Until the rafts gradually disappeared into the distance.
Da Niu finally came to his senses, staring at the neatly arranged items on the raft on the shore, and said in disbelief, "They just left like that? They didn't lay a hand on us, they didn't chase us away, and they even allowed us to beat up that corrupt official to vent our anger."
Are they crazy? What are they trying to do?
Also, is this really food and medicine? Are you sure it's not moldy?
In the past, whenever the soldiers came, they would suffer. Occasionally, they would be given some moldy grain, and they would be grateful for it.
But today, instead of pulling out knives to scare them, those people brought so many things.
I don't know if they're moldy, but this quantity is more than all the previous ones combined.
Did they really scare those people today?
Shanzi shook his head, stared at the things on the raft for a while before saying, "Who cares if they're moldy or not? As long as they can keep us alive, even if they're moldy, it's fine."
We've been out of food on the mountain for several days now. Whether it's moldy or not, as long as it fills our stomachs, that's fine.
Da Niu nodded repeatedly, "That makes sense."
As he spoke, he quickly called the people on the mountain to come down and move the things.
Village chief Li Dahai watched as Shanzi and the others carried a large pile of things up the mountain and exclaimed in surprise, "What is this? Didn't they say the government officials were coming?"
In the past, whenever the government sent people, they were either injured or killed.
He was worried that the government troops would rush up the mountain and was extremely anxious, but unexpectedly, the government officials did not come up the mountain.
Shanzi and the others didn't appear to be injured, and their faces showed no anger or dissatisfaction, though their expressions were somewhat strange.
It seemed like a mixture of joy and confusion.
Shanzi didn't know how to explain for a moment, and after a while he said, "These are things left behind by those government officials. They said they were grain, clothing and medicine."
He had expected a fierce battle and was prepared to fight those people to the death, but they showed no intention of making a move and even sent him supplies, which left him completely baffled.
Li Dahai was completely shocked, his wrinkled face showing disbelief. "Not only is there food, but also clothing and medicine? All of these?"
Looking at the large and small bags in Shanzi and the others' hands, he thought he was seeing things.
But those people put down what they were carrying and went back down the mountain. When they came back up, they were still carrying several large bags full of things.
When did government officials become so kind? In the past, they would have been grateful if the government had given them some moldy grain.
This time it will definitely be the same thing.
Just then, Da Niu exclaimed, "Wow, white rice! Village Chief, Brother Shanzi, come and see! This is white rice!"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at what Shanzi was holding, and when they saw the distinct grains of white rice in his hand, they were all surprised.
Li Dahai felt his eyes were playing tricks on him. He rubbed his cloudy eyes and said in disbelief, "This, it really is white rice."
It wasn't that kind of mixed rice, with husks or sand mixed in; it was clean, the kind of pure white rice that they could hardly get even three years ago.
Some women and elderly people even teared up when they saw the white rice.
Shanzi was also a little stunned. He opened several more bags and found that the medicinal herbs and clothes inside were all clean and there was no sign of mold.
Looking at these things, Li Dahai said through teary eyes, "We're saved! We're saved! We don't have to die anymore."
In an instant, everyone on the mountain became happy.
The gloom that had lingered for more than half a month seemed to be swept away in an instant.
Hope was rekindled in everyone's eyes.
Overjoyed, Da Niu piled everything into the only intact thatched hut before running to Shan Zi and Li Dahai, laughing as he said, "Could these people really be here to rescue us? They look unfamiliar, except for Chen Tongzhi, who is from the yamen."
In the past, during every flood, these people from the capital would never come to the village, let alone come to look for them.
Li Dahai fell silent for a moment, staring at the happy crowd by the thatched hut, before finally saying, "It's already very good that we have food and medicine now; at least we can survive."
Whether those people are really here to provide disaster relief or not, it has nothing to do with us. As long as we can get food to eat, that's all that matters.
Don't forget, we've suffered many losses like this.
In the past, they also eagerly awaited the arrival of officials from the imperial court to provide disaster relief, and would even gather at the city gates, hoping that those officials would come.
Save them.
In the end, they were ruthlessly driven away, and those people looked at them with no pity, only disgust.
How could someone like that possibly save them?
Sending so many things this time, who knows what they're up to.
Perhaps it was just their last full meal before they died.
Da Niu was taken aback and was about to say something more when Shan Zi said, "We still need to be careful these next few days. In their eyes, we commoners are nothing but ants. If they want us to live, then we must live."
"If they want us dead, then we must die. But if this is just a passing fancy for them, we'll still be the ones who suffer in the end."
It wasn't that he didn't want to trust these people; it was just that the disdain and ridicule he had suffered over the years had completely eroded any remaining trust Bai Xin had in the government.
Da Niu clearly thought of those who were driven away and killed in front of them. His eyes gradually reddened, and he nodded heavily, saying, "Brother Shanzi, don't worry, I will definitely take good care of those supplies."
Shanzi responded, then suddenly remembered what the girl had said. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Those who are coughing, stay together for now. Let them sleep in that straw shed inside. Don't let them run around, so as not to infect everyone."
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