"Oh, you have no idea! The county magistrate showered me with praise!"
The village chief had come specifically to thank Ji Huan.
He knew full well that if it weren't for Ji Huan, he wouldn't have had such a moment in the spotlight.
In front of so many people, the county magistrate had singled him out for commendation.
He praised him for being calm in a crisis and loving the people as his own children. He even lauded his brilliant strategy for disaster relief, calling him both brave and resourceful.
Seeing him looking more blissful than if he'd just downed a flask of aged wine, Ji Huan suppressed a laugh. "If the County Magistrate praised you, it's because you deserved it."
And he truly did.
After testing it himself and seeing how remarkably effective the Merit List was, the village chief immediately passed the idea along to his "colleagues."
Just like that, one told ten, and ten told a hundred, and the village chiefs from other villages all began to follow suit.
