"This Zhou Jiao'e is quite a clever person."
Xie Yuan was resting in the back of the house while pregnant. Upon hearing the "news" about the new town of Hexian, she smiled and praised it.
That's really smart.
The Zhou family didn't spend a single penny; they only used some homemade pastries to mobilize all the children and teenagers in the city.
Adults wouldn't work as laborers just for a bite to eat.
The child, however, did not care.
They were young, but they were very skilled at things like pulling weeds and killing snakes.
Furthermore, the children are honest and kind-hearted, and haven't yet learned to be cunning or sly.
A group of children, big and small, boys and girls, rushed into the backyard of the government office and began to work hard with their buttocks sticking out.
With a few quick steps, a large patch of weeds in the courtyard was gone.
The children, in pairs, carried a pile of wild grass to the doorway, where a table was set up with plates of steaming pastries.
Hand in the weeds, weigh them, and if the weight is up to standard, you can get two snacks.
The two children each took a piece and quickly stuffed it into their mouths without delay.
"Delicious! So delicious!"
"It's sweet, it must have sugar in it!"
The children ate with great relish, and even the onlookers couldn't help but salivate.
As expected, they were able to receive the pastries. The children, who were still hesitating, ran into the government office without hesitation.
Some children, carrying rabbits and catching snakes, not only got prey but also pastries.
In less than three days, the backyard of the government office was cleaned up.
However, there is still a large area of water, as well as some broken walls and roofs.
Zhou Jiao'e also had a solution.
She planted several small flags on the marsh and told the children that they could win a piece of cake by hitting any of the flags with a brick or a stone.
This practice is similar to the ring toss game of later generations, and has a certain gambling element.
Humans are inherently prone to gambling.
So this time, not only children, but also some adults joined in.
With a series of smashing sounds, the swamp was slowly filled with bricks, clods of earth, stones, and other items.
All the abandoned bricks and tiles in the new town of Hexian have been collected.
The people then went outside the city, even crossing the bridge, to collect stones and bricks in Crescent Moon New City.
A few more days passed, and the puddle was filled in. Zhou Jiao'e also harvested a pile of building materials such as bricks, stones, and tiles.
They found craftsmen to use these discarded materials to repair the walls and roof.
Half a month has passed, and the backyard of the government office has been completely renovated!
The Zhou family only spent a small amount on labor costs.
Zhou Jiao'e, who was in charge of the whole matter, also felt that she deserved to be called "clever".
Xie Yuan recalled seeing a similar plot in a miscellaneous record or novel from the Song Dynasty.
She did not doubt that Zhou Jiao'e was "one of their kind," because Zhou Jiao'e's words and actions were those of an ancient woman.
If they're not a time traveler, then they're truly intelligent.
Therefore, Xie Yuan would never underestimate the wisdom of the ancients.
"You're being a bit stingy!" Petty!
Ruyi stayed by Xie Yuan's side, helping her comb her hair and massaging her shoulders and back.
She was a servant of the Xie family and grew up in the Xie family.
Her insight and temperament are even higher than those of some young ladies from humble families.
She looked down on Zhou Jiao'e's opportunistic approach, saying, "The Zhou family isn't short of money."
"When we were in the Prince's residence, Your Highness never mistreated the Zhou family financially."
"When Chief Clerk Zhou was promoted to Prefect, you even sent someone to deliver a gift of money, as well as moving expenses and resettlement allowance."
Ruyi certainly has reason to complain.
Zhou Wencheng may not have any real power in the Yue King's mansion, but he is not short of money.
His monthly salary, as well as the special bonuses, benefits, and year-end bonuses provided by the Prince's Mansion, were all paid to him in full.
The Prince's Mansion also provided a small courtyard on the back street for free, along with subsidies for meals and other services.
It can be said that during the two years that Zhou Wencheng's family lived in the Yue Prince's Mansion, they hardly spent any of their own money.
Over time, the Zhou family accumulated a considerable amount of money.
They might not be considered extremely wealthy, but spending a few dozen taels of silver to buy some new bricks and tiles was no problem.
Why resort to such petty tricks?
Xie Yuan laughed, "You just don't understand!"
There's a rule in officialdom: "Officials don't repair their offices."
This means that no matter how dilapidated the government office is, officials cannot use their own money to repair it.
Firstly, the government offices remain, but the officials come and go.
Whether it's a county magistrate or a prefect, they don't stay in the government office for their entire lives. At most, they serve three terms, and at least one. When their term is up, they leave.
If you spend money to build a house, but can't take it with you when you leave, isn't that a huge loss?
Secondly, if government offices are renovated too well, it may lead the people to mistakenly believe that officials are corrupt.
While this may be true, it cannot be made public.
Over time, this became a convention.
Although Zhou Jiao'e was a woman, she understood the rules of officialdom.
Unfortunately, the governor's mansion was so dilapidated that the family couldn't live there without repairs.
To repair the house, they couldn't break the "rules," so they came up with this solution.
Moreover, this method has another advantage—it allows people to enjoy themselves together!
Zhou Jiao'e used plates of pastries and various "games" to let the people of Hexian New Town know that the newly arrived Prefect Zhou was a good official who cared for the people and kept his promises.
He's not the same kind of person as that corrupt official Cui from before.
People, drawn by the pastries and the excitement, rushed into the governor's mansion, a place they had never been before.
Then they discovered that this imposing government office was nothing special.
The walls are made of bricks, and the roofs are made of tiles.
The family members of Prefect Zhou were also kind, approachable and friendly.
The governor's mansion seemed to have come down from its pedestal, and its way of doing things was very down-to-earth.
After eating the pastries from the governor's mansion and witnessing its "gentle" nature, the people naturally developed a favorable impression of it.
If Zhou Wencheng were to implement some more policies that benefit the people, his image as an honest official who "stands up for the people" would be firmly established.
"Fine!"
Xie Yuan cradled her round belly, feeling the baby's strong movements.
Her heart, which had just hardened, softened again.
"Zhou Jiao'e is clever, and Zhou Wencheng, although a bit pedantic, still wants to do some practical things for the people, so perhaps he can become a good official!"
"If that's the case, then I'll help him out and give him another big gift!"
Xie Yuan's statement, "I'll help him out," wasn't actually an expression of excessive compassion.
This matter itself also benefits the Prince of Yue's residence.
She is pregnant, about to give birth, and will need several more months to recover.
Helian Jue, having just conquered Luozhou, also needs to rest and digest his gains.
Therefore, the Yue King's Palace must keep a low profile.
At this point, pushing the governor's mansion up a notch would both diminish the power of the Prince of Yue's mansion and reassure the people in the capital.
Incidentally, it will also make Zhou Wencheng owe a huge favor!
The generous gift from the Prince of Yue's mansion is not something easily accepted.
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