Dong Mu He works

Chapter 134: How to Arrange (Part 2)

    

village head.Some young and strong men were also left at the foot of the mountain, in case of emergencies.That day, it seemed to drag on endlessly. Gu Huan held her daughter and walked back and forth...After Ma Changshan finished his report, he could no longer hold on and went to rest. The others gathered together and continued discussing. Overall, everyone was in a good mood. The situation was better than they had expected. There was no eviction or neglect; as long as they were registered residents, they would not become refugees. As for the rest, they would gradually work things out bit by bit.

Only Xu Huaiyi had a few worries and anxieties in his heart. After returning home, he called Wei Liang in and asked, "Are all those things Ma Changshan said true"

Wei Liang nodded. "It's basically true, except..."

Seeing him hesitating, Xu Huaiyi said, "Go ahead and say it. It's alright even if you get it wrong."

"Yes, Master…" Wei Liang pondered. "This servant feels that Qiao Da may not be as good as the common people say."

Xu Huaiyi raised an eyebrow. “Oh Tell me in detail, how did you come to that conclusion”

Wei Liangdao, "There is no relief grain."

Xú Huáiyì burst into a silent laugh. It was this very point that had aroused his suspicions. Other states and prefectures might not be providing relief because they were truly short of grain, but the capital city was under the Emperor's feet, with nobles gathered there. How could it possibly run out of grain

> After they passed by Pingjiang Prefecture, the crops in the fields were not affected by drought and grew well. The land around the capital city must be even better. They harvested so much grain, could it all have been sent to the northwest for the war

The distribution of porridge at the city gate is just a show to appease the people. As for relocating them to the villages, it costs almost nothing. Not only does it avoid the risk of crowds causing trouble, but it also makes the disaster victims grateful for his kindness. He truly is an official who cares about the people and should find ways to apply for relief supplies instead of just doing this superficial effort.

As for watching helplessly as disaster victims sell their children and daughters into servitude, that's even more ridiculous. Could a responsible official do such a thing

Therefore, this Qiao Da Ren, is most likely a hypocritical and insincere person who seeks fame.

"Is there anything else"

Those yamen clerks in charge of resettling the refugees at the city gate were taking bribes under the table.

"Were you given any money by the disaster victims"

"Well, the disaster victims used silver and should be allocated to relatively better villages. Those who don't indicate will be randomly placed. The slaves inquired about it, and the better villages outside the city include Shuangliu Village, Daqiao Village, Shanghe Village, etc. These villages have good customs, fertile land, and villagers are not worried about food and clothing. There is also a school..."

What about the bad ones

"Kōshān Lǐng, Yánqiáo Village…" He paused, then continued, “And there's Hútú Village. It's considered the worst village. No disaster victims want to be sent there.”

Xu Huaiyi curiously asked, "This Huludun Village is so disliked, what's wrong with it"

Wei Liang hesitated and said, "I heard that the land in the village is not good. The crops planted yield 20% less than other villages. Over time, people say that Hutou Village is cursed. Because of this, no one wants to marry into Hutou Village, causing the population to dwindle. Later, there was an epidemic in the capital city, and many people from Hutou Village were infected. Then, the village was sealed off, and they were left to fend for themselves..."

Xu Huaiyi frowned. "When did this plague start"

Wei Liangdao, "Five years ago."

What kind of plague

"It's supposedly chickenpox."

Xu Huaiyi sensitively caught the wording, "Rumors This kind of thing can't be confirmed"

Wei Liang explained, "The common people have differing opinions on this matter. Most say it's smallpox, but there are also a few who shake their heads and remain tight-lipped, vaguely saying that those infected show symptoms similar to smallpox, yet somehow different. Smallpox usually targets children; adults rarely get it, especially those who contracted it as children should not develop it again, but some have still become ill."

Xu Huaiyi instantly smelled a conspiracy, "From now on, don't mention these things to anyone else."

Wei Liang immediately agreed.

Xu Huaiyi then asked, "Is there only a few households left in this Hutang Village now"

Wei Liang nodded. "It's said that there are less than twenty households left, and most of them are elderly people. The plague emptied many houses and land in the village. However, in these five years, no one has bought it. Land has dropped to as low as one or two silver coins per mu and no one cares. Nearby villagers avoid that village, believing that those who survived are also unlucky and bring bad luck."

Xu Huaiyi couldn't help but sigh after hearing this.

Wei Liang understood, "Master, are you worried about placing the people from Xu Jia Village there"

Huai-Yi Xu smiled wryly, “That’s true. Other refugees are scattered around and can just find any village to settle in, but we have so many people, and we don't want to be separated. Besides, is there a place better suited than Hutou Village”

After finishing his words, he waved his hand and said, "Go and rest. I'll have WeicI bring you some food later. Just lie down in the car."

Wei Liang awkwardly thanked him and left.

After he left, Xu Huaiyi got up and went into the inner room. Gu Huanxi and Gu Xiaoyu were sitting on the edge of the bed, playing with A Li. A Li was almost three months old and had started practicing rolling over. These two days the temperature dropped, so she was wearing a padded jacket and trousers, which looked a little clumsy, but she persevered in her efforts, using all her milk-drinking strength.

Seeing this, Xu Huaiyi couldn't help but want to help, but Gu Huanxi stopped him. "Have you forgotten the story of breaking the cocoon and becoming a butterfly Some things, one must strive for on their own to achieve their desires. Help from others might actually harm it. You love your daughter, you also have to love her in the right way."

Xu Huaiyi was scolded, so he didn't dare to reach out. Instead, he moved away, just to avoid the discomfort of seeing it.

"Have you finished asking" Gu Huanxi said.

Xu Huaiyi hummed in response, not avoiding Gu Xiaoyu's gaze. He repeated what Ma Changshan and Wei Liang had said, then smiled wryly, "Wife, I'm afraid we're going to Hutou Village."

Gu Huanxi was relatively calm. "Good fortune and misfortune often go hand in hand, perhaps this isn't a bad thing after all. Firstly, being settled in Hutou Village means we don't have to be separated. By sticking together, it'll be harder for the locals to ostracize or bully us. What has Xu Village Chief been struggling with these days Apart from worrying about everyone's livelihood, isn't he also worried about how to divide things"

Xu Huaiyi nodded.

“Now we don't have to worry anymore. There are less than twenty households in Hutou Village, and we have thirty or so. It's completely fine to fit us all in. Secondly, the housing problem is also solved. Those vacant houses are probably ownerless. At that time, we can discuss with the village and buy them for a little silver. Finally, there's the land. Didn't they say it only costs one or two silver coins per mu Where else could you find such a good deal Even the cheapest land in Qingzhou costs three or two silver coins per mu. The villagers haven't spent much on the way here, so everyone has some extra money. When the time comes, just buy a few mu of land, and we'll have a place to rely on, and our hearts will feel at ease.”

The only downside is the reputation, but we don't care about that ourselves, so outsiders can't hurt us. When the villagers get settled in and live happily and prosperously, those rumors will fall apart on their own.envy for having a skillful wife. It was the openness and ease he exuded that was unattainable to them. If they were in his shoes, none of them could live so freely in front of others. It seemed like...