Zhao Hanzhang paused for quite a while before saying, “We do accept them. Right now, the refugees entering Xiping County are mostly people who’ve lost their land, but we have much land and few people, needing many to cultivate. Your Shangjiao Village people put in great effort during the river channel repairs.”

“I’ve observed those able-bodied men—they’re all excellent workers. In the future, when Xiping County has such short-term labor again, we’ll still need to ask for your help.”

Hearing her refusal, the village chief felt both disappointed and relieved. Actually, unless absolutely necessary, who would want to leave the village where their ancestors had lived?

Zhao Hanzhang watched the village chief leave, her eyes full of regret.

Fu Tinghan said, “Looking at the current development gap between Xiping County and Shangcai County, it won’t be long before they belong to you. No need to be too regretful.”

Zhao Hanzhang thought about it and agreed. She pulled him along, “Come on, let’s walk along the main street and look around. I heard some merchants joined in the activities too and prepared quite a few gifts.”

The merchants’ gifts were mostly their own products. It could both attract customers and clear some inventory.

Even Treasure Pavilion joined in and organized a small activity.

The activity prize was soap.

Even noble young masters like Zhu Chuan couldn’t help abandoning the soap pods they were used to in favor of soap, showing how useful it was.

Other things at Treasure Pavilion were expensive, but the soap price was very affordable. Even ordinary families could grit their teeth and buy a piece to try.

Hearing this was Zhao Hanzhang’s business, that inside there were mirrors that could reflect a person’s entire body without the slightest error, and the stir-fry pans recently popular in the county seat.

That’s right—after the Feast of Gluttony, stir-fry pans became popular. Unable to buy more pans from Zhu Chuan, everyone turned their attention to Zhao Hanzhang’s Treasure Pavilion.

But the iron pans at Treasure Pavilion were like they had difficult labor—one would only come out after a very long time. Often as soon as one was placed on the shelf, it would be bought.

Besides the wealthy families wanting to buy them, there were also various restaurants and taverns.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t hide the various stir-fry recipes. Several dishes tasted quite good. Some people tried making them with cauldrons and pots, but the taste was far inferior to iron pans. So iron pans became even more popular.

Now people constantly watched Treasure Pavilion, and as soon as an iron pan was put out, someone would immediately come in to buy it.

Occasionally, those young masters and lords would also come personally to look. Since they were already inside, naturally they couldn’t just look at pans. The various scented soaps on the shelves, various glass products, and mirrors of all sizes could all be examined.

The initial glass products and full-length mirrors had reached saturation, so the glass workshop innovated and began making small mirrors that were exquisite and easy to carry. Inspired by this, craftsmen made even more styles of glass products, making everyone who entered the shop feel surrounded by treasures.

Moreover, these items weren’t extremely expensive. Families with a bit of money could afford them, let alone the wealthy merchants and gentry who came to browse Treasure Pavilion.

So they couldn’t help but buy, buy, buy.

Especially the gentlemen of Dajin—they didn’t take money very seriously.

Today was lively, and many madams and young ladies came out to shop, so they browsed into Treasure Pavilion.

Many of them were visiting for the first time. Seeing so many exquisite items inside, they couldn’t help softly exclaiming.

Zhao Hanzhang only reached the doorway when she heard the chattering voices inside.

She paused, then decisively pulled Fu Tinghan to leave. Someone with sharp eyes in Treasure Pavilion had already seen her and immediately called out, “Sanniang? Sanniang, come in quickly! Your mother is here too.”

Zhao Hanzhang could only put on a smiling expression and turn back, entering the shop with an obedient, well-behaved smile. “Why do you aunts and madams have time to come here?”

“The county seat is so lively, naturally we had to come see. Quick, come here. This is your aunt from Xinxi, that’s Madam Fang from Yang’an County, also our family’s relative…”

All had heard that Xiping County was lively and took the opportunity of going out to buy New Year goods to join the excitement, while also visiting relatives.

Zhao Hanzhang recognized these relatives in a daze. Fu Tinghan, who remained outside the door, kept his ears pricked listening. When she had recognized about enough, he brought Fu’an and Qiu Wu inside the door, bowed, and said, “Chief Clerk Chang has something to discuss with you.”

Zhao Hanzhang immediately took leave of everyone. Wang Shi, who hadn’t managed to get much of a word in, immediately said, “Go back quickly, don’t keep Chief Clerk Chang waiting.”

She smiled at the female guests, “This child is busy. We don’t need her getting in the way here. I’m probably more familiar with the items in this Treasure Pavilion than she is.”

Everyone listened and let Zhao Hanzhang go, browsing in the shop. “This small mirror is really beautiful. The lacquer painting on the back is very spirited.”

Zhao Hanzhang exited the shop and immediately said, “We’re not shopping anymore. Let’s hurry back to the county yamen.”

Heaven knows how many relatives were on this street?

Fu Tinghan smiled and agreed, returning with her.

The merchants of Xiping County welcomed a wave of consumer spending. From the owners down to the shopkeepers and clerks, all were happy as if they’d found gold.

Even the poorest tenant farmers and hired laborers had earned quite a bit of money this winter because Zhao Hanzhang provided work relief.

Although many families wanted to save the money, when they came to the county seat and saw goods so much cheaper than usual, they still couldn’t help buying, buying, buying.

After buying cheap needles and thread, they naturally couldn’t help buying a bolt or two of cheap cloth to make clothes for the children. Many purchases arose from one thing leading to another like this.

Zhao Hanzhang saw that commerce had regained vitality and smiled with satisfaction.

The economy—only by flowing like this could it prosper long-term.

Returning to the county yamen, the old guard immediately handed over the basket he’d been keeping to Zhao Hanzhang. “A young lady named Yi Gui from Yushan Hall sent this. She said these things are what she won. Taking them back to Yushan Hall would be useless, so she wanted to give them to the County Lady.”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and said, “How could they be useless? Just hand them to the kitchen for extra meals. But since they were sent here, it wouldn’t be good to return them.”

Zhao Hanzhang handed the basket to Fu’an, “Give this to the kitchen. Have them prepare it. Today we’ll eat these things that were won.”

She also told the old guard, “Take a string of cash to Yushan Hall and give it to that young lady. Tell her I’ve accepted her kind intentions, but as Xiping County’s county magistrate, I must lead by example in following the rules I’ve set. Since I said people in the county yamen can’t accept things from the common people, then we can’t accept them.”

Zhao Hanzhang looked toward Fu’an.

Fu’an felt around on himself, pulled out a string of cash, and gave it to the old guard.

The old guard accepted the money, agreed, then headed happily to Yushan Hall.

Unlike Yi Gui, even though Fan Ying participated in the programs, she couldn’t receive prizes. But no matter—she could buy them with money!

She played in the morning, and in the afternoon when it was her turn to guard a stall, she talked to people who had won. “Will you sell the wheat flour you just won?”

The other person originally didn’t want to sell, but seeing Fan Ying was good-looking and offered a good price, they sold it.

She also spent money buying some soybean oil, then after leaving the yamen, she took these purchased items and excitedly went to find Zhao Hanzhang. “Young Lady, I bought some things that were won. Let me use this wheat flour and soybean oil to make you fried cakes!”

Zhao Hanzhang felt she was so full of energy.

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