Then I won't bother you two anymore. I wish you two a happy new year and happiness to your family in advance!"
Chief Secretary Xiong and County Magistrate Hu both bowed to Zhang Hulan and said, "Happy New Year!"
Zhang Hulan came out of the county government office and stuffed a piece of silver into each of the yamen runners' pockets at the door. "The New Year is coming soon, brothers, take this and buy some wine."
Zhang Hulan stuffed the change into the hands of several yamen runners and left. The runners looked at each other in bewilderment.
A bailiff said, "This woman is quite interesting..."
Another yamen runner said, "She gave me money before, but not as generously as she is now. It seems she has become rich."
Another yamen runner said, "Didn't you recognize him? This man has a good relationship with the county magistrate and often comes to visit the county magistrate's wife."
Several yamen runners seemed to be thinking about something. They all took note of it in their hearts and decided to be more polite to Zhang Hulan in the future and lend a hand when needed.
Zhang Hulan was planning to deliver sausages and cured pork trotters to Fu Xiyang, but the academy was on holiday and Fu Xiyang was not there.
…
On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, after Zhou and her colleagues finished their work in the evening, Zhang Hulan paid them their wages.
Each person was given an extra thirty cents as wages, and the pork was given to them in advance on the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month.
Zhou asked: "Hu Lan, then we won't come over tomorrow?"
Zhang Hulan nodded and said, "I won't come tomorrow. Let's prepare for the Chinese New Year."
Zhou asked again: "When do we start work?"
Zhang Hulan thought for a moment and said, "Let's start two days earlier, on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. If everyone wants to play a few more days, that's fine, or a few days later."
"No need to be late, no need to be late..." Zhou said hurriedly, "Don't even mention the fifth day, even the first day is fine. Playing for a day costs dozens of coins, and it hurts me to play."
Zhang Hulan smiled and said, "Aunt Zhou, there is no end to the money you can make. You should have a good New Year and make a lot of money next year."
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