In The Help by Kathryn Stockett, what are examples of characters showing problem-solving skills, understanding something complex, or being generally clever?

One of the examples of complex problem-solving skills in The Help is Skeeter writing her book. To tell the stories of the maids she knows in Jackson, Mississippi, and give their life stories a wider audience, she writes the book anonymously, and puts some embarrassing information about Hilly, a white woman who could potentially reveal who the book's author is, into the book. If Hilly tells people the book is about Jackson, this potentially damaging information (that Hilly once ate a cake with feces in it) will also be revealed. The idea of putting embarrassing information about the cake into the book comes from Minny, an African-American maid. This is a clever way to keep Hilly quiet and tell the maids' stories, as they are not allowed to speak openly about their experiences.
Another example of clever problem-solving is Minny's finding a job working for Celia Foote. Minny thinks she will have a hard time finding a job because Hilly falsely tells everyone that Minny steals. By finding Celia, Minny finds a white woman who needs a lot of help because she can't cook and is unconnected to the other women in town. Celia doesn't know the rumors that Minny is a thief. Celia also pays and treats Minny decently, unlike her previous employers. Minny is a strong, smart woman who finds clever solutions to her problems.