Before the end of the first month, the Charitable Hall construction was completed. Zhao Hanzhang specifically changed into her Regional Inspector’s official robes to go cut the ribbon.

At the same time, she presided over the move-in ceremony for the orphans and widows at Charitable Hall.

Many workers also ran over to watch the excitement. After all, they had earned quite a bit of wages from the commandery magistrate’s office this past year. With that money, they bought cheaper grain from the grain distribution points, so they probably wouldn’t suffer from famine this spring.

Right now, they weren’t yet busy with spring farming, and everyone still had free time. This Charitable Hall was something they had built, and hearing that the female Regional Inspector would personally come to see Charitable Hall’s completion, everyone came along to join the excitement.

When Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan stood on the high platform, more than ten people in the crowd instantly gaped with mouths wide open.

Fan Dalang even rubbed his eyes. After confirming that the two people on the platform were indeed very familiar, he grabbed the old man beside him. “Old Hei, Old Hei, look quickly! That female Excellency looks like Zhao Sanniang. Could they be sisters? The gentleman standing beside the Excellency also looks very much like Fu Dalang.”

Old Hei closed his mouth and couldn’t help but slap him. “Fool, what do you mean ‘looks like’—that IS them!”

Fu Tinghan’s former team members found this very puzzling. “Why would nobles be so peculiar, actually enjoying coming to the construction site to work as craftsmen with us?”

Old Hei was older and had experienced more. Thinking about this past month’s work-for-relief program, he couldn’t help but sigh. “Perhaps it’s precisely because they came to work as craftsmen that we’ve had such peace this past month.”

Meals served at mealtime, the food all normal steamed buns, flatbread, porridge, and bean sprouts, occasionally even meat soup.

Daily wages paid on time and in full, the grain at the distribution points not mixed with old grain or adulterated with dirt and sand, the cloth also all normal.

This was quite incredible in past work-for-relief activities.

Realizing this was the result of Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan laboring alongside them for nearly a month, Old Hei’s tears suddenly fell. He directly knelt down and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Excellency! Thank you for your heart devoted to the people!”

His teammates saw this and quickly understood, kneeling down one after another.

With their kneeling, people nearby who didn’t know the reason followed suit, and soon a whole area was kneeling.

Some people recognized Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan—after all, they were on the same construction site, encountering many people daily at meals and when receiving wages. They willingly knelt down and prostrated themselves on the ground.

When the workers knelt in a mass, the orphans and widows about to move into Charitable Hall also knelt in a mass. They sincerely thanked Zhao Hanzhang.

They didn’t yet know about food and clothing, but as for housing, at least they now had a roof to keep out the cold.

Zhao Hanzhang, who had prepared a bellyful of words to say, hadn’t yet had time to speak when everyone’s kneeling blocked the words in her chest.

Her hearing was sharp—she also heard the kneeling thanks and discussions below.

She paused before saying, “You are all my subjects. I hope you all can live in peace and prosperity, no longer troubled by hunger and cold. I know we still need a very long time to achieve this. Some of you may not even live to see this day come. But I hope that our descendants—they can live this way.”

“And what we do is create for them a peaceful, prosperous Yuzhou where, in the future under Yuzhou, there will be no more hunger and cold.” Zhao Hanzhang said loudly, “Are you willing to work hard together with me?”

“We are willing to work hard with the Excellency! May there be no more hunger and cold in Yuzhou!”

Everyone’s voices were somewhat chaotic at first, but quickly became uniform. Everyone recited it again in unison. On the platform, Yin Sheng and others also felt their blood boiling. Only at this moment did they finally understand why Zhao Hanzhang advocated diligence.

If diligent governance could let the common people have no more hunger and cold, such love and support was indeed worthwhile.

The common people below knelt on the ground, bowing repeatedly toward Zhao Hanzhang. Some kowtowed seven or eight times without stopping. Zhao Hanzhang mobilized everyone’s enthusiasm, then smiled and pointed to the wasteland around Charitable Hall. “Today is a good day. Since everyone is here, in a few days it will be the second day of the second month. Why not take advantage of today—everyone go to the fields and swing a hoe, absorb today’s auspicious energy, and pray for this year’s bountiful harvest. How about it?”

Everyone immediately agreed and got up from the ground.

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and beckoned an official. “Where are the tools from before? Bring them all out for people to freely take and use in the fields.”

The official immediately said, “They’re all still in Charitable Hall. This subordinate will have people move the tools out right away.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, then smiled toward the other side where refugees holding bundles stood. “This is the Charitable Hall built for you. Starting from today, you will live, labor, and study here. I hope that in the coming days you can help each other with friendship.”

Her gaze fell on the children’s formation, her eyes softening. “May you achieve success in your studies. I look forward to when you grow up and can share my burdens and Yuzhou’s burdens.”

The children crisply responded.

The smile on Zhao Hanzhang’s face deepened. She waved her hand. “Good. According to the courtyards assigned beforehand, you may enter the hall.”

The refugees cheered. Though the sound was noisy, they still entered Charitable Hall in an orderly fashion according to their assigned groups.

Long before moving in, Fan Ying had followed Zhao Hanzhang’s instructions to assign them courtyards and rooms.

Each courtyard had a courtyard head, and each room also had a room leader to manage the people in each courtyard and room.

When Charitable Hall opened, the first to enter were a group of children. The older children led the way, and after entering Charitable Hall, they divided into various courtyards. Upon entering a courtyard, everyone lined up somewhat crookedly, with some older children still carrying babies who couldn’t walk on their backs.

At the wave of an older child’s hand, each room leader led their people charging toward the room they considered best.

If they simultaneously fancied the same room and arrived at the room’s door at the same time, the room leaders would either fight each other or play rock-paper-scissors to determine the winner.

Zhao Hanzhang knew they fought but didn’t stop them. They had their own way of resolving things, and as long as it was within her acceptable range, she was quite tolerant.

After grabbing rooms, everyone entered the rooms, where brick-built heated beds were inside, with clean, dry rice straw or wheat straw spread on the beds.

Zhao Hanzhang’s biggest headache was the beds. With so many people, how much wood and how many carpenters would be needed to rush to make beds?

So after discussing with Fu Tinghan, they decided to make heated beds instead.

One room with a row stretching from the room’s head to its end, a long, long row of heated beds. For safety, Fu Tinghan even led people to inspect all the chimneys in every room, confirming that smoke wouldn’t flow back after lighting fires before feeling relieved.

Rushing into the rooms, the children quickly grabbed the positions they fancied. Because they were still small, the beds seemed very large. Though many people lived there, it still seemed quite spacious.

After setting down their luggage, the older children serving as room leaders waved their hands. “Move quickly! We still need to go hoe the fields. The Excellency will be watching later.”

“Right, we can’t be worse than the people outside. Hurry up, the Excellency is waiting!”

Everyone moved nimbly to put away their things, then lined up to go out. After meeting up with other rooms, they headed out under their courtyard head’s leadership.

At this time, in the wasteland outside, the common people who had come to watch the ceremony were vigorously swinging hoes to till the soil. Someone waiting for a hoe saw them hoeing endlessly and got angry. “Enough, enough! You’ve already hoed seven or eight times. It should be my turn now.”

—