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

Chapter 1289 There is a successor

Noon.

What Xin Ji considered a "precious medicinal herb" turned into a dish on the county government's dining table.

On the white porcelain plate, the emerald green vine leaves curled slightly, glistening with droplets of oil. The aroma of minced garlic mixed with the fresh fragrance of green vines permeated the kitchen, wafting into everyone's noses.

"This..." Yu Shizhang swallowed hard, but didn't touch his chopsticks. Instead, he asked Shen Zheng, "Didn't you say... this new crop requires eating the underground tubers?"

Shen Zheng picked up her chopsticks: "These vines look very fresh, so they should be edible."

"Should?" Yu Shizhang grasped the key point and withdrew his chopsticks that he had just reached out. "Then you guys eat. I'll just have to make do with the eight-treasure duck."

In his memory, these dark green vines were mostly astringent and bitter, making them difficult to swallow.

For example, neither grapevines nor Virginia creepers are edible.

"Aren't you sure you want to try some?" Shen Zheng asked, picking up a piece with her chopsticks and putting it in her mouth.

After chewing twice, she immediately squinted her eyes.

Salty and savory!

Fresh and delicious!

Crisp and tender!

This little flavor is exactly the same as she remembers it.

The only drawback is that the Great Zhou Dynasty doesn't have rapeseed oil yet, so the vine tips stir-fried with soybean oil have a slightly beany smell and lack some of the refreshing taste.

"Is it really that delicious?" Yu Shizhang looked at her expression with slight suspicion. "Isn't it astringent?"

"Astringent?" Shen Zheng picked up another piece of food with her chopsticks and nodded. "Astringent? That's too astringent! I'll bear this astringency all by myself!"

After saying that, she raised her hand and moved the plate in front of her, along with a pair of chopsticks.

The owner of the chopsticks is Fang Ziyan.

He stared at the plate, swallowing hard. "Sister Shen, I want some too."

"..."

Shen Zheng hated that she had the soul of the new era.

I heard things I shouldn't have heard, and I almost lost my ears.

"Eat, eat, eat." She pushed the plate in front of Fang Ziyan.

Fang Ziyan's eyes lit up, and he immediately picked up a chopstick and put it in his mouth.

Xin Ji asked him, "Is it astringent?"

He said, "It's not astringent."

Shen Zheng: “…”

She seemed to have a hard time looking at the word "涩" (se).

A simple lunch took everyone a full hour to eat.

For half an hour, they were waiting—waiting for Uncle Lai to stir-fry the rattan tips.

As they dispersed, Yu Shizhang, clutching his stomach, exclaimed with lingering satisfaction, "So fresh! These vine tips are truly delicious. Shen Zheng, why did you only bring back so little?"

If there were any left, he would eat at least two more plates!

"That's all?" Shen Zheng pointed to a stack of empty plates on the table. "Do you know how many kilograms I picked today?"

"How many?"

"Eight catties!" Shen Zheng held up an eight with her thumb and forefinger. "How many people are there in total? We ate eight catties of vine tips in one meal! And you still think that's not enough?"

Yu Shizhang's face immediately fell: "You said you'd take care of me, was that all a lie?"

"..."

Shen Zheng felt like a scholar who had met his destined soldier.

"I'll send someone to the public fields later and have Wang Youfu deliver it again right on time," she yielded.

Yu Shizhang beamed and led her into the pavilion, where Xu Yunyan and Shen Xingjian were already sitting and waiting for them.

"We discussed the matter of the Clerk's Office again this morning." Yu Shizhang gestured for her to sit down and said, "Our county is different from other counties. We have a lot of money and a lot of things to do. Therefore, we all agree that the clerks of each office can be selected from among the people of the county, but the head clerk... should be someone we know and trust."

Shen Zheng pondered for a moment after hearing this, then nodded.

That's the truth.

Tongan County is too prosperous now. She trusts to appoint acquaintances as clerks, and the people of the county live comfortably.

"Have you made any preliminary selections?" she asked.

Xu Yunyan took over the conversation: "Sir, I will take on the role of the clerk in the clerk's office."

Shen Zheng was taken aback.

Honestly, she had never seen a donkey that loved pulling a millstone so much.

She couldn't help but say, "If you're being threatened... blink twice?"

Xu Yunyan was blinking at the time, and upon hearing this, he couldn't stop blinking.

Shen Zheng immediately looked at Yu Shizhang.

Yu Shizhang: "Why are you looking at me! It was really his own choice! He said that the Personnel Department is in charge of the appointment and evaluation of officials, and he doesn't trust others to do it! He's the one who doesn't trust it!"

Xu Yunyan quickly replied, "My lord, it was truly my own choice. The work in the clerk's office isn't much, and I can finish it in my spare time at the government office. Besides, I've always been doing it, so I'm really worried about handing it over to someone else."

Shen Zheng observed him carefully for a long time and finally believed him.

Then he added, "How about Lord Xingjian temporarily take over as the clerk of the Household Department?"

Shen Xingjian opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but then suddenly remembered the awkward scene from that morning, and forcibly swallowed his words back.

Shen Zheng felt sorry for him and said, "Just say what you want to say."

Shen Xingjian paused for a moment, then said, "I... did it voluntarily as well."

Just when Shen Zheng thought he was only expressing his loyalty, he spoke again: "But I don't know how long I can do this, so I want to take two apprentices with me. If the court summons me back, I will have someone to carry on the family business."

Shen Zheng's body trembled.

Is it appropriate to use the phrase "having successors" in this way?

She seemed to understand why Shen Xingjian didn't like to talk.

"...What about the other rooms?" In order not to dampen Shen Xingjian's enthusiasm for speaking, Shen Zheng not only did not refute his choice of words, but continued to ask, "Have clerks been selected for the other rooms as well?"

Shen Xingjian nodded, and under Shen Zheng's encouraging gaze, he slowly said, "The clerk of the rites department can be temporarily appointed by Headmaster Li; the clerk of the military department can be selected from the county soldiers; the clerk of the works department can be considered for Elder Qiao; as for the criminal department... we haven't decided yet."

The selection of a clerk for the criminal affairs office is indeed something that needs careful consideration.

This person not only needs to be familiar with the laws and regulations and understand the case-solving process, but also needs to be meticulous and able to discern all the details...

"Is Zhao Xiu okay?" Yu Shizhang said, "He's the only one I can think of for now."

Shen Zheng and Xu Yunyan shook their heads together: "He's more suited to be a constable."

The prison and the police station may seem to have similar responsibilities at first glance, but they are actually quite different in practice.

If Zhao Xiu were appointed as the clerk of the criminal affairs office, it would actually tie him to the yamen and diminish his enthusiasm for patrolling the streets and mediating disputes.

"Let's think about it some more," Shen Zheng said, resting her chin on her hand. "Compared to the other departments, the Criminal Investigation Department has a higher threshold, but it handles the fewest cases. If we really can't think of a suitable candidate, then let's recruit him."

After saying that, she stood up and said, "I'll leave you to think about it. I have something to do, so I'll be going now."

Thinking about the dozens of kilograms of rubber she brought back this time, she decided to find something for Mu Ruojue to do.

"Leaving again?" Yu Shizhang glanced at the mahjong box hidden under the table and muttered, "Winning two taels of silver from you is really not easy..."

As Shen Zheng's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, Yu Shizhang looked at Xu Yunyan, who was deep in thought with his eyes down, and asked with a smile, "Little Xu, how about we teach you to play mahjong?"

Xu Yunyan shook his head and stood up: "This humble official would like to ask the lord if there are any other errands that need to be done by this humble official."

Yu Shizhang clicked his tongue, carried the mahjong set onto the table, and seemed to be talking to himself: "Sigh, Shen Zheng always says she wants to play mahjong but can't find anyone. Some people just aren't willing to learn..."

Xu Yunyan paused for a moment, then sat back down on the stone bench: "It's a rare day off, so I won't bother you any longer."