Everyone nodded, and after thinking it over carefully, they realized there was nothing to overlook, so they ate together.

That evening, Jiayin went into the space again and thoroughly checked all the things she had saved.

Especially when it comes to food and other necessities, I feel much more at ease.

She must have been a hamster in her past life; the habit of hoarding things seems to be ingrained in her bones.

Not to mention all those gold and silver jewelry and valuables she's saved up over the years, as well as the grains, medicinal herbs, and fruits—the very same jars she'd stored in her spatial storage before fleeing famine from Junyang County—are still lined up against the wall, never abandoned...

Luckily, there were no mice in the space, otherwise they would have been rolling around happily. This big warehouse, full of all sorts of things, is simply paradise!

The next morning, the village chief hurriedly returned to Suijintan.

Shuiyun also went to find Peng Chuan, Chen Xi and others, and Zheng He even rushed to Luo'an Academy last night.

The villagers almost broke their necks, and after much anticipation, they immediately surrounded the village chief when he returned.

The village chief didn't offer any explanation and simply issued the order.

"Hurry up and pick the fruit on the mountain; it's all arranged in the city, and most of it will be sent there. All the crops in the fields that can be harvested have been harvested, and there's still..."

One by one, the orders were issued, and once the villagers understood them clearly, they dispersed with a bang.

Everyone, young and old, whoever could move their legs, got busy.

They didn't care about the heat or the lunch break; the most important thing was to quickly grab the items and put them in storage.

Even those who couldn't move their legs and truly couldn't do heavy work would gather in the kitchen to help boil water, cook, and do logistical work.

The village chief went to find Jing Lizheng, but he didn't say much, only five words: "The refugees are coming!"

Jingli's hair stood on end, and he started shouting at the villagers to gather things up in the fields.

The village heads of the other two villages rushed over upon hearing the news, but quickly fled as if they were being chased by wolves.

Of course, the three village heads all knew that the matter was of great importance and could not speak carelessly.

Therefore, no matter how many times the villagers asked, they would only respond with angry curses.

"If I tell you to pack up, then pack up quickly. Do you think I would deliberately harm you? If you don't pack up, fine, but don't blame me if you regret it later."

"And also, if you cause trouble for the village, you'd better get out of here. The village doesn't keep disobedient people!"

With such harsh words spoken, who would dare to procrastinate?

As a result, the area around Suijintan was bustling with activity, with not a single person idle.

Similarly, the Jia, Xing, and Liu families were also working hard to consolidate their estates and businesses outside the area.

The Liu family is a century-old family, so their family business is naturally quite substantial.

Although the Jia family's children and grandchildren were not particularly successful, they also did not have any spendthrift sons, so the family fortune they had accumulated was quite considerable.

The Xing family, however, was poor, owning only a small estate outside the city.

Upon receiving the news, the first thing the three families did was to transport all the grain from outside back home!

Slaughter pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, etc., and then cure and air-dry them.

Half of the live fish were caught and put into the lake in the small garden, while the other half was killed and made into preserved fish.

Vegetables that can be sold are sold, and those that cannot are sent to the city to be dried.

In short, we must do everything we can to gather supplies and prepare to get through this difficult time.

The Xing and Liu families were one thing, but they believed everything the Li family said.

However, on the Jia family's side, the head of the household was Madam Jia, who was somewhat uncomfortable due to the previous unpleasantness with the Li family.

Upon receiving the message, she made all sorts of excuses and refused to go.

It's not that we don't have enough manpower at home, it's just that if we consolidate the farm's production at this time, there will be a lot of losses.

Madam Jia the Second was furious and had a huge argument with her sister-in-law, even proposing to separate the family.

In the end, it was Old Madam Jia who scolded her eldest daughter-in-law, which naturally suppressed the idea of ​​dividing the family property.

Lady Jia the Second temporarily took command and displayed her abilities, leading all the stewards and servants of the household to handle the property in a low-key yet urgent manner.

The most surprising thing is Baozhu, the girl who is usually greedy and playful, who suddenly seems to have grown up.

She carried an abacus and account books, and brought a maid with her, staying by her mother's side. Whether it was writing calculations or keeping accounts, she was competent and handled everything properly.

This earned her praise from the whole family and made Madam Jia extremely proud.

"One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black!" Madam Jia the Second raised her chin, glanced contemptuously at her sister-in-law, and laughed, "When Baozhu plays with the princess for a while, no one says anything sarcastic, as if the princess has corrupted our child. In fact, the princess has taught Baozhu quite a few skills!"

"It's just that Baozhu has been lazy and doesn't usually have a chance to show off, but now she's adding to the splendor."

Madam Jia was furious, but thinking of her son in the northern expeditionary force, she held back and silently hoped that the refugees would not come...

She had no idea how many people thought the same way she did.

Unfortunately, things rarely go as planned!

Jiayin and Old Lady Li spent another day "crying" for the spirit in the palace. When they left the palace, the first thing they did was to ask about Shuiling, who was waiting outside.

"What's it like outside the city?"

Shui Ling's face was flushed from the sun. She had spent most of the day outside the city and had just rushed back before her master left the palace.

Now, she has a lot to say.

“Princess, you guessed perfectly. There are indeed refugees coming to the city; several hundred have arrived in just one day. I rode my horse south for dozens of miles, and there are still quite a few along the way.”

"The soldiers at the city gate stopped these refugees from entering the city. The refugees set up tents outside the city gate and begged everywhere."

Jiayin frowned and sighed softly.

This is just the beginning. Hundreds of refugees gathered together, not daring to argue with the guards, and could only cry, beg, and compromise.

But if the refugees had gathered a thousand, two thousand, or even ten or twenty thousand, things wouldn't be like this!

Grandma Li was also concerned and asked Shui Ling, "How's it going at Broken Gold Beach?"

"The village chief and his men are picking fruit and harvesting crops non-stop. I heard they'll be working through the night tonight, and they should be done by tomorrow at the latest."

Shui Ling took out two half-ripe fruits from her sleeve, presented them to her master, and said with a smile, "These are fruits from the mountain, they are especially thirst-quenching."

Grandma Li and Jiayin quickly waved their hands, saying that the half-red, half-green fruit didn't look appetizing at all.

Sure enough, when Shui Ling saw that her master wasn't eating, she put it to her own mouth, took a small bite, and then her eyebrows and eyes scrunched up from the sourness.

Grandma Li and Jiayin both felt their teeth ache and their mouths watered uncontrollably...

At the Earl's mansion, Li Dayong, who rarely returned home, was overjoyed to see the Li family members return. He quickly said, "I transferred two hundred wounded soldiers from the camp, all of whom are capable of fighting. Fifty were sent to Luo'an and handed over to Dean Zhou, and the remaining one hundred and fifty have already arrived at Suijin Beach."

"I sense that the situation outside the city is not good. Don't leave the city easily in the future. Even if you do leave the city, be sure to bring more men with you."

Li Lao Er pulled him down to sit and drink tea.

Grandma Li also showed concern for Li Dayong, touching his clothes and checking if he had lost weight, treating him like a child.

Li Dayong found it amusing and heartwarming, and chatted with the old lady for a long time.

Once he found out that there was nothing else going on at home, he was eager to return to the dock.

Today's update is here!