Chen Zhaoci saw Xu Di standing to the side and said, "I follow his instructions. I do whatever he says. Sister-in-law, you just caught a cold. I'll prescribe some medicine for you, and you'll be fine after taking it."

The old woman sighed and said, "I'm just an old woman, all my children are gone, and I only have this little granddaughter left. What's the point of living?"

Hearing that the old woman had no intention of living, Chen Zhaoci advised her, "Don't think like that. Think more about your child. The child is so young. How can he survive without family by his side? If it weren't for comparison, but just for the child, wouldn't you need to take your medicine and take good care of your health?"

After listening to Chen Zhaoci's advice, the old woman's pent-up sorrow suddenly surged up, and she lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed), covered her eyes, and began to sob.

The cries were filled with despair, making those standing to the side feel uneasy. The little girl even went to the kang (a heated brick bed), took her grandmother's hand, and silently wept with her.

Seeing the old woman crying so sadly, Chen Zhaoci wiped away her tears as well. After seeing that she had cried enough, he said, "Life is not easy, but we still have to look forward. It's good for your health to have a good cry like this, sister-in-law. Don't worry, the new magistrate of the county can't just stand by and watch everyone suffer."

Some people had already arrived outside. They looked numb, but when they heard the old woman crying inside, some of them had red eyes, and some even squatted down to wipe away their tears.

Xu Di looked at the ragged people and felt extremely sad. He asked, "Is there anyone in our village who can lead us?"

A man in his fifties stood up and said, "The village chief was my brother. He's gone, and I've been taking care of these people in the village these past few days."

Xu Di asked him, "What's the situation in the other two villages nearby? Do they have enough food and firewood?"

The man looked at Xu Di with some doubt, but still replied, "Of these three villages, our village was the one that was better off. However, those Japanese soldiers landed from our village. The people in our village were chased by the Japanese soldiers to the county town. The other two villages were entered when the Japanese soldiers returned. They had fewer dead than the people in our village, but more injured."

Upon hearing this, Xu Di said to one of his attendants, "Take Bai Wei and Bai Mi to those two villages and see if the conditions are really too bad. Tell them to send the people to the county government."

Watching the man ride away on horseback, he said to the other man, "Go back and have Magistrate Yuan and Registrar Tong clean up the back office of the county government to serve as a place for the injured and sick from these three villages to recuperate. Also, have the county government's kitchen quickly go out and buy some grain and firewood."

Seeing the two men who had received the order and ridden away on horseback, the man looked surprised and asked Xu Di, "May I ask, sir, what brings you here?"

Xu Di sighed and said, "I am the newly appointed magistrate. Because of the Japanese landing, His Majesty arrested the prefect of Dengzhou and the magistrates of the four counties under Dengzhou Prefecture and brought them to the capital. He then reappointed the prefect and magistrates."

The man was stunned for a moment, then his eyes reddened, and he slowly squatted down, covered his face and cried, saying between sobs, "Damn it, not many Japanese came, but they actually closed the city gates and wouldn't let us in. Those Japanese brutally killed the people in our village right under the city gate. Sir, if Magistrate Li had even a shred of conscience, he wouldn't have done such a beastly thing."

Xu Di sighed and said, "Because of this, His Majesty has already confiscated the property of Magistrate Li's entire clan. From now on, his descendants will be barred from taking the imperial examinations for three generations. Such a severe punishment is unprecedented in the history of our Great Liang. Brother, we must see His Majesty's benevolence towards the people. Trust that the court will definitely settle you properly and will definitely send troops to wipe out the Japanese pirates and pacify our Bohai Sea, so that everyone can sail safely and return safely."

The man immediately knelt on the ground, crying, "Sir, is what you're saying true? All the able-bodied men in our village were killed by those Japanese with a single stab! Healthy young men, gone in an instant! Sir, it breaks my heart, I wish I could die in their place! If His Majesty really sends troops, I will lead them to every corner of the Bohai Sea. My family has been fishing for generations, we know the Bohai Sea like the back of our hand."

Xu Di quickly helped the man up and said, "Brother, please rest assured, the imperial court will send troops soon, and we will pay for our blood debt in blood."

Upon hearing this, the two men beside him immediately knelt down and said, "Sir, we'll do anything you ask if you can help us avenge our family."

With red eyes, Xu Di pulled them up one by one, saying, "Get up, all of you get up. The imperial court has transferred troops from Yuezhou this time. They are all highly skilled in naval warfare and will definitely be able to help us avenge our grievances."

Chen Zhaoci had already written the prescription. After looking at the situation in the house, he gently shook his head and said to Xu Di, "Xu Di, I think we should take the people from this village to the county government for temporary accommodation. These six children are not in good health and need to be properly cared for."

One of the three men was injured, with a cut on his arm. Chen Zhaoci examined it and bandaged it simply. Fortunately, the weather was cold now; if it were summer, it would probably have become infected. The wound was festering, so the abscess needed to be broken open, cleaned, and then re-bandaged.

The man in his fifties said to Xu Di, "Sir, this is my home. As long as I have a home, I cannot leave. Fusheng and I will stay in the village. Please take the rest of the people back and help them get proper treatment. I will never forget your great kindness."

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