Chapter 63 The Story of the Little Koi Fish Controlling the Flood

Under Chu Chongjin's swift and decisive actions and the efficient execution of the Xuanjia Army, order in Yunmeng County is gradually being restored.

Long queues formed in front of the soup kitchen, people flocked to the well to fetch water, and the injured and sick received timely medical treatment.

But just as Chu Chongjin worried, material scarcity can be solved, but spiritual wounds are difficult to heal.

The adults were busy repairing their makeshift shacks or waiting blankly for the next porridge distribution.

Children, on the other hand, became the most silent group.

They didn't cry or make a fuss; they just stared with empty, wide eyes, huddled in the corner like a group of frightened little animals.

Yan Ziche looked at these children and felt a pang of sadness.

He himself was only ten years old, but he felt like he was in a different world from his peers.

He approached Chu Chongjin, who was looking at the list of disaster victims, and offered a suggestion.

"Your Highness, may we... build a temporary school for these children?"

"I don't ask them to read and write, I just want a place where they can gather together, talk, play, and dispel some of the gloom in their hearts."

Chu Chongjin put down his pen and looked at Mu Yu, who was not far away, happily playing with the tail of the tiger king cat.

The little girl regained her energy quickly and was now directing the big cat to "roll around to the left and around to the right," while she giggled non-stop.

That crisp laughter sounded particularly abrupt, yet also particularly moving, in this deathly silent refugee camp.

Many children secretly glanced at her, their eyes filled with curiosity and envy.

Chu Chongjin's heart stirred.

“A school is a good idea.”

He nodded. "But we don't have a gentleman."

Yan Ziche immediately puffed out his little chest: "I can!"

"You?" Chu Chongjin raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning to teach them the Analects or the Doctrine of the Mean?"

Yan Ziche blushed slightly; he really only knew these things.

"Then...what should we do?"

"Don't we have a ready-made, best 'gentleman' right here?"

Chu Chongjin's gaze fell on Mu Yu.

Half an hour later.

On the largest open space in the refugee camp, a "temporary school" has opened.

Without tables and chairs, the children sat directly on the clean straw mats that Xiao Beichen and his men had laid out.

Since there was no blackboard, a large wooden board was used instead.

The "sir" standing in front of the wooden board is none other than our Princess Anguo, Mu Yu.

She was dressed in that pink armor, looking majestic (in her own eyes), holding the little rabbit doll given to her by Princess Jianing in her arms, her little face tense, trying hard to put on a serious expression.

Mu Fang, Chu Chongjin, Xiao Beichen, and Yan Ziche stood around like four dutiful bodyguards and teaching assistants.

The children were brought over by the Xuanjia Army soldiers, who half-coaxed and half-tricked them. They all seemed very reserved, keeping their heads down and not daring to speak.

Mu Yu couldn't see, but she could sense the tension and fear in the air.

She cleared her throat and spoke in what she considered to be her gentlest voice.

"Ahem, my name is Mu Yu, and I am your... um, your storyteller for today!"

"Today, I'm going to tell you a story about a little koi fish that helped control the flood!"

story?

Finally, a flicker of emotion appeared in the children's empty eyes.

Mu Yu held the little rabbit and began to tell the story.

"A long, long time ago, there was a very, very big pond where many, many little fish lived. One day, a big black mud monster fell from the sky, making a mess of the pond. The water turned black, and many of the little fish's homes were washed away."

Her voice was soft and sweet, and her stories were simple enough for children to understand.

"All the little fish were scared and could only cry. At this time, there was a tiny, clumsy pink koi. She was scared too, but she was even hungrier."

"Pfft."

One of the bolder little boys couldn't help but laugh.

The other children also smirked and giggled.

Mu Yu pretended not to hear and continued speaking.

"The little koi thought, 'I can't go on being hungry like this!' So she went to negotiate with the big black mud monster. She said, 'Mud monster, mud monster, don't block my way! You've washed away all my sugar cakes!'"

"The big black mud monster is so fierce! It opened its big mouth, trying to eat the little koi fish too! The little koi fish was so scared that it ran away quickly, but it ran too fast, slipped, and 'plop,' fell on its bottom!"

Mu Yu even mimed the action of falling down with her hands.

The children burst into laughter, and the fear and depression of the past few days seemed to dissipate in the laughter.

"Guess what?"

Mu Yu kept everyone in suspense.

"The little koi's fall brought out a spring hidden under the mud! 'Glug glug,' and clean, delicious water gushed out!"

"She also discovered that although the big black mud monster looked fierce, it was actually a paper tiger! As long as everyone worked together, threw small stones at it, and sprayed it with water, it would slowly melt away!"

"So, the little koi led all the little fish to fight the big black mud monster. Some of them were responsible for finding stones, some for digging tunnels, and some for feeding the injured little fish with delicious spring water."

Finally, the giant black mud monster was driven away! The pond returned to its original state, even cleaner and more beautiful than before!

The story is over.

A little girl with pigtails timidly raised her hand.

"Storyteller... is that little pink koi fish you?"

Mu Yu puffed out her little chest and proudly patted her pink armor.

"Of course!"

"Can we...can we also fight off the big black mud monster like those little fish?"

Another ragged little boy asked, his eyes rekindling with hope.

"sure!"

Mu Yu answered loudly.

"Look!"

She pointed to Chu Chongjin, who was directing soldiers to set up soup kitchens in the distance, "That's our 'Spring Water Brother,' he'll find us clean water and delicious steamed buns!"

She then pointed to Mu Fang and Xiao Beichen, who were on patrol, "Those are our 'Stone General' and 'Passage Captain.' They will protect us and drive away all the bad guys!"

Finally, she pointed to herself.

"And I, and you all, are like millions of little koi fish! As long as we are not afraid and unite, we will definitely be able to rebuild our homeland even better than before!"

The children nodded as if they understood, but their originally dull eyes gradually brightened.

Looking at the little girl in pink armor, blindfolded, yet seemingly radiant, they felt a warmth spreading through the cold, hardened place in their hearts, as if... it was beginning to warm up.

Just then, Mu Yu took out a handful of candy from her bosom; these were medicinal candies that Xie Zhiwei had prepared for her.

"To reward everyone for listening to the story so attentively today, I'll give everyone a piece of candy!"

Yan Ziche immediately transformed into a candy-distributing assistant, handing out candies to each child.

The children received the candy, unwrapped it, and carefully put it into their mouths.

That long-lost sweetness melted on my tongue, spreading all the way to my heart.

After finishing his candy, a child ran up to Mu Yu and slipped a small wildflower that he had secretly hidden in his pocket into Mu Yu's hand.

"Little Koi Sister, this is for you."

Soon after, more and more children gathered around. They had nothing precious to offer but their sincerest gratitude.

Some offered a smooth pebble, while others offered a timid "thank you."

Surrounded by the children, Mu Yu could not see them, but she could feel countless warm, benevolent currents flowing towards her.

In the sea of ​​her consciousness, that small pond of good fortune seemed to have been showered with golden rain, and the water level rose sharply!

It turns out that comforting people's hearts is also a great thing that accumulates good fortune!

Chu Chongjin stood at a distance, watching Mu Yu surrounded by children, a gentle smile appearing on his lips that he himself did not realize.

He knew that a seed of hope had been planted in the hearts of these children.

This seed is far more precious than any material aid.

However, just as the situation in Yunmeng County was improving, a new and more severe challenge had quietly arrived.

A scout from the Xuanjia Army galloped over, his expression extremely solemn.

"Report! Your Highness, General! Downstream... the main channel of Mirror Lake downstream has been completely blocked by a landslide and fallen logs washed down from upstream! The water level is rising rapidly, and in at most three days, it will cause backflow. At that time, the entire Jiayu County... will become a vast expanse of water!"

Jiayu County, the granary of the Great Chu, and the fiefdom of the Marquis of Suiyuan.