Although iron woks were expensive, extravagance was currently the prevailing fashion, and there were plenty of wealthy families willing to pay for them—as long as the items captured their hearts.

The nobles who had tasted stir-fried beef slices felt that iron woks were truly excellent, so quite a few people came forward to purchase them from Zhu Chuan.

Zhu Chuan immediately raised the price by one hundred thousand coins, and after selling three woks, he refused to sell any more.

After all, he had bought these woks to bring back to Shu. It was only because they were unexpectedly expensive that his funds were somewhat insufficient—otherwise he would never have sold iron woks here.

After the New Year, when spring flowers bloomed, he would take people back to Shu.

Besides the iron woks, the most valuable thing he would bring back was the intelligence from here.

When Zhao Hanzhang heard that he had sold three woks and refused to sell more, she had the people at the Treasure Pavilion put one wok up for sale, saying: “After this one sells, wait a day before putting up another.”

The shopkeeper agreed and asked, “Should we raise our price?”

“Don’t raise it, but if people bid competitively, then naturally the highest bidder wins. However, be careful,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “There must be a first-come-first-served order. In business, one must have integrity.”

The shopkeeper understood—if prices weren’t fixed and multiple customers made offers simultaneously, then the highest bidder would win.

Zhao Hanzhang quickly put this matter behind her. She had summoned the village heads from each district to come to the county seat for a meeting, formally announcing the details of the New Year reward activities.

In just a few days it would be Little New Year, so Zhao Hanzhang temporarily held a large tofu products making class at the Relief Hall, with kitchen staff teaching the people brought by the village heads how to make these tofu products.

Actually, they were basically all bean curd derivatives.

For example: soy milk, tofu pudding, dried tofu, fried tofu puffs, and the like.

As for bean sprouts, by now everyone in Xiping County from eighty-year-old grannies down to five-year-old children knew how to make them—they had become the most important vegetable on Xiping County dining tables this year.

The children in the Relief Hall basically all had to attend school, but this didn’t hinder their desire for these skills. As soon as school let out, children came rushing back from the neighboring school building to the Relief Hall, watching as the kitchen staff taught those villagers.

There were even several older children who skipped their classes, watching the kitchen staff teach from early morning.

One reason Zhao Hanzhang chose to hold the teaching at the Relief Hall was that the courtyard here was large enough to accommodate many people; second, there were abundant kitchen utensils here, and the things the apprentices made could be consumed by the Relief Hall; third, she didn’t mind the Relief Hall children learning this skill—in fact, she even hoped they could learn it well.

So when Zhao Cheng came to her door to complain—no, it should be to scold her—she didn’t dare say a word in her defense, just silently endured it.

After Zhao Cheng finished venting, he drank some water before continuing: “If they don’t want to study, then they shouldn’t study. I’ve never seen such stubborn children. Having poor memory is one thing, but they actually dare to skip classes—do they know this is a great disrespect?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Zhao Hanzhang humbly admitted her fault. “It’s all their fault. Uncle, don’t be angry. Getting angry will only harm yourself—it’s not worth it. Just wait, I’ll go discipline them shortly.”

Zhao Cheng saw her face turn cold and feared she would punish them too severely. If she got angry and expelled them from the Relief Hall, that would be bad, so he added: “Though they are stubborn, they aren’t completely without redeeming qualities.”

After thinking, Zhao Cheng said: “They’re fairly filial. In the school, they often heat water and brew tea for the teachers, and I hear at the Relief Hall they also frequently look after children younger than themselves.”

Zhao Hanzhang said seriously: “That still can’t cover up the mistakes they’ve made. Uncle, rest assured, I definitely won’t let them off lightly.”

“Rewards and punishments must be appropriate.”

“Rest assured, I will definitely punish them severely!”

“Punish, punish, punish—all you know is punishment. Is this how you teach children?” Seeing her so obtuse, unable to grasp his meaning, Zhao Cheng couldn’t help but scold angrily: “Raising without teaching is the parents’ fault, and you are their parent official—this is your mistake, understand?”

“How do you plan to punish them? Even if you expel them from the Relief Hall, they’re still your subjects. What use is mere punishment? You must teach—teach, understand?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Zhao Hanzhang nodded repeatedly. “I’ll teach them when I return. Uncle, rest assured.”

Only then did Zhao Cheng give a heavy snort. He nodded to Fu Tinghan, who was sitting at another desk, then got up and left.

Zhao Hanzhang wiped her forehead and breathed a great sigh of relief. Fu Tinghan closed his half-open mouth and asked: “Why did you deliberately provoke him to anger?”

Zhao Hanzhang sighed: “I had no choice. Zhao Zheng has been running to me these past few days, saying that Seventh Great-Uncle is now wildly ambitious and wants to arrange a marriage for Uncle Cheng.”

“It made Uncle Cheng so angry he couldn’t sleep all night and actually made himself vomit from anger. I was thinking I needed to find a way to let him vent his anger, otherwise he’d make himself sick holding it in.”

Zhao Hanzhang touched her chin. “I didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence—before I could think of a plan, he got angry on his own.”

Of course she had to make him angrier so he could vent it out.

Zhao Hanzhang immediately decided: “I’m going to reward those boys who skipped class generously.”

So she decided to personally meet these audacious children.

Jia Shan was one of the leading older children, already twelve years old. According to county office regulations, children who reached thirteen had to leave the Relief Hall.

He could stay in the Relief Hall for seven more months, after which he would turn thirteen.

He had seen Zhao Hanzhang before, more than once. She came to the Relief Hall from time to time, but her attention was mostly on the young, the sick, and the elderly. With so many people in the Relief Hall, he figured she definitely didn’t remember him.

She also frequently visited the school, bringing paper and writing supplies to the students inside. She was especially good, but he wasn’t good at studying and didn’t dare approach her.

He hadn’t expected Zhao Hanzhang would specifically ask to see them.

Jia Shan and the others were all very nervous, so nervous their hands and feet felt weak, their hearts pounding so hard they nearly jumped out of their chests.

They knew they were wrong—they shouldn’t have skipped class.

While waiting in the county office courtyard to be seen, the children’s eyes all turned red, heads lowered looking at their shoe tips.

These were new shoes from this year, also given to them by the Lady. At that time, Hall Director Chen Siniang had with great difficulty invited her to inspect the Relief Hall. Shortly after entering the courtyard, a mischievous child was playing by crawling in and out of a dog hole and happened to bump into her.

She saw the several-year-old child’s feet were completely bare, not even a pair of straw sandals, and it was already winter.

Then Zhao Hanzhang picked up that little child and called all the Relief Hall children out to look.

Everyone lined up before her, and Zhao Hanzhang walked past them one by one. She saw some wearing straw sandals, some wearing tattered cloth shoes, and quite a few children with bare feet.

Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but sigh, and then the county town’s first batch of shoes and bedding went to the Relief Hall first, only later going to the refugees who had come seeking shelter.

The shoes on Jia Shan and his companions’ feet were distributed this year. Thinking they might be expelled from the Relief Hall, their hearts filled with anxiety.

—