The eunuch of the Prince's mansion said that Jiang Zhi could leave, but Jiang Zhi still stubbornly stayed for three more days, behaving exactly like a greedy country woman.
Not only did she receive her custom-made distiller, but she also learned from the gate of Dahuang that Magistrate Zhang's reply had already been sent from the post station, and that there were other rewards for her inside. Only then did she prepare to go home.
Jiang's wife was leaving again, and Qin was reluctant to let her go. She pulled her along for several steps, repeatedly urging, "You must come to see me again in a few months!"
Jiang Zhi had already promised to come and accompany Qin Shi before she gave birth, and she mentioned this several times.
Jiang Zhi was both amused and exasperated: "You're not just three years old anymore. The shrewish and domineering Aunt Qin from before is really getting worse as she gets older."
Now that Qin is in a good mood and has a better temper, she's become quite clingy, all because Li Laoshi spoiled her.
“I’ve already asked Li Laoshi to find another place, preferably one with a shop in the front and a yard in the back. You and he can move out together from now on,” Jiang Zhi said.
Li Laoshi and Qin Shi were saving money for medical treatment, and their living conditions were too poor. As Qin Shi's pregnancy progressed, her body became heavier, and it was inconvenient to live in those moss-covered alleys.
Besides, they needed to open a shop and do business, so this couple was perfect for managing the shop.
Jiang Zhi has already made arrangements with the Nie family; this business is a collaboration with them, and they will help and take care of Li Laoshi's affairs.
They were also told not to stand out, but to focus on doing business, and that what was meant to come would come, and what was meant to be would be.
The male protagonist has already begun to gain momentum, which was actually quickly revealed when the Nie family turmoil was suppressed.
The Nie family were naturally intelligent. They had personally witnessed Jiang Zhi entering and leaving the Prince's mansion, and they understood that the more successful Xiao Tian became, the more low-key their family should be.
Fan Tian couldn't easily visit his family right now, and it wasn't the time for the Nie family to show off, so he agreed.
The two companies also agreed on the method of sending the letters.
Previously, Li Laoshi could only deliver goods to Xujia Village via the post station outside the city; Xujia Village had no way to deliver them into the city.
Jiang Zhi now realized that as long as you paid money, there would be people who would deliver messages and goods, just like the guides outside the city.
With all communication barriers resolved, Jiang Zhicai left in the post station's carriage, hiring a镖局 (security escort agency) to see him off. He didn't linger on the road and headed straight home.
Back in Xujia Village, Jiang Zhi didn't even get a break before being summoned to the county government office.
Magistrate Zhang was like an NPC issuing a quest: "The Prince wants you to build schools in all the villages!"
Jiang Zhi had prepared for this long ago. King Zhou had said he would repair it, but he hadn't said how much or how much to repair.
The construction should be modeled after Qingquan Academy, with labor provided by the villagers. It would only cost five taels of silver to build two mud houses, and the total cost for all fifty-two villages in the county would be less than three hundred taels. Any surplus would naturally belong to Jiang Zhi.
"What are Magistrate Zhang's plans?" Jiang Zhi decided to follow orders.
Zhang Zheng replied, "This is a perk the Prince gave you, so naturally you can arrange it!"
Jiang Zhi immediately became serious. These seasoned veterans' every word contained a hidden meaning: "What do you mean by that?"
Magistrate Zhang had known Jiang Zhi for several years and knew that this woman was shrewd and capable in doing practical things, but he still didn't understand these official matters.
The benefits the prince is offering now only require a little maneuvering; it's all about power and manipulation.
He smiled slightly and said, "The more these villages are repaired, the deeper the water will become, depending on who repairs them."
The qualification to repair a school can be obtained by having villages send medicinal herbs in exchange, or as a reward for their good academic performance; it absolutely cannot be a house offered up for free. Even the government wouldn't repair a school for free.
As the county magistrate, Zhang Zheng naturally hoped that all villages would attach great importance to education. He also hoped that as long as the school was built, the county school instructor would come to the village to give a lecture.
But human nature is inherently base; people don't cherish things they've obtained through effort and struggle.
If it is a small matter for the government to build a school, the important thing is the teachers and tuition fees that follow. If a school is just an empty building, it will probably be seized by someone to raise pigs soon.
Jiangzhi privately built the project, only allowing those villages with ambition and resources to receive it. Naturally, they would treat it well, so other villages couldn't complain about the unfairness, and those who didn't receive it would feel ashamed.
Jiang Zhi then realized that the silver was a reward for herself.
The prince did not specify how to repair it, only to give his subordinates room for maneuver in their work.
You can repair one village a year, or you can repair three or five villages a year, it's up to you.
Jiang Zhi was speechless. Who said a time-traveling mind could outmaneuver a local one?
Faced with someone else's deeply rooted ancestral craftsmanship, the "socialist giant baby" who has not been tempered by the feudal system, charging forward with the belief in equality, will be played to death in no time.
Thus, Jiang Zhi and Xu Errui, mother and son, were educated once again, and they benefited greatly from it.
Another matter is the handwritten letter; Jiang Zhi still hasn't received the scroll in Jincheng.
Magistrate Zhang stared at her with a cold look, as if she were a fool: "What kind of status does the Prince have? How could he possibly write calligraphy for those village chiefs to see? If it weren't for the fact that the Prince knows you come from the countryside, he would have punished you long ago."
It seems he already knows that Jiang Zhi said in front of the prince that she wanted to write a piece of calligraphy larger than the county magistrate's... This is clearly a sign of disdain.
Jiang Zhi disagreed: "A prince's promise doesn't count; a ruler's word is law!"
Magistrate Zhang was at a loss, not understanding why Jiang Zhi was so insistent on the handwritten letter: "You've already mentioned it in person, so the Prince will naturally send the reward at the appropriate time."
The prince's handwritten letter is the title bestowed upon you; how could it be given so casually?
Now that General Nie is about to be given an important position, you must be even more careful in rewarding him.
Jiang Zhi immediately realized that she still subconsciously regarded Zhou Wang and the others as modern celebrities, leaving inscriptions and plaques everywhere.
But in the eyes of the royal family, it was seen as seeking rewards and honors, and it was even linked to Nie Fantian.
Fortunately, he had donated green poles to help disaster victims a few years ago, and had also asked Zhang Zheng for a handwritten note. At that time, Nie Fantian was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old refugee crawling in the mud.
He had contributed medicine and prescriptions, which was why there was no suspicion.
Alright, now that Nie Fantian won't kill me, I might as well not have the letter.
As long as there's money, Jiang Zhi doesn't mind. If others won't bestow titles upon her, she'll do it herself; reputation is reputation too.
Jiang Zhi's trip was worthwhile; she only learned upon arriving in the city that Miss Huo had already returned.
Jiang Zhi immediately went to see this heroine.
Miss Huo's second daughter was away for three years at a time. She had been traveling and had become quite thin and dark-skinned. Although her face showed signs of hardship, it also gave her a sharper edge.
When Jiang Zhi arrived, Miss Huo was already waiting at the door. The two of them smiled and went hand in hand to the cool hall, where they set out fruits and tea, determined to have a long talk.
Miss Huo said, "These past years, while I was away, I was fortunate to have the new medicine that Madam Jiang sent to help me get things done."
Jiang Zhi was very interested in the outside world: "Miss, you may tell me more. These three years have been quite wonderful."
Miss Huo smiled and said, "Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. That's absolutely true. Only after leaving the great rivers and mountains do you realize how vast the world is and how abundant all things are. However..."
After only one sigh, Miss Huo shook her head: "It's a pity that those fertile fields have withered and fallen into ruin, with few people around."
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