There was more surprise. Luo Changqi and the others calmed down and said, "There is one more thing next."
Everyone pricked up their ears and listened carefully.
"Madam is kind enough to let me buy quilts and clothes for you. Each of you will get a quilt and two sets of clothes and shoes. Line up in a while and receive them one by one. I will register your names."
"What? Are you going to give us blankets and clothes?"
Someone took the lead and knelt down, kowtowed and shouted: "Thank you, Madam! Madam is a living Bodhisattva who saves people from suffering..."
Someone took the lead, and the others followed suit, kneeling on the ground, kowtowed, and shouted, "Thank you, Madam! Madam is truly the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva..."
Luo Changqi said: "Don't kneel to me, you should kneel to thank the lady after you see her."
Chuntao and Zhu'er had already come and were waiting, and then Luo Changqi and the others distributed quilts and clothes to everyone one by one, registering each person's name.
After receiving the quilts and clothes, the people kept saying thank you.
The next day, Zhang Hulan heard rumors that she was the reincarnation of a bodhisattva. Zhang Hulan knew that Luo Changqi and his men must have done something, and she was convinced by them.
But Zhang Hulan didn't laugh for long before she couldn't laugh anymore.
On the third day after Zhang Hulan brought the beggars back, a yamen runner came to her and said, "Ms. Zhang, the county magistrate wants to see you. Come with me to the county yamen now."
Zhang Hulan thought that Wang Xingren's men had arrived and were calling her over, so she planned to take Zhang Dahua with her.
Zhang Dahua knows everything, and Zhang Hulan plans to let Zhang Dahua teach those people.
The yamen runner who delivered the message had received money from Zhang Hulan during the New Year. He asked, "Did you do something to displease the county magistrate? The county magistrate seems a little angry. You should be more careful."
"What? What did I do to make the county magistrate unhappy?" Zhang Hulan thought back. She didn't do anything. Could it be that she gave a gift to the county magistrate Wei during the New Year?
Logically speaking, such a small matter should not offend County Magistrate Wu, and so much time has passed.
If you offend County Magistrate Wu, you will have to be more careful in what you do in the future.
Zhang Hulan followed the bailiff to the county government office with a nervous heart. Luo Changqi was very busy now, so Dong Jianyong drove the carriage for Zhang Hulan.
Not far from the village, two figures emerged from the woods.
After waiting for three days, Zhang Hulan finally left the village.
Huang San asked: "Brother, that is the carriage of the woman named Zhang, right? Do you want to do something?"
Ma Er said, "Don't you see the guards here? Do you want to die if you attack her now? We can wait until she comes back."
…
Arriving at the county government office, Zhang Hulan felt relieved, but another thing also made her feel bad.
Wu Deyong said to Zhang Hulan, "Yesterday, I went to the countryside to inspect the construction of the reservoir and heard some rumors. It was said that you didn't want to spend money to hire people to open up the wasteland and do the work, so you found a lot of beggars from outside to work for you, and there were also many underage children? The youngest was only four or five years old?"
Ye Hongyun looked at Zhang Hulan with strange eyes. She didn't expect Zhang Hulan to be such a person. If that was the case, then she had misjudged him.
Zhang Hulan replied, "Your Excellency, I did bring back some beggars from outside, more than 70 of them. They are all old people and children. The oldest should be almost 70 years old, and the youngest are only about 5 or 6 years old. Most of them are children, about 40 of them."
Seeing Zhang Hulan admitting it so readily, Ye Hongyun smiled. If Zhang Hulan felt guilty, she would definitely not admit it so openly.
Zhang Hulan continued, "I went to the city a few days ago to do some work and saw many beggars in the city.
I was very surprised at that time. Our county had many beggars and refugees during the famine years before the New Year. Since you took office, there are almost no beggars in the city.
Logically speaking, a provincial capital, not a county town, should be prosperous and wealthy, so why are there so many beggars?
The woman wanted to help them, but thought it was better to have a full meal every day, so she brought the beggars back.
The woman provided them with food and lodging, bought them blankets and clothes, and paid them wages every month, but the wages were a little too little.
But they are too old to work like adults. So I pay 200 coins a month to those over 12 years old, 100 coins to those under 12 years old, and 50 coins to those under 8 years old.
Ye Hongyun glanced at Zhang Hulan. This guy flattered her so naturally.
Ye Hongyun then asked in surprise: "You also pay children under eight years old?"
Zhang Hulan nodded, "Yes. They worked, so they should all be paid.
I want those children to know that they support themselves with their own hands.”
Wu Deyong also smiled. He pressed his hand towards Zhang Hulan and said, "Sit down and talk."
After Zhang Hulan sat down, Wu Deyong spoke again, "I went to Daliang Village yesterday and didn't really believe the rumors when I heard them, but I still had to call you over to ask."
Wu Deyong then asked: "Can those five or six-year-old children also work?"
Zhang Hulan nodded and smiled, "They are capable. You can ask them to plant seeds or pick up rocks from the ground. These are all relatively easy tasks for them.
Although they said they were working, the younger children just thought they were playing. They played around while working, and trampled the tilled ground to make it firm.
Ye Hongyun smiled and said, "It must be very lively with so many children."
Zhang Hulan also laughed and said, "Yes, especially when it's time to eat, the children run to the dining area crying, it's funny and sad to watch."
Ye Hongyun really wanted to see what the scene was like, so he said, "I'll go to your place tomorrow to take a look."
"Welcome, Madam."
After explaining the matter clearly, Wu Deyong let Zhang Hulan leave and said that he would visit Daping Village tomorrow as well.
After leaving the county government office, Zhang Hulan and Dong Jianyong walked back.
In the carriage, Zhang Hulan told Dong Jianyong the reason why Wu Deyong came to see her.
Dong Jianyong's eyes were blazing with fire, "They are all ungrateful wolves."
Zhang Hulan said: "Uncle Dong, when you go back, go to the other two villages to ask if there are any similar rumors.
If there are any, we will pay the villagers from other villages their wages so that they don’t have to come here in the future.
If only Daliang Village is spreading the news, then let the people from Daliang Village not come.
No matter who spread the rumor or which village it came from, we don’t want anyone from that village.”
Dong Jianyong nodded, "Okay, that's the way it should be. There's no need to be too nice to people who have no conscience."
The carriage had already entered the territory of Daping Village. Suddenly, a person was lying on the roadside in front of us, wailing, "Please, help me..."
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