Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

Li Hang looked at the old woman weaving straw sandals. "Grandma, do you recognize us?"

The old woman's hands didn't stop moving the straw rope. Her fingers went through the straw stems, pulled them out, and wove a knot. "This gentleman has a full and broad forehead, and a square jaw like a serving plate."

"High but not protruding brow bones, a straight but not sharp nose bridge, eyes like deep autumn pools, with a restrained and unassuming gaze, yet possessing composure. This is the sign of nobility."

"His cheekbones were not prominent, and his face was full. He never competed with anyone, yet people yielded to him. There is probably no other person like him in Juancheng County. I have lived for more than sixty years and had long heard that the new county magistrate's surname was Li, so I knew him at first sight."

Li Hang and Zhao Xie exchanged a glance, their surprise deepening.

This old woman actually knows how to read people!

Zhao Xie took half a step forward and squatted down, looking at the straw sandals in the old woman's hands. "Then what do you think of me?"

The old woman looked him up and down, a smile playing on her lips. "Mr. Zhao has high brow bones, a straight nose, and a square jaw—these are signs of masculinity. High brow bones often indicate chivalry, a straight nose indicates a strong will, and a square jaw indicates a refusal to bow one's head."

"Mr. Zhao possesses an exceptionally strong masculine spirit, a chivalrous heart, and a clear and upright gaze. Such a person, if given the right master, is bound to achieve great things. To be able to follow Magistrate Li is certainly no ordinary person."

Zhao Xie was speechless.

Li Hang was also full of surprise, because his gaze fell on the hands that were weaving straw sandals.

The old woman's left hand had its five fingers spread out, pressing down on the straw rope, with her palm facing upwards. A deep horizontal line extended from the base of her thumb to the base of her little finger, running across her entire palm.

When the old woman saw that he had seen her, she gave a self-deprecating laugh and said, "I'm a tough woman, destined to bring misfortune to my husband and children, and I have no relatives to rely on."

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head again to weave straw sandals, as if what she had just said was nothing more than casual conversation.

The curtain to the main hall was suddenly lifted.

A young woman stood at the doorway, wearing a slightly worn blue cloth jacket with her sleeves slightly rolled up.

She glanced at the old woman weaving straw sandals, then at Li Hang and Zhao Xie, and her lips twitched. "Your Excellency, don't listen to Granny Wang's nonsense."

"Zhang Qianxing had already given instructions, saying that the newly arrived Magistrate Li was considerate of the people's plight and might come to the almshouse at any time. He told us to treat him well and not to neglect him."

Zhao Xie glared at the old woman, only then realizing that she knew the two were coming and really thought she was as knowledgeable about the Taiqing Divine Mirror as Li Hang.

The old woman raised her head and chuckled dryly twice, then lowered her head again to continue weaving straw sandals, her fingers moving a fraction faster than before, as if she were a little guilty.

Zhao Xie was both amused and annoyed. Pointing at her, he said, "You old woman..."

The young woman had already walked up to Li Hang and curtsied. "Your Excellency, please don't be offended. Granny Wang has been living in the almshouse for more than half a year. She's quick-witted and dares to say a few words to anyone she meets."

"My surname is Chen, and I am the third child. Everyone here calls me Chen San Niangzi. I am the manager of this almshouse. Your Excellency, Mr. Zhao, please come to the main hall for a talk."

Li Hang nodded and followed her towards the main hall. Zhao Xie walked behind, not forgetting to glare at Granny Wang again.

The main hall looks more spacious than it does from the outside.

The ground is paved with blue bricks, and although it is quite old, it is swept clean.

In the center is an eight-immortal table, on which sits a teapot and several bowls.

Chen San Niangzi led Li Hang to sit at the head of the table, with Zhao Xie sitting to his left, while she herself stood at the foot of the table.

Li Hang looked up at her and said, "Madam Chen, sit down and talk. There's no need to be so formal."

Chen San Niangzi hesitated for a moment, then sat down on the chair at the lower end of the table and called out towards the door, "Amei, bring some drinks."

Before long, a young woman of about fifteen or sixteen years old came in carrying a tray with three earthenware bowls on it. The bowls contained a light brown drink with a few mint leaves floating on the soup, which looked cool in the dim light.

She placed the bowls on the table one by one, curtsied, and then retreated, her footsteps as light as a cat's.

Li Hang picked up the bowl and took a sip. It was infused with mint and licorice, and it was refreshing with a lingering sweetness.

He put down his bowl. "Madam Chen, how many people are currently being cared for at this almshouse?"

Chen San Niangzi straightened up and said, "Your Excellency, the orphanage currently houses twenty-six orphans, eleven boys and fifteen girls, thirty-eight elderly people living alone, and thirty-three young women. In total, there are ninety-seven people."

Li Hang paused, holding the drink in his hand. "Thirty-three young ladies?"

Chen San Niangzi's gaze darkened, and her speech slowed slightly, "Reporting to the magistrate, these women were originally abducted or bought by the Kong family from various places."

"Back then, Kong Youan ran the Suyuelou and several brothels in the county, raising hundreds of girls there, teaching them singing, dancing, and skills. After the Kong family's property was confiscated, they were rescued by County Magistrate Sun."

"The county government gave them travel expenses, and most of them went back to their hometowns. Only these thirty-three people refused to leave. Some of them were too young when they were abducted, and they don't even remember where their hometowns are."

"Some of them went back home but didn't know who to turn to. Others worried that if they returned to their hometowns, their elders would use the excuse of 'losing their innocence' to take them into their own hands and punish them. When Zhang Qianxing found out, he took them in and put them in the almshouse."

Li Hang frowned slightly upon hearing this. "What are they doing in the orphanage?"

Chen San Niangzi straightened her back. "Most of them are literate, so they make a living by copying books, writing eulogies, and managing the accounts in the courtyard. A few of them have also learned needlework, weaving and embroidery."

"There were three other women with good cooking skills, so the almshouse hired them as cooks. Zhang Qianxing said that since they had stayed, they needed to have work to do, and only with work could they have food to eat. Only with food to eat could they live with dignity."

Zhao Xie sat beside him, having forgotten to drink the beverage he was holding; the rim of the bowl rested on his lower lip.

"Madam Chen, with so many people in this almshouse, how much does it cost in a year? How much of that is paid by the county government?" Li Hang's gaze never left Madam Chen's face.

Without hesitation, as if she had already mentally calculated the situation many times, Chen San Niangzi said, "Most of the grain is provided by the county government. My husband's family name is Zhou, and he is a tenant farmer appointed by the county government, responsible for managing a thousand acres of official land."

"The rent collected each year is used to support the almshouse. The rent for government-owned land is set at 40%, which yields about 400 to 500 shi of grain a year. That's enough to feed people."

"But there are about a hundred people, and it's not just about food. The bedding needs to be changed, the clothes need to be mended, doctors need to be called when someone is sick, and firewood needs to be burned for cooking and heating in the winter. All these miscellaneous expenses add up to at least two or three hundred strings of cash a year."

"Those who are capable of working earn a little money themselves, and a few kind-hearted people in the county occasionally donate a few strings of cash. If there is not enough, Zhang Qianxing will make up the difference."

As she said this, she looked up at Li Hang and said, "He told me not to tell outsiders. He said that when a person does good deeds, it should be done from the heart and there is no need to publicize it."

"But Zhang Qianxing doesn't want to say it, so I have to say it for him. He has already put in more than a hundred strings of cash since the almshouse was built. A few days ago, he even sent someone to deliver two hundred taels of silver."