Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

"Shopkeeper Hu, you don't have to do this. I am here to do business with you sincerely."

Hu Likai quickly responded: "Yes, yes, yes, I am sincere, please come in, sir."

He didn't even take care of his donkey cart. You know, he usually treasured this donkey cart very much. How could a small shopkeeper like them afford a horse-drawn carriage?

Now when Shen Zheng stepped into the grain shop again, Hu Likai next to her was completely different from before.

He hurriedly led the way in front, and even respectfully lifted the door curtain to the tea room for Shen Zheng who was behind him, and then put it down after she had passed.

The clerk in the shop looked at his boss's attentiveness and couldn't help but whisper, "Did the boss get possessed by some dirty creature during his trip?"

It's no wonder the servant said that, Hu Likai is the owner of the only grain shop in Tongan County. He has the channels to purchase grain, so no matter who in the county is hungry, he will not go hungry. Naturally, he is a bit arrogant.

The servant thought that when the county magistrate came today, the shopkeeper's reaction was quite normal, but after he went out for a while and came back, he became a lackey. What happened?

......

As soon as Shen Zheng and Hu Likai entered the tea room, Hu Likai quickly helped Shen Zheng put the stools in place.

"Master Shen, please sit down for a moment. The tea has gotten cold. I will go get you another pot."

Hu Likai took out a small porcelain jar from the cupboard in the tea room, carefully opened the wooden stopper on the mouth of the jar, picked out the tea leaves inside with a wooden clip and put them in the teapot.

Looking at his appearance, Shen Zheng guessed that this tea must be the fine tea collected by Hu Likai.

As soon as Hu Likai poured the boiling water into the teapot, Shen Zheng smelled a faint fragrance: "Good tea."

Hu Likai poured a cup of tea for Shen Zheng. He sniffed the tea fragrance in the air intoxicatedly:

"This tea was given to me by a nobleman when I arrived in the capital. I usually don't even want to open the cork, for fear that the flavor will go away."

Shen Zheng raised the teacup and took a sip. The tea was indeed mellow. She shook her hand gently, and the tea in the cup stirred a little.

"Sir Shen, I wonder what business you were talking about before?" Hu Likai couldn't help but asked. In fact, he had some guesses in his mind, but he was afraid that he couldn't eat such a good thing.

Shen Zheng put down the teacup in her hand and stroked the rim of the cup with her fingers. Without looking up, she spoke:

"Manager Hu also saw the rice seedlings in the nursery field today. The yield per mu is 800 yuan. Is what I said true?"

Hu Likai nodded quickly: "Your Excellency is right, those rice seedlings are definitely not ordinary!"

These seedlings are absolutely unique in the market now. When they are harvested in autumn this year, it will be the day when Lord Shen and their Tong'an County will become famous!

If Hu Likai could get a piece of the pie, then Manager He from the next county...

No! What can a mere shopkeeper He do? Even the shopkeepers of big shops in the capital city have to respect him!

Hu Likai felt his blood boiling just thinking about this, and completely forgot his previous worries.

Shen Zheng looked at Hu Likai who seemed to be in a dream and laughed foolishly. She could only call him, "Manager Hu?"

Hu Likai shuddered suddenly, and coughed awkwardly: "My apologies."

Seeing that he had come to his senses, Shen Zheng continued, "The county's ditches are expected to be completed in a month, and by then the rice seedlings raised by Prince Wang should be able to be transplanted on a large scale."

Only then did Hu Likai realize that what she had said before about wanting all county residents to grow rice would actually start from this year!

He looked at Shen Zheng and thought to himself that Lord Shen was indeed ambitious, but she had the corresponding abilities.

He asked directly: "I wonder what I can do for you, sir?"

Shen Zheng smiled, but did not answer his question, and continued to boil the frog in warm water:

"There are thousands of residents in Tongan County. I hope that every household can plant at least one acre of rice, which will at least ensure that they will not go hungry next year."

Hu Likai suddenly became nervous. He was now a little confused about what Shen Zheng meant. The county residents were not hungry, and the one who was hungry might be him, a grain merchant!

"I hope Lord Shen can show me some clear path!" Hu Likai's attitude was extremely respectful.

Shen Zheng saw that the frog was almost cooked, so she said directly:

"The yield of this rice per mu is so high that even a smart person like Manager Hu can see it early on, without having to wait until the harvest. By then, people from other counties and even the provincial capital will come to Tong'an County to get a piece of the pie."

"But I, Shen Zheng, don't want to share this soup with others. The real good stuff should be firmly held in my own hands."

Hu Likai looked at Shen Zheng's confident look and had a guess in his mind: "Your Excellency wants me to be the grain merchant representing Tongan County?"

Shen Zheng nodded: "Yes and no, because we can only hold this grain for one year at most, and we have to make a lot of money in this year! Negotiations with other counties will be handled by the county government, and negotiations with merchants from all over the country will have to trouble Manager Hu."

Hu Likai also understood what Shen Zheng meant. It was impossible for them to monopolize a grain variety with such a high yield per mu for a long time.

If the higher-ups get the news and they don't voluntarily hand over the grain seeds, it will be a disaster for Tongan County!

Therefore, the only time they can operate and make profits from it is this crucial first year!

After figuring out the truth, Hu Likai sincerely admired the person in front of him. He also had to seize the opportunity in front of him!

He stood up and bowed to Shen Zheng: "I hope Master Shen will support me. I am willing to be the sword in your hands!"

At this time, Shen Zheng knew that she could bring up another purpose for her visit to Hu Likai: "I promise that Shopkeeper Hu will prosper together with us, and it will not be just this time in the future. I also ask Shopkeeper Hu to help me and the people of Tongan County."

Hu Likai then remembered what Shen Zheng had said when she came before, that she came for the price of food.

Now that he was on Shen Zheng's boat, he had to show his sincerity: "I am willing to reduce the price of grain in our shop to the purchase price until the county has a good rice harvest!"

But Shen Zheng felt that his sincerity was not enough: "Now the grain prices outside are all rising. If my guess is correct, the profit of Manager Hu per kilogram of grain is only two or three cents. If the grain prices outside are rising all day, what can Manager Hu do?"

Hu Likai gritted his teeth and made up his mind: "I will pay for it out of my own pocket! Rice is eight cents a pound, corn is six cents a pound, and old rice and white flour are five cents a pound until the autumn harvest!"

Shen Zheng smiled sincerely, but she couldn't bargain too hard.

She raised her hand and poured a cup of tea for Hu Likai. After handing him the teacup, she said:

"My original intention was not to ask Manager Hu to pay the money, but the county government is too poor now. I hope Manager Hu can keep an account and deduct the amount from the profit from selling grain seeds. Is that okay?"