Su An's words startled all the diners in the restaurant.

They have plenty of money, and besides, they've become addicted to the taste of Su's shop. If it closes down, where will they find such delicious food again?

Seeing the diners' dissatisfaction, Su An explained repeatedly, "Nowadays, there are vagrants everywhere in the county, and the security can't keep up. In the future, there will only be more and more incidents of people breaking into shops. This is a last resort."

"Furthermore, there are too many refugees, and the county's grain reserves are running low. Our small shop has a lot of flour, so we've been making steamed buns and other wheat-based foods to help the disaster victims. It's our small contribution."

Su An patiently explained, not wanting this matter to affect the shop's reputation, as these were all loyal customers who came rain or shine!

Fortunately, the diners were understanding after hearing this, and their initial displeasure turned into admiration.

"Boss Su's business is booming, yet he's willing to close his shop to help disaster victims. He truly has the heart of a bodhisattva!"

"Boss, please let us know as soon as you open your business!"

Su An breathed a sigh of relief, and after calming the diners down, he hurriedly led everyone to start steaming buns and making noodles, making some food that could be cooked quickly.

The family and everyone else saw the plight of the disaster victims and felt a deep sense of pity and heaviness in their hearts. They quickly busied themselves in the kitchen, and even everyone from Fu Zhun's side joined in.

After the first pot of porridge, steamed buns, and noodles were sent out, the commotion outside quickly subsided, and all that could be seen were people kneeling and weeping in obeisance before the Su family.

Su An was exhausted, her back aching, but her heart was heavy. She discussed the disaster victims with Fu Zhun in the courtyard.

Fu Zhun had already sent his secret guards to investigate. He said with a cold expression, "There is a severe drought in the north. There has been no rain since the beginning of spring. Streams have dried up and crops have failed, causing people to flee to the south en masse."

The South is relatively prosperous, unlike the barren North which is also suffering from drought, so people naturally flock there hoping to make a living.

Su An asked, puzzled, "But even so, why are there so many refugees coming to Fuyou County? Don't the big cities and small towns ahead accept people?"

Fuyou County is just a backward small county. What merit or ability does it have to settle this large group of refugees?

Not only is the county packed, but I heard that even the main roads outside the county have been filled with camps, and there's almost no place to stay.

The county magistrate had no choice but to set up checkpoints at the city gates to control the number of migrants entering the city.

Fu Zhun clenched his fists, his voice cold and angry: "That's right, the towns along the way didn't allow the refugees to enter, and they were driven down layer by layer until they finally reached Fuyou County."

Su An immediately understood.

None of the officials wanted to take on such a huge mess, and the magistrate of Fuyou County was honest and kind, and would not do something like closing the city and driving people away. Therefore, all the refugees rushed to Fuyou County!

A fire ignited in Su An's heart, a feeling of anger mixed with a sense of powerlessness.

She was angry, but she didn't have the ability to solve such a big problem on her own.

However, as if remembering something, she suddenly raised her head: "Fu Zhun, have you ever heard of sweet potatoes? They are an important food, delicious and filling, with high yields and drought resistance. One acre can yield two to three thousand kilograms, which might be able to solve this drought!"

Fu Zhun was frowning in thought when he heard this and was caught off guard and stunned. "There is such a crop? I have never heard of it."

Su An's heart sank. Well, this answer seemed to be expected again.

She had been here for so long and had never seen sweet potatoes, and even Prince Fu Zhun had never heard of them. It seemed that they had indeed not been introduced here yet.

She said with regret and seriousness, "Sweet potatoes are a foreign crop, and we still need to import them from overseas."

These two words caused a huge uproar in Fu Zhun's heart, and he was so shocked that he couldn't say a word.

The idea of ​​sweet potatoes sounded so absurd; he had never heard of them before. Yet Su An seemed incredibly certain, as if he knew everything about sweet potatoes.

He suppressed the strange turmoil in his heart and said, "It seems you are very familiar with this thing. Since it was introduced from overseas, I will immediately order people to collect seeds and crops from overseas. I will need your help to identify them then."

Su An's eyes lit up when she heard this.

This method is feasible!

When she worked as a private chef, she would grow her own vegetables and fruits, which saved money and allowed her to pick fresh produce. This gave her experience, and she was no problem recognizing seeds!

Without delay, Fu Zhun dispatched a large number of secret guards to search for them.

Over the next three days, seeds and seedlings were delivered one after another, but to everyone's disappointment, none of them were sweet potatoes.

Su An was not discouraged. The Great Chu Dynasty's maritime trade had been operating for who knows how long, and with so much trade coming and going, it wasn't so easy to find. At least there was hope.

As she closed her shop to provide relief to disaster victims, diners praised her for her kindness, which inspired several other eateries in the county to follow suit and set up porridge shops.

This would not only earn them a good reputation, but also allow them to ride the coattails of "goodwill" and attract diners, making it a win-win situation.

When the news reached Magistrate Lin Yong, who was extremely busy, he felt a sense of relief.

He then ordered several plaques inscribed with "Benevolent Merchant" to be made and sent to those households as encouragement and praise.

As for the Su family, who made the most outstanding contributions, he specially inscribed a plaque with the words "Virtue Endures" and personally delivered it to them.

"Mr. Su, you have closed your shop to help the people and set an example for them. This is truly a great act of kindness. The Su family deserves this golden plaque."

Lin Yong bowed respectfully to Su An.

Su An received another plaque, and a sense of pride welled up within him. He told Zhang San to put it away first, and then invited Lin Yong in for dinner.

Lin Yong had some free time during lunchtime.

He initially wanted to decline, but then he smelled a rich fragrance wafting from inside and was drawn in, following them inside.

The table was covered with a pile of unfamiliar foods.

Su An smiled and introduced them to him: "These are taro cakes, taro jelly, konjac noodles, fried taro balls... all snacks made from taro. Oh, and there's also the taro cake I just invented!"

As Su An spoke, she excitedly went into the kitchen and brought out a light purple cake.

The rich, sweet aroma is incredibly enticing.

"May the county magistrate try it too, so he can give me his opinion."

Meanwhile, Zhou Li and the others had already started eating. When they saw the cake being served, they cut off a piece and tried it without saying a word.

The cake was covered with whipped cream made by Su An. Zhou Li didn't know what it was, but he found it to be soft, fluffy, and fragrant, and it also contained taro chunks, which was quite novel.

"Sweet but not cloying, so delicious! That milky white layer has an amazing texture!"

Fu Zhun also tried a few bites and immediately commented, "Konjac Jelly is still better."

He prefers stronger flavors, and he especially likes konjac noodles paired with spicy red oil, which are smooth and tender.

Xie Qingfeng simply shrugged and said, "They're both good, each with its own merits."

Lin Yong stared blankly for a long time, his face full of surprise.

"Boss Su, why do you make so many taro dishes?"