Dong Mu He works

Chapter 260: Distributing Porridge (Second Update)

    

ed, "He can take any path he wants, that's all from his past life. Get those messy thoughts out of your head! We're just ordinary people, making money and starting a family, maybe taking the civil ser...Gu Huan's eyesight was limited, she could only vaguely see people moving among the disaster victims, maintaining order. She could even faintly hear shouts, but whether they were from the students of the Jingwu Academy, she couldn't be sure. So she ordered Wei Liang, "Get out of the car and go closer to take a look, are there any students from the Jingwu Academy inside"

Wei Liang was a man of single-mindedness. "Madam, the master forbids me to leave your side."

"I'm safe inside the car, there's no danger. Besides, Young Master Hu is here with me. Just go take a look and come back."

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Master said that once you leave the house, I am not to be more than three meters away from you."

“...”

As for this stubborn person, Gu Huan really had no way to deal with him. Thankfully, Hu Yingjie jumped out of the car to intervene, "I'll go."

"Alright, then I'll leave it to you..."

Hu Yingjie strode away.

Gu Huan was delighted to see him approach. Just then, someone emerged from the dense crowd. Even though Hu Yingjie was usually taciturn, she saw an opportunity and walked over to eavesdrop. From a distance, she couldn't hear what they were saying, so she could only wait patiently.

Gu Xiaoyu also lay down at the window and looked out, her eyes complex, mixed with pity, helplessness, sadness, and relief. All sorts of emotions churned in her heart, making her murmur, "Mother, this is a good thing, right"

Gu Huanxi nodded, "Helping disaster victims is natural."

Even if it's not sincere, the results are always right.

But, but, it takes being pushed to the brink of disaster for people to finally take relief efforts seriously and contribute both time and money. How tragic is that

This statement is flattering, and it's hard to respond to. I can only say, "I don't know the full story, so I won't comment on it. Perhaps the imperial court also has its own difficulties and considerations that we are unaware of."

Gu Xiaoyu whispered, "I have ultimately failed..."

"It's not too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost,". It wasn't that Gu Huan was happy to find a replacement for the current emperor, but based on the original owner's memories, the current emperor ascended the throne as a wise ruler who had once strived for governance. Even when he was a prince in the palace, there were rumors of his benevolence towards the people, which couldn't be fabricated. The original owner had limited vision and might have been deceived, but his father, Gu Feng, wasn't just a pedantic scholar. He also praised Emperor Jianxing, believing that he could usher in an era of prosperity. Therefore, perhaps the court's inaction was not solely due to the emperor himself.

A few sparks of light ignited in Gu Xiaoyu's eyes, only to be extinguished just as quickly when she thought of something.

At this time, Hu Yingjie walked back and replied from a distance away from the window, "Indeed, there are students wearing uniforms of the Jingwu Academy maintaining order. There are quite a few people, making quite a scene. The disaster victims are relatively calm for now, but some are anxious about getting porridge. The porridge shed was built by Chang Le Houfu, and I didn't go near to take a look. I asked someone, and they said that the porridge is still quite thick and hasn't been watered down with rice soup."

Some people ladle out porridge, but they're unwilling to put in too much grain. The resulting porridge is watery and thin, barely filling at all; it's purely a superficial gesture.

It seems Chang Le Houfu was indeed taken in, honestly and truly providing disaster relief.

Have you seen her father, A Li

“No, the person I asked said there were several relief sites. Many wealthy families set up tents to provide food. It is said that because there are too many kind people, they have to queue in turns, otherwise, there wouldn't be enough space outside the city gate for so many tents. The Wudang Academy is one of them, but it is the most well-prepared. Besides providing food, they also cook medicine and have a doctor on site. So that area has the most disaster victims gathered. I guess Xu San Ge should be on duty there. Do you want to go see”

Gu Huanxi wanted to go, but she wasn't arrogant enough to control the current situation. What if something went wrong She could hide in the RV with her daughter, but what about everyone else

So, she still shook her head and said, "Forget it. Let's just look here. Going any further is too risky. Who knows what could happen."

Wei Liang, hearing this, secretly let out a breath.

Hu Yingjie wasn't surprised, and volunteered, "I'll just go take a look myself."

"No, it's too dangerous."

Besides the Jingwu Academy, also the Jingzhao Mansion and the Five-storey Army and Horse Ministry have sent people. It should be fine. I'll be back soon.

After finishing his words, he turned and left.

Gu Huanxi was so determined that no one could stop her. He couldn't help but smile wryly. She was a stubborn person through and through.

After Hu Yingjie left, the sheds not far away began to distribute porridge. The crowd became agitated, and although some people were trying to maintain order, there was still a sense of unease.

Gu Huanxi immediately said, "Wei Liang, turn around and go farther away."

If something really happens, I can run away in time.

Weiliang immediately jumped onto the cart, urged the mule-drawn cart, turned around, and drove a short distance forward.

"Stop."

"Yes, Madam."

For now, the scene at the porridge distribution is under control, although there's still some commotion and the sounds of children crying. Fortunately, no one has resorted to violence.

The displaced people lined up in long queues, moving forward at a decent pace. It was probably out of fear that those behind them would get impatient and cause trouble, so the ladle operators were very efficient. One person with a large ladle, evenly distributing the porridge. As soon as a displaced person received their share, they immediately exited the crowd and found a place to eat.

No one dared to sip their drink, fearing it would be snatched away. When it cooled down, they all devoured it greedily, for only what went into their stomachs truly belonged to them.

This is the deepest realization of the disaster victims.

Someone was beating a drum and shouting, "Those who have already received aid are not allowed to queue again. If found guilty, they will be severely punished. Don't rush or push, there will be more in the afternoon. You all saw how the porridge was cooked just now. The imperial grace is boundless, Marquis Changle has a compassionate heart, and donated 200,000 taels of silver to procure grain for disaster relief. This food is enough for you to eat for several months. Other noble people have also donated grain, and they have set up tents nearby to serve porridge. Therefore, there is no need to worry about going hungry again."

This did have some effect, it did stabilize people's hearts to a certain extent. People's agitated emotions gradually eased, but their desire for food remained unabated.

The sound of a gong resonated again, this time still booming from the same loud voice, who shouted, "Winter is coming soon. Sleeping out in the open fields won't do; you'll catch a cold and end up sick. It wouldn't matter if you had food then. So, it's best to move into the village as soon as possible. Anyone interested in settling in the village If so, head to the city gate and talk to the officials from the Jingzhao Mansion. The process is free, no silver required. Just be willing to settle down in the village and you'll receive a certain amount of grain, eliminating the need to queue for porridge here. You can live peacefully."

This statement carries a lot of weight, and many disaster victims flocked around to ask questions.

Gu Huanxi couldn't hear, but she could guess. They were probably asking about the amount they could receive, how the houses and land would be handled, and what the Jingzhao Mansion could offer. Besides food and permission to cultivate wasteland, there were no other subsidies. This policy was attractive, but it only appealed to those disaster victims who still had some money. Those without any possessions or able-bodied family members wouldn't dare to register in a village. Even if they were given food, they wouldn't be able to keep it.

So, this step can only deter a small number of people. As for resettling most of the refugees, we'll have to wait and see what happens in the second step. Gu Huanxi has seen Xu Huaiyi's plan for the second step, which seems more reliable, but it remains to be seen if the Ministry of Revenue will agree to it.e done before will have been in vain."Gu Huanxi said, "What I fear most is that during this time, someone will stir up trouble, which would only make things worse."Xu Huaiyi suddenly remembered the my...