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

No one wants to gamble with the "prince" who inherits their own bloodline.

Does Manniang know about these rumors?

Of course I did.

She didn't want to meet the matchmaker in the first place, but those matchmakers were like dog-skin plasters. Who knew how much benefit the other party would give to the matchmakers if she introduced her to others?

Therefore, Man Niang also contributed to the matter of "raising Ali as a girl".

She had already figured out whether to get married or not.

She was also bullied by her husband's family. If she couldn't meet the right person, she might as well not get married. After all, she believed that Ali would be able to take care of her in her old age.

What’s the difference between raising a “goddaughter” and raising your own child?

But Man Niang never said this to anyone, as she felt no one could understand her thoughts.

Maybe she really is the lotus fairy under the Bodhisattva's seat, otherwise why are her thoughts so different from those of ordinary people?

Shen Zheng chewed the melon seeds in her mouth and swallowed them, and asked, "Sister, did you fry these melon seeds yourself?"

Man Niang looked at her with a smile, picked up a melon seed and put it in her mouth, "You didn't fry it yourself, it smells good, right?"

"fragrant."

Shen Zheng asked again: "Besides roasting melon seeds and making tea, do you have any other skills?"

"craft?"

Man Niang got really excited when she said this, counting on her fingers one by one, saying, "Making sweet fruits, making snacks, and if I'm happy, I can even cook a couple of dishes. Oh, by the way... does being able to dress myself count?"

As she spoke, she cast a coquettish glance at Shen Zheng.

Shen Zheng cooperated by covering her chest and pretending to be hurt, she replied, "It's too much."

Man Niang covered her mouth and laughed softly, "You really don't look like an official. You are different from all the officials I have ever seen."

Shen Zheng shook the teacup in her hand and chuckled, "Officials are also human beings, and being an official is also being a human being. The people and officials, the people and officials, don't have to be divided into different levels."

Man Niang's hand holding the melon seeds paused in mid-air, and after a moment she started laughing again.

"What you said should be correct, but in today's world, it doesn't work."

Shen Zheng took a sip of tea.

"If you walk, you will arrive."

She stopped talking about it and picked up the previous topic.

"You're worried that if you turn the teahouse into an inn, Ali won't be able to handle it and will hide behind you. The less she interacts with outsiders, the more disconnected she will be from the outside world, right?"

Mannia nodded.

"Now my place is just a small teahouse. Most of the people who come here are from the town. When there are occasional outsiders, Ali will hide in the kitchen and not come out. If it is changed into an inn..."

Inn.

If someone has a family, how many of them would stay at the inn?

Not all the people who can stay in the inn are here to do business or just pass by to rest.

There would be strangers there, so she would make money, but what about Ah Li? What would Ah Li do?

Shen Zheng shook her head disapprovingly and pointed outside the teahouse and said:

"Sister Man, you have to know that it is our entire Tongan County that needs to be developed, not your teahouse. There will be more and more outsiders in the future. As long as you keep running this teahouse, you can't guarantee that outsiders won't come to drink tea here."

Mannia bit her lower lip.

How could she not know this? But a teahouse is still better than an inn, isn't it?

Shen Zheng saw her expression and knew what she was thinking, and said:

"Those situations cannot be avoided no matter what. Sister, don't blame me for saying harsh words. Miss Ali is a living person. You love her and treat her like a girl. I understand, but she can't live under your wings forever."

Mannia looked up at her.

Shen Zheng was not the only one who said this to her.

But Shen Zheng's next words surprised her.

She did not ask her what she would do if she got old and had no choice but to do so. Instead, she said:

"You told me before that before Ah Li's spirit was stimulated, she was a lively and cheerful girl who was loved by everyone. She would pull your skirt and call you Auntie Man, and she would coax you into giving her sweet fruits with sweet words."

Mannia's eyes suddenly narrowed.

That kind of Ali...

It was because of Ali that she was willing to give her all her assets.

It was because of Ali that she was willing to take care of her for the rest of her life.

But she still didn't quite understand what Shen Zheng meant.

Shen Zheng was silent for a moment, then continued, "She is not born taciturn or unsociable. She is actually an extremely outgoing girl. It was the hurt from her family that made her shut herself off and refuse to contact the outside world."

"She did nothing wrong. There's nothing wrong with her doing this. There's nothing wrong with you wanting to protect her. But sister, you can actually help her in another way."

Man Niang woke up as if from a dream when she heard this, and looked at Shen Zheng with wide eyes.

"You...you mean, let Ali..."

"Yes, we need to let Ali contact the outside world."

Shen Zheng looked at the bird pecking at the ground in the yard and asked her, "Do you think Ah Li is happy now?"

happy?

Man Niang didn't even have to think about it.

"She was unhappy, and she hasn't been happy for a single day since then."

"Yes." Shen Zheng answered firmly.

"She was unhappy because she had never gotten over that moment, those twelve ounces of silver, and that home."

Man Niang suddenly covered her mouth with her hands, tears welling up in her beautiful eyes.

Her lips trembled a little, and she asked stupidly, "Did I do something wrong? I thought I was doing her good by hiding her...but actually I harmed her?"

Without waiting for Shen Zheng to answer, she continued to talk to herself: "I was wrong... I was wrong. You are right. Ah Li is not happy. She really hasn't laughed for a long time."

Man Niang was in a daze. She could hear a ringing sound in her ears and subconsciously covered her ears with her hands.

A tear slid down her face, hit the lid of the teacup, and slowly sank into the cup.

She said in a daze: "I treat her well, but I am actually self-righteous..."

Shen Zheng didn't expect Man Niang's reaction to be so big, and quickly reached out and took her hands away from her ears.

She clasped Mannia's hands, looked her in the eyes and said:

"You are right, Sister Man, don't blame yourself, you are right. If it weren't for you, Ali might still be a commodity to be appraised, or she might have been sold by her father. You saved her, you have done a good job."

But at this time, Manniang had already fallen into a vortex of self-blame, and kept saying:

"I was wrong...I was wrong..."

Shen Zheng looked at her face and felt overwhelmed with self-blame.

She spoke too bluntly, causing Man Niang to be unable to accept it for a while.

Manniang's cries became louder and louder, scaring away the birds that were looking for food in the yard.

Shen Zheng's heart also cried with her, as if it was being squeezed and loosened by a pair of hands.