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

After the red envelopes were distributed, the atmosphere reached its climax.

Some even felt sorry for the county government's purse: "Sir, this... isn't this too much? If I take it home, my family might think I stole the county government's treasury..."

Shen Zheng's lips curved slightly. "Master Xu knows best about our county government's accounts. If he doesn't want to give them out, how can I seal all these red envelopes by myself? Since I've given them to you, take them well and go back to figure out how to use them. It's the New Year, so you can add some new things to your family and have a happy New Year as a family."

"Eh--!"

Seeing her like this, everyone stopped making excuses. However, they were still a little confused and had to touch their pockets from time to time. Only when their fingertips touched the rough red paper could they be sure that everything was true.

"The red envelopes have been sent out, and the next thing is..." Shen Zheng picked up a "gift bag" tied with a red string, stretched out her hand and introduced: "This is the festival gift prepared by the government for everyone!"

"Wow—"

"Is this for us too?"

Looking at the iconic bag of rice and flour, and a large piece of meat tied up with straw, everyone felt dizzy again after their heads had just recovered.

"Since it's here, who else should I give it to if not you?" Shen Zheng patted the "gift bag". A cloud of white ash exploded from the flour bag, choking her and making her cough twice.

"Ahem - 20 catties of rice, 10 catties of flour, and 5 catties of pork, a small token of appreciation from the county government."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan quickly raised his hand to hold his chin, "This little gift from the government office is enough for our whole family to eat for a month... Sir, this is too..."

So grand and heroic!

Working in the county government was simply the best decision he had ever made in his life!

"In fact, the annual gifts should not only be given by our county government." Shen Zheng suddenly said: "In the future, whether it is the cloth shop or the printing shop workers in the county, they will all receive annual gifts, just like the county government. When the profits are good, they will receive more, and when the profits are poor, they will receive less. Any amount is a token of my appreciation."

What Shen Zheng didn't say was that she hoped that everyone who worked hard for their own small family and for the big Zhou should get due rewards.

The rice and flour bags were a little dusty, but everyone held them tightly in their arms, not caring that their sleeves and chests were covered in white.

Seeing them happy, Shen Zheng was also happy in her heart and clapped her hands: "Well, when we get rid of the old and welcome the new, the atmosphere is full of joy. I wish you all a happy new year and all your wishes come true! I won't nag about it any more, let's go. Oh, by the way, remember to come to the yamen to have the New Year's dinner in the evening!"

The detectives and runners turned around obediently holding the "gift bag", and then suddenly seemed to react and turned around and shouted:

"I wish you great fortune in the new year! I hope our county will become the number one county in the Great Zhou Dynasty!"

"I wish you a prosperous career and may you be appointed Prime Minister!"

"..."

Compared with Shen Zheng's blessings, their blessings were simpler and more crude.

but......

"Isn't the Prime Minister making things too difficult for me?"

......

After distributing the year-end bonuses to the constables and yamen runners, Xu Zhubu carried another New Year gift and followed Shen Zheng to the public kitchen.

Before she even reached the kitchen, Shen Zheng smelled a strong aroma of meat. She sniffed it and said with certainty, "Old duck soup."

Xu Zhubu followed suit and sniffed, "My nose is not as good as yours."

"......" Shen Zheng felt that this was not a compliment.

After stepping over the small threshold, they saw two figures busy in the public kitchen. The lingering white mist enveloped their figures, so that they could not see Shen Zheng and Xu Zhubu.

"Uncle Lai, Aunt Lai." Shen Zheng walked over, and the fragrance became stronger.

"Ouch..." Aunt Lai quickly put down the dish in her hand and said with a smile: "The master is here! It's dirty inside, if you have anything to say, just go out and tell him. Please wait a moment!"

As she was about to take off her apron, Shen Zheng quickly said, "It's nothing, it's just a New Year gift from the government office. This official and Xu Zhubu happened to have time to take it and take a look at the dinner."

“New Year’s gift?!” Uncle Lai came over as soon as he heard it, without even having time to put down the kitchen knife. Aunt Lai was so scared that she beckoned him with both hands: “Why did you bring the knife to face an adult? Put it back, put it back quickly!”

After a long period of refusal, Xu Zhubu finally let go of the New Year gift. Shen Zheng and the others did not stay long. They looked at the dishes and left the public kitchen.

In the public kitchen, the couple were still in a daze.

Aunt Lai grabbed Uncle Lai, but before she could ask him a question, he said, "It hurts! Why are you grabbing me, old woman?"

"It's true..." Aunt Lai murmured as she looked at the New Year gift lying quietly in the corner.

......

In the backyard, Shen Zheng was in front, and Xu Zhubu was half a step behind.

The constables and yamen runners went home to put their things away. Fang Ziyan and Yu Nanshu were helping out at the Pei family stall. Yu Shizhang was at the printing shop, Shen Xingjian was at the county school, Liang Fu was at the cloth shop, and Wei Que was at the dock.

The huge county government office suddenly became deserted. No one was chattering around to entertain her. Shen Zheng was a little uncomfortable with this.

"What about you?" The two of them walked around Jingmen. Shen Zheng slowed down her pace and turned to ask Xu Zhubu, "Are you leaving after having the New Year's Eve dinner tonight, or are you going back to Liuyang Mansion during the day tomorrow?"

Xu Zhubu walked up to her and stood shoulder to shoulder with her. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I will go back on the first day of the new year."

"Is it the first day of the new year again?" Shen Zheng looked at him.

Fang Ziyan said it was the first day of the new year, and Xu Zhubu also said it was the first day of the new year. Is it not customary for the Liuyang Mansion for the whole family to stay up together to celebrate the New Year?

"Again?" Xu Zhubu grasped the key point.

Shen Zheng exclaimed, "Fang Ziyan also said that he didn't want to go home on the 30th, and he also said that the county government office was his home, and the Fang family just needed to go back to pay New Year's greetings. What about you? Is the county government office also your home?"

Xu Zhubu's family members are all in Liuyang Mansion, and even Old Qiao knows them. However, in the past six months, Xu Zhubu has only returned home once.

According to him, it was his grandmother's birthday.

But this person...isn't really homesick.

Xu Zhubu did not answer Shen Zheng's question, but laughed, "The government seal is sealed, and someone needs to be left on duty. I will go home on the first and second days of the New Year, and will come here on the third day."

Shen Zheng understood and nodded: "You are worried about this? I am in the county government office all day long, you don't need to come, just go home and spend time with your family, come back on the seventh day."

The sealing days actually vary in length. In some places, it is sealed for three days, in some places for seven days, and in some places for half a month. The government offices in Liuyang Prefecture all seal for eight days by default.

It’s also a compromise.

"Let's wait and see." Xu Zhubu did not agree, but replied in a hurry: "I will go back on the first day of the new year."

Seeing that he was so enthusiastic about working, Shen Zheng had no choice but to persuade him any further and talked to him about the matters concerning the cloth workshop which would open after the New Year.

The sun sets in the west.

Today, there are four tables in the backyard of the county government office. Each table has hot dishes, cold dishes and soup, a total of sixteen dishes, which can hardly fit on one table.