Refugees fled the famine in the north and gradually arrived in Fenggu County. The county magistrate did not take it seriously at first, as there were natural disasters and man-made calamities every year, and it was common for a few people to flee the famine.

By December, the number of people fleeing famine had increased so much that, for the safety of the county town, he had no choice but to send out the city's garrison and officials to maintain order.

Then the imperial edict came down, and Magistrate Sun was excited for a long time. Fenggu County was small and sparsely populated, so this was a good opportunity to increase the population. He ordered his yamen runners to distribute porridge to refugees on the northern border of the county, and he was determined to help thousands of people.

The last group of refugees was brought back and settled in the City God Temple south of the county town. The City God Temple was very small, and two hundred people were crammed inside.

The yamen runners brought rice and a pot, and the refugees had to do what they could, such as going to the mountains to the south to collect firewood and fetching water from the river after eating porridge.

In the heavy snow, every step was difficult, let alone gathering firewood. But with more than two months until spring, the county could not possibly support more than 5,000 refugees unconditionally, nor could it afford it.

With over 5,000 people, food alone would be a huge expense. In the cold winter, they would need to light fires for heating, and both charcoal and firewood would cost money. There were also clothes, bedding, pots and pans. Even for normal expenses, over 5,000 people would spend hundreds of taels of silver a day.

After returning from gathering firewood that day, two constables carried a large pot of medicinal soup. Constable Li called out, "Take your bowls, line up, and come drink your medicine."

The people were puzzled, "Why do we need to take medicine if we're not sick?"

"Yes, what kind of medicine is this? Why do we need to take medicine?"

Officer Li banged on the large pot, "Bring all the medicine for preventing fever and colds over here."

A young man stepped forward and said, “I used to be a pharmacy worker. These are medicines to prevent colds. We’ve come from so far away and are not in good health. Drinking a bowl of this medicine will help.” He then took a bowl from the Imperial City Temple and was the first to step forward. “Brother, give me a bowl.”

Once it happened, it happened again. Everyone drank the medicine, felt warm in their stomachs, and went back to work.

Tian Xiaohua found an opportunity to approach Constable Li and said, "Your county magistrate is so kind. As long as you come to your county, there is porridge, clothes and medicine."

Not long after the snow disaster, there were food shortages and rising prices in the county town. The county magistrate forcibly suppressed them, and then the grain shops under the Shen family opened their granaries, bringing the price of grain back to normal. The Lu family took in an orphan girl to reduce their burden, which finally brought the county town back to order.

Constable Li said, "A few days ago, a cold broke out in the county town. At that time, all the medicine in the county town was transported to the north. Now, all the medicine is bought from the village doctors. It is thanks to Manager Qin and Young Master Lu that we are drinking the herbal decoction."

Hearing Manager Qin's name for the second time, Tian Xiaohua was very curious, "What does he do?"

"See that building to the west?" Constable Li tidied up the large pot. "That's Manager Qin's place. There are nearly four hundred women inside, and merchants flock there every day. It's a real den of iniquity."

A garment costing four or five ounces—what else could it be but extravagant extravagance?!

Tian Xiaohua's suspicions were confirmed once again. In disbelief, she asked, "You...you really want to send me to a place like that?"

Is it too late to run? It seems too late. Her name and household registration are all on file. Where can she run to? She really didn't expect this constable to be so ruthless. She had always thought of her as a very good person.

Officer Li was puzzled by her reaction. "Don't worry, I've already found a place for your brother." He lowered his voice. "There's a hot pot restaurant not far from this market in the east of the city. He can work there as a runner. He'll be well-fed and clothed every day. Originally, that place was very popular and full of staff, but I used to patrol the trading market area often and have some connections with Young Master Lu. I suggested that we let a twelve-year-old child work as a runner, and he agreed."

"If the restaurant is full, won't they bully my brother?" Working as a waiter in a restaurant in the county town is not bad; at least he won't go hungry. But there are definitely many people vying for that kind of job.

Officer Li told her to go and get the family's belongings and bring her younger brother along, saying, "It's alright. The Lu family is large and powerful. As long as your brother doesn't slack off, it's just one more mouth to feed for them."

In the freezing cold, having an extra mouth to feed would mean starvation for many families.

Constable Li led the siblings to a bustling restaurant. The waiters were extremely busy. When Ma Da saw the constable, he became nervous and hurriedly came out, saying, "Sir, are you here for a meal? Please come in. The lotus root in the restaurant just arrived this morning and is very fresh."

Officer Li explained his purpose, saying, "I'll have to trouble you to take care of this kid from now on."

Ma Dage led Tian Xiaoshu inside. The child, who had been shivering outside, immediately felt warm inside and ran out to pull his sister, saying, "Sister, come in and warm up too. It's not cold at all in here, it's so comfortable."

Fearing that her younger brother would anger the boss, Tian Xiaohua quickly gave him a few instructions: "Work hard here and don't slack off. I'll come to see you when I have the chance. Take care of yourself and don't make the boss angry."

As long as her younger brother was doing well, she could endure everything else. Taking a deep breath, she said with a look of grim determination, "Let's go."

Officer Li chuckled. This woman had quite the air about her. The two walked through the thick snow from east to west, stopping at the back gate of a courtyard. To the west of the courtyard was a river, its surface covered with a thin layer of ice in the cold weather. As large cargo ships passed, they cleared a path, the ice breaking and then freezing again. Further west, they couldn't quite see that unbelievably beautiful building. Perhaps it was because of the distance...

I couldn't hear a sound, I could only see the boat docked in front of the building, and nothing else.

The back door opened, and a little girl wearing a lake-green dress and a matching cloak opened it. Underneath her snow-white rabbit fur, her smiling face was bright and charming. "Brother Li, why are you here on such a cold day? Is something wrong at the trading market? Come in quickly."

Lu Yan pulled her cloak tighter and then noticed Tian Xiaohua behind her. She was wearing a dusty, coarse cotton coat, but it was very clean, and her face was red from the cold.

Qin Xiaozhou quickly learned his purpose. Looking at the girl sitting below, who was thin but not timid and had bright, spirited eyes, he smiled and nodded, "That's not difficult at all. It's just that this girl's household registration is currently located in which place?"

Slaves could register their status under their master's household, but commoners had to have their own household registration.

Officer Li said, "Your household registration is in Wangjia Village, the same village as yours, Manager Qin."

It's very difficult to settle down in the county town, and Officer Li doesn't have that much power.

Qin Xiaozhou smiled, "Brother Li, you've thought of everything."

The girl's household registration was in Wangjia Village, and she was sent to her, which meant that she was expected to protect the girl. However, these were all trivial matters, and it would also do Officer Li a favor, so Qin Xiaozhou was naturally happy to do so.

Tian Xiaohua was stunned for a moment, staring at Qin Xiaozhou in disbelief. This plump and voluptuous older sister was actually the Manager Qin that Constable Li had mentioned.

She had no trace of femininity, but rather an air of carefree elegance.