Chapter 240: Distributing Supplies and Resettling Disaster Victims
There are several kinds of food: rice, corn, white flour and black flour, as well as a few pounds of vegetables, mainly cabbage and radish.
There would definitely not be enough food to last until the beginning of next spring, but he had no other choice. Thirty kilograms per person would mean a consumption of almost ninety thousand kilograms, which was not a small amount.
There were still hundreds of thousands of kilograms of tax grain in the granary, but part of this grain had to be reserved for the disaster victims later, another part had to be reserved for the local soldiers, and a portion had to be reserved for those who built roads and walls. He couldn't squeeze out more.
However, each person was given 500 copper coins, part of which could be used to buy food, and the rest of the money should be enough for the family to build a few thatched houses.
The victims who received the supplies were overjoyed and knelt down to kowtow, expressing their gratitude profusely.
They never expected to receive so much money and food! Lord Ning is such a good official! Finally, they don't have to worry about starving to death!
"Thank you, sir!"
"Thank you, sir. You are truly an upright and wise ruler!"
"Good people will be rewarded, my lord. You will surely live a long life!"
The victims expressed their gratitude repeatedly, and many of them were moved to tears. After walking such a long way and passing through so many places, they finally saw hope of survival.
Ning Yuanze was moved and even felt a little guilty.
At this moment, he seemed to understand the meaning of being an official.
Serving the country and the people and letting them live a good life is not just talk.
After calming himself down, he said in a clear voice, "Everyone, please stand up quickly. Don't worry, as long as you come to Yun'an County, I will do my best to accommodate you."
"These silver and grains didn't just come from the county government. Kind-hearted nobles in Yun'an County also donated a lot, just hoping that everyone could survive."
"Next, I will arrange for everyone to find a place to stay. I will arrange each household to a different village or town to ensure that everyone can settle down."
"From now on, you are all citizens of Yun'an County. I will treat you all equally!"
The victims were grateful again when they heard this, they really came to the right place.
This Lord Ning is not only a good official, but also such a kind person. They all want to settle down in Yun'an County.
"Thank you, sir!"
"Thank you, sir!"
“…”
Voices of thanks rang out one after another, and some people who had just stood up knelt down again and kowtowed to express their gratitude.
Ning Yuanze sighed lightly, and waited until the victims stood up before continuing to speak, his expression becoming more serious.
"Since you have become citizens of Yun'an County, you must abide by the rules of Yun'an County. If anyone breaks the law or commits a crime in the future, I will not show mercy!"
The victims immediately promised to be obedient and never commit crimes.
Of course, there are also some people who don't care. The journey of fleeing famine has turned some people into devils, and they are no longer the simple people they used to be.
Ning Yuanze naturally expected this situation, but now he chose to give them another chance.
If you refuse to change, you will be punished by law.
Looking at the eyes of most people filled with expectation and gratitude, he added: "After settling down, each person will be allocated one mu of wasteland for free. If you want more land, you need to spend money to buy it. There is no tax on wasteland for the first three years."
"In addition, there are free residential plots for everyone to build houses. However, the size of the residential plots will be divided according to the population. I have already conveyed the specific requirements to the village heads."
"After we have collected everyone's information, we will distribute them to the villages, and the village chiefs will lead everyone back."
The victims were very excited when they heard this. They didn't expect that the county magistrate would even take these things into consideration and actually give out free land and homesteads. This saved them a lot of money!
Ning Yuanze continued, "The county government is about to build a workshop and plans to recruit fifty people. All men aged between sixteen and fifty are welcome to apply, but each family can only recruit one person at most."
"The daily wage is 15 wen, plus three meals a day. Anyone who meets the requirements and is willing to work can go over there and queue up to sign up."
This time, before he finished speaking, everyone's eyes lit up, especially those who met the requirements. They all showed joy and were about to rush over to sign up.
They are so lucky that they even have the opportunity to work and earn money!
Although fifteen cents a day is not a lot, it is not a small amount for them.
And they also provide three meals a day, which can save the family a lot of food and increase the family's chances of surviving the winter.
Unfortunately, only fifty people were recruited, and many people were eager to try, worried about whether they would be selected.
But Ning Yuanze waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.
"Since we have to start work today, everyone must think carefully. Once selected, you will not be able to go home for at least two weeks, which may delay your family's land reclamation and farming and house construction."
After these words were spoken, some people began to hesitate, especially those whose families had few male children.
Once they go to work, land reclamation and house building will definitely be delayed.
Seeing that many people looked disappointed, Ning Yuanze threw out another piece of good news.
"But don't worry, everyone. If you don't get a chance this time, you can always wait for next time. Starting next month, the county will begin this year's task of repairing the city walls and paving the roads. In previous years, they would draft males from every household to serve, but this year we're giving you the opportunity."
"All workers will be treated the same as those in the construction workshop, with a maximum of one person per family, and a daily wage of 15 wen, plus three meals a day. This will last until the end of the year."
"Taking into account the fact that some families do not have male members who meet the requirements, the age requirement will be slightly relaxed. If there are no male members in the family, but a woman believes she is qualified, she can also apply."
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd cheered and some even cried for joy. The adults actually created opportunities for every household to make money!
They knew that this was corvee labor, but in the past, not only did they not receive any money for corvee labor, they also had to bring their own food. This time, the adults changed the rules for them.
Such conditions are clearly designed to allow them to earn more money and save more food so that they can survive the winter.
Those with quick brains have already calculated their income. Fifteen cents a day, continuing until the end of the year, means there are still three months left, and they can earn more than twelve hundred cents!
With this much money, you can buy three or four hundred kilograms of food, which is enough to feed the family for a long time.
"Your Excellency is truly a living Bodhisattva!"
"Thank you, sir. I kowtow to you."
"I can go to work. I'm as strong as a man. Thank you for giving us this opportunity!"
“…”
The victims kowtowed to express their gratitude, especially the women who had no male children at home. They never thought that they would have the opportunity to work.
The women who have fled here from famine are not weak. Some of them are even stronger than men. They really want to try to work.
The ordinary people watching on the side also looked surprised.
"Your Excellency, do you mean that we don't have to do corvee labor this year?"
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